asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current level of undermanning in the West Midlands police force.

On 30 June 1979 the West Midlands police had a deficiency of 420, or 6·45 per cent. on its authorised establishment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men and women have left the West Midlands police force, to the latest convenient period; and how many were recruited in the same period.

Recent figures are as follows:

	Number recruited	Number left
1 January 1978–31 December 1978	549	419
1 January 1979–30 June 1979	361	137

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his intentions regarding bringing forward proposals to amend the law in conformity with the Council of Europe declaration on the police (resolution 690).

It is for the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to decide whether resolution 690 of the parliamentary Assembly should be recommended to the Governments of member States. It would be premature to consider the need for amending legislation before that decision has been taken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps at all ports of entry into the United Kingdom to ensure that nationals of all members of the European Community are treated on an equal footing in relation to immigration control.

Nationals of other EEC member States are treated alike for immigration control purposes, except that citizens of the Irish Republic are normally admitted freely to this country. We have no plans to alter these arrangements. In addition, French and Dutch nationals who derive their nationality from a connection with an overseas dependency do not at present enjoy full free movement rights under the immigration rules. This provision is under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the achievements of the Equal Opportunities Commission.

These are described in the Commission's annual reports, which have been laid before Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average time taken to supply the appropriate forms to Commonwealth citizens resident in Great Britain who wish to apply for registration.

There are a number of statutory provisions under which citizenship of the United Kingdom and colonies may be granted and it is often necessary to investigate under which provision the person is eligibile to apply before the appropriate form can be sent. In straightforward cases the forms are supplied, on average, within six to seven weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to implement the recommendations of a Royal Commission on gambling for the British horse racing authority.

I have considered this recommendation very carefully in consultation with my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State with responsibilities for sport. While I appreciate the attention given to this subject by the Royal Commission on gambling and the reasons which led it to propose a British horse racing authority, I have reached the conclusion that such an authority is not needed at the present time. I welcome the steps now being taken by the racing industry to establish a consultative body representative of all sectors of the industry, which would advise the Horserace Betting Levy Board. I very much hope that the industry will be able to come forward with agreed proposals for setting up such a body.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of deportations he has authorised during the last 12 months for which statistics are available; and if he will classify them according to (a) those held in Pentonville prison, (b) those going voluntarily following the issuing of an order, (c) those ordered to do so by a court and (d) the number of British passport holders or British people going as dependants accompanying deported people.

The available information is as follows:During the period 1 July 1978 to 30 June 1979 the number of deportation orders signed was 1,382, of which 588 followed the recommendation of a court.The number of deportation orders enforced in the same period was 768, of which 487 followed the recommendation of a court.The rest of the information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Atkinson asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state for the year ended 31 March and for each of the months of March, April, May and June the number of persons seeking admission at Heathrow airport who were (a) refused entry, (b) returned within 24 hours, (c) held at Heathrow or at Harmondsworth detention centre, and (d) given temporary admission.

The available information is as follows:

	Number refused admission	Number granted temporary admission
Year ended 31 March 1979	8,476	3,193
March 1979	668	271
April 1979	655	251
May 1979	738	264
June 1979	866	366

The other information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what objections he has received to the proposals of the Humberside magistrates' courts committee for reorganisation of petty sessional areas in Humberside.

Objections have been received from nine local authorities, three firms of solicitors, the chairman of a local bench of magistrates and a local resident. The principal ground of these objections is that inconvenience would be caused if court houses were closed following the proposed reorganisation of petty sessional divisions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of short-stay visitors to the United Kingdom who illegally overstay their permitted period.

As the House knows, an investigation into the extent of overstaying was put in hand by the previous Administration. The results are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what response he has had from local education authorities to his Department's paper on microelectronics in education; and whether he proposes to proceed with the five-year development programme.

The proposals in the consultative paper for a microelectronics development programme in schools and colleges received support in comments from local authority associations and 15 individual authorities, although some reservations were expressed on particular aspects of the suggested programme. My colleagues and I are considering the scope for such a programme in the light of public expenditure decisions and the part to be played by the education system as a whole in promoting this new technology.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidance he has issued about the length of the school day; and if he will take steps to ensure that local authorities do not introduce an 8 am to 2.30 pm continental school day for schools.

My right hon. and learned Friend has issued no guidance to local education authorities about the length of the school day. He has no power to prevent an authority adopting a " continental " school day system provided it meets the requirements of the schools regulations 1959 and the provision of milk and meals regulations 1969. Any authority contemplating such a change will need to consider carefully the wider social effects as well as any savings in expenditure it might make.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what he is doing to ensure that there should be available to researchers in Great Britain a wide-ranging collection of microorganisms, as an insurance against a possible outbreak of particularly unusual and nasty diseases; what representations he has had on this subject from Professor Postgate FRS of the Agricultural Research Council and others on this topic; and if he will make a statement.

Micro-organisms required for research are held by several centres supported by the Medical Research Council and the Agricultural Research Council. Reference collections of micro-organisms of medical importance are maintained at the Central Public Health Laboratory, Colindale, and other public health laboratories. My right hon. and learned Friend has received no representations on this subject from Professor Postgate or others.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether additional local housing allowances and higher standards of insulation than prevail elsewhere are provided for Service married quarters in the Shetland Islands.

No, but the programme of thermal insulation for Service married quarters has now been completed—to a standard higher than the minimum required by the appropriate building regulations—in respect of those quarters in the Shetland Islands which require it.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of the project development stage of the Army's new main battle tank.

The Government attach the greatest importance to the timely introduction of the Army's new main battle tank MBT80, which remains its first priority equipment, and good progress is being made with project definition. After detailed evaluation of both engine options it has been decided to select a version of the Rolls-Royce Motors CV12 diesel engine in preference to the American AGT1500 gas turbine. The CV12 is the latest in a family of diesel engines manufactured by Rolls-Royce and is based on an existing design developed for the main battle tank produced for Iran. Through various changes, such as turbocharging, Rolls-Royce has increased the power of this engine to 1,500 bhp and it has further development potential. The operational performance of the Rolls-Royce and United States engines would have been broadly comparable, but the AGT1500 is designed for the XM1 tank and, together with its associated transmission, would have required substantial modification for MBT80; its fuel consumption is also expected to be higher. The CV12 will be manufactured at the Shrewsbury plant of Rolls-Royce Motors, which has long experience in the production of military engines.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are to widen the membership of the Army Cadet Force to include girls as well as boys.

The Army Cadet Force performs a very valuable role both as a youth service and in encouraging service to the country. Membership has hitherto been confined to boys but I believe that it would both increase the value of the ACF and be in keeping with developments within society to extend the opportunity to girls. With this in mind a pilot scheme will be started to admit girls to eight school detachments of the ACF early in the next academic year and the results will be reviewed after two years.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make a statement on the results of the offer he made to the Institution of Professional Civil Servants, and referred to in the House on 9 July, with a view to the settlement of its pay claim.

The offers to which I referred in the House on 9 July were those for the science group and the professional and technology (P&T) group. The offer to scientists has been accepted by the Institution of Professional Civil Servants, but that for the P&T group has not. As a result of a meeting with my right hon. and noble friend and myself yesterday, the IPCS has called an end to actions affecting either House. However, some industrial action in support of the P&T claim is continuing though there can be no justification for such action when for over 50 years the agreed procedure has been recourse to the independent Civil Service arbitration tribunal. I have urged the institution to submit its case to the tribunal as speedily as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the total value of white goods—fridges, freezers and washing machines—imported into the United Kingdom during (a) the last year and (b) the past five years.

Following is the information for complete domestic refrigerators, deep freezers and clothes washing machines:

	£ million cif
1974	76·6
1975	93·2
1976	96·4
1977	126·1
1978	120·3
June 1978-May 1979	123·5

NOTE. The figures for the years 1974 to 1977, inclusive, contain both domestic and commercial deep freezers which were not separately distinguished.Source: " United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics" (SITC(R2)) items 775.11, 21 and 22.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if he will make a statement concerning the effects on Great Britain's trade of the strike of staff operating the computerised Customs clearance system at London's Heathrow airport;(2) what representations he has received relating to the strike of staff operating the computerised Customs clearance system at London's Heathrow airport; and what subsequent action he will be taking.

I understand that the dispute has had no discernible effect on the arrival of imports into this country, although there have apparently been some delays, subsequently, in clearing these goods from the airport. Export trade is not affected.My right hon. Friend has not received any representations about the dispute, which involves national data processing service computer staff and is, therefore, a matter for the Post Office. While hoping that a speedy settlement can be reached, I do not propose to take any action at the present time.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for (a) all consumer prices (b) food prices in each member State of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (i) the cumulative increase in the period March 1974 to April 1979 and (ii) the average annual rate of increase, in the period March 1974 to April 1979.

The information requested is attached. The figures cannot strictly be compared because of variations in composition, coverage and compilation of the various price indices. For example the incidence of rent, restaurant meals and house repairs varies amongst the " all items indices ", whilst amongst the food indices some include alcoholic beverages and tobacco.

CONSUMER PRICE INCREASES AND FOODPRICE INCREASES, MARCH 1974—APRIL 1979
	Consumer price increases March 1974—April 1979
	Cumulative	Annualised
Australia (1)	77·2	12·1
Austria	33·9	5·9
Belgium	49·0	8·2
Canada	56·0	9·1
Denmark	60·9	9·8
Finland	81·5	12·4
France	64·7	10·3
Germany (FDR)	24·2	4·4
Greece	92·7	13·8
Iceland (1)	438·2	40·0
Ireland (1)(2)	101·2	15·0
Italy	113·9	16·1
Japan	47·5	8·0
Luxembourg (2)(3)	41·8	7·1
Netherlands	41·4	7·1
New Zealand (1)	90·9	13·8
Norway	51·1	8·5
Portugal	148·7	19·6
Spain	141·8	19·0
Sweden	58·0	9·4
Switzerland (4)	16·7	3·1
Turkey (5)	223·3	28·0
United Kingdom	108·8	15·6
United States	47·7	8·0
Yugoslavia (6)	125·0	17·6

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will draw to the attention of the Liberian Government the powers of Her Majesty's Government to take action against any Liberian owners or the masters of their vessels if pollution takes place which affects the coastline of the United Kingdom and subsequently a fine is imposed which in the sole opinion of Her Majesty's Government is totally inadequate.

Under the Prevention of Oil Pollution Act 1971, the master or owner of any foreign vessel may be prosecuted in our courts for the unlawful discharge of oil into our territorial waters: we have no powers to prosecute foreign vessels for the discharge of oil outside our territorial waters. I have no doubt that the Liberian Government are well aware of our powers in this respect.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will approach our EEC partners and other developed country members of the general agreement on tariffs and trade to relax the barriers on commodities coming from the poorest developing countries affected by the oil crisis.

A major effort was made in the GATT multilateral trade negotiations to reduce the barriers to imports from developing countries, notably the poorest. Implementation of the results of the negotiations, due to start on 1 January 1980, should materially improve the prospects for the trade of these countries. Discussions of trade barriers of importance to them will continue under the auspices of the GATT.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what are the latest estimates on the cost to public funds of a third London airport.

The costs of providing a third London airport are likely to vary according to the site. No estimates are available at present, but I expect the study group on South-East airports to provide an analysis of the costs when it submits its report in the autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what compensation is being paid to shipping companies whose ships are held up for considerable periods due to their rescue of Vietnamese refugees.

The costs falling to shipowners is one of the many problems arising from the rescue of Vietnamese refugees. I hope that the Geneva conference will help to find solutions.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether paragraph 21 of the guidance given to the Civil Aviation Authority in the White Paper " Future Civil Aviation Policy ", Cmnd. 6400, still applies; and whether, in view of paragraph 78 of the Authority's decision dated 18 May 1978 on application 1A/20196, he will give a more precise indication of the weight that the Authority should give to it.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what submissions he has received from local authorities or local authority associations on the proposals put forward by the Civil Aviation Authority regarding consultations with local authorities when considering applications for new services such as helicopter links; and whether he has yet reached any conclusions on these proposals.

The Department has received six representations from local authorities and one from a local authority association following the publication of the Civil Aviation Authority's proposals. The changes proposed by the Authority will involve amendments to the Civil Aviation Regulations 1972. The representations of the local authority interests will be taken into account in considering the amendments to the regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement on the progress made in talks between the EEC and Malta concerning the import of textile goods from Malta into the Community and indicate the position taken by Her Majesty's Government in the negotiations; and when he expects final agreement.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Winterton) on 4 July.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish the figures showing that the provision of a second terminal at Gatwick could provide capacity for about three years' growth of traffic in the London area.

The forecasts in the White Paper on airports policy envisaged that passenger demand at the London area airports might be between 51·1 and 63·5 million passengers in 1985, when a second terminal could be available at Gatwick, and that it would grow by between 5 per cent. and 7 per cent. per year. On this basis, the capacity of 9 million passengers a year envisaged for the second terminal would be equivalent to about three years' growth of traffic.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will advise the Civil Aviation Authority to consider evidence from local authorities and amenity groups regarding the application to continue the Gatwick-Heathrow helicopter link beyond 8 December.

I understand that the Civil Aviation Authority intends to do so.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will supply the figures for all full-time and part-time workers in the United Kingdom horticulture industry, including Northern Ireland, as at 31 December 1978.

I regret that this information is not available as numbers of workers in the United Kingdom horticulture industry are not separately collected in the agricultural censuses.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many plant health inspectors are employed in the United Kingdom; how many should be employed; and if it is his intention to increase the establishment.

My Department's plant health and seeds inspectorate, which operates in England and Wales, consists of 69 inspectors. Plant health inspections are also carried out by staff of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, and the Forestry Commission but in each case the officials concerned also perform other duties. These staff resources are considered adequate for present purposes but are being reviewed, by the Departments concerned, in the light of new plant health regimes that will apply when EEC directive 77/93 takes effect.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will be the effect on the United Kingdom's contribution to the EEC budget of the recent common agricultural policy price review.

Based on the latest information given by the Commission the cost of the CAP prices settlement is as follows:

	£million
the 1½ per cent. increases plus the changes in the German and Benelux Green rate	63
the 1½ per cent. green franc devaluation	51
increase in milk powder subsidy	44
increased butter subsidy	182
other changes in the milk sector, such as school milk	8
other increases mainly on aids on processed fruit and vegetables	24
	372
the 5 per cent. green pound devaluation—minus	74
	298

Britain will have to meet 161 per cent. of this total which is its marginal contribution to the CAP which will amount to £49 million.The benefits to the United Kingdom in financial terms will be:

	£million
the butter subsidy	65
school milk subsidy	4
extra receipts due to the green pound devaluation	14
	83

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many reports were made during 1978 of sharka disease, white rust and American leaf miner, respectively; and what was the country of origin of the affected plant in each case.

The following table contains details of outbreaks of sharks dis-

		England and Wales	Scotland	N. Ireland	Origin of diseased material
Sharka disease	…	45 (7 in Nurseries 38 in Orchards)	NIL	NIL	Of the nursery outbreaks 3 originated in material from the Netherlands with remainder having a United Kingdom origin. All 38 orchard outbreaks concerned material produced in the United Kingdom.
White rust …	…	7	4	58	2 outbreaks originated in plants from France. All the others stemmed from one importation of chrysanthemum cuttings from the Netherlands in April 1976.
American leaf miner		37	NIL	NIL	25 originated in plants from Kenya. 4 originated in plants from Spain. 2 originated in plants from the Netherlands.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to notify farmers of the dangers of the disease of Orf which is on the increase in Wales; what is his estimate of its incidence and growth in prevelance over the past 12 months; and what research is being undertaken in Wales into the effects, prevention and cure of this disease.

Orf is not a notifiable disease and detailed statistics of its incidence are not available. There is no evidence of significant increase in Wales. Enough is known about the disease to enable effective control measures to be applied. An advisory leaflet for farmers is to be published soon.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Bothwell of 18 June, he will give an undertaking that in future Finance Bills his policy will be to maintain widows' pensions at their 1979 level at least, calculated as if these levels had been tax free.

The level of pensions is a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Social Services. But it will be our policy to keep tax thresholds at such a level that a widow ease, white rust and American leaf miner reported during 1978.whose only income is the standard widows' pension will not be liable to tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the impact of the rise in minimum lending rate on other interest rates.

Increases in minimum lending rate directly affect most short-term interest rates, although interest rates are subject to a number of other influences. The impact of MLR changes on long-term rates is generally smaller than on short-term rates.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects next to meet the comptroller of the Royal Mint.

I have not yet met the deputy master though I hope to do so at a convenient early date. My hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State has however recently done so. Whilst he has no plans for another meeting in the immediate future, he hopes shortly to visit the Royal Mint at Llantrisant.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the added financial burdens that have been placed upon the proprietors of coin operated amusement machines by the increased rate of value added tax.

The British Amusement Catering Trades Association have sent a telegram pressing that the gaming machine licence duty, which affects amusement arcade operators, should be reduced to offset the increased burden of value added tax. A few letters have also been received on this matter.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to zero rate value added tax on tickets sold by, and materials purchased by, the live theatre.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider and respond to the letter addressed to him by Mrs. C. M. Bird of Aston, near Sheffield, concerning the imposition of value added tax on items which are not regarded as essential and its effect upon the living standards of ordinary families.

Mrs. Bird's letter dated 10 July was received only on 17 July. A reply to Mrs. Bird will be sent as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current rate of inflation.

The year-on-year increase in the retail prices index for June was 11·4 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest estimate of the rate of inflation within the next six months.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mr. Craigen) on 15 June 1979.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure that no adjustments will be made to the new cash limits set out in Cmnd. 7604 to allow for wage claims or settlements in excess of the levels assumed when these cash limits were formulated.

The Government's policy on cash limts was set out in my right hon. and learned Friend's Budget Statement. Cmnd. 7604 reflected that policy as it applies to pay settlements reached by 5 June.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal incentives he proposes to offer exporters of manufactured goods to assist the balance of visible trade in 1980.

My right hon. and learned Friend's recent Budget improved fiscal incentives generally, and in due course can be expected to benefit industrial productivity and therefore manufactured exports.

Ross asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has yet reached any conclusion on the application of capital gains tax to the second home vendor.

We are conducting a thorough study of capital gains tax with a view to legislation at an early date. It is, however, too soon to reach conclusions on any particular matter.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is satisfied with the operation of the car tax; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. Car tax at 10 per cent. was introduced in 1973 partially to compensate the revenue when the purchase tax rate of 25 per cent. on cars was replaced by an incoming VAT rate of 10 per cent. The rate of car tax has remained unchanged since 1973 and is not subject to the regulator; two factors that have assisted the forward planning of the motor industry. As a tax on passenger vehicles it is paid in the main by manufacturers and yielded £380 million in the last financial year with an approximate cost of collection of 02p in the £.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is now ready to announce the Government's medium-term money supply targets.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to publish medium-term objectives for the money supply and for the public sector borrowing requirement.

Our first priority is to change the direction of the economy and to bring money supply growth under control. We are also committed to a progressive reduction of the rate of growth of the money supply and, as a means to that end, we are determined to reduce the PSBR as a percentage of GDP.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will indicate his policy over management of the exchange rate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement on his exchange rate policy.

The exchange rate is primarily determined by market forces. The Government, through the Bank of England, intervene in the exchange markets to moderate excessive fluctuations in the rate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the position as to payment of interest to premium bond winners whose payments have been deferred by strike action.

I refer my right hon. and learned Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Hazel Grove (Mr. Arnold) on 13 July.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to make further relaxations of exchange controls; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Wilkinson) on 18 July.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he proposes to change the arrangements which encourage em- ployees to acquire shares in their companies.

As our pre-election manifesto made clear, it is our intention to expand and build on existing schemes for encouraging employee share ownership, and we shall be reviewing the relevant taxation provisions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he anticipates the rate of economic growth will be in the current year.

The economic forecast published in table 4 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report suggested that, for the economy as a whole, total output would be nearly ½per cent. higher this year than last year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met the Board of Inland Revenue.

My right hon. and learned Friend meets members of the Board frequently.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will devalue the £ sterling.

No.

asked the Lord Privy Seal (1) if he will list in the Official Report, by country and by broad category, the number of cases pending before the EEC Court of Justice;(2) if he will list in the

I am arranging to have the information compiled and shall publish it in the Official Report as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the total, in square feet or square metres, of industrial development certificates issued in the London docklands partnership area in each year since 1976; and what is the total issued so far in 1979.

Figures for the London docklands partnership area are not readily available, but the total floor space for which industrial development certificates were issued in the employment office areas which are wholly or partly in the partnership area are:

Year	Number of IDCs	Floor Space '000 sq. ft.
1976	41	862
1977	34	1,104
1978	59	2,954
1979*	34	983
*January to May.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what action the Government intend with regard to signatories of the Helsinki Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Final Act who fail to meet its provisions.

We shall continue to emphasise in our contacts with other cosignatory States the importance we attach to full implementation of the Helsinki Final Act. With our partners in the Nine, we shall also express our deep concern to those Governments whose actions are clearly inconsistent with its provisions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what finance he has supplied to Scottish local authorities for the removal of air raid shelters; and whether he intends to make some further provision to meet this problem.

From 1971 to 1973 local authorities were offered 100 per cent. grants at a cost of about £360,000 to demolish their remaining surplus Second World War shelters. This programme was terminated in March 1973. I have no proposals to resume it.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will announce a decision on the recommendations of the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland.

The Commission's recommendations on regional and islands electoral reviews have already been confirmed. My right hon. Friend's decisions on its recommendations following its district reviews are announced as and when the individual district reports become available. My right hon. Friend hopes to reach a decision shortly on the Badenoch and Strathspey district review.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will consider issuing guidance to local authorities that they should avoid, so far as possible, building other than cottage-type dwellings in future housing developments.

It is for the local authorities themselves to determine how best to meet housing needs in their areas. The available statistics show that of the 8,647 dwellings for which tenders were accepted by Scottish local authorities in 1977 and 1978, 6,829 were houses of one to three storeys.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what account he has taken of the need to up-date the car mileage allowance for members of local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

The maximum car mileage allowance is normally updated annually. The last review took effect in January this year. Although I appreciate that there have been substantial increases in petrol costs since then, these are by no means the only factor in running costs, and I do not yet think it appropriate to advance the next review.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what decision has been made with the Community with regard to possible diversion of food aid previously earmarked for Vietnam.

We are discussing with our Community partners the response the Community should make to the problem of refugees in South-East Asia, and we expect a decision to be made in the light of the outcome of the Geneva conference.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether, with reference to his replies to the hon. Member for Warley, East on 27 June and 2 July, the issuing of a licence to export a work of art for the purpose of loan abroad for public exhibition for a period exceeding six months, as distinct from sale, may, following a recommendation of the reviewing committee on the export of works of art, be withheld by him for an indefinite period, notwithstanding the fact that the object concerned is not on offer for sale and no question consequently arises of its possible purchase by a public institution in the United Kingdom.

The power to grant or withhold an export licence applies whether or not the object concerned is being offered for sale. The purpose of invoking the export control is, where necessary, to inhibit the departure from this country of items of outstanding importance to the national heritage. That aim is achieved if the owner keeps the item here as well as if he sold it to a public collection.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the movement of female full-time earnings as a proportion of male full-time earnings on an annual basis since 1968.

The average hourly earnings of full-time women employees, as a percentage of the corresponding figure for men, has moved as follows since 1970:

1970	63·0
1970	63·7
1972	64·5
1973	64·2
1974	65·8
1975	70·4
1976	73·5
1977	74·0
1978	72·5

The information relates to April in each year. Comparable figures are not available for 1968 and 1969.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he intends to introduce amendments to the law relating to the employment of subcontractors by an employer operating the closed shop.

I am aware that there have been instances where employers have been subject to pressure by trade unions to ensure that the employees of subcontractors are union members. The Government regret these, and have them in mind during the consultations which are now proceeding on the three working papers published on 9 July.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will provide his estimate of the net cost per person per week of employing young people in community industry after taking into account the savings in unemployment and other benefits;

(2) what proportion of 19 to 24-year-olds who have been continuously unemployed for more than six months and over 25-year-olds who have been continuously unemployed for more than 12 months live outside the areas to which the special temporary employment programme is now confined;

(3) in what way the criteria for entry to special temporary employment programme schemes are to be tightened to ensure that a higher proportion of entrants are drawn from the long-term unemployed;

(4) if he will define precisely how the length of time for which young people remain in the youth opportunities programme is to be reduced;

(5) if he will define precisely how savings will be made in the youth opportunities programme by shifting provision marginally towards less expensive opportunities;

(6) if he will provide an analysis of the youth opportunities programme places, providing work experience on employers' premises, by standard industrial classification;

(7) how many young people who left school at Easter or summer 1978 have (a) not been offered a place on the youth opportunities programme and (b) been refused a place on the youth opportunities programme;

(8) if he will provide the best available estimate of the net cost per person per week of each of the component elements of the youth opportunities programme, after taking into account savings in social security and other benefits;

(9) if he will provide whatever information is available on how many people who have been employed under the special temporary employment programme have progressed into permanent employment;

(10) if he will provide the best available estimate of the net cost per person per week employed under the special temporary employment programme, after taking into account savings in unemployment and other benefits and the payment of taxes and national insurance;

(11) how many special temporary employment programme schemes, employing how many individuals, have been closed down or are due to be closed down as a result of the Budget cuts.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many training places were provided in the assisted areas as a result of the direct service training for industry in the period before charges were imposed under the Budget.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that in the financial year 1977–78 its direct training services provided training for 35,873 people of whom 26,431 or 73 per cent. were employed in assisted areas. In the financial year 1978–79 the corresponding figures were 45,786 of whom 33,654, again 73 per cent. were from assisted areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people will be deprived of the opportunity to undertake a course of training under the training opportunities scheme as a result of the Budget cuts; and how many of these will be under 25 years of age.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the planned number of people completing courses under the training opportunities scheme in 1979–80 will be reduced by 10,000, of which it is estimated that about one-third will be under 25.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether the cut of £9·8 million in funding to industrial training boards and other bodies will lead to a reduction in the number of apprenticeships available.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that it is not possible at the present time to say what effect, if any, the cuts will have on the number of apprenticeships available.The industrial training boards have been given wide discretion by the MSC to apply the cuts in ways least damaging to their training objectives and are currently considering how this may best be done. In the case of other bodies, the effect of the cuts on the number of apprenticeships available in the non-ITB sector is likely to be minimal. MSC has emphasised its continuing support for the training for skills programme, which has the maintenance of adequate apprentice training as one of its principal objectives.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of those currently unemployed has been unemployed for (a) more than six months and (b) more than 12 months.

At 5 April, the latest date for which the quarterly duration analysis is available, 19·6 per cent. of the registered unemployed in Great Britain had been unemployed for over 26 and up to 52 weeks and 27·1 per cent. for over 52 weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the Manpower Service Commission's estimate of future unemployment before the Budget; and what adjustment has been made in its estimate since the Budget.

The Manpower Services Commission is not responsible for estimating or forecasting future unemployment. It does, however, have to take a view of future labour market developments in the context of its strategic planning. The Commission's planning timetable has been delayed by the Budget and the proposed staff and expenditure cuts, and the Commission has not yet adopted a planning assumption on the future employment situation.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many firms employ, respectively, under 500 employees and between 500 and 1,000 employees; and what is the total number of employees in each case.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many females are unemployed in Gateshead; and how the figure compares with the same period in 1978;

(2) what is the total number of people unemployed in Gateshead; what percentage of those available for work this represents; and how the figures compare with the same period in 1978;

(3) what is the total number of people unemployed in Felling-on-Tyne; what percentage of those available for work this represents; and how the figures compare with the same period of 1978;

(4) how many school leavers in Gates-head have yet to find employment; and how the number compares with the same period last year.

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

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the estimated total number of relets in the private rented sector in each of the years 1976, 1977 and 1978.

Figures are not available in the precise form requested. However, from the national dwelling and housing survey it is estimated that at the end of 1977 there were approximately half a million private lettings in England where the head of household had been resident less than one year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total, in square feet or square metres, of office development permits issued in the London docklands partnership area in each year since 1976; and what is the total issued so far in 1979.

The total area covered by office development permits issued in the London docklands partnership area since 1976 is as follows:

1976	60,000 sq. ft.
1977	Nil
1978	296,000 sq. ft.
1979 (1 January—30 June)	49,000 sq. ft.

NOTE: The exemption limit was raised from 10,000 sq. ft. to 15,000 sq. ft. from 1 June 1976 and to 30,000 sq. ft. from 14 June 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what the size of his revised housing allocation for Rotherham metropolitan borough council will be.

Revised housing capital expenditure allocations for 1979–80 will shortly be notified to all housing authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the percentage of the total housing stock in Great Britain represented by (a) privately rented property, (b) council houses and (c) owner-occupied property.

Following are the available estimates:

STOCK OF DWELLINGS: BY TENURE: GREAT BRITAIN—DECEMBER 1978
	Percentage
Rented from private owners, housing associations, by virtue of employment or with farms or business premises	14
Rented from a local authority or new town corporation	32
Owner occupied	54

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the reasons why the crude surplus of dwellings has increased from 0·9 per cent. in 1966 to 4·5 per cent. of the housing stock in 1978; and what proposals he has for bringing the bulk of these 900,000 dwellings into use.

The most recent official figures for England relate to the end of 1977 and indicate a crude surplus in England of dwellings over households, including households which share, of 2·3 per cent.—400,000 dwellings; they also show that there were at the end of 1977 some 729,000 vacant dwellings and second homes. After allowing for the number of properties already undergoing conversion and improvement and an estimated 120,000 second homes, the national dwelling and housing survey estimate of vacant dwellings is 480,000–2·8 per cent. of the total housing stock. This includes those temporarily vacant because of movement between houses as well as housing of bad quality or badly located.In order to encourage the occupation of vacant dwellings we shall introduce a scheme for shorthold lettings and new legislation on private sector improvement work. It is for local authorities to minimise empty housing in their own stock and I am consulting the local authority associations about the possibility of asking authorities to include reference to this in their housing investment programme submissions.We should receive later this year the report of the vacant property survey, a national survey of the characteristics of vacant properties undertaken for the Department by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. We shall then consider the need for further measures.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated number of householders in the public sector and in the private sector likely to be eligible to claim a home insulation grant in the following categories (a) over 80 years old, (b) over 75 years old, (c) over 65 years old, (d) mothers with a child under 5 years, (e) holders of a mobility allowance, (f) holders of invalidity benefit and (g) holders of constant attendance allowance.

The information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what future plans he has for the sport and community schemes.

If the hon. Member is referring to the football and the community schemes, these, of course, are initiated and funded by the Sports Council. I understand the council is spending around £800,000 on them during this financial year. I do not yet know if the council intends to continue these schemes in future years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in recommending health authorities to invite water authorities and water companies to add fluoride to the water supply, he has drawn their attention to any statutory provision which would prevent either of them from declining to carry out his recommendation.

My right hon. Friend's responsibilities, while they include water authorities, do not include health authorities. I suspect that the hon. Member's problem may be complex, and if he cares to let me have details I shall make sure he gets a full reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if a Minister from his Department would be prepared to meet a delegation from Walsall to discuss the impact on Walsall of cuts in public expenditure and to seek ways in which central Government may assist the town in its regeneration.

The cuts in public expenditure apply to all local authorities, and it is for each authority to decide its own priorities in making the necessary reductions. I regret that, in these circumstances, it will not be possible for me to receive a delegation as the hon. Member requests.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much money has been made available to Walsall under the derelict land clearance scheme; how many hectares have been reclaimed; and whether Walsall will still be eligible for 100 per cent. capital grants to reclaim all derelict land in the district.

Since 1973 derelict land grant has been made available at the rate of 50 per cent. of loan charges on approved expenditure of about £595,000. Since June 1978, when Walsall was made a derelict land clearance area, 100 per cent. capital grant has been made available on approved expenditure of some £112,000. In all, 147 hectares have been reclaimed with grant aid. Walsall continues to be eligible for 100 per cent. capital grants.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the number of habitable council homes that were empty as at 31 December 1978 for each of the London boroughs.

This information is not available in the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish in full the recommendations made to him by the Association of County Councils on the reduction of public expenditure within local authorities responsibilities.

The proposals put forward by the Association of County Councils were in the form of a discussion paper submitted to the consultative council on local government finance at its meeting on 9 July. It is not for me to publish this document, but I understand that the association may be prepared to make copies available on request.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what reports he has received from the Nature Conservancy Council as to the land use strategy it wishes to see pursued in the Somerset wetlands;(2) when he expects to be able to make a statement about the land use strategy which the Nature Conservancy Council has proposed for the Somerset wetlands.

I have received no reports from the Nature Conservancy Council about a land use strategy. A report " The Somerset Wetlands Project " published in April 1977 proposed that such a strategy be prepared. The issues are complex and will take time to resolve. I understand, however, that Somerset county council has agreed to set up a consultative group representing all the different interests, including relevant central Government interests, with a view to seeking an acceptable resolution to the problem.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many dwellings remain without the standard basic amenities as defined in the Housing Act 1974 in the private rent sector;(2) how many dwellings remain without the standard basic amenities as defined by the Housing Act 1974.

About 1·5 million dwellings, of which 0·6 million were private rented, were estimated from the results of the 1976 English house condition survey to be lacking one or more of the five basic amenities as defined in the Housing Act 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many dwellings in the private rent sector are still subject to rent control under the Rent Act 1957.

Precise figures are not available, but the Department estimates that there are now about 0·2 million controlled tenancies in England.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the number of housing starts between March 1974 and April 1979.

GROSS FIXED INVESTMENT IN HOUSING AS A PROPORTION OF GDP EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY MEMBERS: 1973–77
	1973	1974	1975	1976	Percentage 1977
Belgium	5·3	6·2	6·2	7·0	..
Federal Republic of Germany	6·3	6·2	5·4	5·5	5·5
France	7·2	7·7	7·3	7·2	7·1
Italy	5·9	6·5	6·0	5·7	..
Luxembourg	6·4	7·2	7·6	..	..
Netherlands	6·3	5·5	5·1	5·0	5·8
United Kingdom	4·5	4·2	4·5	4·3	3·8
Ireland	5·1	6·9	6·2	..	..
Denmark	6·5	5·5	4·6	5·4	4·6*
.. Not available.
* United Nations Estimate.

Not all definitions used are exactly comparable.