asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many accidents were reported which involved the bursting of a revolving vessel, wheel, grindstone or grinding wheel moved by mechanical power in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980 to the most recent practicable date.

The table below shows both the number of incidents reported as dangerous occurrences and the number of injuries resulting from them reported as accidents in the years 1975 to 1979; none of the injuries was fatal. No figures are yet available for 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many (a) school leavers, (b) people unemployed for more than 12 months, (c) more than six months and (d) more than three months are on the unemployment register for the Keighley travel-to-work area.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make an estimate of the number of jobs that would be created for British industry by the introduction of citizens band or open channel radio on a frequency not covered by current imported sets.

I regret that it is not possible to give any realistic estimate of the number of jobs which might be created.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many job losses in the last 12 months there have been in the North-West, Merseyside, Kirkby and Ormskirk;(2) how many closures were notified in the 12 months since May 1979 in the North-West, Merseyside, Kirkby and Ormskirk;(3) how many redundancies are pending and how many workers are involved in the North-West, Merseyside, Kirkby and Ormskirk;(4) how many (

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish details of the numbers of men, women, and school leavers who are signing the register for unemployment benefit as short-time workers employed for one, two, three or four days a week, respectively, in the St. Helens employment departmental area; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what was the percentage increase in the quantity of hides imported into the United Kingdom from the Irish Republic between the first quarter of 1979 and the corresponding quarter of 1980;(2) what was the actual quantity of hides imported into the United Kingdom from the Irish Republic during the first quarter of 1980;(3) what countries, apart from the Irish Republic, are the principal exporters of hides to the United Kingdom; and approximately what share percentage of United Kingdom hide imports is attributable to each of them.

In 1979 the principal countries, other than the Irish Republic, from which our imports of calf skins and other bovine and equine hides came and their percentages by weight of total imports were as follows:

Calf skins (SITC/R2 Sub-group 211.2): France (50 per cent.), USA (2 per cent.), Canada (2 per cent.) Australia (1 per cent).

Other bovine and equine hides (SITC/R2 Sub-group 211.1): Denmark (11 per cent.), Federal Republic of Germany (7 per cent), Sweden (7 per cent.), Norway (4 per cent.), USA (3 per cent.), Thailand (2 per cent.), USSR (2 per cent.), Netherlands (2 per cent).

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list from the weights and measures annual reports the 10 local authorities which have the lowest rate of inspections of petrol pumps; and what their annual levels of inspections were.

Annual reports by local authorities to my right hon. Friend are not made in such detail that this information could be provided.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade why, having decided to refer the Severn-Trent water authority to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, he is not doing so before the autumn.

The commission is fully occupied at the moment. My right hon. Friend proposes to refer the Severn-Trent water authority as soon as the current inquiry into British Rail's London and South-East commuter services has been completed.

asked the Secretary for Trade if he will make a statement on the progress of discussions on the generalised system of tariff preferences for exports of products from Brazil to European Economic Community countries.

Discussions in the Community on the future of the generalised scheme of preferences have so far been of a general nature and have not touched on the treatment of particular countries. There is general agreement that the benefits of the scheme should be concentrated more on the poorer developing countries, and we believe that the treatment of Community exports by the beneficiary countries should, at least as regards the industrially stronger countries such as Brazil, be one of the factors to determine the benefits they receive.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will ensure that paper and board products are placed on a list of sensitive or semi-sensitive products during discussions of the generalised system of tariff preferences for Brazilian exports to the European Economic Community.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he intends to attend the December conference on marine safety proposed by the French Government.

I intend to attend this meeting.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the outcome of the recent UNCTAD conference on the common fund.

The final round of the UNCTAD negotiations on the common fund took place from 5 to 28 June. I am glad to say that agreement was reached on the text of the treaty to bring the fund into operation. A copy of the treaty will be placed in the Library as soon as the full text is available.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will change the recruitment criteria for entry to the executive class to allow computer programmers trained under Manpower Services Commission schemes to join his Department even though they lack two A-levels.

No. I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, South-West (Mr. Butcher) on 24 April 1980.—[Vol. 983, c. 220.] Executive officers are recruited for a range of posts, not simply to work as computer programmers.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make a statement about the adoption by Government Departments of commercial methods of postage.

The Government have decided that the official paid system for post will be phased out over the next two or three years and be replaced by the normal methods used by commercial firms and by the public. These methods will provide a greater spur to economy in the use of postage by Government Departments.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is the total number of letters that he has received from district councils, community health councils, town councils, and community councils, objecting to Dyfed area health authority's plans to enlarge its central administration and remove the local district management and proposing some form of smaller health authorities for Dyfed;(2) how many letters he has received for and against Dyfed area health authority's plans to enlarge its central administration and remove the local district management, broken down as between each of the former counties of Carmarthen, Cardigan and Pembroke;(3) what is the number of letters in total that he has received from district councils, community health councils, town councils and community councils, supporting Dyfed area health authority's plans to enlarge its central administration and remove the local district management.

A number of the representations received in response to "Patients First" have commented on possible changes in the management arrangements within Dyfed area health authority. They reflect a wide range of opinion and do not readily fit into the categories suggested by the hon. Member. To try to set out numbers of letters in these categories would therefore be misleading. My right hon. Friend proposes to make a statement when his consideration of all the representations received is complete.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in full in the Official Report the result of the inquiry by independent accountants called in to investigate an irregularity in the accounts of the Dyfed area health authority.

Dyfed AHA has recently commissioned a firm of commercial accountants to examine the financial information and control systems of the authority with particular reference to the overspending which occurred in the financial year 1979–80, and to make recommendations for improvements which would serve to avoid such an occurrence in future. It is for the AHA to decide whether the report it receives should be published.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, for each year since 1974, if he will list, by authority, the occasions on which independent accountants have been called in to investigate the accounts of area health authorities in Wales.

No area health authority in Wales has since 1974 called in accountants to investigate its accounts. All AHA accounts are subject to statutory annual audit which is carried out by the NHS auditor for Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to ensure that the statement he recently made about the Government's policy for the Welsh language is given the widest circulation.

I have arranged for the speech to be printed. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House and will be distributed to a wide variety of public bodies and other organisations in Wales. I hope that the general availability of the policy statement will stimulate continued discussion of the Government's commitment to support for the Welsh language.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, in view of the matter of public importance raised by the circumstances surrounding the death of Blair Peach, what are the reasons why he will not move to set up a Select Committee of the House to inquire into the matter and to report.

Because I do not think that, having regard to the considerations set out in the Home Secretary's written reply of 4 June to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short)—[Vol. 985, c. 722]—it would serve any useful purpose.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how the salary paid to hon. Members compares in real terms with the salary paid in 1964.

The salary paid to hon. Members with effect from 16 October 1964 was £3,250. The equivalent value in May 1980 real terms, as measured by the movement in the General Index of Retail Prices, is £15,193. This compares with a current rate of £10,725.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her public engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her official engagements for Thursday 3 July.

I refer my hon. Friends and the hon. Members to the reply which I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Leominster (Mr. Temple-Morris).

asked the Prime Minister whether she plans to discuss with leaders of the Trades Union Congress the need for wages in the next 12 months to rise more slowly than prices in order to create employment.

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to emphasise the effect the rate of pay increases will have on the number of jobs in this country. We have made the same point to trade union leaders in the NEDC and elsewhere, and we shall continue to do so.

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

asked the Prime Minister when next she will meet the leaders of 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 if she is satisfied with progress being made to reduce still further the advertising of tobacco products on television.

The advertising of cigarettes and cigarette tobacco on independent television, and on local radio, is already banned by a direction made under the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act 1973.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement on her meeting in Venice with other Heads of Government of major Powers.

I refer my hon. Friend to my statement in the House on 24 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will institute an inquiry into the operation and effects of the laws and practices relating to adoption.

Between 1969 and 1972 the Houghton Committee undertook a thorough consideration of the law, policy and procedure on the adoption of children in Great Britain. The committee's report (Cmnd. 5107) recommended a number of substantial changes in adoption law, and these were incorporated in the Children Act 1975. Unfortunately, resource constraints have meant that a number of important changes have not yet been brought into effect. It is much too soon to consider a further inquiry into adoption law and practice in Great Britain.In Northern Ireland adoption legislation and procedure are currently under review and proposals for revising legislation will be submitted later this year.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make an official visit to Fortree in East Aberdeenshire.

I have at present no plans to do so.

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

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the Central Policy Review Staff report "Education, Training and Industrial Performance"; and what action she intends to take to co-ordinate the response to this report and its proposals since it involves several Government Departments.

The Government regard this report as a helpful contribution to public debate and hope that its analysis and proposals will receive wide consideration. We shall not be issuing a detailed commentary, but Government Departments collectively will pursue the issues involved. We shall continue to bring forward policies to increase the responsiveness of education and training to the needs of the economy.

asked the Prime Minister what representations she has received from employees of Ferranti Limited on the future of the National Enterprise Board's holding in the firm; what reply she has sent; what action she is taking; and if she will make a statement.

I have received about 250 letters from Ferranti employees. Most have already received replies sent on my behalf. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry made a statement in the House on 1 July on the action the Government have taken.

asked the Attorney-General if he will take steps to prevent contributions from those granted legal aid being required prior to the case concerned being heard; and if he will limit contributions to orders made after the court hearing.

Ministerial responsibility for criminal legal aid was transferred to the Lord Chancellor on 1 July. He intends to review all aspects of criminal legal aid, including contributions, but there can be no question of postponing payment until after the hearing.

asked the Attorney-General if he will review the arrangements by which the Law Society recoups legal aid payments in matrimonial cases.

I assume the hon. Member is referring to the charge on property recovered or preserved in proceedings. The operation of this charge is being considered by the Legal Aid Advisory Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to amend the European Assembly Elections Act 1978 so as to provide for election by the same method throughout the United Kingdom.

We have no present plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to amend the European Assembly Elections Act 1978, in order to ensure the avoidance of undue delay in implementing the recommendations of the Boundaries Commission in respect of boundaries for constituencies of the United Kingdom Parliament.

We are considering whether to do so. Such an amendment would be consistent with the Government's view that the present serious disparities in the electorates of parliamentary constituencies should be corrected as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the operation of the parole system, particularly as regards the position of prisoners who are having applications considered by the parole board.

A review of the parole system is in progress, but, subject to its outcome, we are broadly satisfied with the way the system is working.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the progress he has made so far to implement his policy of improving law and order.

There is no room for complacency, but I believe that substantial progress has been made. The priority which we are giving to the law and order services should enable that progress to be maintained.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he now intends to introduce legislation on British nationality; and if he will make a statement.

I cannot yet say when it would be possible to introduce a Bill. The next step will be to publish a White Paper, and as I have already told the House I hope to do this before the Summer Recess.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he expects the Boundary Commission to have completed its reviews and to have reported in time for boundary changes to be made before the next general election.

I understand that the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England expects to have completed its task of reviewing the parliamentary constituencies in England by early 1982. The Welsh Commission has not yet begun its general review but we expect it to do so shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in the light of recent evidence supplied to him, he will exercise his power to secure the release from prison of David Cooper and Michael McMahon.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to a recently published book, of which I was sent an advance copy. This is being studied to see whether it discloses any new facts or considerations not already considered by the courts or my predecessors.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last considered instituting a further inquiry into the case of Michael McMahon and David Cooper; and if, in the light of recent events, he will do so again.

I refer my hon. Friend to the above reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the working of the Bail Act 1976.

I have noted the concern that has been expressed about the working of the Bail Act 1976. I am awaiting an analysis of bail decisions made in the first year after the Act came into force, and I shall consider the operation of the Act in the light of that analysis.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress being made on establishing extra overnight facilities for habitual drunks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which areas of the country voluntary organisations have so far agreed to establish wet shelters for habitual drunken offenders.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which areas he proposes to establish overnight facilities for habitual drunken offenders.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further consideration has been given to helping voluntary organisations financially so that suitable overnight shelter can be provided for persons who would otherwise be charged with drunkenness offences.

I refer the hon. Members and my hon. Friends to the reply I gave today to similar questions by my hon. Friends the Members for Romford (Mr. Neubert), Cheltenham (Mr. Irving) and the hon. Member for Carlisle (Mr. Lewis).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received opposing the Firearms (Variation of Fees) Order 1980.

Since 6 March, approximately 700 letters have been received from the public and hon. Members about the fees charged under the Firearms Act 1968.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, now that the inquest into the death of Blair Peach is concluded, he will order a public judicial inquiry under the Tribunals and Inquiries Act into the events at Southall on 22 and 23 April 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will institute an inquiry under the Tribunals and Inquiries Act into the death of Blair Peach and associated matters.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests he has received for a public inquiry or full investigation into the events in Southall leading to the death of Blair Peach.

Representations have been received from some 305 organisations and individuals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the criteria which he applied in selecting Lord Diplock to review the interception of communications.

I have nothing to add to my statement on 1 April, when I explained that the Government had decided to invite a senior member of the judiciary to carry out this task.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further representations he has received about the operation of the Fire Precautions Act 1971.

Recent representations about the operation of the Act have concerned its possible application to hostels and private boarding schools; extensions of time in which to complete work required for the purposes of fire certification ; and consultation requirements in connection with the making of regulations under the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he has any plans further to increase expenditure on civil defence ;(2) what progress he has made in reviewing the new arrangements he proposes to make for civil defence.

I expect to make a statement on these matters before the Summer Recess.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number and the location of attendance centres so far established for younger offenders in Nottinghamshire; and what is the cost to the public of each of them.

At present there are two attendance centres in Nottinghamshire; one in Mansfield which is available for boys aged 10–16 and one in Nottingham for boys and girls aged 10–16. During the last financial year expenditure on the Mansfield centre, which opens every fortnight, was £3,324. Expenditure on the Nottingham centre, which opens weekly and has a higher average number of juveniles attending, was £9,160.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what basis the immigration figures are prepared and published.

The control of immigration statistics, for which the Home Office is responsible, are published quarterly, in summary form, in Home Office statistical bulletins, and, in more detail, annually in the Command Paper "Control of Immigration Statistics." Copies of these publications are available in the Library of the House: the most recent statistical bulletin is issue 8/80 and the most recent Command Paper, for 1979, is Cmnd. 7875. Information about the basis on which the statistics are compiled can be found in the notes to these publications.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cost to public funds of policing demonstrations by the Metropolitan Police for the last 12 months for which figures are available.

The Commissioner has estimated the cost of policing all demonstrations, marches and meetings in 1979 which required the presence of 100 or more police officers as some £5·75 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what he would consider to be exceptional circumstances which would warrant the transfer of an Irish prisoner from England to Northern Ireland.

Each request by a prisoner in England and Wales to serve his sentence in Northern Ireland is examined in relation to his personal connection with Northern Ireland, the availability of accommodation, the prisoner's acceptability to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the security considerations. It is, therefore, not possible to specify exceptional circumstances which may warrant a transfer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the public speech by the Minister of State, Home Office on the Vagrancy Act 1827 on Friday 13 June was made with his authority.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new measures have been taken in the last year to prevent illegal immigration and illegal overstaying.

The new Immigration Rules which came into operation on 1 March were designed to strengthen the control and among other things to restrict the opportunities for overstaying: they provide for the refusal of entry and of extensions of stay in a wider variety of circumstances than previously. The Immigration Service and the police continue to be vigilant against those who seek to evade the control or to enter by employing deception. A closer working relationship between the police and the Immigration Service is being developed, and is resulting in more effective measures to detect illegal entrants and over-stayers. The action being taken by the Government to deal firmly with those found to have offended against the immigration laws is a deterrent to potential offenders.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in force to ensure that prisoners on home leave in England from Northern Ireland are prevented from having that home leave by arrest and detention without any charges being preferred.

There are no such arrangements. When it is known that a prisoner in Northern Ireland intends to travel to England on his release from prison, or on home leave, the chief constable of the area he wishes to visit will be told. It will be for the chief constable to take any action that he considers appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take further measures to reduce the pressure on the prison system.

I refer my hon. Friend to my statement of 30 April.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the numbers of sexual crimes committed on juveniles under 18 years of age which resulted in death of the person in England and Wales for each of the years 1977 to 1979 and for the first quarter of 1980.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the level of awareness of the public of his publication "Protect and Survive".

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why it took him until 26 June to reply to the letter dated 24 April from the hon. Member for Newham, North-West concerning the dockland settlement; what, other than a re-paraphrasing of the hon. Member's own letter this reply contained which could not have been sent within days; and whether he will request the police to expedite their replies to him to enable hon. Members to receive a reply in reasonable time.

The reply to the hon. Member's letter was based on information obtained from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and was sent soon after its receipt. We are satisfied that, taking into account his many other responsibilities, the Commissioner deals as quickly as he can with inquiries made on behalf of hon. Members.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the total costs per annum to public funds of keeping delinquent children in residential homes and other detention centres; and if he is satisfied with the present system.

I have been asked to reply.In the year ending 31 March 1979 the cost to local authorities in England of maintaining juveniles aged 16 and under in community homes was £166.9 million, exclusive of administrative and field social work costs. It is not known what proportion of juveniles so accommodated had committed criminal offences. The cost of youth treatment centres was £0.77 million over the same period, but the cost of maintaining juveniles in prison department establishments cannot be separately identified. It is not satisfactory that so many juveniles should be sent to residential institutions of one kind or another and the Government strongly support the development of intermediate treatment, special fostering and other community-based alternatives.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why a man with a bigamous wife was allowed to bring her and her children, his legal wife and their children to settle in Great Britain, details concerning which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Newham, North-West.

The man is registered as a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies and his legal wife and their children were entitled to join him. Prior to their arrival in this country, he contracted a marriage with a woman who had entered the United Kingdom as a visitor, and it appears that that marriage has now been pronounced null and void.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received a report from the governor of Highpoint prison, Suffolk, on the subject of the alleged import of liquor and the consequential misbehaviour of prisoners in their cells.

The acting governor of Highpoint prison has reported a recent, unsuccessful, attempt by one prisoner to introduce alcoholic drink into the establishment and the discovery of a device which could have been used to bring in illicit articles, but without evidence that it was so used. He has further reported that no inmate has been found in possession of liquor, either within the establishment or on return from an outside working party, when every inmate is searched; and that there has been no indiscipline involving the consumption of liquor within the dormitories.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his policy that prisoners convicted of violent crimes should be confined at High-point prison in Suffolk.

Highpoint prison receives prisoners up to security category C. Prisoners with sentences of more than six months for past or current offences involving sex or violence may be sent there with the authority of the regional director.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if any of the prisoners allowed out of High-point prison on working parties are serving sentences for the unlawful use of firearms, assault on police officers or sexual attacks on children.

No prisoner may work outside the prison if he has been convicted of a sexual offence (other than incest). For other prisoners a careful judgment is made of the likelihood that they might become a danger to the public or attempt to abscond; and the nature and circumstances of the prisoner's offence are among the considerations taken into account.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the estimated annual running costs per place in each of (a) remand centres, (b) detention centres, (c) young offender establishments and (d) prisons in security categories A, B, C and D; and what are the projected figures for 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84 and 1984–85.

Estimates of the annual running cost per place are not available. The only available information on running costs is as follows.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many refurbished prison places will have integral sanitation; where they are to be; and whether the number of cells will be reduced as a result.

None are planned at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new prison places will have integral sanitation; and where they are to be.

All new prisons providing cellular accommodation have integral sanitation. Other new prisons give access to night sanitary facilities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a change of clothes is available to defendants remanded in custody at Risley remand centre before they appear in court.

In accordance with the prison rules, defendants remanded in custody at Risley remand centre are taken to court in their own clothing or, if necessary, in clothing provided by the remand centre. In most cases they are able to change their clothes just before they appear in court but where this is not possible arrangements can be made for fresh clothing to be brought into the remand centre from outside. If the hon. Member is concerned about a specific case and will send me the details, I should be happy to look into it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Surrey on the total cost of policing incurred during the M25 (Leatherhead interchange) public inquiry held between May 1978 and May 1979 in Great Bookham and Leatherhead; whether he is satisfied that such duties are a proper use of limited police resources; and if he will make a statement.

I understand from the chief constable of Surrey that his officers attended this inquiry on 94 occasions between 26 September 1978 and 6 June 1979, at an estimated cost of £9,374.The presence of the police at planning enquiries is a matter for the chief officer of police for the force concerned, in the light of his general responsibility to prevent or deal with breaches of the peace.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will hold an inquiry into ways of ensuring that fewer innocent people are charged with shoplifting offences.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the overall acquittal rate of nearly 50 per cent. of those charged of shoplifting offences, he will now introduce legislation to equate the law and practice on shoplifting in England and Wales with that in Scotland whereby all prosecutions in this type of offence will be brought by or on behalf of the police and the public and not by retailers or other private citizens.

The subject of private prosecutions is within the terms of reference of the Royal Commission on criminal procedure, which is expected to report later this year, and we shall consider what action, if any is called for, in the light of the report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how soon he expects to be in a position to report to the House on progress being made to implement Lord Edmund-Davies's recommendations about closer consultations between chief officers and local representatives of police staff associations; and if he will confine those areas of policy which chief officers may exclude from such consultations, for example on grounds of confidentiality, strictly to matters that are demonstrably operational;(2) what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations made one year ago in part III of Lord Edmund-Davies's report on the police service; and, in particular, what proposals he has formulated to enable the police staff associations to be consulted in advance about legislation that affects them.

It is my intention to send a circular to police authorities and chief constables shortly about the report of the Edmund-Davies committee on the structure and role of police staff associations, many of whose recommendations fall to be implemented at local level. The Police Advisory Board considered the report at its meeting on 25 June and remitted detailed consideration of the recommendations to a small group of its members. At the meeting on 25 June I assured the board that I would seek to ensure that, as envisaged by the Edmund-Davies committee, police interests would be borne in mind throughout the formative stage of legislation according to benefits on employees.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made following representations by the hon. Member for West Stirlingshire about the case of Jorge Carrasco Espinoza and Rosa Mosca Lira, citizens of Chile, who were refused permission to enter the United Kingdom to visit their relatives.

I wrote to the hon. Member on 25 June setting out the present position.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the criteria for the issue of licences to sell firearms; and what checks are made on applicants before the issue of such licences.

Section 34 of the Firearms Act 1968 requires a chief officer of police to satisfy himself that an applicant for registration as a firearms dealer can be permitted to carry on that business without danger to the public safety or to the peace. Similar criteria apply to each place of business from which an applicant wishes to trade.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the sources of information he uses to estimate the number of persons resident unlawfully in the United Kingdom.

There is no information at present available to me which would permit a reliable estimate to be made.

the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters or signatures on petition he has received advocating the legislation of citizens band or open channel radio and how many in opposition.

We have received over 7,800 pieces of correspondence and 40 petitions containing some thousands of signatures. The great majority of these have been in support of the introduction of some form of new facility.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the estimated cost of operating a legal open channel radio service;(2) how many civil servants he now estimates will be required to administer the operation of open channel radio.

The resources required to regulate open channel would largely depend upon the size of the demand. A few additional civil servants would be necessary, and large numbers of applications could be dealt with only with the aid of data processing. Our intention would be to ensure that the costs were met by those who use the facility.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present cost of enforcing the Wireless Telegraphy Acts and other legislation against the illegal possession, installation, importation or operation of 27mHz citizens band radio equipment.

The annual cost of the Post Office's investigations into complaints of interference to non-broadcasting services and into all forms of illicit installation or use of radio equipment is approximately £1 million. The costs in- curred in dealing with illicit use of 27mHz equipment are not recorded separately. No figures are available for the cost of controlling the importation of specific categories of prohibited goods.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been brought and how many are pending against the use of illegal citizens band radio equipment so far in the current year; and what were the figures for the comparable period in 1979 and 1978, respectively.

From 1 January to 30 April this year (the latest period for which figures are readily available) 94 persons were prosecuted in connection with the unlicensed installation or use of citizens band radios in the 27mHz band, while a further 135 cases were pendingFigures for comparable periods in preceding years are not available, but the numbers of persons convicted of these offences during 1978 and 1979 were 3 and 91 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make an estimate of the amount of fuel that can be saved, based on experience in the United States of America, by the legalisation of citizens band or open channel radio.

We have no relevant information on which to base such an estimate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners died in prisons in England and Wales in 1979 and so far in the current year; and how many of these were black.

In answer to the first part of the question I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hammersmith, North (Mr. Soley) on 17 April.—[Vol. 982, c. 703–06.] The number of deaths of inmates in prison department establishments reported so far this year is 20. Information on the racial origin of the prisoners who have died is not collected centrally, but I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many policemen in the Metropolitan area 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 seven years.