asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what was the total of imports of steel into the United Kingdom from Brazil in 1979 and in the first five months of the current year by volume and value; and what amount of special steels was included in the total;(2) what anti-dumping measures against steel imports from Brazil have been adopted by the European Economic Community Commission; and when they will take effect.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will seek with his colleagues in the Community to raise a levy against United States imported goods equivalent to the subsidy given by the United States Government by artificially subsidising oil prices.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he intends to introduce a statutory instrument under section 79 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act to set out the specific items of health and safety information to be disclosed in directors' reports; and if he has received the advice on this matter from the Health and Safety Commission which he was awaiting when he replied to a written question on 21 June 1979.

I still await the advice of the Health and Safety Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, in view of almost daily reports of huge profits, large dividends and increases in prices by petrol and oil companies, whether, as the major part of internal retail supplies originate from North Sea oil, he will take action to prevent these regular inflationary price increases in oil and petrol.

I have been asked to reply.Recent increases in United Kingdom oil product prices have reflected increases in oil companies' crude oil acquisition costs, including increases in United Kingdom North Sea oil prices which follow world market prices. Competition in the retail petrol market has, however, acted as a restraint on the ability of companies to recover increased costs, and I believe this represents a more effective protection for consumers than price controls.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what steps are taken to ensure that royalties on tapes and cassettes are not avoided by unofficial copying.

The Copyright Act 1956 gives the owner of the copyright in tapes and cassettes the right to prevent copying without his consent. Copyright owners are very active in enforcing this right in cases where the source of the unauthorised copies can be traced. There is difficulty in policing the right where copies are made for private use. This problem was considered by the Whitford committee, which has suggested the introduction of a levy on reproduction equipment for the benefit of copyright owners. The Government have reached no conclusion on this, but hope to present a Green Paper on this and the other problems of copyright reform around the end of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what are the figures for the sale of pre-recorded cassettes and long-playing records for each of the last five years and for each of the last 24 months.

The only official estimate available is from the 1976 retail inquiry, which gave the retail sales of gramophone records and tapes as £224 million in Great Britain in 1976. The figures include single and long-playing records and pre-recorded and blank tapes. The British Phonographic Industry Limited produces regular and more detailed statistics on these goods on an annual and quarterly basis. The figures represent deliveries to the trade in the United Kingdom including imports and direct sales to the final

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's latest position with regard to the case at the European Commission of Human Rights of I. McL. Young and N. H. Jones and R. B. Webster against the United Kingdom.

Her Majesty's Government have received the report on the case which the Commission has referred to the European Court of Human Rights. A chamber of the Court has been constituted, but no date for a hearing has been set and Her Majesty's Government have yet to be asked by the Court for its submission on the case.The report found that the previous Administration's legislation on the closed shop did not adequately protect the rights, under the convention, of the applicants in the case. We remain confident that the Employment Bill when enacted will, as we intend, fulfil the United Kingdom's obligations as a signatory to the convention.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish

Indices of output per head are currently published for all manufacturing industries combined and for four industry groups within manufacturing. Following are percentage changes in output per person employed between 1976 and 1979:Change in output per person employed, 1976 to 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many textile firms have closed or declared over 20 redundancies in Oldham since January 1979; what were the dates of these closures; how many workers were affected and how many of them were from the ethnic minorities; how many of these redundant workers were found other jobs, and how many of these were from the ethnic minorities; what is the average age of those made redundant; which types of textile workers have suffered the greatest redundancies, as between weaving, ring spinning and other type of work; and what provision has been made for retraining, language classes, or other assistance to find jobs.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, for each of the last 12 months, what proportion of those on work experience on employers' premises for the three regions of highest unemployment level have immediately secured employment on termination of their scheme.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men and women are currently working short time in Birmingham and in which firms.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 June 1980, c. 90]: I regret that the information is not available. Statistics on short-time working are available only for Great Britain and the standard regions.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men, women and young people are now unemployed in Birmingham; and what are the comparable figures for one year ago.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 June 1980, c. 90]: At 10 April 1980, the latest date for which an age analysis of the unemployed is available, there were 28,628 males and 10,024 females aged 20 years and over, and 8,600 young people under 20 years of age registered as unemployed in the Birmingham travel-to-work area. The corresponding figures for April 1979 were 25,976, 7,912 and 6,387, respectively. The April 1980 figures are not strictly comparable with those for April 1979 because of the introduction of fortnightly attendance and payment of benefit. Estimates of this effect by age or for local areas are not available, but for the country as a whole the monthly figures for all unemployed from October 1979 are about 20,000 or 1½ per cent. higher than they would have been under weekly attendance.The figures of unemployed age under 20 include Easter school leavers in April 1980, but not in April 1979 when the count was made before Easter.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures for the registered unemployed and for the notified vacancies in the Southampton travel-to-work area; and, in each case, what percentage of the known working population they represent.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 June 1980, c. 90]:At 12 June, the provisional number registered as unemployed in the Southampton travel-to-work area was 10·077, an unemployment rate of 4·6 per cent. The rate is based on the estimated numbers of employees—employed and unemployed—which differs from the working population in that it excludes self-employed people and members of Her Majesty's Forces.At 6 June there were 1,828 notified vacancies remaining unfilled at employment offices and 83 at careers offices in the Southampton travel-to-work area.The vacancy statistics relate only to vacancies notified to employment offices and careers offices; vacancies notified to employment offices are estimated to be about one-third of all vacancies in the country as a whole. Because of possible duplication the two should not be added together nor can they be expressed as a meaningful percentage of the working population.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the Official Report the names of the chairmen of the Central Arbitration Committee, the Boot and Shoe Repairing Wages Council, the Laundry Wages Council, the Licensed Residential Establishment and Licensed Restaurant Wages Council and the Road Haulage Wages Council; and if he will list in each case any other part-time official appointments held by them.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 June 1980, c. 90]: The chairman of the Central Arbitration Committee, the Boot and Shoe Repairing Wages Council and the Licensed Residential Establishment and Licensed Restaurant Wages Council is Professor Sir John Wood, CBE. He is also a part-time member of the Mental Health Review Tribunal, Nottingham. The chairman of the Laundry Wages Council is Dr. Norman S. Ross, OBE, who also chairs the Made-Up Textiles Wages Council and the Rope, Twine and Net' Wages Council, and is deputy chairman, of the Lace Finishing Wages Council, and of the Ready-made and Wholesale Bespoke Tailoring Wages Council. He is also one of the deputy chairmen of the Central Arbitration Committee. The Road Haulage Wages Council was abolished in 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what new courses on job-finding will be provided for steel rundown areas; where they will be located; and what additional resources will be made available for them;(2) what new work assessment and re-orientation courses are to be provided for steel rundown areas; where they will be located; when they will commence; and what extra resources will be made available for them.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 June 1980, c. 91–2]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that, in addition to the provision it is making already in the areas affected by steel closures to help unemployed work people find employment, it will be prepared to make available from its existing resources up to about 400 places on courses specifically aimed to help redundant steelworkers who have special difficulty in finding alternative employment. These assessment/re-orientation courses are intended to help steelworkers who are found to have particular difficulty in assessing the opportunities for employment and retraining available to them, and who need help in looking for new employment. They will contain the additional provision in job-finding referred to in the statement on remedial measures for areas affected by the steel rundown made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry on 19 June.—[Vol. 986. c. 1784–5.] These courses will be run, where the need for them is found to exist, in the areas of Consett, Corby, Llanwern, Port Talbot and Scunthorpe.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what expansion of retraining facilities is to take place in steel rundown areas.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 June 1980, c. 91–2]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that it expects that the training provision for which it has planned, together with the additional measures referred to in a statement on the steel industry made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry on 19 June—[Vol. 986, c. 1784–5]—will be adequate to meet the needs in the areas affected. The position will be kept under close review by the Manpower Services Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment which new courses on small business training are to be started in steel rundown areas; which courses on how to start small businesses are to expanded in the same areas; and if there is to be an increase in resources available to the Manpower Services Commission for these purposes.

[pursuant to his reply, 26 June 1980, c. 91–2]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that it proposes to make available from its existing resources. Small business courses in, or near to, the area affected by reductions in steel capacity referred to in the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry on 19 June.—[Vol. 986, c. 1784–85.]—There are at present no small business courses in these areas. The additional provision will not be exclusively for steelworkers, but will be available for those of them who wish to use their redundancy payments to set up in their own businesses.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what extra assistance is to be made available to industrial training boards to help firms take on first or second year craft apprentices made redundant by the steel industry; what estimate he has made of the numbers of such apprentices; and how many of these he expects to be found alternative opportunities of following their training;(2) what assistance will be available from his Department to assist apprentices other than those in the first or second year of their apprenticeships affected by the rundown of the steel industry to follow their training.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 June 1980, c. 91–92]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that it is primarily the steel industry's responsibility to provide opportunities to enable any craft apprentices made redundant to complete their training. The steel industry has a good record in redeploying redundant apprentices so that they can continue their training.Information as to the number of craft apprentices likely to be affected by the proposed run down in the public sector of the industry is not immediately available. Inquiries are in hand and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as details are received. However, it is understood that so far as possible the British Steel Corporation will ensure that all apprentices affected will be given opportunities to complete their training within the industry.In the event that the normal industry arrangements fail to secure the continued training of all redundant apprentices, the Commission stands ready to assist as necessary with funds by way of adoption grants made available through industrial training boards and other training bodies. These grants are intended as an incentive to persuade firms either within or outside of the iron and steel industry to take on redundant apprentices. The maximum grant available is normally £850 for apprentices in their first or second year. In addition, more limited assistance is available for apprentices made redundant in their third or any subsequent year, though no grant is payable in the final six months before qualification. Apprentices not eligible for or not able to benefit from adoption grants may be assisted under standing arrangements for continuation of training under ITB sponsorship.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what changes he is considering in the present provisions to assist people in the steel rundown areas to move home to take up work elsewhere.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 June 1980, c. 91–92]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the Commission operates two schemes to encourage unemployed people and those under threat of redundancy to move home to take up work elsewhere. These are the job search scheme and the employment transfer scheme. The Commission is at present considering modifications to these schemes to provide special assistance for people affected by the British Steel closures.No decision has yet been made, but I will inform the hon. Member and the House of the decision as soon as it has been reached.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he makes, in absolute terms and as a percentage of the relevant age groups, of the numbers registered as unemployed in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) the North-West and (c) Blackburn travel-to-work area who are (i) aged under 19 years and (ii) aged under 25 years.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 June 1980, c. 78]: The following table gives, for the age groups specified, the numbers registered as unemployed at 10 April, the latest date for which information is available. Unemployment rates by age are not available for the areas listed but for Great Britain the rates are 11·9 per cent. for those under 19 and 10·1 per cent. for those under 25.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies have been notified to his Department for the Consett travel-to-work area in each month since January of the current year.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 June 1980, c. 86]: The number of proposed redundancies notified to my Department under the redundancy handling provisions of the Employment Protection Act 1975 from the Consett travel-to-work area, since January this year, is as follows:

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements on Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her public engagements for 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 June

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Prime Minister what are her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 June.

I refer my hon. Friends and the hon. Members to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner).

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

I have at present no plans to do so.

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

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister how often she has listed her official engagements in answer to parliamentary questions since taking office.

1,867 times, including 20 in response to questions from the hon. Member.

asked the Prime Minister when she next expects to visit the United States of America.

I have no immediate plans for a visit to the United States.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Government are giving consideration to proposals for constitutional reform.

The Government will shortly be putting forward for discussion proposals for the transfer of powers in Northern Ireland to locally elected representatives.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will place a copy of her public speech given in London on 11 June, on the subject of economic policy, in the Library.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will place in the Library a copy of her public speech in

asked the Prime Minister if she will seek to discuss with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Heads of Government the present disproportionate proportion of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation military and civil budgets paid by the United Kingdom and urge a revision based on ability to pay.

I have no immediate plans to do so, but the matter is kept under close review.

I did so on 13 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will publish in the Official Report a table to illustrate the most significant movements that have occurred in earnings in relation to the retail prices index, over the last three years in the following sectors (a) central Government, (b) local authorities, (c) manufacturing industry and (d) the economy as a whole.

Sectoral earnings figures are obtained for April of each year from the new earnings survey. Figures for the latest year are not yet available from this source, but the following table gives the most closely comparable information.

asked the Prime Minister when next she intends to meet the Trades Union Congress.

I meet representatives of the TUC at NEDC and on other occasions. Further meetings will be arranged as necessary.

asked the Prime Minister why European Economic Community explanatory memorandum 6230/80 was not signed by a Treasury Minister; and if she will ensure that all Ministers are aware of the need to sign such memoranda.

It is an established practice, accepted in the past by the Select Committee on European Legislation, that for documents of a technical administrative nature, such as routine items of budgetary procedure or self-explanatory factual reports, the explanatory memorandum would not be signed by a Minister.Document 6230/80 is a factual report on the implementation of the budget, produced each quarter in accordance with article 29 of the financial regulation of 21 December 1977.

asked the Prime Minister if she will appoint a special committee of scientific and legal experts to examine the consequences of any decision in the United Kingdom that living organisms can be patented and the impact such a decision would have on scientific research in the field of biotechnology.

The recent joint report from the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development, the Advisory Board for Research Councils and the Royal Society drew attention to obstacles to the development of biotechnology which can arise from the operation of certain aspects of the patent law. The Government's policy in the field of biotechnology is being reviewed in the light of the recommendations of the ACARD report and these problems will be examined as part of that review. We hope to be able to publish the Government's response to the joint report in the near future.

asked the Prime Minister, in view of the agreement reached at the recent Venice summit meeting to reduce the consumption of oil and to encourage the use of coal, what she proposes to do to bring about an increase of coal production in view of the financial constraints embodied in the Coal Industry Bill.

The Coal Industry Bill provides for continued substantial investment in coal production and aims to develop an efficient and competitive coal industry, able to take full advantage of the opportunities open to it.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review his policy on charging interest on outstanding tax in circumstances where interest charges arise due to delay or inefficiency by the Inland Revenue.

The review of the rules for charging interest on unpaid tax that was referred to in the answer to my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Hertfordshire, East on 30 November 1979 is still in progress.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he intends to take when Departments are in breach of their cash limits.

Any overspending of cash limits is investigated in detail and a corresponding deduction is normally made from the limit for the following year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current costs to the Revenue of zero rating for value added tax children's clothing.

I refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply of my hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State, Treasury to his question of 16 June.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the total amount of income tax deducted from persons whose income is so low that they qualify for family income supplement and other statutory allowances such as rate rebate.

The information requested is not available from tax records, which do not, for example, indicate whether a taxpayer is also a ratepayer.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a further statement on the effects of present interest rates on the progress of the economy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on interest rates.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he intends taking to reduce interest rates.

I refer the hon. Members and my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Melton (Mr. Latham).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received about the current level of interest rates for a full 12 months period.

I have received a number of representations about the current level of interest rates.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements will be made by the Treasury for drawing up the programme of special projects required to secure the United Kingdom's rebate from the Common Market, following the recent agreement on the EEC budget; and if the EEC Commission will be able to exercise any right of veto over the projects submitted.

The responsible Departments are now preparing suitable expen diture programmes that could benefit from Community finance. The precise arrangements for approving these within the Community have not yet been settled but are still being discussed. There will be no question of veto. But there will be a degree of choice since the possibilities are likely to exceed the size of the refund agreed by the Council of Ministers on 29–30 May.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his plans to reform corporation tax.

I have nothing to to add at this stage to what I said in my Budget Statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much an extra 100,000 people unemployed adds to the public sector borrowing requirement through benefits due.

I refer my hon. Friend to page 114 of Cmnd. 7841, which states that a variation of 100,000 in the number of unemployed is estimated to change benefit costs by about £100 million per annum.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the effect on the public sector borrowing requirement of an increase of 500,000 in the number of registered unemployed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the effect of an additional 500,000 unemployed on Government revenue and expenditure, repectively.

The effect of changes in the numbers of registered unemployed on government revenue and expenditure and the public sector borrowing requirement depends on the reasons for the initial change. All such calculations require a detailed simulation on the Treasury model, and for the reasons given by my hon. Friend, the Minister of State, in his reply on 14 November 1979 to the hon. Member for Newham, North-East—[Vol. 973, c. 622–23.]—I am unwilling to supply such information. The hon. Members may wish, however, to pursue their inquiry via access to the Treasury's economic model through the Library of the House.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present rate of inflation; and if he will make a statement.

The general index of retail prices rose by 21·9 per cent. in the 12 months up to May 1980.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is satisfied with the trend of the most recent inflation figures.

Although the monthly increase between April and May shows a welcome downward movement compared with that in recent months, I would hesitate to build too much on one month's figures. I will not be satisfied until we have brought inflation down to a low level, and keep it there.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the proportions of bank lending during the first four months of the current year to the private and public sectors; and how this compares with the same period in 1979.

Figures for United Kingdom banking sector lending to the public and private sectors are given in table 6·2 of Financial Statistics.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the reasons for the breaching of the 7 to 11 per cent. guideline on money supply; and to what extent high interest rates are a factor.

I do not accept that our target for money supply is being breached. In assessing money supply trends, it is always important to look at a run of figures. For example, the increase over the last six months has been about 9 per cent, at an annual rate, the middle of the Government's target range. Over a period, high interest rates reduce monetary growth.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he plans to introduce any changes in the method of assessing the range of statistics measuring the supply of money.

As was made clear in the Green Paper on monetary control, in assessing monetary conditions the authorities have regard to a range of measures of money and private sector liquidity. It is also desirable to monitor measures of credit expansion, such as DCE.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer at what point in the current year he anticipates the money supply will be under control within the limits he has set.

I do not accept the implication of my hon. Friend's question that the money supply is not under control. For example, over the past 6 months £M3 has grown at an annual rate of 9 per cent., which is in the middle of the 7–11 per cent. target range. However, the monthly change in £M3 can fluctuate substantially.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what have been the percentage increases in the value of the £ sterling against the currencies of West Germany, France, the United States of America and Japan since January 1978.

The information is as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest estimate of the capital cost of the computerisation of PAYE; and when the programme will be completed.

The target date for completion of the PAYE computer project in the feasibility study now under consideration is 1987. The current estimate of total gross expenditure between now and then, mainly on staff, accommodation, equipment and software is of the order of £140 million to £150 million at today's prices. Approximately £30 million of the gross amount relates to the cost of running the new computerised system as it becomes operational in each region. In addition, staff savings of some £50 million would be expected to accrue over the period.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the light of the reduction in anticipated sales of new cars, he will issue a further estimate of the yield from car tax for the current financial year.

No. This would be contrary to normal practice.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report a list of the financial and economic measures he has taken since assuming office to assist firms to export.

The Government's overall economic strategy, which is designed to lower inflation and to improve the supply side of the economy, offers the best long-term prospects for improving exporters' competitiveness and their ability to take advantage of market opportunities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will commission a study of the effects of his economic policies on the economy of West Cumbria.

No. I am satisfied that our economic policies will foster enterprise and provide the right climate for new and more competitive industry in all parts of the country including West Cumbria.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what working assumptions are made by his Department of the effect upon the minimum lending rate of an increase in the public sector borrowing requirement equivalent to 1 per cent. of gross domestic product.

The effect on interest rates of changes in the public sector borrowing requirement depends on the cause of the initial change in the PSBR and on the response of expectations. I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 19 June 1980.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will issue instructions to all Inland Revenue inspectors that communications from the public must be acknowledged promptly by their staffs and the queries raised followed up.

No. Existing instructions to inspectors in charge of tax districts already require that communications from the public should normally be acknowledged where it is unlikely that the matter can be dealt with within 10 days. A somewhat longer period is allowed if the communication is part of a continuing correspondence. Acknowledgements are also required where a communication includes original documents, such as agreements or leases, or has to be redirected to another district. No changes in these instructions are proposed.The staff of tax districts are required to follow up queries raised by the public. It is not intended to issue a general reminding instruction, but if my hon. Friend has a particular case in mind and will send me details I shall look into the matter.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek powers to bring within his jurisdiction control of the minimum lending rate.

Changes in MLR are made only with the approval of my right hon. and learned Friend.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he considers the latest returns of domestic credit expansion are consistent with the Government's monetary targets.

Yes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received relating to the introduction of an incomes policy.

We receive occasional letters on this subject.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer under what circumstances he would exercise his powers to give directions to the Bank of England under section 4 of the Bank of England Act 1946.

Where, after consultation with the Governor of the Bank of England, it is considered necessary in the public interest.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the ratio of teaching to non-teaching staff in each of the local education authorities in Scotland.

Information about the number of non-teaching staff employed by the education department of each local authority in Scotland is not available centrally. In March 1980, however, the total number of lecturers and teachers was 65,453 and the number of "other staff" employed in education was 42,430—both figures full-time equivalent. The latter figure covers grades ranging from full-time senior administrative staff to part-time staff such as school crossing patrols.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied with the level of supply of mathematics and science teachers in Scotland.

Mathematics, physics and chemistry are among the subjects to which I have asked colleges of education to give highest priority in selecting students for admission in session 1980–81. In addition, I wrote recently to a range of major private firms and nationalised industries inviting them to draw the attention of appropriately qualified staff who might be contemplating early retirement to the possibility of training as teachers of shortage subjects. I am at present considering what further steps might be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make available a copy of the report commissioned by his Department on alternative uses for the Portavadie platform yard.

New possibilities have emerged since the report was prepared, and some of its proposals would be unacceptable, but I am sending a copy to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the new police headquarters of the Dyfed-Powys force, at Carmarthen, will include a nuclear defence shelter.

There are at present no plans for such a shelter to be incorporated in the scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department has submitted evidence to the Royal Commission on criminal procedure on section 62 of the Criminal Law Act, in particular on the point covered by the letter dated 19 February addressed to the Minister of State by the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury.

Section 62 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 is discussed in paragraphs 37–41 of memorandum No. IV of the Home Office evidence to the Royal Commission on criminal procedure copies of which are in the Library. The particular point raised by the hon. Member in his letter of 19 February about whether an arrested person is entitled to have a fresh intimation of his arrest and of the place where he is being held sent to a reasonably named person if he is moved from one police station to another is not referred to in the published Home Office evidence. But, as the hon. Member has already been assured, the Government will bear it in mind in considering any recommendations which the Royal Commission may make concerning the rights of suspects in police custody.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters and petitions he has received concerning the Government's change of mind on the issue of the fourth channel as a Welsh language channel in Wales; and how many of these were in favour of the Government's proposals.

We have received a total of 268 letters and petitions, six of which have been in favour of the Government's proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what organisations have made representations to him to change his policy and allocate the fourth channel in Wales as a Welsh language channel.

In addition to representations from the bodies which I listed in my reply to the hon. Member on 16 April I have received representations from the following:

• Aberystwyth Guild of Welsh Students
• Association of Welsh Congregational Churches
• Llanbadarn Students Union
• Merched y Wawr
• National Federation of Women's Institutes Wales Sub-committee
• National Union of Students, Wales
• Plaid Cymru
• Polytechnic of Wales, Students Union
• Presbyterian Church Association
• Urdd Gobaith Cymru
• Welsh Congregationist Association, West Glamorgan
• Welsh Language Society

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong arrived in the United Kingdom during May.

I understand from the joint committee for refugees from Vietnam that the number is 555.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representation he has received from the Westminister city council and others concerning the growing problem of traffic control and enforcement in London; what is the result of the study of Metropolitan Police traffic wardens' pay; what is the current strength of the traffic warden service; and when he will make a statement on traffic offences and enforcement, especially as these relate to London.

The council wrote to my right hon. Friend on 14 January, and my noble Friend Lord Belstead received a deputation on 20 February. We have also had representations from other interested parties. The study of pay arrangements for Metropolitan Police traffic wardens has been going ahead with all due speed, and the results will be announced as soon as possible. At the end of April the strength of the Metropolitan Police traffic warden service was 1,076. The interdepartmental working group on the review of certain aspects of road traffic law is making steady progress, and is expected to report before the end of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many policemen have been dismissed or forced to resign from the police force as a result of corruption or similar charges made against them in each of the last 10 years; and of which police forces they were members at the time of their removal.

This information is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what have been the monthly figures over the last two years for immigration to and from Israel so far as they relate to Israeli citizens leaving and entering the United Kingdom, United Kingdom citizens being granted Israeli nationality and Israeli citizens being granted United Kingdom nationality.

The information available on Israeli nationals admitted to the United Kingdom is given in the following table. Statistics are not compiled by my Department on those embarking from the United Kingdom. We have no information about the number of citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies who may have acquired Israeli nationality. "Tables of persons acquiring citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies, 1978" (Cmnd. 7637) shows that 195 Israeli nationals acquired our citizenship during that year. Similar tables for 1979 will be published in the summer. These figures are, however, compiled only on an annual basis.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for each of the last 10 years, what are (a) the numbers of people accepted for settle- ment and (b) the numbers of people granted citizenship of the United Kingdom and colonies from (a) India (b) Pakistan, (c) West Africa (d) Bangladesh and (e) West Indies; what is the reason for any discrepancy between the two figures; what is the long-term status of those accepted for settlement who have not been granted citizenship; and what is the status of their dependants.

Statistics, by citizenship—nationality, of those accepted for settlement in the years 1973 to 1979 can be found in table 18 of "Control of Immigration: Statistics, 1979" (Cmnd. 7875); statistics for 1970, 1971 and 1972 are to be found in the corresponding Command Papers for these years. Statistics, by citizenship—nationality, of those granted citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies are published annually in "Tables of persons acquiring citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies", the latest issue of which, for 1978, was Cmnd. 7637.These two sets of figures differ because they measure different phenomena. Those accepted for settlement need not apply for citizenship and those who do may need to build up a residence qualification before doing so. Persons accepted for settlement may remain indefinitely, subject to any liability they may have for deportation, and no conditions are attached to their stay. Their dependants may be accepted for settlement if they meet the relevant requirements of the immigration rules.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the fact that the confirmation of status in the United Kingdom is preliminary to many court proceedings, if he will ascertain in what way information gathered in this way can be used now or potentially to calculate an estimate of the numbers of illegal immigrants in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

There is no reason to believe that the immigration status of people coming to notice in connection with court proceedings would provide a reliable basis for estimating the numbers of people who are in the United Kingdom unlawfully.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been killed and how many injured in attempts to save life, as a result of fires, drowning incidents and in other emergencies respectively; how many and what percentage of such persons were fire or police officers or other professionals and how many were private citizens.

[pursuant to his reply,

asked the Attorney-General what materials confiscated under the Obscene Publications Act have been supplied by the Director of Public Prosecutions to psychiatric hospitals, including Moss Side and Park Lane hospitals, Liverpool; and whether he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Mr. McNair-Wilson) by the Secretary of State for Social Services on 9 April 1976.—[Vol. 909, c. 330].From time to time material which has been adjudged obscene has been loaned by the Director of Public Prosecutions to individual medical practitioners at psychiatric hospitals for therapeutic purposes. The loans have been subject to stringent conditions as to the use and security of the material and have been made only with the prior approval of the Department of Health and Social Security, which has supported

16 June 1980, c.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what proposals he has to limit or reduce the responsibilities of his Department.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Garrett) on 10 December 1979—[Vol. 975, c. 478]—in which I gave details of reductions in many of the functions carried out by the Civil Service Department. As announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 13 May 1980—[Vol. 984, c. 1050]—detailed plans are now being drawn up for further simplification, increases in efficiency and concentration on essential functions. These are still at a preparatory stage.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what is the total annual leave entitlement of the non-industrial(