asked the Secretary of State for Employment, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South on 14 July regarding £56,435 given in 1979–80 to the British Youth Council, through the Manpower Services Commission, what specifically this was for; and how much his Department is giving the British Youth Council in the current year.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that in 1979–80 funds totalling £56,435 were allocated to that part of a project known as "Into Work" sponsored by the British Youth Council and not to the British Youth Council itself as I indicated to my hon. Friend earlier. The aim of "Into Work" is to involve young people in the design and delivery of the youth opportunities programme by encouraging them to make their views, aspirations and interests known so that the Commission can respond sensitively in the development of the programme. "Into Work" consists of a central unit which supports three "Into Work" areas: South London, East Cornwall, and North Tyneside.In its first phase commencing April 1978 the whole of the "Into Work" project was sponsored by the British Youth Council, but from the beginning of its second phase (August 1979) only the central unit has been sponsored by the BYC, the three area components being sponsored by local organisations.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will initiate an inquiry into the premiums payable to employment agencies for temporary work.

No. The price payable for the provision of a service is a matter for agreement between the parties concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a list showing what courses are available at skillcentres in Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, together with the number of places available on each course at each skillcentre.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the following courses are available at skill-centres and skillcentre annexes in Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the proposed withdrawal of T & J Harrisons from the port of Liverpool resulting in the loss of 320 jobs, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Liverpool, Scotland Exchange.

No. I have nothing to add to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport on 9 July 1980 in response to a similar question.—[Vol. 988, c. 229–30].

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he intends to introduce regulations covering the financial transactions between specialist temporary employment agencies and employers.

No. The Employment Agencies Act 1973 provides no powers for the control of charges made by employment agencies and employment businesses (staff contractors) to employers. The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 1976 (SI 1976 No. 715) do, however, ensure that employers are made fully aware of the agencies' current terms of business before accepting workers supplied to them.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received concerning the registration of specialist temporary employment agencies; and whether he has any proposals for their registration.

None. The Employment Agencies Act 1973, as amended, already provides for the licensing and regulation of all employment agencies and employment businesses (staff contractors) operating from premises in Great Britain by the Secretary of State for Employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what study his Department has made of the Youthways scheme for training young unemployed, operated by the Northern Ireland Department of Education; and what comparable schemes exist in Great Britain.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission, who is responsible for the Youth Opportunities Programme (YOP) for unemployed young people, that no formal study has been made of the Youthways scheme operated in Northern Ireland. However, many of the work experience schemes and work preparation courses provided under the YOP have the same basic objectives as the Youthways scheme and have a similar structure and content.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what courses run by the Manpower Services Commission under the training opportunities programme have been discontinued in the current year; what new ones have been started and postponed; and what courses are not likely to run in 1981–82;(2) how many people he estimates will be undertaking courses on the training opportunities programme in 1981–82 and 1982–83; and what proportion of these will be women;(3) if he will list all the courses run by the Manpower Services Commission under the training opportunities programme for each year since 1975; and how many men and women undertook these courses in each year;

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many firms in Birmingham employment office areas, listed by area, receive support currently from the temporary short-time working schemes; how many persons are affected; how many of these persons are under 21 years of age; and how many applications are outstanding.

The number of current applications under the temporary short-time working compensation (TSTWC) scheme in the Birmingham area, by local office area, and the number of workers covered by these applications are listed in the following table.

Local employment office areas in Birmingham travel to work area	Number of current approved applications	Number of workers sharing short-time working to avert redundancies
Birmingham	14	1,050
Aston	10	1,290
Bromsgrove	1	126
Chelmsley Wood	—	—
Erdington	3	1,026
Handsworth	—	—
Selly Oak	5	387
Small Heath	1	300
Solihull	2	2,457
Sparkhill	11	1,709
Sutton Coldfield	2	300
Tamworth	—	—
Washwood Heaton	4	266
Northfield	3	6,093

An age breakdown of workers covered by the TSTWC scheme is not available.Information on outstanding applications is only available for the region as a whole and, as at 30 June 1980, there were 371 applications outstanding in the Midlands.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many workers were registered as being on short-time working schemes at the latest date for which the information is available; and how this compares with the position six months earlier.

[pursuant to his reply, 23 July 1980 c. 167]: As at 30 June 1980 there were about 126,900 workers on short-time under the temporary short-time working compensation (TSTWC) scheme. The published figure for 31 December 1979 was 101,400. These figures are not comparable because of changes made from April 1980 in the method of calculating the number of people helped under the scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the monthly amount paid under the short-time working scheme at the latest date for which information is available; and how this compares with the figures six months earlier.

[pursuant to his reply, 23 July 1980, c. 167]: Expenditure for the month of June 1980 under the temporary short-time working compensation (TSTWC) scheme was £7·3 million and £2·1 million for the month of December 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons in Birmingham are currently being assisted by the various schemes and arrangements for job saving and employment creation for which his Department is responsible; how many of these persons are under 21 years of age; and whether he intends to continue these schemes at least at the present level in Birmingham.

The available information is as follows:

Special employment measure	Number of persons assisted
Temporary Short-Time Working Compensation Scheme	15,004
Job Release Scheme	1,261
Small Firms Employment Subsidy	493

I regret that a breakdown by age for these figures is not available.In my right hon. Friend's statement to the House on 14 February 1980 he announced that the small firms employment subsidy would close for application on 31 March 1980, although claims could continue to be made up to the week ending 5 October 1980. The temporary short-time working compensation scheme is at present due to close for applications on 31 March 1981 and the job release scheme on 5 April 1981. We shall, in line with previous practice, make an announcement about the future of these schemes when we have completed the annual review of special employment measures.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people under the age of 19 years there are in the city of Manchester who have never had a job; if he will provide separate figures for each careers office and jobcentre at the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will provide comparable figures for the same date in 1979.

[pursuant to his reply, 18 July 1980, c. 732]: The following table gives the numbers of registered unemployed young people aged 18 years and under who, at 14 June 1979 and 12 June 1980, had not been in employment since completing full-time education.

Careers offices	June 1979	June 1980
Manchester	253	368
North Manchester	238	394
Openshaw	222	320
Withington	252	369
Wythenshawe	418	530
Employment offices	June 1979	June 1980
Manchester	88	131
Manchester City	3	—
Didsbury	31	14
Levenshulme	34	27
Moss Side	248	356
Newton Heath	33	38
Openshaw	1	9
Wythenshawe	—	4
Note: The June 1980 figures are not strictly comparable with those for June 1979 because of the introduction, in September 1979, of fortnightly attendance and payment of benefit. Estimates by age or for local areas are not available but for the country as a whole the monthly figures for all unemployed are about 20,000 or 1½ per cent. higher than under weekly attendance.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if the Manpower Services Commission will continue to be able to offer (a) all school leavers without a job a place on its youth opportunities programme and (b) all young people who have been unemployed for more than a year a place on one of its programmes.

[pursuant to his reply, 23 July 1980, c. 173]: I have made it clear on a number of occasions that the Government will continue to back the youth opportunities programme to the hilt. When the MSC submitted to the Government plans for YOP in 1980–81 it indicated it might approach the Government again if the average level of unemployment in 1980–81 rose above 1·65 million. If such an approach were made it would be carefully and sympathetically considered. So far this year entrants to the programme have increased by about a fifth over the corresponding period last year, a level of increase anticipated by the plans for the programme in 1980–81. I am discussing the future size and scope of YOP with the MSC and I have no doubt that the undertakings will figure prominently.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he intends to announce the findings of the Manpower Services Commission inquiry into the job creation programme activity in Maryport.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many Ministers in his Department have made journeys abroad; if he will specify the number of separate occasions (a) to EEC countries and (b) to overseas countries outside the EEC within the 12 months to 30 June; how many staff of his Department and others accompanied the individual Minister on each occasion; what was the overall cost on each occasion in respect of travel, subsistence and other expenditure involved; how many days were occupied on each visit; what was the object of each journey; and how many such visits are now planned to be undertaken from 1 July to 31 December.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 July 1980, c. 10]: Two of my Ministers and I have made a total of 13 visits overseas in the 12 months up to 30 June 1980. Details are as follows:

	Visits to EC countries	Visits to non-EC countries	Number of DE staff and others accompanying Ministers	What was overall cost on each occasion in respect of travel, subsistence and other expenditure	How many days occupied on each visit	What was the object of each visit
Secretary of State …	Eire … …	—	(1)	£1,825 (Gross) …	2 days 20·9.79–21·9.79	Meeting of EC Ministers
	—	United States…	(4)	£1,664 (Net)	9 days 29·9.79–7·10·79	Talks with US Secretary of Labor
	Italy … …	—	(3)	£3,232 (Gross) …	2 days 15·5.80–16·5.80	Meeting of Employment Ministers
	Luxembourg …	—	(3)	£702 (Gross) …	2 days 28·5.80–29·5.80	EC—Standing Employment Committee
	Luxembourg …	—	(5)	£1,134 (Gross) …	2 days 8·6.80–9·6.80	Council of Ministers
Minister of State (Lord Gowrie)	Belgium …	—	(1)	£95 (Net) … …	2 days 8·10·79–9·10·79	Standing Employment Committee
	Belgium …	—	(4)	£347 (Net) … …	2 days 21·11·79–22·11·79	Council of Ministers
	Belgium …	—	(3)	£228 (Net) … …	2 days 25·2.80–26·2.80	Standing Employment Committee
	France… …	—	(5)	£965 (Net) … …	2 days 16·4.80–17·4.80	OECD Conference on Women
	Germany …	—	(1)	£370 (Net) … …	2 days 4·6.80–6·6.80	'Copenhagen' Group Meeting
	Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Mr. Lester) United States…	(1)	£4,211 (Net) …	17 days 31·7.79–16·8.79	Talks with Under Secretary of Labor	—
				2 days 29·8.79–30·8.79
	Switzerland …	(1)	£757 (Net) … …	2 days 17·10·79–18·10·79	ILO Crd European Regional Conference	—
	—	Switzerland..	(1)	£1,000 approximate	4 days 8·6.80–12·6.80	ILO Conference

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to provide alternative employment for those who lost their jobs due to the closure of Crown Trent Ltd., Stoke-on-Trent.

All the resources of the Manpower Services Commission will be available to help those who were made redundant by the closure of Crown Trent Ltd. I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that 38 out of the 46 people concerned were interviewed in the two days immediately following the closure and were advised about the assistance they could obtain in finding a new job or training for a new skill.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide a list of fatal and serious accident figures for persons working on the construction of oil and gas reception facilities in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1979.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 July 1980, c. 10]: I regret that separate figures are not available for fatal and serious accidents to persons working on the construction of oil and gas reception facilities in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide a list of fatal and serious accident figures for persons working on the construction of oil and gas production platforms and rigs in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1979.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 July 1980, c. 10]: I regret that separate figures are not available for fatal and serious accidents to persons working on the construction of oil and gas production platforms and rigs in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide a list of fatal and serious accident figures for persons working in yards coating and preparing pipelines to be used in North Sea oil and gas fields, from 1969 to 1979.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 July 1980, c. 10]: I regret that separate figures are not available for fatal and serious accidents to persons working at coating and preparation of pipelines to be used in the North Sea oil and gas fields from 1969 to 1979.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will institute a practice whereby when civil servants give wrong advice or neglect their duties, involving the taxpayer in huge losses, such as the Crown Agents case and the Clegg inquiry, and so on, they should be charged for their neglect or made to pay a contribution towards their maladministration and neglect.

It is already Civil Service policy, in accordance with the practice of other good employers, to deal with cases according to their gravity and nature. No standard practice therefore applies to individual inefficiency or misconduct, although in certain circumstances financial penalties are available. This necessarily depends on individuals first being held blameworthy.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will introduce legislation which will require the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration to make copies of his reports available to trade unions which might have a valid interest in a case which has been investigated.

The Parliamentary Commissioner's duty is to report to the hon. Member concerned or to Parliament itself. It would be inappropriate to legislate in the way the hon. Member has suggested.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will detail the arrangements by which members of the Civil Service are seconded to the staff of the Church of England.

My Department has no record of any civil servants being seconded to the staff of the Church of England. If my hon. Friend has a specific point in mind perhaps he will write to me.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will publish in the Official Report as much detailed information as may be readily available, giving the names of persons who hold full and part-time appointments where Government funds are involved and the amounts of payments and expenses in each instance.

The hon. Member will find some of the information that he is seeking in publications such as the "Civil Service Year Book" and the Diplomatic Service List—both of which are published annually—the White Paper on "Public Boards of a Commercial Character"—Cmnd. 7471—and the "Directory of Paid Public Appointments" made by Ministers, the second edition of which was published by the Civil Service Department in November 1978. Copies of these publications have been placed in the Library.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make a statement about Her Majesty's Stationery Office's expenditure in the financial year 1979–80.

On the basis of the provisional figures currently available Her Majesty's Stationery Office's net expenditure in 1979–80 is expected to show an excess of £09 million over the approved cash limit of £114·3 million. Gross expenditure was within the original PES provision at constant prices, but there was a short-fall in receipts which, due to a failure in the monitoring system, was not detected in sufficient time for full corrective action to be taken.Consequent on the introduction of a trading fund for Her Majesty's Stationery Office from 1 April 1980, the Vote for stationery and printing has disappeared. It is not, therefore, possible to deduct the amount of the overspend from Her Majesty's Stationery Office's cash limit for the current year but it has been set against the amounts available to Her Majesty's Stationery Office for working capital.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement on the announcement by British Airways that their aircraft, among others of Western airlines, were not permitted to use Moscow airport for a period of three hours, coincident with the opening of the Olympic Games, while aircraft operated by Aeroflot and the East Germany airline were permitted to operate there; and what action he has taken to protest against such discrimination.

I understand that the Board of Airline Representatives in Moscow, representing all the airlines flying into Moscow, requested the Russian authorities to give an explanation for the action referred to by the hon. Member. The explanation given was that the Russian security authorities had received a warning that an attempt would be made to interfere with an airline of a Western country during the period of the opening of the Olympic games and it had therefore been deemed advisable to divert aircraft of Western airlines from Moscow during the period in question. I am advised that under the terms of the relevant international conventions relating to security of civil aviation, aeronautical authorities are required to take such practicable measures as are appropriate to deal with a specific threat. It would not therefore be appropriate for Her Majesty's Government to protest.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make representations to the French Government with a view to their rescinding their proposal that, from December next, all British yachts wishing to navigate in French territorial waters will be required to be British registered ships pursuant to the Merchant Shipping Act 1894, including such yachts entering France by road trailer; and if he will make a statement on the discussions on this subject he has had to date.

We are currently seeking clarification from the French authorities of their detailed intentions.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement about his powers of intervention in relation to shipping casualties which may give rise to the threat of pollution by dangerous or harmful substances other than oil.

I hope that an Order in Council under section 20 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1979 will be made and laid before the House before the Summer Adjournment to provide the Secretary of State with the same powers of intervention after a shipping casualty where there is a threat of pollution by dangerous or harmful substances other than oil as he now possesses under the Prevention of Oil Pollution Act 1971 and the Oil in Navigable Waters (Shipping Casualties) Order 1971 where the threat is of oil pollution. The Order in Council, which is subject to the annulment procedure, is planned to come into operation during the summer.The order will give effect to the "Protocol relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Marine Pollution Substances other than Oil, 1973"—Cmnd. 6038.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he has any proposals for the early reform of bankruptcy law; and if he will make a statement.

The Government have decided in principle that a simpler and more straightforward system of personal bankruptcy is called for. This would involve replacing the Official Receiver in the administration of personal bankruptcy by receivers appointed from the private sector. This would be a further extension of the changes made in 1976 when, as a result of the increases in the deposits on petitions and monetary limits the number of personal bankruptcies dealt with by Official Receivers declined by about 40 per cent.For many years the insolvency service, which handles both personal bankruptcy and companies winding-up has been unable to recruit sufficient specialised staff to cope with its work load. To relieve the Official Receiver of personal bankruptcy work would enable these scarce specialist resources to be concentrated on companies winding-up investigations. This is where they are most needed.These proposals in no way imply that the Government are relaxing their pursuit of fraud. In fact, as far as compulsory winding-up of companies is concerned, the Official Receiver will not only continue to pursue fraud, he will be better staffed to do so.To ensure that creditors' rights continue to be protected, the new procedure would remain under official control. It would, therefore, remain under the control of the court with the Department of Trade continuing to have supervisory functions. The Secretary of State would still be directly responsible to Parliament for its proper administration.In cases of personal bankruptcy unconnected with company failure, there would be the same obligation on the receiver—albeit from the private sector—to report to the Department any prima facie evidence of criminal offence as there was on the Official Receiver.Even allowing for increased costs, we believe that the new procedure will continue to be, at the very least, an equally effective means of debt collection and of relieving debtors of the burden of their debts as the present system.I am now considering the translation of this general policy into firm legislative proposals. This is a complex and technically demanding task calling for wide consultation with all interested parties, and for this reason I am arranging for a consultative document to be published today. This will give an outline of the proposed alternative bankruptcy procedure to replace the existing one in England and Wales and will invite comments on the new policy which we are proposing. Under the new policy there will be a consequent saving of approximately 570 staff and a net financial saving of some £3 million a year.The Insolvency Law Review Committee, appointed under the chairmanship of Sir Kenneth Cork by the previous Government, produced an interim report on bankruptcy at the end of last year, proposing major changes in bankruptcy law and procedure. I am arranging for that report also to be published today. However, the present Government have radically different views from their predecessor on the responsibilities of the Civil Service. It is, of course, no reflection on the Cork committee that the change should have occurred while it was at work, but in consequence the Government are now considering this very different approach. To operate the present personal bankruptcy system, or even the modernised system devised by the Cork committee, requires a large technically-trained staff employed in the Government service. Changes in society, in processes for recovery of debt, and in the value of money, all suggest that it is now unnecessary to maintain this costly public structure for the administration of the civil process of personal bankruptcy.Fortunately the Cork committee has already received and assessed much expert evidence on those areas of general insolvency law reform which will still be

Year				United Kingdom imports cif	United Kingdom exports fob	Crude balance (exports fob minus imports cif)	£ million Ratio of exports (fob) over imports (cif)
1970	…	…	…	134·7	148·6	+ 13·9	1·10
1971	…	…	…	201·6	157·5	− 44·1	0·78
1972	…	…	…	315·0	172·5	− 142·5	0·55
1973	…	…	…	446·1	273·8	− 172·3	0·61
1974	…	…	…	572·2	320·4	− 251·8	0·56
1975	…	…	…	674·1	310·7	− 363·4	0·46
1976	…	…	…	797·6	361·7	− 435·9	0·45
1977	…	…	…	1,060·7	470·9	− 589·8	0·44
1978	…	…	…	1,283·0	541·8	− 741·2	0·42
1979	…	…	…	1,490·3	606·0	− 884·3	0·41
Source: 1970–76, Annual Abstract of Statistics (1980 edition); 1977 and 1978, Overseas Trade Statistics (1978 annual edition); 1979, Overseas Trade Statistics (December 1979 issue).
Notes:
(a) Information at constant prices is not available.
(b) Imports of passenger motor cars (SITC/R2 Group 781) from Japan in 1979 were valued at £357·5 million cif (÷ 2= £l78·75). In estimating the effect on United Kingdom trade of a reduction of car imports, allowance must be made both for the related effect on imports of components for maintenance and repair and for the possibility of compensating increases in imports of cars and components from other countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what representations he has received from the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances concerning the imports of cheap washing machines from Spain and Eastern European countries.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, for each of the last 10 years, what has been the trade deficit in actual and constant prices and the ratio between imports and exports with Japan; and what the effect on United Kingdom trade would be if the import of Japanese cars were halved.

[pursuant to his reply, 16 July 1980, c. 549]: The relevant figures, based on current (actual) values, are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what are the rates of interest in the principal competitor countries from which carpets are imported into the United Kingdom.

I understand that the latest available Central Bank discount rates in the most important countries from which the United Kingdom imports carpets, carpeting, rugs, mats and matting of wool or of man-made fibres are as follows:

		Per cent.
United States of America	…	11
Denmark	…	13
Irish Republic	…	16·86
Belgium	…	13
Netherlands	…	9·5
Canada	…	10·44
Federal Republic of Germany	…	7·5
Portugal	…	18–23*
* a multi-tier discounting system exists in Portugal.

UNITED KINGDOM IMPORTS OF TEXTILES FROM SOUTH AFRICA
(a) BY VALUE
	1975	1976	1977	1978	(£ million cif) 1979
Total of which:	2·76	3·41	3·50	6·64	10·75
Tops of wool or of fine animal hair	2·50	2·94	2·43	4·01	4·85
Cotton yarn	0·02	0·02	0·17	1·69	4·15
Woven cotton fabrics (not including narrow or special fabrics)	0·02	0·03	0·36	0·27	0·50
Other textile products	0·22	0·42	0·55	0·68	1·26
(b) BY WEIGHT
	1975	1976	1977	(thousand tonnes) 1978	1979
Total of which:	1·50	1·57	1·34	2·95	5·27
Tops of wool or of fine animal hair	1·38	1·34	0·87	1·42	1·72
Cotton yarn	0·01	0·01	0·09	1·03	2·67
Woven cotton fabrics (not including narrow or special fabrics)	0·00	0·01	0·15	0·17	0·28
Other textile products	0·11	0·21	0·23	0·33	0·59
Source: United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics (SITC (Rev 2) Division 65, Groups 266 and 267 and Items 268·7 (part) and 847·11 and corresponding items under SITC (Rev 1)).
Notes:
(a) Details of the major suppliers of these imports are not available.
(b) Because of rounding there may be slight discrepancies between the totals shown and the sums of the constituent items.
(c) 0·00—trade less than 5 tonnes.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many Ministers in his Department have made journeys abroad; if he will specify the number of separate occasions (a) to EEC countries and (b) to overseas countries outside the EEC within the 12 months to 30 June; how many staff of his Department and others accompanied the individual Minister on each occasion; what

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the amount of textiles imported from South Africa by volume and value during the years 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979; what were the different categories of these imports; and who were the major suppliers of these imports.

The information that can be provided within acceptable limits of cost is as follows:was the overall cost on each occasion in respect of travel, subsistence and other expenditure involved; how many days were occupied on each visit; what was the object of each journey; and how many such visits are now planned to be undertaken from 1 July to 31 December.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 July 1980, c. 25]: In the year ended 30 June 1980 Ministers in my Department undertook the following visits:

ON EEC BUSINESS
Ministers			Number accompanying Minister	Cost £	Length of visit days
Secretary of State	…	…	1	378†	2
			2	1,097	2
			2	970†	1
Minister for Consumer Affairs	…	…	2	701	2
			3	1,711	5
			2	1,298	2
Minister for Trade	…	…	—	221	2
			—	1,106	1
			2	438	2
			4	702	2
			1	296†	2
			—	878	2
			2	369	1
			2	383	1
Under-Secretary of State	…	…	4	576	2
			2	365	1
			2	222	2
			2	344	1

OTHER VISITS
Ministers			Number accompanying Minister	Cost £	Length of visit days
Secretary of State	…	…	4	12,811	21
			4	5,481	6
			3	11,945	14
			1	573	3
			1	3,657	2
			3	10,213	8
Minister for Trade	…	…	3	698	3
			3	2,793	3
			3	6,026	12
			1	635	2
			9	5,790	4
			2	1,217	5
			2	4,786	10
			2	1,424	3
			3	6,296	5
			2	4,200	8
			3	4,153	7
Under-Secretaries of State	…	…	2	4,602	9
			2	1,754	2
			2	2,014	6
			1	—*	1
			1	2,037	10
			2	2,529	8
* Not yet available.
† Incomplete.
The visits not dealing with EEC business were concerned with trade talks and trade promotion Between now and the end of the year Ministers in my Department expect to undertake six visits on EEC business and 17 other visits.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many new leather blotting paper holders have been supplied to the Library and elsewhere in the House in the last 12 months; and what was the total cost.

I am informed that, at the request of the House authori- ties, Her Majesty's Stationery Office supplied 101 new leather cloth blotting paper holders to the Library of the House in the past 12 months. They cost £596 and replaced those which had been in use for at least 30 years.Her Majesty's Stationery Office has no record of additional holders being supplied to elsewhere in the House in the past 12 months.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list, for each member State of the European Community which is a major steel producer, the cost of electricity supplied to the national steel industries for use in the production of steel by the electric-arc process, expressed in cash per tonne of steel produced.

The information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he has received the result of the National Enterprise Board review of the Inmos project; if not, when he expects to receive it; and if he will ensure that an oral statement is made to the House before it rises for the Summer Recess.

My right hon. Friend is considering the recommendations the board have made to him following the review and an announcement will be made as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what were the numbers employed and the location of employment in the years 1975 and 1976 and the corresponding figures in 1979 in the companies vested in the National Enterprise Board.

These are matters for the NEB.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what are the percentages of immigrants in each European Economic Community country; and what is the percentage of births to non-patrial mothers in each country for each of the past five years.

These questions do not primarily concern United Kingdom policy and to attempt to establish the answers to them would involve disproportionate expenditure of public money.