asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will publish in the Official Report the total establishment and the number of civil servants in post on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October, for each of the following Departments: Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Civil

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what has been the total reduction in civil servants in the current financial year to date in respect of each Department; and of these what percentage is attributable to reductions in the Ministry of Defence.

Since 1 April 1980 Civil Service numbers have fallen by 8,000. The change by Department is shown in the table below. 57 per cent. of the total reduction is in the Ministry of Defence.

The information requested is set out in the table below:

asked the Secretary of State for the Civil Service pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East on 16 June, if he has yet completed his review of the Government's statistical services and if he will make a statement.

The review is not yet complete.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is able to announce his decisions about subscription television pilot schemes over cable systems.

On 18 February, in reply to a question from my hon. Friend, the Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Mr. Mudd), I announced that I was consulting a wide range of interested parties about the possibility of pilot schemes on subscription television over cable systems [Official Report, 18 February 1980, c. 18–19.] I have given careful consideration to the comments which I received and I have decided to license about 12 pilot schemes over the United Kingdom for an initial period of two years.This is a new service to which individuals may choose whether to subscribe. The pilot schemes are likely to include a high proportion of feature films. It would not be practicable or appropriate for the Home Office to supervise the programmes shown or to exercise the functions of a broadcasting authority in the manner of the BBC and IBA. I therefore intend to apply the following general requirements regarding programmes in the pilot schemes:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young offenders have so far completed the new "short, sharp shock" regime at New Hall prison; and of those, how many have since committed further offences.

The pilot project for a tougher regime started at New Hall detention centre on 21 April 1980 and the regime came into full effect on 5 May 1980. Between 5 May and 30 September, 245 young offenders completed their sentences at New Hall, of whom 139 were sentenced on or after 5 May.As part of the evaluation programme, we will be monitoring further re-convictions for criminal offences, but this information will not be available for some time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will consider making arrangements to allow visits longer than 15 minutes to prisoners' relatives who can visit only infrequently because the prisoner is on remand in a prison at some distance from home; and whether he will consider giving financial assistance with the cost of travel in such cases.

Instructions to governors already provide for longer visits at their discretion in special circumstances. Assisted travel is available every four weeks, and I cannot at present improve upon that.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with progress in implementing the recommendations of the 1971 habitual drunken offenders report; which recommendations have so far been implemented; which recommendations he proposes to implement and when; and if he will set out reasons for his decisions.

The then Home Secretary announced in a written reply on 18 February 1972 that the Secretary of State for Social Services would be generally responsible for carrying out the rehabilitative measures recommended in this report. In particular, the Department of Health and Social Security accepted responsibility for the funding of two experimental detoxification centres, which are now being evaluated in a project commissioned by that Department.Although formal responsibility for the treatment and rehabilitation of alcoholics rests with the Department of Health and Social Services, the prison and probation and after-care service have always recognised the relationship between drinking and offending and accept a role in assisting those with a serious drinking problem. The probation and after-care service in particular has directed its efforts both towards diverting those with drinking problems from penal establishments where this is not contrary to the public interest and in providing rehabilitative support for ex-offenders.There are two main areas in which resources are allocated; firstly, the provision of day care facilities and supported-work schemes, largely run by the probation and after-care service; and, secondly the provision of hostel places, for which, as well as supporting the provision of places in probation and bail hostels administered by the probation and aftercare service, we grant-aid voluntary organisations. Such organisations now provide in excess of 2,500 places for exoffenders, many of whom have a drink problem.In general, the report has made a valuable contribution to the development of facilities for offenders who habitually commit offences involving drunkenness, but it would not be practicable to describe in a writteen answer all the action which had been taken on its 105 recommendations in the nine years since it was published.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the ages, place and length of sentence and place of imprisonment of the men aged over 30 years who served over three months and the seven men who served over two months in 1979 in default of payment of a fine for drunkenness.

In 1979, five men aged 30 and over whose principal offence was default of payment of a fine for drunkenness were received into prison department establishments in England and Wales with a sentence of more than two months and up to and including three months. Two of the receptions shown in table 7.1 of "Prison statistics, England and Wales 1979" (Cmnd 7978) under the clasification "drunkenness" were found, on further examination, to have been misclassified as was the one reception shown as for more than three months and up to and including six months.The five men were aged 30, 31, 44, 55 and 67. One was sentenced by Arundel magistrates and the others by Ealing Pudsey and Otley, Southampton and Swansea magistrates. Two men were sentenced to 63 days and one each to 64, 70 and 90 days.Where a person is received on sentence for a criminal offence and a non-criminal offence, the total sentence length is recorded against the criminal offence. The man received on sentence of 90 days had received 14 days for a drunkenness offence and 90 days concurrent on a non-criminal charge. The five men were received into the following prisons: two into Pentonville and one each into Leeds, Swansea and Winchester.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the age of (a) the oldest man and (b) the oldest woman in prison for (i) drunkenness and (ii) begging and sleeping out how long each has served; and where.

In 1979 the oldest man received into a prison department establishment in England and Wales whose principal offence was default of a payment of a fine for drunkenness was aged 76 and the oldest woman was aged 74. The man was received on sentence into Bedford prison and served seven days imprisonment; the woman was received on sentence into Risley remand centre and served seven days.The oldest man received on sentence whose principal offence was begging and sleeping out was aged 75 and the oldest woman was aged 64. The man was received into Pentonville prison on sentence of immediate imprisonment and served 28 days; the woman was received into Holloway prison with a consecutive sentence for another offence and served 62 days.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what were the ages, length and place of imprisonment of the 10 people and under 21 years imprisoned in default of payment of a fine for drunkenness in 1979;(2) what were the ages, length and place of imprisonment of the 10 girls under 21 years imprisoned in default of payment of a fine for drunkenness in 1979.

In 1979 10 females aged under 21 whose principal offence was default of payment of a fine for drunkenness were received into prison department establishments in England and Wales under sentence. Three were aged 17, two were 18, two were 19, and three were 20. Six were sentenced to seven days and two each to five and 14 days. They were received on sentence into the following establishments: four each into Low Newton and Risley remand centres and one each into Holloway prison and Pucklechurch remand centre.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the ages and length and place of imprisonment of the women aged 30 years and over imprisoned for over two months, and the two women imprisoned for up to two months in 1979 in default of payment of a fine for drunkenness.

In 1979 a woman aged 55 was received into Holloway sentenced to 70 days in default of payment of a fine for which the principal offence was drunkenness. Another two women, one aged 35 and the other aged 40 were also received into Holloway for the same principal offence and with sentences of 39 days and 42 days respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the ages, length and place of imprisonment of the 17 men aged 60 years and over sentenced to immediate imprisonment in 1979 for begging and sleeping out.

In 1979 there were 16 receptions of males aged 60 and over into prison department establishments in England and Wales under sentence of immediate imprisonment for the principal offence of begging and sleeping out. One reception shown in table 4.1 of "Prison Statistics England and Wales 1979" (Cmnd. 7978) as begging and sleeping out was found, on further examination, to have been misclassified.The 16 receptions were of 11 men; one, aged 60 on first reception, was received four times, one aged 66 was received three times and the remainder, three aged 63, two aged 62, two aged 66, one aged 61 and one aged 75, were each received once.One of the sentences was of seven days, one of 14 days, two of 28 days, six of one month, two of 42 days, one of 44 days, two of 60 days and one of 104 days. One man was received on sentence into Durham, one into Winchester, four receptions were into Oxford and the remaining 10 receptions were into Pentonville.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the ages of the three women imprisoned in 1979 for begging and sleeping out; and the length and place of imprisonment.

In 1979, three women were received into prison department establishments in England and Wales sentenced to immediate imprisonment for a principal offence of begging and sleeping out. One, aged 55, was received into Risley remand centre on sentence of one month. The others, aged 62 and 64, were received into Holloway prison on sentence of 14 days and three months (two months for begging and sleeping out and one month consecutive for another offence) respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the ages, offences, length and place of imprisonment served of the three males aged 17–20 years subject to immediate imprisonment in 1979 and the male imprisoned in default of payment of a fine for begging and sleeping out.

The classification "begging and slipping out" in "Prison Statistics England and Wales 1979" (Cmnd. 7978) includes persons received into prison department establishments under sentence for offences against the Vagrancy Act 1824.In 1979 one male aged 18 was received into Liverpool prison under a sentence of three months' immediate imprisonment for an offence of being on enclosed premises (section 4 of the Vagrancy Act 1824). Another male aged 18 was received into Wormwood Scrubs prison under sentence of seven days' imprisonment in default of payment of a fine for an offence against the Vagrancy Act 1824.Two of the receptions shown in table 3.2 of "Prison Statistics England and Wales 1979" (Cmnd. 7978) under the classification "begging and sleeping out" were found, on closer examination, to have been misclassified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the rules with regard to licensed hackney carriages being required to pick up fares irrespective as to whether the journey in question is commercially attractive; what recourse the public have if their custom is unreasonably declined; if he is satisfied that any such system is effective and adequate; and what notices are carried in Hackney carriages in clarification of these matters.

In London, a taxi driver is obliged, unless he has a reasonable excuse, to accept any hiring up to six miles (20 miles in the case of a hiring beginning at Heathrow airport) provided that the journey begins and ends within the Metropolitan and/or City Police districts. Complaints about refusals to be hired should be sent within seven days to the Public Carriage Office. Information to the effect, including the address of the Public Carriage Office, is given in the fare table displayed inside every taxi.Outside London, taxis are usually obliged to accept any hiring which begins and ends within the area in which they are licensed. How the public is informed of these provisions is the responsibility of the appropriate district council, to which complaints about refusals should be addressed.These requirements, along with all other aspects of the control of taxis and private hire cars, are at present under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much currently is being held in the county compensation funds.

The latest available returns from compensation authorities show that on 31 December 1979 the total amount held in the funds maintained under section 17 of the Licensing Act 1964 was £4,384,450–55.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he, or any of his ministerial colleagues in the Department, have had any discussions with any of the party leaders on the Manchester city council about the Local Government Boundary Commission's proposals for new electoral arrangements for the city; and when he will be making a statement about the proposals.

My hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State discussed this matter briefly with members of the local Conservative Party during the course of a recent visit to Manchester. As I informed the right hon. Member in my letter of 4 November, having carefully considered both the report of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England on its second review of the elec- toral arrangements for the city of Manchester and the representations received about it, I have decided in principle to make an order giving effect to the commission's proposals without modification.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the print run of the document "Protect and Survive" issued by his Department; and what was the total cost of printing and production.

150,000 copies; £ 9,758.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the report of the Boundary Commission on the Tyne and Wear constituency boundaries.

I understand that the Boundary Commission for England is likely to complete its task of reviewing all the parliamentary constituencies, including those in Tyne and Wear, in 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in Calderdale during the month of September and October in 1978 and 1979 were (a) on short-time working and (b) registered under a short-time working compensation scheme.

I regret that the statistics requested are not available below standard regional level. However, under the short-time working compensation arrangements (which were part of the temporary employment subsidy scheme) there were 55 people being supported in the Yorkshire and Humberside region in September 1978 and 489 in October 1978. Under the temporary short-time working compensation scheme, which commenced in April 1979 there were 324 people supported in the Yorkshire and Humberside region in September 1979 and 1,230 in October 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the increase in income per head in (a) private industry and (b) the nationalised industries since 1975, taking 1975 as a base index of 100.

The following figures are based on the average weekly earnings of adult employees in April.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment further to his answer to the hon. Member for Bedfordshire, South (Mr. Madel) on 31 July, Official Report, Vol. 989, c. 784–85, when he will make a statement on the review of the operation of industrial training arrangements in Great Britain.

My right hon. Friend expects to make an announcement of the Government's policy on industrial training early in the next Session of Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how the current unemployment figures for Great Britain compare with the unemployment percentage figures for the Glasgow area.

At 9 October the unemployment rates for Great Britain and Glasgow travel-to-work area were 8·4 per cent. and 12·6 per cent. respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (a) how many firms in the Glasgow area applied for aid under the small firms employment subsidy scheme between the period 1 July 1979 and 31 March 1980;(

During the period from 1 July 1979 to 31 March 1980, 126 applications under the small firms employment subsidy were received from small firms in the Glasgow travel-to-work area, of which 11 were rejected.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how he intends to regularise payment under the short-time working compensation scheme in relation to compensation for holiday pay for those workers covered by the ready-made and wholesale bespoke tailoring wages council.

Under the temporary short-time working compensation scheme an employer is currently eligible for reimbursement of holiday pay credits for days without work only where the employer can show the arrangements agreed between the employer and employee provide for them to be calculated on a weekly basis throughout the year on the basis of individual gross earnings, and that wage records show the weekly amount credited to each employee.Where employers covered by the Ready Made and Wholesale Bespoke Tailoring Wages Council operate such a system they would be eligible for reimbursement of holiday pay credits for workless days.The TSTWC scheme is covered by the annual review of special employment measures now in progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of persons in the Mansfield travel-to-work area who have been unemployed for (a) up to three months, (b) three to six months, (c) six to 12 months, (d) over 12 months, (e) over 18 months and (f) over two years.

The following table gives for the Mansfield employment office area the numbers of people registered as unemployed at 9 October who had been on the register for the lengths of time specified.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a list of chemicals or products currently in use in industry which contain substances relevant to prescribed industrial disease No. 39 (bladder cancer), together with the dates when other such chemicals or products were withdrawn from use.

The definition of substances relevant to prescribed industrial disease No. 39 is set out in the first schedule to the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Regulations 1959 (SI 1959 No. 467).It is impracticable to produce a list of chemicals and products currently in use in industry which contain the relevant substances because the necessary information is not currently available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Consequently, 1 cannot publish a list as requested by the hon. Member.For the same reason, it is also impracticable to publish dates when other such chemicals or products were withdrawn from use. Nevertheless, the manufacture and use in factories of some of the relevant substances—beta-naphylamine, benzidine, 4-aminodiphenyl, 4-nitrodiphenyl and their salts—is prohibited under the Carcinogenic Substances Regulations 1967 (SI 1967 No. 879), except where any of these substances is present, as a byproduct of a chemical reaction, in any other substance in a total concentration not exceeding 1 per cent.These regulations came into force on 9 December 1967 and concurrently the importation of the same substances was prohibited by the Carcinogenic Substances (Prohibition of Importation) Order 1967 (SI 1967 No. 1675).

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the fall in placing disabled people in employment in the second and third quarters of 1980 compared with the same two quarters in 1979; how the fall in each case compares with the fall in total placings; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has now completed the process of consultations on the final report of the Advisory Committee on Asbestos; and when he expects to make regulations to implement the recommendations of the report.

All comments on the final report of the advisory committee on asbestos have been received and the Health and Safety Executive is preparing advice for the Health and Safety Commission and Ministers on reaction to the advisory committee's recommendations. When this advice has been studied, the Government will decide as soon as possible on their response to the report.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what special facilities are available to help young ex-offenders find work; what plans he has to increase these; and if he will make a statement;(2) what percentage of former young offenders is unemployed; how this compares with the previous five years; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of persons in the Keighley travel-to-work area who have been unemployed for (a) up to three months, (b) three to six months, (c) six to 12 months, (d) over 12 months, (e) over 18 months and (f) over two years.

The following table gives for the Keighley employment office area the numbers of people registered as unemployed at 9 October who had been on the register for the lengths of time specified.

The table does not include some young people from Keighley who are included in the duration analysis for Bradford.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many children under 16 years of age were injured or killed on farm tractors in the first three quarters of the current year as compared with the same period in 1979; and what were the figures for North Yorkshire over the same period.

Three children under 16 years were killed driving or riding as passenger on farm tractors in the course of agricultural operations during 1 January 1979–30 September 1979; one similar fatality has arisen in the same period this year. None of these fatalities occurred in North Yorkshire. Details of non-fatal accidents to children under 16 years of age are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies have been notified to his Department

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures available for the number of people in the area covered by the Jarrow constituency who are (a) on short-time working and (b) registered under a short-term compensation scheme.

The number of proposed redundancies notified to my Department under the redundancy handling provisions of the Employment Protection Act 1975 for the Jarrow constituency from May 1979 to October 1980 involved 2,959 employees employed at 35 establishments. There is no statutory requirement to notify my Department when proposed redundancies do not take place.I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the number of redundancies reported to it as due to occur in the Jarrow constituency area from May 1979 to October 1980 involved 1,462 workers at 12 establishments.These figures are provisional since some redundancies are reported late. Both the Department of Employment and Manpower Services Commission figures are for redundancies involving 10 or more employees.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men, women, boys and girls are registered unemployed in the area covered by Jarrow constituency; and how many have been unemployed for six months or longer.

The following table gives for the Jarrow and East Boldon employment office areas, which together closely correspond to the Jarrow constituency, the numbers of people registered as unemployed at 9 October under 18 years of age and 18 years of age and over who had been on the register for the lengths of time specified.

Statistics of short-time working are not available below standard regional level. In the Jarrow constituency, 73 potentially redundant employees were supported under the temporary short-time working compensation scheme in September 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action his Department is taking in the light of the redundancies at Chloride Limited, Clifton Junction; and if he will make a statement.

Chloride Industrial Batteries Limited has notified my Department that because of reduced demand for automotive batteries, it intends to concentrate production of this type of battery at its factory in Dagenham and make 500 people at its Clifton Junction factory redundant. I understand that the firm has called for volunteers.The local jobcentre manager is in close touch with the company and those who are to be made redundant will be interviewed at the factory and given advice about the full range of services which the Manpower Services Commission has to offer to help them find new jobs or acquire a new skill.The only financial assistance which my Department can offer to help avert redundancies is through the temporary short-time working compensation scheme. The company is aware of the scheme but does not see it as a solution to its current difficulties.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will circulate in the Official Report a table showing the weights used for the wholesale price index to calculate the index of import price competitiveness and the index of the relative profitability of exports.

The wholesale price index series used in the compilation of these two indices of competitiveness are each derived by weighting together some 600 component wholesale price indices. These component indices correspond, as far as possible, with the sample information used to compile the import and export unit value indices. The weights used are identical to those used to compute these unit value series—that is, import weights for import price competitiveness and export weights for relative profitability—and are proportional to the values of trade in the base year, 1975. These values, in aggregate form, are given in the B and C tables in the Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics. Further information on the method of compilation of the two indices of competitiveness may be found in the May 1980 issue of Economic Trends.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how much money is now being spent directly and indirectly promoting tourism in the United Kingdom; and whether the amount has increased proportionately to the appreciation in the exchange rate.

Grant-in-aid provision from Government funds for the four national tourist boards and the British Tourist Authority amounts to £28·6 million in 1980–81 compared with £24·7 million in 1979–80. In addition, the boards use their grants-in-aid to attract additional revenue from commercial sources. Information on direct expenditure by the trade in promoting tourism is not available. The grant-in-aid provision for overseas expenditure of the British Tourist Authority takes account of fluctuations in exchange rates.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he can give an assurance that Her Majesty's Government are free at all times to purchase British goods in preference to those from the EEC even if those are Government-subsidised.

Our policy is to buy British goods wherever possible, consistent with our international obligations, not just because they are British but because we expect them to be the best available. We expect British industry to be able to stand up to international competition. Nevertheless, my Department actively pursues all cases where competition is distorted in possible breach of the Treaty of Rome. I should be pleased to receive any information that the hon. Member may have which relates to illegally subsidised imports.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what form of compensation is anticipated from Australia and Canada with respect to their unfair trading in footwear; when it will be resolved; and how it will be distributed.

Australia and Canada have imposed quotas on imports of footwear under the emergency safeguard procedures of the GATT. The Commission of the European Communities is engaged in consultation with the two countries concerned. The actual form of any compensation will be a matter for negotiations between the Commission on behalf of the European Communities and the Australian or Canadian Governments. Such compensation often takes the form of certain tariff reductions in the country imposing the quota. I hope that the discussions can be completed speedily.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South on 16 July, if he will make a statement on the airmiss between a Fokker Friendship operated by Air UK and another aeroplane; what the joint airmiss section of the National Air Traffic Services report said; and what has subsequently been done.

Investigation by the joint airmiss section of the National Air Traffic Services into the airmiss near Aberdeen on 11 July 1980 between an Air UK F27 and a Canberra aircraft operated by the Bundesamt fur Wehrtechnik and Beschaffung, the Federal German Government's equivalent to the UK MOD(PE), revealed that the German aircraft unintentionally entered the Aberdeen special rules zone without obtaining the necessary air traffic control clearances. At the material time the airport approach radar controller was monitoring the F27's approach, and warned the pilot of the proximity of the other aircraft.The joint airmiss working group considered that due to the alertness of the radar controller there was no serious risk of collision.

asked the Secretary of state for Trade to what extent United Kingdom charities incorporated under section 19 of the Companies Acts are outside the scope of EEC directives by virtue of the definition of companies in article 58 of the Treaty of Rome.

The definition of "companies or firms" in article 58 of the Treaty of Rome excludes those which are non-profit making. Thus United Kingdom charities incorporated as companies which are licensed to dispense with the word "limited" in their name under section 19 of the Companies Act 1948, and other non-commercial bodies, are outside the scope of EC company law directives based on article 54.3 (g) of the Treaty which applies the definition in article 58.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he has any proposals for stopping the sale of internal sanitary protection tampons containing cellulose, in view of the possibility of toxic shock.

Medical experts in the Department of Health and Social Security are considering whether there is any basis to reports of a link between the use of internal sanitary protection tampons, whether or not containing cellulose, and toxic shock. Until their inquiries are complete it would be premature to contemplate restricting the sale of these goods.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many members of his Department, of whatever grade or specialisation, are engaged whole or part-time in public and press relations, expressing the total in whole-time equivalents; and what is their total annual cost to public funds.

On 1 November there were 15 information officer group staff in my Department's press office and there were 11 other staff attached in support of them. The annual cost of their pay and employer's national insurance contribution is £189,000 for the information officer group staff and £59,000 for the support staff.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when next he anticipates an increase in survey fees for passenger-carrying pleasure boats.

1 April 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether, for the purpose of calculating survey fees for passenger-carrying pleasure boats, he will introduce one or more bands lower than 50 tons.

I have no present plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, pursuant to the reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe, on 30 October about the crash of the Dan Air Boeing 727 at Tenerife on 25 April, what was the outcome of the recent still further discussions between the team of investigators from the accident investigation branch of his Department and the Spanish authorities.

Members of the accidents investigation branch of my Department had a useful series of meetings with the Spanish commission of investigation. A full agreement was reached regarding the drafting of a significant part of the report. Following the discussions the United Kingdom made a number of submissions which the Spanish authorities are studying. Further consultation will be necessary with the Spanish before the report is completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will take powers to prevent the import of automotive batteries in view of the present difficulties of the home industry.

I am aware of the difficulties facing the industry. These cannot, however, be laid at the door of imports which, in the first nine months of the year, were some 50 per cent. lower than in the same period last year.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many firms went bankrupt in the first three-quarters of the current year as compared with 1979: and what were the figures for Sheffield over the same period.

Figures for bankruptcies and company liquidations in England and Wales up to the third quarter of 1980 were published in British business 24 October page 359.Company liquidations are not available by area and bankruptcies are available with reasonable accuracy only on a calendar year basis. In 1979, the Sheffield county court dealt with 41 receiving and administration orders.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish in the Official Report a list of all aircraft movements at Heathrow between 2300 hours and 0630 hours; and if he will make a statement.

The number of aircraft movements at Heathrow between these hours varies from night to night, but in a typical week some 130 such movements are scheduled. As it is impracticable to list these in the Official Report I will be placing details in the Library as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards extending the system of noise insulation grants to all householders living under aircraft flight paths.

The new noise insulation grants schemes at Heathrow and Gatwick, which I introduced on 1 April, already cover the areas around these airports worst affected by aircraft noise and I have no plans to extend them.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will introduce new noise control regulations to restrict the maximum noise level of aircraft using Heathrow to 85 PNdB; and if he will make a statement.

No. As even the quietest modern jet aircraft would be unable to meet the limit of 85 PNdB at the present fixed noise monitoring points at Heathrow the imposition of such a restriction would effectively close the airport to commercial operations.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list, from information available to his Department, the airports throughout the world that are closed between the hours of (a) 2300 hours to 0600 hours, (b) 2300 hours to 0630 hours and (c) 2300 hours to 0700 hours; and what study he has made of the relevant experience of these airports.

I understand that the only major international airports that are completely closed at night are Tokyo New International Airport (2300 to 0600 hours) and Osaka International Airport (2200 to 0700 hours). A recent study carried out on behalf of my Department indicates that less stringent restrictions are operated at a number of airports in

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if there are any airports in the United Kingdom which are permanently closed during the night.

Of the larger airports in the United Kingdom only Aberdeen and Southampton are completely closed during the night, but the use of a number of others is available only by arrangement with the airport management. These include Edinburgh, Bournemouth, Bristol, Coventry, Humberside, Leeds/Bradford and Newcastle.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish in the Official Report a table giving the terms of trade and the relative volume of exports to imports in the case of, respectively mechanical machinery, electrical machinery, metal manufactures and organic chemicals.

Following is the information for recent periods:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he can update by a further quarter the estimates shown in table F3 of the annual supplement No. 1 (revised) of the Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics.

The latest available data are published in table F3 of the October issue of the Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics. The IMF series are likely to be revised with the publication, expected shortly, of the November issue of International Financial Statistics.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what representations he has received on textiles from the North-West Industrial Development Association; what reply he is sending; what action is being taken; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to her reply, 4 November 1980, c. 496–7]: The association wrote to me on 15 October about the origin marking of textiles. I am sending the right hon. Member a copy of my reply and a copy has been placed in the Library.

asked the Prime Minister when she expects to receive the Scott report on public sector pensions; and if she will make a statement.

I understand that the inquiry under Sir Bernard Scott's chairmanship expects to report in December.

asked the Prime Minister whether she has received a report from the study team of officials whom she commissioned on 12 August to examine the question of more closely integrating the Treasury and the Civil Service Department.

I have received the factual and analytical material prepared by the study team and have in- structed that it should be published today. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House and in the Vote Office.

asked the Prime Minister whether she has made an estimate of the cost of setting up inter-departmental machinery in the Cabinet Office similar to the joint approach to social policy with a view to co-ordinating health-related policies as recommended by the Black working group; and, if so, what that estimate is.

The cost of implementing this recommendation would depend on the scope and method adopted and cannot readily be estimated. I am satisfied that existing arrangements for co-ordinating Government health-related policies are already adequate.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what proportion of United Kingdom research development funds for renewable energy is spent in Scotland.

Of £20 million estimated expenditure by my Department on research and development for renewable energy sources for the five years to the end of March 1981, approximately 13 per cent. will have been spent by contractors in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he proposes to permit the development of the Clyde field in the North Sea or to urge its deferment in the interest of depletion policy: and to what extent the funds subscribed by British National Oil Corporation would add to the public sector borrowing requirement.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short) on 4 November.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he has made any estimate of the current Stock Exchange market value of the British National Oil Corporation.

No, but I have received confidential advice about the value of BNOC assets in the course of my review of the corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give details of the total annual cost of the concessionary coal scheme operated by the National Coal Board together with the numbers of those entitled to benefit.

The administration of the concessionary coal scheme is a matter for the National Coal Board and I am asking the chairman to write to my hon. Friend with the details he is seeking.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of vehicles using the A94 road north of Forfar in May; and what is the comparative figure for the month of May in each of the years since 1975.

The numbers of vehicles using the A94 trunk road north of Forfar in May each year since 1975 are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimated completion date for the A94 dual carriageway construction north of Forfar; how many vehicles he expects to use the road as the time of completion; and what is the estimated capacity.

I expect dualled sections of the A94 trunk road north of Forfar to come into use from about 1983 on- wards. The timing of individual schemes will depend thereafter on availability of funds and the rate of progress on statutory and engineering preparation.With a continued increase in North Sea oil developments and the transfer of traffic from the detrunked A92 coast road between Dundee and Stonehaven, it is expected that the present volume of traffic on the A94 will more than double by the 1990s. An A94 dual carriageway road will be capable of handling up to 30,000 vehicles per day.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the present estimated cost of the construction of the proposed dual carriageway of the A94 to carry traffic north of Forfar.

£40 million at November 1979 prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will study the latest report by the Fraser of Allander Institute predicting a level of unemployment in Scotland of 300,000 by the end of 1981; and if he will make a statement.

Most independent forecasts, including that by the Fraser of Allander Institute, expect unemployment to rise further, although by varying amounts. The more quickly pay settlements can be moderated, the better will be employment prospects in Scotland as in the rest of the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Hamilton on 3 November regarding unit costs for the colleges of education in Scotland, if he will publish a breakdown of unit costs in each college of education in Scotland, if he will publish a breakdown of unit costs in each college under the following headings: training departments, namely, general teaching, in-service training, further education, physical education, training of social workers, speech therapy, special courses, broken down into salaries, travelling expenses and class expenses, for each department, per student.

The information is set out in the following table: