asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he proposes to set up the House of Commons works of art committee for this Parliament.

The future status of this Committee is at present under consideration, but I hope to be able to make an announcement in the near future.

asked the Attorney-General whether there is an upper age limit for the appointment of justices of the peace within the United Kingdom; if such a limit is one of practice or one imposed by law; and what exceptions are permitted when local requirements so demand.

With the exception of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Lord Chancellor appoints justices for England and Wales. There is no statutory upper age limit, but as, under paragraph 4(1) of schedule 1 to the Administration of Justice Act 1973, the name of a justice must be placed on the supplemental list on reaching the age of 70, the Lord Chancellor is unlikely in practice to appoint a candidate over 60. He prefers as many candidates as possible to be under 50 years of age in order to ensure balance in the composition of a Bench, and to enable those appointed and trained as justices to give a reasonable period of service.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to improve the standing of the tourist industry in the guidance given by careers masters.

My right hon. and learned Friend is taking steps to improve knowledge and understanding of industry generally. The careers and occupational information centre, which has official responsibility for the production of careers material for schools, has recently published a new title in its "Careers Profile" series on tourism.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science which of the services currently carried out by his Department he proposes to transfer to the private sector as a result of proposed cuts in the Civil Service; how many staff will be saved in each case, and at what cost; and how much it will cost to have those services carried out by the private sector.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what modifications in procedures within his Department he proposes to make to save manpower.

The changes will reflect a lesser degree of intervention in matters which are primarily the responsibility of others, such as the local authorities, and will generally be aimed at increasing efficiency. The details of implementation are still being considered and will be the subject of consultation with the Staff Side.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement on the fifth Anglo-Soviet round table conference.

The fifth meeting of the Anglo-Soviet round table will be held at the Royal Institute of International Affairs on 14 and 15 December. Participation in the round table is non-governmental, but the costs are paid from Government funds. The Government believe that the round table provides valu- able opportunities for broad exchanges of views between prominent figures in British and Soviet public life.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether the eight constituencies which will apply for the common roll seats at the forthcoming elections in Zimbabwe-Rhodesia will be the same as the constituencies at the elections held there in April 1979; and how many seats will be allocated to each constituency.

The electoral districts will be the same as at the April elections. The allocation of seats will be decided by the Governor and the Election Commissioner after they have been able to make their own assessment of population statistics.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will now take steps to reduce to chargé d'affaire level diplomatic representation in all those countries which do not recognise basic human rights.

No.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what are the factors he is considering which have led him to delay reaching a decision on affording full diplomatic recognition at ambassadorial level to the Government of Chile.

We are still examining all aspects of our relations with Chile. The level of diplomatic representation is only one of these. We already recognise the Government of Chile.

asked the Lord Privy Seal when he expects to reach a decision in his consideration of whether or not to exchange ambassadors with the Government of Chile.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Eton and Slough (Miss Lestor) on 19 November.—[Vol. 974, c. 16.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next expects to meet the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

On 17 December.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received recently concerning any changes in the law concerning licensed premises.

I regularly receive a variety of representations covering many aspects of the licensing laws.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he is yet in a position to report on his consultations about future designations under the Fire Precautions Act 1971.

We are not at present in a position to make a statement about future designations under the Fire Precautions Act 1971. We are consulting our colleagues who are concerned with possible designations in the health and social services sector.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to the imposition of a quota on immigration from the Indian Sub-continent, as suggested by the Select Committee on Race Relations and Immigration.

To be fully effective a quota system would require legislation. The Government have decided to give priority to changes in the immigration rules.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to introduce amendments to part II of the Representation of the People Act 1949.

We are considering this matter as part of our general review of electoral law and procedures.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to extend the powers of the police to make charges for the cost of policing demonstrations in certain circumstances.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State gave to a question by him on 6 November.—[Vol. 973, c. 96.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date he anticipates that people in Wales will be able to receive television programmes on the fourth channel.

The Independent Broadcasting Authority has indicated that its present engineering programme should enable 90 per cent. of the population in Wales to receive the fourth channel by autumn 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the increase in television licence fees, he will reconsider his decision not to introduce a concessionary television licence fee for retirement pensioners.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the increase in the television licence fee, he will now introduce a concessionary fee for retired people.

No

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how many local government districts in England orders have been made since 1974 for new electoral arrangements.

Orders providing new electoral arrangements have been made for 23 metropolitan districts, 270 non-metropolitan districts and 31 London boroughs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioners of the Metropolis and the City of London on Operation Countryman.

In accordance with the provisions of section 49 of the Police Act 1964 allegations against members of the City of London and Metropolitan police forces are currently under investigation by a senior officer from another force. His report will be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions for his independent consideration of the possible need for criminal proceedings. It would not be appropriate for me to seek to take any action or to comment further at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representation she has received from chief constables and the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis concerning additional work caused to police forces arising from any extension of licensing hours.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is now able to announce the date of publication of the Government's plan for the second independent television channel.

I hope that legislation to implement the plans which I outlined in my speech to the Royal Television Society on 14 September, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House, will be introduced early in the New Year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on police recruitment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on changes in police manpower and morale in recent months.

Total strength of the police service in England and Wales on 31 October 1979 was 112,883, a gain of 5,084 since the Edmund-Davies committee report was published. The Metropolitan Police strength was 22,468, a gain of 857 since the report, but still substantially below establishment. Outside London, many forces are close to establishment, and my right hon. Friend has approved some increases for the current financial year. I am in no doubt that implementation of the reports on pay and negotiating machinery has strengthened the high morale of the service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the sentencing and treatment of persons convicted of offences involving drug abuse.

If my hon. Friend would let me know what particular aspects of these matters concern him I should be glad to write to him. Detailed information on the sentencing of drugs offenders was published in chapter 3 of "Statistics of the Misuse of Drugs, United Kingdom, 1977".

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for the latest available year, how many people under the age 10 years are known to have committed offences involving violence and for taking and driving away motor vehicles in the Metropolitan Police area.

Children under the age of 10 are below the age of criminal responsibility and therefore cannot be guilty of an offence. However, I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that in 1978 there were four cases of assault and 31 of taking and driving away a motor vehicle where the person arrested for the offence was found to be under 10 years old.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the report of the Criminal Law Revision Committee and his Department's working party on possible changes in the law relating to sexual offences.

It is not yet possible to forecast when the Criminal Law Revision Committee and Policy Advisory Committee on Sexual Offences are likely to complete their review of this area of the law.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications to enter the United Kingdom have been received from Latin American refugees during the past six months, broken down by the nationalities of the applicants.

The figures are as follows:51 applications from Argentinians involving 115 people.25 applications from Chileans involving 80 people.Two applications from Paraguayans involving seven people.One application from an Ecuadorean involving four people.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been admitted to the United Kingdom under the Latin American refugee programme during the past 12 months.

A total of 88 are known to have arrived.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens band radio users are cur- rently transmitting in the United Kingdom.

I have no reliable information as to the number of such users.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what alterations he proposes to the nature of custodial regimes in order to reduce the current high re-conviction rate among those released after custodial sentences.

Every effort continues to be made, within the resources available, to explore methods of making regimes more purposeful and effective. The relevant recommendations of the May committee are now also being taken into account in this process.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in experiments in the tape recording of police interviews with suspects.

I understand that the Royal Commission on criminal procedure expects to receive early in the new year a report on the studies which it has commissioned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied that adequate means exist to prevent people who appear on the electoral register of more than one constituency from voting in both constituencies in a general election.

Yes. In the absence of evidence that double voting takes place on any significant scale I do not consider that any new procedures are needed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government have any plans to change the financial arrangements for the British Broadcasting Corporation; and if he will make a statement.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 14 to 16-year old schoolchildren by age and sex were being held in (a) local prisons and (b) remand centres,

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the Parliamentary Boundary Commission to conclude its proposals; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to a question by the hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Marks) on 4 December.—[Vol. 975, c. 104–5.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to make available senior attendance centres for those aged from 17 to 21 years; and where the first new centre will be located.

The information is as follows:

Attendance centres covering the whole of this age-group are at present in operation in Manchester and Greenwich. It is the Government's policy to open more senior attendance centres, but the rate at which this can be done will depend on the making of satisfactory arrangements for accommodation and staffing. I am looking into the possibilities in several places, in the hope of being able to make one or more new centres available by next March; but I cannot yet say which will be the first to be opened.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Minister of State's answer Official Report, 26 November, column 416, relating to arrivals of immigrants at Heathrow airport on 20 November, why the cost of providing a full answer to the original question would be disproportionate.

Because statistics on the numbers arriving at Heathrow airport are not compiled on a daily basis.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the numbers of male financeés and husbands, respectively, in Bangladesh awaiting interview by the British High Commission there at the last convenient date in respect of their application to join their financeées and wives in Great Britain; and what is the estimated average delay between the date of those applications and the anticipated date of interview.

At 30 September 1979 there were 21 fiancés and 49 husbands at Dacca awaiting decisions on their applications for entry clearances. It is estimated that a fiancé or husband applying at Dacca at the end of September 1979 may have to wait about two years for an interview.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to re-introduce corporal punishment for crimes of violence.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he is proposing to amend the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 to give more powers to magistrates' courts in dealing with the young offender.

I cannot yet say when I shall be ready to introduce legislation on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the operation of the law relating to safety and security at pop concerts.

Events of this kind may, dependent upon where they are held, be subject to a variety of enactments, some of which are local in character. I am not aware that these arrangements have given rise to any serious problems.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if evening classes at Bristol prison have been suspended; if so, when this was done; for how long; how many prisoners are involved; on whose authority they were suspended and for what reason; what steps are being taken to bring about a resumption of these classes; and when they are expected to start again.

Most evening classes at Bristol prison were suspended on 10 October as a result of action taken by prison officers to express their concern at financial cuts in local authority education services; efforts are being made to arrange for the resumption of classes but no date can yet be given. About 100 prisoners are affected.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will detail the individual punishments imposed by the Wormwood Scrubs governor and board of visitors, respectively, on prisoners charged after being involved with the disturbances of 31 August; if any prisoners were charged with assaulting an unknown prison officer; and if so, how many.

A total of 169 charges were brought under the prison rules of which 14 involved assaults on unidentified prison officers. Individual punishments ranged from 120 days' forfeiture of remission plus 56 days' forfeiture of privileges, stoppage of earnings and exclusion from associated work to stoppage of earnings for a period of three days.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to the estimated cost to public funds of policing the demonstration of Iranians in London on Sunday 2 December in support of the Ayatollah Khomeini, and as to the number of police engaged.

I understand from the Commissioner that 750 officers were on duty for the demonstration on 2 December organised by the Muslim Solidarity Committee, United Kingdom. The cost of the police operation could be caluclated only at disproportionate expense.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider introducing legislation to compel organisers of demonstrations to pay for the cost of policing such events.

I refer my hon. Friend to a reply I gave on 6 November to a question by my hon. Friend, the Member for Northampton, North (Mr. Marlow).—[Vol. 973, c. 96.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the procedures for checking applications for firearms and shotgun certificates.

The responsibility for these procedures rests with chief officers of police, and I am satisfied that they are appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he has any plans to increase the fees for firearms and shotgun certificates or to introduce further controls;(2) whether he is satisfied that the present laws relating to the possession of firearms and shotguns are adequate; and if he has any new proposals to limit the illegal possession of firearms.

We have these matters under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the control of private advertising of gun sales.

There are no specific controls over advertising of gun sales. Both purchasers and vendors are bound by the provisions of the Firearms Act 1968, and we have no immediate plans to amend it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of total indictable offences recorded by the police in England and Wales at the latest convenient date; and in what percentage of these guns were used.

1978 is the latest period for which information on the total number of indictable offences recorded can be related to the number of offences in which firearms were reported to have been used; the numbers were published respectively in tables 2.1 and 3.1 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1978".—Cmnd. 7670. Overall, firearms were reported to have been used in less than a quarter of 1 per cent. of all the indictable offences recorded in 1978; corresponding percentages for the most relevant individual offence groups were given in table 3.2 of the same publication.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider transferring the police training college for the North-East of England from Dishforth to Wentworth House near Rotherham to avoid further aircraft noise which would be suffered if it were moved to Middleton St. George, County Durham in accordance with the recommendation of the Police Training Council.

We are still considering the recommendation of the Police Training Council and I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will consider strict regulation of premises used for one-day sales to ensure that public safety and hygiene standards are maintained.

We have no proposals for amendment of the law for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to reduce the long hours of overtime worked by prison officers.

The committee of inquiry into the United Kingdom prison services made a number of recommendations on the use of prison service manpower and the level of overtime working, and these will be followed up as recommended by the committee in full consultation with the staff associations concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current shortfall in the approved establishment of prison officers in the United Kingdom.

The number of prison officers in England and Wales on 1 December was 1,060 below the level approved for the year ending 1 April 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the response to recent advertisements seeking recruits to the prison service; how many new entrants have been accepted into the service over the past three months; and how this compares with the position 12 months ago.

The response has been encouraging; the number of applications for employment as a prison officer is currently 30 per cent. up on last year. In the three months to 30 November 1979, 299 new entrants joined for training, against 246 in the same period last year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now introduce legislation to increase the deposit payable by parliamentary candidates to £750.

I am considering this matter as part of my general review of electoral law and procedures.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to amend the Lotteries Act so as to clarify the position of schoolchildren selling raffle tickets in aid of school funds, particularly where reference is made to alcoholic drinks included amongst the raffle prizes.

The Lotteries Regulations 1977 prohibit the sale of a ticket or chance in a society's lottery or local auth- ority lottery by or to a person who has not attained the age of 16 years. There is no similar prohibition relating to private lotteries, or small lotteries incidental to entertanments such as bazaars and fetes, and I do not think the case for one has been made out. As to the use of alcoholic liquor as a prize in a lottery, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 15 November to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Hannam).—[Vol. 973, c. 1476.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter sent to him by the Welsh National Broadcasting Committee on 9 November, requesting a meeting; and if he will meet representatives of the National Broadcasting Conference.

I wrote to the hon. Member on 5 December and indicated that I would be glad to meet him and other representatives of the Welsh National Broadcasting Conference.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which of the services currently carried out by his Department he proposes to transfer to the private sector as a result of proposed cuts in the Civil Service; how many staff will be saved in each case, and at what cost; and how much it will cost to have those services carried out by the private sector.

I have no plans at present to transfer to the private sector any services which are currently carried out in the Home Office.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what improvements in efficiency he plans to make to reduce manpower; and if he will list the miscellaneous savings he intends to make, and in which areas.

Improved efficiency—for example, through changes in working methods, and through mechanisation and the use of computers—is a continuing process applicable to the whole of my Department, from which I expect further useful savings over the next two years. I have not yet reached firm conclusions on the miscellaneous savings to be made as part of the longer-term reductions in the size of the Civil Service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make an announcement concerning his review of the ban on foreign Scientologists wishing to enter the United Kingdom.

I am actively considering this matter but I am not able to say when conclusions will be reached.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average amount of time spent in prison by all those convicted of murder who were sentenced to life imprisonment and subsequently released.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is his estimate of the annual inflation rate from April 1979 to April 1980 and to April 1981; and what would be the cost of raising (a) the single person's allowance, (b) the married man's allowance, (c) the additional personal allowance and (d) the age allowance in line with that rate;(2) what would be the cost in the financial year 1980–81 of raising (

It is not practicable to give this information in respect of all persons who have ever been convicted of murder. For those released in England and Wales during the years 1969–78 inclusive the average was nine years and eleven months. This includes young offenders detained during Her Majesty's pleasure but not persons who had previously been released on licence and subsequently recalled to prison.

asked the Attorney-General how many magistrates have been appointed in the North-West in each of the last 10 years; and how these figures compare with other regions taking density of population into account.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 December 1979, c. 543]: Figures are not available for the present commission areas for the years prior to local government reorganisation. Since then, the number of magistrates appointed in the North-West are these:single person's allowance, (

The most recently published forecast of changes in the retail prices index relates to the following periods only and is as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an estimate of the amount of money which will be available for investment from the pension funds of the public sector in the next two financial years assuming an average rate of inflation and earnings of 12 per cent.

No. The Government do not make detailed forecasts of the investible surpluses of public sector pension funds.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Inland Revenue press release of 30 November on building society interest relief for pay as-you-earn, how soon after 5 April 1980 he expects to be able to make the lump sum payment of relief due for 1979–80.

Any relief due for 1979–80 by reason of the increased rate of building society interest will be given by repayment as soon as possible after the societies report the actual interest paid.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Inland Revenue press release of 30 November, if the new code numbers for 1980–81 now being prepared will take account of the higher mortgage interest rates; and what rates he has told the Inland Revenue to assume for the whole of that year.

It is not possible to predict the course of mortgage interest rates over the coming financial year. PAYE codings for 1980–81 will, therefore, be based upon an interest rate of 15 per cent., the rate most recently announced by the Building Societies Association.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Inland Revenue press release of 30 November, how hardship will be defined for the purposes of adjusting the code number for 1979–80 as a matter of urgency.

The right hon. Gentleman will know from his own experience of these matters that it is not practicable to lay down a general definition of hardship for this purpose.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for a married man with two children, what is the increase in mortgage interest tax relief he receives with the rise in interest rate to 15 per cent. if his gross salary is £3,000, £5,000, £8,000, £12,000 and £20,000, assuming in each case a mortgage loan of three times the gross salary, and assuming in the case of the £20,000 salary man firstly that he is subject to the investment income surcharge of 15 per cent., and secondly that he is not.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to publish as a draft order the proposed double taxation relief agreement agreed in principle with Australia.

The final details of a protocol to amend the double taxation agreement between the United Kingdom and Australia should be settled shortly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the reply given to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Mary-hill Official Report 18 June, column 393, what is his forecast for the rate of inflation on 3 May 1980 and 3 May 1981.

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

ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate what would be the effect on the public service borrowing requirement if all public sector pensions ceased to be funded and the pay-as-you-go system for those which are funded was adopted.

No. Any estimate of the quantitative impact of such a change on the public sector borrowing requirement depends crucially on the assumptions made about the form of the PAYG system adopted and the resultant pattern of effects on pension contributions, prices, wages, pensions, and taxation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an estimate of the amount of money available for investment from the pension funds of the public sector for the current financial year.

I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave him today.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the net United Kingdom contribution to the EEC budget would be reduced if each member country were required to finance the requirements of the common agricultural policy within its borders; and what the United Kingdom net contribution would then be based on the assumption that money compensatory amounts benefit the exporting country where community prices are higher than world market prices.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether all Motability cars are exempt from vehicle excise duty, as was stated in the Official Report, 2 July, column 443; and, if they are not, what rules govern entitlement to

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the ratio exemption from vehicle excise duty for a Motability car and for a car registered in the name of a recipient of mobility allowance.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 December 19791]: Any disabled person who is supplied with a vehicle through Motability is able to obtain exemption from vehicle excise duty, subject to the usual provisions, laid down in section 8 of the Finance Act 1978, that the vehicle is used by or for his purposes. In answering the right hon. Gentleman's earlier question concerning the normal tax position of lessees my hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State, assumed this situation to be what he had in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list the number of agricultural tractors imported into tide United Kingdom in the first six months of 1970, 1975, 1978 and 1979 from the following countries: East Germany, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, and Romania, and the export of agricultural tractors from the United Kingdom to those countries over the same periods.

The information is as follows:of the increase in manufactured exports prices over the period 1952 to 1978 to the corresponding increase in the wholesale price of manufacturers, where available, for each of the eight latest manufacturing countries;

As far as can be ascertained, information on wholesale

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will take steps to ensure that airlines operating Concorde over North Devon and the Bristol Channel, reroute or reschedule flights to avoid the recurring sonic booms that disturb residents at night.

Concorde begins and ends supersonic flight sufficiently far from land to ensure that no part of the United Kingdom is disturbed by primary sonic booms but under certain climatic conditions, which normally occur only during the winter months, a reflected or secondary boom of much lower intensity is some times heard in Devon and other counties in the South-West. The changes in routes and operating procedures that have already been made have substantially reduced the disturbance caused by these secondary booms. The situation will be kept under review, but it is unlikely that much more can be done without imposing unacceptable operating penalties on the aircraft.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the United Kingdom share of exports of manufacturers to (a) EEC countries and (b) non-EEC countries for 1970 to 1978.

The United Kingdom share of exports of manufactured goods is normally measured in terms of our share of the value of main manufacturing Prices of manufactures is available for this period only for the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The information requestion for these two countries is as follows:Countries' exports of manufactured goods. Annual information, using this definition, is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) from which countries and in what proportions imports came into the United Kingdom in 1978 in the Lancashire cotton man-made fibre, spinning textile sector, taking cotton and man-made fibres separately;(2) what was the level of imports in each quarter of 1977, each quarter of 1978 and the three quarters of 1979 by volume and by value in the Lancashire cotton, man-made fibre, spinning textile sector, taking cotton and man-made fibres separately;(3) to which countries and in what proportion exports went in 1978 in the Lancashire cotton, man-made fibre, spinning sector, taking cotton and man-made fibres separately;