asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of strikes involving 5,000 or more workers in each year since 1945 ; what was the number of working days lost for the same period in thousands ; and if he will make a statement on the latest figures.

The available statistics are shown below. The high total of working days lost in 1979 includes 16 million days lost in the engineers' strike last autumn and 3 million by local government and health service staff from disputes in the spring.

STOPPAGES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM INVOLVING 5,000 OR MORE WORKERS*
	Number of stoppages	Number of working days lost (000s)
1950	7	573
1951	8	516
1952	8	753
1953	5	1,352
1954	9	1,488
1955	9	2,369
1956	13	972
1957	8	7,175
1958	8	1,905
1959	13	3,773
1960	16	898
1961	14	993
1962	21	4,196
1963	12	787
1964	18	380
1965	23	1,055
1966	9	1,024
1967	17	802
1968	15	1,867
1969	32	3,053
1970	45	4,997
1971	31	9,976
1972	36	16,834
1973	46	2,654
1974	50	9,121
1975	18	1,094
1976	13	485
1977	21	3,843
1978	24	3,980
1979	33	23,000†
* Comparable statistics for the years 1945–49 are not available.
† Provisional estimate.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many prohibition orders were issued by each Health and Safety Executive area under (a) the 1969 asbestos regulations, for each year 1971 to 1980 ; how many were successful and what was the fine in each case and (b) the general health regulations.

The table below shows the number of prohibition notices issued by the Factory Inspectorate for offences relating to health in workplaces, and the number issued for offences against the 1969 asbestos regulations in the years 1975 to 1978—most, if not all, of the latter will be included in the former. All the notices issued for offences against the asbestos regulations were complied with. Figures for notices issued in 1979 are not yet available.The notice procedure was introduced in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 ; there is no provision in the Act for penalties, for which prosecution is required.No area analysis is readily available, and its provision would involve disproportionate costs. If the hon. Member can indicate specific areas of interest, I shall write to him giving the information that can be produced.

PROHIBITION NOTICES* ISSUED BY HMFI FOR HEALTH OFFENCES 1971–79
	All health offences	Offences against Asbestos Regulations 1969
1975	132	71
1976	196	129
1977	135	47
1978†	118	34
* Including deferred prohibition notices.
†Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions have been carried out in each Health and Safety Executive area under (a) the 1969 asbestos regulations, in each year from 1971 to 1980 ; how many were successful and what was the fine in each case and (b) the general health regulations.

The table below shows the number of informations laid by the Factory Inspectorate for offences relating to health in workplaces, and the number of informations laid under the 1969 asbestos regulations, with the number of convictions and the average fine, in each year from 1971 to 1979. Most, if not all, of the offences against the asbestos regulations will be included in the figures in the first column.Details of fines for individual cases and a full area analysis could be provid-

Prosecutions by HMFI for health offences 1971–79
				Offences against Asbestos Regulations 1969
			All health offences—informations laid	Informations laid	Convictions	Average fine per information laid
						£
1971	…	…	198	1	1	..
1972	…	…	289	44	40	..
1973	…	…	308	19	15	..
1974	…	…	301	45	39	..
1975	…	…	143	32	22	79
1976	…	…	141	35	23	45
1977	…	…	219	90	84	182
1978	…	…	138	40	37	87
1979(p)		…	109	12	7	31
.. Not available
(p) Provisional

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the basis of the calculations for the increased grants and allowances from 1 April under the employment transfer and job search schemes and, in particular, the extent to which inflation since the last increases and anticipated inflation, has been taken into account.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that these grants and allowances were increased by the amount judged necessary to maintain broadly, the inducement effect of the schemes. The average increase was 18·7 per cent. although some of the larger grants, such as the transfer grant, were increased by 25 per cent. Over the period since the rates were last increased in January 1979 the retail price index rose by 22 per cent. and that was taken into account. Some payments under the schemes—for example, those in respect of train fares and the cost of furniture removals—are related to actual expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Grimsby on 22 May, if he will specify the redundancy payments available to trawler fishermen and the basis on which they are payable under the Employment Protection (Consolidated) Act 1978.

Trawler fishermen who work under a contract of employment have the same entitlement under the statutory redundancy provisions as any other employee, subject to the satisfaction of the usual conditions, which include the requirement for at least two years' service with the dismissing employer.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, in calculating the retail price index, how he estimates the degree to which business men will pass on any increase in the price of derv.

The retail price index is based on the prices households actually pay for the goods and services they buy. The prices are obtained directly from retail outlets and other sources throughout the country. They reflect the degree to which businesses have passed on any increases in the price of derv, and no estimation is therefore necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table of the rates of increase of pay compared for the following sectors since 3 May 1979: civil servants, local authority clerical workers, school teachers, including all Clegg awards and workers in manufacturing industry.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of unemployed, male and female, together with the percentages in that part of the Easington constituency covered by the Peterlee and Wingate employment offices.

At 8 May, the total number of people registered as unemployed in the area covered by the Peterlee and Wingate employment offices was 2,749, of whom 1,751 were males and 998 were females. The rates of unemployment were 10·3, 10·3 and 10·5 per cent. respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of registered disabled people unemployed, male and female, together with the percentages in that part of the Easington constituency covered by the Peterlee and Wingate employment offices.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the information requested is set out in the table below. The figures are for 8 May 1980, the latest date for which information is available, and the unemployment rate expresses the number of unemployed registered disabled people as a percentage of all those on the disabled persons register in each category in each locality.

	Number of unemployed registered disabled people	Unemployment rate amongst registered disabled people Per cent.
Peterlee
Males	59	11·1
Females	12	11·8
Total	71	11·2
Wingate
Males	33	11·1
Females	3	8·1
Total	36	10·8

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of redundancies that has been notified to his Department for the Wolverhampton travel-to-work area in the 12 months following May 1979.

The number of proposed redundancies notified to my Department under the redundancy handling provisions of the Employment Protection Act 1975 for the Wolverhampton travel-to-work area in the 12 months following May 1979 is as follows :

	Employees	Establishments
1979—
May	237	6
June	850	5
July	182	3
August	279	5
September	294	6
October	242	5
November	41	2
December	314	6
1980—
January	366	5
February	157	5
March	450	7
April	622	12
Total	4,034	67

During the same period 562 redundancies at 12 establishments were formally withdrawn. There is no statutory requirement to notify my Department when proposed redundancies do not take place.I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the number of redundancies notified to it as due to occur in the Wolverhampton travel-to-work area in the 12 months following May 1979 is as follows :

	Employees
May 1979	692
June	41
July	588
August	242
September	438
October	128
November	477
December	306
January 1980	255
February	91
March	441
April	75*
TOTAL	3,774
* Figures are provisional to take account of late notifications.

The increase in the Manpower Services Commission's figures as compared with those given in my reply of 25 April—[Vol. 984, c. 292–94]—is due to account being taken of some very late notifications.

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 437, 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.

[pursuant to his reply, 6 June 1980, c. 800] : No. In order to protect the interests of handicapped and disabled persons and their employers an application to a wages council for a permit to pay or receive less than the appropriate statutory minimum is treated as confidential.Applications of this sort are comparatively rare. More than 2·7 million employees are covered by wages councils but only 55 permit applications were made during the last 12 months. Each applica-

			Increase in number of unemployed ethnic minority group workers		Increase in number of all unemployed
			Actual	Percentage	Actual	Percentage
South East	…	…	4,179	22·1	30,121	11·3
West Midlands	…	…	3,066	29·0	27,740	23·6
East Midlands	…	…	786	18·0	14,429	20·4
Yorkshire and Humberside	…	…	1,260	33·5	22,454	19·9
North West	…	…	2,012	46·0	35,208	18·4
Other regions	…	…	154	6·2	72,969	15·2
Great Britain	…	…	11,457	25·8	202,921	16·4

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will take steps to ban imports of woollen goods marked "Shetland "from Mauritius.

No. Imported goods bearing a name or mark generally associated with the United Kingdom must also bear a conspicuous indication of their country of origin when offered for sale. However, Mauritius has undertaken to restrain her exports of jerseys to the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the quantity and value of woollen garments marked "Shetland" imported from Mauritius in the last two years.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state the increase in percentage and actual terms in unemployment among ethnic minorities for the latest 12 months period for which figures are available, the comparable figures for the increase in total unemployment and the comparable figures for those regions which account for ethnic minority unemployment.

[pursuant to his reply, 4 June 1980, c. 704]: The following table gives the increases between May 1979 and May 1980.

This information is not available. The statistics of overseas trade do not include the markings of imported goods.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what was the total value of exports from the United Kingdom to Paraguay in 1979 ; and what was the total value of imports from Paraguay to the United Kingdom in the same year ;(2) what was the total value of exports from the United Kingdom to Chile in 1979 ; and what was the total value of imports from Chile to the United Kingdom in the same year ;(3) what was the total value of exports from the United Kingdom to Brazil in 1979 ; and what was the total value of imports into the United Kingdom from Brazil in the same year ;(4) what was the total value of exports from the United Kingdom to Norway in 1979 ; and what was the total value of imports into the United Kingdom from Norway in the same year ;(5) what was the total value of exports from the United Kingdom to Argentina in 1979 ; and what was the total value of imports from Argentina to the United Kingdom for the same year.

Details of trade with these countries are published in tables II (imports) and V (exports) of the December 1979 edition of the Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom, which is available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what has been the percentage growth of United Kingdom exports to (a) Japan, (b) China, (c) India, (d) Korea and (e) Hong Kong, over the period 1975 to 1979;(2) what were the total exports from the United Kingdom to (a) Japan, (

The percentage increase in exports in 1979 compared with 1975 was as follows :

Japan	95
China	163
India	175
South Korea	177
Hong Kong	175

Details of exports to these countries in 1979 are given in table V of the December 1979 issue of the

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether the United Kingdom commitments to New Zealand under the general agreement on tariffs and trade enables the United Kingdom to impose restrictions on imports of sheepmeat from New Zealand.

Any restrictions on imports of sheepmeat from New Zealand would need to be considered under Community procedures. The Community's obligations under the general agreement on tariffs and trade (GATT) prohibit, in normal circumstances, the unilateral imposition of quantitative restrictions. Moreover, the Community could not increase its tariff on sheepmeat imports without negotiating out of its GATT commitments on this tariff. Negotiations are in progress with New Zealand for a voluntary restraint agreement, consistent with international obligations, in respect of her exports of sheepmeat to the Community, in return for a reduction in the Community's sheepmeat tariff.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what is his estimate of the reduction which has taken place in United Kingdom exports to New Zealand as a result of the loss of New Zealand earnings on exports of cheese to the United Kingdom following United Kingdom entry to the European Economic Community ;(2) what is his estimate of the reduction which has taken place in United Kingdom exports to New Zealand as a result of the loss of New Zealand earnings on exports of lamb, in terms of both quantity and price following United Kingdom entry into the European Economic Community.

The United Kingdom has maintained healthy levels of exports to New Zealand since entry into the EEC There is no means of isolating the effect of any one factor on the level of such exports.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what has been the effect on the frequency and cost of shipping from New Zealand as a result of the restrictions placed by the European Economic Community on United Kingdom imports from New Zealand ; and what effect this has had on United Kingdom exports.

I understand from the shipping lines concerned that the current EEC restrictions on imports of New Zealand butter and cheese have had some effect upon the frequency and cost of shipping services from New Zealand. It is not possible for the Government to quantify these effects. There is no clear evidence to suggest that United Kingdom exports to New Zealand have been adversely affected.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, in view of the fact that International Distillers and Vintners, Lindustries, Tarmac, Thomas French and Sons and Thomas Witter are paying wages to some or all of their African workers in South Africa below the poverty datum line, whether he proposes to take any action if they continue to fall below this minimum standard as recommended by the EEC code of conduct.

I shall continue to encourage British companies to implement the code, as I did when I spoke in the House on 25 May last year.—[Vol. 967, c. 1389.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will give a detailed analysis of what is shown by the latest round of reports by British companies operating in South Africa under the EEC code of conduct regarding (a) the circumstances of immigrant labour in the employment of these companies, (b) the development of trade union rights and (c) the desegregation of their work force.

I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, Central (Mr. Grant) on 16 April.—[Vol. 982, c. 653–4.].

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he is satisfied that the reports on African employment conditions submitted to his Department under the EEC code of conduct by British companies operating in South Africa fully reveal in each case the number of Africans in their employment paid below the poverty datum line and the minimum effective line ; and if he will review the form of reporting in order to ensure that this information is readily comprehensible by anyone reading the reports.

Not all the reports fully reveal this information. The reporting format set out by the previous Government in Cmnd. 7233 is, in my view, the best arrangement for the purpose the hon. Gentleman has in mind given the complexities of the data, but as the code itself is voluntary I cannot compel companies to provide information in this form

asked the Secretary of Slate for Trade to how many British companies operating in South Africa he has written who either have not provided information under the European Economic Community code of conduct regarding African working conditions or who have provided information but are paying their African workers below the poverty datum line or minimum effective line ; if he will publish a specimen letter of this kind ; and when the letters were despatched.

[pursuant to his reply, 6 June 1980, c. 835]: My Department wrote on 20 September 1979 to 159 companies and on 25 and 26 March 1980 to 25 companies which had not by those dates published reports under the code. I am having a specimen text of these letters placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what progress is being made on the creation of an integrated European air traffic control system.

The United Kingdom pursues plans for co-ordination of European air traffic control within Eurocontrol. It appears that good progress is being made by the member States toward agreeing improvements in the structure of Euro-control to take effect when its present convention expires in 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade why he excluded from the list of dependent territories to which his Iran sanctions apply the British dependency of Diego Garcia.

The British Indian Ocean Territory was not included in the application of the Iran (Trading Sanctions) Order because it has no permanent population or export trade. Almost all the temporary inhabitants on Diego Garcia are military personnel who are subject either to United Kingdom law by virtue of the Naval Discipline Act 1957 or to United States law (under both of which the relevant prohibitions would apply).

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what consideration he is giving to the introduction of a new form of incorporation for small firms.

The form of incorporation adopted by most businesses in the United Kingdom is that of a limited company under the Companies Acts. It is for consideration whether the requirements of the Companies Acts are apt to small businesses, or whether an alternative form of corporate structure should be considered.My Department is considering this question with other interested Departments with a view to publication of a Green Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will take action to stimulate a greater interest by British firms in commercial opportunities arising out of European development fund procurement.

[pursuant to his reply, 6 June 1980, c. 835]: Action is already in hand. I and other Ministers take every appropriate opportunity to impress on business men the opportunities which are available. Articles have appeared in "British Business ". Companies which subscribe to the Export Intelligence Service are sent outline programmes for each country receiving EDF finance as soon as they become available ; the EIS also carries specific opportunities and calls for tenders as they arise. More information is available at all times from the projects section at export house and from regional offices. Meanwhile, the Tropical Africa Advisory Group and the Overseas Projects Board are both working with my Department to see what more might be done within their respective spheres of interest.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many outbreaks of scab were confirmed in Scotland during the last 12 months; what were the corresponding figures for the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

There were no outbreaks of sheep scab in Scotland during the last 12 months. Corresponding figures for the same period of 1976–77, 1977–78 and 1978–79 were nil, six and nil.Provided there is no deterioration in the disease situation, dipping of sheep will not be compulsory in Scotland this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide start dates for proposed road improvement schemes at Cotterscleuch, at Teviothead and from Branxholme to Newmill on the A7 Edinburgh to Carlisle trunk road; and if he will make a statement.

There are no improvements planned at these locations. The Borders regional council has considered the feasibility of improvements at Colterscleuch and elsewhere and its report is under consideration by my Department. But it is highly unlikely that any major new schemes on the A7 can be added to the five-year trunk road programme, which is already heavily committed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will authorise studies of that section of the A7 Edinburgh to Carlisle trunk road within the Borders region with a view to proposing improvement schemes designed to eliminate hazards and ensure a minimum carriageway width of 7.3 metres throughout that length.

Studies have already been carried out for some sections of the road and these will form the basis of any future improvement schemes. No further studies are planned at present.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what financial aid is given by Her Majesty's Government or by the European Economic Community to the Mauritius knitwear industry; and, if any financial aid has been given, what is the amount of such aid and what were the conditions attached to the grant.

No such aid has been given to Mauritius from the bilateral aid programme, at least for the past decade, or from the fourth European development fund.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women were detained in each of Risley remand centre, Styal prison, Cookham Wood prison and Holloway at the latest available date; and how many of these were on night sedatives.

The following is the information at as 31 May :

	Number of women prisoners detained	Number of women prisoners given a night sedative to promote sleep
Cookham Wood	73	49
Holloway	358	156
Risley	134	8
Styal	231	21

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation implementing the recommendation of the Select Committee on violence in marriage 1976; and if he will make a statement.

The previous Government's observations on the report from the Select Committee were published in December 1976—Cmnd. 6690. Those recommendations for which this Department has responsibility have been implemented, either by legislation—with the passage of the Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act 1976 and the Domestic Proceedings and Magistrates' Courts Act 1978—or by other appropriate means.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people from the following countries have applied to enter the United Kingdom permanently to reside so far in the current year : South Africa, Zimbabwe, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Bulgaria, East Germany and the USSR.

Statistics on the number of persons from the listed countries who have applied for entry clearance for immediate settlement in 1980 are not available. The only available information on such applications relates to entry clearances for settlement in the United Kingdom applied for in the Indian Sub-continent. Statistics on the number of persons from each of the listed countries, except Albania, who were accepted for settlement in 1979, are published in tables 3(a), 3(b), 4(a) and 4(b) of "Control of Immigration : Statistics 1979"; Cmnd. 7875.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the estimated number of persons viewing each of the four television channels in Wales on the Government's present plans once they have come into operation.

We do not believe that it is possible to make a forecast of this kind. Much will depend on the precise programme content of each of the four television channels once the fourth channel has come into operation. I am satisfied that the Government's proposals for programmes in the Welsh language to be transmitted on one of the BBC's channels and on the fourth channel, and for the appointment of an adviser on scheduling, will ensure that viewers in Wales have a good choice of programmes on all four channels.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy regarding the sending of persons to prison merely to see a doctor, where otherwise bail would be granted; and if he will, by advisory circulars, request justices' clerks to compile lists of doctors and psychiatrists in their respective areas willing to prepare reports for courts, in accordance with Home Office circular No. 155/ 1975 "Bail procedures".

We endorse the terms of paragraph 11 of the Home Office circular 206/1977, which urges courts to seek all available information before deciding that there is no practicable alternative to a custodial remand for medical reports.Justices' clerks were asked in paragraph 28 of Home Office circular 155/1975 to compile and keep lists of doctors and psychiatrists willing to prepare reports for courts where such lists were not otherwise available. That request holds good; we are not aware of a need to repeat it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons in 1979 were remanded on bail before trial, but subsequently remanded in custody for reports and (a) whether he will institute inquiries as to ways of reducing this figure and (b) what information he has on variations in the proportion of offenders dealt with in this way (i) regionally and (ii) as between males and females.

The information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton North-East on 2 June, if he will arrange to transfer prisoners from overcrowded prisons to those open prisons where there are spare places.

Every effort is made quickly to transfer suitable prisoners from local prisons to open prisons. There are still vacancies at Kirkham but few at other open prisons.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many day centres there are; how many places are available in each; and how these figures compare with those of each of the preceding 10 years;(2) how many training centres have been established since the passing of the Criminal Justice Act 1972; how many places are available in each; and what courses they run;(3) Whether he will increase the number of day centres and training centres; and if he will make a statement.

Four day training centres have been notified to the courts under section 4 of the Powers of Criminal Courts Act 1973 as being available to them. Two provide 20 places, the other two 15 places, and all offer a range of training opportunities aimed at improving the educational and social functioning of those attending. The centres, which are costly, have not been used to capacity and it is not proposed to increase their number; efforts will be concentrated instead on day centres which can provide a wider range of facilities from simple drop-in accommodation to more structured educational and social skills training and/or supported work schemes and are more flexible in operation. Information about the precise number of day centres in existence, many of which are provided by voluntary organisations and are not primarily concerned with offenders, is not available, but we are aware that the probation service is involved with at least 50. Additional resources have been made available both for the probation service and voluntary organisations to encourage the provision of further centres.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the reconviction rate of those released from day centres and training centres at the latest convenient date; and how this compares with the reconviction rate of those released from prison and borstals.

The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the cost of a national pension scheme for university non-teaching staff to bring them in line with those in similar employment in local government and the National Health Service.

This is a matter for the universities. My right hon. and learned Friend has not received any costings for a national pension scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what amount has been included in the university Grants Committee's recurrent grant for 1980–81 to underpin the universities superannuation scheme (academic staffs).

I understand that the cost of this superannuation scheme, met from employers' and employees' contributions, will be £110 million in the academic year 1980–81. That sum will be found from general university income.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects the Boyle committee to report on the pay and conditions of hon. Members.

The timing of its next report on parliamentary pay is a matter for the Review Body on Top Salaries itself, but the Prime Minister hopes to receive it shortly.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many days or hours of parliamentary time have been spent on debates on matters relating to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales in the past year.

The information requested is as follows :

Northern Ireland
Floor of the House :	32 hours 46 minutes.
Standing Committees :	9 hours 30 minutes.
Scotland
Floor of the House :	30 hours 26 minutes.
Standing Committees :	140 hours 45 minutes.
Wales
Floor of the House :	9 hours 55 minutes.
Standing Committees :	20 hours.

These figures include time spent on questions and statements.

asked the right hon. Member for Middlesbrough, as representing the House of Commons Commission, when the annual entertainment allowance paid to the Manager of the Refreshment Department of £1,500 per annum was introduced, and for what purpose; and, in view of the Government's declared policy of cutting public expenditure, if he will cease this payment forthwith.

I understand that the allowance—which follows the normal practice in catering establishments—was introduced in May 1977 on the authorisation of the then Chairman of the Catering Sub-Committee, in consultation with the Exchequer and Audit Department. Now that the Refreshment Department is a Department of the House, the allowance will be subject to annual review in the normal way.

asked the right hon. Member for Middlesbrough, as representing the House of Commons Commission, how many members of the staff of the House are paid more than hon. Members.

On 5 June 1980, 96 staff employed by the Commission had salaries in excess of the basic salary of Members, which is currently £9,450.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will arrange to publish the proposals for constitutional change in Northern Ireland put forward by the various parties in his recent discussions.

Some of the party policy documents submitted to the Government recently have already been published by the parties, and whether others should be is also a matter for the parties.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he has any plans to visit South Africa in the near future; and whether officers of his Department have had general discussions with officials of the South African Embassy since 3 May 1979.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to visit South Africa in the near future. Officials of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have continued to develop their normal contacts with officials of the South African Embassy since 3 May 1979.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will raise at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights the giving of refuge to former President Amin in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere in Arab territory, in view of his complicity in the murder of Mrs. Dora Bloch, a British citizen.

Her Majesty's Government played a leading role in raising at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights the gross violations of human rights in Uganda under Amin. However, the primary purpose of the commission is to investigate violations of human rights by Governments rather than individual cases. We would therefore not consider the commission to be an appropriate forum for discussion of this particular question.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement about the method of payment for aliens' entry certificate fees.

Foreign nationals requiring visas pay the appropriate fee in local currency before receiving the visa. Official receipts are issued in every case.Commonwealth citizens receive "entry certificates", for which no fee is charged.

asked the Lord Privy Seal, if the United Kingdom national contribution to the European Economic Community is reduced by reducing imports, what further financial benefit the United Kingdom will secure.

A reduction in our imports from outside the Community would lead to a lowering of our gross contribution to the Community budget. If not accompanied by a concomitant rise in imports from within the Community, this would also produce a balance of payments gain.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what will be the total cost of the common agricultural policy to the European Economic Community budget in the current year, following the price increases agreed at the Council meetings in Brussels on 29 May and 30 May.

Revised estimates of the cost of the common agricultural policy to the 1980 Community budget are currently under discussion and should be available shortly. These will take into account the latest market developments and other factors as well as the recent agreement on 1980–81 agricultural prices.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated cost to the Exchequer of an increase of 1 per cent. in the retail price index in respect of statutory index-linked benefits and other obligations.

At current rates the increase in public expenditure or reduction in revenue following an increase of 1 per cent. in the RPI for benefits and other obligations where the increase is or will be linked to the index by statutory provision is estimated to be

Pensions and other benefits	£145 million
Income tax allowances and bands	£150 million

It would not be possible without disproportionate effort to estimate the effect on payments which are not statutorily protected.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many halfpenny coins he estimates are now in circulation; and how many he estimates will be in circulation by the end of 1981.

The number estimated to be in the hands of the banks and the public is roughly 2,500 million. If the level of issues continued at the same rate as during the last two years this figure would increase to approximately 2,800 million by the end of 1981.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the value of a halfpenny coin now as compared to its value when first issued.

The purchasing value of the halfpenny coin in April 1980 was equivalent to 30 per cent. of its value in February 1971, the date of decimalisation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has caused an investigation to be carried out to ascertain what size and shape a £1 coin could or should take if and when he decides to introduce one.

Size and shape are inevitably among the factors relevant to the consideration of the possible introduction of a £1 coin.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to introduce any changes in United Kingdom coinage, other than for the issue of a £1 coin.

I have no plans to introduce changes in the United Kingdom coinage at this time.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1948 personal savings as a percentage of personal income and as a percentage of gross national product.

The latest estimates of personal saving as a percentage of personal disposable income on an annual basis in the period 1948 to 1972 are given on page 18 of the 1980 edition of the annual supplement to Economic Trends. Corresponding figures for the years 1973 to 1979 are given on page 10 of the April 1980 edition of Economic Trends.Personal saving as a percentage of gross national product at factor cost in each year from 1948 to 1979 is given in the table below :

Personal saving*as a percentage of gross national product at factor cost†
1948	0·1
1949	0·7
1950	1·1
1951	1·2
1952	2·7
1953	3·1
1954	2·4
1955	2·8
1956	4·1
1957	3·7
1958	3·2
1959	3·8
1960	5·6
1961	7·1
1962	5·9
1963	6·0
1964	6·4
1965	7·0
1966	7·2
1967	6·7
1968	6·0
1969	6·2
1970	7·0
1971	6·1
1972	7·5
1973	8·6
1974	11·3
1975	11·1
1976	10·4
1977	10·3
1978	11·1
1979	12·9
* Before providing for depreciation, stock appreciation and additions to tax reserves.
† Income-based.

Personal saving is defined as in the United Kingdom national accounts, that is as the difference between personal disposable income and consumers' expenditure.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take the necessary steps to alleviate the effect of the high value of the £ sterling on exports, particularly in the confectionery industry; and if he will make a statement.

The sterling exchange rate is primarily determined by market forces, not by Government. Intervention in the foreign exchange markets might reduce the rate though this is far from certain. But this could only be at the cost of undermining the tight monetary policy which is fundamental to bringing inflation under control, and which is the only way to improve the export competitiveness of all sectors of British industry.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of the contraction in the confectionery market where a 20 per cent. drop in sales in the first quarter of the year has been reported, he will seek to abolish value added tax on confectionery; and if he will make a statement.

No. In the context of a broadly based tax on consumer expenditure, a selective relief from VAT for confectionery would not be justified.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1948 and as a percentage of gross national product (a) gross and net investment in manufacturing industry, (b) gross and net capital formation, (c) investment in plant and machinery and (d) retained profits.

The figures requested are shown in the following table. Net domestic fixed capital formation is usually expressed as a percentage of net rather than gross national product—capital consumption for fixed assets having thereby been removed from both the numerator and the denominator. Capital consumption for all fixed assets accounted for about 7 per cent. of gross national product in 1948—manufacturing assets 1½

Percentage of Gross National Product‡
		Whole economy
		Gross domestic fixed capital formation		Net domestic fixed capital formation	Manufacturing industries†		Industrial and commercial companies
		All assets	Plant and machinery	All assets	Gross domestic fixed capital formation	Net domestic fixed capital formation	Undistributed profits
1948	…	11·9	4·2	4·7	2·7	1·1	10·4
1949	…	12·5	4·5	5·1	3·0	1·4	8·8
1950	…	12·8	4·8	5·4	3·3	1·7	11·8
1951	…	12·9	4·1	5·1	3·5	1·8	13·4
1952	…	13·4	5·0	5·2	3·5	1·6	8·1
1953	…	14·0	4·8	6·0	3·2	1·4	8·6
1954	…	14·4	5·1	6·5	3·3	1·5	10·5
1955	…	14·9	5·4	6·9	3·5	1·7	10·6
1956	…	15·1	5·5	7·1	4·0	2·1	10·9
1957	…	15·6	5·8	7·4	4·2	2·2	10·5
1958	…	15·4	5·8	7·2	3·9	1·9	9·6
1959	…	15·7	5·8	7·1	3·6	1·6	10·0
1960	…	16·3	6·0	8·3	4·0	2·0	11·1
1961	…	17·1	6·6	9·1	4·5	2·5	9·2
1962	…	16·7	6·3	8·7	4·1	2·0	8·0
1963	…	16·5	6·3	8·3	3·5	1·4	9·4
1964	…	18·0	6·6	10·0	3·7	1·7	10·0
1965	…	18·1	6·9	10·1	4·0	1·9	9·3
1966	…	18·1	7·2	9·9	4·0	1·9	7·9
1967	…	18·6	7·1	10·4	3·7	1·6	6·8
1968*	…	18·7	6·8	10·6	3·6	1·6	8·0
1969*	…	18·3	6·8	10·0	4·0	1·9	8·6
1970	…	18·4	7·1	9·8	4·1	2·1	8·2
1971	…	18·2	6·8	9·4	3·8	1·6	9·0
1972	…	18·2	6·3	9·0	3·2	1·1	10·2
1973	…	19·2	6·6	9·8	3·2	1·1	12·1
1974	…	20·2	6·8	10·0	3·7	1·4	11·0
1975	…	19·6	6·5	9·1	3·4	1·0	9·4
1976	…	18·9	6·6	8·3	3·2	0·8	11·4
1977	…	18·3	6·9	7·3	3·5	1·1	10·8
1978	…	18·1	7·0	6·8	3·6	1·1	10·5
1979	…	17·6	6·9	n.a.	3·5	n.a.	10·2
* Capital formation figures for 1968 and 1969 were slightly adjusted for the effects of a change in the rate of investment grants.
† These estimates relate to direct investment by manufacturing industry only. Assets acquired by manufacturers on lease are included, on the bases of ownership, in estimates for the insurance, banking, finance and business services industry. Gross domestic fixed capital formation on these assets was about 0·4 per cent. of Gross National Product in 1979, and less than 0·2 per cent. in 1975.
‡ Gross National Product at market prices has been used as the denominator for investment percentages, and Gross National Product at factor cost for the calculation relating to retained profits.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many widows he estimates will benefit annually from the proposed widows' bereavement allowance;(2) what would be the estimated annual cost of allowing widows the full married person's tax allowance during the financial year of their bereavement, irrespective of the month in which it occurred;(3) what is the estimated full-year cost of the proposed widows' bereavement allowance.

Information is not available which would enable all these per cent.—and this proportion rose to about 11 per cent. in 1978—manufacturing assets 2½ per cent.amounts to be estimated with confidence. The cost of the proposed benefit at 1980–81 income levels will be about £2 million. It is thought that there will probably be of the order of 20,000 beneficiaries in 1980—81. The extra cost of giving the full allowance irrespective of the month of bereavement would probably be rather less than £1 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the United Kingdom European Economic Community refund will be for projects as opposed to cash for each of the years 1980 and 1981; where projects are involved, to what extent they will be projects already decided; and where the projects have not been decided, what additional funds will be required from the United Kingdom budgetary sources to complete these projects.

The settlement of the United Kingdom's budgetary problem provided for the reductions in the unadjusted net contribution to be effected by means of payments under an improved financial mechanism and, for the balance, through additional Community expenditure in the United Kingdom under an article 235 regulation. The balance between these two elements will depend on the size of both the reductions due under the agreed formulae and the refunds payable under the financial mechanism. For 1980, the Commission's estimates imply that the financial mechanism refund will make a net contribution of some 500 meua out of a total reduction of 1175 meua.Community rules do not permit 100 per cent. Community financing of projects in the member States. Therefore, any project supported by the Community will also require part finance from national sources. The rate of Community support and other detailed arrangements under article 235 have yet to be agreed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the effect on the United Kingdom balance of payments in 1980, 1981 and 1982 of the recent agreement on the United Kingdom budget contributions to the EEC.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if any rebate on United Kingdom budget contributions for the EEC in respect of one year will be received before the start of agricultural price negotiations in the following year.

I would expect a significant part of our annual refund to be paid within such a timetable, under the arrangements negotiated on 29/30 May.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when refunds will be available from the EEC; and, if delayed, under what circumstances interest payments will be due.

[pursuant to his reply, 5 June 1980, c. 810]: As my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal explained to the House on 2 June—[Vol. 985, c. 1043–57]—the settlement of the United Kingdom's budget problem provides for reductions in our net contributions in respect of 1980 and 1981 of £1,570 million or more, depending on the operation of the detailed formulae. The precise timing of these adjustments has yet to be determined. Community legislation does not provide for the payment of interest to member States when payments to them have been delayed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the annual cost of zero-rating taxi fares, in line with other forms of public transport, for value added tax.

About £45 million in 1980–81, including VAT on the hire of private hire cars.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East on 22 May, why it is difficult to distinguish between various articles which might be regarded as hygienic necessities by women or men.

[pursuant to his reply, 6 June 1980] : I am afraid that a VAT relief for certain hygienic necessities, such as sanitary protection products, would give rise to similar claims for many other goods, such as soap and toilet paper. This would lead to many anomalies and complaints and would be contrary to the concept of a wide-ranging tax on consumer spending generally.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Financial Secretary's reply to the hon. Member for Windsor and Maidenhead, Official Report, 2 June, col. 528, how such powers relate to instructions to the Bank concerning compensation to the shareholders of Burmah Oil.

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 16 May to the right hon. Member for Heywood and Royton (Mr. Barnett)—[Vol 984, c. 670–71]—and to my reply of 3 June to my hon. Friend for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor)—[Vol. 984, c. 650–51]. Since the Government would not consider it proper to intervene, it follows that the question of giving a direction to the Bank under the Bank of England Act 1946 does not arise.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate for 1980–81 of the cost of income tax relief on (a) loans for the purchase or improvement of owner-occupied property and so on, (b) life assurance premiums (c) welfare and other benefits and awards listed in table 16 of Cmnd. 7439 and (d) payments under the job release scheme, training opportunities scheme and youth opportunities programme.

[pursuant to his reply, 2 June 1980, c. 526]: The information is as follows :

(a) about £1,980 million

(b) about £550 million

With regard to (

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek to amend section 226 of the Finance Act 1970 to enable persons leaving employment to pay their accumulated pension contributions from their employer into a self-employed pension fund and to enable such schemes to receive and accept such transfers.

[pursuant to his reply, 6 June 1980]: I am afraid that to do so would introduce unacceptable administrative complexity into the retirement annuity provisions.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many applications have been received from Wales for Euro- pean agricultural guidance and guarantee fund grants ; how many received money ; and how much money was received.

Since 1973 there have been 56 Welsh applications for guidance fund grants on individual capital projects. Thirty-three were successful and grants totalling £2,351,072 were awarded. Approximately £15·3 million has also been received as reimbursement on nationally-operated European Community guidance schemes. Payments in the guarantee sector are administered centrally by the intervention board for agricultural produce : there are no separate records for Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what research he is at present conducting into the effects of new technology on employment prospects in Wales.

Research on the effects of technological change is at present undertaken centrally. I refer the hon. Member to the report "Technological Change", prepared by the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development, published in January 1980, and the report "The Manpower Implications of Microelectronics Technology", prepared by the Manpower Study Group of the Department of Employment, published in December 1979. Copies of both reports have been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many refuges for battered women there are in Wales ; and where these are situated.

At present nine refuges for battered women in Wales are run by groups affiliated to Welsh Women's Aid. They are located at Cardiff, Newport, Pontypridd, Rhymney Valley—two refuges—Swansea, Torfaen, Bangor and Milford Haven.A further refuge is expected to open at Rhyl very shortly, and negotiations are proceeding for the establishment of refuges at Aberystwyth, Carmarthen, Neath, North Gwent and Rhondda. Additionally, four refuges have been provided either by the local authority or other voluntary bodies at Colwyn Bay, Merthyr Tydfil, Ogwr and Wrexham.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of persons rehoused under the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 was battered women ; and if he will publish figures for each district council area for the number of rehoused battered women.

The information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will establish a mechanical equipment, electrical engineering and process plant division within his Department's industry division.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for the latest available 12 month period the total financial costs, including administration, of the Welsh Water Authority, the amount disbursed by the body, the number of persons including secretarial staff employed within the body, and the total payment for, respectively, members of the body by way of salary or equivalent expenses and secretarial salaries and expenses and, if possible, also such figures in all the above noted categories in each of the past five financial years, respectively.

This information, with the exception of separately identifying secretarial staff, is contained in the Welsh water authority's annual report and accounts, published and presented to Parliament each October since 1975. Additional information can be obtained direct from the authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for the latest available 12 month period the total financial costs, including administration, of each of the eight health authorities in Wales.

The latest available annual accounts of area health authorities are for the financial year 1978–79, when their expenditure was as follows :

£'000
Area Health Authority	Total
Clwyd	46,052
Dyfed	39,698
Gwent	58,895
Gwynedd	28,058
Mid Glamorgan	69,046
Powys	13,657
South Glamorgan	75,733
West Glamorgan	46,800
WALES	377,939

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for the latest 12 month period available the total financial costs, including administration, of the Wales Tourist Board.

The grant in aid to the Wales Tourist Board during 1979–80 to cover the costs of administration, publicity, development and research and contributions to regions, and after taking account of receipts from sales, was £1,961,345. This does not include £1,716,000 paid by the board in grants and so on under the section 4 scheme of assistance.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he intends to continue supporting financially the Cardiff Riverside institute for alcoholics.

The Welsh Office's financial support to the South Wales Council on Alcoholism in respect of the original hostel places provided at Dyfrig House has been extended to 31 August 1980. Another extension will be granted if the council can show that it is taking substantive steps to arrange alternative sources of support and that there is a significant prospect of success in obtaining such support. The Welsh Office is prepared also to share support with those other sources until 31 March 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest figures available of the total number of people in Wales over the age of 65 years ; and what increase he anticipates between 1976 and 1986.

The precise information requested is not available on the basis of recent calculations, but the 1978 mid-year estimate of the population aged 65 and over was 417,200. The 1978-based population projections anticipate an increase of 38,500 between 1976 and 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest figures of the population in Wales over the age of 85 years ; and what increase he anticipates between 1976 and 1986 in this age group.

The precise information requested is not available on the basis of recent calculations, but the 1978 mid-year estimate of the population aged 85 and over was 27,700. The 1978-based population projections anticipate an increase of 7,600 between 1976 and 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the extra hospital places needed by the increase in the population in Wales, for persons, both over 65 and 85 years expected up to the year 1986 ; and what is the estimated cost of meeting such provision.

Health authorities estimate the hospital places needed in their areas, but apart from facilities for geriatric patients and the elderly mentally infirm, numbers of places are not separately identified for persons aged over 65.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the extra places in amenity and sheltered housing accommodation needed in the next decade to meet the increase expected in the population in Wales both over the age of 65 and 85 years ; and what is his estimate of the tentative cost of this facility.

The information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will take steps to improve the standard of public transport in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.

The primary responsibility for public transport planning in Wales rests with the county councils, which have a statutory duty to ensure that an adequate public transport system exists within their areas.The bus licensing proposals in the Transport Bill are designed to introduce more flexibility into the system and to encourage the provision of new services.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the latest figures for emigration from Wales.