asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many preparatory courses in basic numeracy and literacy are being provided in the Yorkshire and Humberside region by the Manpower Services Commission; and how many of these are in South Yorkshire.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that it expects that 19 TOPS preparatory courses in numeracy and literacy will be provided in Yorkshire and Humberside region during the 1980–81 financial year. Six of these courses will be held in South Yorkshire.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will list in the Official Report the number of women in employment in the Sheffield travel-to-work area in each of the years from 1974 to 1979, quoting the peak figure for each year;(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 (1) if he will list in the Official Report the percentage wage settlement in each of the major groups of industrial workers in transport and distribution in the period from 1 August 1979 to 29 February, making allowance so far as is practicable for the incremental effect of bonus and productivity agreements;(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 make a statement on the progress of the proposals for regulations on the lifting of heavy weights by employees; what is the composition of the working party to examine the matter; and when he expects to lay the regulations before Parliament.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment which labour exchanges in the city of Manchester he proposes to close; and where jobcentres will be opened.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are employed in the United Kingdom tyre industry at the current time; and how this compares with the figures for each year since 1970.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many applications for help under the short-time working scheme have been made by firms in the Grimsby area; and how many have been granted.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make safety committees mandatory in North Sea oilfields.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1), pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East on 7 March, who appoints the doctor to carry out initial medical and blood examinations for all persons designated for employment as classified workers at licensed nuclear sites; what tests the doctor gives; what opportunities there are for the appointed doctor to examine any person employed on the site who may have been exposed to radiation without prior consultation with the managers of licensed nuclear sites; and who decides whether an employee might have been so exposed, and using what criteria;(2) who liaises with the appointed doctor on licensed nuclear sites to inform him of possible exposure to radiation by employees; who is responsible for carrying out regular monitoring of employees designated as classified workers on (

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will consider linking the abolition of earnings-related supplement to the introduction of German-style training allowances.

[pursuant to his reply, 18 April 1980, c. 733]: I understand from the Manpower Services Commission that it is undertaking a fundamental review of training allowances. In the course of the review it will be looking at practices in certain other countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the aggregate cost to date to public funds of all work commissioned from, and fees paid to, management consultants by the Clegg Commission, and the aggregate cost, including an appropriate proportion of overheads, of work farmed out by the Commission to the OME.

[pursuant to the reply, 18 April 1980, c. 733]: The aggregate cost of all work commissioned to date from consultants by the comparability commission is £336,000. Work undertaken by the Civil Service Pay Research Unit on behalf of the commission is estimated to have cost £150,000. Work by the Office of Manpower Economics for the commission is estimated to have cost £160,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will call for a report from the Avon and Somerset police as to the extent the police force which covers the area involved in the recent Bristol riots contains persons from multi-ethnic groups, and as to the action taken, or intended to be taken, to increase membership of the ethnic groups in areas of large immigration in general, and the Bristol area in particular.

The Avon and Somerset constabulary includes four officers from ethnic minorities, one of whom is stationed in the district of Bristol in which the riots occurred. The chief constable asures me that it is his policy to encourage the recruitment of suitable applicants from the ethnic minorities. In addition to contacts by the force with members of the minority groups themselves, its community relations department maintains close contact with those concerned with finding employment for members of these minorities, and suitable candidates are encouraged to apply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the many occasions when Sikhs have been stopped by the police for riding a motor cycle when wearing a turban but not a crash helmet, and with particular regard to the cases in Newham, he will issue a circular to chief constables drawing the attention of police forces to the provisions of the Motor-Cycle Crash-Helmets (Religious Exemption) Act 1976.

No. Police forces are well aware of these provisions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to follow the recommendations of the Rothschild commission and set up an inquiry into Sunday racing.

I am not convinced that a Government inquiry into Sunday racing would be appropriate at the present time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the progress made by the Metropolitan Police in getting police back on the beat both in general and in the areas with known large immigrant populations in particular, and when the Commissioner of Police anticipates the roads and streets of areas such as Newham will be adequately policed on the beat.

The Commissioner has recently completed a review of local policing arrangements designed to make more effective use of police officers in all parts of the Metropolitan Police district, in particular by redeploying officers from administrative duties. But the force is still nearly 4,000 officers below establishment, and it is likely to be some years before this is reached.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether, in view of the Bristol riots and the fact that between 1976 and 1979 there have been only 118 recruits in the Metropolitan Police force from the ethnic groups, he will initiate an urgent and extensive recruitment campaign to obtain recruits from the ethnic groups into the Metropolitan Police and to the police forces where there are large ethnic groups in domicile;(2) what action he has taken or intends to take to increase membership by ethnic minorities of the police forces covering areas of large immigration.

Chief officers of police share my wish to increase the number of police officers from the ethnic minorities. The object of recruitment publicity is to attract recruits from all sections of the community, but a special advertising campaign was conducted in the ethnic minority press early in 1979 and a similar campaign is to be mounted later this year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the proposed reductions in the number of civil servants employed in his Department; and what reductions so far have been carried out.

The number of staff in post in the Home Office has increased by about 650 since May 1979, of whom over 500 are in prison department outstations and the rest are in police support and immigration control, reflecting the priority which the Government continue to attach to these services. The reductions proposed in the planned provision for staff costs during the current and later years are in accordance with the announcements made by my hon. Friend, the Minister of State, Civil Service Department, on 6 December 1979 and on 14 March.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been instituted or are pending under the Badgers Act 1973; with what success; and in what areas of the United Kingdom.

Records available to me for England and Wales show 69 persons proceeded against for offences against the Badgers Act 1973 in the period 25 January 1974 (when the Act came into force) to 31 December 1978, 53 of whom were found guilty. A breakdown by area could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information on the number of such prosecutions pending in England and Wales is not collected centrally. None of the information requested is available for Scotland; the Act is not in force in Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward legislation to prohibit the sale of lists containing names and addresses of people classified under income, purchasing habits, religious persuasion and other details in breach of personal privacy.

The Data Protection Committee in its report published in December 1978—Cmnd. 7341—considered the threat to privacy posed by the exchange of mailing lists and recommended safeguards to protect sensitive information about individuals. I am examining the report in the light of the outcome of consultations initiated by my predecessor.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions since 1 January 1973 he has used, as an alternative to deportation, the power to curtail stay or refuse to extend a stay followed after departure by a prohibition on re-entry, broken down by country of origin.

There are no available statistics, but the powers of curtailment are used comparatively rarely. There is a right of appeal against a decision to curtail stay and against a refusal to extend a stay (provided that the relevant application was lodged while the person had a concurrent leave to remain). Deportation may be necessary in either case if the person concerned does not leave voluntarily after the exhaustion of appeal rights. The Immigration Act 1971 provides that, once deported, a person may not re-enter while the deportation order is in force. No such prohibition follows upon curtailment of stay or refusal of an extension, and an application to re-enter in those circumstances would be considered on its merits.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of removals since 1 January 1973 (a) by way of supervised departure under the procedure now set out in HC394, paragraph 141 and (b) of mental patients under the Medical Health Act 1959 section 90, the Mental (Health) Scotland Act 1960 section S.82 and the Immigration Act 1971 section 30, broken down by country of origin.

The information as at 31 December 1979 is as follows:—

(a) Supervised departures
Algeria	15
Argentina	1
Australia	4
Austria	1
Bangladesh	4
Belgium	5
Bermuda	1
Brazil	3
Canada	5
Chile	1
Colombia	8
Cyprus	6
Denmark	3
Egypt	47
Finland	1
France	41
Germany	26
Ghana	7
Greece	8
Hong Kong	2
India	12
Iran	33
Irish Republic	20
Italy	50
Jamaica	1
Japan	1
Jordan	1
Lebanon	1
Libya	11
Malaysia	1
Mauritius	7
Morocco	8
Netherlands	7
New Zealand	1
Nigeria	12
Norway	3
Pakistan	13
Peru	1
Poland	5
Portugal	3
Rhodesia	1
Roumania	1
Sierra Leone	3
South Africa	5
South Yemen	1
Spain	24
Sri Lanka	1
Sweden	2
Switzerland	5
Tanzania	1
Thailand	3
Tunisia	1
Turkey	31
Uruguay	1
United States of America	39
Venezuela	13
Yugoslavia	4
Doubtful	22
Total	538

(b) Repatriation under the Mental Health Acts
Austria	1
Barbados	1
Canada	1
Colombia	1
Cyprus	1
Dominica	1
Finland	1
France	4
Germany	3
Ghana	1
Grenada	1
Guyana	1
Hong Kong	1
Hungary	1
Iran	1
Irish Republic	4
Italy	5
Jordan	1
New Zealand	1
Nigeria	8
Norway	1
Philippines	1
Poland	2
St. Kitts	2
Spain	1
Trinidad	1
United States of America	6
Total	53

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of applications for revocation of a deportation order since 1 January 1973, together with the number granted, broken down by country of origin; and what is the approximate length of time from the date of application to the decision.

I regret that the information requested in the first part of the question is not available. While the length of time needed to reach a decision varies, in a straightforward case it is normally taken within a few weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why persons from Iran and the States of Arabia are allowed to enter freely into Great Britain to remain for unlimited time, and in the case of some students involve themselves in terrorist activities, whilst an absolute ban is placed upon persons wishing to enter from former British Empire States in South-East Asia and other areas.

Applications by people subject to immigration control to enter or remain in this country are dealt with on their merits in accordance with the Immigration rules. The assumptions made in the question are incorrect.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people were convicted of theft in the St. Paul's area of Bristol in 1979; what were the sentences or fines each received; and how many of those convicted were from the Indian Sub-continent or the West Indies;(2) how many people were convicted of assaults on police officers in the St. Paul's area of Bristol in 1979; what were the sentences or fines each received; and how many of those convicted were from the Indian Subcontinent or the West Indies.

The information requested is not available. For court proceedings, details collected centrally identify only the petty sessional division or Crown court centre in which the proceedings took place. The Bristol petty sessional division deals with cases from all four of the police divisions of the Bristol city area; and the St. Paul's area forms only part of one of these divisions. Information is not available on the ethnic origin of offenders.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether firearms were issued to police officers at any time between the beginning and the end of the riot in the St. Paul's area of Bristol on 2 April;(2) what was the cost to public funds of drafting in police officers from other areas to cope with the riot in the St. Paul's area of Bristol on 2 April;(3) how many police officers were brought in to help cope with the riot in the St. Paul's area of Bristol on 2 April; and from what areas these extra officers came;(4) how many police dogs were used to help quell the riot in the St. Paul's area of Bristol on 2 April;(5) how many police vehicles were damaged or destroyed during the riot in the St. Paul's area of Bristol on 2 April; what types of vehicle were damaged or destroyed; and what was the cost to public funds of the purchase of each vehicle damaged or destroyed;(6) how many persons were arrested during the riot in the St. Paul's area of Bristol on 2 April for (

I have now received a report from the chief constable of Avon and Somerset on the disturbances in the St. Paul's area of Bristol on 2 April. When I have had time to consider this I shall make a further statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to meet the chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality to discuss the visit of the chairman to the St. Paul's area of Bristol following the riot.

We met the chairman and the deputy chairman on 17 April to discuss their visit to Bristol.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality has sent him any report or findings he may have made following his visit to the scene of the St. Paul's riots in Bristol on 3 April.

We received an oral report from Mr. Lane last week.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will call for a report from the chief constable of the area regarding the number of police officers who were employed to keep order in Scarborough during the invasion of the resort by Mods on 5, 6 and 7 April; how many were injured; what was the nature of each injury sustained; how many police dogs and horses were used; and what was the cost of drafting in extra officers to assist with keeping order;(2) how many people were arrested for theft in Scarborough on 5, 6 and 7 April 1980; and what sentence or fines were imposed;(3) how many people were arrested for assault in Scarborough on 5, 6 and 7 April 1980; and what sentences or fines were imposed;(4) how many people were arrested for drunk and disorderly behaviour in Scarborough on 5, 6 and 7 April; how many were convicted; and what were the penalties imposed.

I understand from the chief constable of North Yorkshire that a maximum of 259 police officers were deployed during the disturbances in Scarborough on 5, 6 and 7 April. Six officers were injured, one suffering brief concussion and bad abrasions, the others minor bruising and sprains. Nineteen police dogs were used, but no horses. No assistance was required from other forces; the cost of the police operation is not yet available.Eleven people were arrested for theft, 12 for assault, and 22 for being drunk and disorderly; most of them have yet to appear in court.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the police authorities which employ community relations officers; and what is their cost to public funds.

All police forces in England and Wales have officers who are concerned with various aspects of community relations work. The costs attributable to this work could be identified only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider introducing legislation to provide for a licensing system for video cassette recorders; and if he will make a statement.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will examine the possibility of introducing a new television licence fee for commercial premises to include hotels; and if he will make a statement.

This has been considered, but we have decided not to introduce legislation on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to the draft EEC directive on a right of residence for nationals of member States in the territory of another member State; when the United Kingdom intends to comply with the directive; and what changes would be required in the immigration rules under the Immigration Act 1971 for this to be done.

The objective underlying the draft directive is broadly in accord with our policy and practice but its formulation in a directive requires careful consideration. The draft is being considered by the European Parliament and there will thereafter be further consideration by the Commission and member States before any directive is made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider reintroducing a licence fee for sound broadcasting only, with a corresponding reduction in the television only licence fee; and if he will make a statement.

No.

asked the Attorney-General if, further to his reply to the question of the hon. Member for Burton on 24 March, he will describe the systems there are for keeping the procedure of the courts under continuous review.

Court procedure is reviewed continuously by the following persons and bodies:

(a) in respect of the Supreme Court, by the Supreme Court Rule Committee—Supreme Court of Judicature (Consolidation) Act 1925, s. 99;

(b) in respect of the county courts, by the Lord Chancellor on submissions made to him by the County Court Rule Committee—County Courts Act 1959, s. 102;

(c) in respect of the Crown Court, by the Crown Court Rule Committee—Courts Act 1971, s. 15;

(d) in respect of the magistrates courts, by the Lord Chancellor, after consulting the Magistrates' Courts Rule Committee—Justices of the Peace Act 1949, s. 15;

(e) in respect of matrimonial proceedings, by the Matrimonial Causes Rule Committee—Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, s. 50; and

(f) in respect of other, specialised, jurisdictions—for example bankruptcy, adoption—by the rule-making body, usually the Lord Chancellor.

In addition to the above bodies, the two Law Reform Committees and the Law Commission are available on reference by the appropriate Ministers, but not continuously, their main concern being with substantive law.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he has any further plans to reduce the numbers of civil servants over the next three years; and what is his intention on the number of civil servants to be employed by May 1984.

I refer the hon. Lady to the statement I made in the House on 6 December 1979—[Vol. 975, cols. 627–40]—and to the reply I gave to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and Scunthorpe (Mr. Brown) on 14 March—[Vol. 980, c. 748.]

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to continue to channel public moneys earmarked for overseas aid through British charities even in the case where the Charity Commissioners have found the charity to have undertaken activities that are not within its objects nor within the scope of charitable endeavour.

I am aware that the Charity Commissioners are considering certain activities of some charities through which aid funds are channelled to specific approved overseas aid projects. The review does not concern the application of these funds, which is carefully monitored. Pending its completion, I see no reason to suspend the use of these channels within the joint funding scheme.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make the giving of aid to Zimbabwe and Zambia dependent on the unblocking of the accounts of British citizens who have returned permanently to the United Kingdom and who are living in considerable poverty.

No. The Government are of course concerned that any funds belonging to British nationals which have been blocked in either Zimbabwe or Zambia should be released as soon as conditions allow and have been glad to learn that in the latter case the waiting period for personal remittances has been substantially reduced. But both countries enforce exchange control because of an acute shortage of foreign exchange. British aid funds are needed to help the economic development of Zimbabwe and Zambia and improve their foreign exchange position, so increasing their capacity to meet their obligations.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will reinstitute the RAF Hercules flights into Phnom Penh to ferry urgent supplies and especially rice seed needed to avoid the threatened starvation.

The capacity for handling aircraft at Phnom Penh is very limited and I understand that for the next two months at least the international relief agencies have adequate airfreight capacity at their disposal.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what has been Her Majesty's Government's response to the second United Nations appeal for relief funds and supplies; and how much Her Majesty's Government pledged at the conference.

I assume that the question refers to Cambodia. My hon. Friend the Minister of State the Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Blaker) told the House during the Adjournment debate on 3 April—Vol. 982, c. 713]—that we were considering how we should respond, both directly and through a joint contribution from the European Community, to the United Nations Secretary-General's second appeal. That is still the position, but we hope to make an announcement shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the present composition and responsibilities of the Burnham committee; when those were determined; whether he considers them to be satisfactory; and when these matters will next be reviewed.

The composition of the Burnham primary and secondary committee is as follows.

	Number of Representatives
Management Panel
Association of County Councils	13
Association of Metropolitan Authorities	10
Welsh Joint Education Committee	2
Department of Education and Science	2
Teachers' Panel
National Union of Teachers	16
National Association of School-masters/Union of Women Teachers	6
Assistant Masters and Mistresses Association	4
National Association of Head Teachers	2
Secondary Heads Association	1
National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education	1

The last determination of the composition of this committee was made on 1 March 1979, together with an order, Statutory Instrument 1979 No. 339, dated 21 March 1979.The responsibility of this committee, last amended by a direction dated 18 May 1978, is that it should consider the remuneration payable to teachers in primary and secondary schools maintained by local education authorities and other persons employed by local education authorities as teachers in the provision of primary and secondary education, but not including teachers in an establishment maintained by a local authority in the exercise of a social service function.The composition of the Burnham further education committee is as follows.

	Number of Representatives
Management Panel
Association of County Councils	8
Association of Metropolitan Authorities	6
Welsh Joint Education Committee	1
Department of Education and Science	2
Teachers' Panel
National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education	12
Association of Principals of Colleges	2
National Society for Art Education	1
Association of Agricultural Education Staff	1

The last determination of the composition of the committee was made on 17 February 1976.The function of this committee, last amended on 17 February 1976, is to consider the remuneration payable to teachers in all establishments of further education—within the meaning of the Further Education Regulations 1975—maintained by local education authorities and to other further education teachers on the staff of such authorities, except teachers seconded to bodies which reimburse the employing authorities the amount of their salaries.The scope for revision of the machinery for reviewing the remuneration of teachers, covered at present by the Remuneration of Teachers Act 1965, is under discussion between the Department and the local authorities' associations.Apart from that particular review, reviews are being undertaken of the appropriate composition of the teachers' panels of the two Burnham committees, with the aim of introducing any necessary amendment in time for any resumption of pay negotiations from the start of the academic year 1980–81.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is satisfied with the progress being made by research into grass and legume breeding at the Welsh plant breeding station; and if he will make a statement.

I am informed by the Agricultural Research Council that valuable results have been obtained from research into grass and legume breeding at the Welsh plant breeding station. The station was awarded a Queen's Award for technological achievement in 1976 for the breeding of hybrid ryegrasses.While the breeding of perennial ryegrasses was less successful for a period, promising new varieties are now undergoing trials. Significant improvements have also been made in the seed-producing potential of white clover varieties.

asked the Prime Minister when she intends to announce the names of the chairman and trustees of the National Heritage Memorial Fund.

The appointment of Lord Charteris of Amisfield as chairman of the trustees was announced on 16 April. I hope to be able to announce the names of other trustees very shortly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will compare the Government take in petroleum taxation in the United Kingdom via petroleum revenue tax, 70 per cent., corporation tax and royalties with that in Norway and in the United States of America, subject to the recent windfall profits tax.

While comparison of actual tax "takes" could be made, they would be misleading because, for example, of widely differing quantities of oil produced in each country. Other bases of comparison would be equally misleading because of the assumptions it would be necessary to make about, inter alia, the utilisation of available tax reliefs and, for the United States, the location and date of discovery of the oil.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the light of the fact that a number of firms are now adopting a system whereby they pay to their workers earned income free of tax, which has led to the virtual abolition of absenteeism, increased production, export orders being fulfilled in advance of delivery dates, and no industrial disputes, whether he will investigate the firms that are operating this system in order to identify to what extent the application of such a system would improve Great Britain's economic situation; and whether he will make a statement.

There is nothing to prevent any firm from operating the system outlined by the hon. Member, provided of course that it accounts to the Inland Revenue for the correct tax due on the gross equivalent of the wages paid. I do not, therefore, think that an investigation of the kind suggested is necessary.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his reply dated 11 March concerning tax on privately-owned housing, whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each income tax band (a) the average gain in post-tax income from raising the threshold by £250 and reducing the standard rate by 3·75p, respectively, (b) the implied rental value of the house in each case and (c) the implied capital value.

The figures which follow are given at 1979–80 income levels and tax rates so as to be consistent with the earlier reply—[Vol. 980, c. 539–40]. Assuming that the taxpayer was not within the first £250 of each income tax band, the gain in post-tax income if the tax threshold were raised by £250 would be as follows:

1979–80 income tax bands	Gain
	£
Lower rate	62·50
Basic rate	75·00
40%	100·00
45%	112·50
50%	125·00
55%	137·50
60%	150·00

A reduction in the basic rate of tax by 3·75p would not benefit those paying tax at the lower rate. Basic rate taxpayers would gain varying amounts up to a maximum of £346 at the upper limit of the basic rate band and those on the higher rates would also benefit by up to that amount—depending on whether a married couple benefited from one or two lower rate bands. The average of these varying amounts for all tax units—including both husbands and wives—is a gain of £96 per tax unit liable at the basic rate only and of £334 per tax unit liable at the higher rates.I regret that the further information requested is not available, although some general information about expenditure on housing by income level may be found in table 6 of the report on the 1978 family expenditure survey published by HMSO.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information is held by the Inland Revenue concerning the topping-up of pension funds out of profits; and what tax reliefs are allowed for this practice (a) to the company and (b) to employees who are asked to contribute more when topping-up.

Information on the topping-up of pension funds out of profits is not held centrally by the Inland Revenue. Such payments by companies are allowable as tax deductions but the Inland Revenue may require large payments to be spread forward for tax relief purposes over up to five years. Any such contributions by employees attract tax relief as expenses to the extent that they can be regarded as part of ordinary annual contributions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report a list of the allocation made between expenditure blocks of the £700 million planned global shortfall in cash limits for the financial year 1980–81.

The figure of £700 million is an overall assessment. The impact on individual expenditure blocks will depend on improvements in efficiency, on price movement of particular purchases and on pay awards yet to be agreed. In these circumstances no sensible allocation can be provided.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has yet discussed with the European Commission the implications for the United Kingdom of the European Court judgment on case 55/79; and if so, if he will make a statement.

There have been no such discussions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer for how long there has been agreement in principle between Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and trade representatives on the means by which duty deferment facilities could be introduced for spirits and imported wines.

In 1977 Customs and Excise held discussions on a "without prejudice" basis with representatives of the wine and spirit industry and resolved the practical problems which could arise if duty deferment were to be allowed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated amount of expenditure in respect of EEC contributions for 1980–81 at outturn prices by comparison with the £1,024 million at 1979 survey prices as shown in table 1.6 of Cmnd. 7841.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will give estimates of the total revenues to be obtained from North Sea oil and gas in each of the years 1978–79 to 1983–84 in present day prices and assuming that the future dollar oil price remains constant in real terms at its present level;(2) if he will give estimates of the total revenues to be obtained from North Sea oil and gas in each of the years 1980–81 to 1983–84 on the assumption that the dollar oil price increases by (

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the United Kingdom net contribution to the EEC in the current year to date; and whether and by what means any of this will be recovered subsequent to agreement on the levels of the United Kingdom's contribution for the current year and beyond.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the Government's intention to reduce the rate of inflation to 5 per cent. or under in the next three years, why the Treasury is issuing a long tap stock at 13½ per cent. 2004–8 instead of index-linking the stock with a real yield of 1 per cent.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what the term " extension of indexation provision " in table 2 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report 1980–81 refers; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 14 April 1980, c. 514]: This entry refers to the proposal my right hon. and learned Friend announced in his Budget Speech to provide for the income tax rate bands and the investment income surcharge threshold to be covered by a statutory indexation provision—[26 March 1980, c. 1476]. The legislation for this purpose, which will include some amendment of the existing indexation provisions for personal allowances, is contained in clause 23 of the Finance Bill.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate what effect alp increase in the price of a pint of beer would have on the retail price index.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement about the late Henry W. Williamson's manuscripts and other literary papers regarding both their content and eventual destination; and if he will consider depositing them at the North Devon Athenaeum in Barnstaple.

My hon. Friend the Minister of State, Treasury announced on 27 March that a collection of the late Henry W. Williamson's manuscripts and other literary papers had been accepted by the Government in lieu of capital transfer tax. The collection includes manuscript notes for and drafts of some of Henry Williamson's finest works, including a large amount of material for the 15 volume work "Chronicle of Ancient Sunlight", and the galley proofs for "Tarka the Otter".I shall decide on the allocation of the papers after taking advice from the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts. It is of course open to the North Devon Athenaeum, Barnstaple, to apply to the Royal Commission for consideration as a possible recipient of the papers.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will carry out an investigation into alleged irregularities within the Refreshment Department; and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.Investigations have already taken place, and following my interviewing the General Manager and the Financial Controller on 27 November 1979, the allegations, which were uncorroborated, were withdrawn.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will bring forward proposals for a system of appeals from decisions of local authorities to close public libraries.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if, in view of the uneven distribution of grant to the Midlands area, which cannot be rectified until a greater total of grant is made available, he will take steps to increase immediately the total money granted to the six area museum councils.

The grant for assistance to local museums in the 1980–81 estimates is £1·5 million, an increase of 18·48 per cent. over the grant of £l·266 million in the revised Estimates for 1979–80. The Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries, which advises me on the distribution of this grant, has agreed with the area museum councils that this increase is sufficiently generous for a start to be made in 1980–81 towards the redistribution of the grant.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he is prepared to introduce legislation in order to allow local authorities to charge for library services.

I do not propose to extend the range of services for which authorities may make charges.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement on the future of Biggin Hill airport and the possibility of its acquisition by the British Airports Authority in the light of the White Paper on airports policy published in February 1978.

The London borough of Bromley has recently announced its intention to develop the airport's facilities for business aviation within constraints designed to protect the local environment. It expects that the number of business flights would increase but the total number of aircraft movements would decline. This proposal is consistent with the recommendation of the White Paper on airports policy (Cmnd 7084) that Biggin Hill should be developed as a major business aviation airport for the London area.The Government are concerned that there should be adequate provision for business aviation, for which there is a growing demand, particularly in the South-East of England. I therefore support Bromley's initiative and my Department is now discussing with the Bromley council how best it can help with the provision of advice and technical assistance to ensure that any development takes account of both operational and environmental requirements.Ownership of the airport is a matter for the local authority and there are no current proposals for acquisition by the British Airports Authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he expects the Civil Aviation Authority to come to a decision on the purchase of the new radar system.

A decision is expected shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what are the proposed reductions in the number of civil servants employed in his Department; and what reductions so far have been carried out.

As a result of the outcome of the review of the size and cost of the Civil Service announced by the Lord President of the Council on 6 December 1979 and the 2½ per cent. reduction in manpower costs in 1980–81 announced by the Minister of State, Civil Service Department on 14 March it is proposed that the staff of my Department should re- duce by 640. Between 1 May 1979 and 1 April 1980 the staff in post in the Department reduced by 400.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what his response has been to the representations of the Incorporated Society of Valuers to the draft Estate Agents (Accounts) Regulations; and whether he will meet members of the society before the rules are adopted.

The society is aware that the Department wishes to take up its offer of discussions with officials at an appropriate time. I should be ready to meet members of the society before the rules are adopted to discuss any issues that cannot be resolved at official level.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he anticipates announcing a date for the commencement of the Estate Agents Act 1979.

It is not yet possible to say when such an announcement will be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will bring forward proposals for selective import controls to protect the postal telecommunications equipment industry in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

I see no case for such controls.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if he will make a statement about the report of the European Commission into the dumping of cross-ply and fabric-braced radial car tyres on the EEC market;(2) what undertakings have been given by the East European manufacturers on the prices of cross-ply and fabric-braced radial car tyres imported into the United Kingdom; and if he is satisfied that these are sufficient.

The Commission has completed its investigation in this case and has established that there was dumping and that material injury was being caused to the Community industry. The exporters concerned have offered price undertakings and these are still being considered by the Commission, with the object of ensuring that the undertakings effectively deal with the problem.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what analysis he has made of the trends in trade in manufactured goods between the United Kingdom and the EEC and the United Kingdom and the rest of the world.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether the Government have given consideration to widening the forms of financial assistance available for tourism projects under section 4 of the Development of Tourism Act 1969.

My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and I have decided to amend the scheme of assistance for tourism projects to enable the tourist boards to give interest relief grants. This should allow them to deploy more effectively the limited funds at their disposal and should encourage the use of commercially available funds. The tourist boards will still be able to offer capital grants. Although the allocation of public funds to the boards will not be changed the revised arrangements will give them greater flexibility in the use of these funds.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he has received the comments of the tourist boards on the report on the registration of tourist accommodation prepared for them by Professor Beavis; and, if so, what is his conclusion.

My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and I have received the comments of the British Tourist Authority and the national tourist boards on recommendations made in the report submitted to them. They have decided to accept the recommendation that a statutory scheme of registration of tourist accommodation in Great Britain should not be pursued for the time being. We welcome their intention to continue to operate a voluntary scheme, though there are differences of opinion among the boards about its effectiveness, and their agreement to develop a consistent classification and registration system for the whole of Great Britain. We support their intention to monitor progress in order to watch over the interests of consumers.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what was the total amount of coal and oil stocks held by the Central Electricity Generating Board at the most recent date for which figures are available; and what were the comparable totals on the same date in each of the previous five years.

I am advised by CEGB that coal and oil stocks held at CEGB power stations at the end of February of each year were as follows:

M Tonnes
Year	Coal	Oil at Main Oil Burning Stations
1975	11·7	0·7
1976	14·6	0·8
1977	14·4	0·7
1978	15·5	0·8
1979	12·0	0·6
1980	13·4	1·2

Additionally, some coal is held in stock by the CEGB overseas.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many power stations in the United Kingdom use waste heat for agricultural, industrial or commercial purposes and the location of any such station.

I am advised by the CEGB that the following projects use waste heat from power stations in England and Wales:

(i) Drax—tomato growing and eel farming

(ii) Wylfa—pilot project and fish farming

(iii) Hinkley Point—fish farming

A small number of power stations are now used primarily for the supply of heat or for research and experimental projects.Power stations in Scotland and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will consider the variation in petrol prices between urban and rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

The price charged for petrol at a particular retail outlet is a matter for the retailer concerned. Petrol retail prices vary from place to place because of differences in wholesale prices and in retail margins. The wholesale price will normally reflect the supplying oil company's schedule price, less rebates that may be negotiated with particular retailers, plus zonal premiums where applicable and in some instances small load surcharges, payable where garages cannot take delivery of a full tanker load. The retailer's margin will reflect the particular retailer's costs, and local market conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the level and timing of the second stage price rise in the current year for each electricity board in England and Wales.

This is for consideration in the light of the movement in the industry's costs and in the context of the financial target I announced on 16 January.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish the date and amount of the known price rises in each electricity board in England and Wales.

This is a matter for the electricity boards, which are statutorily obliged to publish their tariffs. I am asking the chairman of the Electricity Council to write to the hon. Member giving this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Woolwich East, of 14 March, what were the precise terms of the Government's request to the electricity industry to phase the current year's price increase in two stages; and whether the industry was asked to ensure that the first stage should be in line with, or not more than, the current rate of inflation.

In the light of the industry's estimates of its revenue requirements in 1980–81, the Government asked that the necessary price increases be phased in two stages. In discussions with the industry it was assumed that the first increase would be broadly in line with the rate of increase in the retail price index.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what he estimates will be the coal burn in United Kingdom power stations in 1980, 1985, 1990 and 1995.

Coal burn in power stations depends on the demand for electricity, the availability of generating capacity, and the price and availability of competing power station fuels. In 1979 the United Kingdom power station coal burn was about 89 million tonnes, and it is expected not to be very different in 1980. For the longer term my Department has estimated that the United Kingdom coal burn could lie between 80 million and 94 million tonnes in 1990 and between 65 million and 78 million tonnes in 2000, depending on developments in economic growth. These ranges are based on average economic growth rates over the period to the end of the century of between 1 per cent. and 2·7 per cent per annum.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many electricity supplies to domestic users have been disconnected in the London Electricity Board area in the last six months; and how many complaints have been received by the board that a number of such disconnections were carried out contrary to the code of practice.

For the latest available information in answer to the first part of his question I refer the right hon. Member to my replies to the hon. member for Woolwich, East (Mr. Cartwright) on 14 January [Vol. 976, c. 581]—and 20 March [Vol. 981 c. 320]. The operation of the industry's code of practice and the handling of complaints about it are matters for the board, and I am asking the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received about the operation of the code of practice governing the disconnection of electricity supplies to domestic users; if he is satisfied that the code is being followed by the authorities concerned; and if he will make a statement.

This was one of the issues raised when I met members of the National Fuel Poverty Forum on 25 March. The operation by the gas and electricity industries of their code of practice is their responsibility. It is currently the subject of an independent review by the Policy Studies Institute jointly sponsored by the industries and their consumer councils.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what new fossil-fuelled power stations in the United Kingdom are required to incorporate filtration equipment in accordance with the convention on long range transboundary air pollution; and, specifically, what is the position with regard to the extension of Drax.

The convention on long range transboundary air pollution does not require signatories to modify existing or introduce new air pollution controls, including the installation of flue gas desulphurisation equipment. No such equipment is being installed in the completion stage of Drax.The convention provides for a sequential approach to long range transboundary air pollution. In the first instance, the obligations under the convention are to research, monitor and exchange information on sulphur dioxide emissions; policies and strategies for the control of emissions will be considered subsequently if this programme of work shows action to be necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the cost to Her Majesty's Government of underwriting all third party risks of accidents in the nuclear field above the sum of £5 million.

No public expenditure on compensation in this regard has been incurred under the provisions of sections 16 and 18 of the Nuclear Installations Act 1965, as amended.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the position over the allocation of possible oil and gas sites in the Bristol Channel and Western Approaches.

I shall be announcing soon the arrangements for the seventh round, including the blocks to be offered for licensing; these will be selected from the areas referred to in the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for New Forest (Mr. McNair-Wilson) on 5 December 1979 about my proposals for the round. It is for licensees to identify the places they believe most suitable to service their offshore activities, but proposals to develop sites onshore would be subject to the usual planning procedures.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) how many hotel rigs are in use in the British North Sea oilfield; how many of these were purpose-built as hotels; and how many were converted from other uses;(2) how British North Sea oil inspection standards on safety, metal fatigue and safety at work compare with Norwegian sector standards;(3) whether he intends to review safety standards, inspections for metal fatigue and the use of semi-submersible platforms for accommodation in the light of the " Alexander Kielland " disaster and the official inquiry report;(4) how frequently drilling platforms, accommodation platforms and floating hotel rigs are inspected for metal fatigue.

There are six " hotel " units in the British sector of the North Sea at present; all were converted, five from drilling installations and the other from a pipelaying barge.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) whether he will seek powers to require that the floating structures in the North Sea oilfields should be rotated regularly so that wear and tear, strain and metal fatigue on the different legs and surfaces can be equalised;(2) whether he will seek to require that buoyancy be built into platforms in floating structures in the North Sea as a safety measure in case of structural failure;(3) how many modifications, alterations and repairs have been notified to the surveying authority under Statutory Intru-ment No. 289 of 1974, paragraph 6(3);(4) whether he has ordered the closure of any floating structure in the North Sea under the provisions of Statutory Instrument No. 289 of 1974.

When the Offshore Installations (Construction and Survey) Regulations SI 289 of 1974, came into force in 1975, a number of installations were unable to meet their requirements and were consequently removed from United Kingdom waters. Since then several floating installations have been temporarily taken off station for inspection or repairs as required by the certifying authorities. Ministerial intervention has not, so far, been necessary.Many hundreds of modifications, alterations and repairs have been notified to the certifying authorities, under paragraph 7(3) of SI 289, and no cumulative record is kept, as many of these were minor and only a few have related to serious damage.Schedule 2, part IV, 3(iii) to SI 289 requires buoyancy and stability to be maintained in the event of damage, although this would not necessarily be adequate in the event of a catastrophic structural failure such as occurred recently in Norwegian waters.Because mobile units are used in many different locations and stresses are not related directly to wind and wave directions, which are very variable in the North Sea, it is believed that the effect of rotation of an installation on fatigue and so on would be minimal in relation to the cumulative effect of these forces on a structure. I shall, however, instruct my engineers to reconsider the matter in conjunction with the designers and certifying authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will introduce legislation to ban the use of floating hotels in the North Sea.

It is not my present intention to introduce legislation to ban the use of floating hotels in the North Sea, but I may reconsider my position when the results of the Norwegian Government inquiry into the loss of the " Alexander Kielland " are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has made arrangements for British representation in an observer capacity at the " Alexander Kielland " inquiry.

Formal arrangements have not been made for a British observer at the official inquiry; however, other suitable arrangements for my Department to obtain all relevant information are in hand.The Norwegian Government have set up two interim committees to make preliminary recommendations, and my officials are in close touch with the organisations concerned. Norwegian Ministers have extended their fullest cooperation.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage increase in real terms in 1980–81 over 1979–80 will occur in public expenditure on energy conservation.

The energy technology support unit's tasks include the assessment of opportunities for research, development and demonstration in the field of energy conservation and the formulation and management of projects funded by my Department. The unit's effort on these tasks will be increased during 1980.Studies cover all major sectors of the use of energy: buildings, industry and transport—in collaboration with other Departments as appropriate, but priority has been given to the industrial sector. The studies of particular industries which have been completed so far have been published in the Department's energy audit series; work is continuing on other sectors, such as malting and fertiliser and steel manufacture. Other studies, such as the application of heat pumps, high temperature insulation, fluidised bed combustion and industrial drying, are planned and executed on a technology-by-technology basis. A number of the initial projects stimulated and managed by the unit are now showing energy savings in practice.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what special studies are currently being undertaken by the energy technology support unit on energy conservation.

The total amount of public expenditure specifically allocated to energy conservation programmes in 1980–81 is much the same, in real terms, as estimated outturn expenditure in 1979–80.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much was offered in rent subsidy to the International Tea Promotion Association by Her Majesty's Government for it to remain in London; and how this compares with the offer from the Dutch Government.

The International Tea Promotion Association, a tea producer organisation, has only recently been set up. It decided last October to establish its headquarters in Rotterdam where the Dutch Government offered rent-free accommodation for two years. Her Majesty's Government's invitation to consider London as the headquarters of the association was based on the practical advantages of an English-speaking capital with expertise in all matters relating to the tea trade.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the efficiency of sheep dipping and the methods used to check the concentration of dip in the field by the Trading Standards Department prior to ordering a second dipping of the same sheep.

Approved sheep dips for sheep scab are effective if manufacturers' instructions are followed. The Sheep Scab Order 1977 empowers local authority diseases of animals inspectors to take samples of dips and of fleeces to be tested for purposes of enforcing the law.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has received any representations for financial aid for the storage of fish to ensure continuity of supplies to the fish processing industry; and whether he has any proposals to make such aid available.

My right hon. Friend has received one recent request from a fish processing company for aid to meet the cost of storing fish. We have no proposals to make financial aid available to the processing industry for this purpose.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether aid can be made available under his recent provision of £2 million temporary aid to the fishing industry for storage of fish or for the fish processing industry.

The purpose of the fish producers' organisation scheme 1980 is to provide assistance for the fishing industry through fish producer organisations. It does not provide for direct assistance to the fish processing industry. How producer organisations use the money available to them is a matter for their judgment within a range of options which the scheme offers. These do not specifically include the financing of the placing of fish into store for the benefit of their members, but should any producer organisation wish to propose such a course we would consider the suggestion sympathetically.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what recent discussions he has had with the United States of America regarding the supply of arms to the Irish Republican Army; and if he will make a statement.

There is continuing contact with the United States authorities and we strongly endorse the efforts which they are making to check the supply of weapons to the IRA.,

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make representations to the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics about their refusal to hold the Paraplegic Games in Moscow.

The Soviet Union showed no interest in holding these games when approached some 18 months ago. Subsequently the Netherlands offered to stage them. It would be inappropriate now for the Government to make representations on the subject.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will seek an urgent meeting with the chairman of the British Olympic Committee to ask him to reconsider his committee's intention to send a team to Moscow in view of the recent developments in the United States of America and Europe.

No. Sir Denis Follows will be well aware of the Government's views from recent exchanges in the House. We hope that the British Olympic Association will agree that the situation has changed in the light of the decisive vote of the United States Olympic Committee on 12 April not to send a team to Moscow, and will wish to reconsider its decision.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he has been in communication with those black African countries which originally declared that they would not attend the Olympic Games if a British Isles rugby team went to South Africa.

There has been no formal discussion of this subject between Her Majesty's Government and the Governments of these countries. The Supreme Council for Sport in Africa announced in Yaounde in December 1979 that its members did not propose to boycott the Moscow Olympics on account of the proposed British Lions tour.

asked the Lord Privy Seal on what occasions the affairs of Rhodesia and Zimbabwe-Rhodesia have been discussed at the regular meetings between members of his Department and the Soviet Foreign Ministry that are held in accordance with the agreement of 17 February 1975 signed by the right hon. Member for Huyton (Sir H. Wilson) and Mr. Brezhnev; and what decisions were taken at those meetings.

My right hon. and noble Friend discussed Rhodesia with the Soviet Foreign Minister at their meeting in New York in September 1979. Discussions between senior officials have been held from time to time. No decisions were taken.

asked the Lord Privy Seal on what occasions representatives of the Government or members of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have met Mr. Solodovnikov or other Soviet leaders in Central Africa; and what decisions were taken at these meetings.

The British High Commissioner at Lusaka has met the Soviet Ambassador Mr. Solodovnikov on a number of occasions. There will also have been some contact between the British and Soviet delegations at the Zimbabwe independence celebrations. No decisions were taken at any of these meetings.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what categories of European Community legislation, and what other resolutions or instruments of any other international body, are binding on Her Majesty's Government; and, in which cases they require the approval of Parliament.

[pursuant to his reply, 19 November 1979; c. 12–13]: The following additional information to paragraph 2 might be helpful.As well as the bodies there mentioned, certain other international bodies have defined powers, under international agreements to which the United Kingdom is a party, to adopt decisions which are binding on member States. The most notable example is the governing board of the International Energy Agency, which has the power to take binding decisions for the implementation of emergency measures in the event of an oil supply crisis. Such decisions would be put into effect by means of Orders in Council under section 3 of the Energy Act 1976, which requires that the orders be laid before Parliament after making, but does not subject them to any other parliamentary procedure. In addition, it may be possible for certain States to invoke the compulsory jurisdiction of international tribunals, such as the International Court of Justice, and bring proceedings against the United Kingdom which would lead to a decision by the tribunal binding on the parties.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what are the proposed reductions in the number of civil servants employed in his Department; and what reductions so far have been carried out.

Following Government announcements about economies in the size and cost of the Civil Service, the number of staff in this Department is due to reduce by about 1,570 from the total in post on 1 May 1979. Of that reduction 357 had been achieved by 1 April 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what public money has been paid, or will be paid, to companies, and particularly stockholders, in the steel industry to cushion them against the effects of the steel industry dispute; and if he will provide details of the funds.

None. However, such companies may benefit from the general provisions for stock relief announced by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget Statement on 26 March 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) what are the names of the members of the Northern Industrial Development Board and their present occupations;(2) if he will make a statement on the future of the English regional industrial development boards.

The membership and work of the English regional industrial development boards are reviewed from time to time. The present membership of the Northern Industrial Development Board is as follows: