Written Answers

Written Answers To Questions

Monday 2 March 1981

National Finance

Nationalised Industries

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list (a) the number of employees, (b) the volume of output, (c) in (i) constant and (ii) current prices, the

Nationalised Industries: Number of Employees^*
	1974–75	1975–76	1976–77	1977–78	1978–79	1979–80
National Coal Board	246,000	247,100	242,000	240,500	234,900	232,500
Electricity Council and Boards	172,500	166,800	160,900	158,700	159,800	158,800
Scottish Electricity Boards	17,600	17,700	17,500	17,500	17,800	17,800
British Gas Corporation	102,500	103,000	100,700	99,800	101,800	104,100
British National Oil Corporation			400	700	1,000	1,400
British Steel Corporation	228,300	210,200	207,900	196,900	186,000	166,400
Post Office	428,300	415,280	407,400	401,300	411,000	422,900
British Airways Board	55,900	55,100	56,000	57,300	57,700	56,900
British Airports Authority	4,800	5,100	5,400	5,800	7,300	7,700
British Railways Board	255,900	251,600	243,500	240,100	243,300	244,100
British Transport Docks Board	11,900	11,400	11,700	11,500	11,600	11,500
British Waterways Board	3,100	3,200	3,200	3,200	3,100	3,200
National Freight Corporation	49,400	44,600	41,700	40,100	36,500	34,500
National Bus Company	69,600	70,500	67,900	65,100	64,300	63,400
Scottish Transport Group	15,600	15,900	14,700	14,100	13,800	12,800
British Aerospace				70,000	72,000	75,100
British Shipbuilders				87,400	82,500	72,700
^* As shown in the annual reports and accounts of the industries. For some industries the numbers apply to the preceding calendar year.

Nationalised Industries: Volume of Output^*
	1974–75	1975–76	1976–77	1977–78	1978–79	1979–80
National Coal Board (million tonnes)	127·2	125·8	120·8	120·9	119·9	123·3
Electricity Council and Boards (million KWH)	210·9	204·6	208·6	211·9	222·1	221·7
Scottish Electricity Boards (million KWH)	25·0	24·6	25·1	26·9	28·1	27·7
British Gas Corporation (million therms)	12,900	13,500	13,800	15,200	15,900	16,700
British National Oil Corporation (thousand barrels)†					3,900	23,400
British Steel Corporation (liquid steel production—million tonnes)	20·8	17·2	19·7	17·4	17·3	14·1
^*As shown in the Annual Reports and Accounts of the industries.
†Refers only to the Corporation equity licence interests in the North Sea.

Nationalised Industries External Finance £ million
	1976–77 Current prices				1980 survey prices
	Government grants^*	Net government lending	Issues of PDC†	Net over seas and market borrowing‡	Government grants^*	Net government lending	Issues of PDC†	Net over market borrowing‡
National Coal Board	54	–14	—	184	79	–20	—	268
Eleclricity (England and Wales)	24	–320	—	432	35	–467	—	631
North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board	42	–17	—	50	61	–25	—	73
South of Scotland Electricity Board	—	–30	—	45	—	–44	—	66
British Gas Corporation	5	–136	—	20	7	–199	—	29
British National Oil Corporation	—	218	—	—	—	318	—	—
British Steel Corporation	—	160	490	214	—	234	715	312
Post Office	–6	–39	—	245	–9	–57	—	358

amount of Government grants, loans, issues of public dividend or other publicly provided capital and ( d) in (i) constant and (ii) current prices any other net overseas and market borrowing, other than short-term, for each of the nationalised industries in each year since 1974.

The following is the information. Volume of output figures are provided for the industries where this is an appropriate measure. Details of (c) and (d) for the years before 1976–77 are not readily available in the form requested and cannot be provided without disproportionate expenditure of time and resources.

	1976–77 Current prices				1980 survey prices
	Government grants^*	Net government lending	Issues of PDC†	Net over seas and market borrowing‡	Government grants^*	Net government lending	Issues of PDC†	Net over market borrowing‡
British Airways Board	—	–25	10	17	—	–36	15	25
British Airports Authority	9	–1	—	—	13	–1	—	—
British Railways Board	469	–9	—	44	685	–13	—	64
British Transport Docks Board	1	–6	—	—	1	–9	—	—
British Waterways Board	12	1	—	—	18	1	—	—
National Freight Corporation	30	—	—	—	44	—	—	—
National Bus Company	40	4	—	—	58	6	—	—
Scottish Transport Group	11	–2	—	—	16	–3	—	—
	691	–162	500	1251	1009	–315	730	1826
^* Shows subsidies and capital grants received in the year.
† Includes issues under Section 18 of the Iron and Steel Act 1975.
‡ Excludes short—term borrowing and leasing.

Nationalised Industries External Finance £ million
	1977–78 Current prices				1980 survey prices
	Government grants(1)	Net government lending	Issues of PDC(2)	Net over seas and market borrowing(3)	Government grants(1)	Net government lending	Issues of PDC(2)	Net over market borrowing(3)
National Coal Board	75	21	—	135	96	27	—	174
Electricity (England and Wales)	7	–110	—	–284	9	–141	—	–365
North of Scotland Hydro—Electric Board	13	39	—	4	17	50	—	5
South of Scotland Electricity Board	—	13	—	–44	—	17	—	–57
British Gas Corporation	—	–556	—	–16	—	–715	—	–21
British National Oil Corporation	—	–271	—	463	—	–349	—	596
British Steel Corporation	—	216	445	134	—	278	572	172
Post Office	—	–39	—	–12	—	–50	—	–15
British Airways Board	—	–23	10	29	—	–30	13	37
British Airports Authority	5	–1	—	—	6	–1	—	—
British Railways Board	490	1	—	17	631	1	—	22
British Transport Docks Board	—	—6	—	—	—	–8	—	—
British Waterways Board	15	1	—	—	19	1	—	—
National Freight Corporation	31	—	—	—5	40	—	—	–6
National Bus Company	46	—	—	—	59	—	—	—
Scottish Transport Group	10	–2	—	—	13	–3	—	—
British Aerospace	—	17	27	—	—	22	35	—
British Shipbuilders	19	—	—	35	24	—	—	45
Total	710	–700	482	456	914	–901	620	587
(1) Shows subsidies and capital grants received in the year.
(2) Includes issues under Section 18 of the Iron and Steel Act 1975.
(3) Excludes short—term borrowing and leasing.

Nationalised Industries External Finance £ million
	1978–79 Current prices				1980 survey prices
	Government grants(1)	Net government lending	Issues of PDC(2)	Net over seas and market borrowing(3)	Government grants(1)	Net government lending	Issues of PDC(2)	Net over market borrowing(3)
National Coal Board	172	303	—	193	201	355	—	226
Electricity (England and Wales)	5	–7	—	115	6	–8	—	135
North of Scotland Hydro—Electric Board	7	32	—	10	8	38	—	12
South of Scotland Electricity Board	—	–38	—	–5	—	–44	—	–6
British Gas Corporation	—	–666	—	–1	—	–781	—	–1
British National Oil Corporation	—	311	—	–42	—	364	—	–49

	1978–79 Current prices				1980 survey prices
	Government grants(1)	Net government lending	Issues of PDC(2)	Net over seas and market borrowing(3)	Government grants(1)	Net government lending	Issues of PDC(2)	Net over market borrowing(3)
British Steel Corporation	—	–162	850	–3	—	–190	996	–4
Post Office	—	18	4	–200	—	21	5	–234
British Airways Board	—	–14	10	21	—	–16	12	24
British Airport Authority	1	–1	—	—	1	—1	—	—
British Railways Board	542	16	—	3	635	19	—	4
British Transport Docks Board	—	–21	—	—	—	–25	—	—
British Waterways Board	20	—	—	—	23	—	—	—
National Freight Corporation	13	—	—	—	15	—	—	—
National Bus Company	48	5	—	—	56	6	—	—
Scottish Transport Group	13	—	—	1	15	—	—	1
British Aerospace	50	–2	—	—	59	–2	—	—
British Shipbuilders	11	55	—	–1	13	64	—	–1
Total	881	–171	864	91	1,032	–200	1,012	107
(1)Shows subsidies and capital grants received in the year.
(2)Includes issues under Section 18 of the Iron and Steel Act 1975.
(3)Excludes short-term borrowing and leasing.

Nationalised Industries External Finance £ million
	1979–80 Current prices				1980 survey prices
	Government grants^*	Net government lending	Issues of PDC†	Net over seas and market borrowing‡	Government grants^*	Net government lending	Issues of PDC†	Net over market borrowing‡
National Coal Board	244	184	—	129	244	184	—	129
Electricity (England and Wales)	5	837	—	–823	5	837	—	–823
North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board	11	13	—	–7	11	13	—	–7
South of Scotland Electricity Board	—	67	—	14	—	67	—	14
British Gas Corporation	—	–120	—	–295	—	–120	—	–295
British National Oil Corporation	—	84	—	–112	—	84	—	–112
British Steel Corporation	—	–209	905	–34	—	–209	905	–34
Post Office	—	–184	—	–62	—	–184	—	–62
British Airways Board	—	–6	10	141	—	–6	10	141
British Airports Authority	1	–1	—	—	1	–1	—	—
British Railways Board	687	26	—	18	687	26	—	18
British Transport Docks Board	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
British Waterways Board	23	3	—	—	23	3	—	—
National Freight Corporation	11	—	—	—	11	—	—	—
National Bus Company	60	12	—	—	60	12	—	—
Scottish Transport Group	14	2	—	—1	14	2	—	–1
British Aerospace	—	20	33	—	—	20	33	—
British Shipbuilders	31	–55	236	—	31	–55	236	—
Total	1,087	673	1,184	–1,032	1,087	673	1,184	–1,032
^* Shows subsidies and capital grants received in the year.
† Includes issues under section 18 of the Iron and Steel Act 1975.
‡ Excludes short-term borrowing and leasing.

Means-Tested Benefits

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update for 1980–81 the information on the numbers of taxpayers entitled to claim one or more means-tested benefits, given in his reply of 7 March 1980 Official Report, c. 352.

The information is as follows:

Family Income Supplement	100,000
Rent Rebates and Allowances	1,000,000
Rate Rebates	^*2,500,000
^* including most of those who are also eligible for renl rebates or allowances.

No comparable figure for the number of taxpayers entitled to free school meals is at present available. The provision of such meals by local authorities on their assessment of low incomes has, since April 1980, been on a discretionary basis.

No more recent information than that in the previous answer is available on the number of taxpayers entitled to free welfare milk.

As stated in the earlier answer, these estimates are not precise, but are believed to be of the right order of magnitude. They should not be added together, because the same beneficiaries can be included under more than one heading.

Income Tax (Widows' Pensions)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the full year cost of disregarding (a) 25 per cent. and (b) 50 per cent. of the widows' pension for income tax purposes.

The full year costs at 1980–81 income levels would be (a) £30 million and (b) £55 million. These costs assume that the widows' allowance and the national insurance retirement pension paid to widows under 65 would be similarly disregarded.

Company Taxation

Lewis asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, despite his usual practice on tax affairs of individual companies, he will give the reasons why he will not publish figures for the tax paid by individual companies in any cases where the companies have already publicly released this information.

The affairs of all taxpayers are dealt with in confidence. It is for them alone to decide whether they wish to make any or all of their tax affairs public and, if so, in what form.

Paye Inquiry Offices

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the Inland Revenue has not established a PAYE inquiry office in Yorkshire and Humberside; and what plans it has to do so.

PAYE inquiry offices are set up in areas from which PAYE records have been transferred or centralised, to provide taxpayers with a continuing facility for personal interviews.There has been no bulk transfer of PAYE work from the Yorkshire and Humberside area and all local tax offices still offer full inquiry facilities for dealing with PAYE problems.

Cars (Purchasing Policy)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if any guidance is given to Departments on the purchase of cars, with particular reference to the national origin of the cars.

Cars for Government service are bought in accordance with the normal rule for Government purchasing, which is that Departments should seek the best value for money. In doing this Departments have regard to the effects of their purchasing on industrial competitiveness as well as to the international agreements relating to Government purchasing to which the United Kingdom is a party.

Nationalised Industries

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps through his Budget and other measures to ensure that public funds are not used to place nationalised industries in a preferential competitive position by comparison with private manufacturing industry; and if he will make a statement.

The financial framework within which nationalised industries are in general expected to operate is designed to ensure that nationalised industry prices are set at economic levels. When an industry's short-term difficulties are such that this framework needs to be temporarily modified the Government are concerned to ensure that any additional financial support does not permit an industry to compete unfairly with the private sector. In the case of the steel industry, for example, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry made clear in his statement to the house on 24 February—[Vol. 999, c. 745.]—that the British Steel Corporation had agreed not to engage in unfair pricing, and that any complaints on this matter would be monitored by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Industry.

Taxation Yields

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report tables showing for 1980–81, and on a comparable price base (a) the estimated yield of each separate tax and duty collected by the Inland Revenue and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, (b) the estimated yield of (i) a 1 per cent. increase in the rate of percentage related taxes and (ii) of revalorising excise, hydrocarbon and all other taxes and duties not specified in (i) in line with the last 12 months' annual rate of inflation, and the effect of each increase on the retail price index and (c) the estimated cost of revalorising personal and other income tax allowances and higher rate thresholds in line with the last 12 months' annual rate of inflation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) income tax, (b) capital gains tax and (c) corporation tax has been paid, respectively, under section 38 of the Finance Act 1973 in each year since the financial year 1973–74.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

Capital Allowances

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his current estimate of the annual cost of extending capital allowances available under the Industry Act 1972 to commercial premises, including offices, shops and warehouses.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

Tax Appeals

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claims under section 38 of the Finance Act 1973 have been referred to the Board of the Inland Revenue for investigation.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

Exchange Rates

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in the Official Report the change in exchange rate from January 1976 to the most recent convenient date between the £ sterling and a basket of relevant major currencies, including the percentage devaluation or revaluation as appropriate in each case.

Sterling's effective exchange rate, which is calculated using a basket of 17 currencies, appreciated by 4·6 per cent. between January 1976 and 25 February 1981. Sterling's appreciation/depreciation against the major currencies was as follows:

	per cent.
United States dollar	+9·8
Deutschemark	–10·7
Japanese yen	–25·1
Swiss Franc	–19·2
French franc	+21·2

Tax Rebates

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 were out of work for the last month of the current financial year.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 February 1981, c. 241]: In 1980–81 a married taxpayer liable to tax at the basic rate would receive a tax refund of £49·80 if he received no taxable income for four weeks. A monthly paid worker would receive a tax refund of £5370 for the last calendar month of the year.

European Community Budget

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Southend, East on 16 February, when he indicated that £157·9 million of the £470 million due by 31 March under the supplementary measures regulation of the EEC had been paid by 16 February, what are the procedures and timetable for the payment of the remaining £312·1 million by 31 march, and if he is satisfied with the progress made in implementing the supplementary measures regulation.

[pursuant to his reply, 26 February 1981, c. 442]: The procedure governing the approval and payment of Community support under the supplementary measures scheme was set out in a written answer by my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal on 27 October.—[Vol. 991, c. 96–99.] Under the arrangements agreed by the Council and the Commission on 7 October, the United Kingdom is due to receive before the end of March payments of at least 80 per cent. of its estimated gross entitlement of some 975 million ecus under the supplementary measures in respect of 1980. The payments already made to the United Kingdom represent the sterling equivalents of some 285 million ecus, and a balance of some 500 million ecus therefore remains to be paid before the end of March. At the exchange rate of 1 ·65 ecus to the £ used in my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal's statement, this is equivalent to a sterling amount of some £300 million. The precise sterling amount of this instalment will however depend on next month's exchange rate. I can confirm that progress so far in implementing the supplementary measures regulation has been satisfactory.

Nationalised Industries

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money was paid out in aid to nationalised industries, including the writing-off of debts, in 1978, 1979 and 1980 respectively.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 February 1981, c. 446.]: Following is the information in respect of the external financing requirements of the nationalised industries met from Government funds.

	£ million
	1978–79	1979–80
Grants	881	1,087
Issues of public dividend capital^*	864	1,184
Net borrowing from the National Loans Fund	–171	673
^* Including issues under section 18 of the Iron and Steel Act 1975.

Estimates of outturn in 1980–81 will be published in the 1981–82 Financial Statement and Budget Report.Capital debt and revenue deficits written-off in the period amounted to:

£53·1 million in 1978–79;
Nil in 1979–80;
£260 million to 27 February 1981 in 1980–81.

Trade

Commodity Agreements

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what progress is being made by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in agreeing the regulations of the operation of the common fund of commodity agreements; and if he will place in the Library a draft of the arrangement so far agreed.

This work is at an early stage. There have been two meetings of the preparatory commission for the common fund. The first agreed that the Commission should be open to all States who negotiated the agreement; and the second agreed on a programme of work up to March 1982. The secretariat will now be preparing drafts for regulations to be considered at later meetings.

Copyright

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he will publish the proposed Green Paper on copyright law.

Work on the Green Paper is now well advanced and I expect to publish it within a few months.

Fireworks Injuries

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, what are the figures for fireworks injuries in November 1980; and how they compare with the previous two years figures.

[pursuant to her reply, 16 February 1981, c. 14.]: The revised information is as follows:

Fireworks Injuries in Great Britain (4 week period in October-November)
	1980	1979	1978	1977	1976
Place of Accident
1 Family or private party	168	239	359	275	277
2 Semi-public party (eg Scouts, cricket club)	47	135	175	144	167
3 Large public display	95	135	175	144	167
4 Casual incident in street etc.	194	290	350	258	160
5 Other place	31	52	51	56	81
6 Indoors^*	20	29	18	—	—
Total	555	745	953	733	685
Type of Firework
1 Banger	135	190	212	178	159
2 Rocket	66	73	122	87	91
3 Roman candle, coloured fire etc.	81	124	160	112	89
4 Home-made or extracted powder	19	34	39	19	17
5 Other proprietary fireworks of which	46	65	107	92	119
5·1 Flyabout†				15	14
6 Sparklers‡	33	48	71	65	72
7 Unspecified type	175	211	242	245	210
Severity of Injury
1 Fatal injury	—	—	—	1	—
2 Detained more than one night	46	49	65	71	50
3 Sufficient to cause absence from work or equivalent	82	97	119	89	118
4 Minor injury	403	565	730	539	486
5 Unspecified injury	24	34	39	33	31
Eye injuries (included in 2·5)	261	310	363	276	306
Age Group of Injured Persons
Over 20	100	146	170	145	129
16·20	66	80	70	40	47
13·15	151	211	226	190	147
Under 13	238	308	487	358	362
^* Included in 'other place' prior to 1978
† Included in other proprietary fireworks from 1978
‡ Included in other proprietary fireworks prior to 1978

Fireworks Injuries in Great Britain (4 week period in October-November)
	1980	1979	1978	1977	1976
Place of Accident
1 Family or private party	163	233	345	272	273
2 Semi-public party (eg Scouts, cricket club)	47
3 Large public display	90	128	164	138	161
4 Casual incident in street etc.	177	277	336	248	154
5 Other place	31	49	49	51	75
6 Indoors^*	17	28	18	—	—
Total	525	715	912	709	663
Type of Firework
1 Banger	125	183	210	174	153
2 Rocket	64	64	111	82	85
3 Roman candle, coloured fire etc.	79	118	153	111	89
4 Home-made or extracted powder	18	33	39	18	17
5 Other proprietary fireworks of which	45	64	103	90	119
5·1 Flyabout†				14	14
6 Sparklers‡	30	47	70	65	72
7 Unspecified type	164	206	226	234	200
Severity of Injury
1 Fatal injury	—	—	—	1	—
2 Detained more than one night	44	47	62	65	47
3 Sufficient to cause absence from work or equivalent	80	91	117	88	112
4 Minor injury	380	545	694	523	473
5 Unspecified injury	21	32	39	32	31
Eye injuries (included in 2–5)	247	303	350	268	300
Age Group of Injured Persons
Over 20	94	139	161	141	126
16·20	65	78	68	38	47
13·15	140	203	216	185	143
Under 13	226	294	467	345	347
^* Included in 'other place' prior to 1978
† Included in other proprietary fireworks from 1978
‡ Included in other proprietary fireworks prior to 1978

Fireworks Injuries in Great Britain (4 week period in October-November)
	1980	1979	1978	1977	1976
Place of Accident
1 Family or private party	5	6	14	3	4
2 Semi-public party (eg Scouts, cricket club)	—	7	11	6	6
3 Large public display	5	7	11	6	6
4 Casual incident in street etc.	17	13	14	10	6
5 Other place	—	3	2	5	6
6 Indoors^*	3	1	—	—	—
Total	30	30	41	24	22
Type of Firework
1 Banger	10	7	2	4	6
2 Rocket	2	9	11	5	6
3 Roman candle, coloured fire etc.	2	5	7	1	—
4 Home-made or extracted powder	1	2	—	1	—
5 Other proprietary fireworks of which	1	1	4	2	—
5·1 Flyabout†				1	—
6 Sparklers.‡	3	1	1	—	—
7 Unspecified type	11	5	16	11	10
Severity of Injury
1 Fatal injury	—	—	—	—	—
2 Detained more than one night	2	2	3	6	3
3 Sufficient to cause absence from work or equivalent	2	6	2	1	6
4 Minor injury	23	20	36	16	13
5 Unspecified injury	3	2	—	1	—
Eye injuries (included in 2–5)	14	7	13	8	6
Age Group of Injured Persons
Over 20	6	7	9	4	3
16–20	1	2	2	2	—
13–15	11	8	10	5	4
Under 13	12	13	20	13	15
^* Included in 'other place' prior to 1978
† Included in other proprietary fireworks from 1978
‡ Included in other proprietary fireworks prior to 1978

Home Department

Citizens Band Radio

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made in his evaluation of the possible use of 27mHz FM as the frequency for citizens band radio, of the adequacy of the resources currently available to his Department to prevent the illegal use of 27mHz AM by the considerable number of current illegal users;(2)what consideration he has given, in his evaluation of the use of 27mHz as the frequency for citizens band radio, to methods of preventing the development of two parallel services of 27mHz FM and AM, one legal and the other illegal;(3)if he will specify a two-year lead-in period for any arrangements he may make for the frequency to be allocated to citizens band radio, particularly in view of the special problems if the frequency of 27mHz FM is selected; and whether he will provide immunity from prosecution for all users of 27mHz AM equipment during this lead-in period;(4)if he has had any consultations with the Dutch, Belgium, French and German Governments on their success in preventing the continued growth in the use of amplitude modulation frequencies by citizens band radio enthusiasts following upon their allocation of frequency modulation to such users.

The best safeguard against continued illegal use of 27 mHz AM equipment is to provide a convincing alternative which meets the legitimate aspirations of CB enthusiasts. 27 mHz FM equipment complying with Home Office specifications will be as good and similar in cost while greatly reducing the risks of interference to TV reception and other radio services. We believe that this gives the strongest incentive to users to act responsibly. Inevitably, however, action will continue to be necessary against those who do not do so. The evidence of the harm they do is so clear that we cannot encourage this by any form of amnesty or lead-in period.In reaching our decision we took account of recent experience and developments in other European countries, with whom we are in regular contact over the whole range of radio regulatory matters.

Naturalisation

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the fee for naturalisation was raised to its present level of £150.

The fee of £150 applies to an applicant received in the Home Office on or after 1 April 1980 and subsequently granted. No fee is payable by an unsuccessful applicant.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when leaflets N428 and N429 (Revised), were published; and how many copies have been issued.

Leaflet N428 was published on 30 July 1979 and 30,000 copies issued. N428 (revised) was published on 22 August 1980 and 900 copies issued. Leaflet N428 (revision 2), the present version, was published on 2 December 1980 and 4,000 copies have been issued to date. Leaflet N429 was published on 30 July 1979 and 200,000 copies issued. N429 (revised) was published on 13 October 1980 and 79,000 copies have been issued to date.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for naturalisation are currently awaiting attention and decision; and what the figure was for the same date in 1980, 1979, 1978 and 1977.

At the end of January 1981 there were 10,281 applications for naturalisation awaiting attention and decision. The corresponding figures for 1980, 1979, 1978 and 1977 were 9,891, 8,056. 4,607 and 3,811 respectively.

Home Office Research Unit

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East on 8 December, if he is yet able to make a statement on the future function, organisation, staffing and the financing of grants for research of the Home Office Research Unit.

No; these matters are still under consideration.

Motor Vehicles

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his estimate of the cost to police forces of tracing motor vehicles bearing false number plates;(2) what is his estimate of the cost to police forces of tracing and correctly identifying vehicles fitted with false number plates used for criminal purposes or stolen.

This information is not available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total value of motor vehicles stolen and not recovered for each of the last three years.

The information is published annually in"Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—offence classifications 48 in table 2.13 of the volume for 1978, Cmnd. 7670, and table 2.8 of the volume for 1979, Cmnd. 8098. Information for 1980 is not yet available.

Energy

Fuel Substitution

21.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil (Mr. Rowlands) on 24 February, Official Report, c. 334, if he will list the proposals for conversion to coal use to which he referred.

In that reply I said that information on grants which have been made available is published quarterly in the Department of Industry's journal British Business, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. As to the further proposals for conversion, I understood from the NCB that it had received over 1,000 inquiries regarding conversion to coal, and replacement and extension of existing coal-fired plant.

Details of these proposals are a matter of commercial confidence between the board and the firms concerned, and are not available to my Department. I am asking the chairman of the NCB to write to the hon. Member.

Coking Coal

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Ogmore on 5 February, Official Report, column 169, what estimate he has made of the number of miners' jobs in Wales that would be held secure if coking coal importation were stopped.

Detailed estimates of employment in the coal industry are a matter for the NCB.

Coal

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how much coal is distributed to ports in the United Kingdom from locations within the United Kingdom.

In 1980 some 9·7 million tonnes of NCB coal was distributed through United Kingdom ports. Of this, 3·8 million tonnes was for export and 5·9 million tonnes for coastal transportation.

Fast Reactor Policy

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he now expects to make a statement on fast reactor policy.

Fast reactor policy, including the possibilities for international collaboration, is being actively considered by the Government. No decisions have been taken. A statement will be made when the Government's policy has reached an appropriate stage but this is not expected to be in the next few months.

Gas (Dual Pricing)

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received about dual pricing for domestic and industrial gas consumers.

I have had a considerable number of representations from industrial gas consumers to the effect that prices paid in respect of new or renewed firm contracts are higher than those paid by domestic consumers. The Government have, however, agreed with the British Gas Corporation a three-year financial target for 1980–81 to 1982–83 which allows domestic tariffs to rise by 10 per cent. a year in real terms, with the aim of correcting underpricing.

Fuel Costs

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will update the figures provided in his reply of 30 November 1979, to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field), Official Report, c. 839, to take account of increased fuel prices.

The following table shows the annual percentage increase in various fuel prices in the domestic sector for 1979 and 1980. The figures are based upon those collected by the Department of Employment for the general index of retail prices.

Percentage increase in prices of domestic fuels
	Period^*
	1979	1980
Coal	22·1	30·4
Gas	8·0	27·7
Electricity	19·2	29·8
Heating oil	53·2	17·8
^* Periods are those used in the general index of retail prices from mid-January to mid-January in both cases.

Employment

The North-West

asked the Secretary of State for Employment by what percentage unemployment has increased since July 1979 in the following areas of the North-West: the Merseyside special development area, the St. Helens and Wigan development areas and those intermediate areas that are scheduled to lose their assisted area status.

The following table gives the percentage increases in the numbers registered as unemployed between July 1979 and January 1981 in the areas specified. The figures on which the increases are based include school leavers and are not adjusted for seasonal variations.

	Percentage increase
Merseyside special development area	19·4
St. Helens development area	53·7
Wigan development area	50·7
Employment office areas scheduled w lose intermediate area status
Accrington^*	118·0
Ashton-under-Lyne^*	130·0
Barnoldswick	111·9
Blackburn^*	69·1
Bolton^*	76·1
Burnley^*	98·6
Bury^*	109·2
Chester	49·4
Clitheroe	72·5
Crewe^*	86·0
Leigh^*	79·9
Macclesfield	62·9
Manchester^*	72·2
Nelson^*	134·7
Northwich^*	101·1
Oldham^*	138·6
Ormskirk^*	39·4
Preston^*	71·3
Rochdale^*	105·6
Rossendale^*	146·3
Warringlon^*	59·9
^*Travel-to-work area comprising two or more employment office areas.

Trade Unionists (Access To Information)

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if there are any provisions under which recognised trade unions are enabled to have access to financial information of their firm or company; and if he will list those provisions in the Official Report and the circumstances in which they apply.

Where failure to provide such information would impede collective bargaining to a material extent and its disclosure would be in accordance with good industrial relations practice, then general duty to disclose information requested by a recognised independent trade union, which is placed upon an employer by section 17 of the Employment Protection Act 1975, may apply. The code of practice on the disclosure of information to trade unions for collective bargaining purposes prepared by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service provides practical guidance about good industrial relations practice and sets out the duties of employers and the procedures for complaint about failure to disclose under sections 17–21 of the Act. I am sending a copy to the right hon. Member.

Manchester

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the number of redundancies in the area covered by the city of Manchester announced since the beginning of 1980; what are the numbers in prospect; and if he will publish comparable figures for each of the past 11 years.

The number of workers involved in redundancies of 10 or more confirmed as due to occur in the city of Manchester in 1980 is 9,079. Comparable figures are only available irom 1977. These are as follows:

	Employees
1977	2,295
1978	1,849
1979	3,102

The numbers of workers involved in redundancies so far confirmed as due to occur in the city of Manchester during 1981 is 1,725.This information is obtained at or before the beginning of a redundancy, and the actual numbers made redundant may therefore vary from any initial record as a result of negotiations with trade unions, applications under the short-time working compensation scheme or some other reason.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the numbers and percentages of unemployed in the area covered by the city of Manchester for the latest available month; and what were the comparable figures for the same months in each of the previous 11 years.

The following table gives for February each year from 1970 the numbers of people registered as unemployed and percentage rates of unemployment in the Manchester travel-to-work area.

February each year	Number	Percentage rate
1970	16,772	2·3
1971	18,583	2·6
1972	30,914	4·5
1973	25,540	3·8
1974	19,545	2·8
1975	23,612	3·3
1976	36,835	5·2
1977	40,545	5·8
1978	44,346	6·3
1979	41,320	5·8
1980	42,648	6·0
1981^*	73,994	10·3
^* Provisional.

Unemployment Benefit Service

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff are currently employed in the unemployment benefit service; what is the ratio of staff to claimants; and whether this ratio has improved in recent years.

There are currently about 21,000 staff working in the unemployment benefit service. The ratio of staff to claimants was 1 to 85 in 1979–80 compared with 1 to 55 in 1973–74. This improvement arises mainly from computerisation and the introduction of fortnightly signing. If the ratio of staff to claimants had remained at the 1973–74 level, the number of staff in the unemployment benefit service would, at the current levels of unemployment, be over 30,000 rather than 21,000.This indicates the considerable advances which have been made in increasing the efficient operation of the service, and I am grateful to the staff for their continuing efforts at a time of high unemployment to ensure that benefits are paid to claimants efficiently and on time.

Youth Opportunities

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to reduce the amount of substitution for full-time employment taking place in the work experience on employers' premises module of the youth opportunities programme; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 February 1981, c. 331]: The Manpower Services Commission is keeping the matter under close review. As staffing resources permit, the Commission is improving its procedures for preventing substitution when appraising proposals for work experience schemes and when consulting with relevant trade unions and with the careers service; and by regular monitoring of schemes.

Northern Ireland

European Regional Development Fund

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money Northern Ireland has received from the European regional development fund in each financial year from 1 January 1975; how much of these receipts each year represented a cash addition to the Northern Ireland economy; and how much was used to offset Government expenditure on Northern Ireland.

Allocation
	£ million
Year	Total	Private Sector	Public Sector	Direct Allocations	Allocations Retained by Government
1973	4·08	—	4·08	–4·08
1974	4·95	0·73	4·22	0·73	4·22
1975	4·74	0·07	4·67	0·07	4·67

Details of the European regional development fund commitments and receipts on Northern Ireland projects since the inception of the fund in 1975 to 20 February 1981 are as follows:

Financial Year	Commitments £ million	Receipts£ million
1975–76	7·5	2·9
1976–77	6·8	7·2
1977–78	8·7	6·4
1978–79	14·2	4·0
1979–80	27·8	16·0
1980–81 (to 20 February)	26·3	20·9
Total	91·3	57·4

The balance of the commitments will be claimed as relevant work progresses towards completion.European regional development fund receipts for Northern Ireland are handled in the same way as receipts for other parts of the United Kingdom. Receipts for infrastructure projects are passed on to bodies responsible for undertaking infrastructure works; receipts for industrial projects are used to help fund agreed programmes of financial assistance. Receipts from the European regional development fund allow the Government to finance a larger expenditure programme than would otherwise be the case, but it is not possible to identify precisely how different areas or different expenditure programmes would be affected if the receipts were not available.

European Social Fund

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money Northern Ireland has been allocated from the European social fund in each finacial year since 1 January 1973 up to 31 December 1980; how much of these receipts were paid to the private sector and how much to the public sector; how much each year represented a cash addition to the Northern Ireland economy; and how much was used to offset Government expenditure on Northern Ireland.

Total allocations from the European social fund, including those to the private and public sectors, are set out below. Receipts from allocations to the private sector and certain other bodies are paid direct to these bodies; the revelent allocations are set out below separately. These can be regarded as a cash addition to the Northern Ireland economy. Other allocations, shown in the table as retained by the Government, benefit the Northern Ireland economy in that they have allowed the Government to finance a larger public expenditure programme than otherwise would have been the case.

	£ million
Year	Total	Private Sector	Public Sector	Direct Allocations	Allocations Retained by Government
1976	13·61	1·80	11·81	^*2·63	^*10·98
1977	9·57	1·24	8·33	^*l·30	^*8·27
1978	16·07	1·09	14·98	^*1·61	^*14·46
1979	24·64	1·00	23·64	^*2·44	^*22·20
1980	25·70	2·20	23·50	^*2·93	^*22·77
	103· 36	8·13	95·23	^*ll·71	^*91·65
^* Allocations are based on estimated expenditure, and with certain public bodies—industrial training boards—the"direct"/"nondirect" apportionment is not calculated until actual expenditure has been incurred. Therefore, the figures shown are estimates only.

European Agricultural Guidance And Guarantee Fund

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money Northern Ireland has received from the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund guidance section; how much of these receipts were paid to the private sector and how much to

				£ million
Financial Year	Individual Capital Projects		Other Guidance Schemes	Total
	Private Sector	Public Sector	Private Sector
1973–74	—	—	—	—
1974–75	—	—	0·25	0·.25
1975–76	0·45	—	0·21	0·66
1976–77	1·87	0·31	0·27	2·45
1977–78	1·28	0·31	1·28	2·87
1978–79	0·70	0·24	2·46	3·40
1979–80	1·27	1·97	3·21	6·45
1980–81 (to date)	1·91	1·05	1·29	4·25
Total	7·48	3·88	8·97	20·33
All these receipts represent cash additions to the Northern Ireland economy.

In addition, £0.02 million was received by the public sector from the EAGGF guidance section between 1973 and 1981 for socio-economic trainingIn this answer"Public Sector" includes the Milk Marketing Board which is not financed from public funds, although it a a statutory body."Other Guidance Schemes" refers to the approximate share borne by the EAGGF of total expenditure in Northern Ireland on various structural schemes which were applied across the United Kingdom.

European Community Budget

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much Northern Ireland's share of the United Kingdom's payments into the European Economic Community was for each financial year from 1 January 1973; how much was Northern Ireland's share of the receipts; how much of these receipts each year represented a cash addition to the Northern Ireland economy; and how much was used to offset Government expenditure on Northern Ireland.

It is not possible to determine in total how much of the United Kingdom's contribution to the European Community can be attributed to Northern Ireland nor the full extent of receipts from the Community.

the public sector; how much represented a cash addition to the Northern Ireland economy; and how much each year was used to offset Government expenditure on Northern Ireland.

During the period 1 January 1973 to date the following amounts were received by Northern Ireland under the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund (EAGGF).For those areas where receipts can be identified and where a notional attribution of part of Northern Ireland's share of the United Kingdom's payments has been made the latest figures are as follows:

	identified Receipts £m	Attributed Share (part)^*£m
1973–74	—	1· 0
		(one quarter)
1974–75	3·4	5·6
19755–76	3·4	7·9
1976–77	15·8	12·7
1977–78	15·5	16·6
1978–79	19·9	34·8
1979–80	34·2	30·1
1980–81	44·3	58·0†
	(to date)
^*Source: Northern Ireland Financial Statements.
† This is a provisional figure.

The nature of the operation of the various Community funds means that only limited information on receipts is available. It is not possible therefore to identify the amounts which represent a straight addition to money otherwise available to the recipients. Certain Community receipts are retained by the Government, but these are taken into account when the Government are determining the appropriate level of public expenditure in the United Kingdom as a whole for any year. In effect therefore Community receipts enable public expenditure in the United Kingdom, and hence in Northern Ireland, to be maintained at a higher level than would otherwise be feasible.

Lower School, Armagh (Firearms)

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the discovery of firearms in the Lower School grounds, Armagh, on Sunday 15 February; and whether there is any evidence that these firearms were used in recent murders.

A pistol and ammunition were found under a hedge at the corner of a field in Nursery Road, Armagh by a UDR patrol carrying out a routine search on Sunday 15 February. I understand that this field does not belong to either of the schools in Nursery Road.It would not be in the interests of security to reveal whether there is any evidence that this firearm had been used in any recent murders.

Government Training Centre, Londonderry

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will investigate ways and means of encouraging Protestant young people to undertake apprentice training in the Government training centre at Londonderry and also of ensuring their safety.

The two Government training centres serving the Londonderry area are open to and used by all sections of the community. The services available are widely published in schools and in Employment Offices.The maintenance of law and order in Londonderry is the operational responsibility of the RUC. If anyone has any information relating to specific breaches of the law, he should make it known to the police.

Redundancies

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many redundancies occurred in Northern Ireland during 1980; and what was the total paid by way of redundancy payments.

The information is not available in the precise form requested. However, rebates from the Northern Ireland redundancy fund claimed by employers in 1980 in respect of 10,500 employees amounted to £8,000,200.

Emigration

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the latest estimate of the annual rate of emigration from Northern Ireland, giving the country of destination, age and sex of the emigrants.

This information is not available in the preceise form requested. The best estimate of the annual rate of emigration from Northern Ireland for the year ended 30 June 1980 is 11·2 per 1,000 of the population.

School Governing Bodies (Astin Report)

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to make an announcement on the Astin report on the governing bodies of schools in Northern Ireland.

My noble Friend Lord Elton hopes to make an announcement shortly.

Vessel"Nellie M"

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has yet received any claim for compensation for the loss of the vessel"Nellie M"; and if so, for what amount.

No, although my Department has received preliminary notices of intention to apply for compensation from a company with an interest in the vessel and two companies with an interest in the cargo. No amounts of loss have been stated.

School Music Lessons

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any education board in Northern Ireland charges a fee for music lessons in schools; and what action he now proposes to take in the light of the judgment by Mr. Justice Forbes on 25 February.

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

Job Release Scheme

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the rate of allowance payable to participants in the Northern Ireland job release scheme will be raised in parallel with those payable in Great Britain announced by the Secretary of State for Employment on 26 February.

Yes. Following review of the rates of allowance under the job release scheme the allowances to be paid in Northern Ireland as from 6 April 1981 will be as follows:

Disabled men 60 to 63; £59.00 per week, taxed, for married applicants with dependent wife whose net income from all sources does not exceed £11·00 per week. £47·50 per week, taxed, for all other applicants.

For men aged 64 and women aged 59; 50·50 per week, tax free, for married applicants with dependent husband or wife whose net income from all sources does not exceed £11·00 per week. £40·00 per week tax free, for all other applicants.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Republic Of Ireland (Joint Studies)

asked the Lord Privy Seal (1) if he will publish any documents which have been submitted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the study group on institutions agreed between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the Republic of Ireland;(2) if he will make a statement on his Department's role in the study group on institutions agreed between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the Republic of Ireland.

I have nothing further to add to the reply given on 2 February by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Belfast. East (Mr. Robinson)—[Vol. 998, c. 13.]

Unifll

asked the Lord Privy Seal what reports have been made to the Security Council by UNIFIL through the United Nations Secretary-General about deaths, destruction and casualties caused by Israeli bombing of civilians in the area of UNIFIL operations, during January and February of this year.

None.

Mercenaries (United Nations Special Committee)

asked the Lord Privy Seal what contribution has been made by the United Kingdom in the United Nations special committee for drafting an international convention against the recruitment, use and training of mercenaries and if he will make a statement.

The United Kingdom has participated fully in the first session of the ad hoc committee and its working group, with a view to examining the problems caused by the activities of mercenaries and to joining in a search for possible internationally agreed solutions. At this session there were initial exchanges on the definition of the term"mercenary" and on the content of possible international convention

Dual Nationality

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will list in the Official Report (a) those Commonwealth countries which accept dual nationality and (b) those Commonwealth countries which do not; and whether any of them impose conditions under which dual nationality can be granted.

The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, some information on dual nationality is contained in a House of Commons Library Paper dated 19 June 1978, and I have no reason to believe that this is out of date.

Anglo-Soviet Relations

asked the Lord Privy Seal what were the total payments out of public funds in support of Anglo-Soviet cultural, educational and other activities designed to promote exchanges and good relations in 1979–80; what is his estimate for the current financial year; and how much of these payments are made to private organisations.

It is difficult to give precise figures. Direct expenditure through the British Council on educational and cultural relations with the USSR in 1979–80 was £220,148. In addition, £64,552 was made available to non-governmental organisations for scientific and youth exchanges, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office paid £19,528 to non-governmental organisations for Anglo-Soviet activities to further our objectives under the terms of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe. There may well be other Government funding which cannot readily be identified. Expenditure for 1980–81 is estimated to be lower in real terms but to follow approximately the same pattern.

Arms Limitation And Disarmament

asked the Lord Privy Seal in which arms limitation or disarmament talks the Government are currently involved; whether nuclear arms limitation is part of such talks; and which other countries are also taking part.

The Government take part, with the United States and the USSR, in the negotiations aimed at a comprehensive ban on nuclear tests.The Vienna talks on mutual and balanced force reductions in Central Europe are concerned with conventional forces. Participants with the United Kingdom are Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey and the United States of America; and Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and the USSR.The Government also play a full part in NATO consultations on nuclear arms control, including strategic arms limitation talks and theatre nuclear forces; and in United Nations and other multilateral discussions of arms control and disarmament.

Industry

British Steel Corporation (Monitoring)

20.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will announce the names and terms of reference of the committee which is to monitor the performance of Mr. MacGregor at the British Steel Corporation.

The chairman of the committee will be Mr. John Gardiner (of the Laird Group). My right hon. Friend has nominated Mr. K. J. Sharp and Mr. J. R. Steele of my Department to be members of the committee; Lazard Freres has nominated Viscount Weir and Mr. Albeit Frost. We hope to announce their terms of reference shortly.

Business Premises (Powers Of Entry)

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the 30 statutory powers to enter business premises which are to be revoked and the 63 which are to be modified.

The following is the list of powers recommended in the report to the Prime Minister for revocation and modification. Action on these recommendations is in some cases subject to consultation with relevant bodies.

Powers recommended for revocation

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

1.	Agricultural Statistics Act 1979; sl(5)
2.	Improvement of Livestock (Licensing of Bulls) Act 1931:
3.	Hops (Limitation of Growing Area) Regulations 1977; paragraph 5

Department of Employment

4.	Road Haulage Wages Act 1938

Department of Energy

5.	Electric Lighting (Clauses) Act 1899; s52 of Schedule
6.	Electric Lighting (Clauses) Act 1899; s54 of Schedule
7.	Coal Mining (Subsidence) Act 1957; sl3(9)

Department of the Environment

8.	Community Land Act 1975; s35
9.	National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949; sl08(l)(c)
10	National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949; sl08(l)(a)
11.	Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978
12.	Community Land Act 1975; Schedule 4 paragraph 20
13.	Compulsory Purchase Act 1965; s11(2) (local authority power only)

Northern Ireland Office

14.	Agriculture Act (N.I.) 1949; s20(2)
15.	Livestock Breeding Act (N.I.) 1922
16.	Agricultural Marketing Act (N.I.) 1964 and SR and O 1933 No. 93 paragraph 34(2)(a)
17.	Selective Employment Payments Act (N.I.) 1966
18.	Nurses and Midwives Act (N.I.) 1970; s39
19.	Agricultural Marketing Act (N.I.) 1964 and SR and O 1964 No. 164 paragraph 44
20.	Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical and Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations (N.I.) 1973; Schedule 1 paragraph 13(2)(b)
21.	Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical and Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations (N.I.) 1973; Schedule 4 paragraph 4(4)
22.	New Universities (Acquisition of Land) Act (N.I.) 1966

Scottish Office

23.	Small Landholders (Scotland) Act 1911; s7
24.	Land Settlement (Scotland) Act 1919; s3 and 8
25.	Electric Lighting (Clauses) Act 1899; s52 and s54 of Schedule

Department of Trade

26.	Merchant Shipping Act 1894; s463

Department of Transport

27.	Railways Clauses Consolidation Act 1845; s30
28.	Railway Fires Act 1905; s2

Welsh Office

29.	Development of Rural Wales Act 1976; sl5 (Secretary of State power to authorise entry only)
30.	Welsh Development Agency Act 1975; s23 (Secretary of State power to authorise entry only)

Powers Recommended for Modification Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

1.	Agricultural (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1943—section 17(7)
2.	Sea Fisheries (Shellfish) Act 1967—section 5(4)
3.	Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967—section 16(1)
4.	Water Resources Act 1963—section 111(2)-112
5.	Sea Fisheries Act 1968 section 8(2)(3)(4)
6.	Forestry Act 1967—section 48(1)
7.	Agricultural Holdings Act 1948—section 91(1)

Department of Energy

8.	Electric Lighting Act 1882—section 24
9.	Electric Lighting (Clauses) Act 1899—section 56 of Schedule
10.	Electric Lighting Act 1882—section 12
11.	Electricity (Supply) Act 1919—section 22
12.	Gas Act 1972—Schedule 4 paragraph 8(3)
13.	Gas Act 1972—Schedule 4 paragraph 17(1)
14.	Gas Act 1972—Schedule 4 paragraphs 18(7) & (8)
15.	Gas Act 1972—Schedule 4 paragraph 24
16.	Gas Act 1972—Schedule 4 paragraph 25(l)Gas Act
17.	Gas Act 1972—Schedule 4 paragraph 25(3)Gas Act
18.	Gas Safety (Rights of Entry) Regulations 1976
19.	Gas Act 1965—Schedule 6 paragraph 2
20.	Gas Act 1965—Schedule 6 paragraph 4
21.	Gas Act 1972—Schedule 4 paragraphs l(3)(b)
22.	Gas Act 1965—Schedule 6 paragraph 3
23.	Atomic Energy Act 1946—section 5
24.	Requisitioned Land and Warworks Acts 1945 and 1948—section 15
25.	Land Powers (Defence) Act 1958—section 15(1)
26.	Petroleum and Submarine Pipelines Act
	1975—section 37(2)

Department of the Environment

27.	Town and Country Planning Act 1971—section 280(1)(a)
28.	Town and Country Planning Act 1971—section 280(1)(b)
29.	National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949—section 108(1)(a)
30.	New River Company's Act 1852—section 29
	Chelsea Water Works Act 1852—section 55
	West Middlesex Waterworks Act 1952—section 35
	Grand Junction Waterworks Act 1852—section 42
	Southwark and Vauxhall Water Act 1852—section 49
	East London Waterworks Act 1853—section 66 and 68
	Waterworks Clauses Act 1847—section 57
31.	Metropolitan Water Board Act 1927—section 15
32.	Metropolitan Water Board (Various Powers) Act 1907—section 69
33.	Metropolitan Water Board (Various Powers) Act 1907—section 71
34.	Waterworks Clauses Act 1863—section 15
35.	Kent Act 1809—section 57
36.	National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949—section 108
37.	Control of Pollution Act 1974—section 91-93
38.	Food and Drugs Act 1955—section 100(1)

Department of Health and Social Security

39.	Public Health Act 1936—section 143(4)

Home Office

40.	Gaming Act 1968—Schedule 2 paragraph 20(l)(d)
41	Misuse of Drugs Act 1971—section 23(1)
42.	Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975—section 11
43.	Poisons Act 1972—section 9(4)
44.	Post Office Act 1969—section 91(1)
45.	Riding Establishments Acts 1964 and 1970—section 2 of 1964 Act
46.	Cinematograph Act 1909—section 4
47.	Theatres Act 1968—section 15(1)
48.	Theatres Act 1968—section 15(2) and 15(4)
49.	Poisons Act 1972—section 9(6)
50.	Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964—section 6

Northern Ireland Office

51	Food and Drugs Act (NI) 1958—section 43
52.	The Fisheries Act (NI) 1966 (Reprint to 1969)—section 174(1)
53.	Cinematograph Act (NI) 1909 and 1959—section 4 of the 1909 Act section 4(3) of the 1959 Act

Scottish Office—DAFS

54.	Diseases of Fish Act 1937—section 6

Scottish Economic Planning Department

55.	Highlands and Islands Development (Scotland) Act 1965—section 10
56.	Scottish Development Agency Act 1975—section 10

Scottish Education Department

57.	Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968—section 6

Scottish Home and Health Department

58.	Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975—section 11
59.	Gaming Act 1968—Schedule 2 paragraph 20(l)(d)
60.	Riding Establishments Act 1964—section 2 and Riding Establishments Act 1970—section 1
61.	Misuse of Drugs Act 1971—section 23
62.	Poisons Act 1972—section 9

Department of Trade

63.	Companies Act 1967—section 110 (link with Insurance Companies Act 1974—section 36(2))

Mining (Government Aid)

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will compare the Government aid to mining (excluding coal mining) in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, France and Spain.

The measures of assistance offered by the Governments to mining in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, France and Spain are broadly comparable in form but we do not have enough information for a detailed comparison.

Overseas Development

African Coastline States

asked the Lord Privy Seal what assistance is being given by the United Kingdom to coastline States on the east and west shores of the African continent to develop deep sea or inshore fishing.

Projects in progress are as follows:

Country and Project	United Kingdom aid commitment
Somalia—Fisheries assistance (mechanisation /rehabilitation of local craft and training)	£0·9 million
Sudan—Red Sea Fisheries (mechanisation of local craft and training)	£1 million
Tanzania—Fisheries Research (supply of shrimp trawlers and training)	£0·33 million

Karamoja, Uganda

asked the Lord Privy Seal what contribution has been made by the United Kingdom towards United Nations relief operations in Karamoja, Uganda.

We have contributed to the regular programme of the United Nations organisations which are being used in the relief operations, but we have not made any contribution specifically related to their operations in Karamoja. During the current financial year we have contributed over £800,000 to British voluntary agencies for their work in Uganda including the recently announced contribution of up to £160,000 to help finance the transport of food into Karamoja.

Development Assistance

asked the Lord Privy Seal what is his provisional estimate of the total of net official development assistance for the calendar year 1980; and what is the amount expressed as a percentage of gross national product.

Firm figures of aid performance will not be available until later this year, and in view of the uncertainties I doubt if it would be useful to give a provisional estimate at this stage.

Agriculture, Fisheries And Food

Coypu Control

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many persons are employed by his Department in controlling coypu; and what was the total salary bill of these persons in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Apart from nine staff concerned with research and development work at the Department's coypu research laboratory, two other staff of my Department have been engaged on controlling coypu in the field. Their salaries totalled £7,243 in 1980. This employment will cease on 31 March 1981, when the coypu control organisation assumes responsibility over the enlarged control area.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cars have been purchased for the use of his staff employed in the control of coypu in most recent annual period for which figures are available; and how many of these cars were of British manufacture.

No cars have been purchased for the use of departmental staff employed on coypu control.

New Zealand Butter

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement on the arrangements for permitting the importation of New Zealand butter.

I refer my hon. Friend to the statement which my right hon. Friend made on 25 February following last week's Council meeting.—[Vol. 999, c. 881–882.]

Defence

Training (Overseas Personnel)

asked the Secretary of State for Defence for what purpose Argentinian Service personnel are currently undergoing training with Her Majesty's armed forces in the United Kindom.

It is not our practice to disclose details of the training which we provide for particular countries since this is confidential between ourselves and the Government concerned. In this particular case, the amount of training is negligible.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria have to be met before arrangements are approved for Service personnel from other countries to undergo training with Her Majesty's armed forces.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the present Leader of the House to a similar question from the hon. Gentleman on 12 February 1980.—[Vol. 978, c. 1259.]

Dartmoor Steering Group (Report)

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will arrange for the report of the Dartmoor Steering Group to be published.

I have today placed in the Library a copy of this report and also of the reply which I have sent to Sir Peter Stallard, chairman of the Dartmoor Steering Group. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and I would like to take this opportunity of placing on record the Government's appreciation of the valuable work which the steering group has done in exposing and where possible resolving issues of controversy concerning the Services' use of Dartmoor.

Chemical Weapons

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if, notwithstanding his statement, Official Report, 17 February, c. 127, that there are no plans for the United Kingdom to deploy chemical weapons at present, he is considering the possibility of research and development for such a capability.

We have no plans for research and development directed towards an offensive chemical warfare capability.

Nuclear Weapons And Disarmanent

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will publish in the Official Report his letter dated 10 February to the hon. Member for Melton regarding the views of the British Council of Churches on nuclear weapons and disarmament, in view of the statement of Government policy contained in that letter.

The letter which I sent to my hon. Friend is reproduced below:

"Thank you for your letter of 16th January with copies of the resolution carried by the British Council of Churches at their General Assembly on 24th November, and of the speeches by Dr. Greet and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

I am most keenly aware of the grave ethical issues raised by nuclear weapons, with their appalling power. But we face these issues in a world where nuclear weapons inescapably exist. They cannot be disinvented. The Soviet Union is a huge power of totalitarian ideology, with a massive and growing military strength and a proven willingness to use that strength when it thinks it can get away with doing so. It makes no secret of its determination to impose its ideology and its political dominance upon others. In such a world Western Governments are not merely entitled but positively bound to protect their peoples' right to peace and freedom by something more substantial than just good motives and hoping for the best. As Christians, surely we are bound to uphold the essential dignity of individuals against the contempt of human rights demonstrated by the Russian leadership.

Deterrence has helped to keep Europe at peace for over thirty years, despite circumstances that were often difficult. It is still very stably keeping the peace, and the occasional speculation one hears that somehow nuclear war is closer upon us now seem to me quite baseless. To abandon our security system now, in favour of some alternative one which would be quite unproven and which indeed one seldom hears coherently or concretely described, would be immensely dangerous; and accordingly it is not obvious—to put matters mildly—that such abandonment would be of compelling ethical merit. I yield to no-one in my abhorrence of war, especially nuclear war; where I part company with the unilateralist is in my judgement of how war can be most surely prevented.

The hard truth is that without a nuclear capability the Alliance would be unable to deter attack or to resist blackmail based on the threat of attack. Given that, the possession of nuclear weapons by NATO as part of deterrence seems to me plainly justifiable. Its central desire and aim is that nuclear weapons should never again be used, by either side.

So far as the United Kingdom's own nuclear contribution is concerned I would see no integrity in any ethical position which demanded abandonment of our own weapons as fundamentally immoral, while remaining content to shelter under the nuclear umbrella of the United States through membership of NATO. I am, of course, aware of other sorts of arguments urged against British capability, like cost, or the non proliferation considerations which I believe may have underlain the view expressed in the British Council of Churches' resolution in December 1979; but these, with respect, are matters of practical judgement and political opinion, not ethical principle. I adhere to the view, taken by all post-war British Governments and re-endorsed recently in public by our Allies, that our capability contributes valuably to the assurance of Western deterrence.

No-one can view these matters as easy, in ethical or any other terms. I note that in their recent statement the Roman Catholic Bishops were unable to reach a clear conclusion. I have much sympathy with the view put recently, in an article from a Quaker viewpoint, by Mr. Sydney Bailey:"Today there is no policy about the threat or use of nuclear weapons which does not pose appalling moral and practical dilemmas"—and he was speaking equally of unilateralism and of NATO deterrence. For myself, I come out where I see the Archbishop of Canterbury does on the fundamental issue: I cannot see unilateral renunciation as the right or responsible course. Like him, too, I look to arms control as a path of improvement. But in the real world, where business has to be done with the Russians, the West will not secure arms control by giving them what they want before negotiation starts.

I deplore, like the Archbishop and Dr. Greet, the amount spent on arms. I would like to spend far less, if we could do so without making war more likely. But to ignore that condition—as so many people did in the 1930s—may bring down on us costs, above all in human life and freedom, far exceeding those of any peacetime provision for defence.

Perhaps I could pick up one other point from Dr. Greet's speech. He talks of"a defence policy that envisages a pre-emptive first strike with nuclear weapons". If by this is meant a policy that would attempt to disarm an adversary by destroying his nuclear capability, then I can assure Dr. Greet that the West has no such policy; nor does it either possess or plan to acquire the sort of capability that could make disarming strikes a real option. Fears to the contrary can rest only on misunderstanding or misrepresentation of the nature of modern nuclear armouries and technical developments."

Ministry of Defence2nd March 1981.

Scotland

Alcohol-Related Problems

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what conclusions he reached on the report"Responding to Alcohol Related Problems in Scotland—The Development of Services"; what proposals are being implemented; and what effect there has been on the health education budget.

This report, published by the Scottish Council on Alcoholism, contained a useful review of the problems in this field. The recommendations were directed to a range of public and other bodies; and, as resources permit, they are developing arrangements and services to meet the needs described. There has been no direct effect on the budget of the Scottish health education group, which is spending about £85,000 this year on publicity on alcoholic problems.

Pharmaceutical Products

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of pharmaceutical products are manufactured within Scotland; and what are the numbers of people in the United Kingdom and Scotland so employed.

According to the provisional results of the 1979 annual census of production, the net output of the pharmaceuticals industry in Scotland was 4·8 per cent, of the United Kingdom net output in the industry. Associated employment in the industry in Scotland was 3,500, and United Kingdom employment 66,100.

Redundancies (Dundee)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, in view of the announcement of the 100 redundancies at the Veeder-Root factory in Dundee, he will take further steps to stimulate the economy of the city.

I share the hon. Member's concern about the proposed redundancies at the Veeder-Root factory. He will no doubt join me, however, in welcoming the announcement by Sinclair Research Ltd. on 18 February of a major manufacturing project for Dundee which will make a substantial contribution to employment prospects in the city. The company's decision was strongly influenced by grants made available under the Government's regional policy.

Motor Vehicles (False Number Plates)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is his estimate of the cost to police forces in Scotland of tracing motor vehicles bearing false number plates;(2) what is his estimate of the cost to police forces in Scotland of tracing and correctly identifying vehicles fitted with false number plates used for criminal purposes or stolen.

The information necessary to make such an estimate is not available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

Planning Applications

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from local authorities, representatives of the building trade and architects about the Government's proposals to introduce charges for planning applications; if he will give consideration to the view of the Scottish Building Employers Federation that the proposed new system will not reduce public expenditure; and if he will withdraw his proposals in the light of the representations he has received.

Following the issue on 17 June 1980 of a consultation paper on charging for planning applications, my right hon. Friend received 35 representations from developers, local authorities and other interested bodies, including the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the Scottish Building Employers' Federation and the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland. He took account of all the views expressed in deciding on the scheme of charging contained in the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications and Deemed Applications) (Scotland) Regulations 1981, which have now been laid before Parliament in draft. The fees will offset public expenditure on the planning system by sharing the cost of deciding planning applications between local authorities and developers. The representations received do not in the view of my right hon. Friend justify withdrawal of the proposals.

Salmon Fisheries (River Tweed)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the seaward limit of those parts of the River Tweed to which he proposes to extend various provisions of the Freshwater and Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1976.

The statutory definition of the river Tweed includes an area of sea defined as the mouth of the Tweed which extends out to five miles between the East Lothian/Berwickshire boundary and a point seven miles south of Queen Elizabeth's Pier, Berwick-on-Tweed. The proposed amendment to the Freshwater and Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1976 (as contained in the Fisheries Bill now before the House) is limited to revising maximum penalties attaching to certain offences in order to achieve uniformity for the whole of the Tweed.

Disabled Persons (Access To Buildings)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the circulars he has sent to local authorities in Scotland since the passing of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972, concerning the powers which local planning authorities have under section 26(1) of that Act.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has to issue a circular to local planning authorities in Scotland concerning their powers under section 26(1) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972 in regard to access for disabled persons to public buildings.

I am considering at present how best to draw to the attention of planning authorities in Scotland their powers to impose conditions regarding access for disabled persons.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions local planning authorities in Scotland have refused planning permission for buildings to which the public have access on the grounds that no access facilities have been provided for disabled persons, under section 26(1) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in how many instances since the enactment of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972 his Department has been required to determine an appeal against the refusal of planning permission by a local planning authority for a proposed development, on the basis that the development did not make provision for access for disabled persons to a building or premises to which the public have access.

I am afraid this information could not be provided without disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many instances following the enactment of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972 his Department has been required to give evidence to any court hearings on questions of interpretation of section 26(1) of that Act.

Appeals to the Court of Sessions arising from planning decisions made by the Secretary of State frequently involve matters of interpretation of the scope of the powers in section 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972. Information on the number of occasions when this has taken place and counsel have appeared on behalf of the Secretary of State is not available.

Social Services

Risks To Life

asked the Secretary for State of Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report in tabular form details of some common risks to life in Great Britain, giving details of the cause of death, the number of deaths per year and the number of deaths per year per 100,000 people.

My reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Sir D. Price) on 2 June 1980—[Vol. 985, c. 557]—gave mortality rates from certain risks. In addition, more detailed statistics on deaths form all causes, including those from accidents, are published by the Register-General for England and Wales in the OPCS annual reference volume DH4, and by the Registrar-General for Scotland in his annual report—"Mortality Statistics".

Surgical Beds

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many surgical beds are available in the United Kingdom, broken down by National Health Service and private sector.

During 1979, the average daily number of surgical beds available in NHS hospitals in the United Kingdom was just over 97,000. This information is not kept centrally in the form requested in respect of private hospitals. We estimate, however, the number of acute medical and surgical beds in private hospitals in the United Kingdom to be about 5,600.

Private Health Care

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, if, in view of the recent investment by United States hospital chains in the United Kingdom, he will make a statement on the future of private health care and the effect which continued growth in this area will have on the National Health Service.

It is our policy to encourage the development of the private health sector and we welcome new investment in the field whether from the United Kingdom or abroad. We believe a flourishing private sector brings extra resources to health care to supplement those available in the NHS and to relieve pressure on NHS services. The private sector is small compared with the NHS but its facilities are part of the health care resources of this country and play an important part in the provision of health care. They are open to 3 ½ million people covered by private medical insurance—people who might otherwise look to the NHS. This enables the NHS better to provide for those who cannot afford, or do not choose to go private.

Generally we do not believe that the development of the private sector harms the NHS in any way. However, we have retained (with some amendments) the system of control in the Health Services Act 1976 so that the NHS locally is not adversely affected to any significant extent by a particular hospital development or the aggregate of a number of developments.

Junior Hospital Staff

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his reply of 11 February on the hours worked by the junior hospital staff in the National Health Service, if he is satisfied that the fact that between 25 and 35 per cent, of all junior hospital staff work over 100 to 104 hours weekly is consistent with good and safe medical practice; and if he will rectify this.

As my reply to the hon. Member on 11 February pointed out—[Vol. 998, c. 360-64]—in-formation is not available on the hours beyond the basic working week during which junior hospital doctors are working, as distinct from standing by in hospital or available on-call at home. These hours will, however, be significantly less than the hours contracted for duty or those quoted in the hon. Member's question.Contracted hours of duty of a doctor in the training grades are for agreement between him and the consultant in the specialty concerned, whose responsibility it is to ensure that they are consistent with good medical practice. The terms and conditions of service of hospital medical and dental staff recommend a minimum of 88 hours a week of assured periods off-duty, provided that the needs of patients permit. I will continue to discuss with the professions how this can best be achieved.

Doctors' Fees

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what recent increases have been made in the fees payable to doctors by his Department for examinations in connection with attendance allowance and mobility allowance; and whether these increases fall within the 6 per cent, recommended limit on public sector pay increases.

The fees payable to doctors, mainly general practitioners, undertaking examinations in connection with claims for attendance allowance and mobility allowance, which are not provided under the National Health Service, were increased with effect from 1 October 1980. This followed the conclusion of negotiations between the Civil Service Department and the British Medical Association which began in 1978, and led to a restructuring of fee scales for part-time medical services for Government departments which related fees more closely to the time involved in carrying out examinations. The current fees for examinations in connection with claims for attendance allowance and mobility allowance are:For examination and report, taking:

(a) up to and including 1· hours	£16
(b) over 1· hours and up to and including 2· hours	£24
(c) over 2· hours	£38

The fees which they replaced, which were calculated on a different basis, were:

Attendance Allowance: £11·80, plus £6·10 if a supplementary psychiatric report was required

Mobility Allowance: £13·50

In both cases, a fee of £29·60 was payable if the time involved in the examination exceeded 2½ hours.

The figure of 6 per cent, is the increase in the pay element on cash limits for the year from 1 April 1981 and will be relevant in negotiating the fees for that year.

London (Acute Beds)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now institute a full public inquiry into the health provisions in London in the light of the difficulties which will occur as a result of the decision to close down 15 per cent, of the acute beds in National Health Service hospitals.

No.

Unemployed Persons (Rent And Rates Rebate)

asked the Secretary of State for the Social Services if he will issue instructions to staff at supplementary benefit offices to advise unemployed persons applying for benefit that it may be to their advantage to make a claim for a rent or rates rebate, in preference to claiming benefit; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short) on 14 January.—[Vol. 996, c. 584.]

Retirement (Deferment)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average length of time for which men defer retirement.

For those men who defer their retirement for national insurance purposes beyond the pensionable age of 65, the average period of deferred retirement is about 2½ years. About one-quarter of those who defer retirement in this way do so for the full period of five years up to age 70 when, for national insurance purposes, retirement is assumed, whether the individual has retired or not.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much a single man would initially lose by deferring his basic retirement pension for five years; and how much he would gain from the increments he would receive on the assumptions of constant prices and that he died at the age of 78 years.

On the assumption of constant prices, a single man who deferred his basic retirement pension at the current standard rate of £27.15 for five years, would have foregone £7,059. Assuming he died at the end of his 78th year, he would, in the eight years since reaching age 70, have received about £4,195 by way of increment.

Family Incomes

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table on the same assumptions as in his reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North, Official Report, 27 October 1980, showing net weekly spending power from each extra £ sterling of earnings between £35 and £85 for a married couple with two children aged 4 and 6 years, assuming that family income supplement entitlement continues unchanged when earnings increase, but that housing rebates are adjusted immediately.

I regret that this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Diabetics

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in the light of accumulating evidence of the advantages of blood glucose testing in the successful control of patients suffering from diabetes mellitus, particularly those diabetics whose blood sugar fluctuations have detrimental prognostic implications, he will take steps to enable such patients to be supplied with blood glucose meters that they can operate and interpret themselves.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Wood Green (Mr. Race) on 29 April 1980—[Vol. 983, c. 442-43]—and my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Dr Thomas) on 13 November 1980—[Vol. 992, c. 412-3]. Area health authorities may already make blood glucose monitors available to patients on the prescription of hospital consultants.

Health And Social Services Programmes

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to the reply by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the hon. Member for Norwich, South on 23 February, what output measures have been developed for health and social services programmes; and if he proposes to publish them.

Measures of final output, which reflect how patients and clients have benefited from health and personal social services, are difficult to construct, for example because of the problems of separating the impact of service provision from other factors and of comparing different aspects of health status such as pain and disability. The development of outcome measures is therefore a subject of long-term basic research, and my Department has sponsored a number of studies in this area. At the national level, for planning and monitoring purposes, my Department uses a combination of intermediate output measures—such as the number of patients receiving treatment or the number of clients receiving social services—and input measures—such as available number of hospital beds and residential accommodation places—which are monitored against resources used. A summary of these measures is published annually in the Health and Personal Social Services Chapter of the public expenditure White Paper (see"The Government's Expenditure Plans, 1980–81 to 1983–84: Cmnd. 7841 Chapter 11"). A fuller analysis has been given in evidence to the Select Committee on Social Services. (Third Report from the Social Services Committee, Session 1979–80: Volume II, Minutes of Evidence and Appendix, pages 54 to 58).

Clinical Judgment

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what advice he has received from the British Medical Association concerning a complaints procedure with reference to clinical judgment; if he is satisfied that there has been adequate consultation about this; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will ensure that any proposals relating to complaints procedure with reference to clinical judgment are brought before the House before any final decisions are made.

Proposals for handling complaints which concern the exercise of clinical judgment by hospital doctors and dentists were submitted to me last year by the joint consultants committee. The text of these, and of my reply to the chairman of the committee, was published in my reply to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 22 May 1980—[Vol. 985. c. 324-26]. Following discussions between the committee and representatives of my Department, the committee's revised proposals were published in the British Medical Journal for 22 November.The chairman of the committee has now informed me that, following consultation within the profession, the joint consultants committee's constituent bodies—the Conference of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties, and the Central Committee for Hospital Medical Staff—have agreed to the procedure published on 22 November being tried out in the National Health Service.I am now considering the proposed procedure and the manner in which it might be associated with guidance on the handling of complaints generally. I will inform the House of the further steps I propose to take.

Hospitals (Private Capital)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East on 4 February, Official Report, c. 143, if he now plans to amend the circular on allowing hospitals to attract private cash.

I am continuing my discussions with representatives of the voluntary sector.

Midwives

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, further to his reply of 23 February to the hon. Member for the Isle of Ely, he will now list the number of midwives currently employed per 1,000 of the population for each of the regional health authorities of England; and what were the figures for each of the last five years.

The information requested is as follows:

Number (whole time equivalent) of midwives† per thousand managed population
	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979
England	0·31	0·33	0·33	0·32	0·33
Northern Region	0·32	0·31	0·31	0·32	0·35
Yorkshire	0·29	0·29	0·31	0·31	0·32
Trent	0·32	0·32	0·31	0·29	0·33
East Anglian	0·32	0·35	0·32	0·31	0·35
North-West Thames^*	0·32	0·33	0·34	0·34	0·35
North-East Thames	0·32	0·37	0·38	0·33	0·34
South-East Thames	0·32	0·34	0·34	0·33	0·34
South-West Thames	0·26	0·30	0·27	0·28	0·26
Wessex	0·32	0·27	0·30	0·29	0·32
Oxford	0·32	0·34	0·34	0·34	0·34
	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979
South-Western	0·29	0·31	0·31	0·33	0·33
West Midlands	0·29	0·32	0·33	0·33	0·32
Mersey	0·28	0·35	0·34	0·33	0·36
North-Western	0·36	0·36	0·38	0·37	0·38
^* Includes staff in London postgraduate teaching hospitals (Queen Charlotte's maternity hospital).
† Includes tutorial and administrative staff but excludes pupil midwives and agency midwives.

Cochrane Report

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he has taken and intends to take to follow up the recommendations of the Cochrane report on back pain.

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Altrincham and Sale (Mr. Montgomery) on 8 August 1980.—[Vol. 990, c. 529–30.]

Occupational Asthma

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to introduce regulations to prescribe occupational asthma as an industrial disease.

I have nothing to add to the information I gave in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Ilford, North (Mr. Bendall) on 21 January.— [Vol. 997, c. 181–2.]

Rayner Report

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress he has made, following Sir Derek Rayner's report on the statistics collected by his Department, in reducing the amount of information he collects on the local authority personal social services; and whether, as a result of that report, he intends to repeal certain sections of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.

The report on the statistics collected by the DHSS, prepared under the guidance of Sir Derek Rayner, will be published later this week. It contains 17 recommendations relating to the personal social services. Consultations are taking place with local authorities on the best method of achieving the desired cutback in the costs of collecting information. But I do not propose any changes which would require alteration of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, 1970.

Renal Failure

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, pursuant to his reply of 5 February, he will define the term"new kidney patients"; if he will give figures showing the incidence of renal failure in each of the health regions; and whether he considers it to be satisfactory that in 1979 the number of new kidney patients in the regions varied from 14·1 per million to 30·0, if South-East and South-West Thames, where there are special factors, are excluded.

[pursuant to his reply, 16 February 1981, Vol. 999, c. 3571: The term"new kidney patients" refers to patients starting treatment for the firt time, either by dialysis or transplant, for chronic renal failure. No figures are available for the incidence of renal failure in health regions. Variations in the level of treatment facilities are the result of a number of factors, some of them historical. I do not regard the level of these facilities, either nationally or in individual regions, as satisfactory. I would expect the existing level of services for kidney patients to be among the factors taken into account by a health authority in deciding its priorities for future development, but there is a limit to the rate at which authorities can increase provision given the many calls on their limited resources. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister stated in her reply to the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) on 12 January—[Vol. 996 c. 469–70]—we welcome the valuable work being done by voluntary organisations to supplement the resources of the NHS. In addition, we hope that our continued promotion of the donor card scheme, and the improved multi-organ donor card which we plan to introduce shortly, will help in the urgent task of obtaining more donor kidneys for transplantation.

Drugs (Side Effects)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the late discovery of the longterm effects of stilboestrol on the reproductive tracts of female children of women given this drug, the Committee on Safety of Medicines has established guidelines for the use of new drugs which may have delayed side effects; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 18 February 1981, c. 162.]: The licensing authority has issued guidelines for companies on animal tests required for product licence applications. These include carcinogeni-city, reproduction and, in future, mutagenicity studies, which will, as far as the current state of knowledge allows, assist in the identification of any late or delayed hazard of the type associated with stilboestrol. These guidelines take account of the advice of a working party established in 1973 by the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) which gave special attention to the problem of transplacental carcinogenesis.However, while these tests provide such reassurance as is practicable at the present time, it has to be recognised that no potent drug is completely safe and that the possibility of long-delayed adverse effects cannot be entirely ruled out until there has been extensive clinical use.The CSM has recently reminded doctors of its support for the view that drugs should not be given during pregnancy unless they are essential.

Pregnancy Advisory Bureaux

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many pregnancy advisory bureau service centres are currently licensed by his Department; what are their names and addresses; and which bureaux are registered charities.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 January 1981, c. 437–38]: Following is revised and updated information:

Birmingham

Birmingham Pregnancy Consultation Service, 14–16 Temple Street, Birmingham B2 5BG.

^* British Pregnancy Advisory Service, Birmingham Branch, Guildhall Buildings, Navigation Street, Birmingham B2 4BT.

Blackpool

Pregnancy Advisory Service, Blackpool, 93 Abingdon Street, Blackpool FY1 1PP.

Bournemouth

^* British Pregnancy Advisory Service, Bournemouth Branch, Pelhams Clinic, Millhams Road, Bournemouth.

Brighton

^* British Pregnancy Advisory Service, Southern Branch, Brighton, Wistons Site, Chatsworth Road, Brighton, Sussex BN1 5PA.

Bristol

^* Brook Advisory Centre (Avon), 21 Richmond Hill. Clifton, Bristol B58 1BA.

Cambridge

^* Cambridge Advisory Centre for Young People, 33 Clarendon Street, Cambridge.

Chester

^* British Pregnancy Advisory Service, Chester Branch, 26 Queen Street, Chester CH1 3LG.

Coventry

^* British Pregnancy Advisory Service, Coventry Branch, Coundon Health Clinic, Barker Butts Lane, Coventry.

Hull

Sister Rose Pregnancy Advisory Centre (Hull), 139 Beverly Road, Hull.

Leeds

^* British Pregnancy Advisory Service, 8 The Headrow, Leeds, Yorks.

Sister Rose Pregnancy Advisory Centre (Leeds), 4 Albion Street, Leeds 1.

^* Marie Stopes Centre, 10 Queens Square. Leeds 2.

Liverpool

^* British Pregnancy Advisory Service, Merseyside Branch, Liverpool, Harley Buildings, 11 Old Hall Street, Liverpool L2 1BB.

Pregnancy Advisory Service, Fourth Floor, Hepworth Chambers, Church Street, Liverpool L1 3BG.

London

^* British Pregnancy Advisory Service, London Victoria Branch, 58 Petty France, Victoria, London SW1H 9EU.

Birth Control and Pregnancy Counselling Ltd., 415 New Cross Road, London SE14 6TY.

^* London Youth Advisory Centre, 26 Prince of Wales Road, London NW5.

Metropolitan Pregnancy Control Centre, 64–66 Oxford Street, London W1.

^* Pregnancy Advisory Service, 40 Margaret Street. London W1N 7FB.

^* Pregnancy Advisory Service, 27 Fitzroy Square, London W1P 5HH.

^* Pregnancy Consultation Services. 40 Mortimer Street, London W1N 7RB.

^* The Well Woman Centre, Marie Stopes House, 108 Whitfield Street, London Wl.

^* British Pregnancy Advisory Service, London Central Branch, 2nd Floor, 72 Tottenham Court Road, London Wl.

^* The Well Woman Centre, 114 Whitfield Street, London W1.

Pregnancy and Gynaecological Service, 26 Fouberts Place, London W1N 1HG.

Luton

^* British Pregnancy Advisory Service, Luton Branch, 3A Upper George Street, Luton LU1 2QY.

Manchester

^* British Pregnancy Advisory Service, Manchester Branch, 57 Hilton Street, Manchester Ml 2EJ.

Pregnancy Advisory Bureau, 26 Brown Street, Manchester M2 1DN.

Pregnancy Advisory Service, Manchester, 5th Floor, Newton Buildings, Newton Street, Manchester Ml 2EJ.

Sister Rose Pregnancy Advisory Centre (Manchester), Fifth Floor, 2 St. John Street, Manchester 3.

Nottingham

East Midlands Pregnancy Advisory Service, The Grange, 1 Private Road, Sherwood, Nottingham.

Sheffield

^* British Pregnancy Advisory Service, Sheffield Branch, 160 Charles Street, Sheffield S1 2NE.

^* 408 Young People's Consultation Centre Ltd., 408 Ecclesall

Road, Sheffield S11 8PJ.

Pregnancy Advisory Service, Sheffield, 276 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 5HL.

West Bromwich

^* British Pregnancy Advisory Service, Sandwell Branch, Cronehills Health Centre, Cronshills Linkway, West Bromwich.

Wolverhampton

Sister Rose Pregnancy Advisory Centre (Wolverhampton), Second Floor, 19–21 Queen Street, Wolverhampton.

^* Registered charity.

Prime Minister

Home Insulation

asked the Prime Minister if she will cause a study to be made of the way in which taxation policy could be more efficiently co-ordinated with the incentives provided by the Department of the Environment to encourage the insulation of houses, for example by tax remission or by direct grant.

Grants for householders for loft insulation and associated lagging are already available under the homes insulation scheme administered by local authorities. These grants benefit people on lower incomes, including pensioners. The Government do not consider it appropriate to provide additional assistance through tax reliefs.

European Community Regional Development Fund

asked the Prime Minister if she will publish the total figures to date allocated from the EEC regional development fund for projects in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) the North-West and (d) the North-East of England; and of the figure granted to the North-West, how much has gone to the area covered by Merseyside county council.

The following amounts have been committed from the European regional development fund since its inception in 1975 to February 1981:

	£ million
Scotland	166·450
Wales	95·463
North-West region	103·551
Northern region	128·142

It is not possible, except at disproportionate cost, to identify the amounts committed in respect of projects in the area covered by the Merseyside county council. However, the amount committed for the Merseyside special development area (including Skelmersdale new town) which covers most of the council area except parts of St. Helens, Southport, Wigan, Leigh and Ormskirk employment office areas but includes that part of the special development area in Cheshire, is £79·607 million.

Sir Donald Maitland

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of events leading up to and subsequent upon the recent miners' strike, she will now dismiss Sir Donald Maitland from his post as permanent secretary of the Department of Energy.

No.

Dunlop Limited

asked the Prime Minister which Department was responsible for the payment of £6·1 million to Dunlop Limited referred to in her speech of 29 July 1980, Official Report, Vol. 989, c. 1311.

The Department of Industry made, and the company accepted, grant offers totalling £6·1 million. No claims have yet been received from the company.

President Reagan

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement following her meeting with President Reagan.

I did so today.

Education And Science

Public Lending Right

29.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received concerning a public lending right for authors.

I met representatives from the three main writers' groups on 9 February to discuss progress towards the introduction of public lending right.

Works Of Art (Sales To The Nation)

30.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received about changing the arrangements for sales of pictures and other objects to the nation.

I have received a variety of suggestions for increased incentives. I have also consulted a number of museum directors. There are differing views as to what should be done, and I would welcome the views of hon. Members.

Museums

31.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is satisfied with the present structure and organisation of museums.

The national and local museums have grown up in different ways, and I have neither the powers nor the wish to propose radical changes. I am, however, considering ways of developing the role of the Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries so that it may help to make the best use of available resources for museums. I hope to make an announcement later in the year.

The Arts (Co-Ordination)

32.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what arrangements exist between his Department and bodies concerned with the promotion of the arts in Wales for co-ordinating Government policy in relation to the arts in Wales.

The body concerned with the promotion of the arts in Wales is the Welsh Arts Council, which is a constituent committee of the Arts Council of Great Britain, funded by the Office of Arts and Libraries. The Welsh Arts Council receives grants also from the British Film Institute and the Crafts Council, also funded by the Office of Arts and Libraries. Welsh members and assessors provide the link between all these bodies and the arts in Wales.

Centre For The Teaching Of Reading

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has for the continuation of funding for the centre for the teaching of reading at the university of Reading; and how much has been provided in each year since support was first given.

The funding of the centre for the teaching of reading at the university of Reading is a matter for that university.

National Art Collections Fund

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make arrangements for an exhibition depicting the work of the National Art Collections Fund to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall.

I understand that arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from Monday 23 March to Friday 27 March.

Wales

Coal Industry

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the National Coal Board regarding the future of the coal industry in South Wales; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he next expects to meet the chairman of the National Coal Board to discuss the future structure of the coal industry in Wales.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and officials of the Department keep in close touch with the NCB. This will continue.

Council For The Principality (Economic Discussions)

16.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when next he intends to meet the Council for the Principality to discuss the prospects for the Welsh economy.

My right hon. Friend has received no request for a meeting.

Community Health Councils

17.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the response so far to his consultative paper"Community Health Councils in Wales".

Two organisations have written to say they have no comment. The consultative document was published only two weeks ago. Those interested in commenting have until 30 April.

Cardiff (Ice And Snow Clearance)

18.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, in view of the recent report by an honorary consultant at Cardiff Royal infirmary calling attention to a significant increase in the number of cases involving bone fractures in Cardiff during a period of wintry weather in 1979–80, if he will issue a circular to local authorities advising them to take special measures to clear pavements and roads of ice and snow in city and town centres in such circumstances.

No.

Water Rates

19.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to restrict the potential increases in water rates in Wales.

With the co-operation of the Welsh water authority my right hon. Friend arranged for a team of independent accountants to review its accounts and to consider whether it was possible to reduce the proposed increase in charges for 1981–82. Following discussions under my chairmanship at the Welsh Office the authority has been able to announce that its overall revenue requirement will now rise by 10·8 per cent., instead of 14·4 per cent. Charges for water supply, sewerage and environmental services will go up by 13·4 per cent., instead of 17·8 per cent. Domestic bills will rise on average 14·8 per cent., instead of 20 per cent. The average increase for industrial and other metered consumers will be under 12¼ per cent., instead of the previously proposed 15 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give further consideration to a system of rebates for water charges to assist those on low incomes and similar to that applied in the rating of domestic properties.

A similar proposal was negatived during the Committee stage of the Water Bill. We have no proposals for changing the present arrangements for assisting those on low incomes, who can obtain help in respect of water charges through supplementary benefit.

Economic Prosperity

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the latest available figures for regional gross domestic product and purchasing power parities for Wales; and what steps he has taken since he took office to improve the relative position of Wales to other regions within the United Kingdom.

In 1979, the latest year for which an estimate has been made, the gross domestic product of Wales, at factor cost and current prices, was £7,029 million. Separate purchasing power parities for Wales and the other constituent countries and the regions of the United Kingdom are not available. The prosperity of Wales depends on the health of the United Kingdom economy and the policies we are pursuing will benefit Wales along with the rest of the United Kingdom.

Pit Closures

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will disclose the nature of the discussions with the National Coal Board regarding the future of the proposed colliery closures recently announced in Wales.

The discussions with the National Coal Board and the unions on the future development of the coal industry are being conducted by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy.

Construction Projects (Gwynedd)

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if any further construction projects in Gwynedd are being planned or developed that will provide work on a similar scale for the construction industry to that which has been provided over the past few years at the Dinorwic pump storage scheme currently approaching its completion.

Employment will be generated by projects commencing on the A55, though it will not be on the same scale as that provided by the Dinorwic scheme.

Plynlimmon Mountains

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to designate part of the Plynlimmon mountain range for conservation use; and if he will make a statement.

I am not aware of any.

Worker Co-Operatives

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to encourage the establishment of worker co-operatives in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Co-operatives receive encouragement from a number of sources, including the Welsh Development Agency and the Development Board for Rural Wales. They are eligible for all types of Government assistance available in Wales to industry generally. Moreover, the Co-operative Development Agency and a number of organisations supported by local authorities, some under urban programme arrangements, provide advisory services tailored to the needs of co-operatives and the industrial common ownership fund administered by the Department of Industry provides small loans. I have also recently provided support for research study by the Wales TUC into the potential of co-operatives for alleviating unemployment.

Planning Applications

asked the Secretary of State for Wales in how many instances his Department has been required, since the enactment of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971, to give evidence to any court hearing on questions of interpretation of section 29(1) of that Act.

This information is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what circulars his Department has sent to local planning authorities in Wales since the enactment of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971, concerning their powers under section 29(1) of that Act.

General advice on what is a material planning consideration is contained in Development Control Policy Note 1, issued under cover of Welsh Office circular No. 21/69, while guidance on conditions which may be attached to planning permissions is contained in Welsh Office circular No. 5/68.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales in how many instances since the enactment of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 his Department has been required to determine an appeal against the refusal of planning permission by a local planning authority for a proposed development, on the basis that the development did not make provisions for access for disabled persons to a building or premises to which the public have access.

This information is not available.

Cardiac Disease

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of cardiac disease were notified in Wales during 1980; and how this number compares with cases notified in 1960 and 1970, respectively.

Cardiac disease is not a notifiable disease and the information requested is not, therefore, available.

Tuberculosis

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of tuberculosis were notified in Wales during 1980; what were the numbers notified during 1975 and during 1970; and if he will make a statement.

The numbers of cases of tuberculosis notified in Wales were:

1970	621
1975	542
1980	(provisional) 383

It is gratifying to see the continuing reduction in notifications of tuberculosis. Health authorities in Wales continue to offer BCG immunisation to all schoolchildren at age 13 and to follow up close contacts of cases notified.

Llandough Hospital

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will report on progress with the planned expansion of Llandough hospital at Llandough, Penarth, South Glamorgan; and what further progress he anticipates during 1981 and 1982.

The detailed planning of a 90-bed obstetric unit at Llandough hospital together with the necessary upgrading and expansion of support departments such as catering, pathology and so on is in progress and will continue throughout 1981–82.

Venereal Diseases

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what increase has occurred during the past decade in the number of cases of venereal diseases notified in South Glamorgan and in the Principality, respectively; and if he will make a statement.

I shall write to my hon. Friend.

European Social Fund

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what progress has been made on designating Wales under the European social fund as a priority region for schemes for young people.

I understand that the European Commission has recently approved the inclusion of Wales in the list of priority regions for 1981. This will give Welsh schemes for young people a greater chance of attracting European social fund aid than in the past. The Welsh Office will be informing relevant organisations of the change.

Transport

Truck Axles (Road Damage)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish any information held by his Department or by the transport and road research laboratory on the damage to roads related to the dynamic characteristics of truck axles.

TRRL's published Road Note 29 contains guidance on the structural design of road pavements which includes a method of assessing the damage attributable to commercial vehicle axles. This was based upon the observed life of road pavements which were trafficked by vehicles with specified axle weights. It thus includes appropriate dynamic load effects though these were not quantified in the experiment.The laboratory is currently engaged on work to determine the magnitude and nature of the dynamic forces applied to road pavements and the way these depend upon the vehicle and design and the profile of the road surface. Recordings of these forces have been obtained with a multileaf suspension and experimental work is continuing on alternative suspension designs. A report is being prepared for publication.

Foreign Vehicles (Mechanical Inspections)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the estimated number of foreign vehicles which would fail a mechanical inspection based on the percentage of the actual number of prohibitions issued by inspectors at roll-on/roll-off ports in 1980; and if he will make a statement.

My Department's checks at roll-on/roll-off ports in 1980 showed that out of 1,572 foreign goods vehicles inspected 9 per cent. had mechanical defects justifying immediate prohibition. As my inspectors naturally pay most attention to the more suspect vehicles it would be unsound to suggest that 9 per cent. of all foreign lorries coming to this country are dangerous.Clearly, however, the situation is unsatisfactory and I propose to continue the checks at ports and at the roadside on the mechanical condition of such vehicles.

Vehicle Lead Emissions

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the Government's reaction to the recommendations of Professor Lawther's working party to consider the health effect of lead in the environment and on his Department's report on the costs and energy penalties of further action to reduce vehicle lead emissions.

I refer to my hon. Friend to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Environmental Services gave on 12 January to the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Small Heath (Mr. Howell).—[Vol. 996, c. 515.] I hope that a statement will be made soon.

Railways (Rural Lines)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will increase British Railways' total investment allocation and external financing limit in order to avoid the rundown of rural lines in Cumbria and elsewhere.

I believe that the Railways Board's current investment and financing provisions are adequate to meet its present needs. Priorities for maintenance expenditure within these limits are a matter for it. As to the future I am now considering the board's corporate plan.

A6 (Bottesford)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the latest position regarding a bypass being constructed on the A6 road round Bottesford, Leicestershire; and when work will commence on this scheme.

We are investigating possible alternative routes for a bypass of Bottesford. We hope to consult the public about them later this year. It is too early to forecast a date for the start of construction.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the reasons why, in the light of the assurance of the East Midlands regional controller of his Department to the Bottesford parish council in March 1980, that the A6 road at Muston Bends would be improved during 1981, the council has now been told that work will not begin until early 1983; and whether he will raise the priority for this work, in view of the bad accident record at this point.

Difficulties arose in the course of the preparation and design of the scheme over the future of a bridge over a railway line. We now plan to publish draft orders in April. If these detailed designs provoke any controversy, it is unlikely that the full statutory procedures can now be satisfactorily completed to enable construction to start before early 1983. We will bring forward the start of construction if it is possible to do so.

Vehicle Number Plates

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will hold discussions with the police and other interested parties as to ways of introducing a more controlled and secure system of issuing vehicle number plates.

I shall answer this question shortly.

Midland Link Motorways

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has yet received the results from the analysis of mortar mix samples from Midland link motorways referred to in his answer of 12 January; and if he will make a statement.

Only 40 results out of 70 tests have so far been received and these are now being studied.

Gatwick Airport (Rail Service)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to enable British Railways to improve their services between Victoria and Gatwick airport.

I expect the Railways Board to submit to me shortly detailed proposals for improvements to the facilities at Victoria station and for the provision of improved rolling stock, to enable the introduction of a separate airport service between Victoria and Gatwick airport, the objective is to provide a more efficient rail service for the growing number of air passengers using Gatwick, the priority attached by the Railways Board to this project was insufficient to ensure it a place within its existing investment programme, the Government accept, nevertheless, that on the basis of existing air passenger forecasts work on improvements to the rail link to Gatwick should begin in 1982–83. The board's investment ceiling has therefore been increased by £3 million in 1982–83 and £9 million in 1983–84 to enable work to begin, subject to my approval of the detailed proposals. This additional investment has been taken into account in planning for the board's financing requirement for those years.

Environment

Parkinson Framed Houses

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if. in view of the structural defect found in the Parkinson framed houses owned by Lancashire county council and the threat they pose to the safety of the tenants, he will investigate the safety of all Parkinson framed houses in the United Kingdom.

The houses in question were built for the Lancashire county council around 1920 to a prefabricated system sponsored by Messrs Jacob Parkinson and Sons. My Department does not know of such houses outside Lancashire. The county council has carried out a thorough investigation of the structural defect and possible remedial measures, and I do not propose to carry out another one.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of Parkinson framed houses nationally.

I regret that information about the number of such houses which were built by Messrs Jacob Parkinson in Lancashire around 1920 is not available.

Referendums

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions, in which local authority areas and on what subjects, referendums have been conducted since the Local Government Act 1972.

The information sought is not available.

Housing Investment Programme

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the total projected over and underspending of housing investment programme subsidies allocations by each local housing authority in England for 1980–81 on the basis of the latest information available to his Department, together with the national aggregate over or underspend projected.

This information is still in the process of being compiled. I shall inform the House as soon as it is available and will send a copy to the hon. Member.

Stansted Airport

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will arrange for an environmental impact analysis to be prepared ahead of the public inquiry into the proposals for the development of Stansted airport.

No. My right hon. Friend and I expect to see a thorough explanation and examination of all the relevant issues brought out at the inquiry, but we do not have it in mind to require that this should take any particular form.

Planning Procedures

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will introduce safeguards to ensure that, in the holding of public inquiries, objectors cannot have their resources exhausted by applicants for planning permission returning continually to the same site.

There is already the safeguard that applicants who make repeated proposals in this way are liable to have to meet an award of costs in favour of another principal party if they are considered to have behaved unreasonably. This is in accord with the policy established following the Council on Tribunals' report on the award of costs at statutory inquiries, 1964.

Local Authority Manpower

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his written answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Garscadden (Mr. Dewar), 19 February, Official Report, c. 219–21, he will provide comparable information for each of the districts in Greater Manchester and also for Greater Manchester council.

The manpower statistics which the local authorities make available to central Government are intended for the publication of aggregated information only. The information requested can therefore be provided only by the authorities concerned. Under the provisions of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 arrangements are being made for the regular publication of full manpower information locally by individual authorities.

Rate Support Grant

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to be in a position to give a substantive reply to the questions on rate support grant tabled by the hon. Member for Jarrow for priority written answer on 6 February.

I have written to the hon. Member today.

Royal Wedding Arrangements

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in the discharge of his responsibilities regarding the forthcoming Royal wedding, there will be any increase in public expenditure by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

The Department is normally responsible for the decoration of the ceremonial route on State occasions. I have no information as to the requirements for the wedding of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

Town And Country Planning

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list circulars to local authorities which have been issued by his Department since the enactment of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 concerning the powers which local planning authorities have under section 29(1) of that Act.

General advice on what is a material planning consideration is contained in Development Control Policy Note No. 1, issued by the Department under cover of circular 23/69 in March 1969, and on the use of conditions in planning permissions in the Department's circular 5/68 issued in February 1968. Advice on material planning considerations and conditions in relation to particular subjects is also contained in circulars and policy notes dealing with those subjects.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) in how many instances since the enactment of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 his Department has been required to give evidence to any court hearing on questions of interpretation of section 29(1) of that Act;(2) on how many instances since the enactment of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 his Department has been required to determine an appeal against the refusal of planning permission by a local planning authority for a proposed development, on the basis that the development did not make provision for access for disabled persons to a building or premises to which the public have access.

This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Small Businesses (Taxation)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the booklet"Taxation and the Smaller Business" published by the Council for Small Industries in Rural Areas.

My right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Environmental Services recently attended the launch of this new tax guide, which was commissioned by the chairman of the Development Commission and CoSIRA. Although intended for use by CoSIRA and the small firms they serve in rural England, it provides most useful and welcome guidance for small firms and their investors throughout the United Kingdom on the many tax incentives and other forms of assistance that have been introduced in recent years. It includes advice on attracting private investment; on whether or not to form a limited company; taxation of business profits; aspects of personal taxation; and VAT.I commend the booklet to all Members. Copies have been placed in the Library.

Water Authorities

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his discussions with the water authorities following the consultants' review.

There has been an extremely successful outcome for which much credit must go to the water authorities, as well as the consultants.As a result, the total of water rates to be collected in England in 1981–82 will be some £86 million lower than had been planned. For the nine authorities as a whole, the average increase in main charges has been reduced from a planned 19·4 per cent. to 13·3 per cent.Within these average figures the charges of the individual authorities vary considerably. But the average increases in main charges for individual Authorities has been reduced from a range of 14 to 29 per cent. down to 10 to 16·5 per cent.

Water Authority	Original per cent.	Revised per cent.
North West	29·0	16·5
Northumbrian	27·8	15·1
Yorkshire	22·0	13·5
Severn·Trent	17·7	13·7
Anglian	19·8	12·4
Thames	14·0	12·5
Southern	16·2	12·6
Wessex	14·7	11·4
South West	17·3	10·0

Average domestic charges were expected to range from 14 per cent. to about 30 per cent. as part of the move to the more equitable charging required by section 30 of the Water Act 1973 and also as a result of the effects of the abolition of the equalisation scheme. Now the range is expected to be between 10·9 per cent. and 18·4 per cent.; though there will still be a considerable range in the increases for particular consumers around these averages.Four main areas of economy were found to contribute to the £86 million saving.First, individual authorities have reduced their budgets for operating costs in 1981–82 by £17 million.Secondly, more recent forecasts of reductions in the rate of inflation enabled more realistic figures to be included for the cost of capital works to be carried out in 1981–82, allowing a reduction of £27 million.Thirdly, it was found that some authorities had underused their borrowing facilities in 1980–81 and the reallocation of these to other authorities enables them to reduce their rate demands next year. Together with one or two other changes, this has provided a reduction of £17 million.

Finally, a scrutiny of capital expenditure programmes showed that schemes totalling some £25 million could be deferred, leaving a total investment programme of about £725 million.

The Government had already set water authorities their targets for next year amounting to a 1·2 per cent. return overall on revalued net assets. Although there has been some variation in targets for three authorities, the overall percentage return remains the same. Similarly, although there has been some reallocation of the 1981–82 external financing limit, the total of £424 million remains unaltered.

Civil Service

Members Of Parliament (Salaries And Emoluments)

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will publish in the Official Report a detailed list of those hon. Members, other than Ministers of the Crown and those holding Government appointments, who were at the latest and most convenient date receiving in any form fees, pensions, salaries, expenses or other stated payments from public funds and the annual amounts in each instance.

I regret that this information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Civil Servants (Termination Of Employment)

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what are the financial inducements for termination of employment in the Civil Service on grounds of limited efficiency.

Most civil servants who are retired early on grounds of limited efficiency receive pensions and lump sum retirement benefits, the amounts of which depend on age, length of service and pensionable pay at the time of leaving. A lump sum compensation payment of not more than six months' pensionable pay may also be payable. Full details are given in section 10 of the rules of the principal Civil Service pension scheme, a copy of which is in the Library.

Reports
Department	Topic	Date
Her Majesty's Treasury	The procurement and movement functions of United Kingdom Treasury and Supply delegation	13 January 1981
Her Majesty's Customs and Excise	Organisation of London and South-East collections	5 November 1980
	Present methods of revenue control of the production and warehousing of spirits	5 November 1980
Civil Service Department	Charging for courses at the Civil Service college	4 February 1981
Department of the Environment	Regional organisation serving the Departments or the Environment and Transport (joint scrutiny with Department of Transport)	17 December 1980
	Provision of management information for Ministers	13 November 1980
	Maintenance of the government estate in the Bath area (PSA)	31 July 1980
	Energy conservation on the Government Estate (PSA)	31 July 1980
	Estate management in Kingston (PSA)	31 July 1980
Department of Health and Social Security	Validation of national insurance contribution records	10 November 1980
	The Department's activities in support of health care exports	1 July 1980
Department of Transport	Arrangements for the promotion and management of trunk roads and motorway schemes	10 March 1980

Executive Officer Grade (Entrance Qualifications)

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will accept A-level design and technology as a qualification for entrance to the executive officer grade of the Civil Service; and if he will make a statement.

I have consulted the Civil Service Commissioners on this question, as they are responsible for standards of entry into the Civil Service. They have until recently taken the view that the A-level course in this subject lacked the academic breadth and intellectual depth they thought necessary to justify its use. with only one other A-level subject, for entry to executive officer competitions.They have, however, been reveiwing, with advice from the Department of Education and Science, the content of a number of design and technology syllabuses and have decided to accept the A-level awards of certain examining boards. The commissioners will make this change clear to all who wish to take part in the school leavers' competition for executive officer posts to be held later this year.

Non-Departmental Public Bodies

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will publish the latest version of the list of all operational non-departmental public bodies and their cost to their sponsoring Department.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Carlton (Mr. Holland) on 27 February 1981, c. 460.

Rayner Reports

asked the Minister for the Civil Service, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Norwich, South, of 5 February, Official Report, c. 168, if he will list the 15 Rayner reports which have been placed in the Library, and the dates on which this was done.

The Library now informs me that it holds only 12 reports of scrutinies together with copies of statements by Ministers on three others, and not, as it originally thought, 15 reports. I apologise for the factual inaccuracy in my earlier answer of 5 February. I understand from the Library that the dates of deposit were as follows.

Department	Topic	Date
Statements
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	Administration of farm capital grants (statement on recommendations)	31 January 1980
Northern Ireland Office	Rate collection (statement)	8 May 1980
Forestry Commission	Administration of
	i. private woodlands grant scheme and
	ii. Licensing of felling (statement)	10 December 1980
The statement on the Forestry Commission scrutiny indicated that copies of the consultative paper relating to the scrutiny had been placed in the Vote Office.
A further report has since been placed in the Library.
Civil Service Department	Effectiveness of technical services of the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency	23 February 1981

Volume 1000: debated on Monday 2 March 1981

Written Answers To Questions

National Finance

Nationalised Industries

Means-Tested Benefits

Income Tax (Widows' Pensions)

Company Taxation

Paye Inquiry Offices

Cars (Purchasing Policy)

Nationalised Industries

Taxation Yields

Capital Allowances

Tax Appeals

Exchange Rates

Tax Rebates

European Community Budget

Nationalised Industries

Trade

Commodity Agreements

Copyright

Fireworks Injuries

Home Department

Citizens Band Radio

Naturalisation

Home Office Research Unit

Motor Vehicles

Energy

Fuel Substitution

Coking Coal

Coal

Fast Reactor Policy

Gas (Dual Pricing)

Fuel Costs

Employment

The North-West

Trade Unionists (Access To Information)

Manchester

Unemployment Benefit Service

Youth Opportunities

Northern Ireland

European Regional Development Fund

European Social Fund

European Agricultural Guidance And Guarantee Fund

European Community Budget

Lower School, Armagh (Firearms)

Government Training Centre, Londonderry

Redundancies

Emigration

School Governing Bodies (Astin Report)

Vessel"Nellie M"

School Music Lessons

Job Release Scheme

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Republic Of Ireland (Joint Studies)

Unifll

Mercenaries (United Nations Special Committee)

Dual Nationality

Anglo-Soviet Relations

Arms Limitation And Disarmament

Industry

British Steel Corporation (Monitoring)

Business Premises (Powers Of Entry)

Mining (Government Aid)

Overseas Development

African Coastline States

Karamoja, Uganda

Development Assistance

Agriculture, Fisheries And Food

Coypu Control

New Zealand Butter

Defence

Training (Overseas Personnel)

Dartmoor Steering Group (Report)

Chemical Weapons

Nuclear Weapons And Disarmanent

Scotland

Alcohol-Related Problems

Pharmaceutical Products

Redundancies (Dundee)