asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether in future he will publish summaries of the causes of accidents involving Services aircraft; and how many (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) Royal Air Force (i) helicopters and (ii) aircraft have been lost in each of the last five years and in 1979 to date.

It is my intention to make a statement in the House at the earliest opportunity regarding the publication of information about the causes of military flying accidents.The number of Service aircraft lost, that is missing or damaged beyond repair, over the period stated, and broken down between helicopters and fixed wing types, is as follows:

asked the Secretary of state for depence whether there has been an increase in the testing of ammunition on the shoeburyness and Maplin firing range; and whether this increased activity is likely to continue or be reduced at an early date.

Testing of ammunition at the establishment increased in 1979 compared with 1978, but the total amount of testing required varies from year to year and has been appreciably higher on occasions in the past. The present level of activity is likely to continue.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many lives have been lost, both civilian and military, from accidents involving RAF aircraft in training manoeuvres in the period 1945 to the present.

RAF aircraft accident statistics, which are available only from 1946, do not discriminate between crashes which occurred on training flights and those on operational missions. The information readily available on the number of lives lost as a result of these accidents is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF aircraft have been lost during training manoeuvres during the period from 1945 until the present date; and what has been the cost of these losses.

RAF aircraft accident statistics, which are available only from 1946, do not discriminate between crashes which occurred on training flights and those on operational missions. The number of aircraft damaged beyond repair or missing was as follows:

asked the Lord Privy Seal if an ambassador will now be appointed to El Salvador following the Salvadorean change of policy on Belize.

There has been no discernible change in Salvadorean policy towards Belize. The question of appointing a new British ambassador to El Salvador is still under consideration.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what action he proposes to take to protect British citizens in Guyana in view of the civil disorder in that country.

There have been cases recently of crowds getting out of hand in Guyana: for example, at a petrol station waiting for cooking gas, and in lengthy food queues. Our High Commission in Georgetown does not yet consider that there is increased risk to British citizens. The High Commission is ready to offer normal assistance and protection to the British community who would of course be advised if precautions were considered necessary.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many British citizens were in- jured in the incident which occurred in Georgetown, Guyana on 4 December involving the security forces and the civilian population.

No British citizens are reported to have been injured during the 4 December incident, which was stated in the press to have been a mock exercise by the security forces.

asked the Lord Privy Seal when it is proposed to commence positive dialogue with the Spanish Government on the Gibraltar question; and if he will make a statement.

When they met in New York in September my right hon. and noble Friend and the Spanish Foreign Minister agreed to continue discussion of ways of resolving the present differences over Gibraltar. Regular contact continues with the Spanish Government through diplomatic channels. My right hon. and noble Friend looks forward to a further meeting in due course with Sr Oreja.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make representations to the Spanish Government for the establishment of a walk-through gate at the border between Gibraltar and Spain during the period of Christmastide in the interests of the people of Gibraltar who have many relations across the border at La Linea.

The Spanish Government are well aware of the British view that normal communication should be restored between Spain and Gibraltar.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what limitations the Governor will place on election expenditure in Rhodesia; and what accounting procedure will be employed to identify the source of funds by parties contesting the election.

It is not likely to be practicable to control funds to individual parties. The Election Commissioner is considering a requirement for the political parties to disclose their election expenses.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what help will be given to assist the return and rehabilitation of civilian refugees from Southern Rhodesia in neighbouring territories.

We are in touch with the major international organisations with a view to initiating a programme for the return and rehabilitation of Rhodesian refugees as soon as possible.

asked the Lord Privy Seal (1) what steps are being taken by the Governor of Southern Rhodesia to establish the names and whereabouts of persons detained without trial in that territory at the time he assumed authority;

The Governor is being consulted and I will circulate a reply in the Official Report when it becomes available.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what representations have been made to the Government of the Republic of South Africa to ensure that South African defence personnel withdraw immediately from Rhodesia.

There is no question of external involvement in Rhodesia under the Governor. This position has been made clear to all the Governments concerned.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how the cost of the arrangements leading to independence in Rhodesia will be financed.

Parliamentary approval to this new service will be sought in a Supplementary Estimate for the International Subscriptions, Special Payments, Etc. (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) Vote. Pending that approval the necessary expenditure will be met by repayable advances from the contingencies fund.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if the compensation commission proposed to be established by the Ugandan Government to examine the claims for compensation of former residents of Uganda now settled in Great Britain has begun its work; and when he expects it to complete its consideration.

The Ugandan Government are preparing legislation to establish the compensation commission. We cannot tell how long the commission will take to complete its work.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what criteria which were fulfilled by Argentina for the restoration of relations at ambassadorial level have not yet been met by Chile.

I have nothing to add to the replies given to my hon. Friend on 15 and 19 November on the question of criteria for the appointment of ambassadors.—[Vol. 973, c. 690: Vol. 974, c. 16.]

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will reduce the amount of aid currently being given to Tanzania.

No.

asked the Lord Privy Seal (1) if he will take steps progressively to reduce aid to Guyana in view of the limitations placed on democratic freedom in that country;(2) if he will give an assurance that no extraordinary or emergency aid will be made available to the Guyanese Government until such times as human rights are restored and the country is solvent.

Capital aid to Guyana is presently being provided under the terms of loan agreements signed in 1978. Consideration of any future commitments will in the usual way take due account of the economic and political situation there. All items in the aid programme are necessarily under review at the present time.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will detail the content and out come of the talks held between his officials and Mr. Nascimento, Minister in the office of the Prime Minister of Guyana.

Mr. Nascimento called at the Overseas Development Administration on 30 November to discuss the progress of an existing ODA-assisted project for vehicle maintenance. Note was taken of his representations.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what discussions have been held with voluntary aid organisations in the United Kingdom about the provision of food, medical, and other help to the victims of the war in Southern Rhodesia.

Such discussions with voluntary organisations in the United Kingdom and with representatives of multilateral agencies are taking place now.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what estimate has been made of the humanitarian aid required by the civil population of Southern Rhodesia in areas where the fighting has been most severe.

No comprehensive estimate is yet possible. I expect the needs to be identified both by the discussions now taking place with voluntary and multilateral aid organisations and by consultation with the Governor.

asked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to appoint a Minister for Merseyside; and if she will make a statement.

I have no plans to make such an appointment for Merseyside or any other region; the Gov- ernment take the difficulties facing particular regions into account in framing their policies generally.

asked the Prime Minister (1) whether the arrangements now in force governing the stationing of United States nuclear weapons in the United Kingdom provide for the explicit agreement of the British Government before such weapons can be used; and, in the absence of such an agreement, whether there is an effective British veto on their use;(2) whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government that the arrangements to be entered into with the United States Government, in relation to the proposed siting of United States cruise missiles with nuclear warheads in the United Kingdom, shall include a provision that explicit British Government approval will be obtained before such weapons can be used and an effective British veto on their use in the absence of such an agreement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Harlow (Mr. Newens) on 20 December.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will introduce legislation to provide for the breaking up of the National Coal Board into new competitive private companies for sale to private industry.

I do not propose to introduce such legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will seek to lift the National Coal Board's monopoly of coal production;(2) if he will seek to lift the National Coal Board's monopoly on the exploration of coal.

I do not propose to amend the National Coal Board's statutory monopoly on coal exploration and production.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the increase in (a) the gross trading profits of United Kingdom oil companies and (b) Government receipts, resulting from each additional charge of one dollar per barrel in OPEC prices.

It is not possible in present circumstances to give reliable estimates of the gross trading profits of United Kingdom oil companies and Government receipts following an OPEC price increase. Because of changing patterns of crude oil supply arrangements and in the absence of a uniform OPEC price increase the costs to a United Kingdom company of crude oils will vary according to its sources of supply. Profits will be affected by the extent to which higher costs are recovered from product sales in the market, the impact of currency fluctuations, treatment of stock valuation, variation of remitted profits from overseas operations and other factors. Government receipts will be affected by these factors and the tax position of individual companies; in particular tax receipts for United Kingdom continental shelf operations will be affected by the front end loading of petroleum revenue tax capital allowances, which will mean that price increases may not lead immediately to increased tax from some North Sea fields although in the longer term receipts will rise.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he proposes to make any changes in the basis upon which the pensions of former public servants who retired between 1976 and 1979 are paid.

The Government have considered carefully and sympathetically the many representations they have received, both direct from the public service pensioners concerned and from representative organisations acting on their behalf, about the effects of incomes policy on the pensionable pay of those who retired between 1976 and 1979. They recognise that this effect on pensions has been one of the unfortunate results of the last Government's incomes policy. The cost of increasing these pensions to the levels received by those who retired before or after the period of pay restraint would, however, be very considerable. In each case pensions have been calculated strictly in accordance with the rules of the relevant pension schemes and they are fully protected against price inflation. The Government have therefore concluded that they cannot take steps to improve the relative position of those whose pensions have been affected by past incomes policy. They recognise that this decision will be a disappointment to those concerned, but they cannot agree that, at a time of severe restraint on public expenditure, measures to improve these pensions should take priority over many other pressing demands.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what was the level of pension for a full general, a permanent secretary and a deputy secretary in 1972; and what is the present level of these same pensions to the latest available date.

The levels of pension payable to a full general, a permanent secretary and a deputy secretary who retired on 30 November 1972 after a full career are set out in column 1 below. The present levels of these same pensions after the application of pensions increase to 1 December 1979 are set out in column 2.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what changes he proposes in the organisation of the Central Computer Agency.

The agency is to be re-organised as part of the process of implementing the recommendations of the "Longer Term Review of Administrative Computing in Central Government" published last year. The aim is to make more effective use of the agency's resources in controlling and supporting major Government computer projects; and to improve its ability to handle the growing connection between computers and telecommunications. The name of the agency will be changed to the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency from 2 January 1980.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many copies of the Employment Bill have been delivered to and sold at Her Majesty's Stationery Office Bookshop, Birmingham.

210 and 208 respectively, to date.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will give figures for Government expenditure on advertising in each of the last five years and his estimate for 1980–81.

The figures for Government expenditure on advertising in the last five financial years and the current year are as follows:

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how much was spent by central Government on newspaper advertising in the last year for which figures are readily available; and how much was paid for advertising in each major national newspaper in the same year.

In 1978–79, the sum spent by central Government on press advertising placed by the Central Office of Information was £12,260,000. The amount paid for advertising in the major national newspapers was as follows:

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many appointments from outside the Civil Service there have been to his Department in each of the last five years.

In each of the last five years the number recruited to the non industrial staff of the Civil Service Department has been:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a list of the annual number of deaths of prisoners in each of Her Majesty's prisons over the course of the last 10 years, indicating in each case the number who were deemed to have died from natural causes.

I am sending this information to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give, for the longest and most convenient period of time, on monthly, weekly, or other comparable dates, the total number of cases reported to the police of muggings and attacks upon the person; in how many of these cases arrests were made and with what results; how many cases there were of the police arresting persons for having committed these offences on the public highway in the London borough of Newham; and what action has been or is being taken to reduce these types of offences.

"Mugging" is a term with no legal definition. The most recent numbers of offences of "violence against the person" and "robbery" recorded by the police in England and Wales up to the third quarter of 1979 were published in table 1 of the Home Office statistical bulletin 11/79, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House; longer runs of figures are to be found in tables 2.1 and 2.5 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 1978"—Cmnd. 7670. The number of arrests resulting is not collected centrally but the number of persons cautioned, proceeded against in magistrates' courts, and tried at the crown court for violence against the person or robbery, is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—tables 34, 1(a) and 5(a) of the volume for 1978, Cmnd. 7670I shall write to the hon. Member about the information available relating to arrests in the London borough of Newham.Action to reduce these types of offences in any particular area is primarily the responsibility of the chief officer of police concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give, for the longest and most convenient period of time, the number of cases reported to the police in the London borough of Newham where rape has been alleged, the number of cases where persons have been arrested and charged and the results of charges where prosecution has ensued; and what actions have been or are being taken to reduce these types of offences.

The information requested is not readily available. I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give, for the longest and most convenient period of time, the number of police entering into service in the London borough of Newham who themselves or their parents were born in the former British Colonial and Commonwealth countries; and whether he will give details of the countries in which these police and their parents were born.

The information is not available in the form requested, but I understand from the Commissioner that there are two officers of West Indian origin stationed within the London borough of Newham.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange to provide as much detailed information as may be readily available, showing for the London borough of Newham the total number of police, man power, cars, panda cars, motor cycles, two-way radios, the increase or shortfall in such men and equipment over the years, to what extent manpower of police on the beat has increased or decreased over this period of time and the action that has been taken to increase men on the beat.

The London borough of Newham comprises two divisions of K district of the Metropolitan Police. I understand from the Commissioner that its police officer strength is 479, and that 33 police vehicles—including 13 unit beat cars—and 130 personal radios are in use. In addition, there are vehicles used in traffic policing in a larger area which includes these divisions. Police officer strength is slightly lower than two years ago but, in common with the rest of the force area, the district will benefit from recent improvements in recruitment. The Commissioner attaches high priority to measures to make optimum use of available manpower.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if a British woman, only one of whose parents was born in the United Kingdom, will normally be able to register her minor0 child, born overseas, as a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies.

A woman citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies who was not born in the United Kingdom is not normally able to have her minor child who was born abroad registered unless the child's father becomes a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies and it is clear that the child's future is likely to lie in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if a woman born in the United Kingdom will normally be able to register her minor child, born overseas, as a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether eligible expenditure on specially employed staff dealing with work attributable to differences in language or customs of Commonwealth immigrants includes spending on local community relations councils; and if so, how much of this expenditure comes under this heading.

Grant is payable under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 only on the salaries of staff directly employed by local authorities. Expenditure on community relations councils is eligible for grant only in the case of staff out-stationed by the local authority at the offices of community relations councils.Information is not kept centrally on how much of the total of eligible expenditure comes within this category, but the number of staff out-stationed in this way is very small.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many persons have been convicted of unlawful possession of drugs in each of the past five years;(2) what has been the total quantity of (a) heroin and (b) cocaine seized by the authorities in each of the past five years;(3) how many seizures of controlled drugs have been made in each of the past five years.

The information requested was published in tables 3, 2 and 1 respectively of the Home Office statistical bulletin, issue No. 6/79, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many registered addicts are currently receiving narcotic drugs from doctors; and how this figure compares with the number in each of the past five years.

There is no system of registration of addicts in the United Kingdom. There is, however, an obligation imposed on every doctor by the Misuse of Drugs (Notification of and Supply to Addicts) Regulations 1973 to notify the Chief Medical Officer at the Home Office of details of persons whom he considers, or has reasonable grounds to suspect, to be addicted to any one, or more, of 14 specified narcotic drugs. The number of narcotic drug addicts known to the Home Office at 31 December each year was published in tables 7 to 11 of Home Office statistical bulletin, Issue No. 6/79, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising about the need for competition in the selling of air time for the fourth television channel.

I have received a number of letters and papers from both organisations setting out their view that there should be competitive selling of advertising on the fourth channel. In particular I have received from the ISBA a "Memorandum on the Fourth Television Channel" and from the IPA a paper entitled "The Fourth Television Channel—A possible organisation structure to provide competition in the sale of airtime alongside 'complementarity' of programming".

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the male and female remand centre facilities in Kent; whether he considers such facilities adequate; and if he will make a statement.

There is no remand centre in Kent. The present position is that female prisoners, of whatever age, are remanded to Holloway prison in London; male prisoners under the age of 17 are remanded to Latchmere House remand centre in Richmond, Surrey and those aged 17 to 20 are remanded to Canterbury prison in Kent.The shortage of remand centre places in the South-East of England is being considered in the context of the recommendations of the May committee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young people in Kent between the ages of 14 and 16 years were convicted in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Annual figures are available only from 1975 because of the reorganisation of police force areas on 1 April 1974. Summary figures from 1975 for the age group requested are given in the following table. More detailed information for those aged 10 and under 17 years found guilty is published annually by police force area in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—Tables 3(b) and 7(b) of the volume for 1978 (Cmnd. 7670).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many first offenders were sentenced to a detention centre in each of the past five years.

Information is not available in the form requested. How- ever, information on the previous convictions of offenders received into prison department establishments in England and Wales sentenced to a detention centre order is published annually in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales"—Table 3.4 of the issue for 1978, Cmnd. 7626. Some relevant estimates for sentencing in 1977 are also to be found in tables 10.4 and 10.5 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1978"—Cmnd. 7670.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the responsibilities of the Independent Broadcasting Authority for monitoring the advertising rates charged by individual television companies.

The Independent Broadcasting Authority's responsibilities in relation to advertising on television are contained in sections 8 and 9 of, and schedule 2 to, the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act 1973. In particular, paragraph 7(1) of schedule 2 provides that charges made for advertisements must be in accordance with tariffs fixed by the programme contractor from time to time, which have to be drawn up in such detail and published in such form and manner as the authority may determine.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he takes to verify the authenticity of evidence submitted to him against suspected illegal immigrants.

All the available information, including statements made and evidence submitted about a person believed to be an illegal entrant, is very carefully assessed and investigations made, as appropriate, before a decision to remove him as an illegal entrant is taken. An appeal against the giving of directions to remove a person as an illegal entrant may be made from overseas, when the facts of the case are subject to review by an independent adjudicator.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is considering the representations of charitable bodies, particularly those connected with health and welfare, to amend the present legislation relating to lotteries in order to make it more attractive for major promoters to work with them.

Yes. I am considering representations that the limits on turn over, prizes and expenses should be raised. But these have to be viewed in the context of the report of the Royal Commission on Gambling, which drew attention to the need for improved controls over lotteries to prevent abuses.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for which local government districts in England he has, since 24 October, received reports from the Local Government Boundary Commission with regard to new electoral arrangements; and for which districts he has made orders under schedule 9 to the Local Government Act 1972.

Since 24 October we have received reports from the Local Government Boundary Commission for England proposing new electoral arrangements for the districts of Beaconsfield, Brighton, Forest of Dean, Gateshead, North Devon, North Tyneside, Rother, Slough, Suffolk Coastal and Sunderland. We have made orders for Bradford, Cheltenham, East Lindsey, Exeter, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, North Bedfordshire, Poole, Portsmouth, Reading, Restormel, St. Helens, Sheffield, Stroud, Tameside, Torbay, Walsall, Welling-borough, Wigan and Wirral.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements exist in Wandsworth prison to consult prisoners about the use made of the compulsory weekly levy for the general purposes fund; and whether he will arrange for regular accounts to be made available to prisoners showing how the fund has been spent.

There are no formal arrangements for consulting prisoners at Wandsworth but prisoners may put forward suggestions on how the money should be spent. Prisoners are generally aware how the money is disbursed but are not provided with the audited accounts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the serving of an exclusion order on Patrick O'Hagan which followed his detention and arrest at Leeds/Bradford airport on arrval from Northern Ireland on parole from prison.

My noble Friend has written to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) black and white and (b) colour television licences are current in (i) the City of Manchester and (ii) Greater Manchester; and how many under each heading are held by retirement pensioners.

The information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Northampton, North of 10 December, stating that only 7 per cent. of inquiries initiated into overstayers result in overstayers being traced; what the probable situations are with regard to the other 93 per cent.; what proportion of overstayers traced are deported; and what are the possible reasons for not deporting overstayers.

Inquiries are initiated by the special overstayers' section of the Home Office when there is reason to think that the person being sought has remained in the United Kingdom beyond the time permitted by his leave to enter or remain. A person who knowingly remains beyond the time limited by his leave is guilty of an offence under section 24(1)(b) of the Immigration Act 1971. An overstayer may also be deported, either on conviction of such an offence or by exercise of the power in section 3(5)(a) of the Act.The information requested in the second part of the question is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. As to the last part each case of a person liable to be deported as an overstayer is considered on its merits, in accordance with the general principles set out in the immigration rules for control after entry—paragraphs 38 onwards in HC 80 and 45 onwards in HC 82.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Government are considering any changes in policy with respect to overstayers.

My right hon. Friend referred to the Government's policy in this respect during the debate on 4 December. Means of detection and enforcement will be kept under review and developed to the extent that resources allow.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of overstayers have not been deported for each of the last 12 quarters; what is the total number of overstayers interviewed in each of the last 12 quarters; and for what reason deportation has been set aside in those cases where it has not been applied.

The information requested in the first two parts of the question is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. With regard to the last part of the question, each case of a person liable to be deported is considered on its merits in accordance with the general principles set out in the relevant paragraphs of the immigration rules for control after entry—paragraphs 38 onwards of HC 80 and 45 onwards of HC 82.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the case of Abdul Monnam.

I am reviewing the case in the light of the further representations made to me by my hon. Friend in his letter of 27 November and shall write to him as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the recent fire in the Liverpool St. John shopping precinct.

I understand that the fire was discovered by a security guard on patrol who called the fire brigade by direct telephone at 9.36 pm on 17 December. Three fire appliances attended at 9.38 pm. The fire originated in a ground floor shop in one of the main parts of the shopping mall and on the arrival of the brigade had spread to involve the whole of the mall and the adjoining market hall. Twenty-five fire appliances attended the fire and at its height 23 fire fighting jets were used. Two firemen were slightly injured in fire fighting operations, and required hospital out-patient treatment. There were no civilian casualties. The adjacent St. George's hotel and Tower restaurant were evacuated as a safety measure during the course of the fire, which was brought under control at 2.47 am on 18 December. I understand that the police believe that the fire was caused by an electrical fault.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visitors to the United Kingdom have been allowed to enter the United Kingdomon the basis of a one-month, two-months, three-months, six-months or one-year stay or for some other period for each of the last 12 quarters.

The information requested is not available because statistics of those admitted to the United Kingdomas visitors are not recorded by the length of stay granted. The total number of visitors given leave to enter for less than 12 months in each quarter of the years 1976 to 1978 were published in table 6(b) of "Control of Immigration: Statistics, 1978"—Cmnd. 7565; figures for the first three quarters of 1979 are given in the following table.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what communications he has received from the Independent Broadcasting Authority during the current year relating to the boundaries of independent television franchise areas; and what replies he has given.

The boundaries of independent television franchise areas are a matter for the IBA and it is not for me to intervene. However, the IBA has kept me informed of representations that it has received on the subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions have been given to the Independent Broadcasting Authority concerning the maintenance of present boundaries for all forthcoming franchise area applications.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what Home Office regulations govern the pattern of transmitter use by the independent television companies.

The planning and construction of the UHF television transmitter network is primarily the responsibility of the BBC and the IBA which are engaged on a joint engineering programme designed to maximise population coverage within the respective franchise areas with maximum economy in the use of the limited available frequency spectrum. The UHF transmitting network is now substantially complete; all the main high-powered stations are in operation and the broadcasting authorities are concentrating on a programme to extend the UHF services to all communities with permanent populations of 500 or more through the construction of relay stations. Within this framework it is for the IBA to decide which ITV service should be transmitted from its television transmitting stations.Both the Government and the broadcasting authorities believe that priority should be given within the UHF engineering programme to extending the UHF services to communities which currently do not have one at all.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will institute a review of the workings of the Independent Broadcasting Authority Acts before new television franchises are granted.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he will not allow free access by members of the medical profession into the detailed records of prison pharmacies.

The responsible doctor has access to the records of prison pharmacies. If the hon. Member has a particular difficulty in mind, perhaps he would let me know.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how long prison orderlies have been able to supply unprescribed drugs to prisoners.

Prison medical officers have discretion to allow hospital officers or other members of staff to hold stocks of medicines which are freely available to the public without prescription, and, subject to their general instructions, to issue them to prisoners who ask for them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will comply with the ruling of the European Court on Human Rights that prisoners should be allowed a medical examination by a doctor of their choice.

I shall write to the hon. Member about this.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the drug trimerperidine is prescribed to prisoners at Parkhurst prison, in view of the fact that it has not been made available on the National Health Service.

I am not aware of any occasion on which this drug has been prescribed at Parkhurst prison.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the Prison Medical Journal is not made freely available to the medical profession in the same way as other medical journals.

The Prison Medical Journalis not published on a commercial basis because the likely demand is insufficient to justify the cost, but it is available, on application, to anybody who would like to receive it.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will circulate in the Official Reporta table showing for each year since 1968 to date the percentage increase in (a) sterling M3, (b) the appropriate figure for national product or output, (c) the difference between (a) and (b), (d) the percentage increase in retail prices and (e) the difference between (c) and (d).

Mid-year data for sterling M3 stock (seasonally adjusted) are given for recent years in Financial Statistics,table 7.1 (the latest issue is for November 1979) and for earlier years back to 1963 in Economic Trends Annual Supplement 1979, page 130. An appropriate national accounts aggregate for comparison is "total domestic expenditure at current market prices" in that it includes expenditure on imports and excludes expenditure on exports, and may be thought of as financed by sterling M3. Annual data for that aggregate from 1957 to 1978 are given in National Income and Expenditure 1979 (the Blue Book), table 1.1. Annual averages of the general index of retail prices and its percentage increase on the previous year for 1968 to 1978 are given in Economic Trends, page 42 (the latest issue is for November 1979).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he proposes to cut corporation tax and value added tax on the cost of equipment and clothing provided for competitors in the Olympic Games, to assist the British Olympic Association in its appeal for £1 million for 1980;(2) if he intends to seek to provide for a special taxation status for non-profit distributing governing bodies of sport and recreation in the United Kingdom such as the Central Council for Physical Recreation and the British Olympic Association.

Such associations are liable to corporation tax in respect of profits, but not in respect of voluntary donations. I have no plans to change this position.I have no plans to extend the range of reliefs from value added tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will circulate in the Official Report,a table showing for each year from 1952 and the current year to date, the percentage increase in the following: output of the whole economy, the output of manufacturing industries, wholesale prices, wholesale prices less food and so on, retail prices, earnings, the money supply and domestic credit expansion, lagged by one and two years.

Figures from which percentage changes may be calculated are available for the output of the whole economy, the output of manufacturing industries and retail prices for all years from 1952, wholesale prices (output prices of all manufactured products, home sales) from 1954, and earnings (average earnings in Great Britain) and the money supply (M1, sterling M3, and M3) from 1963, in Economic Trends Annual Supplement. Figures from 1954 for wholesale prices less food and so on (output prices of all manufactured products excluding food, drink and tobacco industries) were given by the Under-Secretary of State for Industry on 23 November 1979 to the hon. Member. More recent data are published regularly in Economic Trends, Financial Statistics and the Monthly Digest of Statistics. Comprehensive money supply figures for years earlier than 1963 are not available; however, approximate figures for M3 at the end-of-year back to 1951 are given in the Bank of England Statistical Abstract Number 1 1970. As I have explained in previous answers to the hon. Member, there are no stock figures for domestic credit expansion from which percentage increases may be calculated.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the gross income levels, in local currencies and in sterling equivalent, at which income tax becomes

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the gross income levels, in local currencies and in sterling equivalent, at which income tax plus compulsory social security contributions becomes

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table comparing the starting rates and the top rates of income tax in each of payable at 50 per cent. by a married couple with two children, in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France, Germany and Japan.

The information requested is given in the table below:payable at 50 per cent. by a married couple with two children, in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France, Germany and Japan.

The information requested is given in the table below:the United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Canada, Denmark, the United States of America, Belgium, France and Japan.

The information requested is given in the table below:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will detail the increases in the percentage of income paid in tax and national insurance contributions for a single person, a married couple and a married couple with two children when earning (a) two-thirds of average earnings, (b) average earnings, (c) twice average earnings, (d) five times average earnings, and (e) 10 times average earnings from 1964–65 to the latest available date.

The figures are shown in the following tables.For years up to 1969–70 the average earnings are the annual equivalents of the average weekly earnings of males aged 21 and over in manufacturing and certain other industries at October in each year. For 1970–71 to 1978–79 the figures are based on the averages of the new earnings survey estimates of the average earnings of full time adult male manual workers at the start and finish of each tax year. To give an estimate for 1979–80 the April 1979 NES figure has been updated to September 1979 taking account of movements in a centred three-month moving average of the whole economy index of average earnings of all employees. In the case of the married man with two children, the figures of income include family allowance or child benefit, as appropriate, in addition to earnings.It has been assumed that the employees were not contracted out of the earnings-related or graduated pension schemes.It has been assumed that married men with children would relinquish family allowance between 1968–69 and 1976–77 if on 10 times average earnings and between 1970–71 and 1976–77 if on five times average earnings.