asked the Secretary of State for Defence to whom residents on military establishments should complain if their water supply is not considered to be up to an adequate standard.

Service men should make complaints concerning the standard of their water supply to their commanding officer, who would contact the local water authority or the Property Services Agency as appropriate. Civilians should contact the water authority or PSA direct.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence who is responsible for the supply of clean and safe water within residential military establishments in the United Kingdom, whether connected to a main service or not.

The local water authority is entirely responsible where it delivers direct to consumers within a military establishment. Where it delivers only to the boundary of a military establishment, the Property Services Agency is responsible on behalf of the Ministry of Defence for maintaining quality within the boundary. Where water is obtained from bore holes, the Property Services Agency is responsible, on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, for the whole system.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he proposes to inaugurate his Department's scheme for youth cadetships in Her Majesty's Forces; and if he will make a statement.

I assume the question refers to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment in a written answer on 4 February which referred to further participation by the youth opportunities programme in the defence area. The

						£ thousand
	1975–76	1976–77	1977–78	1978–79	1979–80	Apr-Dec 1980
Capital Aid
Grants	361	516	557	403	492	1
Loans	—	—	27	1,916	10,831	9,144
Sub-Total	361	516	585	2,319	11,323	9,145
Technical Co-operation	2,348	2,015	2,716	2,571	2,742	1,414
Total	2,709	2,531	3,301	4,890	14,065	10,559
Columns may not add exactly due to rounding.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will investigate the use of copying facilities of the House for the printing of financial appeals, details of which have been sent to him; and if he will clarify the position of the use of such facilities.

A copy of the guidance on the use of copying machines, which the Services Committee wishes to be drawn to the attention of all Members, their secretaries and research assistants, is displayed by each machine. Members and their staffs have to be trusted to use these and other facilities only for parliamentary purposes, and with discretion. Proven cases of abuse are normally dealt with by the authorities of the House.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what plans he has for aid to Kampuchea; and how the current aid to the country is distributed.

There are no plans for bilateral aid to Cambodia in present circumstances. However, we have consistently responded to appeals for support to humanitarian relief programmes for the Cambodian people. Some of this aid has been directed at programmes for refugees on the Thailand-Cambodia border, and some has helped to support refugees in the holding centres in Thailand.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what United Kingdom aid has been given to Ghana in each of the last five years and to date in 1980–81 and in what form.

The figures for gross British aid expenditure to Ghana are:

asked the Lord Privy Seal if, in view of the serious food shortages in Vietnam, reported by both Oxfam and the World Health Organisation, he has any plans to provide immediate or long-term aid to that country to help alleviate the situation.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will bring up to date the information on unemployment and long-term unemployment given in his reply of 7 March 1980, Official Report, c. 361–2.

Great Britain (thousands)
	Married Men†
Duration of Unemployment	All Males	Single Men*	No Children	All with Children	One Child	Two Children	Three Children	Four or more Children
All periods	684	370	134	180	55	61	35	28
Over 1 year	168	76	33	58	16	18	12	12
* Includes those with adult or child dependants.
† Whether or not receiving an increase for a wife or other adult dependant.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will set out the most recent available statistics on (a) the average length of stay, (b) the total cost per in-patient day. (c) the size of waiting lists and (d) the mortality rates for the cardio-thoracic units at Guys, St. Thomas's and King's College hospitals.

Information is not available centrally in the form requested. The following statistics may, however, be helpful (figures at 31 December 1979):

Cardiology
	Average stay in days	Waiting list
Guy's hospital	10·00	71
St. Thomas' hospital	10·2	192
King's College hospital	8·00	58

Hospital	Catheterisations			Coronary Arteriographies (included in (a))			Open Heart Surgery			Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts (included in (c))
	(a)			(b)			(c)			(d)
	1976	1977	1978	1976	1977	1978	1976	1977	1978	1976	1977	1978
Guy's	431	592	880	281	387	629	278	299	265	98	139	165
King's	580	695	756	312	356	441	150	280	304	47	104	†112
St. Thomas's‡	447	549	*605	†300	†400	†400	277	281	*280	104	103	116
* Extrapolation from part-year total.
† Estimate.
‡ Full right and left heart catheterisation performed in the case of nearly all patients investigated primarily for coronary artery disease, and coronary arteriographies performed in the case of all aortic valve and many other valve patients.

The table below gives, for the family types shown, the estimated numbers of registered unemployed males receiving unemployment benefit and/ or supplementary allowance in November 1979—the latest available date. The information is not directly comparable with that given in my reply of 7 March 1980—[Vol. 980, c. 361–62]—as married men without dependants who are not receiving supplementary allowance can now be identified, and are included in the column for married men with no children.

Thoracic surgery
	Average stay in days	Waiting list
Guy's hospital	16·8	79
St. Thomas' hospital	13–9	100
King's College hospital	13·1	74

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cardiac operations—including pacemaker insertions—were carried out in the cardio-thoracic units at Guys, St. Thomas's and King's College hospitals, respectively, during the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available; and what percentage of these involved private patients.

Information is not collected centrally in the form requested. The London Health Planning Consortium's study group report on cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, published in 1979, gives the following information for main adult procedures:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the date of the latest survey carried out by or for his Department into attitudes towards four-weekly payments of child benefit; and if he will publish the results in the Official Report.

I refer the hon. Member to appendix I of annex II of Cmnd. 8106. The survey summarised was carried out in August 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons registered as unemployed in the Govan area of Glasgow are being prevented from gaining full benefits by the operation of the wage stop.

Accurate information about the number of cases at Govan unemployment benefit office, where payment of earnings-related supplement to unemployment benefit is restricted by the operation of the 85 per cent. benefit "ceiling", is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Based on a 5 per cent. sample, however, it is estimated that, at 8 May 1980, there were substantially less than 100 of these cases.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Peterborough on 9 February, whether he has received any representations from parents concerning experiments performed on new-born infants which they considered were not to the benefit of the patients; and, if so, if he will provide details of each case.

[pursuant to his reply, 18 February 1981. c. 162]: A total of about 50 general representations have been received about the recommendation in paragraph 454 of the report of the Select Committee on the Social Services concerning research on new-born infants, but none relates to any specific case.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many staff, full-time and part-time, are provided in further education at the Cranage Hall hospital, Cheshire.

I have been asked to reply.The information requested is not available in my Department and I would therefore suggest that the hon. Member makes inquiries of the Cheshire local education authority.

asked the Lord Privy Seal when he last met the Russian ambassador; and if he will make a statement regarding the discussions that took place.

My right hon. Friend has not yet met the present Soviet ambassador. He last met the previous ambassador at the farewell lunch he gave him on 6 November, at which there was a general discussion of international affairs and bilateral relations. The present Soviet ambassador has made introductory calls on my right hon. and noble Friend and myself.

asked the Lord Privy Seal when the British ambassador in Moscow last met the Russian Foreign Secretary; and if he will make a statement regarding the discussions that took place.

The ambassador was last received for a formal call by the Soviet Foreign Minister on 13 November 1978, when a wide range of international and bilateral issues were discussed. He has, however, met him on other occasions since then.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many British diplomats in (a) Moscow and (b) London are employed to further trade and economic links between the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union.

Six British diplomats are employed in the Commercial Department of the British embassy in Moscow. No members of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London are employed exclusively to further trade and economic links between the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he has any plans to visit the Soviet Union in the near future.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many Russian diplomats based in London are there specifically to further trade and economic links between the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom.

There are three Soviet officials with diplomatic status and 47 without diplomatic status in the Soviet trade delegation in London engaged in Anglo-Soviet trade and economic matters.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will list in the Official Report the present travel and other restrictions enforced on (a) Russian diplomats and (b) diplomats of the other Warsaw Pact countries in the United Kingdom.

Soviet diplomats and Soviet officials without diplomatic status based in London for longer than three months are required to submit to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, at least two working days in advance, notification of their intention to travel further than 35 miles from central London. Diplomats from other member States of the Warsaw Pact are not subject to travel restrictions.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what are the total numbers of (a) Russian diplomats and (b) diplomats from other Warsaw Pact countries based in London at present; and if he has any plans to reduce this number.

47 Soviet diplomats and 110 diplomats from other Warsaw Pact States are at present based in London. There are no plans to reduce these numbers, which, however, are kept under constant review.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many (a) Russian diplomats and (b) diplomats from other Warsaw Pact countries have been requested to leave the United Kingdom since May 1979.

None.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many cases occurred in non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible, over the last 10 years, where compensation has been paid to any person who is a part-time member of the body who ceases to be a member otherwise than on the expiry of a term of office where he considered that there were special circumstances making it right that compensation should be paid; how much money was paid on each occasion; and what were the considerations in each case which caused him to make the decision to pay compensation.

None.

Nationalised Industries: Surplus (Deficits)* Current Prices
£ million
	1975–76	1976–77	1977–78	1978–79	1979–80
National Coal Board†	5·3	27·2	20·4	(19·4)	‡(159·3)
Electricity Council and Boards†	**8·5	206·5	132·8	251·4	37·2
North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board†	0·1	5·9	1·8	2·1	1·7
South of Scotland Electricity Board	2·7	22·3	5·6	9·5	0·1
British Gas Corporation	25·1	31·5	103·9	172·3	204·6
British Steel Corporation	(254·9)	(95·0)	(443·4)	(309·4)	(1,784·0)
Post Office	147·8	**290·6	367·3	375·1	297·0
British Airways Board	(16·3)	35·1	32·5	77·3	10·5
British Airports Authority	5·2	(0·8)	5·4	15·6	23·0
British Shipbuilders†	—	—	(93·4)	(64·2)	(152·3)
	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979
British Railways Board†	5·5	5·3	27·0	6·4	(0·4)
British Transport Docks Board	0·8	6·2	7·3	7·0	6·8
British Waterways Board†	‡(8·0)	‡(l0·0)	‡(12·4)	‡(16·5)	‡(21·5)
National Freight Company†	(31·0)	‡(15·3)	‡(9·5)	‡0·3	2·0
National Bus Company	(19·0)	4·4	9·6	17·7	6·2
Scottish Transport Group†	(3·3)	(0·9)	1·0	0·7	(0·4)
British National Oil Corporation	—	(1·3)	(1·9)	(3·0)	13·6
British Aerospace	—	—	29·4	28·5	40·9

1980 survey prices
£ million
	1975–76	1976–77	1977–78	1978–79	1979–80
National Coal Board†	8·8	39·7	26·3	(22·7)	‡159·3)
Electricity Council and Boards †	**14·0	301·5	170·9	294·6	37·2
North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board †	0·2	8·6	2·3	2·5	1·7
South of Scotland Electricity Board	4·5	32·6	7·2	11·1	0·1
British Gas Corporation	41·4	46·0	133·7	201·9	204·6
British Steel Corporation	(420·8)	(138·7)	(570·7)	(362·6)	(1,784·0)
Post Office	244·0	**424·3	472·7	439·6	297·0
British Airways Board	26·9)	51·2	41·8	90·6	10·5

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish for each year since 1970 (a) a table showing for each of the nationalised industries and publicly owned companies their annual surpluses or deficits after tax, interest and extraordinary items, and (b) list separately for each of these nationalised industries and publicly owned companies sums written off and extraordinary items, and, express all these sums in (a) and (b) in (i) constant and (ii) current prices.

The information in respect of all the publicly owned companies is not readily available in the form requested and cannot be provided without disproportionate expenditure of time and resources. Details of Government shareholdings are given in supplementary statements to the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund accounts and a monthly list of National Enterprise Board shareholdings is deposited with the House Library.Following is the information in respect of the nationalised industries for the years 1975–76 to 1979–80 (1970–71 to 1980–81 in the case of debt written-off). Details in respect of the period before 1975–76 are not readily available in the form requested, except for debt written off, and cannot be provided without disproportionate expenditure of time and resources.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will calculate what rebate of tax a man earning the average wage of miners would receive if he was out of work for the last month of the current financial year.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is satisfied with the sales of premium savings bonds; if he is contemplating any increase in the current level of interest; what plans he has for advertising the bonds; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 17 February 1981, c. 84]: Yes; no; several; I am confident that the increase in the number of prizes awarded each month from 75,000 to 100,000, to take effect from 1 April, will further stimulate premium bond sales.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is now in a position to estimate the interest which will fall to be paid on the national debt in 1980–81; and what were the comparable figures in each of the previous ten financial years.

[pursuant to his reply, 19 February 1981]: The Financial Statement and Budget Report 1980–81(HC 500) included a forecast of interest to be paid on the national debt of £9,885 million in 1980–81. Latest available information indicates the outturn for 1980–81 should be close to that figure. Comparable figures in each of the previous ten financial years are as follows:

Interest paid on the national debt	£ million
1970–71	1,419
1971–72	1,596
1972–73	1,828
1973–74	2,284
1974–75	2,790
1975–76	3,482
1976–77	4,449
1977–78	5,101
1978–79	6,369
1979–80	8,290

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is now in a position to estimate the net payment which the United Kingdom will have made to the European Economic Community in respect of 1980 after the rebate mechanism agreed in the 30 June 1980 Council of Ministers meeting has been fully operated in the course of 1981.

[pursuant to his reply, 19February 1981]: Details of the United Kingdom net payments in respect of 1980 after taking account of the 30 May agreement will be published in the forthcoming Public Expenditure White Paper.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now make a statement on the 7·14 billion dollar oil facility which was agreed at the Council of Ministers meeting on 16 February; and if, in particular, he will explain how the loan finance will be raised and who will provide the cost of any difference between the interest on the loans raised and the interest charged on those nations borrowing from the oil facility.

[pursuant to his reply, 19 February 1981]: The Finance Council on 16 February agreed that the Community loan mechanism should be renewed subject to a limit of 6 billion ecus (approximately £3·1 billion or $7·2 billion). The mechanism was set up in 1975 to allow the Community to borrow in the markets for on-lending to member States in balance of payments difficulties as a result of oil price increases. The on-lending is on the same terms as the borrowing, and the negotiation and transaction costs are also passed on to the member State concerned, so there is no cost to the Community Budget.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the gross contribution of the United Kingdom to the European Economic Community in 1980 exceeded its share of the Community gross domestic product, and if he will publish a table showing the percentage share of the gross contribution and the estimated percentage share of the gross domestic product.

[pursuant to his reply, 19 February 1981]: Yes. According to the latest available Commission estimates the United Kingdom's share of own resources in 1980 exceeded its share of Community gross domestic product. The figures are as follows: United Kingdom percentage share of own resources: 20·8 per cent.United Kingdom percentage share of Community GDP: 18·3 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total amount of Government grant so far given, plus loans so far guaranteed by the Government, to De Lorean cars per employee (a) currently working in the company and (b) at the predicted level of employment when the company is in full production.

[pursuant to his reply, 19 February 1981]: The information sought is as follows:

Government assistance per employee (£)
	Grants	Grants and Government loans and Government Guaranteed commercial loans
Current employment (900)	31,666	65,777
Prospective full employment (2,000)	14,250	29,600

These figures exclude any allowance for the £17·8 million which the Northern Ireland Development Agency has subscribed in the form of participating preference share capital, and for income to government from the prospective royalty payments of £185 per car for the first 90,000 cars and £45 per car thereafter.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many unfair dismissal claims were made between 1 January 1980 and 1 January 1981 for the most recent period of one year for which he has the figures; how many of the claims were settled by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service; what was the outcome, namely (a) settled in the employee's favour, (b) settled in employer's favour, (c) compensation and (d) reinstatement; what was the outcome of cases dealt with by industrial tribunals; and what were the compensation levels awarded by the tribunals.

In 1979, the most recent year for which detailed figures are available, 35,253 unfair dismissal applications were registered at the central offices of the industrial tribunals and 33,383 cases (including some cases registered in the previous year) were completed ie either heard before a tribunal or disposed of without a hearing. Almost two-thirds of completed cases (21,678) were disposed of without a hearing after conciliation by ACAS, being either settled (11,422) or withdrawn (10,256). Re-employment was agreed in 400 of the settled cases, compensation in 10,851 and another remedy in 171.Of the total 11,705 cases which reached a tribunal hearing, 3,187 complaints were upheld, that is dismissal was found to be unfair. In 99 cases the tribunals made orders for employees to be reinstated or re-engaged, and a further 2,388 applicants were awarded compensation. Almost half the awards were less than £400 each and almost three quarters were less than £750. About 2 per cent. of awards were over £4,000. In the remaining 700 upheld complaints, 153 applicants were found to be entitled to a redundancy payment and 547 were awarded some other remedy.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies there were between 1 January 1980 and 1 January 1981 or for the most recent yearly period for which he has figures; what proportion of these redundant workers was entitled to a statutory redundancy payment; and what were the median and average statutory redundancy payments.

In 1980, 491,168 employees received statutory redundancy payments. No figures are available showing how many employees were made redundant while not being eligible for a statutory payment. The average individual payment was £998. A median figure is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many cases occurred in non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible, over the last 10 years, where compensation has been paid to any person who is a part-time member of the body who ceases to be a member otherwise than on the expiry of a term of office where he considered that there were special circumstances making it right that compensation should be paid; how much money was paid on each occasion; and what were the considerations in each case which caused him to make the decision to pay compensation.

Within my Department's field of responsibility there have been five such cases in the past six years. It is not the practice to publish detailed information on the circumstances of individual cases but compensation payments have ranged in amount from £520 to £890. Information for preceding years is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.As a general rule, compensation is payable only where a member is asked to leave early and cannot make good the resulting loss of income from alternative employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he proposes to introduce a bill to consolidate trade union law.

I have no plans at present to introduce a Bill to consolidate trade union law.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) which member States of the European Economic Community operate a quota scheme for the employment of disabled people; and if he will provide similar information in respect of the United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand;(2) whether the new measures announced by the Manpower Services Commission to help the long-term unemployed will include specific provision to help chronically sick and disabled people who are disproportionately represented among the long-term unemployed;(3) if he will take account of public opinion, as reflected in the recent Gallup survey for

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that the substantial involvement of the careers service in the youth opportunities programme is not detracting from careers work in schools and colleges of further education.

[pursuant to his reply, 17 February 1981, c. 92]: Yes. The youth opportunities programme is an integral part of the provision made by this Government to provide employment and vocational preparation opportunities for young people. The involvement of the careers service in the programme is crucial to the basic objective of the service, to help individuals leaving full-time education to make a satisfactory transition from school or college to working life.The determination of the priorities for action by individual careers services is for each local education authority and there is no evidence that, in general, the work of the service in schools and colleges is regarded as being in any way less appropriate or relevant today than in the past.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the education authorities in Wales which provide free school meals for children (a) only in families receiving family income supplement or supplementary benefit, (b) on the basis of the income eligibility test operated in 1979–80, (c) on the basis of an income eligibility test less generous than that operated in 1979–80, (d) on the basis of the income eligibility test circulated by the Department of Education and Science, (e) on the basis of an income eligibility test more generous than that circulated by the Department of Education and Science and (f) according to any other criterion.

The local education authorities in Wales provide free school meals as follows:On the basis of receipt of family income supplement or supplementary benefit—Dyfed, Gwynedd and Powys.On the basis of an income eligibility test less generous than that operated in 1979–80—Clwyd.On the basis of an income eligibility scale drawn up by the Department of Education and Science—Mid-Glamorgan. South Glamorgan and West Glamorgan.Gwent provides meals on a scale of its own, broadly comparable with the national 1979–80 scale.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to publish the report on the North-East Clwyd traffic study; and if he will make a statement.

The report is being published today: I have sent copies to my hon. Friend, my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Denbigh (Mr. Morgan) and the hon. Members for Flint, East (Mr. Jones) and Wrexham (Mr. Ellis). Copies have also been sent to Clwyd county council, which has been requested to make them available to members of the public at main libraries in the area. The report can be obtained from the Welsh Office, price £10.I am hopeful that the report and discussions of its conclusions will assist in the formation of proposals for improvement to the road network in the area in the long term, as a follow-up to the existing substantial programme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of murder were finally recorded in 1979 and 1980; and how many of these cases were attributable to acts of terrorism; how many victims were acquainted with the murder suspect or accused; and what was the most common method of killing.

In a case of homicide it is not possible in the absence of a court decision to distinguish between the offences of murder, manslaughter and infanticide. The information available is published in chapter 10 of Criminal Statistics, England and Wales. 1979, Cmnd. 8098. Of the 571 offences currently recorded as homicide in 1979, 121 had been decided by the court to be murder and 252 to be manslaughter or infanticide, one was attributed to acts of terrorism, 416 victims were acquainted with the suspect and the most frequently identified method of killing was by means of a sharp instrument. Information for 1980 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the current total annual costs in England and Wales of the police, the prison service, and the probation and after-care service.

The information for 1979–80 (the latest year for which it is available) is as follows:

	£
Police	1,492,623,000
Prisons	295,243,000
Probation and after-care	89,190,000

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will now make a statement about the proposed new prison at Woolwich Arsenal, indicating (a) the size of the area to be covered, (b) the number and type of prisoners to be accommodated, (c) the estimated total staff and (d) the number of jobs likely to be created for local residents;(2) when he expects work to start on the building of the planned new prison at Woolwich Arsenal; what is the estimated building time; and how much the project is estimated to cost at 1981 prices.

Construction probably could not start before the end of 1985 and would take at least four years. All the other matters are still under consideration and may not be decided for another 18 months.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will give an analysis of the separate categories of vessels covered by shipping capacity which are under the British flag.

The information is published in the CSO Monthly Digest of Statistics, No. 421 January 1981, table 13.10, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he now expects to make a further statement on the crash of the Dan-Air Boeing 727 at Tenerife on 25 April 1980.

On 10 February 1981, the head of the Spanish commission of inquiry intimated that the report on the accident to the Dan Air Boeing 727 at Tenerife would be completed by the end of February 1981. When the report has been received, translated and studied, I will be in a position to make a further statement to the House. I await receipt of the report.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for the most recent year for which figures are available the net earnings of British shipping.

I have been asked to reply.In 1979 the international revenue of the United Kingdom shipping industry was £3·8 billion and expenditure abroad was £2·2 billion; the details were published in an article in British business on 19 December 1980. Information on domestic activities such as coasting and payments made in the United Kingdom to ports or crew is not collected and consequently an estimate of net earnings is not available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will increase the tariffs paid on white fish imported into the United Kingdom which is fresh or chilled and whole as against the laminated block; and if he will make a statement.

Tariffs on imports of fish into the United Kingdom from third countries are governed by the rates of duty provided for in the Community's common customs tariff. Amendments to these tariffs require Community agreement. The United Kingdom Government are therefore not able unilaterally to raise tariffs in the manner suggested.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will restrict the imports of white fish into the United Kingdom once the quantity required for the processing industry has been agreed taking into account the British fishing industry's catching capacity to meet a majority of the present requirements for the processing industry.

No. I do not believe that it would be practicable for the Government to seek to organise the market for fish in the manner proposed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to legislate that fish imports landed in the United Kingdom should be clearly marked with the country of origin.

The Trade Descriptions Act 1972 and the Labelling of Food Regulations, together with the Food and Drugs Act 1955, apply to fish as they do to other food. We have no plans to seek to promote new legislation in regard to origin marking for fish.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to alter the present legislation in order that all imported wet fish will be marketed only equal to fish caught by the British fleet and to be subject to the same dues and levies.

I am not aware of any statutory dues or levies imposed on fish caught by the British fleet which do not also apply to imported wet fish. If my hon. Friend has specific proposals in mind, I would be happy to consider them.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list in the Official Report all those schemes in the reserve list and 1982–83 main list which are being considered for a start in 1981, showing in each case the financial provision necessary for a 1981 start.

We intend to start in 1981 the Heckington bypass. I also hope to start the following schemes but a final decision will depend on developments between now and the summer:

• A6 Elstow bypass
• A49 Brimfield bypass
• A66 Troutbeck diversion
• A590 Greenodd diversion

I shall also consider starting this year any schemes from the 1982–83 main programme which can be ready in time. These include A18 Ulceby-Grimsby, Al Catterick Junction improvements (north and south schemes) and possibly the first two sections of the M42 Bromsgrove and the A47 Uppingham bypass.Expenditure on these schemes during 1981–82 will depend on when they start and on the rate of inflation, and will be covered by the gross provision for new trunk road construction in the Estimates for 1981–82.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will give an estimate of (a) the initial capital sum required for strengthening bridges and (b) the extra annual maintenance cost imposed by the lorry weights recommended in the Armitage report, based on the same method as that used by Husband and Co. for the lorries proposed by the European Economic Community;(2) if he will give an estimate of the extra annual expenditure on bridges that the report commissioned from Husband and Co. by his Department says will result from faster deterioration imposed by the heavy lorries of the type put forward by the European Economic Community, and which expenditure is additional to the initial capital sum required for strengthening for which Husband and Co. gives some figures;(3) if he will give an estimate of the proportion of brick and stone arched bridges which the report commissioned from Husband and Co. by his Department says will require strengthening to withstand heavier lorries, that are either listed buildings, scheduled ancient monuments or bridges of character, the strengthening of which could result in an erosion of the United Kingdom's architectural heritage, based on

The Armitage recommendations for heavier types of lorry would not mean any additional expenditure on bridges, either in terms of reconstruction or ongoing maintenance.Husband's estimates of capital expenditure required on bridges to take EEC vehicles, were based on a statistical study. Particular bridges were not identified, so no assessment can be made of those with architectural merit.No detailed assessment has been made of the effects of EEC traffic on deterioration, and thus annual expenditure on bridge maintenance. But the general effect would be of a broadly similar nature to that on road maintenance and construction costs. This is assessed in the Armitage report (paragraph 388) as probably favourable but, on the most pessimistic assumptions, costing not more than £5 million a year.A 38-tonne articulated vehicle with a drive axle limited to 10 tonnes and a correspondingly heavier tri axle on the trailer would be marginally worse from the bridge point of view than the axle load arrangements proposed in the Armitage report.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in view of the fact that 1981 is the International Year of Disabled People, he will ensure that the fitting of the pedestrian crossings with the bleep noise accompaniment continues, in order to help the less sighted and the blind.

Most pelican crossings already have bleepers. Their use is not advisable where crossings are so close together that confusion could be caused. We are trying to find a highly directional signal that would be safe for use at these difficult sites. I am also prepared to authorise bleepers at light-controlled junctions where conditions are suitable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether to support the International Year of Disabled People, he will take steps to assist the London borough of Newham, which wishes to initiate a scheme to enable the physically disabled freely to enter its town hall but which is unable to finance such improvements because of cuts in Government expenditure.

This must be for the local authority itself to determine within its own expenditure priorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the amount of rate support grant received by the City of Westminster in each year from 1970–71 to 1981–82 and the amount received in respect of the Inner London Education Authority alone during that period.

The rate support grant entitlements of the City of Westminster, comprising needs, resources and domestic elements, for each year from 1970–71 to 1980–81—first increase order—are shown in the table below. Initial block grant entitlements for 1981–82 will not be known until authorities' own expenditure plans are finalised but if authorities spend in line with the Government's assumptions it is estimated that Westminster will receive block grant of £58 million, wholly on account of the GLC, ILEA and the Metropolitan Police. Westminster's domestic element for 1981–82 is estimated as £12·7 million, giving a total estimated grant of £70·7 million for 1981–82. If any of the precepting authorities spend more than the Government's expenditure assumptions the grant paid to Westminster will fall in consequence.It is only possible to calculate the needs element grant paid to Westminster in respect of the Inner London Education Authority for the years 1977–78 to 1980–81—first increase order. These figures are shown in the table. If ILEA spends in line with the Government's projections, Westminster will receive £19 million in respect of ILEA in 1981–82.

City of Westminster combined needs, resources and domestic element entitlements 1970–71 to 1980–81 with needs element paid in respect of ILEA.
	Total Rate Support Grant paid to Westminster £m	Needs element paid to Westminster in respect of ILEA £m
1970–71	8·76
1971–72	10·25
1972–73	11·74
1973–74	13·88
1974–75	24·02
1975–76	30·43
1976–77	39·16
1977–78	24·21	14·80
1978–79	30·00	23·37
1979–80	38·45	28·64
1980–81 (1st increase Order)	43·76	29·32

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many cases occurred in non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible, over the last 10 years, where compensation has been paid to any person who is a part-time member of the body who ceases to be a member otherwise than on the expiry of a term of office where he considered that there were special circumstances making it right that compensation should be paid; how much money was paid on each occasion; and what were the considerations in each case which caused him to make the decision to pay compensation.

Within my field of responsibility 18 such cases have been recorded in the past 10 years. This includes three instances where public bodies have been wound up, involving in two cases six persons each and in the other four persons. It is not the practice to publish detailed information on the circumstances of individual cases, but such compensation payments have ranged from £131 to £17,980. As a general rule, compensation is payable only where a member is asked to leave before the end of his original term and cannot make good the resulting loss of income from alternative employment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what features of the new housing subsidy system are still the subject of consultation with the local authority associations.

The remaining issues are set out in a consultation paper entitled "The New Local Authority Housing Subsidy System—Outstanding Issues" made available today by my right hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales. A copy has been placed in the Library of each House of Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has in relation to the green belt status of the villages of Fyfield and Willingale.

I have proposed a modification to the Essex structure plan which would extend the approved metropolitan green belt to include Fyfield but not Willingale, though the precise boundaries would be defined in local plans. The six week period for making representations about my proposed modification ends on 27 February.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the supplementary measures in favour of the United Kingdom provided for by European Economic Community Regulation 2744/80 is intended to be used for public sector housing in assisted areas: and what proportion of this is to be used in the South Tyneside area.

Council Regulation (EEC) 2744/80 does not provide that specific proportions of the financial assistance given under the supplementary measures shall be in respect of particular categories of eligible investment. It is for the Commission, having sought the opinion of the committee constituted for the purpose, to decide on the amount of the Community's financial contribution to sub-programmes within the special investment programmes submitted by the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has abandoned his plans to introduce a loans scheme for first-degree students.

My right hon. and learned Friend expects to reach a decision on the feasibility of a combined scheme of grants and loans in the near future. A consultative document will be published if it is decided to go ahead.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if the deliberations of the new committees set up by his Department with the University Grants Committee and the Council of Local Education Authorities will be restricted to matters affecting higher education in England and Wales; whether matters affecting Scotland will be considered; and if so. whether representatives of the Scottish Education Department and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities will be included.

The committees that have been set up will confine their deliberations to matters relating to England and Wales. However, the Scottish Education Department has been invited to send observers.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is satisfied with the extent to which local authorities have taken advantage of the microelectronics education programme.

Yes. LEAs are directly involved in 31 projects, accounting for about half the £1·3 million allocated in the first year of the programme. Details are given in the following table.

	(1980 Surrey Prices) Estimated cost of project
Names of LEA or group of LEAs	I980–81	1981–82	Total
Consortium of West Midlands LEAs (Warwickshire, Hereford and Wonrcester, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Coventry, Solihull, Sandwell, Dudley, Wolverhampton, Walsall and Birmingham LEAs (11 LEAs)	181,000	91,000	272,000
Consortium of West Midlands LHAs (11 LEAs as above)	10,710	—	10,710
Birmingham Educational Computing Centre (Birmingham LEA)	8,710	—	8,710
The College of St Mark and St John (supported by Devon, Cornwall and Somerset LEAs) (3 LEAs)	77,200	15,800	93,000
Walsall LEA	25,740	—	25,740
Durham LEA	5,131	2,928	8,059
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire LEAs (2)	29,800	10,200	40,000
Consortium of London and Kent LEAs (ILEA, Kent LEA, London Boroughs of Bromley, Bexley and Croydon) (5 LEAs)	60,000	—	60,000
London Borough of Bexley	3,160	4,440	7,600
Welsh Joint Education Committee (Clwyd, Gwynedd, Powys, Dyfed, West Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan and Gwent LEAs) (8 LEAs)	40,000	40,000	80,000
Total	441,451	164,368	605,819

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the local education authorities in England which provide free school meals for children (a)only in families receiving family income supplement and supplementary benefit, (b) on the basis of the income eligibility test operated in 1979–1980, (c) on the basis of an income eligibility test less generous than that operated in 1979–1980, (d) on the basis of the income eligibility test circulated by his Department, (e) on the basis of an income eligibility test more generous than that circulated by his Department and (f) according to any other criterion.

Information is not available within the Department in precisely the form requested. However, the policies for granting free school meals that were in operation among English local education authorities during the 1980 autumn term were, on the basis of the five broad categories adopted for the purpose of the October 1980 census of school meals, as follows.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the publication of public examination results by secondary schools.

I propose to make regulations which will have the effect of requiring that each maintained secondary school will provide annually details of the most recent available graded results obtained by pupils in GCE and CSE examinations, and will show the number of pupils in the relevant forms or age group. In the light of comments on the proposals in my Department's consultative paper, I have decided that the publication of the numbers of entries or candidates will not be required and that the information for each school will need to be available only from that school.

asked the Secretary' of State for Education and Science if he will announce the grants to the National Heritage Fund for 1981–82.

I am happy to announce, together with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, a joint grant of £3 million to the Fund in 1981–82, subject to parliamentary approval.

asked the Prime Minister if she will now publish in the Official Report a table showing for the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom's principal competitors the increase in the money supply as a percentage of money gross domestic product in, respectively, 1950 to 1959, 1960 to 1969 and 1970 to 1979.

The basic information needed to derive these percentages may be obtained from the individual country pages in "International Financial Statistics Yearbook 1980" though the data for some of the very earliest years are not available.Money plus quasi-money, shown in row 34 and row 35 respectively, approximates to M3 in United Kingdom terms. Gross domestic product is shown in line 99b.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the co-operation between Departments to prevent the sale of unfit meat and horsemeat.

Legislation governing the sale of unfit meat and horsemeat is enforced by local authorities. Government Departments are following developments through contact with enforcement authorities, and staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have provided certain technical assistance where this has been requested.

asked the Prime Minister what steps Her Majesty's Government intend to take to expand and develop trade with the Soviet Union; and whether there is any intention to review the 1975 United Kingdom Co-operation Agreement.

We intend to continue mutually advantageous trade with the Soviet Union. The normal range of Government services is available to exporters. Consideration is being given to reviewing the 1975 co-operation programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the number of visits Ministers and officers of his Department made outwith the United Kingdom during the most recent convenient 12-month period, in connection with European Economic Community matters.

In the 12 months ended 31 January 1981 the numbers of visits made outwith the United Kingdom on EEC business by Scottish Office personnel were eight by Ministers and 229 by officials.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will reconsider the decision of the social work services group not to provide a grant of £4,360 to the Scottish region of the National Playbus Association.

The matter of a grant to the association is under consideration and I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the amount of rate support grant awarded to each local authority in Scotland for 1981–82 and the percentage change in grant for each authority over the preceding year.

The information requested is not yet available as the amount of the resources element of rate support grant payable to individual authorities for 1981–82 cannot be calculated until all authorities notify rate poundages. I shall write to the hon. Member when the information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the amounts of the housing capital allocation for 1981–82 for each housing authority in Scotland, together with the amounts requested by each authority for such allocations in their respective housing plans.

Final allocations for 1981–82 have not yet been determined. They will be issued to authorities next month once the implications of local authorities' decisions about the level of rate fund contributions in 1981–82 have been considered. I shall write to the hon. Member when the allocations have been issued.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report for each local housing authority in Scotland (a) the number of sheltered houses owned and (b) the number of sheltered houses owned per 1,000 of population aged 65 years and over.

(a) I refer the hon. Member to my reply on this subject given to the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. Wilson) on 28 November 1980.—[Vol. 994, c. 263]. The figures for Lochaber quoted in the reply have since been updated and should read

"10 sheltered dwellings and 30 bed spaces."