asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will consider the introduction of special construction industry training board schemes whereby Government factory building programmes could act as training bases for construction and allied trade apprentices.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that it is the policy of the construction industry training board to encourage employers to use initial off-the-job training for apprentices. Thereafter, it is for employers to continue training on site. This policy would apply to contractors engaged in Government factory building programmes. The board uses site projects to provide continued training for redundant apprentices who have not been able to find another employer and for its own award trainees who have not been placed after their initial period of board-sponsored off-the-job training. These site projects are, of necessity, small scale operations to provide continued training for the limited number of unplaced trainees in an area. Any such project is subject to the approval of both sides of industry which normally restricts them to works which would not otherwise be undertaken.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a table to show the numbers of disabled people registered at the employment offices in (a) Oldham, (b) Huddersfield, (c) Kirklees, (d) Greater Manchester and (e) West Yorkshire; and whether, for each case, he will express their numbers as a percentage of the total number of unemployed in that area.

The information requested is shown below. The figures are the latest available and are in respect of 11 December 1980.

	Unemployed disabled people	(registered as disabled)	Percentage of total unemployed
(a)Oldham	593	(303)	8·4
(b) Huddersfield	750	(248)	10·6
(c) Kirklees	1,642	(508)	11·6
(d) Greater Manchester	9,462	(4,749)	7·6
(e) West Yorkshire	8,122	(3,148)	9·1

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many firms in the areas served by employment offices in (a) Oldham and (b) Huddersfield are currently employing the 3 per cent. quota of registered disabled people under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944.

On 1 June 1980, the latest date for which information is available, 57 employers in Oldham and 108 employers in Huddersfield employed registered disabled people in a proportion of at least 3 per cent. of their work forces. These figures represent 42·5 per cent. and 41·5 per cent. respectively of all employers who were subject to the provisions of the quota scheme for the employment of registered disabled people in the areas served respectively by Oldham and Huddersfield jobcentres. The comparable figure for all such employers in Great Britain was 35·1 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many disabled people were unemployed in December 1980.

There were 165,624 disabled people registered as unemployed on 11 December 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how the current percentage rate of unemployment in Dundee compares with the Scottish and United Kingdom rates.

At 15 January, the unemployment rate in the Dundee employment office area was 14·3 per cent. compared with 12·7 per cent. in Scotland and 10·0 per cent. in the United Kingdom. The figures are provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobs in the Huddersfield travel-to-work area and the Oldham travel-to-work area are currently being supported by the short-time working compensation scheme.

In the Huddersfield employment office area under the temporary short-time working compensation scheme there were 3,865 potentially redundant jobs being supported in December 1980. In the Oldham travel-to-work area there were 5,820.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest unemployment figures for Greater London.

At 15 January the provisional number of people registered as unemployed in Greater London was 242,410.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures for unemployment and job vacancies for the area covering the London borough of Brent; and what were the equivalent figures for 1979.

At 15 January 1981, the provisional number of people registered as unemployed in the area covered by the Kilburn, Willesden and Wembley employment offices, which closely corresponds to the London borough of Brent, was 8,624. The corresponding figure at 11 January 1979 was 5,101.At 9 January 1981, the numbers of notified vacancies remaining unfilled at employment offices and careers offices in the area were 579 and 24, respectively. The corresponding figures at 5 January 1979 were 2,003 and 144. 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.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment further to his letter of 21 January to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South, what plans are being made by the Manpower Services Commission to expand its special measures in North Staffordshire; what is the specific increase in resources being made available; what are the resources; and what will be the extent of the increased financial aid he forecast.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what further discussions he has had about unemployment in North Staffordshire; and what other proposals he intends to make to increase job opportunities.

The Government are very much aware of the current level of unemployment in North Staffordshire. A substantial improvement in the employment situation there, however, as in other parts of the country, depends to a large extent on an upturn in world trade. In order to take advantage of this, it is essential that our industry must be at least as efficient as that of our competitors and this is one of the principal aims of Government policy.In the meantime, the Government's programme of special employment and training measures is providing assistance to many workers who would otherwise be unemployed. The latest estimate is that 828,000 people are currently being assisted through these measures in the country as a whole and, as my right hon. Friend announced in the House on 21 November 1980, there will be a major expansion of the programme in 1981–82.—[Vol. 994, c. 204–225.] North Staffordshire will, of course, réceive its share of this greatly increased provision which is a massive practical demonstration of the Government's concern for all unemployed people.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will ensure that the Manpower Services Commission includes Dartford within the membership of the disabled advisory committee for the county of Kent.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if, in his studies directed to relieving unemployment, he will carry out studies of the situation in Norway and Austria to identify the reasons why unemployment in those countries between 1972 and the present has risen much less than the United Kingdom and other European nations, particularly those in the European Economic Community.

My Department already takes note of how other countries deal with their unemployment problems. There are many and varied reasons why some countries do better than others, and Austria and Norway differ from us in many more significant ways than membership of the EC. The immediate lesson from any comparison with other countries is our need to develop trade links by improving competitiveness, containing public spending and reducing our rate of inflation.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in the Keighley travel-to-work area are unemployed; and how many have been unemployed for three months, six months, 12 months, 18 months and over two years, respectively.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in the Keighley travel-to-work area are supported by the temporary short-time working compensation scheme.

There were 1,444 potentially redundant employees being supported under the temporary short-time working compensation scheme in the Keighley employment office area in December 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many farming accidents necessitating three or more days off work took place in 1980; and how many fatal accidents took place in the same year.

In the nine months ended 30 September 1980, non-fatal accidents to agricultural employees necessitating more than three days off work totalled 2,955.In the same period there were 41 fatal accidents, including 16 to employees.The data are provisional. Figures for the fourth quarter are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many members of ethnic minority groups in (a) the Wolverhampton area and (b) the West Midlands were unemployed at the latest convenient date; if these can be broken down into sex and age groups; and how these figures compare with May 1979.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the legal and security reasons prompting the refusal of his Department to become involved in a scheme which is being promoted by the South Wales transport company to facilitate cut price bus fares for job seekers; and if he will make a statement.

I am not aware of any legal reasons. The security reasons involve the control of documents and authenticating measures which would also require additional staff resources. As I explained in my reply to the hon. Member for Swansea, East (Mr. Anderson), my officials are considering whether there are any alternative methods which could be administered by the bus companies.—[Vol. 997, c. 409.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether, as a result of the response to the discussion document on the quota scheme he plans to make any changes in the scheme; and when the results of the review will be published.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 January 1981, c. 375]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the review of the scheme is nearing completion and that it hopes to make recommendations to me within the next few months.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what estimate he has made of the value of the export contracts permanently lost as a result of the recent trade dispute with Indonesia;(2) whether the suspension of United Kingdom exports to Indonesia has now been lifted.

Imports to Indonesia from the United Kingdom were not suspended but some opportunities in the field of public sector purchasing were lost during the period of the textile dispute. Normal trade relations with Indonesia have now been resumed. It is not possible to give a reliable estimate of the value of business which would have been obtained, but for the dispute.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement about the progress of his representations to Taiwan about the manufacture of counterfeit automotive components in that country; and what steps he is taking in collaboration with other EEC countries to prevent their import.

I expressed the concern of the Government in the House on 19 December, and I understand that the Taiwanese authorities are now introducing measures, including increased penalties and more rigorous enforcement, which they believe will be effective in stamping out counterfeiting. As I said in reply to the hon. Member for Keighley (Mr. Cryer) on 19 January, however, I will not be satisfied until these practices have in fact ceased. Meanwhile we are pressing for the finalisation of a GATT agreement to discourage the importation of counterfeit goods. This would have the effect of stiffening legislation on the seizure and confiscation of counterfeited imports. The Government are also considering what other measures they might propose to counter this menace.

Lewis asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will make a statement on his Department's inspector's report on the firms of Scotia Investments and Alco Metropolitan Properties; and, in view of the inspector's condemnation of the directors concerned, what action he proposes to take in connection with this matter.

The Department was advised by leading counsel that civil proceedings under its statutory powers were not warranted but the report is available to minority shareholders, loan stock holders, creditors and the Gaming Board to consider what appropriate action they may take.Since the events investigated occurred, the Companies Act 1980 has introduced more stringent controls over loans and similar transactions between directors and their companies.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he expects to make any further progress in privatising State controlled assets during the current year.

The only privatisation proposal for which my Department is responsible concerns British Airways. The Government announced on 13 October last year that because of difficult trading conditions in the international airline market it would not be possible to sell shares in British Airways during 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what recent steps he has taken on trade with the Soviet Union: and if he will make a statement on the policy of Her Majesty's Government on trade with the Soviet Union.

There has been no change in the Government's policy that trade should continue to be developed where this is genuinely in the interest of both countries. To this end officials of my Department recently met Soviet officials to review actions under the 1975 United Kingdom /Soviet co-operation agreement.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he intends to make and lay before Parliament the proposed order under sections 8 and 9 of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 on the origin marking of certain consumer goods.

I made the order on 2 February and it was laid before the House today.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he has yet decided what action to take on the report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on the supply in the United Kingdom of tampons; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has decided to adopt the commission's recommendation that the Director General of Fair Trading should for a period of two years follow closely developments in the tampon market and that, to enable him to do so, he should take steps to obtain certain information from Tampax Ltd. and Southalls (Birmingham) Ltd.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he will arrange for the installation, on an experimental basis, of word processing apparatus in the Palace of Westminster for the use of hon. Members and the staff of the Palace;(2) if he will arrange for the installation, on an experimental basis, of information storage and retrieval apparatus compatible with a word processor to be available to hon. Members and the staff of the Palace.

These are matters within the remit of the Computer Sub-Committee of the Services Committee. I suggest that my hon. Friend places his proposals before the Sub-Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will announce any change to the British Gas Corporation's financial target on account of the levy to be imposed upon the corporation in respect of gas not subject to petroleum revenue tax.

I have agreed with the British Gas Corporation a revised financial target, expressed as an average annual rate of return to be achieved over the period April 1980 to March 1983, of 3½ per cent. on net assets valued at current cost. This target is related to current cost operating profit after taking account of depreciation but before interest and tax, and is subject to passage of the Gas Levy Bill. The revised target reflects the forecast effects of the proposed rates of levy and of the new current cost accounting standard on the target of 9 per cent. that was set on 16 January 1980. This revision of the target will not therefore affect industrial or domestic gas prices.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West on 23 January, if, without incurring disproportionate costs, he will give any information which may be readily available with as much detail as possible concerning the number of police officers who have been or are awaiting trial for alleged offences for the longest stated period of time; how many of these have been or are in prison awaiting trial and for what periods of time; and what are the costs of such imprisonment.

No such information is available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on what basis Sunny Stout, a United States of America citizen, was allowed to enter the United Kingdom and work at Anglia Television;

(2)why Mr. Patel from India was refused permission to enter the United Kingdom to see relatives;

(3)on what basis Mr. Rupert Murdoch, the newspaper proprietor, an Australian citizen, is allowed to remain in the United Kingdom;

(4)on what basis Mr. Dick Giodans, a United States of America citizen and chairman of British Oxygen Company, was allowed to enter and remain in the United Kingdom.

(5)why Mr. Ahmed from Pakistan was refused permission to enter the United Kingdom.

Decisions to admit or refuse entry to people subject to immigration control are taken in accordance with the Immigration Act and rules. It is not the normal practice to make public the reasons why individual passengers are admitted. Reasons for refusal are normally disclosed to people making representations on behalf of those concerned, but we cannot identify the two cases of refusal from the details given by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received the report of the North London coroner into the deaths of women in the hostel at Salusbury Road, Kilburn, on 18 March 1980 in which he calls for hostels to be brought within the ambit of the Fire Precautions Act; what action he now intends to take; and if he will make a statement.

The coroner has drawn my attention to his recommendation that urgent consideration be given to bringing hostels within the terms of the Fire Precautions Act 1971 or similar legislation. A recommendation to the same effect was made by the town clerk and chief executive of the London borough of Brent in his report on fire precautions relevant to this tragic fire. I studied that report with very great care, in consultation with other Ministers concerned, and announced my conclusions in a written reply I gave on 17 December to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Hove (Mr. Sainsbury). I have nothing to add to that reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for which counties he has, since 18 December, made orders for new electoral arrangements; and for which counties he has referred back to the Local Government Boundary Commission reports on electoral arrangements.

Since 18 December, my right hon. Friend has made electoral arrangements orders for Avon, Cumbria, Hampshire, Kent, Lancashire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire. He has not referred back to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England any of the county reports which it has submitted.

Roberts asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a study of publications detailing the manufacture of booby-traps, incendiary devices and other offensive weapons; if he will take steps to ban their sale; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will make a study of publications from the United States of America and other countries detailing the manufacture of booby-traps, incendiary devices and other offensive weapons; if he will take steps to ban their entry; and if he will make a statement.

It is for the police, in consultation as necessary with the Director of Public Prosecutions, to decide whether any action should be taken over any particular publication.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report the number of representations that have been made to his Department about the reintroduction of the business vote.

This Department has received nine letters on this matter in the last 12 months, all of which have advocated the reintroduction of a non-residential voting qualification—or "business vote"—at local elections.

Educational Background of Administration Trainee Entrants in 1979 and 1980
This table shows the type of school attended, and the subject area of degree of Administration Trainees who took up appointment during 1979 and 1980
		School					Degree subject				No degree
	Total entrants	Maintained	Direct Grant	Independent	Coll of FE	Other/O/Seas	Arts	Social Sciences	Science and Technology	Other
1979
External	73	40	18	15	—	—	49	18	5	1	—
In-Service	37	24	7	5	1	—	17	4	6	—	10
Total	110	64	25	20	1	—	66	22	11	1	10
1980
External	64	24	16	20	3	1	40	16	8	—	—
In-Service	31	22	2	6	1	—	17	7	1	—	6
Total	95	46	18	26	4	1	57	23	9	—	6

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish statistics showing for each of the last 10 years (a) the number of building society branches, (b) the total of building society assets, (c) the total of building society assets at 1980 prices and (d) building society assets per branch at 1980 prices.

Statistics are not yet available for 1980, but the four tables below show the relevant figures for each of the years 1970 to 1979.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service (1) if he is satisfied that all official papers containing sensitive material relating to commercial and business matters would be adequately protected under the Freedom of Information Bill;(2) if he is satisfied that the work of the security and intelligence services could be adequately protected under the Freedom of Information Bill.

No, I am not satisfied that the exemptions as drafted in schedule 1 to the Freedom of Information Bill covering commercial material of a sensitive nature, often given in confidence, and security and intelligence matters, provide adequate protection.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will list the types of schools attended, and the degree subjects read, by Civil Service administration trainees entering the service in 1979 and 1980.

The information requested is summarised in the following table. The 1979 figures appear, together with other analyses of the background of that year's administration trainee candidates and recruits, in the published report of the Civil Service Commissioners for 1979. The report for 1980 should be ready for publication by early in May.

Table (a): Number of building society branch offices 1970–1979
1970	2,016
1971	2,261
1972	2,522
1973	2,808
1974	3,099
1975	3,375
1976	3,696
1977	4,130
1978	4,595
1979	5,147

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give details for each European Economic Community country in 1980 of its agricultural levy contribution as a percentage of the total agricultural levy contribution to the European Economic Community, its percentage of Customs dues contributed, its receipts from the common agricultural policy as a percentage of total common agricultural policy disbursements and its percentage of total European Economic Community disbursements.

Outturn information in respect of the 1980 Community budget is not yet available. The figures of agricultural levies and Customs duties from each member State as a percentage of the total shown below are derived from the 1980 Community budget estimates.

	Percentage contribution by member State
	Agricultural levies	Customs duties
Belgium	9·5	6·7
Denmark	1·3	2·2
Germany	17·8	29·9
France	12·9	15·2

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his decision to invest over £1,000 million in BL Ltd. will increase Government borrowing; and if so, by how much.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will set out in tabular form the net income, including child benefit where appropriate, of a single man, a married man and a married man with two children, on average national male earnings in each case, in October 1978, 1979 and 1980; and whether he will also show the increase in net income in real terms at October 1980 prices for each of the three categories.

I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the effect on the Department for National Savings' cash limit will be of the decision to fund a significantly larger proportion of the public sector borrowing requirement through National Savings and the provision in the Finance Act 1980 to defund the National Savings Bank investment account from 1 January 1981.

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate the cash limit on Department for National Savings Estimate, Class XIII, Vote 11, will be increased by £3·5 million to £65,475,000. This is being met from the unallocated contingency reserve within the planned levels of public expenditure. The increase has three approximately equal components: additional publicity to help secure the additional funding from national savings; an appropriate reapportionment of expenses between the National Savings Bank and other services and the defunding of the investment account of the National Savings Bank. In the case of the last item, which accounts for £1·5 million of the £3·5 million increase, there is an equal offsetting reduction in debt interest.

asked the Attorney-General on what basis the £10,222 per annum paid to the Lord Gibson-Watt as chairman of the Council on Tribunals is classified as a half-time appointment; and whether the chairman as well as the other members receives a £1,880 per annum as retainer.

The chairman's remuneration is fixed at half the salary which would be payable if the work was full-time. He does not receive a retainer.

asked the Attorney-General why, following his consideration of the evidence supplied by the Department of Trade's inspector's inquiry into Scotia Investments Ltd., the Director of Public Prosecutions has decided not to prosecute; and whether he will publish the evidence upon which the Director of Public Prosecutions formed his conclusions.

In so far as the inspectors' report, which has already been published, revealed the possible commission of offences of fraud, the Director decided not to ask for police inquiries to be made after studying the report and taking leading counsel's advice. Police inquiries into possible offences under the Gaming Act have been carried out on the Director's advice, but have not yet been completed. No final decision on proceedings under this Act will be taken until the Director has received the police report.

asked the Attorney-General what the total cost to the prosecution was in the case brought forward at Mold Crown Court following arson attacks on second homes in Wales; and what the total cost was of the trial.

It would not be possible to ascertain the full prosecution costs or the total costs of the trial without a disproportionate expenditure of public money. Crown counsel's fees were £2,789 including VAT.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what date he hopes to complete the transfer of the work of the travel claims and publications sections of his Department to Alnwick.

Transfer of the work of the travel claims section began on 2 February and is expected to be completed by 6 April 1981. The work of the publications distribution section will be transferred later, as soon as the necessary storage arrangements at Alnwick have been completed, and I cannot yet give a firm date for this.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what effect the closure of the Tate and Lyle Liverpool sugar cane refinery will have on trade in sugar cane with developing countries.

The European Community is committed to buy and import 1·3 million tonnes of ACP sugar under the Lome convention. This commitment is not affected by the closure of Tate and Lyle's Liverpool refinery. Tate and Lyle has stated that it will endeavour to continue to take its present contracted amounts of ACP sugar, refining the bulk of these supplies at its two remaining refineries and selling any quantities of raw sugar that are surplus to United Kingdom requirements for refining and consumption in other European Community countries. The change in existing patterns of trade is therefore likely to be small.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what analysis he has made of the effect of the proposed closure of the Tate and Lyle Liverpool refinery on the following industries: brewing, chocolate, sweets and confectionery and cakes and biscuits; and if he will make a statement.

The United Kingdom is well supplied with sugar. Even with the closure of the Liverpool refinery imports of raw cane sugar and home production of sugar from beet will each meet nearly half of our needs. The remaining small amount required by our market is imported from other European Community countries although Tate and Lyle's sales to its customers are a commercial matter I understand that the company will remain national suppliers, and that its distribution facilities will be redeployed to provide an effective service to customers previously supplied from the Liverpool refinery.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the production capacity for refining cane sugar which will be available in the European Economic Community in the event of the Tate and Lyle refinery in Liverpool ceasing production; and if he will make a statement.

Even after the closure of its Liverpool refinery Tate and Lyle's capacity could be about 1·1 million tonnes. Pure cane refineries, which already take some ACP sugar, exist in France and cane sugar can also be refined in beet factories, as it is in the Republic of Ireland. Tate and Lyle have said it hopes to have all the sugar it at present contracts for refined within the Community, and I can see no reason why this should not be possible. The Community commitment to puchase and import specified quantities of ACP sugar remains unchanged.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the reply given to the hon. Member of Dartford, whether he intends to increase the powers and funding of the Apple and Pear Development Council.

I have already taken action. Parliament, at my request, approved two orders in 1980 which strengthened the powers and increased the funding of the Apple and Pear Development Council.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the production of sugar beet within the European Economic Community in each of the past five years; and what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on future production levels of sugar beet.

The following are the levels of total European Community beet sugar production for the past five years. Production within quotas is given in brackets.

Year	Tonnes
1975–76	9,374,657	(9,277,332)
1976–77	9,623,994	(9,744,238)
1977–78	11,208,335	(10,414,910)
1978–79	11,532,568	(10,542,292)
1979–80	11,918,000	(10,931,000)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities now employ dog wardens; and what discussions he has had with local authorities about improving and financing dog warden services.

Employing dog wardens is a matter for local discretion, but I understand that around 100 local authorities do so. Both the local authority associations and individual authorities have made their views clear to us on the question of improving and financing dog warden services.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many grants have been paid under the homes insulation scheme in each of the last five years.

Since the scheme was introduced in September 1978 the following numbers of grants have been paid by local authorities in England:

• 215,000 in 1978–79
• 377,000 in 1979–80 and
• 111,000 in the first half of 1980–81.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households obtained accommodation under the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act in 1980.

Statistics for the second half of 1980 are not yet available. In the first half of that year local authorities in England undertook to secure accommodation for 29,200 households under the Act. A copy of a press notice and tables giving details is in the Library. The figure for the whole of 1979 was 59,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what response has been received to the Government's efforts to promote low-cost home ownership.

Central to our low-cost home ownership policies is the right to buy, which has produced a very encouraging initial response. The same is true of our other recent initiatives. Inquiries made of local authorities in November 1980 indicated that a total of 165 were already developing at least one project of this kind in 1980–81:

• 54 intended to sell land in their areas for starter homes.
• 93 to licence the building of starter homes on their land.
• 42 to improve homes for sale.
• 50 to sell unimproved homes for improvement by the purchaser.
• 20 to have shared ownership schemes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest estimate of the number of applications to buy council houses under the Housing Act 1980 right-to-buy procedure.

No firm estimate is yet available, but it is clear that many thousands of secure tenants have claimed the right to buy. I hope that the first statistics for all authorities in England will be available by April.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is aware of any difficulties being faced by tenants of some local authorities in exercising their right to buy.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 21 January 1981 to my hon. Friend the Member for Leek (Mr. Knox).—[Vol. 997, c. 198.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received following his increase of £3·25 a week in council house rents.

Some 200 letters on the subject of council house rent increases have been received since my right hon. Friend made his housing statement of 15 December announcing his subsidy decisions and assumptions for 1981–82.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set up an investigation to establish (a) the extent waste dumping and raw sewage outfall are polluting the River Mersey, (b) which areas of the foreshore are most affected and (c) what it would cost to clean up those areas of the foreshore in most urgent need of attention.

No. This is a matter for the North-West water authority. Its most recent report on "A cleaner Mersey—the way forward" was published last September and a copy will be placed in the Library. I understand that the estimated cost of improving water quality in the estuary is £150 million at 1979 prices, of which about £90 million should be spent on cleaning up the affected foreshores on the Wirral and Liverpool banks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what research is presently being undertaken and what assistance is available from his Department to combat condensation in council houses.

I shall be studying with the Building Research Establishment the report on its survey into complaints of dampness in council houses. Assistance is available in the form of guidance in domestic energy Notes 2 and 4 and leaflets for householders. Advice on individual cases can be obtained from the BRE advisory service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when next he expects to meet the chairman of the Housing Corporation to discuss the level of grants to the housing associations for 1981–82.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Mr. Bowden) earlier to-day.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to take action to penalise those local authorities which refuse to increase council house rents by the amounts he has stipulated; and, if so, what action he intends.

It is for each local authority to decide its own rent levels in the light of the housing statement made by my right hon. Friend on December 15 and of the provisions of the new subsidy system that commences on April 1.—[Vol. 996, c. 34-46.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the working of the Caravan Act 1975.

Residents who have agreements under the Mobile Homes Act 1975 have security of tenure and the other benefits of the Act until the endg of 1983 at the earliest. Before then we shall decide whether fresh legislation is needed and, if so, what form it should take.I should welcome any views my hon. Friend cares to forward to me.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress in his monitoring of the work of the water authorities.

The Government have set the regional water authorities tight external financing limits for 1981–82 and clear financial target for the three years 1981–82 to 1983–84. We are also in the process of agreeing with them performance aims for that three year period. We have impressed on them the need for close control of manpower numbers and intend to publish water authority figures quarterly along with those of the Department and other associated bodies. We are keeping up pressure on disposal of land, encouraging avoidance of waste and stimulating use of the private sector where practicable. We shall be receiving shortly the report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on the Severn-Trent water authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to change the role and the procedures of the Housing Corporation.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Anglesey (Mr. Best) on December 19.—[Vol. 996, c. 568.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress he can report on the establishment of enterprise zones.

Six enterprise zones have been announced in England and we shall be making a further statement in the next few days. In the case of Salford/Trafford, Dudley and Corby, the statutory procedures that lead to designation have already begun. Zones have also been annouced for Clydebank, Belfast and Swansea. In Swansea also the statutory procedures have begun.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities will now incur penalties under the transitional grant arrangements for 1980–81.

I have nothing to add to the reply my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Environmental Services gave to the hon. Member for Lewisham, West (Mr. Price) on 27 January.—[Vol. 997, c. 397.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has yet reached an agreement with new town local authorities on the settlement of the section 10 claims for funds to cover the cost of making good defects and carrying out maintenance on houses transferred to them; and if he will make a statement.

I have arranged to discuss this issue with the Association of District Councils later this month.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposed to announce a further list of local authorities which will be required to publish a register of vacant and waste land.

I announced the second list on 19 January. I have no immediate plans for a third.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about British sporting links with South Africa.

The Government have repeatedly made it clear that our attitude to sports contacts with South Africa rests firmly on the Commonwealth statement of 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, in view of the proposals to close the only dust disease research centre in Wales, at Llandough hospital, near Cardiff, while employment opportunities for research scientists and technologists are scarce in Wales, what action he proposes to take; and if he will make a statement.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the Medical Research Council's pneumoconiosis unit at Llandough hospital. I understand from my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science, whose Department makes a grant-in-aid to the Medical Research Council, that no proposals to close this unit have been put to the council. I further understand that the council is fully aware of the need to maintain a proper capability for research on occupational lung diseases, and its policy remains to assist the unit in the effective pursuit of its research in this field.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, in view of the active links between local industrialists and colleges of further education in Wales, if he will take steps to encourage industrialists to assist, through liaison groups, in the securing of some form of valid employment or training, subsequent to the students pursuing a Government training programme.

The Manpower Services Commission is currently engaged in a series of initiatives, designed to improve the placing prospects of those taking part in the training opportunities scheme. These include close liaison with employers by way of after-care and follow-up. In addition most college courses include attachments with employers in order to provide essential work experience. Industrialists are already making a valuable contribution to the work of the Manpower Services Commission in this way and through membership of district manpower committees and special programme area boards. There are no plans at present for liaison groups of the type suggested.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how much of the £48 million allocated for assistance to the steel areas in South Wales has been spent so far; and how much in each case and for what projects.

Expenditure so far amounts to £12·6 million out of a total provision of £24·8 million for the financial year 1980–81 distributed as follows:

	£ million
Llantarnam	2·6
Llanwem	5·8
Port Talbot	4·2

All figures quoted are at 1980 survey prices.The rate of expenditure is now rising and it is envisaged that the acquisition of industrial sites will also entail substantial further expenditure during the current financial year.Specific information on individual schemes at Port Talbot and Llanwern should be sought from the Welsh Development Agency.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for carrying over any unspent resources allocated to the steel areas of Wales which cannot be spent in 1980–81 to the following year; and whether that will affect the sums already allocated for 1981–82.

I have no plans for carrying over unspent resources, if any, from 1980–81 to 1981–82. Public expenditure provision is accounted for on an annual basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in the Official Report details of those services and functions carried by local education authorities in Wales which (a) have been eliminated and (b) have been made discretionary since 3 May 1979.

No services or functions carried out by local education authorities in Wales have been eliminated, but the following services are now provided on a discretionary basis:

• Nursery education
• School milk
• School meals—subject to statutory protection for children from families in receipt of supplementary benefit or family income supplement.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in the Official Report details of those services and functions carried out by local government in Wales which (a) have been eliminated and (b) have been made discretionary since 3 May 1979.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Environmental Services on 2 Fabruary 1981. The position is the same in Wales.—[Vol. 998, c. 52.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what saving will be effected as a result of the planned reduction in consumption of fuel, by th Royal Navy in the latter part of the current financial year.

The planned reductions in fuel consumption constitute one of the measures designed to contain defence expenditure during this financial year. At this stage, therefore, I am unable to quantify precisely the likely saving from this particular measure.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total cost of recruitment campaigns for the Armed Services for each of the last five years; and what percentage of the cost was devoted directly to school campaigns.

The expenditure on recruiting publications by the three Services for the last five complete financial years was as follows:

	Army	Royal Navy	Royal AirForce
	£thousands	£thousands	£thousands
1975–76	164	123	117
1976–77	139	137	101

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether HMS "Ark Royal" will be completed and commissioned as previously planned.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what ships and of what type and age will remain in the standby squadron after the sale or scrapping of the cruiser and seven frigates; and what ships it is now proposed should be transferred to the squadron.

On present plans, two Rothesay class frigates, HMS "Berwick" and "Falmouth", both of which were launched in 1959, will remain in the standby squadron; the Leander class frigate HMS "Juno", which was launched in 1965 and is at present in the squadron, is expected to begin conversion to a new role later this year. Although a number of ships are expected to join the squadron over the next few years, details of future plans remain confidential.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what representations the Overseas Development Administration has received from ACP countries following the announcement of the closure of the Tate and Lyle cane refinery in Liverpool; and if he will make a statement.

The Government have received representations from the Prime Ministers of Mauritius and Fiji and from the High Commissioner of Guyana. The United Kingdom is committed to ensuring that the European Community's obligations under the sugar protocol to the Lomé convention are fulfilled. These obligations are not altered by the closure of the Tate and Lyle cane sugar refinery in Liverpool.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what recent initiatives he has taken on cultural and other links with the Soviet Union; and if he will make a statement on the policy of Her Majesty's Government on relations with the Soviet Union.

There has been no change in the Government's attitude to relations with the Soviet Union as announced to the House on 24 January 1980.—[Vol. 977, c. 655-60.] No major Anglo-Soviet cultural events have been held with Government support since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. However, the biennial renegotiation of the 1959 Anglo-Soviet cultural agreement will take place at official level in Moscow next month. The new agreement, like its predecessors, will regulate and facilitate routine exchanges between people in the educational, scientific and cultural fields. These arrangements are in our interest and consistent with our objectives for the CSCE meeting in Madrid.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on proposals discussed at the United Nations on possible trade and other sanctions against South Africa; and if he will make a statement.

The Government have not taken up a formal position on a question which we hope will not go beyond the stage of discussion. But we have consistently made it clear that we believe that sanctions would cause grave damage to the prospects for a negotiated settlement in Namibia and for peaceful change in Southern Africa. Sanctions would also create considerable problems for many countries, including countries in Southern Africa, as well as for the United Kingdom and other Western States. The Government remain committed to the existing mandatory United Nations arms embargo against South Africa.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he has been informed of any delays in the process of negotiation to implement the Lisbon agreement as a result of the resignation of the Spanish Prime Minister.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) if he will, under section 5 (3) of the Iron and Steel Act 1975, require the British Steel Corporation to supply him with information as to how soon after the opening of the foundry at Distington, Cumbria in March 1980 the British Steel Corporation commenced an evaluation which, in December 1980, recommended closure of the same foundry;(2)if he will, under section 5 (3) of the Iron and Steel Act 1975, require the British Steel Corporation to supply him with information as included in all five inspection reports that relate to existing foundries within the British Steel Corporation;(3)if he will, under section 5 (3) of the Iron and Steel Act 1975, require the British Steel Corporation to (3)supply him with information as to why the unit costs in those foundries of the British Steel Corporation which are similarly equipped as to plant and process are not the same;(4)if he will, under section 5 (3) of the Iron and Steel Act 1975, require the British Steel Corporation to supply him with information concerning former investment in each of the foundries in the British Steel Corporation producing ingot moulds and bottom plates;

No. Decisions on the future of individual BSC works, and commercial information related to such decisions' are matters for the corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry on what sales forecasts he based his decision to invest over £1,000 million in BL Ltd.

The Government took into account all relevant factors in making their decision to provide further funds for BL. Details of the company's sales forecasts are commercially confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish details of the cost, establishment and functions of the education section of his Department and indicate the Ministers to whom this section reports.

The division concerned provides advice on the manpower requirements of manufacturing industry, and on education and training affecting these requirements. Within this responsibility the industry-education unit helps to support liaison between industry and education. The unit provides pump priming grants to help initiatives which aim to improve attitudes towards manufacturing industry amongst young people and encourage an interest in careers in manufacturing. The unit has an establishment of 12 staff, headed by an assistant secretary. The total cost this financial year is £992,000, of which £700,000 is for grants. On day-to-day matters the unit reports to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether the review of statutory powers to enter business premises has been completed; and if he will make a statement on its outcome.

The review of statutory powers to enter business premises which the Prime Minister announced on 7 December 1979 has now been completed by all Departments. As a result Ministers have recommended that 30 powers should be revoked and up to 63 modified. Most of these recommendations will be carried out in the normal course of departmental legislative programmes. I am satisfied that the remaining powers are necessary, are sufficiently circumscribed and contain adequate safeguards to ensure that they do not cause unwarranted intrusion into business premises. The scope for introducing more uniformity into the safeguards, possibly in the form of a coding practice, will be examined again in the light of the findings of the Keith committee on enforcement powers of the Revenue departments. Arrangements are being made to scrutinise centrally all future legislation containing powers of entry to ensure they do not impose an undue burden on business.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what conditions, imposed under section 4 (2) (a) of the Industry Act 1972 on the payments of regional development grant to Howden Glucose Company Ltd. in 1976 and 1978, still apply in respect of its Howdendyke premises, near Goole.

[pursuant to his reply, 3 February 1981]: None. Although one payment of grant was not made until 1978, the assets concerned were all provided more than four years ago and are therefore no longer subject to conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give assistance similar to that recently provided for three shipping companies serving the Scottish Islands to other companies trading regularly with the islands.

During the debate on the undertakings with Shetland Line, Hay and Company and Glenlight Shipping Ltd, on 19 January—[Vol. 997, c. 108-127]—my hon. Friend emphasised that it was the Government's purpose to assist the users of services to the Islands and not to assist any particular company. It has been made clear to interested companies and to the General Council of British Shipping that it is open to any company which feels that it has services eligible for assistance under the Highlands and Islands Shipping Services Act 1960 to approach me to have its case considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many companies in Dundee have ceased operation since May 1979; and if he will name them and the number of jobs lost and the number of other jobs since the same date, listing the number of establishments involved.

Comprehensive information on redundancies and closures is not available. Between 1 May 1979 and 28 January 1981, 20 instances of redundancy involving 10 or more people and resulting in factory closure have been notified to the Manpower Services Commission as having taken place in Dundee, with the loss of 791 jobs. In the same period another 51 firms have notified redundancies affecting 3945 workers. Information on closures and redundancies is given to the Manpower Services Commission in confidence and the names of companies cannot therefore be divulged.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the number and percentage of those unemployed in Dundee in both May 1979 and at present; if he will classify those unemployed by percentage in the following groups: (a) unemployed for up to one year, (b) unemployed for between one and two years and (c) unemployed for over two years and below three years; and if he will provide a similar breakdown for the May 1979 unemployment figures in Dundee.

Information is not available in the precise form requested. In May 1979 unemployment in Dundee was 8,109–8·4 per cent.—and in January 1981 13,959–14·3 per cent. These figures are not seasonally adjusted. The following table gives information on the duration of unemployment of those registered as unemployed in October 1980—the latest date for which information is available—and for April 1979—the nearest date to May 1979 for which information is available.

Unemployment in Dundee analysed by duration
	October 1980		April 1979
	Total No.	Percen-tage Share	Total No.	Percen tage Share
Up to 1 year	9,502	75·9	6,017	72·3
1–2 years	1,512	12·1	1,226	14·7
Over 2 and under 3years	607	4·9	497	6·0
3 years and over	893	7·1	587	7·0
Total	12,514	100·0	8,327	100·0

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing how many people in Dundee are unemployed by age group giving the corresponding percentages; if he will provide a similar breakdown for both males and females; and if he will provide a table giving the figures in each standard industrial classification order.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the number of registered vacancies in Dundee by standard industrial classification order.

The following table gives the number of notified vacancies remaining unfilled in Dundee at 13 November 1980, the latest for which an industrial analysis of unfilled vacancies is available. These figures do not purport to be a measure of all vacancies in Dundee. Because of possible duplication between the vacancies notified to the employment office and the careers office the two figures should not be added together.

Unfilled Vacancies: Dundee
Standard Industrial Classification	Employment Office	Careers Office
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing	—	—
Mining and Quarrying	—	—
Food, Drink and Tobacco	7	—
Coal and Petroleum Products	—	—
Chemicals and Allied Industries	16	—
Metal Manufacture	—	—
Mechanical Engineering	2	—
Instrument Engineering	—	—
Electrical Engineering	5	—
Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering	32	—
Vehicles	4	—
Metal Goods not elsewhere specified	1	—
Textiles	1	—