asked the Prime Minister if she will visit Cannock Wood.

I have at present no plans to do so.

Qll. asked the Prime Minister whether she will visit Abington.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will prepare and publish a family policy review showing how the family life-cycle is taken into account in social, economic, and tax policy.

I do not consider that the publication of such a document would be a useful exercise. Our present policies take full account of our concern for families, within the resources which are available.

asked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit Peterhead.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Macclesfield.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Bromley.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will visit Prick-willow.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether she has any plans to visit Leiston.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether she intends to insist that the question of the United Kingdom budgetary contribution should be discussed at the forthcoming European Council in Venice, unless previously resolved.

As the question has been resolved, I do not intend to raise it.

asked the Prime Minister whether the agreement for limiting the United Kingdom budget contribution to the European Economic Community lapses in the event of New Zealand not agreeing to limit exports of sheepmeat to the United Kingdom.

No. The negotiation of satisfactory arrangements with New Zealand as a condition of the entry into force of the sheepmeat regime is an integral part of the settlement on sheepmeat and one which all member States have accepted. There is thus no link between the budget settlement and the outcome of negotiations with New Zealand.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied that her undertaking that there would be no package deal to resolve the problem of United Kingdom EEC budget contributions has been fulfilled by the agreement announced in statements to the House on 2 June by the Lord Privy Seal and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

I am satisfied that the proposals which were announced in the House on 2 June represent an advantageous outcome for the United Kingdom.

asked the Prime Minister whether the 25 per cent, excess payment can be triggered by the portion of 1 per cent, value added tax paid to the Community and not just the level of United Kingdom imports.

The risk-sharing arrangement agreed at the Foreign Affairs Council on 30 May applies to the size of our net, not our gross, contribution.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will tabulate for each EEC country for each of the years 1980, 1981 and 1982 the predicted financial outturns subsequent to the Brussels proposals with regard to ( a ) net budget contributions and receipts, ( b ) the cost of common agricultural policy food and feed prices over world prices to the consumers of each country, ( c ) the value of common agricultural policy benefits to the producers of each country, ( d ) the extra cost of food in ( b ) above less the benefits to producers in ( c ) above, ( e ) the sum of ( a ) above budget contribution plus ( d ) above—the net benefit or disadvantage of the common agricultural policy—and ( f ) the value, positive or negative, of ( e ) above per head of the population.

The Commission has not prepared detailed estimates of this kind. It would not in any case be possible to predict the level of future world food prices on which answers to sections ( b ), ( c ), ( d ), ( e ) and ( f ) of the question would depend.

asked the Prime Minister what is covered by the term " structural changes " used in paragraph 7 of the text of the agreement reached in Brussels on the United Kingdom contribution to the European Economic Community budget; and what is the Commission mandate referred to in that paragraph.

The term " structural changes " refers to the expected outcome of a radical review of Community policies, the pattern of Community expenditure and the operation of the budget. The Council of Ministers has given the Commission a mandate to bring forward proposals by the middle of 1981.

asked the Prime Minister what are the basic principles of the common agricultural policy referred to in paragraph 7 of the text of the agreed solution to the United Kingdom's budgetary contribution.

The basic principles of the common agricultural policy are those set out in article 39 of the Treaty, namely, increases in agricultural productivity leading to a fair standard of living for the agricultural community; stable markets; assured supplies and reasonable prices for consumers.

asked the Prime Minister when the proposed refund of the United Kingdom's contribution to the EEC budget will be paid; in what form the payment will occur; and if she will make a statement.

We expect the bulk of what is due for 1980 to be paid before the end of the 1980–81 financial year. Similar arrangements should apply to subsequent years. The payment will be made under an improved version of the existing Community financial mechanism, and a new Community regulation providing for increased Community expenditure in the United Kingdom.

asked the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Heaton Mersey.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will issue a supplementary instruction to the Boyle committee when next reviewing the salaries of top civil servants to take account of the privilege of a chaffeur-driven car to and from their offices and railway stations when going to and from their homes, which is enjoyed by the 12 top-paid civil servants; and whether she will recommend a reduction of these civil servants' salaries by £1,000 per annum as these journeys are arranged on a non-payment, non-taxed basis.

I have no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will arrange for a study to

be made of the recommendations of the Phillips report, 1918 Cmnd. 9184, the Betterson report, 1920, Cmnd. 652, and the Westwood report, 1949, Cmnd. 7732, concerning departmental responsibility for minerals and for their internationalisation.

I am not aware of any problems caused by the existing departmental arrangements, but if my hon. Friend has a particular point in mind I should be glad to consider it.

asked the Prime Minister who is to be appointed to monitor the interception of communications.

With the agreement of the Lord Chancellor, I have appointed the Right Hon. Lord Diplock, a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, and chairman of the Security Commission, to carry out this task. As the Home Secretary announced in the House of Commons on 1 April, his terms of reference will be To review on a continuing basis the purposes, procedures, conditions and safeguards governing the interception of communications on behalf of the police, H.M. Customs and Excise and the Security Service as set out in Cmnd. 7873; and to report to the Prime Minister.

asked the Prime Minister, excluding budget contributions and the financial effects of the common agricultural policy, whether any EEC country receives less benefit from EEC membership than the United Kingdom.

It is not possible to quantify accurately the overall economic advantages for us or any other member States. For instance, we have no way of knowing what our trade pattern would now be had we not joined the Community. But economic benefits include a domestic market of 250 million, and a strengthened position in international economic negotiations. The political advantages of membership of the EEC are substantial and shared by all member States.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what contacts he has had, whether on a regular or ad hoc basis, with Ukranian exiles in the United Kingdom.

We are not aware that any recent exiles or members of the Ukranian community in the United Kingdom have approached the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

asked the Lord Privy Seal when now he expects to be able to announce the date for independence for the New Hebrides.

I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 3 June in which I announced that Britain and France now accepted 30 July as the date of independence.—[Vol. 985, c. 1247.]

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he has any plans to visit Oman in the near future; and, if so, if he will seek to have discussions about the possibility of British forces being stationed in Oman.

My right hon. Friend has no firm plans to visit Oman in the near future, though he hopes to do so before long.

There are no plans for British troops to be stationed permanently in Oman. We continue to provide loan service personnel for the Omani armed forces and to arrange joint exercises from time to time.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the grand total of subsidies, grants and loans that have been given to the steel industry since it was renationalised; and what has been the grand total of losses or profits that the steel industry has returned in each year since it was renationalised.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement in regard to the document submitted by Manchester city council on 14 January relating to Manchester's applications to be declared a derelict land clearance area.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if, in his discussions with the Dutch Government on joint policy following the Khan incident, he will ascertain what measures have been taken to prevent as far as possible contraventions of the Netherlands Decree of the Export of Strategic Goods 1963 (Bulletin of Acts, Orders and Decrees 128) as referred to in the report to the Committees of the Second Chamber of the Netherlands States General, paragraph 4(c).

I understand that the Netherlands Government are preparing a new list of nuclear items, which will replace items 0101 to 0141 of the Netherlands Export of Strategic Goods Decree. They also intend to add a new item 2000 covering printed matter and other documents dealing with technology of listed items.

I understand that the Netherlands Government expect to finalise these changes by the end of June 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the price differential between United Kingdom anthracite and that purchased from abroad; and what is the total cost of imported supplies.

Precise figures of the costs of imported anthracite are not available, but I understand that they are of the order of £10 to £20 per tonne more than for comparable qualities produced in the United Kingdom. The cif cost of imports in 1979–80, according to Customs and Excise returns, was approximately £14 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the level of opencast coal production for the years 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980.

Information on opencast coal production is published monthly in the Department's Energy Trends , copies of which are available in the Library of the House. For convenience, the information requested, including the latest available information for 1980, is given below:

Opencast coal production, United Kingdom thousand tonnes 1976 11,944 1977 13,551 1978 14,167 1979 12,862 1980 January—April 4,561

For comparison purposes, production in January—April 1979 was 3,971thousand tonnes.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if any of the 145 staff savings in his Department announced on 6 December 1979 have yet been made; and, if not, when he expects them to be achieved and in what divisions, at what grades, and in which geographical regions.

Staff in post on 1 April 1979 numbered 1,267 compared with a current figure of about 1,255. This represents a saving of some 30 or so staff across the Department as a whole offset by an increase of about 20 to meet the Department's expanding work load in connection with the development and monitoring of the United Kingdom's offshore oil and gas reserves. The detailed disposition of the 145 staff savings announced on 6 December 1979, a proportion of which is reflected in the foregoing figures, has not yet been finally determined, but all the reductions are planned to be implemented by or before 1 April 1982. The reductions will be partially offset by the provision of up to 35 extra staff in the Department's petroleum engineering division, and, in particular, by an increase in the division's complement of petroleum specialists grades.

asked the right hon. Member for Middlesborough, as representing the House of Commons Commission what senior administrative posts are held in the House by those who have been active lay trade unionists or full-time trade union officials.

This information is not available, it not being the practice to inquire into the trade union—or non-trade union—background of persons appointed to senior administra-trative posts in the House.

asked the right hon. Member for Middlesborough, as representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will list the senior positions held in the House by non-career officials who have previously served elsewhere; and what are their individual backgrounds.

A large number of senior posts in the House are held by persons who have previously served elsewhere. If the hon. Member has any particular category of posts in mind, I will be glad to give him any information he requires, subject always to the Commission's rule that it is not prepared to answer questions dealing with individual members of the staff of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on the franking of mail by the Post Office advertising the Alder-shot Army display as the greatest free show in the country; and if the public will be allowed to all displays and exhibitions held at Aldershot on the advertised dates of the last Friday, Saturday and Sunday in June.

A franked advertisement for the Aldershot Army display appeared for two-week periods on mail posted in three centres, Reading, Brighton and Birmingham, at a cost to the Ministry of Defence of £161. The Aldershot Army display is a very popular, biennial event which attracts crowds in excess of 300,000 and is very helpful to recruiting. This year it will be held on Friday 27, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 June.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to improve the operation of the immigration system, in the light of the adjudicator's decision that the immigration officer in the case of Edith, Baroness von Thungen-Reichenbach did not act in accordance with the law or the immigration rules and should have exercised his discretion differently.

All decisions by adjudicators and by the Immigration Appeal Tribunal are studied carefully. This decision which we are considering seems to turn on an assessment of the particular circumstances of the individual case rather than general issues.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been so far in the current year for use of citizens band radio.

Between 1 January and 30 April this year, 94 persons were proceeded against for unlicensed installation or use of 27 MHz equipment. 93 were convicted and one acquitted.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further representations he has received relating to the current level of income for the British Broadcasting Corporation; and if he will make a statement.

In recent weeks I have met a deputation of representatives of the unions at the BBC and received correspondence from a number of other sources, including the general advisory council of the BBC and the TUC economic committee. I am satisfied that the increases in the television licence fees which I announced on 23 November 1979 were

fair both to the BBC and to the licence payers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the Government's response to the report of the Select Committee on Home Affairs on the operation of the Vagrancy Act 1824; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now seek to repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824.

I invite the hon. Members to wait and hear what my right hon. Friend and I have to say in this afternoon's debate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue guidance to chief officers of police on prosecution policy in connection with the sale of cigarettes and tobacco to juveniles.

It would not be appropriate for us to issue guidance on prosecution policy to chief officers of police, who are well aware of the law relating to the sale of cigarettes and tobacco to juveniles.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the subject of relations between the police and young people.

I discuss a wide range of topics with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, and I know he attaches great importance to maintaining good relations between the police and young people.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further representations he has received regarding the danger to public order from marches organised by ultra Right-wing and racialist organisations.

I have received a number of representations on this and on other aspects of the problem of disorder in the context of the Government's review of the Public Order Act 1936 and related legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to relieve the police of some of their less essential duties so that they may return to the beat and perform their main task of protecting law-abiding citizens and their property.

It is for each chief officer of police to decide priorities for his force, and the best methods to be used in the particular areas covered by the force. But we shall certainly support all steps to ensure that police officers are used to best effect on the specific duties for which they have been trained.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to establish a Press Council with formal statutory responsibilities, applying to radio and television as well as to the press.

We have no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his current review of the police complaints procedure.

As I stated in my reply to a question by the hon. Member on 6 May, I have received the Police Complaints Board's first triennial review report and I am carefully considering what it says. I have at present nothing to add to that reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what analysis he has had conducted of the origins of the weapons used in recent terrorist attacks in London.

The weapons used in recent terrorist attacks are still the subject of investigation by the police.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to increase the establishment of the Metropolitan Police force.

The Metropolitan Police is making good progress towards reaching its present establishment, but the deficiency is still too great for an increase to be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the provision of resources allocated to the detection of drug trafficking.

The resources allocated to the detection of drug trafficking are kept under review, both by chief officers of police and by the board of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise. Recent major drugs seizures have demonstrated the effectiveness of the efforts that are made in this field, as well as the need for continued vigilance.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current recidivism rate among ex-prisoners.

No true recidivism rate can be given since the number of ex-prisoners who commit further crimes, as distinct from the number reconvicted, is unknown. About 55 per cent, of those discharged in 1975 from prison sentences exceeding three months were reconvicted within two years of discharge.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders have committed offences whilst on bail during the last 12 months.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood (Mr. Aspinwall) on 2 April.–[Vol. 982, c. 225.].

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he proposes further steps to transfer mentally disordered prisoners to hospitals.

For the present, we have nothing to add to the statement which my right hon. Friend made to the House on 30 April 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the National Licensed Victuallers Association about possible alterations in the licensing hours; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Essex, South-East (Sir B. Braine) on 3 June 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding his proposals for raising the fees for licences for shotguns.

Since 6 March, approximately 400 letters have been received from the public and hon. Members about the fees chargeable under the Firearms Act 1968.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sales have so far been arranged of prison officers surplus houses on the Isle of Wight; what is the average price obtained; and how many more properties are to be put on the market for sale.

Two sales have been agreed and negotiations are well advanced on a further nine. 32 houses are still with local estate agents. No sale money has yet been received. It is estimated that 10 more properties may be put on the market in the next two years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the Parliamentary Boundary Commission to arrange a public inquiry into the reactions to its proposals for parliamentary constituencies in the London borough of Greenwich.

It is for the Parliamentary Boundary Commission to decide when to arrange a public inquiry into its proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he has taken, and when, as a result of the recommendations of the Butler committee report on action to be taken to protect the public from possible attacks by prisoners let out on parole and day release from places such as Broadmoor; when his action will be completed; and whether he will make a statement.

If the hon. Member would let me know which of the report's 140 recommendations he has in mind we will do our best to provide the information for which he has asked.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current backlog of cases being dealt with by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board; what is the average time spent on each case in the past 12 months; and if he will take steps to enable cases to be dealt with more rapidly.

On 30 April 1980 there were 26,599 cases at various stages of consideration. Complete statistics are not yet available for 1979–80, but in 1978–79 3.5 per cent, of cases were resolved in fewer than three months, 29 per cent in three to six months, 37.3 per cent, in six to nine months, 17.4 per cent, in nine to 12 months and 12.8 per cent, took more than 12 months.

Additional temporary staff have been provided to help reduce the accumulated arrears of unresolved cases, but the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board has to operate within cash limits, which will involve staff reductions. We are afraid, therefore, that we cannot undertake to eliminate delays.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to enable local authorities to operate casinos.

I have no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the results of his Department, after 13 months of the present Government, in achieving the policy programme which he set it on assuming office.

We have followed a policy of upholding and reinforcing the rule of law, giving a very high priority to the services which are responsible for the protection of the public, and preserving the liberty of the subject.

Immediately on taking office, we fulfilled our pledge to implement the recommendations of the Edmund-Davies, committee, and the police service, which stood at 114,857 for the whole of England and Wales at the end of April 1979, has since grown by well over 3,000 to over 118,000. The Police Negotiating Board Act received the Royal Assent in March. With my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, we have set in hand a review of the law relating to public order, and published a Green Paper in April. We have renewed for a further year the legislation for the prevention of terrorism connected with Northern Irish affairs, and with my right hon. and noble Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary have taken active steps to deal with problems of terrorism in this country of overseas origin. The Government have recently signed the agreement applying the European convention on the suppression of terrorism among the Nine.

We have introduced tougher regimes in certain detention centres; 16 new junior attendance centres have been opened and at least eight more—including five more senior centres—are on the way. We have accepted and given effect to the recommendations on pay and allowances of the May committee on the prison service, and I announced on 30 April a major reorganisation of the prison service based on that report; as the next step, we are setting in motion reviews of the design of prison regimes, attendance systems and associated conditions of service, procedures for handling industrial relations, training and other proposals to which the report refers.

The immigration rules have been comprehensively revised; the new rules came into force on 1 March. A White Paper on nationality will be published this summer.

We have continued to work towards our objectives of developing good community relations.

We have introduced a Broadcasting Bill which has now completed its Committee stage; it will make provision for a television service on the fourth channel, and establish a broadcasting complaints commission. We have approved proposals for the further development of local radio in the United Kingdom. We have announced our agreement in principle to the introduction of a new personal radio facility to be called Open Channel.

Proposals to strengthen the powers of the courts in relation to young offenders and juveniles, and the review of home defence, are in an advanced state of preparation. Good progress is also being made with the major review of electoral law that we have undertaken.

The financial provision for law and order services has been increased, and the Home Office is at the same time playing its full part in the Government's strategy of securing increased efficiency at less cost in the public service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of recorded cases of shoplifting in 1979; and how many resulted in acquittals.

In 1979, some 203,000 offences of shoplifting were recorded by the police in England and Wales, about the same number as in 1978. Information on court proceedings in 1979 is not yet available, but in 1978 of the 80,000 people tried in England and Wales for shoplifting about 5,000 were not convicted.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for the various grades in the fire service the minimum salaries payable in April of each of the last three years.

The National Joint Council for Local Authorities' Fire Brigades, in which negotiations on the pay Minimum salary payable on Rank 1 April 1978 1 April 1979 1 April 1980 £ £ £ Senior Divisional Officer … … … … 6,840 8,355 10,074 Divisional Officer Grade 1 … … … 6,355 7,763 9,357 Divisional Officer Grade 2 … … … 5,754 7,029 8,472 Divisional Officer Grade 3 … … … 5,418 6,618 7,977 Assistant Divisional Officer … … … 5,058 6,178 7,446 Station Officer … … … … … 4,799 5,862 7,065 Sub-Officer. … … … … … … 4,140 5,057 6,090 Leading Fireman … … … … … 4,040 4,935 5,943 Fireman (aged 18 years) … … … … 2,967 3,624 4,365

The salaries of chief fire officers are determined by fire authorities within ranges recommended by the National Joint Council for Chief Officers' of Local Authorities' Fire Brigades according to the population of the area concerned and Minimum salary applicable Population band 1 April 1978 1 April 1979 1 April 1980 £ £ £ 75,000–150,000 … … … 7,076–8,515 7,704–9,300 10,752–13,020 Over 2,000,000 … … … 11,987–12,482 13,362–13,911 19,023–19,803

Assistant chief fire officers' salaries have normally been fixed as a proportion of those of their chief fire officers, but the proportion has varied over the last three years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set up an inquiry into the present state of civil defence and the extent to which it should be strengthened, particularly in high-risk areas such as East Anglia.

My current review covers all aspects of civil preparedness for home defence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he intends to issue guidelines on the practice of jury vetting;

(2) if he will withdraw the guidelines now in effect for jury vetting.

I have been asked to reply.

of members of the fire service are conducted, has supplied the following information:

other factors. The following table shows the range of recommanded minimum salaries for cheif fire officers in respect of the smallest and largest population bands:

I am continuing my review of the practice of jury checks and the existing guidelines relating to them, now in the light of the decision of the Court of Appeal on 3 June. In the meantime those guidelines must be read subject to the ruling of the court.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will outline Her Majesty's Government's proposals for action on visa control on passports for Iran, in relation to Her Majesty's Government's policy on sanctions.

Any Iranian passport holder seeking admission to the United Kingdom must hold a valid visa issued for the purpose for which he is seeking entry. Decisions on the issue of visas will be taken in accordance with the immigration rules. Particular attention will be paid, in cases where the application is for a temporary purpose such as a visit or study, to the credibility of the applicant's intentions in the United Kingdom and to his incentive to leave at the end of his permitted stay.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements the Welsh Pricing Committee for National Health Service prescriptions makes for estimating the remuneration appropriate to dispensing chemists when parcels of dispensed prescriptions are lost in transit.

Such losses are very rare but when they do occur the pharmacist receives an advance payment equivalent to 80 per cent, of his remuneration for the preceding month. The balance due is later calculated on the basis of average payments made to the pharmacist both before and after the month in question adjusted to allow for any general discernible trend in dispensing costs in his locality.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales which health authorities in Wales do not have the services of a specialist dietician; and what he is doing to remedy the situation in those which do not.

Dyfed and Powys. It is for each authority, in the particular circumstances of its area, to decide the priority between this and other needs.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if there is at present a tree planting programme in operation for the national parks of Wales; if not, if such a programme is planned; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy for the planting of trees in Welsh national parks.

Amenity tree planting in national parks is the responsibility of the park authorities and the Countryside Commission. Afforestation for commercial purposes takes place in national parks depending on the availability of finance and land suitable for planting and is subject to consultation with statutory bodies. Tree planting policies within the national park areas are primarily a matter for the park authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Anglesey on 22 May, if he will seek to establish why no general practitioner maternity units with a lower number of births and lower average percentage bed occupancy per unit for last year, other than the Bryn Beryl, Pwllheli and the Gors, Holyhead, have been recommended for closure.

It is for health authorities to decide whether to recommend that general practitioner maternity units be closed. They are best able to take account of local circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales in how many of the secondary schools of Wales there are practical facilities for studying the technology of microprocessors.

Precise information is not available, but I understand that, whilst few secondary schools have the necessary equipment for the study of microprocessor technology, an increasing number are using microprocessors for practical work in science and mathematics and many are seeking to develop pupils' awareness of the potential applications of microprocessors.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is now ready to lay regulations exempting those who provide leasing finance from the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, in the same way that those who finance hire purchase, conditional sale and credit sale business are currently exempted.

I have agreed that the Health and Safety (Leasing Arrangements) Regulations 1980, recommended to me by the Health and Safety Commission should be made. These regulations will exempt from the duties under section 6 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 those whose involvement is concerned exclusively with providing leasing finance in a similar way to that in which those who finance conditional sale and credit sale agreements are currently exempt.

I expect the regulations to be laid in the very near future.

United Kingdom Scotland Edinburgh travel-to-work area Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. March 1970 … … … 2.7 4.1 3.4 March 1971 … … … 3.2 5.5 4.4 March 1972 … … … 4.2 7.0 5.5 March 1973 … … … 3.1 5.3 4.3 March 1974 … … … 2.7 4.1 3.4 March 1975 … … … 3.4 4.5 3.7 March 1976 … … … 5.4 6.6 5.2 March 1977 … … … 5.7 7.8 6.4 March 1978 … … … 6.1 8.5 6.6 March 1979 … … … 5.8 8.1 6.1 March 1980 * … … … 6.1 8.9 6.4 * The March 1980 rates are not strictly comparable with those for earlier years because of the introduction of fortnightly attendance and payment of benefit. This had the effect of raising the monthly unemployment figures for the country as a whole by about 20,000 from October 1979, but this has a negligible effect on the percentage rates.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many males, females and young people have been unemployed in the United Kingdom, Scotland and Edinburgh in each March since 1970.

Table 1 below gives the numbers of males and females registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom, TABLE 1: ALL REGISTERED UNEMPLOYED United Kingdom Scotland Edinburgh employment office area Males Females Males Females Males Females March 1970 … 544,828 92,647 72,118 16,970 3,700 517 March 1971 … 619,962 117,982 92,788 22,927 4,679 652 March 1972 … 812,513 154,465 117,154 31,087 5,713 903 March 1973 … 594,351 122,854 88,564 25,262 4,600 802 March 1974 … 523,444 94,969 72,314 17,344 4,096 592 March 1975 … 657,688 144,899 76,346 22,410 4,352 734 March 1976 … 997,739 287,166 107,299 37,829 5,812 1,309 March 1977 … 1,028,498 354,974 123,289 52,158 6,631 2,106 March 1978 … 1,058,401 402,565 130,933 60,105 6,926 2,603 March 1979 … 1,005,494 396,760 123,250 59,747 6,289 2,576 March 1980* … 1,025,144 452,817 130,417 69,707 6,138 2,806 TABLE 2: REGISTERED UNEMPLOYED UNDER 20 YEARS OF AGE United Kingdom Scotland Edinburgh employment office area April 1979 … … 200,208 32,039 1,360 April 1980* … … 258,210 36,166 1,324 * The figures for March and April 1980 are not strictly comparable with those for earlier years because of the introduction of fortnightly attendance and payment of benefit. This had the effect ofraising the monthly figures for all unemployed in the country as a whole by about 20,000, or 1½ percent., from October 1979. Estimates of this effect by age are not available. The figures of unemployed aged under 20 yean include Easter school leavers in April 1980, but not April 1979 when the count was taken before Easter Roughly half the increase shown for the United Kingdom between the two dates is due to this.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the percentage rate of unemployment in the United Kingdom, Scotland and the Edinburgh travel-to-work area in each March since 1970.

Following is the information:

Scotland and the Edinburgh employment office area for March each year from 1970.

Table 2 gives the numbers of young people under 20 years of age registered as unemployed at April 1979 and April 1980. Information for age groups is not available for March or on a consistent basis for earlier years.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will hold discussions with the appropriate trade unions concerning the extent to which the Health and Safety Executive grants exemption orders to working women on unsocial hours, night work and Sundays.

If the hon. Member will write to me about the problem, I shall consider what action is appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many retraining and skillcentres there are currently in operation in South Wales, the Midlands, the North-East and Scotland; where they are situated; and if he has any plans to open more retraining and skill-centres in the above areas before the end of the current year.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the following skillcentres are currently in operation in the regions specified:

Region with Number of Centres and Annexes and Location

S. Wales 5 centres, 3 annexes: Cardiff Skillcentre; Treforest Annexe, Pontypridd; Tremorfa Annexe; Llanelli Skill-centre; Newport Skillcentre; Port Talbot Skillcentre; West Gwent Skillcentre, Pontllan-fraith, Gwent and Blaenau Gwent Annexe, Tarfarnaubach, Tredegar.

The Midlands 10 centres, 6 annexes: Handsworth Skillcentre, Birmingham; Handsworth SC Annexe; Castle Bromwich Skillcentre, Birmingham; Coventry Skill-centre; Coventry SC Annexe; Dudley Skill-centre; Kirkby-in-Ashfield Skillcentre; Kirk-by-in-Ashfield SC Annexe, Chesterfield; Leicester Skillcentre; Leicester SC Annexe, Northampton; Long Eaton Skillcentre; Long Eaton SC Annexe, Beeston; North Staffs. SC, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent; Wolverhampton Skillcentre; Wolverhampton SC Annexe, Telford; Birmingham Youth Training Centre, Handsworth.

North East 7 skillcentres, 2 annexes: Billingham on Tees Skillcentre; Darlington Skillcentre; Durham Skillcentre; Durham Skillcentre Annexe; Felling Skillcentre, Gateshead; Felling SC Annexe, South Shields; Killingworth Skillcentre; Middlesbrough Skillcentre (Maryport SC Cumbria).

Scotland 9 centres, 3 annexes: Bellshill Skillcentre, Lanarkshire; Bellshill SC Annexe; Dumbarton Skillcentre; Dundee Skillcentre; Dunfermline Skillcentre; Edinburgh Skillcentre; Edinburgh SC Annexe; Glasgow (Hillington) Skillcentre; Glasgow (Hillington) Skillcentre Annexe; Glasgow (Queenslie) Skillcentre; Irvine Skillcentre, Ayrshire; Port Glasgow Skillcentre, Renfrewshire. It is proposed to open a new centre at Redditch by the end of 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, further to the Minister's reply to the hon. Member for Stockport, North, Official Report , 23 May, column 37, about handicapped and disabled persons, if he will list the 55 firms who applied to pay wages below wages council rates to disabled or handicapped persons, together with the wages council rate of pay and the proposed reductions in each case.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has of the number of people employed in firms of fewer than 20 people who have worked for that employer for fewer than two years.

[ pursuant to his reply ,3 June 1980, c. 486 ]: The information requested is not available from my Department's statistics.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many boys and girls entered recognised apprenticeships in each Department of Employment region in the United Kingdom during each of the last three years for which figures are available and what percentage of school leavers these figures represent.

[ pursuant to his reply , 4 June 1980, c. 702 ]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details of United Kingdom applications made to the European Economic Community social fund for the current financial year in respect of special schemes to benefit women workers.

[ pursuant to his reply , 4 June 1980, c. 704]: Seven applications have been made to the European social fund in respect of special schemes starting in 1980 to benefit women.

Amount of Aid Requested N. Ireland £ Training of 45 women for occupations in the distributive industry 11,382 Gt. Britain MSC Training Services Division Wider Opportunities for Women Scheme (629 trainees) 201,373 Training at a College of Technology of 34 women for occupations in the field of art and design 14,639 Foundation accountancy course for 50 women at a Polytechnic 102,000 Training by a bank in the north of England of 59 women for supervisory/computer occupations 31,446 Training by an education authority of 32 women under 18 for construction industry 11,000 Training by the Engineering Industry Training Board of 250 women under 18 as engineering technicians 505,000

In addition, substantial numbers of women are included in United Kingdom applications to the fund for schemes which are open to men and women equally.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list the occasions and dates when he or any of his departmental colleagues have met official representatives of the Trades Union Congress at a formal meeting to discuss policy issues; and whether there has been any occasion when he has refused to meet a Trades Union Congress deputation after the congress has officially requested one.

[ pursuant to his reply , 3 June 1980, c. 486 – 87 ]: Since taking office I have never refused to meet a Trade Union Congress deputation after one has been officially requested. I and my junior Ministers met official TUC representatives at formal meetings in my Department on the following dates:

Date of Meeting

1979 23 May 5 June 27 June 22 August (together with Mr. Mayhew) 15 October 24 October 5 November (together with Mr. Mayhew) 29 November (together with Mr. Mayhew)

1980 10 January (together with Mr. Mayhew) 4 March (together with Mr. Mayhew) 11 March (together with Mr. Lester) 31 March (together with Mr. Lester and Lord Gowrie).

This list does not include occasions when I have met representatives of the TUC in their capacity as members of other organisations such as the Manpower Services Commission, or other non-departmental meetings.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what talks he has had with the Manpower Services Commission and the Commission for Racial Equality about the problems of ethnic minority unemployment; and what proposals those bodies have made to him on the subject.