asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people have been admitted to hospital for treatment as a result of glue sniffing; and if he will make a statement on its effect on health.

Information on hospital admissions for such treatment is not available centrally. I am advised that the effects on health depend upon the nature of the volatile chemicals inhaled, the method and duration of inhalation, how long it has been practised, possible interactions with other substances taken and, in addition, on psychological and environmental factors. Acute effects from short-term use are usually reversible but may be severe, and even, in rare instances, fatal. Chronic effects may include damage, which may be irreversible, to bodily organs and the nervous system. Psychological dependence may develop but true physical dependence has only rarely been described.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list those mental hospitals that are still below the minimum standard for domestic staffing as set by his Department in March 1973 together with the reasons.

The minimum standard for domestic staffing in mental illness hospitals was set in March 1972 and the target date for achieving the standard was March 1973. Those hospitals which were still below the minimum standard at 30 September 1978, the latest date for which information is available, were High Royds and Scalebor Park hospitals—Yorkshire region—and West Park hospital—South-West Thames region—which were about 17, 1·5 and 11 staff short respectively. Information on the reasons for hospitals' failure to meet the standard is not held centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many hospitals will be having secure accommodation units built on to them in the next two years; and how many beds will be provided in (a) England and Wales and (b) Greater London.

Proposals submitted to the Department by health authorities in England so far indicate that building has started or is expected to start within the next two years on permanent regional secure units in the grounds of 11 hospitals, including three in the Greater London area. In addition, regional secure units will be provided by adapting existing premises at two hospitals outside the Greater London area. The number of beds in these units will total 450, of which 60 will be in the Greater London area.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he intends to put all social welfare benefits on to the same basis for men and women when they reach the age of 60 years and to abolish the discrimination against men between the age of 60 years to 65 years.

No. Economic circumstances preclude any move towards reducing men's pension age to 60.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many and what percentage of employees have their sickness benefit made up to full pay by their employers; and how many of these are in the public sector.

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him on 25 February—[Vol. 979, c. 466]. The 12·8 million employees referred to in that reply represent about 55 per cent. of all employees.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what the latest figures are for mentally handicapped children under the age of 16 years in the Mersey regional hospital authority; and how many children are in the Olive Mount hospital, Liverpool, and at the Cranage Hall hospital, Crewe.

On 30 December 1979, 163 children were in-patients in hospitals within Mersey region, 56 of them at Olive Mount hospital and 38 at Cranage Hall hospital.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much supplementary benefit was paid to the families of persons serving prison sentences for the latest period for which figures are available.

[pursuant to his reply, 3 April 1980, c. 398–99] gave the following corrected information: The annual cost at November 1978 of supplementary benefit paid to prisoners' wives with children is estimated at about £7 million^*. A separate figure for wives without children is not available since claims by lone women without dependants are not separately analysed.

^*corrected figure.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that the questions in the 1981 census will enable a clear and accurate picture of the number and types of one-parent families to be obtained and, to this end, what changes have been made from the 1971 census; and whether he will list the proposed questions for the 1981 census which will enable this information about one-parent families to be obtained.

The estimates of one-parent families will be based on the answers to questions on the relationship of persons living in private households to the head of household, their marital status, date of birth, and sex. Essentially the same questions will be asked in the 1981 Census as in 1971. But, although the questions will be the same, it is hoped to produce improved tabulations which will provide fuller information about the numbers and characteristics of one-parent families.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if it is his intention that recipients of national insurance benefits should be liable for national insurance contribution;(2) if it his intention that recipients of supplementary benefits should be liable for national insurance contribution.

I have no plans to impose liability for national insurance contributions on either type of benefit. Such liability would in any event require major changes in the social security system. In order to protect entitlement to contributory benefits, credits are available for weeks of incapacity or unemployment provided that the relevant conditions, such as providing evidence of incapacity or proving availability for work, are met. If credits are not available and there is a shortfall of contributions necessary to protect entitlement, recipients of benefits may, like anyone else, pay voluntary class 3 contributions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the promotion of the new Vanguard cigarettes, involving free packs and money-off vouchers, contravenes the voluntary code of practice on tobacco promotion.

This promotion, so far as my present information goes, does not appear to contravene the requirements specified in the existing voluntary code.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will seek to amend the voluntary code of practice on tobacco promotion, to ban promotion of cigarettes through free packs and money-off vouchers.

The promotion of tobacco products is among the subjects under discussion in the Government's current negotiations with the tobacco industry on what should follow the existing voluntary agreement. Both parties agreed that the details of the negotiations should remain confidential until a conclusion is reached and I must ask the hon. Member to await the full announcement which will then be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proposals he has for reducing the estimated 50,000 deaths caused every year by smoking.

The Government's policy is to seek to reduce the toll of preventable disease and early death associated with smoking by alerting the public to the dangers of smoking and by maintaining a gradual but sustained and steady pressure to reduce the amount of smoking. Measures to this end are among those under discussion with the tobacco industry in the current negotiations on what should follow the existing voluntary agreement.Once these negotiations are over we shall be reviewing with the Health Education Council future needs for increasing public awareness of the dangers of smoking and providing help to those who wish to break the habit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many ambulance men he estimates are needed in London; how many are actually employed at the latest convenient date; and how this compares with the figures for the previous five years;(2) how many ambulance men in London he estimates will be needed in the summer of the current year; and how many are in fact expected to be employed at that time;(3) what steps he is taking to increase the number of ambulance men in London.

The South-West Thames regional health authority is responsible for the management of the London ambulance service and the hon. Member may like to contact that authority direct.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of calls should be answered within seven minutes by ambulance men in London; how many are in fact answered; and how many lives he estimates are thus put at risk.

In 1974 the Department recommended that in Metropolitan areas ambulance response time for emergency calls should be seven minutes in 50 per cent. of cases. The South-West Thames regional health authority is responsible for managing the London ambulance service and the hon. Member may like to seek further information direct from that authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what was the level of residential provision for mentally handicapped adults per 1,000 appropriate population in 1979–80; and how this compares with the illustrative projection published in "The Way Forward";(2) what was the level of residential provision for mentally handicapped children per 1,000 appropriate population in 1979–80; and how this compares with the illustrative projection published in "The Way Forward".

Information is not yet available for 1979–80, but the position at the end of the previous financial year, set out in the table below, shows that local authorities are broadly on target with the projections for 1979–80 given in "The Way Forward".

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the level of residential provision for the mentally ill per 1,000 appropriate population in 1979–80; and how this compares with the illustrative projection published in "The Way Forward".

According to the latest figures at 31 March 1979, the level of residential provision (including places in voluntary and private homes) available to local authorities for the mentally ill was 0·12 places per 1,000 population; this precisely matches the illustrative projection for 1979–80 published in "The Way Forward".

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many accident and emergency departments in London hospitals have closed since 1970; what loss of facilities this represents; and how this has affected the time taken for emergencies to be seen to;(2) on how many occasions in the current year London hospitals have closed their accident departments due to lack of beds; if he is concerned about the facilities for treating emergency and accident cases in London; and if he will make a statement.

Information is not readily available in the form requested. The four Thames regional health authorities are responsible for the provision of accident and emergency hospital facilities in London and I understand that there are 52 accident and emergency departments in the Greater London area. Temporary closures of individual departments may occur due to a variety of causes, but I have no reason to suppose that an adequate service is not maintained.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received from the Co-operative Party on the document "Patients First"; what reply he is making; and if he will make a statement.

A letter from the Co-operative Party dated 25 April has been

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the effect of abating unemployment benefit to persons aged over 60 years in receipt of occupational benefit on the early retirement

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the savings if all national insurance, excluding means-tested benefits, were increased by 11 per cent. next November; and if he will publish figures tabulating those savings according to main benefit categories and also by comparison with the savings proposed in the Social Security (No. 2) Bill.

[pursuant to her reply, 30 April 1980, c. 521–22]: Column 1 of the table below gives the savings to the National Insurance Fund in a full year if the current rates of the benefits listed were to be increased by 11 per cent. instead of 16½ per cent. The net reduction in public expenditure would depend on the amount by which means-tested benefits were increased. Column 2 gives the savings to the Fund in a full year from uprating the current rates of the benefits specified in Clause (1) of the Social Security (No. 2) Bill 1980 by 11½ per cent. instead of 16½ per cent., under the powers contained in that Clause.scheme for mineworkers; and whether he will make a statement.

[pursuant to her reply, 28 April 1980, c. 397]: On the assumption that payments under the voluntary early retirement scheme for mineworkers would be within the scope of the proposals in clause 5 of the Social Security (No. 2) Bill, payments to a mineworker over the age of 60 under that scheme would, if they exceeded £35.00 a week, lead to abatement of unemployment benefit. Officials from this Department have been in touch with officials from the Department of Energy about this and other matters, but if the hon. Member has a particular point in mind no doubt he will let me know.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of children taken into care because of the homelessness of their parents for each year since 1970.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report figures for the following categories over the last five years (a) births to mothers of New Commonwealth and Pakistani ethnic origin, (b) net migration of New Commonwealth and Pakistani population, (c) the total of (a) and (b), (d) births to mothers of United Kingdom origin, (e) the net migration of United Kingdom origin population, (f) the total of (d) and (e) and (g) (c) as a percentage of New Commonwealth and Pakistani population to include the estimated quantity of all those of New Commonwealth and Pakistani ethnic origin.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the subject of the last report referred to him by the National Consumer Council; when it was referred; and what action he has taken as a result.

The National Consumer Council is regularly consulted by Government Departments and has given its views on over 60 occasions in the last year. There has been one formal reference to the Council by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on the origin marking of imported goods. The response was received on 23 October last year and my right hon. Friend the Minister for Consumer Affairs will shortly be announcing what further steps she proposes in the light of its conclusions and of the views of other bodies consulted.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he has any plans to increase the quorum of the Civil Aviation Authority when exercising its air transport licensing functions.

The quorum of the Civil Aviation Authority when exercising certain of its air transport licensing functions is laid down by regulation 6 of the Civil Aviation Authority Regulations 1972. The regulations are in the process of being consolidated and we are considering whether to make some amendments to them at the same time. The question of the quorum will be considered as part of this exercise, taking account of any views expressed by interested parties.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he has received any representations concerning the unwillingness of the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority to have available sufficient members to deal with its economic regulating work; and if he will make a statement.

I am aware that representations to that effect have been made to the Council on Tribunals and I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) on 9 May.—[Vol. 984, c. 251 —2.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, pursuant to his reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe, on 6 May, how serious the damage to the cockpit voice recorder of the Dan Air Boeing 727 which crashed at Tenerife on 25 April was in terms of loss of information expected from the readout; and what additional information he has received about the crash since his statement to the House on 28 April.

No information was lost as a result of impact damage from the cockpit voice recorder of the Dan Air Boeing 727 which crashed at Tenerife on 25 April 1980. The recording of the final minutes of the flight have already been transcribed in the United Kingdom while the flight data recording has been readout and analysed in Madrid. The process of co-ordinating the two recordings and synchronising them with the recording of the radio communications with Tenerife airport is now being carried out. Urgent consultations are being conducted with the Spanish Commission which is responsible for conducting the investigation into this accident concerning the release at an early date of an authoritative statement about the accident.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will initiate multilateral negotiations within the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development to raise interest rates for export credit to more commercial levels.

Discussions about this are already in progress among participants in the international consensus on export credit.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what instructions have been given to Her Majesty's Stationery Office about references to the Minister of applications by hon. Members for Her Majesty's Stationery Office publications; how many applications have been referred to him since the instruction; how many were accepted and how many were refused; and what is the approximate cost of such references.

I am sure that the House would not want to see hon. Members open to criticism for obtaining free publications from Her Majesty's Stationery Office at public expense in circumstances in which it would be difficult to justify public money being spent.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if, in the interests of maintaining a home-based information technology industry, he will place significant orders, including that for a future PAYE computer-based system, with British companies by single tender action before the end of the current year.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bridlington (Mr. Townend) on 5 December 1979—[vol. 974, c. 417–19]—when I said that the Government's present policy of acquiring large computers by single tender from ICL, subject to satisfactory price, performance and delivery date, will continue until the end of 1980. A significant number of orders are likely to be placed with ICL by single tender. No decision has yet been taken on the PAYE computer system.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received concerning the publication "Patients First"; and what is the general balance of reaction conveyed in such representations.

419, reflecting a wide range of opinion. We shall make a considered response later in the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from the Co-operative Party on the document "Patients First"; what reply he is making; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has received a document recording the views of the Co-operative Party's national executive committee. These comments will be taken into account before final decisions are made on the structure and management of the NHS in Wales. A reply to that effect has been sent.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list in the Official Report all motorway and trunk road schemes with a total cost of over £3 million in the same format as the appendix

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many times since he took office he has met representatives in Wales from the Manpower Services Commission to discuss unemployment in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Details of schemes costing over £0·5 millions which were not itemised in the Supply Estimates are as follows:

Three. I shall be meeting the full Manpower Services Commission Committee for Wales in July.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he will make available revised factory guidelines for the Welsh Development Agency.

Copies have been placed in the Library of the House today.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with the present state of the marginal land farmers in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

The survey which is now under way is designed to identify marginal land and until it is complete farms which will lie within the area cannot be identified. Therefore, no precise information is yet available about the state of marginal land farmers to enable me to form an opinion.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recommendations for the financing arrangements for student unions in 1980–81 have been made by the University Grants Committee; and whether base lines for increases have been indicated.

The University Grants Committee wrote on 14 April informing universities of my decision, which was reported to the House on 3 April by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, that the recommended increase in student union subscriptions for 1980–81 should not exceed 14 per cent.; that is over those for the 1979–80 academic year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received on the effect on the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology of the Government's policy on overseas students; what reply he has made; what contact his Department has had, or will be having, with the University Grants Committee on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

I have received representations from the principal of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology and from various Members of this House, including the right hon. Member for Wythenshawe. In all cases the replies have been as in the letter sent to the right hon. Member for Wythenshawe on 1 May by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science. The University Grants Committee is at present holding a series of consultations with all universities on various academic and financial matters, including the Government's policy on fees for overseas students, and I hope to receive the views of the Committee later this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many schools have bought text and other books with the help of parental contributions;(2) how much money has been raised from parents by schools in order to buy books, equipment, etc.; what information he has as to the extent to which head teachers are spending time in fund raising activities; and if he will make a statement.

My Department does not collect this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the estimated annual cost to local education authorities of employing staff to supervise children bringing packed lunches to school and clearing up after them.

No estimate of this cost is available. The total cost of providing midday supervisory assistance in schools in England in 1978–79 (the latest year for which information is available) was £43 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of schools have facilities for children to eat packed lunches.

Prior to April 1980, the majority of schools allowed children who wished to do so to eat packed lunches. Under section 22(1)(b) of the Education Act 1980, local education authorities have a duty to provide adequate facilities in all their schools for pupils who bring their own food to school. My right hon. and learned Friend has no reason to believe that any authority will be unable to comply with this.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of children in secondary schools (a) have free school lunches, (b) pay for school lunches and (c) bring packed lunches; and how this compares with the figures for one year ago.

The latest available figures relate to Autumn 1979. The information for that and the previous year is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to publicise the provisions of the Education Act regarding school meals, in view of the confusion in secondary schools which is resulting in different provisions through the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

A circular letter dealing with the school meals provisions of the Education Act, 1980, was sent to all local education authorities on 3 April. The text was incorporated in a departmental circular about the Act published on 2 May, copies of which were made available to the press. Copies were also placed in the Library of the House and are available in the Vote Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many secondary schools have had to close one or more of their kitchens because of falling demand for school lunches.

This information is not available in my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many local education authorities are allowing pensioners to eat at schools following falling demand for school lunches by children; and if he will make a statement.

My Department does not collect this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the number of (a) boys and (b) girls attending university for each year since 1945.

The number of men and women students at universities in Great Britain on full-time undergraduate courses for the academic years 1953–54 to 1966–67 is published in table 1 of Statistics of Education, Volume 6 1966 edition. Corresponding information for academic years 1965–66 to 1976–77 is published in table 2 of the 1976 edition. These volumes are available in the Library. Information for the academic year 1945–46 is not available and for 1946–47 to 1952–53, and 1977–78 to 1979–80 is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many teachers' salaries are currently being paid for by parental contributions.

I know of none in the maintained sector.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many staff were employed in school kitchens in May 1979 and at the latest convenient date; and how many it is estimated will be employed in September.

The number of kitchen and canteen staff employed in maintained schools in England in May 1979 was 164,800. In October 1979, the latest date for which figures are available, it was 165,658. My right hon. and learned Friend has made no estimate of the number of staff likely to be employed in September 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will seek to amend the Industry Acts to permit the paying of a new regional grant to compensate firms for the additional costs of transport and telephone communication which they suffer in development areas away from the main centres of population.

I have no plans to change the present scale of the incentives on offer in the assisted areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what changes he proposes to make to the Government's regional policy to allow assistance to be given to developing job opportunities in the service sector as well as in manufacturing in development areas.

Special grants are already available under section 7 of the Industry Act 1972 to assist office and service industry undertakings to provide additional employment in the assisted areas, when they have a choice of location between those areas and elsewhere.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what are the total fees payable to Russell Reynolds Associates Limited for its executive search services in relation to the appointment of Mr. Ian MacGregor as chairman of the British Steel Corporation; on what basis these fees have been calculated; and if he will make a statement.

As I explained in answer to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras, South (Mr. Dobson) on 8 May—[Vol. 984, col. 192]—Russell Reynolds were engaged on standard terms, namely, a fee calculated on the basis of a proportion of the first year's remuneration of the new BSC chairman. Russell Reynolds are also being reimbursed for their expenses incurred during the search for a new chairman.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, in view of the further factory closures and redundancies that have recently been announced in the Arfon and Dwyfor areas, if he will now review his decision to downgrade the industrial development status of these areas.

We recently reexamined the gradings of the Caernarvon and Pwllheli travel-to-work areas—TTWAs—and decided that we would not be justified in reversing the decision to make these TTWAs into development areas on 1 August. We will be keeping a close watch on their progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if it is his policy to encourage the national industries for which he is responsible to raise funds from sources other than Her Majesty's Government with which to finance their investment programme; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 14 May 1980]: This question is being looked at in the discussions with the nationalised industries chairmen's group to which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer refers in his answer of today's date to another question tabled by my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will list in the Official Report all motorway and trunk road schemes with a total cost of between £1 million and £10 million in the same format as the appendix on page VI-21 of the Supply Estimates 1980–81.

The information is attached for schemes in progress at 31 October 1979 and for those which have since started. As the hon. Member is aware, the whole programme has been under review. In the circumstances the provision referred to was not related to specific schemes in this range.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the total cost of acquisition of residential properties under the blight provisions for proposed roads by the Department of Transport or its predecessor for the financial years 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78 and 1978–79.

I regret that this information is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

asked the Minister of Transport whether any surveys have been carried out to establish if residential owners of properties blighted by road proposals can sell successfully on the open market; and, if so, at what percentage of the unblighted value.

No such surveys have been carried out. However, we purchase property suffering blight only where the owner can show that he has not been able to sell at a reasonable market value. Considerable evidence on the problems

asked the Minister of Transport how many accidents there have been in each of the last 10 years involving pedestrians; and if he will set out the figures by police authority areas.

I regret that the information can neither be provided in the precise form requested nor for more than two years, except at disproportionate cost.The following information is available:

asked the Minister of Transport if he will explain why the factor used to convert 1980 survey prices to 1980–81 outturn prices, as implicit in the appendix on page VI-21 of the Supply Estimates 1980–81 differs substantially from that given on page VI-ii; and whether this has any implications for the road construction programme in the current year.

The factors implicit in the appendix on page VI-21 of the Supply Estimates 1980–81 are derived directly from the pay and price movements given on page VI-ii. The differences arise because the former provide for revaluation over less than a full year, that is from 1980 survey prices (November 1979) to average 1980–81 prices; and because they include an allowance for the time lag between the completion of work and payment for it. The Estimates provision is therefore sufficient to meet the cash requirements of the programme on the basis of the assumed movements in pay and prices.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will seek to amend the Road Traffic Acts to require insurers to include in the certificate of insurance issued the names of drivers or categories of drivers permitted to use the vehicle covered.

Regulations made under the Road Traffic Act already require insurers to include in a certificate of insurance information as to the persons or classes of persons entitled to drive. A requirement to specify the names of such persons would lead to administrative difficulties for insurers and inconvenience and loss of flexibility in the use of their vehicles by motorists.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what response has been made to Zimbabwe's application for accession to the second Lomé convention.

At its meeting in Nairobi on 8–9 May the ACP-EC Council of Ministers approved the Republic of Zimbabwe's request for accession to the second Lomé convention. The Government gave their agreement to the Commission proposal concerned before parliamentary scrutiny in view of the urgent need for the Community to reach an agreed position in advance of its recent meeting with the ACP states in Nairobi. Detailed negotiations between the Community and Zimbabwe will follow in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will pursue a procurement policy designed to encourage the restructuring of the European armaments industry as suggested in recommendation No. 338 of the Assembly of Western European Union.