asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for the last eight years, or the longest and most convenient period of time, how many Metropolitan Police officers have been prosecuted, found guilty and not guilty of the charges made; and how many of those found guilty received pensions and are still in receipt of them.

:The available information is that during the seven years ended 31 December 1978, a total of 64 serving Metropolitan police officers were dismissed or required to resign following conviction of criminal offences. Of those, one officer is at present receiving a pension and 12 officers have an entitlement to a deferred pension on attaining 60 years of age. The other 51 had their pension contributions returned and in their cases no pension is paid.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the percentage increase in police manpower between 1945 and 1978.

73 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that the Burnbake Trust's workshop for offenders does not close.

The Home Office has provided grant aid to the organisation for a number of years and has offered further help to tide the trust over the period following withdrawal of other financial aid.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the most recently available figures for the proportion of juveniles cautioned for offences in England and Wales who are subsequently re-convicted.

The information requested is not available centrally. However, some information on the subsequent convictions of those cautioned in the Metropolitan Police district was given by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis in his report for 1978 (Cmnd. 7580, page 66).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated weekly cost of the supervision of a juvenile offender under a supervision order.

About half of all supervision orders made under the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 are administered by the probation and after-care service and about half by local authorities. Information on the estimated annual cost per case administered by the probation and after-care service is published in "Probation and After-Care Statistics, England and Wales"(table 49 of the 1978 issue); from this information it will be seen that the weekly cost per case in 1977–78 was between £4 and £5. Information on the cost per case administered by local authority social service departments is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the reasons for the continuing delay in supplying long service medals to police officers; and whether he will now permit private enterprise firms to supply such medals to prevent such delays in future.

Production difficulties caused partly by industrial action have delayed supplies of these medals in 1979 to the Home Office by the Royal Mint. I understand that production has now been resumed and that deliveries are expected shortly. I have no present plans to invite private industry to supply these medals.

asked the Secretary of of State for the Home Department what the result was of his investigation of the allegation of ill-treatment of prisoners in E wing of Dartmoor prison.

The evidence supplied by my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Drake (Miss Fookes), has been passsed to the police for investigation by them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if prison officers are still refusing to allow evening classes to take place at Bristol prison; and, if so, what action he is taking to re-establish them.

Evening classes at Bristol prison recommenced on 7 January 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that prisoners subject to a compulsory levy at Wandsworth prison are adequately informed of how the money is disbursed; and if he will give the reasons for his decision.

Prisoners' contributions of 2p per week are only a small part of the income of the general purposes fund and if would be difficult to separate the disbursement of the prisoners' contribution to the fund from the greater proportion of the income which comes from other sources. In view of the over-crowded conditions and transient population at Wandsworth, there is no obvious and satisfactory way of informing prisoners how the general purposes fund itself is disbursed, but the Governor is considering whether anything further can be done with regard to this. Before Christmas, each prisoner received 70p from the fund to spend in the prison canteen which, for most prisoners, represented more than their total contribution to the fund while at Wandsworth.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress towards the establishment of a police station in Orpington.

Planning work is proceeding on the proposed police station at Orpington and it is hoped that a start will be made on site in 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if any prisoners are currently serving their sentences in police cells.

One prisoner is currently serving his sentence in police custody.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have so far been suspended as a result of the inquiries of Assistant Chief Constable Burt.

Five Officers in the Metropolitan Police and four in the City of London Police have so far been suspended as a result of this investigation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet received the report of his chief medical officer, concerning medical examinations and X-ray examinations for the purposes of immigration control.

The review is continuing. A visit to study at first hand the practice at posts in the Indian subcontinent has been completed. As soon as I can, I shall report my conclusions to the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the delay in opening a British Broadcasting Corporation local radio station in Northampton, if he will consider allowing an independent local radio station.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, South (Mr. Morris) on 15 November.—[Vol. 973, c. 713.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department considered the possibility of using alternative accommodation at the former HMS "Ganges", at Shotley, before announcing their decision to build a new prison at Griston in Norfolk.

The accommodation at Shotley was not suitable for a closed cellular prison of the type urgently needed at Griston.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans exist for the protection of the civil population in the time of war; and if he will make a statement.

Both central and local government have prepared plans to protect the public in war. These include advice on protection against the immediate and delayed effects of nuclear attack and the maintenance of a comprehensive system for attack warnings and the monitoring of radioactive fallout. Plans exist to provide the essentials of life in the aftermath of an attack and to begin the process of recovery. I am examining how best to improve the existing arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the electorate of the city of Liverpool at the latest available date.

Provisional figures for the 1979 electoral register were published in the OPCS monitor "Electoral Statistics—UK Parliamentary Constituencies", reference EL 79/2, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the proposals from the Boundary Commission for Merseyside.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England has not yet begun its review of the electoral arrangements for the county of Merseyside. I therefore cannot say when I am likely to receive its final proposals. I hope that the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England will have completed the task of reviewing constituencies, including those in Merseyside, by the end of 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the longest period of time that a prisoner currently in Canterbury prison has been there on remand; and with what he is charged.

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

Mr. Cohen asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the percentage increase in indictable offences between 1945 and 1978.

Figures for 1945 and 1978 are not fully comparable owing to changes in the law and recording practice, but the number of indictable offences recorded by the police in England and Wales in 1978 showed an increase of about 400 per cent. over the number of crimes known to the police in England and Wales in 1945.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what changes he proposes in relation to the law regarding juvenile offenders; what consultations he has had and with whom concerning such changes; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will publish a Green Paper on any proposals he has to change the law regarding juvenile offenders.

A residential care order will be introduced to strengthen the powers of the courts in relation to juvenile offenders. Our proposals, including this one, will in due course be the subject of consultation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a complete list of statutory provisions bearing upon the disclosure of official information, other than the Official Secrets Act, in order to update the list of provisions published in appendix V of the Franks report.

I shall write to the hon. Member when the information requested has been assembled.

asked the Paymaster General how many civil servants were employed by his Department on I May 1979; and what was the equivalent figure for 31 December.

On 1 May 1979 my Department employed 869 civil servants; the equivalent figure for 31 December 1979 was 896½.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on the proposal by Unimation Inc. to set up a factory in Telford to develop robots; how much grant his department is contributing towards this factory, and on what terms; and what other funds are being provided.

The Department of Industry will be providing an interest relief grant of £240,000 under section 8 of the Industry Act to Unimation Inc. towards the establishment at the company's Telford factory of facilities for the manufacture of the Puma robot. The terms of the grant are commercially confidential. The National Research and Development Corporation will be providing £420,000 towards the project, in the form of a joint venture investment recoverable from sales revenue.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will arrange to meet the trade union representatives of workers in the steel industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he proposes to meet trade union leaders of the steel industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what latest discussions he has had with representatives of those involved in the steel strike.

I have had two meetings recently with representatives of the steel unions. I have no plans for further meetings.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the unit labour cost of producing a ton of steel in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, the USA and Japan in dollar terms in 1973, 1974, 1978 and in the third quarter of 1979.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what effect the current steel strike has had upon manufacturing industry to date and what assessment he has made of the likely repercussions if it continues through February.

In the weeks ended 12 and 19 January, it is estimated that production in manufacturing industry was about 2–3 per cent. less than it would have been in the absence of the BSC dispute. Most of this loss of output was attributable to the lack of production at BSC itself. The repercussions of a prolonged strike could be very serious for industry and for the country, as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made clear to the House on 22 January.

asked the Secretary of State for Indusry what discussions he has had with the chairman of the British Steel Corporation since his statement to the House on Monday 14 January on the steel strike.

Together with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Employment and Industry, the Prime Minister had discussions with the chairman of the British Steel Corporation on 21 January.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) if he will tabulate in the Official Report the tonnage and value of steel produced by the private sector of the steel industry and British Steel Corporation, respectively, and in total by categories recognised by his Department, together with a comparison with consumption and amounts and value exported and imported for each of the last 10 years;(2) if he will tabulate in the

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

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he expects to meet the Confederation of British Industry.

My right hon. Friend has no immediate plans to meet the CBI.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on his Department's reactions to the Finniston report.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he has yet formulated his conclusions on future policy objections following the publication on 9 January of the Finniston report on the engineering industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on the committee of inquiry report into the engineering profession.

We welcome and share the broad aims of the Finniston report on the engineering profession, which are in line with the Government's wish to see a healthy, competitive manufacturing sector. The report makes many far-reaching recommendations for action, by no means all of which fall to government. Those to which a Government response is required demand—and will receive—sober and careful consideration, taking full account of the views of the many other interests involved.The Government intend to reach decissions on the main recommendations from the Finniston committee as quickly as may be compatible with the necessary consideration and consultation. I hope to be able to announce those decisions in the summer.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he intends next to meet the chairman of the British Steel Corporation.

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply earlier today to the hon. Member for Newton (Mr. Evans).

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what has been the rise in his Department's fuel and materials index over the past 12 months.

The rise over the 12-month period to December last year was 26 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is his estimate of the likely rate of investment in manufacturing industry in the coming year.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friends the Members for Leek (Mr. Knox) and Go sport (Mr. Viggers).

asked the Secretary of State for Industry to what extent the recently announced increases in gas and electricity charges will raise the cost of British manufactured goods in general and the price of steel in particular.

Detailed pricing proposals are a matter for the gas and electricity supply industries themselves and have yet to be announced. However, the effects of the increases in electricity tariffs due on 1 April are likely to be less than ½ per cent. on manufacturing industry's costs and of the order of 1 per cent. on the steel industry's costs. Gas prices will continue to be broadly related to those of competing oil products.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on current Government regional policy.

The Government intend to continue with the more selective, and hence more effective, regional industrial policy which my right hon. Friend announced in July. It will concentrate on those parts of the country with the most severe problems of persistently high unemployment and structural weakness.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will now change his regional aid policy, as it affects the Ogmore constituency area, due to the number of steelworkers who will be declared redundant and subsequently the coal miners and other workers living within the area.

We will be considering possible remedial measures to counter the impact of steel closures.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many sub-post offices there are at the present time, compared with the same period five years, 10 years, 13 years, and 20 years ago.

The Post Office informs me that the number of sub-post offices at each of the dates concerned was a follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what has been the level of overseas direct investment for each year since 1945; what has been the level of manufacturing investment in the United Kingdom for each of these years; what each figure in these series represents as a percentage of gross national product for that year.

For information on overseas direct investment I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade in the Official Report for 21 January 1980. [Vol. 977, c. 32–4.] Information on capital expenditure on fixed assets in the United Kingdom by manufacturing industry is available from 1948 and its value and percentage of gross national product is shown in the following table. Capital expenditure on fixed assets in the United Kingdom cannot be compared with United Kingdom direct investment overseas which measures the amount invested in shares and loan capital, retained profits and trade credit by United Kingdom companies in their related concerns overseas.How much is used by these concerns for capital expenditure on fixed assets is not known. Direct investment overseas may also be used to finance additions to stocks and debtors or to reduce local borrowings and creditors.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many companies have claimed grants under the footwear industry assistance scheme; how much money has been made available under the scheme; when the scheme is due to terminate; and whether he proposes to extend it.

To date, under the footwear scheme, 416 applications have been received from 174 companies and assistance of £2·8 million has been offered. The scheme closes for applications on 31 March 1980, with a further 12 months allowed for completion of projects. It is estimated that the allocation of £4·5 million will be fully taken up under these arrangements. There are no plans for an extension.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he expects the European Space Agency's satellite Meteosat to be functioning again.

The nature of the fault and the impossibility of direct access to Meteosat mean that there is no certain method of rectifying it. Arrangements are in hand to launch the second Meteosat in the autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he has received any representations regarding the non-operability of the European Space Agency's satellite Meteosat; and if he will make a statement.

In November last year, after the second anniversary of its very successful operation in orbit, the experimental Meteosat 1 failed owing to an electrical fault which it has not been possible to correct. The analysis of the problem is being performed in great depth in view of the possible impact on Meteosat 2, which is expected to be launched in September this year. Nevertheless, the commitment of Meteosat 1 to the world weather watch programme and the global atmospheric research programme (GARP) was only until the end of 1979.The Department has been in frequent contact with the Meteorological Office, which is the principle user of the Meteosat output in this country. The office has expressed great regret at the loss of the image data which are of considerable value for forecasting including TV presentations and for research purposes. Similar regrets have been expressed by other users of Meteosat data.However, the Meteorological Office, in common with other users, has been kept well-informed by the European Space Agency about what is known of the nature of the faults in Meteosat. I am assured that all reasonable steps are being taken by the European Space Agency to rectify them.Despite this failure, Meteosat is continuing to perform its important secondary funcion of collecting data from various remote stations.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the United Kingdom contribution to the European Space Agency for each of the last five years.

The United Kingdom contribution to the European Space Agency (and prior to 1975–76 the European Space Research Organisation), for each of the last five years was:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how much has been spent on research and development within each sector of manufacturing industry in each of the past four years.

Inquiries have been made into the research and development expenditure of industry only once in every three years. The latest available statistics relate to 1975 and are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what has been the size of vehicle production, including passenger vehicles for each year since 1970; how many workers were directly employed in the motor industry and how many vehicles; what value of vehicles was produced per employee in each year; and if he will give comparable figures for the European Economic Community as a whole.

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

asked the Attorney-General when he expects next to meet the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Soon.

asked the Attorney-General what is the present number of staff in the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

At present there are 208 people on the Director's staff, of whom 71 are either banisters or solicitors. It is hoped that the full complement of 72 professional officers will shortly be reached.

asked the Attorney-General when he will be in a position to make a statement on jury vetting.

One aspect of the practice is still the subject of proceedings and I do not propose to make any statement until those proceedings are finally disposed of and I have concluded my consultations with the Lord Chancellor and my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will publish in the Official Report the criteria he employs in allowing and refusing permission to prosecute.

The noble Lord, Lord Shaw cross, when Attorney-General, made a statement to the House on 29 January 1951 which was published in the Official Report and in which he described the considerations that he and the Director of Public Prosecutions took into account in deciding whether or not to institute criminal proceedings. I agree with what he said on that occasion and have adopted the principles that he expressed, as have my predecessors.

asked the Attorney-General on what date the Lord Chancellor received a letter signed by four or more jurors in Regina v.Bennett, Mills and Others; what was the nature of this communication; and whether he will publish it in the Official Report, together with the reply.

I understand that the letter was released to the press at the time of its despatch. Any question of further publication is for the authors. I understand that the Lord Chancellor is considering the terms of his reply and will arrange for its publication in due course. I will see that the hon. Member receives a copy.

asked the Attorney-General how many civil servants were employed by his Department on 1 May 1979; and what was the equivalent figure for 31 December.

On both dates my Department, including my office in Belfast as Attorney-General for Northern Ireland, employed 19 civil servants. However, on 1 May my Department had three Ministers and on 31 December two.

asked the Attorney-General what steps he now proposes to take to clarify the position regarding the rights and duties of jurors after the completion of a case.

I am considering the implications of the recent judicial decision on this matter and have not yet reached any conclusions.

asked the Prime Minister how many civil servants were employed by her Department on 1 May 1979; and what was the equivalent figure for 31 December.

The staff of the Prime Minister's Office at 10 Downing Street are part of the Civil Service Department. There were 81 such full-time staff and 16 part-time in post on 1 May 1979. The comparable figures for 31 December were 79 and 17.

asked the Prime Minister if the interview on further public expenditure cuts given by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on the "World this Weekend" on BBC radio on 20 January represents official Government policy.

Yes.

asked the Prime Minister if, in the light of the Khan incident and the failure of the Netherlands Government to provide an explanation as to why they did not inform Her Majesty's Government of security leaks which they knew had occurred at URENCO, Almelo, Holland, she will consult Chancellor Schmidt about moving the facilities of URENCO to the Federal Republic of Germany or the United Kingdom.

No. Moving the uranium enrichment facilities from Almelo would not be appropriate or feasible.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if, following his reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Queen's Park, regarding cuts in the aid programme, Official Report, 16 January, column 1637, he will publish the reduced totals of overseas aid expenditure planned for 1981–82, in comparison with the planned aid expenditure of the previous Administration.

The Government's public expenditure plans for 1980–81 and subsequent years are under review. Decisions will be announced in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy assuming a 10 per cent. depletion across the board after 1982, for how many additional years he estimates oil reserves will be available on current projections.

Taking account of the various assurances which have been given limiting the scope of production cut-backs for depletion control purposes, it is estimated that the likely effect of a 10 per cent. across the board cut applied from 1982 to 1990 would be to defer production equivalent to rather under one year's consumption at current rates.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if any ex-gratia payment has been or is to be made to Mr. Alan Blackshaw, a former under-secretary in his Department, following erronous evidence given to the Public Accounts Committee in 1979 by his Department's permanent secretary, Sir Jack Rampton.

This is being carefully considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list, from 1945, the numbers of salary increases awarded to miners, the amounts paid and the percentage increase over the previous figure in each case; and what has been the real value of such increases to date, taking 1945 as a base.

Wages and salaries in the coal industry are a matter for the National Coal Board, and I am asking the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will arrange for some direct share in the ownership and profits of North Sea fuels to be available to the citizens of Great Britain.

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend to my hon. Friend the hon. Member for Bedford (Mr. Skeet) on 14 November 1979—[Vol. 973, c. 617]. I have nothing further to add at this time.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what his proposals are for the use of the surplus profits which will arise owing to the increase in the price of gas.

The cash surpluses of the British Gas Coropration, which are being deposited with the National Loans Fund, are already making a substantial contribution to reducing public sector borrowing and thus to the general health of the economy.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many civil servants were employed by his Department on 1 May 1979;and what was the equivalent figure for 31 December.

Staff in post on the respective dates were:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on the proposal for auctioning North Sea oil licences, as set out in the paper entitled "North Sea Giveaway" sent to him on 21 January by the hon. Member for Newham, North-West

The fundamental message of the paper to which the hon. Member refers is that the Government should allocate petroleum licences to the highest cash bidder. Although this would in principle be a valid alternative to the United Kingdom's normal method of award, I have not found all the arguments used in the paper to be soundly based or persuasive. As my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen, South (Mr. Sproat) pointed out on 14 January, there could be unwelcome results if the allocation of licences was determined solely by the highest cash bid. I shall, however, continue to keep the matter under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will express, in tabular form, for the cost per 1,000 British thermal units, of all fuels widely used for home heating purposes within the United Kingdom, on 1 June for each of the years 1970 to 1979, and his estimate for 1980, such cost to be expressed (a) in current cost terms, (b) in (a) as adjusted by changes in the retail price index, (c) as a percentage each year of the cost of providing 1,000 British thermal units through the use of home heating oil, and (d) taking the costs for each of the fuels to be 100 on 1 June 1970.

[pursuant to his reply, 17 January 1979, c. 829–30]: It is not possible to provide a meaningful summary of domestic fuel prices for the country as a whole. These vary according to geographical locations, quantities purchased and, in the case of coal and oil, individual merchants. However, the following tables are offered as a guide to the differences occurring between the fuels in the London area and are in units of pence per 100,000 BTU which equates to 1 therm.Figures are not readily available for 1 June of each year and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The quoted figures are based on those extant on 31 December of each year to 1979. No adjustments have been made for the different thermal efficiencies of the various heating appliances.The price of oil products in December 1980 will depend largely on the future movement in crude oil prices and the manner in which these are passed through to product prices. Consequently, a reliable estimate cannot be given.Gas prices are expected to increase by an average of 29 per cent. by December 1980.Revised electricity tariffs are not available for 1980 and therefore no meaningful estimates of increases can be made.No short-term forecast of the rise in solid fuel prices for 1980 is yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will set out briefly the principal differences of the law governing charities in Ulster from that in England and Wales.

The principles of the law relating to charities in Northern Ireland are broadly the same as in England and Wales. The most important differences, in practice, are that (1) in England and Wales the Charity Commission is the charity authority, whereas in Northern Ireland the Department of Finance discharges that function with powers similar to those of the commissioners, and (2) there is no provision for the registration of charities in Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servant were employed by his Department on 1 May 1979; and what was the equivalent figure for 31 December.

Figures for 1 May 1979 are not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost, but on 1 April 1979 the Northern Ireland

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will maintain index linking for police pensions.

The police are only one of several groups of public servants who receive index-linked pensions, including teachers, local government and Health Service employees, the Civil Service and the Armed Forces. As some concern has been expressed about the Office employed 1,587½ civil servants, mainly on law and order functions. The equivalent figure on 1 January 1980 was 1,536½

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by each local authority in Northern Ireland the number of handicapped and non-handicapped children who are paid for by the local authorities to attend independent fee-paying schools.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the school population in each education authority in Northern Ireland for (a) primary and (b) secondary education.

Provisional figures for January 1979 are as follows:contributions made by public servants to pay for such pensions, the Government are looking into the matter, but the issues involved are difficult and no decisions have been taken.