asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why farmers are not being permitted to market potatoes below 3½in wide and 6½in long; and if he will review this policy.

This is a matter for the Potato Marketing Board, which prescribes, with certain limited exempttions, the minimum standard of grading for ware potatoes sold by registered producers for human consumption in Great Britain. For the current crop, the ware standard specifies minimum and maximum riddle sizes of 40 and 80 millimetres respectively, and a maximum length of 165 millimetres within a 5 per cent. maximum tolerance for both size and other defects in any package or container.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he proposes to introduce any further devaluation of the green pound; and, if so, when.

A further devaluation of 5 per cent. has been agreed and will take effect in most sectors on 17 December.

asked the Attorney-General whether he has yet received a full report from the Director of Public Prosecutions on inquiries made following the publication of the Bingham report; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. I shall be making a statement as soon as possible.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he intends to give guidance to Departments on the practices they should follow for paying people money to which they are legally entitled.

A report is being published today containing guidance on this subject. It is called "Legal Entitlements and Administrative Practices" and has been written by an inter-departmental group of officials. The Government have approved the guidance recommended in the report. Departments will now review their practices in the light of those recommendations. Copies of the report are being placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what public funds are received by the Runnymede Trust.

A voluntary services unit grant of£8,750 is being paid to the Runnymede Trust in the financial year 1979–80. Following a decision taken in 1978 the grant is being phased out and a final payment of£3,750 will be made in the financial year 1980–81.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many men and how many women inmates in borstals and prisons, respectively, committed suicide during each of the last 20 years for which records are available and at what ages;

(2) how many men and how many women inmates in borstals and prisons, respectively, attempted to commit suicide during each of the last 20 years for which records are available and at what ages;

(3) how many inmates at each of the existing borstals have committed suicide and attempted to commit suicide, respectively, in each of the years since those borstals were opened.

The number of inmates who committed suicide in prison service establishments in England and Wales in each of the years during the period 1969 to 1978 are shown in the table below; figures are also given for the numbers of inmates who attempted to commit suicide. The tables give a breakdown as between borstals and other prison service estab-

SUICIDES
			Borstals		Other establishments
			Males	Females	Males	Females
1969	…	…	3 (2 under 21) (1 21 and over)	—	18	—
1970	…	…	2 (1 under 21) (1 21 and over)	—	4 (including 1 under 21)	—
1971	…	…	—	—	13 (including 1 under 21)	—
1972	…	…	—	—	13 (including 1 under 21)	—
1973	…	…	—	—	14 (including 2 under 21)	—
1974	…	…	—	—	6 (including 1 under 21)	—
1975	…	…	1 (under 21)	—	12	1
1976	…	…	—	—	19 (including 1 under 21)	1
1977	…	…	—	—	11 (including 1 under 21)	—
1978	…	…	1 under 21	—	14	1
Individual borstals (including borstal allocation centers)
1969 Manchester BAC; Stoke Heath; Wormwood Scrubs BAC.
1970 Wormwood Scrubs BAC; Morton Hall (closed in 1974).
1975 Manchester BAC.
1978 Hindley.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDES
1969	…	…	75	3	374	10
1970	…	…	49	1	300	18
1971	…	…	42	1	314	16
1972	…	…	70	1	287	7
1973	…	…	56	3	278	9
1974	…	…	62	2	318	7
1975	…	…	63	6	355	18
1976	…	…	84	2	205	25
1977	…	…	22	6	199	25
1978	…	…	31	10	184	18

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when a father applies for an entry certificate on behalf of his son-in-law, what confidential discussions take place with the daughter to ensure that she is not being placed under pressure.

When the husband of a woman settled in the United Kingdom applies for entry clearance, the entry clearance officer must be satisfied that the wife wants her husband to accompany

asked the Secretary of State for the home Department if, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Paddington, 26 November 1979, in respect of the 169 demonstrations held on streets within the Metropolitan Police district during 1979 where more than 100 police officers were required, how many arrests on charges were made, and inquiries sustained; and what were the total costs to the public arising from the duties imposed upon the police.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 14 December to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and Scunthorpe (Mr. Brown). I regret that the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate expense.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the number of persons committed to prison for failure to make maintenance payments to (a) former wives or husbands and (b) children of a former marriage; and what is the average length of the sentence;(2) if he will list the total number of persons committed to prison due to their failure to meet maintenance payments; and if he will classify whether these persons have been in prison for the same offence on two, three, four, five or more subsequent occasions.

The only information available relates to receptions into prison department establishments in England and Wales on committal by magistrates' courts for non-payment of wife's maintenance or children's maintenance, including cases where the marriage is still in existence, and arrears under an affiliation order. The number of such receptions is published annually in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales"(Table 6.1 of the issue for 1978, Cmnd 7626). The average length of committal of those received in 1978 for non-payment of wife's maintenance was 37 days, and of those received for non-payment of children's maintenance was 35 days. No information is available on previous such committals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy towards people who have served terms of imprisonment in Northern Ireland and who seek to be reunited with their families in Great Britain where the families are settled and working in Great Britain.

No. The provisions of part II of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976 of course apply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider the provision of compensation for the victims of non-violent offences to be provided through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.

The courts have power in appropriate cases to order offenders to pay compensation, and loss and damage to property are generally covered by insurance. I do not consider that the substantial addition to public expenditure which my hon. Friend's suggestion would entail would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his demand for the resignation of Jonathan Pollitzer and Kay Douglas-Scott as voluntary workers at Wormwood Scrubs; to what extent this is a consequence of their views concerning the incident at the prison on 31 August; and if he is satisfied that he is adopting a policy of openness as recommended by the May committee.

Mr. Pollitzer was interviewed by the governor of the prison about his allegations on television, made when an official inquiry into the August incident had already been announced. As a prison visitor he could, and should, have offered to the governor, or to the inquiry, any evidence available to him, and to broadcast his personal views, as he did, contravened the conditions of his appointment, which he was therefore invited to resign. Miss Douglas-Scott is not a prison visitor, but a voluntary associate of the inner London probation service. I have made no demand for her resignation.As to openness, much has been achieved in the prison service in recent years and I am anxious that this progress should be maintained. The present case does not affect this issue.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he is allowing prison officers at Pucklechurch remand centre to prevent Mr. R. Morgan, a member of the board of visitors, his legal right to free access to the prison at all times.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 5 December.—[Vol. 975, c. 193–94.] Mr. Morgan is not being denied access to the remand centre. So long as the industrial action being taken by prison officers continues, other arrangements are being made to escort him when he visits the centre.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement on the intentions of Her Majesty's Government in making payments for the sixth replenishment of the International Development Association, and on commitment to the seventh replenishment.

The negotiations for the sixth replenishment of the International Development Association are not yet completed. I shall of course inform the House when decisions are reached. The question of the seventh replenishment will not arise for some time yet.

asked the Prime Minister if she will refer to the Security Com- mission the evidence given by Mrs. Khashoggi in respect of her relationship with a politician involved in defence matters.

No. I am satisfied that there has been no breach of security in the public service.

asked the Prime Minister if she will approach Chancellor Schmidt with a view to setting up a joint German-British inquiry into the reasons why the British and German Governments were not informed by the Dutch Government of security breaches at the joint centrifuge project by Dr. A. O. Khan and the effects of his activities on Western security.

No. I have already expressed my concern to the Prime Minister of the Netherlands about the Khan incident. All three Governments of the centrifuge partnership attach importance to ensuring that incidents of this kind are not repeated and appropriate action has been put in hand.

asked the Prime Minister which of her Ministers are accountable to Parliament for the secret services.

Ministerial responsibility for the security service is as described in my speech in the House on 21 November 1979.

asked the Prime Minister under which programme in the White Paper "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1980–81", Cmnd. 7746, the allocations for the internal and external secret services are to be found.

Public expenditure provision for the Secret Vote is made under programme 2: "Overseas Aid and Other Overseas Services."

asked the Prime Minister if the administrative rule that Ministers are not allowed to see the papers of their predecessors who were members of a different Administration, applies to matters concerning the security services.

The rule applies in respect of all matters, except where the national interest, for example continuity of foreign policy, requires otherwise.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will request universities to inform him of the fees which each medical institution would have to charge its overseas students for it to recover the proposed cuts in its university grant; and if he will publish in the Official Reportthe name of the institution and the size of the fee in every case where it is greater than£5,000 per annum.

No. It is for each university to consider what it needs to charge new overseas students in 1980–81 to meet the cost of their education, but the UGC has recommended that the minimum fee for the clinical years of courses in medicine should be not less than£5,000 per annum. I am informed that in many cases universities have not yet set their fees for new overseas students for 1980–81. There is, of course, no requirement for them to inform me when they have done so.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will ask universities to provide him with their forecasts of medical institutions in danger of closure due to reduced grants because of overseas students; and if he will publish in the Official Report the medical specialties affected, with the number of institutions that may have to close for each specialty.

No. The answer I gave to the right hon. Member on 22 November is relevant.—[Vol. 974, c. 301.] The UGC is arranging a series of consultations with universities in the first half of 1980 about the implications of the Government's expenditure proposals and these consultations will no doubt include consideration of the needs of the medical institutions.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will request universities to inform him of the cuts in medical research which are estimated by medical institutions if the proposed reductions in their grants, because of overseas students, remain unchanged; and if he will publish a summary in the Official Report.

No. It is for each university to determine its own priorities in the light of the funds made available to it. I also refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 22 November.—[Vol. 974, c. 301.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will request universities to inform him of the percentage cut in grant allocation because of overseas students that they are proposing for each of their medical institutions for the years (a) 1980–81 and (b) 1982–83; and if he will publish the information in the Official Report.

No. It is for each university to decide on the distribution of funds made available to it. The answer I gave the right hon. Member on 22 November is relevant.—[Vol. 974, c. 301.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will consider a system of differential university grants and loans to enable students applying for such subjects as technology and engineering to receive higher grants than those who apply for subjects with less direct economic benefits, or where there is little demand for the skills obtained; and if grants were reduced in the latter case, if he will consider introducing a system of repayable loans.

While he is prepared to consider any proposals for improving the arrangements for student support, my right hon. and learned Friend has no proposals for such a system as described before him at present. The existing system of student support is based on the principle that grants should be available to enable students to take advantage of the opportunities for higher education regardless of the subject of study, without hardship to themselves or their families. There will always be a place for special and limited schemes for encouraging outstanding students in certain subjects such as the national engineering scholarships. Nevertheless, before departing from the general principle by paying whole categories of students more than they need, or less, or by instituting loans in place of grants, my right hon. and learned Friend would wish to be convinced that the likely results would justify the change.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate he has made of the average marginal cost of a higher education place for an overseas student at a United Kingdom university.

Marginal costs depend on the availability of places on individual courses and vary widely. For a given course, the gross marginal cost of an overseas student is indistinguishable from that of a home student. No estimate of the range of marginal costs has been made, but the average marginal cost for overseas students is likely to be close to the average recurrent unit cost for all students of about£2,700 at current prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what research has been done or is intended to be done into the links between canine distemper and multiple sclerosis; and what have been the results so far.

The Medical Research Council has supported epidemiological studies in the Faroe Islands which have suggested a possible relationship between canine distemper virus—CDV—and multiple sclerosis. In addition, elevated titres of antibody to CDV have been found in multiple sclerosis patients. However, much further research is needed before any conclusions can be drawn; research is continuing both in the United Kingdom, in particular at the National Institute for Medical Research, which is an institute of the Medical Research Council, and abroad.The Medical Research Council also supports research on the possible viral aetiology of multiple sclerosis—involving viruses other than CDV—at the Council's laboratory of molecular biology at Cam- bridge, its virology unit at Glasgow, and at the universities of Bristol, London. York and Queen's University, Belfast.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how he intends to ensure that the extra£20 million for non-advanced further education allocated for 1980–81 is used for that purpose and is not spent by local authorities on other unrelated matters.

The Government's priorities for expenditure in 1980–81 have been made clear in Cmnd. 7746, and in subsequent statements and speeches by my colleagues and myself. They have been discussed with representatives of the local authorities. But it is for individual local authorities to decide the balance of their budgets in the light of local needs and conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students from overseas are currently undergraduates in their first year of degree courses in United Kingdom universities and polytechnics.

The latest available information for first degree students in Great Britain classified as overseas for fees purposes is as follows:

		Universities: new entrants	Other establishments including polytechnics: on first year of degree course
1977–78	…	7,729	3,732
1978–79	…	7,894	Not available*
1979–80	…	7,200
* Detailed further education statistics for 1978–79 have been exceptionally delayed largely owing to a computer strike earlier this year but I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as these are available.
†Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students from overseas are currently studying postgraduate courses in United Kingdom universities and polytechnics; and what percentage of this number is receiving research bursaries from Her Majesty's Government.

:The available information on postgraduates classified as "overseas" for fees purposes is as follows:

GREAT BRITAIN
		Universities	Other establishments including polytechnics
1977–78	…	18,077	1,341
1978–79	…	18,516	N.A.

About 10 per cent. of university postgraduates are thought to have been supported by the British Council and Government sources.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the duties of Her Majesty's inspectors of education in collecting information on behalf of the Cabinet Office; and if he will make a statement.

The chief function of Her Majesty's inspectors of schools is not to collect information but to report to me, and to advise me, from evidence observed and assessed in the course of inspections, on the state of the education system nationally. In common with all civil servants they respond from time to time to requests made by the Cabinet Office which relate to the inspectorate's functions.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the report of the Keohane committee on proposals for a certificate of extended education.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State gave on 11 December to my hon. Friend the Member for Skipton (Mr. Watson).—[Vol. 975, c. 610.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he plans to introduce legislation to make membership of student unions a voluntary decision on the part of every individual student.

My right hon. and learned Friend has no such plans at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the medical institutions currently receiving a university grant, classifying them according to university.

This information is available in the Commonwealth Universities Yearbook—volume 1—a copy of which is available in the Library. All the medical institutions in British universities listed therein are in receipt of funds from the UGC with the exception of the Institute of Cancer Research.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide additional funds for the Medical Research Council to ensure that medical research is not restricted because of the effect of Government policy on medical institutions of imposing cuts in grants based on a formula which takes into account the numbers of overseas students at each such institution.

No. As my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State told my hon. Friend the Member for Chippenham (Mr. Needham) on 11 December—[Vol. 975, c. 609]—he has accepted the recommendation of the advisory board for the research councils that the allocation from the science budget to the Medical Research Council in 1980–81 should be£50·9 million at 1979 survey prices. In formulating its advice on the distribution of the science budget the board had regard to the role of all the research councils in supporting specific research activities at university institutions.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he intends to take to safeguard the future of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the Royal Postgraduate Medical School and the School of Oriental and African Studies.

I am aware of the problems facing these three institutions of the University of London as a result of the Government's decision to remove progressively the current subsidy in respect of overseas students. The UGC is arranging a series of consultations with universities in the first half of 1980 about the implications of the Government's expenditure proposals and its consultations with the University of London will no doubt include consideration of the needs of the three institutions in question.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in view of the decision which has prevented the children concerned from attending a school of their choice since 2 September, if he will as a matter of urgency make a direction in accordance with the provisions of section 37 of the Education Act 1944 for the placing of Clive Ramscar into the Challney school for boys and Claire Deale into Ickmeld high school in the county of Bedford.

No. I understand that the local education authority has still to decide whether to take action in accordance with the provision of section 37(1)(3) of the Education Act 1944. My right hon. and learned Friend is not empowered to make a direction at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the Advisory Council for Adult and Continuing Education's report "A Strategy for the Basic Education of Adults" in view of the expected termination of the Adult Literacy Unit in March 1980.

I have, in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales, been considering carefully the recommendations of the first annual report of the Adult Literacy Unit, which was set up under the aegis of the National Institute for Adult Education to provide a focus for work in literacy. I have also looked closely at the recommendations of the Advisory Council for Adult and Continuing Education. The council was commissioned to report on the best way of building on the adult literacy campaign in order to create and implement a coherent strategy for the basic education of adults, including continued provision for adult literacy. I have concluded that the Adult Literacy Unit has done valuable work in stimulating and supporting developments in adult literacy and that the need for some central support for innovative work in this field has by no means ceased.I also recognise the need for provision to continue to be made locally for the wide range of skills and knowledge, identified in the council's report, without which it is difficult for people to play a proper part in society generally and in the community in which they live. The speed and nature of its development and the priority accorded to it is, however, a matter which must be determined mainly in the light of local needs and resources.There is a need for some co-ordination of the support made available by central departments and agencies for work locally in this field, in order to secure the effective deployment of resources, but I do not feel that it is necessary to establish for this purpose the autonomous and separate development board recommended by the council. venues of communication already exist between these bodies which can be more appropriately built upon.I am not able to provide central support to encourage, focus and guide developments across the whole of the field described in the council's report. I attach particular priority rather to work designed to improve the standards of adult proficiency in those basic skills, in areas such as literacy, numeracy, communication and coping, for those for whom English is a first or a second language, without which people are impeded from applying or being considered for employment. Since work of this type arises from and complements the provision made for literacy, which will continue to play a central role, I consider it appropriate to build on the expertise of the Adult Literacy Unit by developing from that core, again within the National Institute of Adult Education, a unit with a wider remit, covering not only literacy but the other related basic skills.I am pleased to announce that outline agreement has been reached with the local authority associations and NIAE for the development of such a unit. This will not only act as a focus for work in adult literacy and other basic skills, providing guidance materials and some help in training staff, but will also continue to be able to commission special projects in the local authority sector and to assist some innovatory work by voluntary bodies engaged in this area. As a general principle, however, I would expect local voluntary organisations to look to local sources of finance for support.I expect this literacy and basic skills unit to function in the first instance for three years, after which its future will be reviewed in the light of identified needs and available resources. Subject to parliamentary approval, the Government plan to make funds of about£½million available to the unit in its first year, sufficient to continue support for adult literacy at broadly the present level and to begin to support work in the wider range of associated basic skills. The balance and level of funding for the following two years will be settled later.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schoolteachers were employed at the beginning of the current school year.

In September 1979, the number of teachers employed in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in England and Wales, including the full-time equivalent of part-time teachers, was 468,000. This compares with 467,900 teachers in September 1978 and with 470,600 in January 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide additional funds from his Department to ensure that medical teaching and research is not reduced because of the implementation of Government policy on overseas students.

No. As announced in Cmnd. 7746, "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1980–81", the resources available for higher education in 1980–81 will be about the same level for home students as in 1979–80. The distribution of this grant among universities is a matter for the UGC, while the distribution within each university is entirely a matter for the university itself.So far as provision to the MRC from the science budget of the Department is concerned, I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given today by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary on the question of additional funds for that research council.The Government's expenditure plans for the years after 1980–81 are still under consideration.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how much money was recovered during the past 12 months from civil servants who reimbursed his Department following private use of the telephone, in accordance with the Civil Service code of conduct.

The total amount recovered from the staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office serving in the United Kingdom for the private use of the official telephones during the year ended 30 November 1979 was£3,625·71.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many British citizens are at present in Iran; how this figure compares with the same time in 1978, and what advice about their remaining in that country has been given to them.

There are at present between 300 and 400 British citizens in Iran. At this time in 1978 they numbered about 8,000.It is up to individuals and their companies to decide, in the light of their own judgment of their business commitments and the security situation, whether to leave or not. Her Majesty's ambassador has advised that those who do not have a strong need to be in Iran should leave.

asked the Lord Privy Seal (1) if he will make a statement on the method by which Zimbabwe could join the Lomé Convention.(2) if Zimbabwe will enter into an aid and trade relationship with the European Economic Community.

Following independence it will be open to the Government of Zimbabwe, should they so wish, to enter into an aid and trade relationship with the EEC by seeking accession to the new Loméconvention. Under LoméII, as under LoméI, any request for accession has to be referred to the EEC-ACP Council of Ministers. If the latter approve such a request, Zimbabwe would then be able to accede to the new convention.With regard to the immediate future, the Government have asked the EEC Commission to put forward as rapidly as possible a proposal for an interim trade regime to be applied to Rhodesia by the Community.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what recent progress has been made in discussions about independence for Antigua.

The position remains as stated in my reply on 25 October to my hon. Friend the Member for Chichester (Mr. Nelson).—[Vol. 972, c. 267.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what the net increase or decrease was in the number of jobs in each of Scotland's new towns last year; and what the corresponding figure was for Dundee.

Net increases in employment in each new town in Scotland for the year ending 31 March 1979, as estimated by the new town corporations, were as follows:

East Kilbride	…	…	…	1,019
Glenrothes	…	…	…	121
Cumbernauld	…	…	…	771
Livingston	…	…	…	1,690
Irvine	…	…	…	583

Comparable information for Dundee is not yet available.

the Secretary of State for Scotland what rate of inflation he has assumed for the year 1980–81 in calculating the eligible expenditure figures for that year included in the report on the Housing Support Grant (Scotland) (No. 2) Order 1979.

I shall reply to the right hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what increase, if any, in expenditure in real terms for 1980–81 he has assumed for the repairs and maintenance and supervision and management figures included in the Housing Support Grant (Scotland) (No. 2) Order 1979.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why he has not included in the report on the Housing Support Grant (Scotland) (No. 2) Order 1979 an account of his discussions with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on the housing support grant for 1980–81; and if he will now state the items in that order which have the agreement of the convention and the matters on which the convention disagreed.

The Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, Pent lands (Mr. Rifkind), had wide-ranging consultations with authorities on 19 November. The consultations did not call for formal registration of agreement or disagreement.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what benefit in terms of increased housing support grant for 1980–81 a local authority will receive under the Housing Support Grant (Scotland) (No. 2) Order if it raises all the additional income it will require in that year from rents, as compared with raising it partly from rents and partly from rates or wholly from rates.

None. The order provides for a fixed sum of grant for each housing authority, but my calculations are on the assumption that authorities as a whole will raise all the additional income from rents, and ratepayers will therefore suffer if this is not done.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what subsidy is paid from public funds to Burnthill Helicopters in respect of its Glasgow-Fort William service, and why.

My right hon. Friend gives no assistance to the company. I understand that in the present calendar year the Highlands and Islands Development Board is paying grant amounting to£12,000 and Highland regional council and Lochaber district council are together contributing a similar amount. I understand that the purpose of these grants was to assist this experimental service in the early stages of its operation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what rate of inflation he has assumed for the year 1979–80 in calculating the revised eligible expenditure

£ million at 1979 Survey Prices
				1978–79 (provisional outturn)	1979–80 (estimate)	1980–81 (estimate)
School meals	…	…	…	40·2	39·3	22·2
School milk	…	…	…	3·6	3·3	1·7
School transport	…	…	…	15·0	15·0	12·9

The price basis for this table is that used for the White Paper on the Government's expenditure plans 1980–81 (Cmnd 7746). The figures for 1979–80 and 1980–81 are consistent with the estimates given in the report on the Rate Support Grant (Scotland) Order 1978 (HC 40) and the report on the Rate Support Grant (Scotland) Order 1979 (HC 295) at November 1978 prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total figure that he has included for Clegg Commission comparability awards in the cash limit of£194 million which he has fixed for rate support grant in 1980–81.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to the right hon. Member on 23 November 1979—[Vol. 974, c. 372–73.]

I shall reply to the right hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the expenditure in Scotland in 1978–79 on school meals, school milk and school transport, respectively; and what estimates he has made for rate support grant purposes of the similar expenditure on a constant price basis for 1979–80 and 1980–81.

The information required is as follows:support grant proposals for 1980–81 compared with the ratios assumed for expenditure in that year in the White Paper on public expenditure, Cmnd. 7439.

The pupil-teacher ratios for 1980–81 assumed in the White Paper on public expenditure 1979–80 to 1982–83 (Cmnd. 7439) and in the relevant expenditure estimates in the report on the Rate Support Grant (Scotland) Order 1979 (HC 295) were as follows:

				Cmnd 7439
Primary	…	…	…	21.8:1
Secondary	…	…	…	14.7:1
				H.C. 295
Primary	…	…	…	22.0:1
Secondary	…	…	…	14.7:1

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide details up to 1980–81 at 1979 survey prices of local authority expenditure in Scotland, similar to table 4.2 of the White Paper on pub-the expenditure, Cmnd 7439.

The information requested is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy why only 70 blocks are on offer in the seventh round of offshore licensing including deep water areas.

One of the principal offshore objectives is that companies should thoroughly explore and appraise existing licensed territory. The licensing of 70 blocks under the new round will ensure that there are sufficient resources and facilities for that task while still providing the stimulus of new acreage.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, since the British National Oil Corporation is not to have a mandatory right to a majority interest in future offshore licences, what minority interest he favours for the State corporation in the seventh round.

I have no preference as to the level of BNOC interest. This will be a matter for the Corporation and its partners.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy why he is including a provision giving the British National Oil Corporation an option to take up at market value up to 51 per cent. of the petroleum produced under new licences.

I made this clear in my statement of 26 July. I think the provision is right because as a large-scale oil trader BNOC can play an important part in securing vital United Kingdom national interests.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) whether he is prepared to give British Petroleum, in which the State has a substantial stake, an option to take up at market value up to 51 per cent. of the petroleum produced under new offshore licences;(2) whether he will grant crude oil deficient United Kingdom companies an option to take up oil produced under licences in the seventh round of offshore licensing.

No. The special role BNOC plays in safeguarding the nation's oil supplies would not be appropriate for private sector companies.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the position of the British Gas Corporation in the seventh round of offshore licensing.

BGC will be able to apply on the same basis as private sector companies.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will give small companies or consortia of small firms priority in the seventh round of offshore licensing.

I believe that small firms have a significant contribution to make to the seventh round, and I welcome this. I do not consider that it would be either appropriate or necessary to give them priority.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what he anticipates will be the period of consultation permitted following the announcement of the terms of licences under the seventh round of offshore licensing.

I hope to complete consultations within about three months.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what share of the North Sea oil exploration and development market is now estimated as having been borne by the United Kingdom and Scotland, respectively.

The value of orders placed for the United Kingdom Continental Shelf in 1978 was£1·6 billion, of which the United Kingdom share was 66 per cent. It is not possible to extract separate figures for Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement regarding the supply and increased prices of aviation gasoline.

The availability of aviation gasoline has been affected in the United Kingdom by the withdrawal from the market of one of the supplying companies—Esso—in February this year, and internationally by the loss in June of almost the entire export output of the Abadan refinery in Iran, which had produced about one-third of world supplies. The two remaining companies supplying the United Kingdom market—Shell and BP—have nevertheless been able to meet nearly all United Kingdom demand this year, and allocations have been in excess of 1978 consumption.On 29 November Shell announced increases in the scheduled prices of all its products; in the case of aviation gasoline the increase was 6p per litre—34 per cent. on the net price—substantially more than for other products. I understand that this reflects Shell's need to purchase incremental supplies at high prices on the international spot market in order to meet

	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978
A. United Kingdom imports of anthracite (thousand tonnes)	73	135	142	269	218
B. "A" as a percentage of total disposals of anthracite for consumption* in the United Kingdom	2·9	5·8	6·8	12·0	10·3
* Actual consumption information for the United Kingdom is not recorded.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether, in the light of the fact that a major oil company has given notice that it will cease to supply petrol in an area of rural Wales to retailers of less than 50,000 gallons per annum, he is satisfied that the assurances given to his Department about continuity of supplies in rural areas, Official Report, 1 November, columns 625–6, will be honoured.

I am not aware that any oil company has stated that it intends to stop supplying filling stations with a turnover of less than 50,000 gallons per annum, and am confident that the oil companies will honour the assurances they have given about maintaining reasonable availability of supplies in rural areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what countries are currently producing or have projects for producing liquid fuel from biomass.

Liquid fuels are being produced from biomass in Brazil and the United States of America. Research and development into ways of converting the additional requirements placed on it in the United Kingdom market.Aviation gasoline supplies are expected to be adequate for the foreseeable future, provided that there is no interruption to crude oil supplies. The price will be influenced by changes in crude oil prices and other factors.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many tonnes of anthracite have been imported in each of the last five years; and what each amount represents as a percentage of national consumption of anthracite.

The available information is as follows:indigenous biomass into solid, liquid or gaseous fuels is under way in other countries, including the United Kingdom, and biomass is the subject of collaborative studies in both the European Economic Community and the International Energy Agency.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list those projects on wind power which his Department is currently supporting; and at what cost in each case.

My Department is currently supporting projects on wind power in the following areas:

	Estimated cost to the Department
	£
(a) Investigation of offshore location and siting	90,000
(b) Reference design of a large aerogenerator	394,500
(c) Wake measurements	228,000
(d) Aerogenerator efficiency augmentors	150,000
(e) Wind measurement instrumentation	59,000
(f) Consulting engineers' services	50,000

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many inspectors are employed by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate; what has been the shortfall in staff for each quarter since January 1977; and how many nuclear power stations have had no site inspector for more than one month since January 1977.

I have been asked to reply.There are at present 88 inspectors employed in the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate. The number of vacancies for inspectors at the beginning of each quarter since January 1977 was as follows:

1977
1 January	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	Nil
1 April	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	Nil
1 July	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	5
1 October	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	5
1978
1 January	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	9
1 April	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	9
1 July	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	8
1 October	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	7
1979
1 January	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	8
1 April	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	10
1 July	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	10
1 October	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	10

During this period no nuclear power station has been without an inspector designated to cover the site.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will seek powers to control the practice of selling petrol at inflated prices during shortages such as that caused by the present tanker driver's dispute.

Powers are already available under section 1(4) of the Energy Act 1976 to control petroleum product prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he is satisfied with the level of support given by his Department into research projects of renewable energy resources; and if he will list the amounts spent each year since 1970 on projects into renewable energy resources and indicate what percentage this was of the total amount his Department spent.

I am satisfied with the level of support given by my Department. The Department's research and development projects into renewables have been building up since 1976 and the year by year expenditures since then are:

			£
1976–77	…	…	252,000
1977–78	…	…	1,134,000
1978–79	…	…	2,390,000

The estimated expenditure for 1979–80 is about£7 million. The last figure represents about 1½per cent. of my Department's total spend.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about the meeting of International Energy Ministers on 10 December.

The governing board of the International Energy Agency met at ministerial level on 10 December under the chairmanship of the Federal German Minister of Economics, Count Lambsdorff. I represented the United Kingdom.The governing board concentrated on the very difficult international oil situation. It recognised that continuing uncertainties about oil supplies posed a severe threat to the health of the world economy and particularly to the developing countries. Ministers reaffirmed their determination to continue strongly with the medium and long-term policies needed to bring about a substantial reduction in the dependence of IEA countries on imported oil. They urged the oil producing countries for their part to pursue policies which would contribute to stabilisation of the world's oil market and they stressed the need for a common approach to the world's energy problems by producing and consuming countries, both developed and developing.The member countries of the International Energy Agency agreed to limits on their oil imports in 1980 and goals for their oil imports in 1985. For the United Kingdom the figures are 12 million tonnes of net imports in 1980 and—5 million tonnes in 1985. The performance of each country against its objectives will be monitored on a quarterly basis by the official governing board. To begin the process of monitoring Ministers will meet again in the first quarter of 1980. They will review all aspects of the situation including adjustment of the 1980 oil import ceilings to the extent which proves necessary on the basis of oil supply and demand developments. The official governing board will prepare plans to deal with this and other situations which may arise in the coming months.The governing board recognised the importance of developing effective policies on stocks and the changing structure of the oil market. It commissioned further work to this end. I am placing a copy of the governing board's communique in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he is satisfied that the present documentation of the country of origin for goods entering the United Kingdom from EEC countries provides an adequate basis for monitoring and controlling agreed levels of imports from countries with which the United Kingdom has negotiated bilateral agreements.

I have no evidence that the present arrangements are not adequate for the purposes the hon. Member refers to. If the hon. Member does have such evidence, perhaps he would let me have it, and I shall investigate the position as a matter of urgency.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when next he expects to meet the chairman of the Price Commission.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to meet the chairman at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will ensure that notices sent out by his Department specify clearly on the front page to whom they apply and whether or not they are compulsory.

It is already the practice in my Department that, where appropriate, any document sent out requiring action makes it clear to whom it applies and its basis. If my hon. Friend has any specific example in mind I shall gladly look into it.

asked the Secretary of Trade if he is satisfied with the extent to which competition is restraining prices.

The Government are firm in their view that the operation of their economic policies, complemented by a stronger competition policy, will be the most effective means of restraining prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he is satisfied with the present definition of merchantable quality.

No. I await with interest the report of the Law Commission as a result of the reference made in January 1979 on this question and associated matters.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will now make a forecast of inflation during 1980 in the light of the latest information available to him.

The Government's forecast was published on 22 November.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the current rate of price inflation.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the current rate of inflation and how it compares with inflation rates in other EEC countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade by what percentage the rate of inflation, as shown by the retail price index, has risen since 3 May.

y asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the present annual rate of inflation as shown by the retail price index.

The retail price index has risen by17·4 per cent. over the past 12 months, and by 10·1 per cent. since May. With permission, I shall circulate the inflation figures for the other EEC member States in the Official Report.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is his policy on the appropriate role that the EEC should play in consumer protection.

I believe that the Community can make a valuable contribution in this field. I shall continue, however, to press that it should in the future concentrate on those consumer matters which have a real Community dimension.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he has any plan to repeal the Moneylenders Acts; and if he will make a statement.Mrs. Sally Oppenheim: I have today made an order to repeal the Moneylenders Acts in relation to agreements which are not within the scope of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. The Acts will continue to apply to agreements under which individuals are granted credit up to£5,000