asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the fact that one of the jurors in the recent anarchist trial was arrested by the police, held, then released without charge, it remains the case that no record exists of the names of the jurors in that trial.

As the police have no record of the names of the jurors it is not possible, without further details, to establish the circumstances of the alleeed arrest.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to be able to make his statement on the issues raised in the case of Malone v. Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

I have at present nothing to add to the answer I gave on 31 January to a question by the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Central (Mr. Cook). [Vol. 977, c. 1540–3.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were (a) awaiting trial and (b) awaiting sentence on the most recent date for which figures are available; how many of these prisoners had been in custody for (i) three to six months, (ii) six to 12 months and (iii) over 12 months; and what was the longest period for which any untried or unconvicted prisoner had been held in custody on that date.

On 31 December 1979 there were 3,799 untried prisoners and 1,873 convicted unsentenced prisoners in prison department establishments in England and Wales. The other information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the national average waiting time in custody between committal and trial in 1978 and 1979.

I have been asked to reply.The average waiting time in England and Wales between committal and trial for defendants held in custody was 9.6 weeks in 1978 and 10·9 weeks in the first nine months of 1979. But the national average conceals differences between individual circuits so wide as to render it quite unreliable as a statistic.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average waiting time in custody between committal and trial in London in 1978 and 1979.

I have been asked to reply.The average waiting time in London between committal and trial for defendants held in custody was 16·7 weeks in 1978 and 18·8 weeks in the first nine months of 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of notices of successful parole applications give less than a month's warning of release; and what proportion give less than six weeks.

The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Unless there are special factors, prisoners are released as soon as possible after a decision has been taken to grant parole and the necessary arrangements for residence and for supervision in the community have been made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will amend the law to control the proportion of expenses claimed by organisations which run fund-raising events for charities; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans to amend the law. The management of the fund-raising activities of a charity is a matter for the charity's trustees, and the terms of agreements between charities and organisations running fund-raising events on their behalf are for the parties concerned to determine.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for the last 12-month period for which figures are available, and for the Metropolitan police only (a) what has been the average period of suspension of policemen pending inquiries (b) what has been the average period between the notification of dismissal or requirement to resign and the Commissioner's decision on appeal and (c) what has been the average period between the Commissioner's rejection of appeals and the final determination of subsequent appeals to him.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that information about the average period of suspension pending inquiries is not readily available. In 1979, the average period between notification of the decision and determination by the Commissioner of an appeal to him was about four months. In that year, one appeal to the Secretary of State was determined: the relevant period was 18 months.

Short asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is yet in a position to announce his conclusions on the Lindop committee's report on data protection; what discussions he has had, and with whom, on the committee's recommendations; and if he will make a further statement.

The issues raised by the committee's report are complex and wide ranging; I am considering them in the light of the outcome of the extensive consultations throughout the public and private sectors that were initiated by my predecessor.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will re-introduce within the life of the present Parliament the Local Government Grants (Ethnic Groups) Bill (1979); and if he will make a statement.

There are no plans to re-introduce this Bill. The operation of section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966, which that Bill sought to replace, is currently under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will abolish the television licence fee for retired persons aged 70 years and over who are living on their own; and if he will make a statement.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contingency plans each of the local authorities between Springfield and Capenhurst has to deal with (a) an accident and (b) an attack on vessels carrying uranium hexofluoride and enriched uranium hexafluoride; and if he will make a statement.

It is the responsibility of local authorities to prepare adequate contingency plans to deal with the effects of an incident whether caused by accident or attack. The police have plans for responding to an attack.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will meet representatives of the Civil Service Union to discuss the acute problems of the traffic warden service in London.

Yes. I shall be writing to its general secretary shortly expressing willingness to have a meeting.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any immediate plans to relieve overcrowding at Brixton prison.

I am arranging for further accommodation for prisoners awaiting trial to be made available at Pentonville prison in order to give some relief to Brixton. This will be achieved by transferring those detained under the Immigration Act 1971 from Pentonville to Ashford remand centre. A phased transfer of those already in custody at Pentonville will begin on 3 March and courts are being informed that with effect from 24 March fresh committals should be to Ashford.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) black and (b) white persons were, respectively, stopped and searched and later detained under (i) the drugs laws and (ii) the laws relating to being a suspected person, and so on, in each of the last five years.

[pursuant to his reply, 15 February 1980, c. 852]: Information con-

PERSONS ARRESTED* FOR BEING SUSPECTED OF FREQUENTING A PUBLIC PLACE WITH INTENT TO COMMIT AN ARRESTABLE OFFENCE BY ETHNIC APPEARANCE METROPOLITAN POLICE DISTRICT
Number of offences
Year	White-skinned European	Dark-skinned European	Black-skinned (including West Indian/African)	Indian/Pakistani	Chinese/Japanese	Arabian Egyptian	Not Know	Total
1975	1,258	66	947	39	4	27	1	2,342
1976	1,098	60	887	37	4	24	2	2,112
1977	1,197	48	1,042	45	5	27	2	2,366
1978	1,199	73	1,016	30	2	11	0	2,331
1979	1,018	63	767	30	3	10	3	1,894
* Persons proceeded against by means of a charge, referral to a juvenile bureau, a caution or in some other way; arrests not followed by any action are not included.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps to prohibit the manufacture in Great Britain for export of gin traps the use of which is prohibited in the United Kingdom.

I have been asked to reply.No. There are no powers to prohibit manufacture. As to export, successive Administrations have taken the view that in the fields of health, safety and welfare other countries should have the right to decide for themselves what controls, if any, to impose in the light of local conditions. I agree with that view.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many applications for bail were made to cerning the ethnic appearance of persons who are stopped and searched is not collected centrally.The information available on those stopped and searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 refers to all such persons, and I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question by him on 18 February.—[Vol. 979, c.

I have been asked to reply.The figures are:

Crown Office
1978	505	(32·1%)
1979	454	(30·6%)
Official Solicitor
1978	5,517	(10·3%)
1979	6,473	(6·1%)

Percentage of successful applications in parenthesis.These figures involve some duplication, as both categories include a number of repeated unsuccessful applications.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will list the categories of persons and the numbers in each category who have been sent by Her Majesty's Government to assist in the Rhodesian elections; how many of these have been sent to Rhodesia as part of their normal duties; and how many have been seconded from Government service in the United Kingdom.

The total number of persons sent by Her Majesty's Government to assist in supervising the Rhodesian elections is 681. This number is broken down into the following categories:

• Election Commissioner
• 1 Non-Government officer.
• Deputy Election Commissioner
• 1 Non-Government officer.
• Assistant Election Commissioner
• 2–1 Non-Government officer; 1 Serving Diplomatic Service Officer.
• Election Supervisors
• 90—5 Seconded from Government Service; 84 Non-Government officers; 1 Serving DS officer.
• Administration Officer
• 1—1 Serving DS officer.
• Assistant Administration Officer
• 1—1 Serving DS officer.
• Secretary
• 1—1 Serving DS officer.
• Polling Booth Supervisors
• 584—All serving United Kingdom Police officers seconded to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for temporary duty in Rhodesia.

In addition, Her Majesty's Government have invited 20 independent observers to visit Rhodesia on a voluntary basis and to assist, without remuneration, the Election Commissioner.

asked the Attorney-General when the Lord Chancellor last organised a sentencing conference.

On 10 January this year.

asked the Attorney-General if he will introduce a training programme for judges on the effectiveness of different sentences of the courts.

An important programme of conferences and seminars already exists, and judges are normally appointed to act as deputies or recorders before receiving full-time appointments. Consideration is already being given to widening the scope of the present arrangements, particularly for newly-appointed judges.

asked the Attorney-General if he will set up an inquiry into the working practices of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

No. I maintain a constant review of the Director of Public Prosecution's department as part of my statutory duties of general superintendence over it.

asked the Attorney-General on how many occasions the Director of Public Prosecutions has issued circulars to chief officers of police.

The Director has authority to issue circulars to chief officers of police only in respect of the offences which he requires to be reported to him and the form such reporting should take. Four such circulars have been issued by the present Director. He has no authority to issue instructions to chief officers of police in respect of any other matters.

asked the Attorney-General in what ways his Department gives recognition to the Welsh language; and if he will list the statutory forms used by his Department which are either bilingual or have Welsh versions.

My Department has little occasion to recognise the Welsh language, but when I am called on to nominate council in a case which I have reason to believe may be partially or wholly conducted in Welsh, I nominate one who is Welsh speaking. My Department uses no statutory forms. All formal documents, such as consents to prosecutions, are in English.

asked the Attorney-General whether he is satisfied with the operation of the Welsh Language Act 1967 in the courts of Wales; and if he will make a statement on the provision of simultaneous translation facilities in courtrooms in Wales.

Yes, but if the hon. Member is aware of any ground for complaint, no doubt he will let the Lord Chancellor know. Simultaneous translation facilities are available in courtrooms at Cardiff, Carmarthen and Mold and are due to come into use at Caernarvon in March. A panel of interpreters is available at all courts for which the Lord Chancellor is responsible in Wales.

asked the Attorney-General how many Crown Court centres there are in England and Wales.

The Courts Act 1971 provided for Crown Court business to be conducted at any place in England and Wales. The business of the court is conducted at 65 administrative centres and the court sits at 118 separate locations.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what are the costs of each grade of Minister and of hon. Members, respectively.

The information is given in the following table:

SALARY AND EMPLOYER'S NATIONAL INSURANCE
	Average	Total
	£	£
Cabinet Ministers	20,560	452,000
Law Officers	17,570	70,300
Ministers of State	13,590	394,100
Parliamentary Secretaries	10,230	317,100
Whips	9,020	180,400
Members of Parliament	9,560	6,072,800

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what proportion of the United Kingdom market for synthetic fibres is supplied by the United States of America.

It is estimated that 8 per cent. by weight of the United Kingdom market for synthetic man-made fibres was supplied by the United States of America in 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will pubish in the Official Report a table showing the quantity and average value of imports of non-textured yarn of continuous polyester fibres from the Federal Republic of Germany, Switzerland and the United States of America in 1979, together with the amount of duty payable in each case; and if he is satisfied that there is not a European Economic Community manmade fibres cartel and that the prices of imports from the Federal Republic of Germany are not higher than would be justified in a competitive market.

Certain EEC producers of synthetic fibres have put proposals to the Commission for rationalisation of capacity and market shares, but there is no evidence that these proposals have affected prices. The synthetic textiles market is highly competitive. The other information requested is as follows:

Non-textured yarn of continuous polyester fibres (SITC(R2) 651.45 and 46) Imports {January-December 1979)
	Tonnes	Average vale per tonne (£'s cif)
Federal Republic of Germany	13,583	1,803
Switzerland	6,956	1,309
United States of America	6,494	962

A duty of 9 per cent is charged on imports from the United States. No duty is charged on imports from Switzerland or the Federal Republic of Germany.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the quantity and average value of imports of 659·51 tufted carpets of man-made fibre materials from the European Economic Community, Belgium and the United States of America in 1979 and the estimated amount of duty payable in each case, the quantity and average value of exports of such carpets to other European Economic Community countries, France and Australia; and what evidence he has of restrictive trading practices in the European Economic Community carpet industry.

TUFTED CARPETS, RUGS, MATS AND MATTING OF MAN-MADE TEXTILE MATERIALS (SITC(R2) 659.51)
IMPORTS (JANUARY-DECEMBER 1979)
		Tonnes	Thousand square metres	Average value per tonne (£'s cif)	Average value per thousand square metres (£'s cif)
EEC	…	21,533	10,557	1,396	2,848
United States of America	…	10,323	4,705	1,297	2,846
Belgium-Luxembourg	…	6,342	3,493	1,250	2,269

EXPORTS (JANUARY-DECEMBER 1979)
		Tonnes	Thousand square metres	Average value per tonne (£'s fob)	Average value per thousand square metres (£'s fob)
EEC	…	25,598	13,595	1,196	2,252
France	…	2,927	1,458	1,053	2,115
Australia	…	1,554	752	1,075	2,220

A duty of 23 per cent. is charged on imports from the United States.No duty is charged on imports from member States of the EEC.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what Export Credits Guarantee Department cover is available for exports to Tanzania.

Cover is generally available for exports of United Kingdom goods and services where the credit terms do not exceed 180 days and payment is secured by an irrevocable letter of credit. Cover for such exports on longer credit is considered case by case under section 2 of the Export Guarantees and Overseas Investment Act 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will seek to amend the copyright Acts so as to provide that the library of Trinity College, Dublin, shall cease to be a library of copyright and deposit and that the library of Queen's University, Belfast, shall become one.

All aspects of copyright law are under review following the Whitford committee's report. No decisions have yet been made but a green paper will be published later this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will undertake investiga

I have no evidence of restrictive practices in the case of the European carpet industry.The following is the information requested:tions into the possible dumping into the United Kingdom of gelatine manufactured by the French State-owned company Rousselot.

Under the Treaty of Rome, the concept of dumping does not apply between member States of the Community. My Department has already been in discussion with the Federation of Gelatine and Glue Manufacturers on this matter, and has indicated that if the industry has evidence of trade practices by the industries of other member States incompatible with the Treaty, we are ready to help with an approach to the Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what the size of the British merchant shipping fleet was on 1 January 1979; and what it was on 1 January 1980.

The size of the United Kingdom registered merchant shipping fleet—covering trading vessels of 500 gross registered tons and over—at 31 December 1978 and at 31 December 1979 was 46·3 and 41·2 million deadweight tons respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list in the OfficialReport the quantity and total value of the import and export of sealed lead acid batteries for the latest available year.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will refer the proposed takeover of Furness Withy by Orient Overseas Containers (Holdings) to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

I will announce my decision as soon as is reasonably practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current male employee activity rate in England, Scotland and Wales, respectively; and what it was in each of the last five years on the most convenient date.

Estimates of male activity rates in England, Scotland and Wales for 1971, 1975 and 1977, the most recent date for which information is available, are shown below:

MALE ACTIVITY RATE—PER CENT·*
	1971	1975	1977†
England	81·4	79·7	78·6
Scotland	81·3	79·5	79·0
Wales	78·8	78·7	75·6
* The percentage of the male population aged 16 and over which is in the civilian labour force. The 1971 figures are based on the census of population and those for 1975 and 1977 on the biennial EEC labour force survey. The latter is a sample survey whose results are subject to sampling errors; small differences in the results, therefore, may not be significant.
† Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will ask the Health and Safety Commission to conduct an inquiry into the use of cadmium in industrial processes.

I am informed by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that a considerable amount of information is already available on the use of cadmium in industry, that all places of work where cadmium is produced and used are subject to regular inspection by the Health and Safety Executive, and that in recent years special attention has been paid to ensuring that cadmium fume and dusts are being adequately controlled. The executive has published guidance on the precautions needed to safeguard people from occupational exposure to cadmium and a revision of this guidance is currently being prepared. I have no plans at present to request a special inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many firms in (a) the Walsall area, (b) the West Midlands county council area and (c) the United Kingdom meet the 3 per cent. quota of disabled persons in employment; and what percentage of those eligible this represents.

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commision (MSC) that on 1 June 1979, the latest date for which information is available, the number and percentage of employers who were subject to quota, and employed at least 3 per cent. registered disabled people as follows:

Area (1)	Number of employers who satisfied quota (2)	Percentage of total employers subject to quota represented by figures in column (2)
Walsall	108	43·9
West Midlands County Council	1,261	35·9
Great Britain*	17,045	35·3
* Responsibility for the administration of the quota scheme in Northern Ireland rests with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland·

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many local authorities meet the 3 per cent. quota of disabled persons in employment; and if he will name them.

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that on 1 June 1979, the latest date for which information is available, 83 local authorities in Great Britain satisfied the 3 per cent. quota. Tables showing the levels of quota compliance of individual local authorities, and other public sector employers, were published in the November 1979 issue of the Department of Employment Gazette, a copy of which is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the mean and median incomes of each of the metropolitan districts of Greater

GROSS WEEKLY EARNINGS (£) OF FULL-TIME MALE EMPLOYEES AGED 21 AND OVER· WHOSE PAY WAS NOT AFFECTED BY ABSENCE
			April 1975	April 1976	April 1977	April 1978	April 1979
Greater Manchester Metropolitan County area
Mean	…	…	58·5	69·8	75·8	86·0	98·8
Standard deviation	…	…	24·2	30·3	30·0	35·5	39·8
Median	…	…	54·1	63·8	70·0	79·5	91·8
South East
Mean	…	…	65·3	77·0	84·1	95·3	108·5
Standard deviation	…	…	32·2	37·4	37·3	43·2	46·9
Median	…	…	59·1	69·4	76·0	86·2	98·9
East Anglia
Mean	…	…	56·2	66·4	72·6	82·6	95·9
Standard deviation	…	…	23·4	27·0	28·8	33·2	40·2
Median	…	…	51·4	60·1	67·0	75·8	88·2
South West
Mean	…	…	56·2	67·2	73·4	82·5	92·4
Standard deviation	…	…	22·3	26·6	29·8	37·5	34·0
Median	…	…	51·9	61·5	67·1	75·9	86·5
West Midlands
Mean	…	…	58·4	68·9	76·3	85·7	98·1
Standard deviation	…	…	21·1	23·6	25·9	29·8	33·9
Median	…	…	55·5	65·0	72·3	81·4	92·7
East Midlands
Mean	…	…	58·6	67·3	74·5	85·4	97·1
Standard deviation	…	…	28·5	23·6	26·7	35·6	35·4
Median	…	…	53·9	62·7	69·9	79·4	91·3
Yorkshire and Humberside
Mean	…	…	58·4	68·9	75·4	86·1	99·1
Standard deviation	…	…	22·3	25·8	27·1	34·6	37·0
Median	…	…	54·4	64·1	70·4	80·0	93·2
North West (including Greater Manchester)
Mean	…	…	59·1	70·3	76·8	87·1	99·2
Standard deviation	…	…	24·3	28·4	29·5	34·0	39·0
Median	…	…	54·6	64·7	71·2	81·0	92·9
North
Mean	…	…	60·5	71·4	77·5	88·4	99·7
Standard deviation	…	…	21·8	25·3	27·0	31·2	36·5
Median	…	…	56·6	66·8	72·5	83·6	93·4
Wales
Mean	…	…	59·0	69·8	76·5	86·1	97·6
Standard deviation	…	…	20·6	26·1	27·1	45·0	35·2
Median	…	…	55·4	65·4	71·7	80·7	92·6
Scotland
Mean	…	…	60·3	71·6	78·3	88·5	101·2
Standard deviation	…	…	24·5	30·1	32·3	37·5	42·3
Median	…	…	56·2	65·8	71·8	81·5	93·3
Northern Ireland
Mean	…	…	54·7	68·6	72·1	81·5	93·4
Standard deviation	…	…	24·2	31·5	32·7	34·9	40·1
Median	…	…	49·9	61·5	65·0	74·4	84·3
United Kingdom
Mean	…	…	60·7	71·7	78·5	88·9	101·2
Standard deviation	…	…	26·6	30·6	31·8	38·4	40·8
Median	…	…	55·8	65·7	72·3	81·9	93·8

Figures in respect of individual metropolitan districts within Greater Manchester are not readily available. Figures for the last five years, however, are available in respect of average earnings for Greater Manchester as a whole and for the standard regions of the United Kingdom as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the average gross weekly earnings for full-time adult employees, male and female, in all the regions of Great Britain.

The figures in respect of April 1979 are as follows:

AVERAGE GROSS WEEKLY EARNINGS OF FULL·TIME ADULT EMPLOYEES WHOSE EARNINGS WERE NOT AFFECTED BY ABSENCE
Region	Men aged 21 and over	Women aged 18 and over
	£	£
South East	108·5	68·4
East Anglia	95·9	60·2
South West	92·4	60·0
West Midlands	98·1	61·4
East Midlands	97·1	59·7
Yorkshire and Humberside	99·1	59·4
North West	99·2	60·5
North	99·7	60·6
Wales	97·6	61·4
Scotland	101·2	60·4

asked the Secretary of State for Employment which European Economic Community member States operate closed shop agreements.

I understand that, apart from the United Kingdom, closed shops operate in some areas of industry in Belgium, France, the Republic of Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands, although they are unlawful in most Community member countries with the exception in certain circumstances of the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the Official Report those countries in which a closed shop is legal.

My Department does not collect comprehensive information on industrial relations law in other countries, and little information is readily available in respect of countries outside the European Economic Community. Closed shop arrangements are unlawful in most Community member countries, with the exception in certain circumstances of the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many appeals were made to industrial tribunals in each of the metropolitan districts of Greater Manchester and the United Kingdom as a whole in each of the last five years; what were the causes of complaint; and in how many the appeals were upheld.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, Central (Mr. McNamara) on 11th February 1980.—[Vol. 978, c. 450–52.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies in the Bury and Radcliffe area have been notified to his Department since 3 May 1979.

From the beginning of May 1979 to 21 February 1980, 1,173 proposed redundancies involving 34 firms in the Bury and Radcliffe area were notified to the Department under the redundancy handling provisions of the Employment Protection Act 1975.During the same period 556 redundancies at 11 firms were formally withdrawn.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the establishment in each of the main grades in the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate;(2) if he will list in the

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will esti-

Group					Date of reference
Professions Supplementary to Medicine	…	…	…	…	27 April 1979
Ambulance Officers	…	…	…	…	1 May 1979
University Technicians	…	…	…	…	1 May 1979
Municipal Airport Manuals	…	…	…	…	2 May 1979
British Waterways Board Salaried Staff	…	…	…	…	12 June 1979
Primary and Secondary Teachers (England and Wales)	…	…	…	…	26 July 1979
Further Education Teachers (England and Wales)	…	…	…	…	26 July 1979
Scottish School and Further Education Teachers	…	…	…	…	26 July 1979
Scottish Academic Staff in Central Institutions	…	…	…	…	26 July 1979
Scottish Lecturers in Colleges of Education	…	…	…	…	26 July 1979
University Teachers	…	…	…	…	7 January 1980
Local Authority Craftsmen (Scotland):	…	…	…	…
Electricians	…	…	…	…	22 August 1979
Building and Civil Engineering Employees	…	…	…	…	19 October 1979
Plumbers	…	…	…	…	6 December 1979
Local Authority Craftsmen (England and Wales):	…	…	…	…
Electricians	…	…	…	…	9 October 1979
Building Trade Operatives	…	…	…	…	9 October 1979
Scottish Local Authority Chief Officials	…	…	…	…	18 September 1979
Justices' Clerks' Assistants (outside Inner London)	…	…	…	…	4 October 1979
New Towns Staff	…	…	…	…	12 October 1979

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how large a sample of unfair dismissal cases was taken in 1978, from which his Department has estimated that applicants were mate the numbers who will be unemployed in February 1981; what percentage increase this represents; what discussions he has had with the Manpower Services Commission concerning the numbers who will be unemployed in February 1981; and if he will make a statement.

Present indications suggest that unemployment is likely to be on a rising trend in the months immediately ahead. But it would be unprofitable to speculate on the likely level in February 1981. I have had a number of meetings with the Manpower Services Commission on a range of matters, including the unemployment prospect generally and the development of its programmes. One of these is the youth opportunities programme, which, as already announced, will be expanded by 25 per cent. to provide more opportunities for unemployed young people.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the date of each outstanding reference to the Clegg Commission.

The dates on which the outstanding references to the Standing Commission on pay comparability were made are set out below:successful in approximately 35 per cent. of cases in which they had legal representation and 20 per cent. of cases in which they they were represented by their trade union; by whom such sample was taken and what other information is available as a result of that investigation.

The sample to which I referred was a 10 per cent. sample of unfair dismissal cases taken by my

UNFAIR DISMISSAL CASES—1978 10 PER CENT, SAMPLE APPLICANTS' REPRESENTATION AT TRIBUNAL HEARING BY OUTCOME
Type of representation			Total all tribunal hearings	Cases dismissed	Cases upheld
Self represented	…	…	483	346(71·6%)	137(28·4%)
By Trade Union	…	…	187	147(78·6%)	40(21·4%)
By Lawyer	…	…	295	185(62·7%)	110(37·3%)
Other	…	…	80	54(67·5%)	26(32·5%)
Representative not present	…	…	15	14(93·3%)	1(6·7%)
Not known	…	…	69	50(72·5%)	19(27·5%)
Sample Total	…	…	1,129	796(70·5%)	333(29·5%)

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how large a sample of unfair dismissal cases was taken in 1978 suggesting that respondents with legal representation were successful in 73 per cent. of cases; and how many and in what overall percentage of cases respondents were successful during that year.

The sample taken was 10 per cent. of unfair dismissal cases in 1978. Of all unfair dismissal cases heard by industrial tribunals in 1978, the respondents were successful in 8,551—72 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will take a sample of unfair dismissal cases in 1979, to ascertain what percentage of applicants were successful when they had legal representation and what percentage when they were represented by their trade union; and what percentage of respondents were successful when represented and when not represented.

My Department has taken such a sample but the data have not yet been processed, and accordingly I regret that the information is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the effect of the non-discrimination provisions between European Economic Community and ACP workers in the new Lomé convention.

The non-discrimination provisions of the new Lomé convention between the European Community

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how long a person earning the average wage would have to work to purchase 10 gallons of petrol in the United Kingdom, France, Italy and West Germany, respectively.

Following is the latest available information based on average industrial gross hourly earnings.Caution is required in making comparisons based on these figures, which are before tax, because of differences in national systems of remuneration and taxation and in the definitions and methods for compiling the statistics.Minutes of work required to earn (

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the Official Report the numbers of males and females unemployed, and the percentages, in the North-East Lancashire sub region, in each of the years 1970 to 1979.

				Numbers		Percentage rates
	…	…	…	Males	Females	Males	Females
June 1970	…	…	…	2,620	732	2·2	0·9
June 1971	…	…	…	5,362	1,145	4·3	1·4
June 1972	…	…	…	4,995	1,197	4·0	1·5
June 1973	…	…	…	2,702	579	2·2	0·7
June 1974	…	…	…	2,430	509	2·0	0·6
June 1975	…	…	…	5,646	1,387	4·5	1·6
June 1976	…	…	…	8,755	2,944	6·9	3·4
June 1977	…	…	…	8,144	3,442	6·5	4·0
June 1978	…	…	…	8,134	3,821	6·4	4·4
June 1979	…	…	…	6,558	3,538	5·2	4·1

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many accidents there were in agriculture in 1978 and 1979, county by county; and how many health and safety prosecutions and convictions there were county by county in 1979 or up to the most recent date in 1979 for which figures are available.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 February 1980, c. 296–7]: The num

	Fatal accidents		Non-fatal accidents		Prosecutions and convictions in 1979
County	1978	1979*	1978	1979†	Prosecutions†	Convictions†
SCOTLAND
Border	1	1	100	44	—	—
Central	—	—	14	9	—	—
Dumfries and Galloway	1	4	134	38	—	—
Fife	—	1	81	34	—	—
Grampian	3	—	128	76	—	—
Highland	1	1	46	26	2	2
Lothian	2	2	55	28	—	—
Orkney Isles	1	—	4	1	—	—
Shetland Isles	—	—	—	—	—	—
Strathclyde	—	2	111	43	1	2
Tayside	—	2	101	57	1	3
Western Isles	—	—	—	—	—	—
ENGLAND
Avon	1	—	50	35	3	11
Bedfordshire	1	—	23	22	—	—
Berkshire	—	—	30	16	1	1
Buckinghamshire	—	1	20	15	—	—
Cambridgeshire	—	—	113	105	4	9
Cheshire	1	4	66	73	9	22
Cleveland	1	—	17	11	—	—
Cornwall	3	2	81	55	1	1
Cumbria	1	2	89	79	2	2
Derbyshire	—	1	40	20	—	—
Devon	5	7	166	115	3	6
Dorset	—	—	79	72	1	2
Durham		3	47	31	1	1
East Sussex	—	—	32	23	—	—
Essex	1	1	147	76	1	1
Gloucestershire	1	1	93	63	—	—
Greater London	—	—	1	3	—	—
Greater Manchester	3	1	12	8	1	2
Hampshire	—	—	94	49	2	5
Herefordshire and Worcestershire	4	2	101	103	5	10

[pursuant to his reply, 21 February 1980, c. 201–2]: Following is the information at June in each of the years specified:bers of fatal accidents in agriculture and of non-fatal accidents to farmworkers in Great Britain in 1978 and 1979 are detailed by county in the attached list. Also listed are the numbers of prosecutions undertaken and convictions secured by Her Majesty's Agricultural Inspectorate in 1979.As will be seen from the footnotes to the table the information for 1979 is not yet complete.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many Government Departments meet the 3 per cent. quota for disabled persons in employment; and if he is satisfied with the figures.

I have been asked to reply.The latest available figures show that 1 major Department and 7 minor Departments—that is those with less than 1,000 staff—are employing 3 per cent. or more registered disabled persons. These figures relate to those disabled people who are known to be registered. There are many disabled people who choose not to register or who have registered and have chosen not to disclose the fact to their employer.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the type, age and tenure of the dwellings in Scotland below the tolerable standard, and an estimate of the number of dwellings in Scotland below the tolerable standard that are (a) vacant (b) suitable for improvement and (c) suitable for demolition.

The information available is shown in the table below. It is extracted from returns submitted by local authorities and relates to the situation at March 1979.

Housing below the tolerable standard at March 1979
	Number of Dwellings below the tolerable standard
Total Number	120,315
Dwelling type
Houses	24.090
Flats	74,115
Maisonettes	480
Not known	21,630
Age of dwelling
Before 1919	83,026
1919–1945	3,972
1946 or later	225
Not known	33,092
Tenure
a. Public sector
Local authority	3,185
New town	26
SSHA	37
Housing association	890
Other public sector	701
b. Private sector
Owner occupied	33,031
Private rented	25,573
Not known	56,872

It is estimated that some 92,000 are suitable for improvement and some 10,000 appropriate for demolition but information under these heads is not complete. Nor is information available on the number of dwellings which are vacant.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he is taking to improve pay and conditions for tutorial nursing staff.

The negotiation of pay and conditions of service is a matter for the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the amount of rate support grant to be paid to Kirkcaldy district council in the current financial year and the amount of grant that would be payable in the year 1980–81 assuming that the district council fixed a rate of 10, 12, 14 or 16p.

It would be premature for me to estimate grant payable to an individual authority for 1980–81 before all authorities have fixed their rate poundages.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what efforts he is making to attract the microelectronics industry to Dundee.

My Department and the Scottish Development Agency are making every effort to attract new investment in the microelectronics industry in Scotland. In suggesting locations to potential investors, the advantages of special development areas, including Dundee, are always highlighted.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what have been the number of people in the textile industry in Dundee in each of the past five years; how many have been made redundant in the same period; and how many are currently employed on short-time.

Information is not available in the precise form requested. The following table gives the numbers employed in the textile industry in Dundee—available only to 1977—and the number of textile workers involved in redundancies of 10 or more notified to the Manpower Services Commission as having taken place in Dundee. Information on short-time working in local office areas is not available.

Year	Numbers employed	Numbers involved in redundancies
1975	7,800	483
1976	7,400	171
1977	6,800*	985
1978	Not available	618
1979	Not available	249
* This figure is provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied with the level of provision of social work services by Tayside region; and what is his estimate of the annual cost to Tayside health board in terms of the care of the elderly resulting from the level of services being provided by Tayside region.

The level of provision of the services for which they are responsible is a matter for local authorities themselves to determine in the light of local needs and conditions. Expenditure by health boards, which must also decide their own priorities, is governed by annual cash-limited allocations from my Department. Identifiable expenditure on health services for the elderly by the Tayside health board amounted to some £7 million in 1977–78, the latest year for which figures on this basis are readily available, but it is not possible to estimate the financial effect on Tayside health board of the level of services for the elderly provided by Tayside regional council.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what will be the effect in Dundee in terms of cash budget and number of places created by Government cut-backs in the training opportunities programme and the community industry service.

There will be no reduction in the number of places provided in the Dundee area under either the training opportunities scheme or Community Industry in 1980–81. Provision is in fact being made for 1,330 entrants to the training opportunities scheme compared with 1,240 in 1979–80.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Government will give financial assistance to Dundee district council should it take over the running of Dundee crematorium from Dundonian Ltd.; and, if so, how much assistance will be given.

Dundee district council has not approached me with any plans to take over the running of Dundee crematorium. There is no provision for Government assistance to local authorities specifically for crematoria. Any capital expenditure would have to be found within the council's block allocation for general services. Current expenditure would be relevant expenditure for the purposes of rate support grant.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, in view of his contemplation of action against Lothian region, which intends spending above Government guideline figures, he intends taking action against councils which have decided to spend below Government guideline figures.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of students in each Scottish educational institution, excluding the universities in further and higher education.

I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, prior to a final decision confirming the removal of the Scottish plant breeding station from the Pentlandfield site to the proposed amalgamated body at Mylnefield, Dundee, he will give an assurance that a full and up-dated breakdown of the cost of removal will be provided.

My decision to arrange for the amalgamation of the Scottish plant breeding station and the Scottish horticultural research institute is not subject to confirmation. The preparation of the related programme of capital investment is primarily a matter for the governing body to be appointed for the amalgamated institutes. Consultations between the directors of the two institutes and their staffs are in progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if any of the enriched uranium produced at Capenhurst will be used for nuclear weapons.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Mr. Critchley) on 15 January 1980.—[Vol. 976, c. 712–13.]