Written Answers

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Written Answers To Questions

Tuesday 22 July 1980

Overseas Development

St Helena And Ascension Island

asked the Lord Privy Seal how much aid has been pro-

ST. HELENA
	Financial year			Development aid	Budgetary aid	Technical co-operation	Total
1970–71	…	…	…	110,758	303,000	24,075	437,833
1971–72	…	…	…	144,205	387,200	35,643	567,048
1972–73	…	…	…	115,642	460,100	51,802	627,544
1973–74	…	…	…	135,789	538,201	76,767	750,757
1974–75	…	…	…	408,840	560,232	112,897	1,081,969
1975–76	…	…	…	261,727	791,500	183,198	1,236,425
1976–77	…	…	…	434,312	1,065,000	230,903	1,730,215
1977–78	…	…	…	614,859	1,696,972	280,637	2,592,468
1978–79	…	…	…	789,207	2,020,428	298,973	3,108,608
1979–80^*	…	…	…	426,403	2,835,810	358,504	3,620,717

TRISTAN DA CUNHA
	Financial year			Development aid	Budgetary aid	Technical co—operation	Total
1970–71	…	…	…	14,500	Nil	7,003	21,503
1971–72	…	…	…	12,650	Nil	6,509	19,159
1972–73	…	…	…	9,500	Nil	5,948	15,448
1973–74	…	…	…	10,167	Nil	17,569	27,736
1974–75	…	…	…	11,460	Nil	18,176	29,636
1975–76	…	…	…	20,145	Nil	27,221	47,366
1976–77	…	…	…	27,631	Nil	71,998	99,629
1977–78	…	…	…	17,400	Nil	51,680	60,080
1978–79	…	…	…	7,610	Nil	26,629	34,239
1979–80^*	…	…	…	8,618	Nil	33,188	41,806

ASCENSION
	Financial year			Development aid	Budgetary aid	Technical co—operation	Total
1970–71	…	…	…	Nil	Nil	513	513
1971–72	…	…	…	Nil	Nil	838	838
1972–73	…	…	…	Nil	Nil	1,119	1,119
1973–74	…	…	…	Nil	Nil	3,087	3,087
1974–75	…	…	…	Nil	Nil	3,603	3,603
1975–76	…	…	…	Nil	Nil	6,240	6,240
1976–77	…	…	…	Nil	Nil	10,041	10,041
1977–78	…	…	…	Nil	Nil	10,632	10,632
1978–79	…	…	…	Nil	Nil	11,899	11,899
1979–80^*	…	…	…	Nil	Nil	9,717	9,717

FALKLAND ISLANDS
	Financial year			Development aid	Budgetary aid	Technical co—operation	Total
1970–71	…	…	…	56,971	Nil	18,187	75,158
1971–72	…	…	…	4,320	Nil	44,738	49,058
1972–73	…	…	…	104,845	Nil	49,317	154,162
1973–74	…	…	…	157,060	Nil	58,050	215,110
1974–75	…	…	…	1,305,916	Nil	77,248	1,383,164
1975–76	…	…	…	1,272,961	Nil	165,051	1,438,012
1976–77	…	…	…	1,198,958	Nil	280,779	1,479,737
1977–78	…	…	…	1,826,517	Nil	350,144	2,176,661
1978–79	…	…	…	664,766	Nil	409,505	1,074,271
1979–80^*	…	…	…	737,486	Nil	462,159	1,199,645
^* 1979–80 figures: Estimate.

vided in each of the past 10 years for St. Helena, Ascension Island, Tristan da Cunha and the Falkland Islands, respectively.

The figures are as follows:

Tuvalu

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement on the outcome of the negotiations on British aid to Tuvalu.

The British Government agreed to provide budgetary aid not exceeding $ (A) 810,000 in 1981 and $ (A) 900,000 in 1982; to extend beyond 31 December 1980 the £2·62 million development aid grant of 1978; to continue the British technical co-operation programme; and to consider a project for a new inter-island vessel for financing within the £2·5 million special development fund grant of 1979.

Energy

Nuclear Industry

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many (a) Acts of Parliament and (b) statutory instruments apply to the nuclear industry.

There are 12 Acts of Parliament listed in the official revised edition of statutes in force under the group title "Atomic Energy and Radioactive Substances", and some 85 statutory instruments and Orders in Council most directly relevant to the nuclear industry are also listed under this title in the index to Government orders.Since the edition was published at the end of 1975, three further statutory instruments on this topic have been published. There are also two Acts of Parliament with direct application to the industry, the Science and Technology Act 1965, and the Atomic Energy Authority (Special Constables) Act 1976, not included in the list of Acts.

Electricity And Gas (Savings Stamps)

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is his most recent estimate of the number of sub-post offices now selling electricity and gas savings stamps.

These arrangements came into effect on 2 June but the details are a matter for the industries. I am asking the chairmen of the Electricity Council and British Gas Corporation to write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are the outstanding difficulties preventing the sale of gas and electricity savings stamps through Crown post offices; and what steps are now being taken to remove them.

The sale of the industries' gas and electricity savings stamps by Crown post offices is not permitted under the terms of the Post Office Act 1969. Questions on the scope of this legislation are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if, in order to improve the effectiveness of the energy savings stamp schemes, he will consult the electricity and gas industries with a view to their accepting the payment of bills through sub-post offices by means of the stamps purchased from them.

Bills may be paid at all post offices through National Giro. The industries' savings stamps cannot be redeemed in this way because the Post Office is prevented from handling them by the terms of the Post Office Act 1969. The possibility of setting up alternative redemption arrangements has, I understand, been ruled out on grounds of cost.

Central Heating (Coal Burningappliances)

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many appliances which Use coal for central heating were purchased in 1978, 1979, and recorded months of the current year.

This is a commercial matter for the National Coal Board, and I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

Trade

Domestic Gas Appliances

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on domestic gas appliances is to be published.

[pursuant to her reply, 14 July 1980, c. 395]: The report is published today. The commission has found that the gas appliance retailing monopolies of the British Gas Corporation (BGC) and certain monopolies in the gas appliance manufacturing industry operate against the public interest.

British Gas Corporation

The commission acknowledged that the present practices of BGC had provided the public with a nation-wide retail and advice service which the public had found of high value and which had concerned itself, to the great advantage of all, with ensuring that the supply of gas was safe. However, regarding the effects of BGC's monopoly on manufacturers of appliances the commission considered that BGC exercised excessive control over the conduct and performance of the appliance industry, and that, as dominant retailer, it was the principal arbiter of models offered to the public. The commission found that manufacturers were unduly subservient to BGC in that their designs gave undue weight to the BGC's views of marketability of certain characteristics—for example eye-level grills, electronic ignition. They accorded delivery and price preference to BGC and were so heavily dependent on its marketing that any change of BGC's market policy had a serious effect on their whole prospects. Indirectly, this had contributed to the industry's poor export performance, and had been a prime cause of conduct in restraint of competition within the industry. The level of dependence into which the appliance manufacturers had fallen restricted competition between manufacturers by reducing incentives to improve efficiency, and depressed investment, which in turn deprived consumers of the advantages of competition and so operated as a further disincentive to efficiency.

The commission found that BGC's domination of the retailing of these appliances had also had the effect of re-tricting competition in retailing. The commission noted that BGC had successfully insisted that manufacturers should increase price differentials in its favour and to the detriment of competing retailers; it had implemented the "Superflame" scheme, the effect of which after 1975 was to deny retailers other than BGC the right to stock many of the up-to-date cooker models in current production, and also some space heaters; BGC's insistence on delivery preference from the manufacturers and the occasions when it had cut prices to meet or beat retail com- petition which it saw as a threat to its own position had caused smaller retailers to find themselves unable to compete. For the buying public the effect of these practices and activities had been to limit the number of independent outlets supplying gas appliances, and thereby to suppress competition, to limit consumer choice and possibly to increase the price of appliances.

The commission also took into account BGC's conviction that, in the allocation of costs, appliance marketing was inextricably linked with promoting the sales of gas. The consequence was that some costs which, if incurred by an independent retailer, would have had to be regarded as costs of selling appliances had been regarded as costs of selling gas. This difference in the basis of calculating costs distorted competition between BGC and independent retailers.

The commission noted that the situation now appeared to be changing as larger retailers such as Currys, Comet, Co-ops and Trident had entered the market, as had a few more small retailers and builders' merchants. Their market share was modest but increasing slowly. The commission noted that BGC had changed its attitude to independents, particularly in the period since the inquiry was set up, and that the "Superflame" scheme was being phased out. The commission could not judge the reason for these developments; and BGC had not acknowledged any essential rethinking of its retailing policies. The commission could not ignore the possibility that the BGC might be tempted to employ again some of the commercial tactics which it had criticised. In the present circumstances the public was losing the benefit of competition. In the commission's view this made it impossible to know whether BGC's retailing system was cost-effective or provided for consumer demand at the cheapest prices; it appeared to threaten the longer-term efficiency and viability of the appliance industry.

OTHER MONOPOLISTS

In relation to the monopoly of Thorn Gas Appliances Ltd. (Thorn) in the supply of cookers the commission commented that it had no reason to believe that Thorn had been earning excessive profits. It also noted that Thorn's rate of investment had been rather higher than average in the industry and that Thorn had been more alert in organising itself to meet certain of the new demands emerging both in relation to home and export markets. With regard to pricing and selling policies, however, the commission noted that Thorn, in co-operating with policies introduced by BGC in 1973, had made increases in differentials against independent retailers comparable with those of other manufacturers and had appeared to give BGC first call on its production. The commission found it a matter for regret that Thorn had not felt able to adopt a more independent role, particularly in relation to sales to other retailers, and said that it could have used its power as the largest supplier with considerably more effect than it had. It accordingly concluded that the Thorn's monopoly in the supply of gas cookers had operated against the public interest in that the company had, by its pricing and selling policies, acted in such a way as to uphold the monopolies enjoyed by BGC in the supply of gas cookers and to discourage the growth of independent retailers.

On the complex monopolies in favour of members of the Society of British Gas Industries (SBGI) and the Gas Stove Makers Panel (GSMP) the commission noted that BGC's dominant position made it almost inevitable that the manufacturers should combine to protect their own interests. The activities of these groups had included discussions on the levels of differential between prices to be offered to BGC and those charged to other retailers, on the advance notice of price increases to be offered to BGC, and on matters connected with the entry to the retail market of the Co-operative Wholesale Society. Although satisfied that these discussions did not amount to an agreement the commission concluded that the complex monopoly situations had operated against the public interest in that they had tended to restrict competition and that they had served to support and enhance the BGC's monopolies.

THE COMMISSION'S FINDINGS

The commission found that monopoly situations existed in favour of Thorn in relation to the supply of gas cookers; Thorn and Chaffoteaux Limited in relation to the supply of water heaters, and BGC in relation to the supply of cookers, water heaters and space heaters both by and to BGC. The commission also found that complex monopoly situations existed in relation to the supply of each of the three classes of goods in favour of all manufacturers who were members of SBGI and the GSMP.

The commission concluded that all the monopolies they found to exist, except those enjoyed by Thorn and Chaffoteaux in respect of water heaters, operated against the public interest.

THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION

The commission found that the adverse effects of those monopolies which operated against the public interest centred on the dominant position which BGC exercised as both a monopoly buyer and retailer of appliances, and that BGC's position was underlined by its role as the statutory supplier of the fuel. The commission has recommended either of two options to remedy the adverse situation created by the BGC monopolies as being worthy of consideration but has not expressed any opinion as to the choice between the two favoured options. However, the commission made no direct recommendations to remedy the adverse effects it found in relation to monopolists other than BGC, as it considered that remedying the adverse effects in respect of BGC would result in remedying the adverse effects of the other monopoly situations also.

The commission considered how the present position might be improved, and in particular looked at three possible changes:

a. that BGC should discontinue its retailing functions and that the retailing of gas appliances should become exclusively a private sector activity;

or

b. that the retailing operation should be transferred to one or more distinct or virtualy distinct bodies, which should be separately accountable;

or

c. that there should be a modification of BGC's accounting and other procedures with a view to reducing its power in the retailing sector and thereby its influence over manufacturers. This would involve seeking more fully to achieve and taking further the objective of the Department of Trade and Industry in 1971 when it was decided that BGC should publish separate accounts for its appliance retailing and installation and contracting services. This might involve more precise directives setting out different and clearer arrangements for the allocation of costs and for BGC's accounting system, but leaving the retailing activities with BGC, as was agreed in 1971.

The commission considered the advantages and disadvantages of the three options in detail in paragraphs 13·88 to 13·106 of its report. Its conclusion was that the choice lay between the first and third courses. It rejected the second as retaining the possibility of many of the disadvantages of the present system, and as being unlikely to operate successfully.

The commission recorded that it recognised that the Government, in deciding what course to adopt in relation to BGC, might have to take into account political considerations on which the commission did not normally form a view. It therefore did not see fit to express any recommendation between what it described as the "radical" course (( a) above) and the "less radical" course (( c) above). It commented that it must be for Ministers, if it accepted the commission's view of the effect of the existing state of affairs upon the public interest, to decide which remedy to adopt. However, two Commission members—Miss Stephen and Mr. Ashford—expressed a preference for the less radical solution.

We welcome this comprehensive report by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. The Government find its conclusions extremely interesting; and they will be swiftly examined, in the light of the public debate which will no doubt follow publication, with a view to taking appropriate measures.

Manufactures

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the estimated United Kingdom share of world trade in manufactures each year since 1970 and each quarter since 10 January 1977 at current and at 1975 prices.

The United Kingdom share of world trade in manufactures is normally measured in terms of the United Kingdom's current value share of main manufacturing countries' exports of manufactured goods. This information is published in table E1 of the Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics. Estimates at 1975 prices are given in the following table.

ESTIMATED (a) UK SHARE OF MAIN MANUFACTURING COUNTRIES (b) EXPORTS OF MANUFACTURERS (c) 1975 PRICES (d)
		Seasonally adjusted United Kingdom share per cent.
1970		10·2
1971		10·4
1972		9·7
1973		9·7
1974		9·2
1975		9·3
1976		9·1
1977		9·4
1978		9·1
1979		8·6
1977	Q1	9·1
	Q2	9·6
	Q3	9·8
	Q4	9·2
1978	Ql	9·2
	Q2	9·1
	Q3	9·1
	Q4	8·7
1979	Ql	7·8
	Q2	9·3
	Q3	8·8
	Q4	8·7
Notes:
(a) Figures include certain estimated data. Any revisions will be incorporated in the volume series to be published in Table E1 of the Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics.
(b) The main manufacturing countries are taken as United Kingdom, Belgium/Luxembourg, Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Canada and Japan. Together they account for about three quarters of world exports of manufactured goods
(c) SITC sections 5 to 8.
((d) Figures on different base years have been linked as necessary to produce these estimates.

Taps (Imports)

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what was the value of imported domestic taps in the last three years which conform to British Standard 1010;(2) what was the value of imported domestic taps in the last two years which conform to British Standard 5412; and what were their countries of origin.

This information is not available. Domestic taps fall within SITC (R2) sub-group 749·2 in the United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics, but it is not possible to say which imported taps conformed to the British Standards in question.

Compensation (Injuries And Damage)

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what compensation has been paid out in the past five years by his Department to persons making claims or for injuries and damage for which his Department was responsible; what has been the cost of buildings and equipment, for which his Department was responsible, destroyed or damaged over the same period; and if he will give the figures on a year-by-year basis.

Compensation payments and losses are shown in the Department's published appropriation accounts. The fact that a payment was made does not necessarily imply acceptance of legal responsibility by the Department.

Bankruptcies

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if he will give the number of bankruptcies notified on a monthly basis for each month from January 1979;(2) if he will give the number of bankruptcies notified in the building trade on a monthly basis for each month from January 1979.

The numbers of bankruptcies which relate to individuals and partnerships in England and Wales are as follows:

		Bankruptcies^*
1979	January	337
	February	334
	March	302
	April	217
	May	293
	June	345
	July	354
	August	176
	September	193
	October	355
	November	352
	December	242
1980	January	240
	February	323
	March	385
	April	307
	May	337
	June	361

Monthly figures for individual industries are not available and quarterly figures are not very reliable and may be incomplete. Annual figures are better and the figure for 1979 for construction is given below, together with the figures for the first quarters of 1979 and 1980.

Bankruptcies^ in the construction industry*
	Jan-Dec	Jan-March
1979	832	163
1980		158
^* Deeds of arrangement are included as well as receiving and administration orders.

Tenerife Air Crash

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he expects to be able to make a further statement about the accident involving the Dan Air Boeing 727 at Tenerife on 25 April.

When the investigation into this tragic accident is complete all the evidence will be evaluated and a report will be produced by the Spanish authorities after due consultation with the accidents investigation branch of my Department. 1 do not expect to be able usefully to add to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in the House on 10 June 1980 until this report has been published.

Motorway Petrol Prices

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if, under the powers given to him by the Competition Act, he will refer the issue of petrol prices charged at motorway service stations to the Director General of Fair Trading, in view of the limited competition in these circumstances.

No. These powers are intended to be used only exceptionally in cases of major public concern and a reference would be inappropriate in this case. I recognise that motorway service areas may tend to have higher overheads than other garages but I suggest that, as long as their petrol prices remain relatively high, customers should, wherever possible and practical, avoid buying petrol there. This will encourage the operators to bring their petrol prices into line with those prevailing elsewhere, where active competition has led to lower prices.

Furniture Imports

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what steps he is taking with regard to the import of furniture at artificially low prices from other countries.

My Department has already advised the industry on the Community's procedures for taking action against dumped imports and is ready to help prepare a complaint to put before the European Commission. We hope that the British Furniture Manufacturers Federated Associations, acting on behalf of the industry, will be able to let us have as soon as possible the information needed.

Canada

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the value of total trade between the United Kingdom and Canada in each year since 1970 up to the latest year for which figures are available.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 July 1980, c. 517]: The information is as follows:

		Imports (cif)	£ million Exports (fob)
1970	…	688	290
1971	…	638	350
1972	…	607	380
1973	…	738	416
1974	…	987	496
1975	…	859	547
1976	…	1,161	631
1977	…	1,217	702
1978	…	1,086	739
1979	…	1,260	766

Source: United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics.

Multi-Fibre Arrangement (United States)

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) whether any representations have been made to the Government of the United States of America concerning the substantial increases in imports of articles under multi-fibre arrangement categories four, five and 65 from the United States of America; what has been the result of these representations; and what action Her Majesty's Government now intend to take in the matter;(2) whether representations have been made to the European Economic Commission concerning the import of knitted garments and fabrics from the United States of America containing yarn made from polyester fibres, continuous, trade codes 51·01: 0899, 0999, 1199 and 1399; and what has been the result of those representations.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 July 1980, c. 521]: We have made no representations about imports in any of these categories to the United States Government or the European Community Commission, nor have we been asked to do so.

Northern Ireland

Ten Acre Estate, Newtownards

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the hon. Member for Down, North will obtain an answer to his demand for the provision of a service road for Ten Acre Estate, Newtownards, which he submitted to the Department of the Environment.

I wrote to the hon. Member on this matter on 25 July 1980.

Housing Executive

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will lay before Parliament the latest accounts of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive; and if he will make a statement.

The accounts of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for 1978–79 together with the report of the Local Government Auditor and of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon were laid before Parliament today. The matters raised by the Local Government Auditor have been the subject of close consultation between the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland and the Executive to ensure that all possible action is being taken by the Executive in relation to points raised by the auditors. I have arranged for a statement by the Executive on these points to be made available in the Library.The report indicates steady progress by the Executive on matters which have been the subject of criticisms in previous years.

Overseas Students (Fees)

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the level of fee to be paid in 1980–81 and in future years by overseas students in universities and other colleges of further and higher education in Northern Ireland.

[pursuant to his reply, 23 July 1980, c. 261]: There are proportionately fewer overseas students in Northern Ireland than in Great Britain. Their position is examined regularly in the context of the general review of tuition fees in higher and further education which lakes place every year and those attending courses at universities and other colleges of further and higher education will be charged the same tuition fees as home students in 1980–81.

Home Department

Self-Service Stores (Shoplifting)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made by his Department in reviewing the further measures which self-service stores should take to prevent shoplifting; and if he will make a statement.

The review, by the Home Office standing committee on crime prevention, has only recently started and will take some time to complete.

Penal Establishments

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the new or refurbished places in penal establishments which will be started in 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84 and 1984–85 will replace places lost for reasons such as decay, damage or conversion for other prison use; and how many will be additional places.

It is not possible to predict how many places will be lost for reasons such as decay, damage—which may include riots, fire or abnormal weather conditions—or conversion for other prison use in any future financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what will be the total certified normal accommodation in prison department establishments at the end of 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985.

The estimate of certified normal accommodation for all prison department establishments is approximately 38,900 places. It is not possible to make reliable predictions beyond 1980.

Parliamentary Constitutencies(Humberside)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the 1980 parliamentary electorate registered in each of the nine recommended constituencies for Humberside as listed by the Boundary Commission for England in its notice issued on 12 June of the current year.

I regret that the information requested for the constituencies of Kingston upon Hull, East, Kingston upon Hull, North and Kingston upon Hull, West is not readily available, because of rewarding and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The other information requested is as follows:

Constituency	1980 electorate
Beverley	73,357
Boothferry	70,576
Bridlington	74,792
Cleethorpes	70,335
Great Grimsby	68,169
Scunthorpe	76,944

Civil Defence

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will be ready to publish his report on national civil defence.

Very shortly.

Electoral Lists

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give fresh, clear instructions in connection with the coming annual preparation of the list of electors in parliamentary constituencies that wardens or controllers of properties with multiple residences must list as persons eligible to vote only those who are British citizens of the United Kingdom.

The Representation of the People (Amendment) Regulations 1980, recently approved by Parliament, revise the householders' electoral registration form, form 'A', in use in England and Wales so as to make more explicit that only British subjects—including Commonwealth citizens—and citizens of the Republic of Ireland are eligible for inclusion in the electoral register.

Prime Minister (Engagements)

Q5.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 29 July.

Q6.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q7.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 29 July.

Q8.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q9.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q10.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q11.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q12.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q13.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 29 July.

Q14.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q15.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q17.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q18.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 29 July.

Q19.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q20.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q21.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her official engagements for 29 July.

Q22.

asked the Prime Minister if she will announce her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q23.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 29 July.

Q24.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q25.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q28.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements on 29 July.

Q29.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 29 July.

Q31.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q33.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 29 July.

Q34.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q35.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q36.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q38.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q39.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 29 July.

Q42.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 29 July.

Q43.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 29 July.

Q44.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q45.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q46.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q47.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q48.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q50.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

Q52.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 29 July.

Q53.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 29 July.

Q55.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 29 July.

Q56.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 29 July.

Janner asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 29 July.

I refer the hon. Members and hon. Friends to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Isle of Ely (Mr. Freud).

Cbi

Q16.

asked the Prime Minister when last she met the leaders of the Confederation of British Industry.

On 3 January at the NEDC.

Bardsey Island

Q26.

asked the Prime Minister when she will next visit Bardsey Island.

I have at present no plans to do so.

Ministerial Appointments

Q27.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will dismiss the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Q32.

asked the Prime Minister if she will replace the Minister for Social Security and the disabled.

I refer the hon. Members to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Goole (Dr. Marshall) on 24 July.

Brinnington

Q30.

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

I have at present no plans to do so.

Wage Rates

Q37.

asked the Prime Minister whether she proposes to discuss with trade union leaders a reduction in wage demands for the coming winter in order to secure an increase in employment.

The wider understanding of this relationship is vital to the return to industrial stability and economic success, and we will continue, through discussions in NEDC and elsewhere to get this message across.

Act Of Settlement

Q40.

asked the Prime Minister why she does not intend to amend the Act of Settlement 1701.

The Government see no occasion for amendment of the Act.

Biotechnology

Q41.

asked the Prime Minister what discussions she has had with her European Economic Community partners on Community support for biotechnology.

I have had no discussions with my European colleagues about Community support for biotechnology. Discussions have, however, taken place at official level about a Commission proposal for a collaborative research programme on biomolecular engineering, but those discussions are not yet sufficiently advanced for the matter to be considered by the Council.

Greece

Q49.

asked the Prime Minister what plans she has to visit Greece.

I look forward to paying an official visit to Greece in September.

Springboig

Q51.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will visit Springboig.

I have at present no plans to do so.

Tuc

Q54.

asked the Prime Minister if she will meet the Trades Union Congress leaders to discuss the serious slump in British industry.

I have no immediate plans to do so.

Race Relations Act

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the working of the Race Relations Act 1976.

The working of the Act is kept under review and we have no proposals to amend it.

Gwynedd (Employment)

asked the Prime Minister why she refused, during the recent visit to Gwynedd, to meet a deputation from Gwynedd county council to discuss the employment problems of the area.

The programme for my visit to Wales had already been arranged when I received the request for a meeting from Gwynedd county council. My office wrote to the chief executive of the council on 11 July explaining that it was not possible for me to take up the invitation.

New Hebrides

Dunwoody asked the Prime Minister whether it is proposed that a gift should be presented to the Government of the New Hebrides to mark the attainment of independence of 30 July.

The House will, I feel sure, wish to send congratulations to the New Hebrides on their impending independence, along with best wishes for the happiness and prosperity of the people of those Islands. Her Majesty's Government propose to offer a suitable gift to mark the occasion.

Social Services

Large General Hospitals

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage increase in the use of large general hospitals has been brought about by the closure of smaller hospital units, both generally and in the larger cities.

This information is not available centrally. However, the provision of new facilities and the closure of old, whether in small hospitals or by re-provision on the same site, are usually planned together rather than having coincidental effects, as the question implied. This Government's policies are aimed at retaining smaller local hospitals wherever they can serve a useful purpose and should thus mean that more people continue to be treated in them than was hitherto planned.

Perinatal Mortality

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to be able to publish his response to the Select Committee report on perinatal mortality.

Our aim is to present a full reply to Parliament in the autumn.

Broadmoor(Appointment Of Physiciansuperintendent)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends to appoint a new physician superintendent of Broadmoor.

The present physician superintendent is due to retire in June 1981. I have decided that he should be succeeded by an appointed medical director who will chair the hospital management team and lead the hospital. The post will be advertised later this year.

Hospital Patients(Service)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he is taking to bring about an improved service to patients in hospitals.

It is the Government's aim to improve services for patients and to make these more personal and local. In May we put forward proposals for greater flexibility on type and size of hospitals; this is the first hospital policy review by Ministers since 1962 by the right hon. Member for Down, South (Mr. Powell). Last week we announced plans to improve the structure and management of the health services.

Allocation Of Resources

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that the allocations of resources to the regional health authorities adequately takes into consideration annual population growth.

No. Although annual population growth is taken into consideration, the scope for adjusting local allocations is limited by the amount of money available nationally.

National Health Service(Public Purchasing)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the present system of public purchasing within the National Health Service.

I believe that improvements can be made. For this reason, I have set up a supply council as a special health authority to support health authorities in their drive to secure better value for money in the procurement of supplies and so free resources for the direct care of patients. I am confident that the supply council's decisions will earn, as well as command, acceptance and will be acted upon throughout the NHS.

St Benedict's Hospital, Tooting

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the present position regarding the closure of St. Benedict's hospital, Tooting.

The Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth area health authority (teaching) plans to complete the temporary transfer of services from this hospital to the Bolingbroke hospital by the end of September 1980. I am considering the proposal by the health authorities that St. Benedict's should then be permanently closed.

National Health Service(Rotherham)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he considers that National Health Service provision within the Rotherham metropolitan area will be adequate during 1981.

The provision of health services in the metropolitan borough of Rotherham is the responsibility of the Rotherham area health authority, and financial allocations to that authority are made by the Trent regional health authority. There is every reason to believe that resource assumptions for the area for 1981–82 will allow for real growth in services.

Retirement Pension(Supplementary Benefit)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people who are in receipt of State retirement pensions are also in receipt of supplementary benefit.

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for South Ayrshire (Mr. Foulkes) on 2 July.—[Vol. 987, c. 611.]

Cancer (Review)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if his Department has studied the review of various causes of cancer made for the Chemical Industries Association; and what conclusions it has drawn.

The review is being studied with interest, and I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

Adoption

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek to change the adoption laws as necessary so that a natural parent can remain so in law when an in-family adoption takes place.

I am aware of my hon. Friend's concern about this matter and I shall be writing to him.

Health Centre(Brinnington)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what effect his recent circular on health services development health centre policy will have on the prospects for a health centre for Brinnington.

The North-Western regional health authority is carrying out a review of schemes for health centres, in accordance with the circular, but will not come to any decisions for some time. If the hon. Member wishes to contact the regional health authority, it will let him know its decision on the Brinnington scheme in due course.

Heart Operations(Macclesfield)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are currently awaiting operations for heart complaints in the Macclesfield area.

There are no cardiac surgery facilities in the Macclesfield health district. This specialty is organised on a regional basis and, for the Mersey regional health authority, is provided in Liverpool. However, because of historic links, Macclesfield patients are normally referred to the unit in Manchester in the neighbouring North-Western regional health authority. The place of residence of patients on the waiting list is not known centrally; the number of Macclesfield patients on the list could be obtained by the health authority only at considerable expense.

National Health Service Patients(Private Hospital Use)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement concerning the use by National Health Service patients of private hospital facilities.

The NHS has always used facilities in private hospitals and nursing homes as a way of providing services to NHS patients. About 3,000 private beds were used by NHS patients in 1978, and there were 217,000 NHS out-patient attendances in private institutions. I am keen to encourage this and other forms of collaboration between the NHS and the independent sector. I believe this will benefit the NHS—for example, by taking advantage of facilities which may be in short supply in particular localities, and by helping to reduce waiting lists. The Department has recently issued for comment a draft circular on contractual arrangements with the private sector. Besides encouraging authorities to consider greater use of contractual arrangements, this lifts the previous bar on contracts with profit-making bodies and revises earlier guidance on the form of contracts so as to allow greater flexibility to fit particular local requirements.

Liverpool Area Health Authority(Bulk Buying)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the present system of bulk buying by the Liverpool area health authority (teaching); and if there are any plans to change it.

Arrangements for buying supplies are essentially for health authorities to decide, and vary according to the commodity involved. I am not aware of difficulties in Liverpool, but if the hon. Member will let the area health authority (teaching) know of any specific problems which he has in mind, I am sure it will have them looked into.

Additional Age Allowance

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to increase the additional age allowance, fixed at 25p in 1970, to a more realistic amount for 80-year-old and over retirement pensioners; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to increase the age addition to retirement pensions, which was first introduced in September 1971.

Local Authority Social Services

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will enter into discussions with the Manpower Services Commission to see whether the various jobs opportunity schemes can be extended to save jobs in the field of local authority social services where essential services are put at risk by necessary reductions in local government expenditure.

I have noted my hon Friend's suggestion, and shall write to him.

Orthopaedic Surgery

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many pensioners are currently awaiting orthopaedic surgery in the National Health Service.

The ages of patients awaiting orthopaedic surgery are not recorded centrally.

Benefit (Claims)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken to ensure that claims for benefit are handled by his Department with due expedition.

Instructions to staff require them to clear claims expeditiously, and management is instructed to monitor performance. Operational arrangements are also subject to review to ensure, amongst other things, that unnecessary delays do not occur.

Operations And Consultations(Waiting Time)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further steps he is taking to reduce the waiting time for National Health Service operations and consultations.

Although I am concerned at the length of time some people are having to wait for hospital treatment, I do not believe that direct action by central Government would be appropriate. In general, it is for each health authority to determine what action to reduce waiting lists is practicable and what rity such action should be given within available resources. However, the Department's working party on orthopaedic waiting time will be reporting shortly, and I hope its findings will be of value to authorities seeking to reduce waiting times. An increase in the number of operations carried out in the private sector may contribute to a reduction in waiting times for some types of admission to NHS hospitals.

Supplementary Benefit

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give further consideration to introducing the longer term higher supplementary benefit for those who have been unemployed for over 12 months.

I am afraid this is a change for which there are insufficient resources at present.

Health Planning Consortium(Kent)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will establish a Kent health planning consortium to investigate the well-being of patients in Kent as a counterbalance to the London health planning consortium.

Provision of health services in Kent is within the responsibilities of a single regional health authority, and there is, therefore, no requirement for a consortium.

Pensions

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has had any recent discussions with pensioners' organisations concerning the level of State pensions and the frequency of payment of cost of living increases.

These matters were discussed when I met the National Federation of Old Age Pensioners Associations in February and when my right hon. Friend met the British Pensioners and Trade Unions Action Committee in April.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further representations he has received on the proposed adjustment of pensions and other social security benefits in November.

A substantial number of representations, both from organisations and individuals, have been received, concerning the amounts of the increases and their timing.

Regional Health Authority(Abolition)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consideration he is giving to the abolition of the regional health authority tier rather then the area health authority.

As I announced in my statement to the House on 23 July—[Vol. 989, c. 505–509]—after considering the comments on "Patients First", we have decided that area health authorities should be replaced by authorities at broadly the present district level. Regional level authorities will be retained, but, as I said in my statement, I intend later on to review their role.

Benefits (Claims)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the most recent estimate of the amount of unclaimed social security and other benefits per week; and how this compares with estimates of fraudulently claimed social security and other benefits.

The Government are concerned both that people should take up their rights to benefit and that fraudu- lent claims to benefit are prevented. I hope the hon. Member is not suggesting that fraudulent claims to benefit should be taken any less seriously because not all benefit entitlement is taken up. For the information which the hon. Member asks, I refer him first to my reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 1 April—[Vol. 982, c. 137–38] ; secondly, for welfare foods, to paragraphs 19·2 to 19·4 of the annual report of the Supplementary Benefits Commission for 1978; and, thirdly, to the statement promised in my reply to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Leith (Mr. Brown)—[Vol. 989, c. 371]—on 24 July.

Social Security (No 2) Act 1980

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the savings in each benefit affected by section 4 of the Social Security (No. 2) Act 1980 in weekly terms of the average benefit payable to a claimant.

Section 4 of the Social Security (No. 2) Act 1980 reduces and then abolishes the earnings-related supplement payable with certain short-term benefits and the earnings related allowance payable with widow's allowance. If these benefits were not abolished from January 1982 and the present rules governing entitlement and amount of weekly benefit payable were to continue, it is estimated that the average amounts that would be paid for new claims^* arising during the calendar year 1982 would be as follows:

Benefit	Estimated Average amount of ERS that would be paid †
	£
Sickness benefit	12·50
Unemployment benefit	11·10
Injury benefit	13·70
Maternity allowance	9·10
Widow's allowance	14·30
^* CIaims for which the relevant tax year is 1980–81.
† These estimates are based on the economic assumptions for 1980–81 used in the Government Actuary's report on the draft of the Social Security Benefits Uprating Order 1980 (Cmnd. 7971).

Care Of The Elderly (Joint Funding)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has for expanding joint funding schemes between local authorities and area health authorities to encourage mutually supportive policies in the care of old people.

The joint finance allocation this year represents a 15 per cent. increase in real terms on that for 1979–80, and my right hon. Friend has decided that the amount provided should continue to increase gradually over the next few years. He does not determine the uses to which joint finance should be put; this is a matter for the local and health authorities as part of their collaborative planning. Detailed information is not available, but there are indications that up to 40 per cent. of joint finance is used for schemes in connection with services for the elderly.

Mental Patients (Information)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements exist for the transmission to the police of information about patients released from mental and psychiatric care hospitals.

The Home Office tells the police when a patient subject to restrictions on discharge under the Mental Health Act 1959 is conditionally discharged or is to be granted leave from hospital. In other cases, it is for the hospital to inform the police when considered appropriate; this Department is urgently reviewing the arrangements at the special hospitals in the light of the recent case of Ronald Sailes.

Death Grant

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many petitions and letters concerning the death grant he has received.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many representations have been received by his Department which have expressed dissatisfaction in regard to the value of the death grant.

Since we came into office, about 750 representations have been received about the death grant.

Home Helps

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice he has given to local authorities about charging for home helps.

Local authorities have discretionary powers, under paragraph 3 (2) of schedule 8 to the National Health Service Act 1977, to recover from those receiving home help services such charges, if any, as the authority considers reasonable, having regard to the means of the people concerned. The Department's long standing advice to local authorities, dating from 1971, is that the amount of any charge should not be such that a recipient of the service would need, because of that charge, to seek supplementary benefit or an addition to supplementary benefit. Following its decision in February to award no new additions to benefit in respect of home help charges, the Supplementary Benefits Commission has made clear its view that local authorities should exercise their discretionary powers to make charges in such a way as to waive them for people living at supplementary benefit level, or at least so that any charges levied do not impose hardship on such clients. My right hon. Friend does not intend to interfere with local authorities' decisions in such matters.

Social Security (School Leavers)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many school leavers are now on social security.

Separate records of unemployed school leavers receiving benefit are not maintained.

Voluntary Service

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proposals he has for further encouragement of voluntary service to take over responsibility for those areas of personal social services which will suffer from restraint in Government and local government expenditure.

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Mr. Marlow) on 3 Jun.—[Vol. 985, c. 615.] I regard the voluntary sector as vital in its own right; it is not a matter of economic expediency.

Wales

Local Authority Capital Works

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, in view of the July unemploy- ment figures, if he will now authorise an emergency programme of capital works by local authorities in Wales.

No.

Unemployment

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table listing for 10 July the percentage unemployment at all those employment exchanges in Wales for which unemployment exceeds 10 per cent., on a non-seasonally adjusted basis.

The list is as follows:

Travel-to-work Area	Unemployment Rate per cent.
Monmout	11·8
Pontypool, Abergavenny, Blaenavon, Cwmbran	10·5
Ebbw Vale, Abertillery, Brynmawr, Tredegar	16·7
Bargoed, Blackwood, Pontlottyn, Ystrad Mynach	15·7
Pontypridd, Ferndale, Llantrisant, Tonypandy, Tonyrefail, Treorchy	11·8
Merthyr Tydfil, Treharris	10·3
Aberdare	13·5
Swansea, Gorseinon, Morriston, Pontardawe, Ystradgynlais	10·1
Neath, Resolven	11·0
Llanelli, Kidwelly, Tumble, Ammanford, Garnant	11·6
Llandeilo	10·6
Pembroke Dock	10·1
Cardigan	15·3
Lampeter, Llandyssul	14·8
Wrexham, Cefn Mawr	14·3
Shotton, Flint, Holywell, Mold	16·2
Rhyl	11·2
Holyhead, Amlwch, Beaumaris, Llangefni	14·0
Caernarvon, Bangor. Bethesda. Penygroes	12·2

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many persons there were in Wales on 10 July registered as temporarily unemployed but not included in the total unemployment figure for Wales for July.

349.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the instances since 1945 in which the total registered monthly number of unemployed persons, not seasonally adjusted, has been in excess of 116,000.

July 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many unemployed persons there were in Wales under the age of 25 years in July.

The quarterly age analysis based on the July returns is not yet available.

Job Vacancies

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will publish the number of job vacancies notified respectively to each of the local careers offices in Wales as at 4 July.

The list is as follows—

Careers Office and Notified Vacancies Unfilled on 4 July 1980
Colwyn Bay	4
Flint	1
Mold	1
Rhyl	8
Shotton	—
Wrexham	6
Aberystwyth	10
Ammanford	5
Carmarthen	25
Llanelli	7
Haverfordwest	13
Pembroke Dock	7
Aberdare	—
Bridgend	—
Caerphilly	14
Merthyr Tydfil	—
Pontypridd	1
Tonypandy	1
Cardiff	40
Barry	—
Gorseinon	5
Morriston	6
Neath	7
Port Talbot	—
Swansea	5
Abertillery	—
Blackwood	2
Cross Keys	1
Newport	7
Pontypool	4
Usk	3
Bangor	4
Caernarvon	4
Conwy	6
Dolgellau	1
Holyhead	—
Pwllheli	6
Brecon	5
Llandrindod Wells	10
Newtown	18

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many new vacancies there were notified to employment offices in Wales during the month preceding 4 July; and how this compares with the approximately corresponding period of 1979.

Between 6 June-3 July 1980 8,490 vacancies were notified; this compares with 12,380 in the corresponding period of 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in the Official Report the local employment offices in Wales which in July had registered more job vacancies than unemployed persons in that area.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table giving the instances in which the monthly figures for job vacancies in Wales has been below 6,100, not seasonally adjusted.

The information is as follows:

	Notified vacancies remaining unfilled at Employment Offices/Job Centres in Wales
	(Thousands)
February 1975	5·9
July 1975	5·4
August 1975	5·1
September 1975	51
October 1975	4·5
November 1975	3·9
December 1975	3·7
January 1976	3·8
February 1976	4·1
March 1976	4·5
April 1976	5·4
May 1976	5·6
June 1976	5·3
July 1976	5·7
August 1976	5·5
October 1976	5·5
February 1977	5·5
March 1977	5·9
November 1977	5·8
December 1977	5·9
July 1980	6·0

The current series of information collected on a consistent basis began in 1974.

Special Temporary Employmentprogramme

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many new jobs have been approved in Wales during the last three months under the special temporary employment programme.

Since April some 500 job opportunities have become available.

Adult Students

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, on 10 July how many adult students there were registered in Wales for temporary employment who were not included in the monthly figures for unemployment for Wales for July.

10,390.

Disabled Persons (Unemployment)

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many persons there were registered in Wales on 12 June as unemployed who were disabled persons unlikely to obtain employment except under sheltered conditions.

The number of registered disabled persons in this category was 847.

Job Transfer Scheme

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many persons in Wales have applied in each of the last six months for assistance under the job transfer scheme to take up employment outside Wales.

A total of 248 applications were approved between January and June 1980.

Environment

Cleveland County Council

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations have been made to him by the Cleveland county council; and what reply he has sent.

A deputation from Cleveland county council was received by Ministers of the Department of Industry, the Department of the Environment and the Department of Employment earlier this year to discuss economic problems in the county. It was agreed at the meeting that I should write to the county council about matters concerning the Departments of Environment and Transport. I did so on 1 July and am sending a copy of my letter to the hon. Member.

Housing Stock

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list, for each of those years from 1945 to the present for which information is available, the estimated proportion of the United Kingdom's housing stock which was (a) in the private rented sector, (b) in home ownership and (c) in local authority, new town and housing association ownership.

The information is as follows:

STOCK OF DWELLINGS BY TENURE UNITED KINGDOM
	Private rented and other tenures^*	Owner-occupied	Per cent. Rented from local authorities new towns and housing associations
1951	52	29	19
1961	29	43	28
1966	24	47	29
1971	18	50	32
1977	13	54	34
^* Includes dwellings rented with farms or business premises and those occupied by virtue of employment.

Source: 1951–71—Census of Population; 1977 the National Dwelling and Housing Survey for England and independent estimates for other countries.

Government Car Service

Lewis asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the current cost of the Government car service; how this compares with one year ago; what have been the increases or savings in the number of cars and staff and running costs since May; and what further action he proposes to take to have on this expenditure in accordance with the Government's policy of cutting public expenditure.

The current cost of running the GCS is estimated at £3·34 million per annum compared with £3·22 million one year ago. During this time there has been a reduction of 63 cars and 58 staff, which represents a saving of about £½ million per annum at current costs. The Government have already cut the GCS by 23 per cent., and the scope for further savings is now marginal.

Ordnance Survey

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is now able to make his full statement on the Government's proposals, as a result of the review of the work of the Ordnance Survey.

There is still some work to do, following my right hon. Friend's consideration of the report of the Ordnance Survey review committee and his recent visit to the Ordnance Survey. My right hon. Friend expects to make a statement in the autumn.

Rate Support Grant

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report either the percentage rate support grant or the actual amounts of rate support grant received by each of the 20 outer London boroughs.

Estimated final allocations of rate support grant for 1980–81 are as follows:

	£m
Barking & Dagenham	31·15
Barnet	49·55
Bexley	45·09
Brent	61·81
Bromley	56·02
Croydon	61·15
Ealing	54·45
Enfield	47·77
Haringey	61·86
Harrow	34·41
Havering	45·69
Hillingdon	36·73
Hounslow	36·27
Kingston-upon-Thames	22·98
Merton	32·96
Newham	60·35
Redbridge	44·16
Richmond-upon-Thames…	28·49
Sutton	31·18
Waltham Forest	54·99

Domestic Rates

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the average domestic rate per household levied in each local authority area in England, showing separately the proportion attributable to the county precept in each case.

I shall arrange for the information to be placed in the Library of the House.

Civic Functions

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in support of the Government's policy of cutting public expenditure, he will send a circular to all local authorities advising them to cease holding civic receptions, mayoral parties and similar public functions.

No. These are matters for local authorities' own decisions. We have made clear the need to constrain public expenditure.

Stray Dogs

Mr. Park asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to introduce legislation to give local auth-

	1978–79		1979–80		1980–81^*
	Actual out-turn		Forecast out-turn		Preliminary estimate
	Capital	Current	Capital	Current	Capital	Current
Birmingham	335,431	1,916,434	1,321,026	3,276,176	1,596,411	3,929,444
Wolverhampton	14,094	151,221	96,420	381,440	248,980	638,816
Dudley	30,277	131,519	41,594	147,157	43,518	156,183
Walsall	49,018	557,072	75,760	590,430	81,000	662,960
Sandwell	29,718	351,979	43,251	422,584	106,301	402,148
Solihull	—	22,021	——	25,100	—	25,600
Coventry	41,953	497,556	48,790	656,230	45,410	643,280
West Midlands CC	61,959	49,613	484,715	148,100	461,710	159,000
These figures do not include expenditure under the inner cities construction package or operation clean-up.
^* The preliminary estimate tor 1980–81 was prepared before new projects to start in that year were approved.

Gipsies

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he plans to amend the current legislation relating to gipsies so that district councils, having provided sufficient sites, should be able to evict travellers from unofficial encampments.

A provision for the designation of districts under the Caravan Sites Act 1968 was deleted from the original Local Government, Planning and Land Bill in reintroducing the shorter No. 2 Bill into the Commons. We accept the advantages of district designation but are unable to use Government resources this Session to put back this provision.

orities wider statutory powers to deal with stray dogs.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 May to the hon. Member for Cardigan (Mr. Howells).-—[Vol. 985, c. 261.]

Urban Programme (West Midlands)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the amounts received by the local authorities in the West Midlands towards (a) capital and (b) current expenditure in specific grant for the urban programme in 1978–79 at outturn prices, together with provisional figures for 1979–80 and 1980–81.

Details of the capital and current expenditure by West Midlands local authorities for each of the last three years under the urban programme, on which grant is paid at a rate of 15 per cent. are as follows:

Sea Erosion

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will indicate what records are available within his Department on the loss of land through erosion by the sea; and if he will take steps to ensure that all future losses are monitored and recorded.

We have information on land lost through erosion by the sea in a few areas only. However, the Department has recently started a coast protection survey of England and, amongst other things, we hope to obtain from the maritime district councils information on this problem to enable assess its overall magnitude.

Royal Parks (Surplus Plants)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will be prepared to make available to the public the surplus plants produced in the Royal parks rather than have them destroyed as at present.

No surplus plants are produced in the Royal parks, though some additional plants are grown to cover possible replacements.The work and accounting arrangements involved in arranging sales to the public would not justify the receipts involved, nor is manpower available for the task.

Wiltshire County Council (Refuse Tip)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will call in the planning application by Wiltshire county council to site an open refuse tip at Hay Lane, Wroughton, on the grounds that such development will endanger new employment opportunities in Swindon and district.

The statutory 21-day objection period in respect of this application does not expire until 31 July 1980. Therefore, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is not yet in a position to form a view in this matter. However, the matter is being actively considered, and of course all representations received will be taken into account before a decision is reached.

Building Regulation Approval

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he will advise local authorities not to impose charges for building regulation approval until he has completed his reconsideration of the drafting of the order authorising the charges;(2) how many local authorities have so far introduced charges for building regulation approval.

I understand that of the 389 building control authorities only two are known not to have introduced charges. My right hon. Friend has undertaken to review the working of the scheme after six months' operation.

Circulars

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent the Government have reduced circulars to local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

In the 12 months ended 30 April 1980, Government Departments issued 654 circulars and other communications to local authorities in Great Britain. The figure for the previous 12 months was 1,873. This is a 65 per cent. reduction. Government advice will continue to be confined strictly to matters on which information and guidance is really needed by authorities.

Cash Limits

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what effect the breaches of the cash limit in 1979–80 on the Royal Palaces and Parks etc. Vote (Vote viii. 6) and the Property Services Agency Administration Vote (Vote xiv. 2) will have on the 1980–81 cash limits.

When the final outturn figures for Votes VIII.6 and XIV.2 are determined, 1980–81 cash limits will be reduced by the amount of the overspend on the 1979–80 cash limits. In the case of Vote VIII.6 the reduction will be made proportionately on Vote VIII.6 and Vote XIV.1 since expenditure on Parliament and the Privy Council, which contributed to the overspend, now falls on the latter Vote following the transfer from Vote VIII.6 shown in the Revised Estimates published on 4 July.

Employment

Training And Employment Programmes

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing details of each training and employment programme currently in operation in Scotland, including starting dates, total costs to date, the age groups affected, the number of places provided, the weekly allowance paid and whether taxable and the prospects of each scheme for the forthcoming two years.

I have been asked to reply.The information is set out in the following table:

Programme	Starting date	Cost to 30.6.80 (£ million)	Age group covered	Jobs or training places provided to 30.6.80	Weekly wage or allowances	Whether taxed
Temporary short-time working compensation scheme	1.4.79	5·69	All ages	44,000	75 per cent. of usual pay	These subsidies are paid to employers. The workers concerned receive normal wages which are taxable
Small firm employment subsidy	1.7.77	11·42^*	All ages	34,900^*	£20
Job release scheme	3.1.77	14·75	(a) 64 (men), 59 (women)	11,500	(a) £36 (£45·50 with dependent spouse)	(a) No
		(b) 60·63 (disabled men)		11,500	(b) £43 (£53 with dependent spouse)	(b) Yes
Youth opportunities programme	1.4.78	29·1^*	Under 19 on entry	66,900†	15 years of age—£19·50 16–18—£23·50	No
Community industry	5.8.75	Not available‡	Under 19 on entry	7,700	Local rate for the job	Yes
Special temporary employment programme	1.4.78	8·0^*	19 and over	6,900§	Local rate for the job	Yes
Training in industry	2.7.75	Not available‡	Young people, mainly school leavers	13,400	Varies	Depends on type of payment
Notes
^* Figures relate to 31 May 1980.
† Number of entrants to 30 June 1980.
‡ Separate figures for Scotland are not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Number of entrants to 31 March 1980

Environment

Housing

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will be making detailed proposals for the working of the new housing project control and the new housing subsidy systems.

My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Secretary of State for Wales are today issuing two consultation papers to the local authority associations. Copies of both consultation papers have been placed in the Library.The first, "New arrangements for Housing Project Control in England and Wales". sets out proposals for a radical reduction in detailed central Government control over local authority housing projects as from April 1981. The proposals are designed to secure value for money by promoting local accountability while reducing bureaucracy. Local accountability will be ensured in two ways. First, a significant share of the cost of all new housing investment will continue to be met, as now, from local resources. Secondly, authorities will make details of their schemes, with estimates of cost and value, publicly available. On completion of each scheme local authorities will publish its actual cost and value. Bureacracy will be reduced by abolishing Parker Morris standards and the cost yardstick control system for new housebuilding by local authorities. Central Government will intervene only if a scheme appears to be so expensive or to give such poor value for money that taxpayers and ratepayers cannot reasonably be asked to contribute towards its financing. There will be similar arrangements for improvement schemes.The second consultation paper, "The New Subsidy System" sets out further detailed proposals on the working of the new housing subsidy system that is due to commence also in April 1981. There will be three significant changes compared to existing arrangements. First, reckonable expenditure on repairs and maintenance, whether financed by borrowing or out of revenue, will be brought within the subsidy system. Secondly, the present restriction on subsidy for improvements to dwellings less than 30 years old in England ("the 30 year rule") and 55 years old in Wales, will be abolished. These two changes will enable local authorities to decide on their housing priorities between new building on the one hand and rehabilitation on the other without the major distortion that can arise from the present subsidy system. Thirdly, reckonable expenditure on the management of the housing stock will also be brought within the subsidy system.

Option Mortgage Scheme

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to extend the scope of the option mortgage scheme to elderly non-taxpayers who wish to take out an annuity with a loan secured on their home.

We have been giving careful consideration to the arguments put forward on this matter during the proceedings in another place on the Social Security Bill and on the Housing Bill. The Government have agreed that the option mortgage scheme should be extended in this way to provide additional income to elderly low-income owner-occupiers to help them remain longer in their own homes. The cost will be met within existing public expenditure allocations. A new clause to give effect to the intentions of an amendment agreed in another place will be tabled when the Housing Bill returns to this House.

Transport

Lorries (Jack-Knifing)

asked the Minister of Transport if he intends to introduce legislation to make the fitting of anti jack-knifing mechanisms to lorries compulsory.

I shall write to the hon. Member.

Scotland

Oil And Gas Production

Ross asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide a list of the percentage contribution that oil and gas production has made to the Scottish gross domestic product since production commenced.

The percentage of total Scottish gross domestic product arising directly from offshore oil and gas production and exploration (MLH 104) is estimated at 0·5 (or £57·6 million) in 1977, the only year for which estimates are readily available. In the same year, the gross domestic product generated in Scotland by oil-related firms more generally is estimated at £518 million, or 4·7 per cent of total Scottish gross domestic product.Gross domestic product in Scotland arising from oil and gas production is defined to include only the income from employment of employees resident in Scotland. All other components of gross domestic product arising from such production, such as profits, are attributed to the continental shelf region. The estimates of gross domestic product above include an allowance for the income from employment of residents in Scotland employed by foreign-owned companies classified to MLH 104.

Unemployed Persons(Rutherglen And Cambuslang)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many

		Rutherglen		Cambuslang
		Total unemployed	Unemployed for more than six months	Total unemployed	Unemployed for more than six months
Men	…	2,752	1,415	758	372
Women	…	1,190	630	285	121
Young persons (under 18)	…	310	93	110	15

Fishery Protection Vessels

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many fishery protection vessels are now employed in Scottish waters; what is the maximum range and speed of each; what is the age of each vessel; and whether there is now a full complement of vessels operating.

					Speed
Name		Operational area		Age (years)	Top (knots)	Cruise (knots)	Range (days)
FPV "Jura"	…	Offshore, West Coast	…	7	16·5	12·5	16–18
FPV "Westra"	…	Offshore, West Coast	…	5	16·5	12·5	16–18
FPV "Southella"	…	Offshore, West Coast	…	11	17	12	16–18
FPV "Norna"	…	Inshore, East Coast	…	21	15	12·5	16–18
FPV "Brenda"	…	Inshore, West Coast	…	29	15	12	16–18
FPV "Vigilant"	…	Inshore, West Coast	…	44	13·5	12	16–18

FPV "Southella" is a stern trawler on charter until December 1980 in place of FPV 'Switha", which was lost in a grounding accident earlier this year. A new vessel, FPV "Sulisker", is due to come into commission about the end of the year. She will have a top speed of men, women and young persons are registered as unemployed in Rutherglen and Cambuslang, respectively; what percentage of the insured population these figures represent; and how many of the three groups have been unemployed for more than six months.

Information is not available in the precise form requested. On 10 July 3,296 males and 1,622 females were registered as unemployed in Rutherglen—the corresponding figures for Cambuslang were 3,563 males and 1,376 females. Meaningful percentage rates can be calculated only for complete travel-to-work areas. Rutherglen and Cambuslang form part of the Glasgow travel-to-work area, where unemployment expressed as a percentage of the insured population was 14·4 per cent. for males and 90 per cent. for females on 10 July.The following table gives details of unemployment analysed by age and duration on 10 April, the latest date for which this information is available.

Fishery protection in Scottish waters is shared between the protection vessels of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland and the Poyal Navy fishery protection squadron.There are six DAFs vessels which patrol the waters off Scotland. Details of each vessel are as follows:18·2 knots, a crusing speed of 14 knots and a 16–18 day range.Of the DAFS fleet two offshore and two inshore vessels are normally on patrol at any one time.The Royal Navy fishery protection squadron consists of a coastal division

of Ton class minesweepers and a division of offshore Island class vessels operating in United Kingdom waters other than those patrolled by DAFS vessels. At any one time one Ton class minesweeper is

				Speed
			Age (years)	Top (knots)	Cruise (knots)	Range (nautical miles)
Inshore:
HMS Shavington	…	…	24	15	12	2,500
Offshore:
HMS Jersey	…	…	4	17	12	7,000

The complement of fishery protection vessels in Scottish waters is now at a customary level.

Road Equivalent Tariff

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many additional ships would be required if he decided to introduce road equivalent tariff for island shipping services.

Such a number would depend on the amount and time of any additional travel generated by road equivalent tariff. I have this point in mind now and shall be considering it further in the light of comments on the consultative paper "Sea Transport to the Scottish Islands".

Island Ferry Routes (Vessels)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the vessels owned and operated by publicly owned companies on island ferry routes in Scotland; what is the age of each vessel; and if he will specify those vessels for which replacements have been earmarked but not yet ordered.

Information on the vessels owned by the Scottish Transport Group is in the group's annual report for 1979, sent to all Scottish hon. Members, and in the Caledonian MacBrayne publication "Ships of the Fleet". Copies of the latter, and any further detailed information on the vessels, may be obtained direct from the group. Replacements have not been earmarked or ordered for any vessels now in the fleet.

Scottish Special Housing Association

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total housing stock of the Scottish Special Housing Association; how many houses deployed in costal waters off the East coast of Scotland and one Island class vessel is deployed in the northern North Sea. Details of the vessels presently assigned to these waters are as follows:have been built in the past five years; how many are older stock that has been modernised in the past 10 years; how many the Scottish Special Housing Association has earmarked for modernisation programmes; what is the size and cost of current programmes of modernisation: and what is the size and cost of programmes postponed because of Government reductions in capital expenditure.

The information requested is as follows:

Total housing stock owned by SSHA at 31.3.80	= 93,125
No. of houses built in last 5 years	= 10,795
No. of older houses modernised in last 10 years	= 4,861
No. of SSHA houses earmarked for modernisation	= 12,591

Expenditure on modernisation currently programmed for 1980–81 is £14·4 million in respect of 1,569 houses. This is £6·3 million and 863 houses less than proposed in the association's original estimates for that year.

Geriatric And Mental Hospitals

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, by health board area, the major upgrading projects for geriatric and mental hospitals which are now awaiting expenditure approval.

Schemes for the upgrading of existing hospitals are usually small enough to be contained within the boards' ordinary building programme and my Department's approval is not required for them. No major upgrading projects for geriatric and mental hospitals are awaiting approval in principle from my Department.

Hotels And Boarding Houses (Insulation)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the total number of hotels and boarding houses in Scotland ; how many of these meet acceptable standards of insulation ; and if it is his intention to provide specific insulation grants for hotels and boarding houses.

It is estimated that the number of hotels and guest houses in Scotland is in the region of 3,200 and 800, respectively. The number which meet acceptable insulation standards is not known, but hotels and boarding houses and extensions built since 1964 comply with the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations current at the time. The relevant thermal insulation standards were

LOCAL AUTHORITY HOUSE COMPLETIONS
Local authority		First quarter	Second quarter	1979 Third quarter	Fourth quarter	Total	1980 First quarter
SCOTLAND	…	949	1,440	1,069	1,343	4,801	Not known
BORDERS	…	36	—	5	6	48	Not known
Berwickshire	…	3	—	5	6	14	9
Ettrick and Lauderdale	…	33	—	—	—	34	—
Roxburgh	…	—	—	—	—	—	4
Tweedale	…	—	—	—	—	—	Not known
CENTRAL	…	14	47	53	50	164	Not known
Clackmannan	…	14	38	53	50	155	62
Falkirk	…	—	—	—	—	—	—
Stirling	…	—	9	—	—	9	—
DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY	…	90	66	77	102	335	Not known
Annandale and Eskdale	…	55	10	9	26	100	Not known
Nithsdale	…	27	20	46	36	129	20
Stewartry	…	8	20	18	28	74	17
Wigtown	…	—	16	4	12	32	12
FIFE	…	73	185	119	102	479	Not known
Dunfermline	…	19	23	44	24	110	Not known
Kirkcaldy	…	35	25	33	30	123	14
North East Fife	…	19	137	42	48	246	Not known
GRAMPIAN	…	158	169	134	322	783	208
City of Aberdeen	…	90	125	15	200	430	23
Banff and Buchan	…	42	30	81	22	175	60
Gordon	…	14	6	—	15	35	—
Kincardine and Deeside	…	12	8	12	24	56	—
Moray	…	—	—	26	61	87	125
HIGHLAND	…	24	82	110	70	286	76
Badenoch and Strathspey	…	—	24	—	—	24	—
Caithness	…	10	19	10	15	54	18
Inverness	…	—	—	—	38	38	38
Lochaber	…	14	9	34	—	57	12
Nairn	…	—	—	—	—	—	—
Ross and Cromarty	…	—	30	59	—	89	—
Skye and Lochalsh	…	—	—	—	11	11	8
Sutherland	…	—	—	7	6	13	—
LOTHIAN	…	76	137	32	—	245	—
East Lothian	…	31	12	3	—	46	—
City of Edinburgh	…	45	125	29	—	199	—
Midlothian	…	—	—	—	—	—	—
West Lothian	…	—	—	—	—	—	—

raised in June 1979. Grants were available to hotels under the two-year energy conservation scheme under section 8 of the Industry Act, which ended on 30 June this year.

Council Housing

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of council houses built in each Scottish local authority each quarter for which figures are available since January 1979.

The following table lists the number of local authority houses completed for each quarter of 1979 and also includes the information which is available for the first quarter of 1980.

Local authority		First quarter	Second quarter	1979 Third quarter	Fourth quarter	Total	1980 First quarter
STRATHCLYDE	…	336	654	349	489	1,828	Not known
Argyll	…	26	75	9	—	110	10
Bearsden and Milngavie	…	—	—	22	14	36	6
Clydebank	…	—	—	—	—	—	—
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth	…	29	6	—	—	35	—
Cumnock and Doon Valley	…	2	5	16	3	26	9
Cunninghame	…	34	68	—	—	102	7
Dumbarton	…	—	—	—	6	6	30
East Kilbride	…	—	—	—	—	—	Not known
Eastwood	…	—	—	—	—	—	25
City of Glasgow	…	101	284	92	138	615	68
Hamilton	…	24	6	—	25	55	45
Inverclyde	…	—	4	—	—	4	—
Kilmarnock and Loudoun	…	—	—	25	76	101	21
Kyle and Carrick	…	17	4	35	80	136	12
Lanark	…	27	—	3	25	55	10
Monklands	…	8	—	—	53	61	18
Motherwell	…	29	52	42	44	167	16
Renfrew	…	—	9	31	25	65	19
Strathkelvin	…	39	141	74	—	254	—
TAYSIDE	…	67	78	125	159	429	143
Angus	…	5	22	7	24	58	6
City of Dundee	…	55	48	36	82	221	29
Perth and Kinross	…	7	8	82	53	150	108
ORKNEY ISLANDS AREA	…	13	8	5	8	34	1
SHETLAND ISLANDS AREA	…	—	13	29	13	55	—
WESTERN ISLES ISLANDS AREA	…	62	—	31	22	115	Not known

Deceased Persons (Bodies)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the number of cases in each of the most recent five years for which records are available where the body of a deceased person lay in a mortuary unburied for longer than two weeks, together with the reasons for delays and the number of cases falling into each category.

The information is not available. If my hon. Friend has a particular case in mind and writes to me I shall look into the matter.

South Of Scotland Electricity Board(Disconnections)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what amount must be owing and for how long before the South of Scotland Electricity Board decides to disconnect supplies of electricity to a domestic user;(2) how many retirement pensioners in the Strathclyde region have had their electricity supplies disconnected during April and May 1980, April and May 1979 and April and May 1978 by the South of Scotland Electricity Board.

These are matters for the board, and I shall ask the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

Grants

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the Acts of Parliament under which, over the past five years, the Scottish Office and its departments have made grants or otherwise given financial support to (a) private individuals, (b) private organisations, (c) private industry, trade or commerce, (d) local authorities, (e) other public authorities, (f) nationalised industries and (g) any individuals, organisations or bodies not already covered by the above.

To list all the relevant Acts would involve disproportionate cost, but if my hon. Friend will let me know with which aspect of the legislation he is particularly concerned I shall write to him.

Teachers

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many teachers are unemployed in Scotland; how many are unemployed in Strathclyde; and what are their job prospects.

On 12 June 1980, the latest date for which this information is available, 971 primary and secondary teachers were registered as unemployed in Scotland, 416 of them in Strathclyde. Job prospects for unemployed teachers will depend on the recruitment policies adopted by education authorities in the 1980–81 session.

School Admissions (Parents' Charter)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has completed his consideration of comments on the consultative paper "Admission to School: A Charter for Parents"; and if he will make a statement.

A wide range of bodies offered comments and observations on my consultative paper. Careful study of these comments has confirmed my view that I should seek to put on a statutory footing my proposal that education authorities should accept an obligation to meet, wherever practicable, parents' wishes with regard to the school their child should attend.When parliamentary time permits, therefore, I propose to bring forward legislation which will require education authorities to make and publish arrangements for admission to schools, and to consult parents and other interested bodies about major changes in these arrangements. Education authorities will also be required to publish information about schools under their management—including examination results. Parents will be given the right to apply for a place in a school other than that which their child is attending or which the education authority wants the child to attend, and the freedom of education authorities to refuse admission to schools under their management will be limited to a number of specified grounds; in particular, the place of residence of parents will not in future be a permissible reason for refusal of admission.Authorities will be required to set up appeal committees to hear appeals from parents not satisfied with the initial decision on their requests. I have also decided that parents aggrieved by the decision of an appeal committee will have a new right of appeal on summary application to the sheriff. I hope that the new provisions will have the effect of satisfying the majority of parents that their requests have been given a full hearing, and that the appeal committees will be seen to operate fairly, but those parents who think that this has not been so in their case and who feel that their request has been turned down for inadequate reason will be able to take their case directly to the sheriff in this way without, as at present, first having to withhold their child from school until an attendance order is served.Finally, some of the present controls which the Secretary of State exercises over education authorities will be replaced by a statutory duty to consult parents about school closures and proposed changes in school organisation and to have regard to any views expressed in reaching a decision on such proposals.

Assisted Places Scheme

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is now in a position to announce the results of his consultations on an assisted places scheme for Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

The consultations produced a substantial body of comment, and I am grateful to the parties concerned for the trouble they have taken. Some of the comment from parties completely opposed to education outside the public sector was naturally adverse, but, even so, many of these parties, after expressing opposition in principle, went on to offer constructive suggestions. The responses of the schools were mixed. Many showed that they would greatly prefer to retain the traditional block grant rather than have it converted into free remission grant. That, however, is incompatible with the Government's aim of substituting for a subsidy that is wholly indiscriminate one that is related to parental means. The comment as a whole convinced me that the scheme for Scotland should differ in certain respects from the original consultative proposals.The broad outline of the scheme on which I have now decided, however, remains as in the original proposals. The whole of the resources at present available in the form of block grant to 21 schools (for which it represents about 20 per cent. of their maintenance expenditure) will be converted over a period of five years into fee remission grant to be used to enable them to offer assistance with fees in accord with a statutory income scale. So far as resources permit, children already in the schools will be included if they qualify under the income scale. Thus in the first year of the scheme—1981–82—one-fifth of the available resources will be devoted to fee remission and this proportion will increase by equal steps during the phase-over period.The income scale is under consideration. I have already consulted on a scale and I shall ask schools to let me have the best estimates they can of the demand for assistance in accord with that scale and shall take a decision in the light of their replies.Not all of the existing grant-aided schools will be in a position to take up the whole of the grant available for fee remission, and I shall therefore be in a position, without any increase in planned resources, to invite independent schools to apply for a measure of fee remission grant. Any such applications will be considered on their merits.I am publishing today a policy paper giving details of the scheme. This is being sent to the same range of interested parties as received the original consultative paper, and copies of it have been

	Northampton		Northamptonshire
Birthplace of mother	Number of births	Percentage of all live births	Number of births	Percentage of all live births
(a) New Commonwealth and Pakistan
1974	96	4·9	232	3·1
1975	95	4·9	217	3·1
1976	128	6·6	266	3·8
1977	128	6·8	305	4·6
1978	138	6·6	294	4·3
(b) Irish Republic
1974	98	5·0	209	2·8
1975	83	4·3	164	2·4
1976	83	4·3	143	21
1977	66	3·5	132	20
1978	61	2·9	129	1·9
(c) Other regions outside the United Kingdom
1974	63	3·2	213	2·9
1975	52	2·7	208	3·0
1976	47	2·4	199	2·9
1977	41	2·2	212	3·2
1978	47	2·2	193	2·8
(d) United Kingdom
1974	1,693	86·8	6,786	91·2
1975	1,695	88·1	6,351	91·5
1976	1,672	86·6	6,305	91·2
1977	1,659	87·5	5,918	90·0
1978	1,850	88·1	6,294	91·0

sent to all hon. Members for Scottish constituencies and have been placed in the Library.

Social Services

Hospital Waiting Lists(Devon)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take further steps to reduce the waiting time for National Health Service operations and consultations in Devon.

Any such action would be for the Devon area health authority. I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon Friend the Member for Harborough (Mr. Farr) today.

Births (Northamptonshire)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, for each of the last five years, what have been the numbers and percentages of births in Northampton and Northamptonshire to mothers from (a) the New Commonwealth and Pakistan, (b) the Republic of Ireland, (c) other regions outside the United Kingdom and (d) the United Kingdom.

The information is shown in the table below:

National Health Service(Foreign Tourists)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will be able to announce the results of his Department's review of the use of the National Health Service by foreign tourists before the Summer Recess.

I hope that this will be possible.

Unemployed Persons

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give an estimate, at the latest available date, of the total cost in a single month of the administration involved for his Department in servicing the registration and processing claims to benefit of people unemployed in Scotland; and if he will show the Scottish unemployment figure at the relevant date.

I regret that the information requested is not available.

Analgesic Sprays(Inhalation)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what evidence is available of any medical complications suffered by elderly people who inadvertently inhale a medical pain-killing spray used to relieve pain in the chest or neck or other part of the anatomy near the nose.

I am aware of no evidence of adverse effects attributable to the accidental inhalation of analgesic spray which may occur during normal use by persons of any age.

Elderly And Mentallyhandicapped Persons

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider transferring funds from the National Health Service budget to ameliorate the shortcomings being felt in the care of the elderly and the mentally handicapped.

In 1980–81, £61 million of joint finance has been made available from the National Health Service budget for spending on the personal social services and voluntary organisations. The greater part of joint finance is spent on the care of the elderly and the mentally handicapped. It is my right hon. Friend's intention in the future gradually to increase the level of joint financing.

Cervical Smears

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the cost and the extra payments to general practitioners if cervical smear testing in women under the age of 35 years is included in the scheme.

More than a quarter of smears taken in England and Wales are from women under 35 years of age. It is not possible to estimate how many more would come for tests if the priority group were extended, or what proportion of the total number would go to their general practitioners rather than to clinics where a smear is part of routine care and where no fee is payable.

Family Income Supplement

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report his latest estimate for the take-up of family income supplement.

I am unable to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker) on 29 October 1979—[Vol. 972, c. 436–7.]—except to say that I hope the information from the family finances survey will be available by the end of the year.

Kidney Transplants

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will reconsider the validity of the Marplan survey on public attitudes to kidney transplantation.

The Marplan survey was carried out in November 1978 and the results were published in August 1979. I have examined the findings and methodology of the survey, and in particular the strong opposition it recorded to an "opting-out" system, and can see no reason to doubt the general validity of the conclusions.

Supplementary Benefits Commission(Report)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he can now update tables 12–8 and 12–9 of the Supplementary Benefits Commission annual report 1978, for the year 1979.

No. I do not expect the estimates to be available before October, at the earliest.

Disabled Persons (Local Authorityaccommodation)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will use his powers under section 22 of the National Assistance Act 1948 as amended by schedule 4 paragraph 2 to the Social Security Act 1980 to make regulations to remove the disincentive on disabled people in residential accommodation who are able to work; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he is satisfied with the formulae for assessing the means of disabled people in local authority accommodation; and if he will make a statement;(3) if he intends to make regulations concerning assessment of means for local authority accommodation provided under section 22 of the National Assistance Act 1948 as amended by schedule 4 paragraph 2 to the Social Security Act 1980; and if he will make a statement.

The question of local authority charging policy generally in the personal social services, including the assessment of ability to pay charges for residential accommodation, is at present under consideration by the Government. Any regulations made under section 22 (5) of the National Assistance Act 1948, as amended, will need to await the outcome of these considerations.

Vaccine Damage (Payments)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what regard may be had to awards under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 for child and adult, respectively, in assessment of means (a) for supplementary benefit and (b) for local authority residential care; and if there will be any change after 24 November.

Payments under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act are normally held in trust and, in determining entitlement to supplementary benefit, the Supplementary Benefits Commission has discretion to treat them as the resource of the vaccine-damaged person. Where the vaccine-damaged person is a child whose parent is receiving supplementary benefit, the commission wholly disregards the payment. Where he is 16 or over, and receiving supplementary benefit in his own right, the commission has regard to the payment, except that it disregards any amounts specifically earmarked for major items of expenditure related to the vaccine-damaged person's disablement, such as adaptations to the home.From 24 November 1980 the present practice of disregarding vaccine-damage payments held on trust for a child whose parent is receiving supplementary benefit will be secured by legislation. Where a vaccine-damaged person is receiving supplementary benefit in his own right, the relevant regulations now before Parliament will provide that he

"shall be treated as possessing"—

the resource held on trust—

"in whole or in part having regard to.. the terms of the trust, either express or implied."

This should enable amounts earmarked for appropriate purposes to be disregarded as at present. I must stress that the interpretation of the regulations will be for the independent supplementary benefit officer who will replace the Supplementary Benefits Commission as the initial authority for determining claims and, on appeal, the Supplementary Benefit Appeal Tribunal and the Social Security Commissioner.

The treatment by a local authority of an interest in a trust in assessing a resident's ability to pay charges for residential accommodation will depend on the extent of the trustees' discretion. If there is discretion to release capital, or capital and income, for the benefit of the resident, the capital value of the trust fund would be treated as part of the resident's capital resources. The income released would then be ignored. If there is discretion to release only income for the benefit of the resident, the total income releasable under the terms of the trust would be taken into account as income, subject to a disregard of £4 per week. The capital value of the trust would then be ignored. There will be no change in those arrangements after 24 November 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average time for a determination under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979; how many cases have been referred to tribunals under section 4 (a) by the Secretary of State and (b) by the claimant; and how many cases have been the subject of a reconsideration under section 5, and with what result.

The time taken for a determination varies greatly, particularly for cases referred for tribunal hearings. Statistics are not available in a form which

Number of claims received	…	…	…	2,656
Number upheld	…	…	…	498 (includes 165 awards by tribunals)
Number disallowed or withdrawn	…	…	…	2,138 (includes 451 disallowed by tribunals
Notes:
20 claims await initial decision.
655 claims await tribunal review.

Claims disallowed or withdrawn:
(a) Disablement not due to vaccination	…	…	…	…	1,732
(b) Disablement due to vaccination less than 80 per cent.	…	…	…	…	304
(c) Claimant under age of 2	…	…	…	…	6
(d) Other section 2 conditions not fulfilled	…	…	…	…	89
(e) Claims withdrawn	…	…	…	…	7

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will institute a full review of the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979; if he will adjust the payment of £10,000 in line with the rate of inflation; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to review the Act or to amend it to adjust the amount of the payment for which it provides. I expect the total number of awards to be of the order of 650 and am aware of no evidence to suggest that the Act is not meeting its intended purpose.

enables an average readily to be calculated.

Requests, all by claimants, for review by tribunals number 1,271 of which 655 await hearings, a number of which have been deferred at the claimant's request.

One case has been referred to a further tribunal review under section 5 and awaits a hearing.

Five cases have been reviewed by the Secretary of State under section 5, of which two have resulted in awards and three in further disallowances.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people have made claims under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act; how many claims have been upheld and how many rejected; and how many were rejected in each of the following categories (a) disablement was not as a result of a vaccination to which the Act applies, (b) disablement did not satisfy the 80 per cent. standard, (c) the claimant was not over the age of 2 when the claim was made and (d) any other condition under section 2 of the Act was not fulfilled.

The figures, up to 25 July, are as follows:

Local Authority Accommodation(Charges)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he received the report of the joint working group on local authority charges; what recommendations it made; and if he will make a statement.

I have recently received and am now considering the report of the joint working group on personal social services charging policies. The report examines a number of detailed options in relation to local authorities' charging practices.

Benefits (Capital Disregards)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the capital disregard (a) for supplementary benefit and (b) for local authority accommodation after 24 November.

From 24 November 1980, there will be a fixed capital limit of £2,000 for supplementary benefit; capital of £2,000 or less will be wholly disregarded and where capital exceeds £2,000, supplementary benefit will not be payable.In assessing the ability to pay of a resident in local authority accommodation, present arrangements are that the first £1,200 of that resident's capital is disregarded. On every £50 in excess of that sum, there is an assumed weekly income of 25p which is fully taken into account when assessing the charge. The question of local authority charging policy generally in the personal social services, including the assessment of ability to pay charges for residential accommodation, is at present being reviewed by the Government.

Depo Provera

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his Department and the Committee on Safety of Medicines have studied the report "Depo Provera—A Critical Analysis" by Stephen Minkin, published in 1980; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. I am, however, unable to comment on matters of this kind as the licensing authority has not yet received advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines on the licence application for the long-term use of Depo Provera.

Leeds General Infirmary

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made to date on the construction of the revised phase I of the rebuilding of the general infirmary at Leeds; what is the anticipated commissioning date; how much has been spent to the latest convenient date; what is the final estimated expenditure; and if he will make a statement about the delays involved.

According to the latest information available to the Department, the contract is running about 23 weeks behind schedule, due mainly to difficulties in overcoming labour shortages. It is not possible at this stage of the development to forecast when the building is likely to be commissioned. I regret that I have no up-to-date information about the size of interim payments, but the total cost of the scheme, including fees, equipment and increases in the cost of labour and materials is currently estimated to be of the order of £23 million.

Perinatal And Neonatal Mortality

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give an assurance that he will publish an early White Paper in response to the Social Services Committee's report on perinatal and neonatal mortality, and that a debate on the proposals will be held.

I have already begun to study this important report with the aim of presenting a full reply to Parliament in the autumn. The question of a debate is for my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House.

Abortion

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the guidelines issued last February to health authorities on what nurses could do in abortion operations; and if he is satisfied that such guidelines conformed with the law.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Cornwall, North (Mr. Neale) on 20 June—[Vol. 986, c. 690–91.] The guidance contained in a letter issued in February by the chief medical and chief nursing officers of the Department about the role which a nurse or midwife may undertake in termination of pregnancy by medical induction procedures was based on the advice of my right hon. and learned Friends the Law Officers of the Crown. There have been proceedings in the High Court to determine the legality of the guidance. Judgment is expected to be given shortly.

Agriculture, Fisheries Andfood

Agriculture And Horticulture Grant Regulations 1980

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how he intends to comply with his duty under section 11 of the Countryside Act 1968 to incorporate practical conservation advice into grant-aided capital works, following the publication of the statutory instrument laid before Parliament on 22 July entitled "The Agriculture and Horticulture Grant Regulations 1980".

As I said in my reply to a question from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Small Heath (Mr. Howell), farmers will be advised to consider the conservation and environmental implications of their proposed investments; ADAS advice on these matters will continue to be available.—[Vol. 988, c. 181.] In considering claims for grant we shall have regard to conservation and reserve the right to reject a claim relating to an investment which has seriously damaged the countryside including its flora and fauna. It is the responsibility of the environmental and conservation bodies to identify areas where such damage would be serious.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from the National Farmers Union and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds about the Agriculture and Horticulture Grant Regulations 1980.

Both organisations are among those which wrote in response to the consultation document, issued in February, which set out proposals for changes in the administration of capital grants. All representations made on the proposals have been considered carefully in preparing the new scheme.

Farm Capital Grants

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food from which organisations and individuals he has received representations in respect of his proposals for altering the administration of farm capital grants; and how many of these representations have indicated unqualified approval for the proposals and how many have expressed reservations.

A consultation document was issued in February setting out our proposals for changes in the administration of farm capital grants. The document went to 66 organisations whose comments were invited. Representations were received from 33 which naturally recommended changes of various magnitudes. We shall seek to reconcile the widely different views expressed in coming to final decisions on the scheme.The following wrote to us:—

Agricultural Construction Industry Liaison Group
Association of County Councils
Association of District Councils
Bredy Supplies Ltd.
British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association
Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies for Association of Certified Accountants and Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
Council for National Parks
Council for the Protection of Rural England
Country Landowners Association
Countryside Commission
Friends of the Earth
Institute of Civil Engineers
National Farmers Union
Nature Conservancy Council
National Water Council
Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Society for the Promotion of Nature Conservation
Small Farmers Association
The Exmoor Society
The Somerset Trust for Nature Conservation
National Parks Committees:—
Exmoor
Lake District
Northumberland
North Yorks Moors
Yorkshire Dales
County Councils:—
Cheshire
Cumbria
Gwynedd
North Yorks
Somerset
Staffordshire
and one individual.

Tomatoes

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will discuss with the EEC Agricultural Commission the imposition of quotas on import of Dutch tomatoes into the United Kingdom.

We are always ready to discuss with the European Commission any action that we consider might be

IMPORTS OF TOMATOES, JANUARY-JUNE 1980, IN TONNES
Source		January	February	March	April	May	June
Belgium/Luxembourg	…	—	30	—	—	—	8
France	…	216	133	16	45	61	114
Italy	…	—	—	4	20	—	8
Netherlands	…	706	3,499	102	4,916	13,470	15,020
West Germany	…	—	—	—	—	14	—
Denmark	…	—	—	—	—	—	—
Irish Republic	…	1	1	1	55	256	565
Canary Isles	…	12,994	15,260	17,256	12,292	3,796	—
Spain	…	3,519	1,472	912	269	310	173
Morocco	…	205	106	112	—	68	—
Rumania	…	—	—	—	—	18	127
Cyprus	…	1	1	14	—	—	—
Greece	…	—	—	1	—	—	—
Portugal	…	—	—	—	—	19	1
Israel	…	26	—	29	19	—	—
Albania	…	—	—	—	—	141	104
United States of America	…	—	—	22	14	—	—
Ivory Coast	…	8	17	9	3	31	—
Egypt	…	29	2	—	—	—	—
Poland	…	—	—	—	—	—	13
Iceland	…	—	78	—	—	—	—
Others	…	16	—	—	—	14	—
TOTALS	…	17,720	20,599	18,478	17,633	18,198	16,133

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the increase in the exports of tomatoes to the United Kingdom between 22 March and 20 May of the current year.

I regret that information about imports of tomatoes into the United Kingdom is not available on a daily basis, but I refer the hon. Member to the reply which my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary gave to the hon. Member for Harlow (Mr. Newens) today.

Shell Eggs

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any evidence to put before the European Court that there are unilateral national aids or commercial practices operating within the European Economic Community which are having a distortionary effect on the free market in shell eggs which is supposed to be in operation

needed to safeguard the interests of our growers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give figures to show the quantities of fresh tomatoes imported from each identifiable exporting country on a monthly basis from the beginning of the current year.

The information is as follows:

My right hon. Friend will shortly be discussing the question of State aids and commercial practices with representatives of the United Kingdom industry. We have at present no evidence to put before the European Court.

Glasshouse Growers

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the present price per gallon of oil charged to British glasshouse growers and the price of the gas equivalent to Dutch glasshouse growers.

The present estimated average prices charged to British glasshouse growers are 65·74p per gallon for gas oil and 38·10p per gallon for heavy fuel oil. Dutch gas prices, effective from 1 April 1980, to horticulturists are estimated at 29 cents per cubic metre for the first 15,000 cubic metres used and at 20·4 cents per cubic metre for consumption above this. These gas prices are equivalent to 36p per gallon of heavy fuel oil for the first 15,000 cubic metres and 26p per gallon of heavy fuel oil for further gas used.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to persuade the EEC Commission to undertake steps to end the present advantage to horticulture in the Netherlands provided by the existence of the special horticultural tariff for natural gas, as recognised in the Commission report to the Council on distortions of competition in hothouse agriculture; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend pressed the Commission at the June Council of Agriculture Ministers to take urgent action on this report. It reported to the July Council that talks were being initiated with the Dutch Government. He demanded that these should be brought to a speedy conclusion.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received from the National Farmers Union relating to costs affecting glasshouse growers in the United Kingdom; and what action he proposes to take upon them.

When my right hon. Friend attended the council of the National Farmers Union on 18 July it expressed concern about the urgency of the problems of low cost energy to Dutch glasshouse growers.At the meeting of the Council of Agriculture Ministers on 22 July my right hon. Friend demanded speedy action by the Commission on discussions that it was initiating with the Dutch Government under article 93 (1) of the Treaty of Rome on the preferential rate charged to their growers for natural gas. The Commission assured the Council of its recognition of the urgency of the matter.

Poultrymeat

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he now expects the review of sluicegate prices governing the entry of poultrymeat into the European Economic Community will be completed and acted upon; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the United Kingdom producers' Christmas market is not put in jeopardy by the failure of the Commission to complete its review in time.

We are pressing the Commission to submit proposals for consideration by the Council of Ministers as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he will take to protect the United Kingdom poultrymeat industry from unfair competition, especially from Holland and France, which is enabled to take place by the absence of decisions being able to be taken based upon the European Economic Community veterinary survey of poultrymeat hygiene and costs.

Measures of the kind which my hon. Friend appears to have in mind would not provide the required solution. What is needed is an authoritative report on the implementation of the directive in the various member States, followed by effective Community action. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave him on 21 July on the representations which we have made to the Commission on the delay in producing its report.—[Vol. 989, c. 98.]

Turkeymeat

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Hereford, Official Report, 21 July, having regard to the fact that the total imports of turkeymeat from the United States of America to the United Kingdom have already exceeded the average for 1977–78 and, in the light of the figures given for imports into the European Economic Community, he will initiate discussions within the Community to ensure that steps are taken as a matter of urgency to redistribute imports more fairly to prevent the United Kingdom receiving an unrealistic share of the imports of turkeymeat.

No. We are, however, keeping the situation under review in consultation with the United Kingdom turkey industry.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Hereford, Official Report, 21 July, why imports of turkeymeat which have crossed Customs boundaries but which have not entered into free circulation are not classified as imports; and if the import levy has been paid on the tonnages represented by the difference in the figures of 1353 tonnes and 199 tonnes of turkeymeat or on the tonnages of whole turkeys represented by the difference in the figures of 598 tonnes and 426 tonnes.

For the purposes of the European Community's statistics, "imports" are defined as goods that passed through Customs boundaries and entered into free circulation within the Community. For the purposes of the overseas trade statistics of the United Kingdom, "imports" are defined as goods that have passed the national boundary whether or not they have passed through Customs and entered into free circulation. Import levies are not paid on goods until they pass through Customs boundaries.

Beef

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, pursuant to his reply on 23 July to the question tabled for priority written answer on 30 June, in which he explains that no meaningful estimates can be made of the subsidies paid on the export of 34,493 tonnes of beef to Eastern Europe excluding the USSR, he will make a statement explaining the manner in which these subsidies are paid out, and why it is not possible for an account to be kept of the payments actually made.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 28 July 1980.

Mackerel

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what decisions Ministers have reached following the consultations with the fishing industry about restricting the catching capability of the United Kingdom mackerel fleet.

On 18 December last year I announced that Fisheries Ministers intended to consult the fishing industry about arrangements to restrict the catching capability of the United Kingdom mackerel fleet. We have now held those consultations.In the light of the comments which we have received, we have decided not to introduce at this stage a general scheme for restricting entry to the mackerel fleet We are, however, going to take steps to restrict further growth in the catching capability of the purse seiners and freezer trawlers in the United Kingdom mackerel fleet.Until further notice, mackerel licences will not in general be allowed in respect of purse seiners or freezer trawlers unless the vessels concerned have before today fished for mackerel under the mackerel licensing scheme in their present ownership. Anyone acquiring, replacing or adapting a purse seiner or freezer trawler after today will receive a licence for the vessel only if we are satisfied that the catching capabilities of these sectors of our mackerel fleet are not being increased. Special consideration will be given to vessels which have been only recently purchased or adapted for fishing for mackerel or for which an applicant has by today entered into a firm commitment; but, subject to this, anybody considering acquiring, replacing or adapting a purse seiner or freezer trawler after today should not rely on receiving a mackerel licence for the vessel and should consult one of the Fisheries Departments before entering into any commitments based on plans to fish for mackerel.Mackerel licence holders are being informed separately about the detailed quota arrangements which will apply from midnight Saturday 9 August when the current suspension of licensed fishing for western mackerel will be lifted. Bearing in mind freezer trawlers' particular problems, these arrangements will include for freezer trawlers an option to apply for a seasonal quota for the period from midnight 9 August until the end of this calendar year.The new arrangements are intended to deal with some of the difficulties which have arisen with the previous licensing arrangements. The lack of any control on the build-up in the capacity of our mackerel fleet has led to successive reductions in vessel quotas and in the length of the fishing seasons; and this in turn has caused increasingly serious problems for fishermen and those concerned with buying and marketing the fish. By dealing with the types of vessel which account for the bulk of our mackerel catch, regulating the entry of new pursers and freezers to the fishery should help to check the further development of these problems. We will be keeping these new licensing arrangements under close review.

Education And Science

Warnock Report

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is satisfied with the progress being made in implementing the recommendations of the Warnock report.

Since the publication of the report my Department has been encouraged to learn of numerous developments in special education in line with its recommendations. As my right hon. and learned Friend announced on 3 March, the Government have accepted the need for reform of the statutory framework and will shortly publish a White Paper outlining the proposals for legislation. This should provide a stimulus to further developments in this field.

School Meals

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any proposals to establish minimum nutritional standards to recommend to local authorities for the midday meal which should be provided for a child in school on supplementary benefit.

No. Under section 22 of the Education Act 1980 a local education authority is required to make such provision in the middle of the day as appears to the authority to be requisite for any pupil whose parents receive supplementary benefit or family income supplement.

Medical Research Council

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much finance was made available to the Medical Research Council for each of the last five years, at current prices, for (a) supporting new research; and (b) capital building; and how much is being allocated for the current and future years.

The following table shows, at 1980–81 forecast outturn prices, the amounts of the Medical Research Council's annual grants-in-aid from the science budget for the years 1975–76 to 1980–81. As I explained in my reply to one of the hon. Lady's other questions, decisions on the allocation of the science budget for future years have not yet been made.

	£ million
1975–76	66·8
1976–77	67·1
1977–78	65·4
1978–79	6·3
1979–80	68·3
1980–81	72·8

From the above grants-in-aid, the council allocated the following amounts to capital building in each of the years in question—on the same price basis:

	£ million
1975–76	2·1
1976–77	2·1
1977–78	2·1
1978–79	3·6
1979–80	3·4
1980–81	3·0

The council allocated £6·1 million in 1979–80, and £7·2 million in 1980–81, to new research—prices on the same basis. These amounts derive in part from the council's grant-in-aid and in part from funds received from other Departments for commissioned research, these latter funds amounting to about one-quarter of the former. It is not possible without disproportionate cost to provide comparable figures for the earlier years.

Inner London

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he now expects to publish the results of the inquiry into the future of education arrangements in inner London.

As soon as is consistent with a thorough study of all the issues.

Dorset And Hampshire

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many individual representations he has received from parents of children at schools in Dorset and Hampshire, respectively, about those counties' implementation of Government policy regarding restraint on public expenditure.

Letters from individual parents about planned or actual cuts in local education authorities' budgets for 1980–81 have been received as follows:

	Dorset	Hampshire
School meals	4	1
General	3	7

Student Grants(Residence Qualification)

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in the light of Lord Justice Ormrod's recent comments about the status of Stransky v. Stransky [1954] in decisions as to ordinary residence, he will ensure that new advice is issued to institutions of further and higher education on this point.

My right hon. and learned Friend will be considering what further advice might be offered on ordinary residence in the light of the case referred to in the question and others now before the courts.

Secondary School Staffing

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to publish results from his Department's survey of secondary school staffing undertaken in 1977.

My Department has today published a statistical bulletin which gives some first information from the survey about teachers' characteristics—such as qualifications, experience and responsibility—about the total time they spent on timetabled teaching, and about the time spent by pupils on different subjects. The bulletin is expected to be the first of a series giving information from the survey. Copies are available in the Library of the House.

Overseas Development

St Helena

asked the Lord Privy Seal what studies have been made in recent years of the feasibility of encouraging tourism on Ascension Island; and what specific developments have resulted.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 11 December 1979—[Vol. 975, c. 561]—in which I said that a preliminary survey report by consultants on tourism in both St. Helena and Ascension Island was being studied by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the St. Helena Government. We are still awaiting follow-up proposals from the St. Helena Government. The consultants engaged to review the operation of the shipping service are taking account of tourism potential. But there are many obstacles to be overcome before tourism could be developed, and I therefore see no possibility of early progress on this matter.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what official studies have been made in recent years on ways of improving access to St. Helena for visitors and freight, including fuel supplies; and what specific improvements have in fact been made.

A study in 1973 determined that the unsuitable terrain and weather conditions ruled out the possibility of constructing an airfield on St. Helena. The decision in 1978 to provide the RMS "St. Helena" on the shipping service was a major improvement in securing access to the island. Consultants are at present reviewing the whole operation of the shipping service and their report is awaited.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Falkland Islands

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many people have emigrated to the Falkland Islands in each of the last three years; and how many foreign nationals are now working, under contract and otherwise, in the Islands.

The number of people who have emigrated to the Falkland Islands from the United Kingdom in the last three years is approximately as follows:

1977	19
1978	8
1979	12

The number of foreign nationals at present working in the Islands is 64.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what are the latest figures for the population of the Falkland Islands; and how these compare with the highest recorded population of the Islands.

The latest estimated population of the Falkland Islands is 1,720. The highest population figure recorded in the Falkland Islands was 2,392, in 1931.

Latin America (Ministerial Visits)

asked the Lord Privy Seal if there are any plans for Ministers in Her Majesty's Government to visit Latin America at the present time; and if he will give details.

Following are the details:

1. Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs:
Brazil:	29 July-2 August
Barbados:	2–3 August
Venezuela:	3–5 August
Mexico:	5–8 August
2. Minister for Trade:
Argentina:	4–10 August
Chile:	10–14 August
3. Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office:
Belize:	11 August
Guatemala:	11–14 August
Trinidad:	15–16 August
4. Secretary of State for Energy:
Mexico:	17–21 September
Venezuela:	22–24 September
5. Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food:
Venezuela:	12–18 September
Argentina:	19–24 September

In addition, my noble Friend, Lord Trefgarne, represented Her Majesty The Queen at the Presidential inauguration in Peru on 28 July, and he will go on to visit Paraguay and Uruguay.

Bolivia

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement on British relations with Bolivia in the light of the recent Army coup in that country.

Her Majesty's Government strongly deplore the military intervention in Bolivia, which followed peacefully and properly conducted elections in that country. We hope that this completely unjustified interruption of the democratic process will be shortlived. Foreign Ministers of the Nine have jointly condemned the coup; and Heads of European Community missions in La Paz have put on record with the military authorities their concern at the bloodshed already caused.

Jewish Chronicle

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether, in the context of the provisions of the Helsinki agreement relating to the improvement of working conditions of journalists, he will protest at the withdrawal of the visa of the foreign editor of the Jewish Chronicle, Mr. Joseph Finklestine, to visit Moscow during the Olympic Games.

Yes. The Government will protest.

European Community

United Kingdom Budgetcontribution

asked the Lord Privy Seal what progress has been made in the EEC Council of Ministers on the proposals for readjustment of the United Kingdom net contribution to the EEC and the associated programme of expenditure.

On 22 July the Foreign Affairs Council resolved the main outstanding points on the financial mechanism amending regulation. It was agreed that the regulation would cover 1980 and 1981 in the first instance and would apply to 1982 if a decision is taken, in accordance with the agreement of 30 May 1980, that a solution along the lines of 1980–81 is necessary in 1982. On the regulation providing special measures in favour of the United Kingdom, it was agreed that work would continue with a view to decisions in principle being taken by the Council in September.

Employment

Industrial Deafness

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has received new proposals from the Health and Safety Commission with a view to new legislation in connection with industrial deafness; and, if not, how soon these proposals can be expected.

No. Although the Health and Safety Commission is formulating proposals I cannot yet say when it will submit them to my right hon. Friend.The commission will be consulting widely on these proposals and in view of the number of people affected adequate time for consultation will be necessary.

Job Vacancies (Greater London)

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total number of job vacancies in the Greater London area on the most recent convenient day, breaking the numbers down into each London borough.

At 6 June, the numbers of notified vacancies remaining unfilled in the Greater London area were 36,522 at employment offices and 7,412 at careers offices.The information for employment offices cannot be aggregated to provide figures for each London borough because of boundary differences. The following table gives the numbers of vacancies at each employment office and careers office within Greater London. It should be noted that, whilst vacancies are notified to particular offices, they may be filled by anyone seeking work in that area.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 figures for employment offices and careers offices should not be added together.

Empoyment Office
Acton	310
Barking	143
Beckenham	209
Becontree	143
Bermondsey	81
Bexley	149
Borough	802
Brixton	327
Bromley	198
Camberwell	213
Camden Town	919
Canning Town	108
Chiswick	794
City	563
Clapham	339
Croydon	922
Dagenham	162
Deptford	139
Ealing	558
East Ham	74
Enfield	523
Erith	162
Feltham	304
Finchley	744
Fulham	795
Hackney	764
Hainault	94
Hammersmith	1,006
Harrow	618
Hayes	393
Hendon	850
Holloway	642
Hornchurch	100
Hotel and Catering Trades	3,080

Empoyment Office
Hounslow	1,033
Ilford	285
Kilburn	372
Kings Cross	747
Kingston	1,078
Lewisham	341
Leyton	527
Mitcham	203
Orpington	191
Poplar	86
Richmond	531
Romford	315
Ruislip	327
Shoreditch	577
Sidcup	222
Southall	191
Stepney	264
Stratford	149
Streatham	203
Sutton	489
Tooting	78
Tooting Jobcentre	151
Tottenham	791
Twickenham	452
Uxbridge	290
Wembley	553
West Drayton	110
Westminster	4,345
Willesden	443
Wimbledon	395
Wood Green	1,593
Woolwich	253
London Professional and Executive Officer Executive Office	1,709

Careers office
Acton	42
Balham	18
Barbican	43
Barking	14
Barkingside	3
Beckenham	44
Barnet	52
Bermondsey	16
Bexley	46
Brixton	56
Bromley	19
Camden Town	70
Carshalton	32
Catford	15
Central London	4,431
Chiswick	69
Clapham	20
Croydon	139
Dagenham	6
Ealing	51
Edmonton	35
East Ham	19
Elephant and Castle	66
Eltham	17
Enfield	33
Feltham.	8
Friern Barnet	65
Fulham	140
Greenford	64
Hackney	30
Harold Hill	4
Harrow.	101
Hayes	28

Careers office
Hendon	102
Hornchurch	3
Haringey	87
Hounslow	33
Ilford	15
Islington	99
Kings Cross	27
Kingston	105
Lewisham	36
Merton	34
Mitcham	25
Stratford	44
Orpington	33
Paddington	53
Peckham	32
Poplar	33
Putney	29
Rainham	3
Richmond	105
Romford	20
Ruislip	19
Stepney	103
Sutton	29
Uxbridge	53
Vauxhall	84
Waltham Forest	75
West London	52
Wembley	95
West Drayton	34
Woodford	20
Woolwich	24
Willesden	88
Stoke Newington	22

Unemployment

Evans asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the percentage level of unemployment in each of the English travel-to-work areas and employment office areas designated as special development areas, development areas and intermediate areas, respectively.

The information for June 1980 is contained in my reply of 25 July to the hon. Member for Batley and Morley (Mr. Woolmer).—[Vol. 989, c. 409–18.]

Islington

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will arrange discussions with the London borough of Islington, employers, trade union representatives, educationalists and other interested parties to consider rising unemployment in Islington,(2) if he will authorise an extension of the use of special measures, including the training opportunities scheme and the special temporary employment programme, in the London borough of Islington;(3) if he will hold discussions with the Manpower Services Commission, the Greater London Council, the London boroughs, employers and unions, concerning rising unemployment in inner London; what new initiatives he proposes to deal with the employment problems in the area of school leavers, the disabled, ethnic minorities and the unskilled; and if he will reverse the reductions in the budget of the Manpower Services Commission in so far as they affect London.

I am satisfied that sufficient opportunities already exist for discussions of this kind with reference both to inner London and specifically to Islington.School leavers, the disabled, ethnic minorities and the unskilled already benefit from existing measures such as the youth opportunities programme, the fit for work campaign and the training opportunities scheme, some of which include provision specifically designed to meet the needs of particular groups. Even after the reductions in planned expenditure there was a modest increase in real terms in total expenditure by the Manpower Services Commission in 1979–80, although the reductions announced in June 1979 included the limitation of the special temporary employment programme to the areas of greatest need, and its withdrawal from some parts of London. There is provision for a further modest increase in expenditure in the current financial year.The full range of measures, including the special temporary employment programme, is available in the London borough of Islington, and existing plans for the training opportunities scheme are expected to meet the needs of the area. Nevertheless, I have told the commission that I would be prepared to consider any representations from it on the adequacy of its services in the light of rising unemployment. There is at present a very clear need for measures like the youth opportunities programme, and we are considering the future scale and scope of special employment measures in consultation with the commission.

Manufacturing Industry (Redundancy)

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the numbers of workers involved in redundancies in the recorded closures of manufacturing industrial establishments in each of the last three years, and to the latest available date.

No separate records are kept of the numbers of workers involved in redundancies arising from the closure of establishments. The Manpower Services Commission has informed me that the number of workers involved in all redundancies of 10 or more notified as due to occur in manufacturing industries in the last three years were as follows:

1977	99,076
1978	119,315
1979	140,809

Redundancies involving 139,219 workers in manufacturing industries have so far been notified as due to occur between January and June 1980.

Redundancies (Public Sector)

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies reported to his Department during the first six months of the current year were in the non-industrial public sector.

Detailed information is not available but the Manpower Services Commission informs me that 668 employees in public administration and defence were involved in redundancies of 10 or more notified to it as due to occur between 1 January and 30 June 1980.

Redundancy Fund

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current state of the redundancy fund; and how this compares with the position since 1974.

At the end of June 1980 the fund was in surplus in the sum of £1369 million. The corresponding figure for each of the last six years was:

	£
June 74	17·4m
June 75	6·4m
June 76	7·6m
June 77	132m
June 78	51·8m
June 79	103·0m

Disabled Persons (Southampton)

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the present number of registered disabled people unemployed in the Southampton travel-to-work area; what percentage of the total unemployed in the area it represents; and how that percentage compares with the national average.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that on 10 July there were 431 registered disabled people unemployed in the Southampton travel-to-work area which represented 4·4 per cent. of the total number of people unemployed in the area; this compares with a national figure of 3·8 per cent. in June, the latest date for which national figures are available

Temporary Short-Time Workingcompensation Scheme

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of workers covered by successful temporary short-time working compensation scheme applications between 1 April 1979 and 31 March of the current year in textiles, SIC XIII, clothing and footwear, SIC XV, and hosiery and knitwear, SIC XIII MLH 417; and the numbers of workers in each of the above industrial categories currently covered by the temporary short-time working compensation scheme.

		Number of applications	Potentially redundant jobs	Number of workers working short-time
Textiles (SIC XIII)	…	520	30,239	68,784
Clothing and footwear (SIC XV)	…	336	15,797	32,854

NUMBER OF CLAIMS APPROVED FOR PAYMENT IN THE MONTH OF JUNE 1980 (I.E. NUMBERS COVERED IN JUNE 1980 LATEST DATE AVAILABLE)
	Number of claims approved	Potentially redundant jobs	Number of workers working short-time
Textiles (SIC XIII)	329	14,727	24,797
Clothing and footwear (SIC XV)	380	17,349	32,198
Separate figures are not available for hosiery and knitwear (SIC XIII MLH 417).

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of temporary short-time working compensation scheme applications in textiles, SIC XIII, clothing and footwear, SIC XV, and hosiery and knitwear, SIC XIII MLH 417, which have lapsed on expiry of the six months period and the number of workers covered for each of the above industrial categories.

I regret that the information is not available in the form requested. However at 30 June 1980 in textiles (SIC XIII), 756 applications had been approved covering 95,694 workers since the beginning of the scheme. Of these, for the month of June, 329 claims were approved for payment covering 24,797 workers. Similarly, for clothing and footwear (SIC XV), of 621 applications approved since the beginning of the scheme, covering 59,567 workers, 380 claims for payment were approved in the month of June covering 32,198 workers. Separate information is not available for hosiery and knitwear (SIC XIII MLH 417).

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies have taken place in textiles, SIC XIII, clothing and footwear, SIC XV, and hosiery and knitwear, SIC XIII MLH 417, among employees covered by temporary short-time working compensation scheme applications after their eligibility for the temporary short-time working compensation scheme had expired.

I regret that the information is not available in the form requested.

The information requested is shown in the following tables:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will extend the temporary short-time working compensation scheme (a) to enable companies to re-apply for the same group of employees as had previously been covered by temporary short-time working compensation scheme applications, (b) to enable companies to benefit from the scheme for longer than six months and (c) to enable applications to be made after 31 March 1981.

The present scheme, which is due to close for applications on 31 March 1981, will be reviewed together with other special employment measures later in the year, in line with normal practice.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobs in Wales were being sustained by the temporary short-time working compensation scheme in July; and how this figure compares with that for each of the preceding six months.

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

Vacancies

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will list those employment offices in England which in July had more registered job vacancies than they had registered unemployed, not seasonally adjusted, for their area;(2) if he will publish a tabel showing the average number of unemployed persons for every registered job vacancy for each region of England for July.

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

Job Transfer Scheme

asked the Secretary of State for Employment in what circumstances payments under the job transfer scheme can be made to persons leaving the United Kingdom to seek work.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that under no circumstances can payments be made under the job search or employment transfer schemes to persons leaving the United Kingdom to look for or take up work.

Merseyside

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what are the levels of unemployed in the construction industry on Merseyside; and what steps he is taking to provide greater job opportunities for construction workers in the area;(2) what steps he is taking to bring down the high level of unemployment on Merseyside, now reaching 107,000 in the area.

I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Scotland Exchange (Mr. Parry) on Monday 28 July.—[Vol. 989, c. 457–8].

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) why some private agencies which have received cash assistance to help train young people in skills in Merseyside are now being refused that aid; and what opportunities he is providing in the area for youth employment;(2) what steps he is taking on Merseysied to ensure that work is available for school leavers and young people.

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

Young Persons

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons under 20 years of age are currently unemployed within each employment exchange area in South Yorkshire; and what were the numbers in each area 12 months earlier.

[pursuant to his reply, 23 July 1980, c. 1 73]: The following table gives the numbers of unemployed people under 20 years of age registered in each employment office area within the South Yorkshire metropolitan county.

	July 1979	July 1980^*
Barnsley	2,011	2,974
Chapeltown	44	51
Dinnington	80	87
Doncaster	3,465	4,363
Firth Park	73	93
Goldthorpe	107	107
Hoyland	33	55
Maltby	59	94
Mexborough	184	258
Rotherham	2,507	3,287
Sheffield	5,151	6,913
Thome	142	186
Wombwell	74	101
Woodhouse	71	116
^* Provisional.

Scaffolders (Training)

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many scaffolders have been recruited so far to the scaffolders record scheme operated by the construction industry training board; and what was the cost to public funds of enrolling each scaffolder.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 July 1980 c 456.] I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that up to 23 July 1980 16,456 scaffolders have been recruited to the scaffolders record scheme. There is no cost to public funds as the scheme is operated by the construction industry training board on behalf of the joint industry bodies on the basis that the scheme's operating costs are met from registration fees.

Sheltered Workshops(West Midlands)

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many sheltered workshops there are in the West Midland region; where they are located; and how many places they provide for (a) mentally handicapped and (b) physically handicapped.

[pursuant to his reply. 25 July 1980, c. 409]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that there are 12 sheltered workshops in the West Midland region. The following table gives their location, their capacity, and the latest available information on the numbers of severely disabled people they employ. Workshop places are not generally provided for specific disabilities, other than for the blind, and

	Number of employees
Workshop	Mentally sub-normal	Mentally ill	Other disabilities	Total	Capacity
(a) Remploy Factories
Birmingham	22	21	140	183	200
Coventry	32	13	44	89	90
Newcastle (Staffs)	4	34	75	93	100
Stoke	2	4	76	82	95
Trentham	6	7	82	95	90†
Sub-Totals	66	59	417	542	575
(b) Workshops for Blind People^*
Birmingham…	N.A.	N.A.	N.A.	91	94
Stoke	N.A.	N.A.	N.A.	99	109
Walsall	N.A.	N.A.	N.A.	21	30
Wolverhampton	N.A.	N.A.	N.A.	70	67
Sub-Totals	—	—	—	281	300
(c) Workshops for Sighted People
Worcester	N.A.	N.A.	N.A.	35	42
Birmingham	N.A.	N.A.	N.A.	98	108
Newcastle (Staffs)	N.A.	N.A.	N.A.	42	48
Sub-Totals	—	—	—	175	198
GRAND TOTALS	—	—	—	998	1,073
Notes:
N.A. = Figures not available.
^* May also employ sighted people.
† This workshop employs more people than its intended capacity. It will be extended in 1982–83.

School Leavers (Bolton)

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many school leavers are registered as unemployed in the Bolton area and what was the figure in mid-July 1979.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 July 1980 c. 461]: At 10 July 1980, the provisional number of school leavers under 18 years of age registered as unemployed in the Bolton employment office area was 1,815, compared with 1,316 at 12 July 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many registered vacancies for jobs suitable for school leavers there are in the Bolton area; and what was the figure in mid-July 1979.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 July 1980, c. 461.]: At 4 July 1980, the provisional number of notified vacancies remaining unfilled at the in most workshops in this region people with mental and physical disabilities work together. I cannot, therefore, supply separate information on the number of places for mentally and physically disabled people.Bolton careers office was 24. The corresponding figure at 6 July 1979 was 23. The statistics do not distinguish vacancies which are specifically for school leavers. It is estimated from a survey carried out in April-June 1977 that vacancies notified to employment offices are about one-third of all vacancies in the country as a whole.

Disabled Persons

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish estimates of the percentage unemployment rate among disabled people by adding together his Department's figures for the number of unemployed disabled people both registered and unregistered and expressing this figure as a percentage of his Department's estimates of the number of people in the labour force who have a handicap measurable in financial terms.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 July 1980 c. 459–60.]: I am unable to answer the question in the precise form requested. However, I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission (MSC) that the number of unemployed disabled people, both registered and unregistered at June 1980 was 143,997. Neither my Department nor the MSC have estimates of the number of people in the labour force who have a handicap measurable in financial terms. However, the percentage rate of unemployment for all disabled people is probably about the same as that for registered disabled people, which in June 1980 was 12·8 per cent.

Manchester

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what detailed steps he is taking to provide alternative employment for those in the Manchester area who lost their jobs between the publication of the last two sets of monthly unemployment figures.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 July 1980-c. 462.]: All the facilities of the Manpower Services Commission are available to those seeking employment or the opportunity to acquire a skill. I understand from the Manpower Services Commission that, where possible, people who are about to be made redundant are interviewed in advance of their local jobcentre so that detailed information on employment opportunities and training facilities can be given and any problems discussed.

Defence

14 Mu Raf (Carlisle)

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what redundancies are e—pected at 14 MU RAF, Carlisle, as a result of Her Majesty's Government's policy of cutting public expenditure.

As a result of the introduction of new procedures for processing returns of repairable equipment, 39 posts at Carlisle will be disestablished between now and 1983. This would be in accordance with the Government's policy of reducing Civil Service manpower. The possibility of some redundancy in this connection cannot be ruled out, but everything possible will be done to find alternative posts for those affected.

Vacancies

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list, for the last eight three-monthly periods, the number of vacancies in each of the Armed Services and overall for the Armed Forces.

It is not the practice to give detailed information about the Armed Forces manpower requirements. In 1979–80 we recruited 50,652 United Kingdom service personnel and are looking to do even better this year in our continuing efforts to make good the shortfall on planned strength.

Parliamentary Andeuropean Assembly Expenses

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether reimbursement of the cost of a journey within a United Kingdom constituency, which is undertaken by an hon. Member for the purposes of both parliamentary and European Assembly business, should be claimed from the Fees Office or from the European Assembly.

It is for the individual dual mandated Member to decide whether it is appropriate to submit the claim for reimbursement of the cost of such a journey to the Fees Office or the European Assembly.

New Hebrides

asked the right hon. Member for Middlesbrough, as representing the House of Commons Commission, whether it is proposed that a parliamentary gift should be presented to the House of Assembly of the New Hebrides to mark the attainment of independence on 30 July.

asked the right hon. Member for Middlesbrough, as representing the House of Commons Commission, whether it is proposed that a parliamentary gift should be presented to the House of Assembly of New Hebrides to mark the attainment of independence on 30 July.

The House of Commons Commission has noted with pleasure the forthcoming independence of New Hebrides. It is sure that the House will wish to offer a suitable gift to their House of Assembly to mark this occasion. An appropriate motion will be moved in due course.

National Finance

Nationalised Industries

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial targets have now been agreed for each nationalised industry; and which industries achieved their targets in the last financial year and which did not.

Financial targets have now been set for the following industries:

National Coal Board?

Break-even on profit and loss account after interest and special grants from 1983–84.

Electricity (England and Wales)

Average annual rate of return after current cost depreciation but before interest and tax of 1·8% on net assets valued (excluding work in progress) valued at current cost over the period 1980–81 to 1982–83.

British Gas

Average annual rate of return (related to current cost operating profit after depreciation but before interest and tax) of 9% on net assets valued at current cost over period April 1980 to March 1983.

British Steel

Operating at a profit in the 1980–81 financial year after providing for depreciation and interest.

Post Office

Telecommunications

Five per cent. return on average net assets revalued to replacement cost (before interest, but after historic and supplementary depreciation) for each of the three years from 1979–80 to 1981–82 (as indicated in Cmnd. 7841, revision of the target for the remaining two years of the period is being considered). Posts

Two per cent. return on turnover (after historic and supplementary depreciation, and after interest) for each of the three years 1980–81 to 1982–83.

Giro

Average annual return of 13% before interest on net assets over 1979–80 to 1981–82, plus £5 million over the three years towards reducing the accumulated deficit.

British Airways

On average a rate of return of 6% before interest but after supplementary depreciation on mean net assets revalued at current cost, over the three financial years 1979–80 to 1981–82.

British Airports Authority

On average a rate of return of 6% per annum on net assets revalued to current cost over the three financial years 1980–81 to 1982–83.

British Rail

The industry as a whole is required to break even after receipt of grant at a predetermined level. The objective of individual businesses is to earn a current cost operating profit sufficient to achieve the required rate of return on investment after providing for all direct and appropriate indirect costs. In addition, interim targets have been set for the individual businesses as follows: Sealink

Five per cent. rate of return on net assets valued at current cost (after current cost depreciation) by 1982.

Inter-City

By 1982 should achieve £28 million improvement (at 1979 prices) in 1978 level of contribution to total indirect costs of the railway after charging all direct costs, provision for full current cost depreciation and amortisation of the assets, interest and the net cost of train catering. Freight

By 1982 should aim to cover two-thirds of current cost depreciation and amortisation as opposed to 30% in 1978.

British Transport Docks Board

Twenty per cent. on mean net assets by 1980 (before interest and tax, after historic depreciation).

Scottish Transport Group

Scottish Bus Group

To make an operating surplus in 1980 of £7½ million after charging replacement cost depreciation and interest payments.

Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services

Break-even in 1980 after receipt of grant. Scottish Transport Investments

Surplus of 8% on turnover for 1980, after charging for replacement cost depreciation.

British Shipbuilders

Loss (before tax, interest and extraordinary items) constrained to £100 million or less in 1979–80 after crediting intervention fund assistance: 1980–81 maximum trading loss of £90 million before crediting intervention fund assistance.

British Aerospace

To seek to achieve trading profits, before launching costs and loan interest of £90 million in 1979 and of £98 million in 1980, equivalent to an average return of 21% on average net assets employed over the two-year period.

Most industries have not yet published their report and accounts for the last financial year. Of the industries which had specific financial targets for 1979 or 1979–80, only British Gas, BNOC, British Rail and British Aerospace have published their accounts; these industries met their targets.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the annual rate of price increase of the United Kingdom nationalised industries and services, including the National Enterprise Board subsidiaries, since 1974 in relation to the annual rate of price increase of private industry and services, respectively.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 July 1980, c. 478]: Data on the prices of goods and services provided by the National Enterprise Board subsidiaries are not classified separately by the Department of Employment when collecting the information on prices for the construction of the retail prices index. Information is available for the prices of goods and services of other United Kingdom nationalised industries and on the prices of goods and services provided by the private sector. For the period 1974 to 1979 the annual rate of increase in the relevant price index was as follows:

	Percentage annual increases
Nationalised industries	Private sector	(excluding food)
1974	12·4	16·5
1975	36·0	23·3
1976	25·7	14·4
1977	12·3	15·6
1978	9·2	9·0
1979	8·6	13·4

North Sea Oil (Economic Effect)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Government's medium-term forecast for the economy is based on the assumption that the increase in the price and volume of North Sea oil is bound to lead to a contraction in manufacturing industry; and what his forecast is of the estimated effect.

The medium-term financial strategy, published in the Financial Statement and Budget Report, contains illustrative projections—not forecasts—of public revenue, expenditure and borrowing, based on the assumption that the average growth rate after 1980 is roughly in line with the experience between 1973 and 1979.

Gold Coins

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many gold coins and of what denominations are being struck by the Royal Mint in the current year; and how members of the public may obtain these coins.

The Royal Mint is continually seeking and obtaining orders for coin throughout the world and it is, therefore, not possible to state how many gold coins will be struck in the current year.The following United Kingdom gold coins are to be issued by the Royal Mint this year: bullion sovereigns, proof half sovereigns, proof sovereigns, and, as part of a four-coin boxed set, proof £2 and £5 gold pieces. Bullion sovereigns can be obtained through banks, bullion dealers and certain coin dealers. Details of the marketing arrangements for United Kingdom proof gold coins can be obtained from the Royal Mint Numismatic Bureau, PO Box 9, Llantrisant, Mid Glamorgan, CF7 8YT.

Premium Bonds

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reconsider his decision on premium bond prizes so that a greater number of people may have the chance of winning smaller amounts of money.

I have no plans to change the prize structure introduced at the beginning of this month, in which the number of prizes was increased to over 74,000 a month and the value from £6·5 million to £8 million a month. Some 98 per cent. of prizes are of £50 or £100.

Retirement Benefit (Taxation)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will estimate to the latest year available the amount of income tax arising from those persons who are in receipt of the State retirement benefit.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 July 1980, c. 384]: Estimates relating only to those in receipt of State retirement benefit are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The available information relates to all persons aged 65 years and over, from whom the estimated yield of tax for a full year at 1980–81 income levels is £2·9 billion.

Prices And Money Supply

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the correlation between the rate of increase of aggregate prices and the rate of increase of money supply M3 since 1974.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 July 1980, c. 478.]: The table below gives the correlation coefficient between year-on-year changes in the RPI and the sterling M3 money aggregate, when the latter is lagged from zero to 12 quarters. The correlation is negative for lags 0–2 and positive for lags 3–12. These coefficients were estimated for price changes between the first quarter of 1974 and the last quarter of 1979.

Lag(quarters)	Correlation coefficient	R²
0	—.526	.277
1	—.34	.112
2	—.162	.026
3	.018	.000
4	.201	.040
5	.405	.164
6	.594	.353
7	.723	.523
8	.773	.597
9	.759	.576
10	.728	.529
11	.681	.464
12	.643	.413

State Enterprises

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total value added of State (public) enterprise as a proportion of United Kingdom value added in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 July 1980, c. 479.]: The total value added of the public corporations' sector as a proportion of United Kingdom value added for the years requested was as follows:

	percentage
1976	11·7
1977	11·6
1978	11·5
1979	11·3
(provisional)

Gross Capital Formation

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of gross capital formation was represented by State (public) enterprise, including new established corporations and the National Enterprise Board and its subsidiaries, in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 July 1980, c. 479.]: Estimates of the gross domestic fixed capital formation (gdfcf) of public corporations as percentages of total gdfcf are given below:

	percentages
1976	19·8
1977	18·3
1978	16·9
1979	16·8

Public corporations comprise the corporations listed on page 121 of "National Income and Expenditure, 1979 Edition". The subsidiaries of the National Enterprise Board are not included; gdfcf by these subsidiaries is included in estimates for the companies sector but is not separately distinguishable.

Industry

Cleveland County Council

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish in the Official Report the letter from his Under-Secretary of State to the chairman of Cleveland county council following the representations made to him in March by the county and district councils in Cleveland.

A copy of my letter of 11 July to Cleveland county council has been placed in the Library.

Manufacturing Industry

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what, as a percentage of the gross national product, has been the Government contribution in each of the last 10 years to date to support manufacturing industry; and how this compares with each of the other European Economic Community countries, the United States of America and Japan.

Government contributions to support industry are made in numerous ways and complete information in summary form is not available. The table below shows expenditure by the Department of Industry on direct support to industry. No comparable information is available for other countries.

EXPENDITURE BY THE DEPARTMENT Of INDUSTRY ON DIRECT SUPPORT TO INDUSTRY
	Expenditure
financial year	£ million	Percentage of GNP (at market prices)
1971–72	680	1¼
1972–73	570	1
1973–74	670	1
1974–75	780	1
1975–76	1,140	1
1976–77	920	¾
1977–78	910	½
1978–79	1,000	½

Notes:

1. Expenditure under the following headings has been included:

Regional Development Grants
Provision of Land and Buildings
Assistance to Industry in Assisted Areas
Assistance for Publicity etc.
Local Employment Act 1972
Assistance to individual Industries
National Enterprise Board
Investment Grants
National Research Development Corporation
Other Support Services
Concorde
Rolls Royce
Other Aircraft and Aero-engines
Refinancing of Home Shipbuilding Lending
Interest Support Costs
Assistance to Shipbuilding
Assistance to Steel Industry

2. The figures show assistance to all industry. Information relating to manufacturing industry alone is not available.

Industry Act 1972 (Gwynedd)

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list all the companies in Gwynedd which have received offers of selective financial assistance under sections 7 and 8 of the Industry Act 1972, and the amount of assistance granted for the years 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80 and 1980 to the latest available date.

Selective financial assistance offered under sections 7 and 8 of the Industry Act 1972 is treated as commercially confidential until the first payment of grant is made in each case when details are published in British Business, in accordance with arrangements announced by the then Secretary of State for Industry on 31 July 1974. Details of grants paid to companies with projects located in Gwynedd have been included in the published tables.

Arfon And Dwyfor

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if, in view of the July unemployment figures, he will reconsider his decision to downgrade the Arfon and Dwyfor areas from being special development areas to ordinary development areas.

I am not at present prepared to reverse the decision to make the Caernarvon and Pwllheli travel-to-work areas into development areas on 1 August. However, we shall continue to monitor developments there closely.

Paper Industry (Merseyside)

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what action he is prepared to take to ensure that the paper industry on Merseyside, such as Bowater, Ellesmere Port, is maintained, and the work force guaranteed full employment.

Discussions are taking place with the company about the problems of the Ellesmere Port paper mill but decisions on its commercial future are a matter for Bowater's management.

Furniture Industry (North-West)

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what steps he is taking to ensure that those parts of the furniture industry in the North-West which have received substantial Government support, such as Schreiber Ltd., continue to employ their staff fully.

As far as assistance under the Government's regional policy is concerned, regional development grants are payable automatically for expenditure on qualifying assets within the assisted areas and are not specifically linked to the preservation or creation of jobs. Selective assistance under section 7 of the Industry Act 1972 is provided for projects which create or safeguard employment in the assisted areas and meet the criteria for such assistance. Projects which have been offered assistance under section 7 are monitored and the Department has to be satisfied that the terms and conditions of the offer are met before payments of grant are made.

Cash Limits

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether there have been any charges to his Department's cash limits for the financial year 1980–81.

The cash limit for Miscellaneous Support Services Class IV, Vote 2 has been reduced from £40,062,000 to £39,978,400 for this year. The decrease takes account of the £83,600 overspend on the cash limit in 1979–80 arising from payment falling due earlier than had been expected. The cash limit for Scientific and Technological Assistance, Class IV Vote 10, has also been reduced from £182,695,000 to £180,754,000 for this year. The decrease takes account of the £1,941,000 overspend (provisional) on the cash limit in 1979–80. In that year the previous experience of shortfall was not repeated largely due to payments on research and development assistance to industry being called for at a faster rate than forecast.

Volume 989: debated on Tuesday 22 July 1980

Written Answers To Questions

Overseas Development

St Helena And Ascension Island

Tuvalu

Energy

Nuclear Industry

Electricity And Gas (Savings Stamps)

Central Heating (Coal Burningappliances)

Trade

Domestic Gas Appliances

British Gas Corporation

Manufactures

Taps (Imports)

Compensation (Injuries And Damage)

Bankruptcies

Tenerife Air Crash

Motorway Petrol Prices

Furniture Imports

Canada

Multi-Fibre Arrangement (United States)

Northern Ireland

Ten Acre Estate, Newtownards

Housing Executive

Overseas Students (Fees)

Home Department

Self-Service Stores (Shoplifting)

Penal Establishments

Parliamentary Constitutencies(Humberside)

Civil Defence

Electoral Lists

Prime Minister (Engagements)

Cbi

Bardsey Island

Ministerial Appointments

Brinnington

Wage Rates

Act Of Settlement

Biotechnology

Greece

Springboig

Tuc

Race Relations Act

Gwynedd (Employment)

New Hebrides

Social Services

Large General Hospitals

Perinatal Mortality

Broadmoor(Appointment Of Physiciansuperintendent)

Hospital Patients(Service)

Allocation Of Resources

National Health Service(Public Purchasing)

St Benedict's Hospital, Tooting

National Health Service(Rotherham)

Retirement Pension(Supplementary Benefit)

Cancer (Review)

Adoption

Health Centre(Brinnington)

Heart Operations(Macclesfield)

National Health Service Patients(Private Hospital Use)

Liverpool Area Health Authority(Bulk Buying)

Additional Age Allowance

Local Authority Social Services

Orthopaedic Surgery

Benefit (Claims)

Operations And Consultations(Waiting Time)

Supplementary Benefit

Health Planning Consortium(Kent)

Pensions

Regional Health Authority(Abolition)

Benefits (Claims)

Social Security (No 2) Act 1980

Care Of The Elderly (Joint Funding)

Mental Patients (Information)

Death Grant

Home Helps

Social Security (School Leavers)

Voluntary Service

Wales