asked the Secretary of State for Employment what he estimates would be the cost of reducing the qualification period for maternity leave and pay under the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act to one year from two years.

I estimate that this would increase the cost of the maternity pay fund by about a quarter, which, on current figures, would amount to about £9 million in a full financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many school leavers are currently registered as unemployed in North Staffordshire; and how this figure compares with the comparable figures for 1977, 1978 and 1979.

The following table gives the numbers of school leavers under 18 years of age registered as unemployed in North Staffordshire at February each year in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1981. North Staffordshire has been taken as the area covered by the employment offices of Biddulph, Burslem, Cheadle, Hanley, Kidsgrove, Leek, Longton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent, Stone and Uttoxeter. Most school leavers from Stone and Uttoxeter are included in the figures for careers offices in Burton-on-Trent and Stafford and so do not appear in the table.February each year:

1977	111
1978	85
1979	95
1981	843

The hon. Member will know that last November my right hon. Friend announced major improvements in the youth opportunities programme designed to help unemployed young people.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many of last year's school leavers are still unemployed in (a) the North-West, (b) Merseyside, (c) Kirkby and (d) Ormskirk.

	YOP Entrants		STEP Entrants
	1 April '79 to 31 January '80	1 April '80 to 31 January '80	1 April '79 to 31 January '80	1 April '80 to 31 January '80
Cumbria	2,000	3,180	550	270
Northern Region	25,700	34,000	2,800	3,130

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total number of persons

The statistics do not indicate the numbers of last year's school leavers who are still unemployed. The following table gives the numbers of unemployed school leavers under 18 years of age in the areas specified at March 1980, before the Easter leaving date, and at February 1981.

	13 March 1980	12 February 1981 (provisional)
North-West Region	4,653	12,489
Merseyside Special Development Area	2,948	5,425
Kirkby employment office area	240	352
Ormskirk employment office area	7	22

The hon. Member will know that last November my right hon, Friend announced major improvements in the youth opportunities programme designed to help unemployed young people.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals he has made to the Manpower Services Commission for the establishment of youth opportunities programme funded cadetships in Her Majesty's Forces; and what would be the estimated cost of such proposals.

My officials are exploring with the Manpower Services Commission the feasibility of providing for unemployed young people up to 1,000 places which the Army has offered to make available for about six months, at a cost of about £2 million. No decision has been taken whether such a scheme would be appropriate to the youth opportunities programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list separately the aggregate totals and the total increase or reduction in the number of placings under the youth apportunities programme and the special temporary employment premium programme in the county of Cumbria and the Northern region for the last month for which statistics are available.

Information is not available in the form requested. However, the following table lists the total number of young people entering the youth opportunities programme (YOP) and the number of adults entering the special temporary employment programme (STEP) between April 1980-January 1981 as compared with the same period in the previous year for the county of Cumbria and the Northern region.unemployed, the percentage rate of unemployment, the total number of vacancies and the ratio of vacancies to

unemployed for (

The following table gives the total numbers registered as unemployed, the percentage rates of unemployment and the numbers of vacancies remaining unfilled at employment offices and at careers offices in the areas specified at February 1981. The

	Number unemployed	Percentage rate of unemployment	Unfilled vacancies
			At employment offices	At careers offices
Workington travel-to-work area	4,414	14·1	110	2
Cumbria	19,739	10·0	714	26
South-East	526,609	7·0	31,361	1,865
East Anglia	60,873	8·4	2,825	106
South-West	154,592	9·3	6,524	207
West Midlands	272,833	11·7	4,607	350
East Midlands	147,785	9·2	4,802	197
Yorkshire and Humberside	228,062	10·8	4,782	223
North-West	349,746	12·3	7,742	242
North	188,702	13·6	3,734	119

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many places made available under the special measures programmes of the Manpower Services Commission were sponsored by the Allerdale district council during the last month for which statistics were available.

Allerdale district council sponsored 92 new places for unemployed young people under the youth opportunities programme and 35 new places for unemployed adults under the special temporary employment programme in February 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will raise the youth opportunities programme allowance from £23·50 to £26·00 in view of the growing resistance to young persons accepting places under the special measures programmes.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras, South (Mr. Dobson) on 8 December 1980.—[Vol. 995, c. 443–44.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how much is being spent by the Manpower Services Commission in the current financial year in the constituency of Bootle and in the Sefton local authority area; and what proportion this represents of the total.

Information which would enable the Manpower Services Commission's expenditure in the current financial year in Bootle and in the Sefton local authority area to be separately identified and expressed as a proportion of its total expenditure is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has made of the increase in manpower in (a) industry generally and (b) local government caused by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act.

There are no reliable data available on which estimates of manpower increases in industry and local government as a result of the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 can be based. There is no specific requirement on employers to appoint staff and my right hon. Friend has no reason to believe that the indirect effects have led to any significant increase.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many improvement notices and prohibition notices shown separately have been served by the Health and Safety Executive on vessels carrying hazardous cargoes berthing at jetties on the River Thames since 1 November 1980.

From 1 November 1980 to 6 March 1981 three immediate prohibition notices were served on vessels carrying hazardous cargoes berthing at jetties on the River Thames. No other notices were served.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many improvement notices and prohibition notices shown separately have been served on industry in the area covered by the Health and Safety Executive report on the safety of Canvey Island since June 1980 to date, specifying whether the premises concerned handle gas, chemicals, oil or other materials.

From June 1980 to 6 March 1981 one improvement notice was served on industry in the area covered by the Health and Safety Executive report on the safety of Canvey Island. The occupiers of the premises are engaged in the timber trade. No prohibition notices were issued in this period.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the United Kingdom projects which have successfully qualified for aid under that section of the European social fund designed to help women aged over 25 years.

Between 1978 when the scheme for the training of women was introduced and 1980, six applicants received allocations from the European social fund to assist schemes of training for women over 25. The individual allocations were as follows:

Year in which allocation was made	Organisation and Scheme	Allocation
		£
1978	Manpower Services Commission (Training Services Division) — Wider Opportunities for Women	12,667
1979	Manpower Services Commission (Training Services Division) — Wider Opportunities for Women	425,791
	Distributive Industry Training Board (Northern Ireland) — Women returning to work in wholesaling and retailing	10,993
1980	Hatfield Polytechnic — accountancy foundation course	37,000
	Co-operative Bank, Merseyside — training for supervisory work at a level where women are under-represented	21,579
	Leicestershire County Council — training for women in the field of arts/crafts occupations	5,923

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what study the Health and safety Executive has made of the harmful side effects of the accidental inhalation of organophosphorous insecticide from aerial spraying; and if he will make a statement.

The Health and Safety Executive continually monitors the available evidence on all health effects of occupational exposure to organophosphorous insecticides including those resulting from accidental inhalation after aerial spraying. Each case that comes to the attention of the executive in which poisoning by organophospherous insecticides is suspected is individually investigated. It is the executive's view that the results of these investigations do not suggest that the aerial spraying of such compounds represents a serious health hazard.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Mr. Cowans), column 587 of the Official Report of 9 February, he will state which powers held by both the Welsh Development Agency and existing agencies in the Northern regions provide for the allocation of additional funds for the setting up of special measures units under the Manpower Services Commission's special measures programme.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people he estimates are currently working with (a) flour, (b) animals and insects in laboratories, (c) platinum salts, (d) resins, (e) isocyanates and (f) proteolytic enzymes.

[pursuant to the reply, 11 March 1981, c. 335.]: At December 1980 the provisional numbers of employees in employment in Great Britain in the industries most concerned with flour—grain milling and bread and flour confectionery—minimum list headings 211 and 212 of the Standards Industrial Classification—were 19,700 and 87,000, respectively. The other activities listed do not form complete minimum list headings and no estimates can be given.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what progress has been made in negotiations over the various draft directives proposed by the Commission and currently before the Council to liberalise the European market in insurance services; what is the Government's policy towards each of these directives; and what benefits might be expected to accrue to the British insurance industry from each of them.

The draft non-life insurance services directive is still being considered within the Council machinery and is expected to be discussed by the Council of Ministers on 16 March. The draft directive on insurance contract law has begun to be examined in a Council working party at expert level. The draft directive on credit insurance has been the subject of opinions from the European Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee, the latter of which have also given an opinion on the draft directive on legal expenses insurance. The draft directive on assistance insurance has recently been submitted by the European Commission for consideration within the Council framework.The Government's attitude to these draft directives and their implications for the United Kingdom remain as set out in the explanatory memoranda deposited in Parliament

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many overseas trade missions have been organised during the last convenient 12 month period; and how many of these were accompanied by a Minister, or chairman or deputy chairman of the British Overseas Trade Board.

In the 12 months to 28 February 1981, there were 210 trade missions organised with financial support from the British Overseas Trade Board; one was accompanied by the chairman of the board. Our overseas posts also gave valuable assistance to these, and other, missions. In addition, in the same period, Ministers from the Department of Trade and the chairman of the British Overseas Trade Board took carefully selected groups of business men on 11 missions covering 16 countries. Ministers from other Departments are also accompanied by groups of business men on occasion.Since January 1980, Department of Trade Ministers have visited about 40 different countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade which domestic manufacturers of electrical products have been referred to the Director General of Fair Trading for anti-competitive practices such as refusal to supply.

The Director General has not as yet initiated any formal investigation under the Competition Act 1980 concerning electrical products, but informal inquiries have been made following certain representations received in this area.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will arrange for the consumer safety unit of his Department to examine the risks of epilepsy alleged to arise from certain characteristics of space invader machines; and if he will report the findings.

The question whether space invaders may cause epilepsy is not a matter for my Department but I have asked my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services to reply to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether the liquefied gas tankers"Methane Progress" and"Methane Princess" are still under survey for the issue of certificates of fitness in accordance with the safety requirements of the International Maritime Consultative Organisation; and when such certificates are likely to be issued.

The survey of the"Methane Princess" has been completed and the certificate of fitness will be issued shortly. The survey of the"Methane Progress" is almost complete and the certificate of fitness will be issued as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list in the Official Report those major airlines operating out of British Airport Authority airports (a) who accept disabled passengers confined to wheelchairs as normal passengers without extra charge, (b) who accept such passengers only if they pay extra charges, (c) who refuse to accept such passengers and (d) who nominally accept such passengers but in practice accord them no special assistance at all.

I regret that the information requested is not available. I understand that most disabled passengers who are confined to wheelchairs do not require special assistance at the airports and that no extra charge is incurred. In cases where an airline has to call for specialised lifting facilities, as for instance where the aircraft is not at a linked stand, a charge may be incurred, but I am told that as a general rule the cost is absorbed by the airline concerned. I am satisfied that the airlines are fully aware of the special needs of the disabled and, as far as possible, make every effort to meet these.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he received the report from the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on the electricity supply industry; if he will publish the report; and when he expects to make a statement.

My right hon. Friend received the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's report on the Central Electricity Generating Board on 2 March; he plans to publish it as soon as possible. A statement will be made in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list separately the United Kingdom's top 20 export and import markets, both including and excluding trade in oil and precious metals or stones, both in absolute and percentage terms, for each of the last five years.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the value of second-hand agricultural tractors and implements exported from the United Kingdom for each of the last 10 years and for the year 1980–81 to date.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what representations he has had, and from whom, concerning the banning of seal products in the United Kingdom; what considerations he has given to these; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he proposes to make any changes in the terms of the Export Credit Guarantee Department scheme of cost escalation cover.

As foreshadowed in my statement on 4 March when I opened the debate in Standing Committee on the draft order to extend this scheme for a further 12 months, I am making a modest change in the scope of cost escalation cover for credit contracts financed in foreign currencies. Since it is no longer Government policy to insist that the financing of certain major export contracts be in foreign currency, the enhanced terms of such cover for these contracts will be discontinued. In future such contracts will be treated for the purposes of this scheme in the same way as credit contracts financed in sterling. This change will affect new applications for cover made after 5 April 1981. Cash contracts, whether expressed in foreign currency or in sterling, will continue to enjoy the existing preferential terms of cover.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether there has been any change in the figures he gave on 7 February 1980. Official Report, c. 300, of deaths from deliberate inhalation of solvent vapours; and what action is contemplated by the Government on this matter.

I have been asked to reply, in accordance with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, North (Mr. Eggar) on 27 February—[Vol. 999, c. 460]—about the transfer of responsibility for co-ordinating the Government's response to the problem of solvent abuse to my right hon. Friend.Exact figures are still not available. We are aware of 22 deaths in Great Britain in 1980.As I explained during the Adjournment debate on this subject on 21 July—[Vol. 989, c. 203-16]—the scope for direct Government intervention in this matter is limited; this is because the problem is abuse of commonly available, and in normal usage harmless, products. We have to find the best ways of educating parents and children to prevent harm. The most practicable way forward is by local initiatives; involving parents, children, teachers, social workers, doctors, health workers and police, and by responsible contributions from broadcasters and journalists. I welcome growing evidence of action on these lines, and we are actively exploring a way of collecting statistics and what more can be done to educate parents and children and improve local co-operation.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has in mind to amend the present workings of the Diplock courts.

I shall be carefully reviewing all the measures in the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act before it comes before Parliament for renewal this summer.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the latest unemployment figures for Northern Ireland; and if he will give the number of unemployed aged under 21 years.

On 12 February 1981, 99,849 people were registered as unemployed in Northern Ireland. The monthly unemployment statistics do not show separately people aged under 21. The figure for February 1981 for unemployed people under 20 was 20,556.The Government are maintaining their efforts to reduce unemployment in Northern Ireland by support for industrial and commercial development and to alleviate the problem in the short term by means of assistance to the unemployed through special employment programmes.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has made any approach to the Irish Rugby Football Union with regard to its intended forthcoming tour of South Africa.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the tour of the Irish Rugby Football Union to South Africa.

The Government's concern about the decision of the Irish Rugby Football Union to send a touring party to South Africa was clearly expressed in a statement made by my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 9 January.As for direct communication with the Irish Rugby Football Union, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which he received from my hon. Friend the Minister with responsibility for sport on 16 February.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in reducing the levels of housing unfitness in the Province since 1979.

In the calendar years 1979 and 1980 over 5,000 unfit dwellings were closed or demolished; nearly 50,000 repair, intermediate and improvement grants were paid in respect of houses in the private sector; 2,600 dwellings were improved by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive or housing associations; and almost 14,000 new houses were completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many young people in Northern Ireland are unemployed; how many have never had a job since leaving school; and how many are on youth opportunities programme schemes.

On 12 February 1981, 9,071 young people under 18 were registered unemployed. This included 6,149 school leavers who have never had a job.At present 6,123 people are participating in the youth opportunities programme. The places on this programme are being increased to 10,000 which will be of direct benefit to unemployed school leavers.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he next expects to meet the Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Mr. Flannery).

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the state of the future order book of Short Brothers Ltd.

The future order book of Short Brothers Limited stands at approximately £220 million, which represents more than two years' work at current output levels.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what fee is charged for an oil or gas exploration licence on land; whether a disturbance allowance may be paid to the occupier; and, if so, of what amount;(2) what inducements to facilitate the discovery of oil and gas on land exist for land owners to make their properties accessible for seismic surveys and drilling; and whether he will list any sanctions that exist in the event of a refusal.

Details of the fees payable in respect of applications for landward petroleum licences are set out in regulation 11 of the Petroleum (Production) Regulations 1976 (S.I. 1976 No. 1129). The periodic payments applicable to licences granted remain as set out in the notice published in the London and Edinburgh Gazettes on 5 August 1980, copies of which have been placed in the House Library. The terms on which the holders of licences may enter on to land is entirely a matter for negotiation between the licensee and the landowner or occupier. In the event of his being refused entry on to land, a licensee may apply under section 4 of the Mines (Working Facilities and Support) Act 1966 as amended, for legal right of access to undertake work under the licence.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he proposes to alter the objectives in the"Plan for Coal" for National Coal Board opencast coal targets, in view of the large coal stocks created by the improvement in productivity in deep mines.

This is a matter for the National Coal Board to consider in the first instance.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will set up a public inquiry into the environmental aspects of the proposal to opencast coal mine in the area near Dordon in North Warwickshire.

There are a number of statutory objections to the Orchard opencast site, North Warwickshire. If these are not withdrawn the statute requires that a public inquiry be held.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has reached any conclusions following his discussion with the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority on the sale of its houses to tenants.

Yes. This is a complex issue. After detailed discussion with the authority I have concluded that whilst it needs houses to aid recruitment, especially at Dounreay, there is scope for some to be sold. I have therefore asked the chairman of the authority to look for ways to satisfy his recruitment needs with a smaller housing stock although I have made it clear that it is up to the authority to decide how to proceed. I have asked the chairman to give me a progress report in a year.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy at which locations further work under the Government's combined heat and power direct heat feasibility programme will be carried out.

The Government have carefully consdered the interim report on stage 1 of the programme, and taken into account the comments which participating local authorities have made on it. We have decided, particularly in the light of these comments which have indicated a high level of interest in the subject, that it is appropriate to carry out the more detailed feasibility work in more areas than was originally envisaged when the programme was announced. Accordingly, the further work will commence as soon as possible in the following nine areas:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will make an announcement regarding the seventh round of offshore licensing.

[pursuant to his reply, 16 December 1980]: I have today placed in the House Library a list of 37 conditional petroleum production licence awards for offshore blocks designated by my Department in the seventh round. Consideration of applications for the remaining blocks is continuing and a further announcement will be made in due course.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the total revenue, whether petrol tax on the motorist as a consumer, or petroleum revenue tax and other taxes on the producers, raised by him on crude oil, petroleum products and gas in the last financial year; and if he will break this down by category of tax, giving an indication of what he hopes to raise in the current financial year.

For 1979–80 Excise duties on hydrocarbon oil were £2,931 million; VAT on petrol is estimated to have been £425 million; and revenues from North Sea oil and gas production were as follows:

Royalties	628*
Petroleum Revenue Tax	1,435*
Corporation Tax	116*
* £ million outturn prices.

In addition, an estimated £100 million of corporation tax was satisfied by setting off advance corporation tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the tax break even point for a married couple with one child in each year since 1949–50, expressed at current and at constant prices and as a percentage of average manual earnings, including estimates for 1980–81.

The figures for a married couple with one child are as follows:

	Break Even Point at Current Prices	Break Even Point at 1949–50 Prices*	Break Even Point as a percentage of average earnings of Manual Worker
Year	£		Per cent
1949–50	308	100·0	83·1
1950–51	308	95·8	78·8
1951–52	333	95·8	77·2
1952–53	388	106·2	83·6
1953–54	388	104·5	78·9
1954–55	388	102·3	73·0
1955–56	448	113·6	77·3
1956–57	449	109·7	72·6
1957–58	449	106·2	68·6
1958–59	450	104·9	67·5
1959–60	450	104·9	63·9
1960–61	450	103·2	59·6
1961–62	460	101·3	57·7
1962–63	460	97·7	55·8
1963–64	588	123·1	67·5
1964–65	588	118·5	62·4
1965–66	585	112·0	57·4
1966–67	585	108·1	55·4
1967–68	585	105·8	52·6
1968–69	585	100·0	48·9
1969–70	630	102·6	48·8
1970–71	746	113·3	51·1
1971–72	797	110·7	49·3
1972–73	971	126·0	52·7
1973–74	975	114·6	45·9
1974–75	1,105	110·1	42·8
1975–76	1,195	95·5	38·0
1976–77	1,385	96·1	39·0
1977–78	1,804	109·7	45·6
1978–79	2,169	121·8	48·0
1979–80	2,633	127·9	49·5
1980–81	2,886	120·1	45·2
* Index 1949–50 = 100.

For the years up to and including 1969–70 the average earnings are the average weekly earnings of male manual workers aged 21 and over in manufacturing and certain other industries in October in each year. For 1970–71 to 1979–80 the average earnings figures are the averages of the figures obtained in the new earnings survey of the average weekly earnings of full time adult male manual employees, at the April of the beginning and end of each year. For 1980–81 the estimated level of earnings for October 1980 has been used. This has been obtained by updating the figure in the new earnings survey for April 1980 of average earnings of full-time adult male manual workers taking account of the movements in a centred three-month moving average of the seasonally adjusted whole economy index of average earnings.For years back to 1957–58 the prices index used is the general index of retail prices—all items—while for earlier years an index derived from the long-term index of prices of consumer goods and services which appears in table D of the publication

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing, for the financial years 1970–71 to 1979–80, the volume overspending (shortfall), expressed as a percentage, against White Paper plans for (a) local authorities' current expenditure in England, (b) local authorities' capital expenditure in England, (c) local authorities' current expenditure in Wales, (d) local authorities' capital expenditure in Wales, (e) local authorities' current expenditure in Scotland, (f) local authorities' capi tal expenditure in Scotland, (g) central Government current expenditure and (h) central Government capital expenditure.

A table showing shortfall by spending authority and economic category for the years 1972–73 to 1979–80 is given in table 3 of"Public Expenditure 1979–80: Outturn Compared with Plan"—Treasury Working Paper No. 16—which has been placed in the House of Commons Library. I regret it is not possible to provide data for earlier years or analysed according to territorial area.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a comparison of the public expenditure and revenue projections in part II of the current Financial Statement and Budget Report with those published in 1980.

Yes. I am placing copies of a technical note on this in the Library of the House.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received seeking relief from value added tax for wheelchairs purchased by charities for general use in the same manner in which wheelchairs supplied to the order of a doctor can be relieved of value added tax if for the use of an individual sick or disabled person.

A few such representations have been received. Under the Value Added Tax (Handicapped Persons and Charities) Order 1981, which comes into force on 17 March, zero rating applies to wheelchairs purchased for general use by charitable institutions providing care or medical or surgical treatment for chronically sick or disabled persons and to wheelchairs purchased with funds provided by a charity or from voluntary subscriptions for donation to such an institution.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is satisfied that sufficient amounts of tax evaded in the black economy are being recovered; what has been the cost of the special measures taken; and how this compares with the returns.

[pursuant to his reply, 10 March 1981, c. 302]: Although we cannot afford to be complacent about tax evasion I am satisfied that the measures taken in recent years by both Revenue departments have contributed significantly to the increased amounts of tax recovered. By special measures the hon. Member may have in mind the special offices set up by the Inland Revenue. Details of the return from these offices was given in my reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short) on 9 March.—[Vol. 1000, c. 261.] The cost of these offices for the year ended 31 October 1980 was about £1·3 million or about l/16th of the yield.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his announced investigation committee into alleged attacks upon ethnic minorities will include the question of attacks upon homes, businesses, and places of worship; whether questions of the alleged delays and procrastination upon the part of the police in investigating such complaints will be included; and whether hon. Members will be able to submit evidence on delays by the police in confirming statements and complaints of hon. Members demanding action.

The study will embrace all attacks of an allegedly racialist nature. Complaints against the police about specific incidents fall to be dealt with under the appropriate statutory procedure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why it took his Department until 6 March to reply to the communication dated 9 January from the hon. Member for Newham, North-West giving details of attacks upon the ethnic minorities in Newham, and their religious temple; what was contained in this eventual reply which could not have been sent earlier; and whether he will ensure that the police deal more expeditiously with such matters.

The information sought by the hon. Member was not availabl within the Home Office or centrally within the Metropolitan Police. We and they always try to deal with correspondence from the hon. Member as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider granting an amnesty to users of 27 MHz AM citizens band radio sets to give them time to change over to 27 MHz FM.

No. The evidence of the harm 27 MHz AM transmissions do is so clear that we cannot encourage this by any form of amnesty or lead-in period.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied that no legal complications will arise because of the fact that three electoral divisions proposed in the county of Humberside (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1981 are to be given the same name

My right hon. Friend foresees no legal or other complications arising from the fact that three districts in Humberside are each to have an electoral division named"Park", nor did he receive any representations about this matter during the statutory period allowed for representations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has now given to the points raised by the hon. Member for Goole in the debate on the Adjournment on 4 March so for as they relate to the period between the date of receipt of the correction sheet by the Local Government Boundary Commission and the making of the County of Humberside (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1981; and what consequences he considers flow from the fact that the period was less than the six weeks required by section 51(2) of the Local Government Act 1972.

My right hon. Friend has examined the correction sheet referred to by the hon. Member and is satisfied that it does not constitute"proposals" for the purposes of section 51(2) of the Local Government Act 1972, under which electoral arrangements orders may not be made until after the expiry of six weeks from the day on which proposals have been submitted to him by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will list the police authorities in the United Kingdom which currently operate cars not manufactured or assembled in the United Kingdom;(2) what advice his Department has given to police authorities on their vehicle purchasing policy, especially in view of discounting and other fleet incentive offers from foreign manufacturers.

Home Office circular No. 107/1975 issued on 25 June 1975 suggested to chief officers of police and to police authorities that before buying a foreign car they would wish to survey the market carefully and satisfy themselves that no suitable British-made car of comparable specification and price was available. Home Office circular No. 9/1981 drew attention again to that advice. Copies of the circulars are in the Library of the House.According to notifications reaching the Home Office by 10 March 1981 under the terms of the circulars, police forces in England and Wales had the following holdings of cars assembled abroad:

Force	Numbers of Cars Assembled Abroad
Avon and Somerset	10
Bedfordshire	11
Cambridgeshire	0
Cheshire	0
City of London	5
Cleveland	18
Cumbria	7
Derbyshire	13

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish details of the cars operated by police authorities in the United Kingdom, listing them by manufacturer or assembler.

Such derails are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to introduce legislation to strengthen the penalties for people convicted of shooting animal life with crossbows, guns or pistols; and if he will make a statement.

No. The Wildlife and Countryside Bill, however, as amended in another place, would impose fresh prohibitions on certain methods of killing wild mammals.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether she will take steps to ensure that appropriate deductions in pay are made in the case of all civil servants when on strike.

Civil servants who take strike action do not receive any pay or allowances related to pay. This rule is applied strictly by all Departments on the basis of instructions issued by my Department.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether she will estimate and publish the cost of any strike by civil servants.

Some strikes by civil servants can affect both payments and receipts by Government Departments, but the net effect will vary from day to day. It is not practicable generally to determine net costs for every strike particularly for those of a limited duration.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether she will take account of the cost to public funds of strikes by civil servants when negotiating the pay of such civil servants.

Strike action by civil servants does not necessarily result in a net cost to public funds, but I will bear my right hon. and learned Friend's proposal in mind.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service to what extent civil servants pay a weekly or monthly sum towards their indexed pensions; how many are in this grouping; what are the amounts so paid as a percentage of salary; and how many are reckoned to have their salaries notionally reduced to account for such pension contributions.

In settling the wage and salary levels of all 695,000 civil servants account has been taken of differences between their pension arrangements and those of employees in comparable work and in addition male civil servants, of whom there are about 418,000, pay direct contributions of ½ per cent. of salary towards the cost of widows' pensions. In its report on the valuation of public sector pensions—Cmnd. 8147, paragraph 76—the Scott committee reported that civil servants effectively pay an amount equal to 7·9 per cent. of their gross pay for pension benefits.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service, pursuant to the reply of the Minister for Social Services to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North East on 22 January, Official Report, c. 213, that the report of Sir Derek Rayner into his Department's validation of national insurance contribution records was still awaited, whether the report listed in reply to the hon. Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Garrett) on 2 March, Official Report, c. 54–56, as having been placed in the Library on 10 November 1980 is the same report; and if she will make a statement.

The report on the validation of national insurance contribution records is still awaited. The document referred to in my reply to the hon. Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Garrett) on 2 March—[Vol. 999, c. 54–56]—was incorrectly identified as a report. It is a copy of the study plan and work programme for the scrutiny.I am informed that in addition to the documents listed in that reply the Department of Health and Social Security scrutiny report on arrangements for paying social security benefits is available in the Library as annex II to Cmnd. 8106.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements for Thursday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her official engagements for 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 March.

I refer the hon. Members and my hon. Friends to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Keighley (Mr. Cryer).

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the co-operation between the Departments of Energy, Environment and Health and Social Security with regard to the level of lead in petrol and its possible damage to health.

Yes.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the co-ordination between the Secretaries of State for Education and Science and Social Services in the provision of opportunities and benefits for the 16-to-19-year age group.

Yes.

asked the Prime Minister if she will meet the leaders of the London borough councils to discuss the viability of the local authority system.

No. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment regularly meets representatives of local government, and his meetings are a more suitable forum for discussion of this subject.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement about the future custodianship of the Great Seal of the Realm.

The custodianship of the Great Seal of the Realm remains and will remain with the Lord Chancellor, who whenever appointed has been the Keeper of the Great Seal since before the Norman Conquest.

asked the Prime Minster if she will list the number of hon. Members she has seen on matters relating to factory closures since she last answered oral questions; and how many jobs are expected to be lost in the closures discussed.

Three since 10 March; several hundred jobs were involved.

asked the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Ankara.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether she is now in a position to give details of the progress of the Government's policy of encouraging the sale of council house by local authorities; and what action is to be taken regarding those councils which are failing to carry out their statutory duties in that connection.

I am glad to be able to tell my hon. Friend that some 118,000 council and new town houses were sold in Great Britain between the last general election and 31 December 1980; and that at that date more than 100,000 further sales to sitting tenants were in the process of negotiation.The Department of the Environment has now formally approached 16 authorties in England—listed in the

asked the Prime Minister whether she will seek a meeting with the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland during his visit to London next week.

I have no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will take whatever action may prove necessary for the wedding day of the Prince of Wales to be declared a public holiday.

Yes. The wedding day on Wednesday 29 July will be a public holiday throughout the United Kingdom.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will ensure that during the forthcoming United Kingdom Presidency of the European Community's Council of Ministers there will be no change in the policy of Her Majesty's Government that British Ministers, whether at home or abroad, do not meet representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organisation so long as the Palestine Liberation Organisation does not recognise Israel's right to exist; and whether she will make a statement.

There are no plans for meetings between British Ministers and representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organisation. It is, however, possible that in the second half of the year, while this country holds the Presidency of the European Community, it may be necessary for my noble Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs representing the Presidency, to meet representatives of the PLO. The PLO at present holds the Presidency of the Arab League. Such a meeting would not be the first occasion on which the Presidency of the Community had met the PLO.

Commitments
	1975 £ million	1976 £ million	1977 £ million	1978 £ million	1979 £ million	1980 £ million	Total £ million
England of which	12·10	28·94	26·75	43·61	76·29	75·03	262·72
Northern Region	7·17	18·86	18·30	18·27	25·71	25·12	113·43
North West Region	3·03	6·85	5·36	19·81	34·33	28·94	98·32
Yorkshire and Humberside Region	1·00	2·10	2·34	4·06	7·24	18·21	34·95
East Midlands Region	0·11	0·39	0·33	0·30	1·03	0·69	2·85
West Midlands Region	0·01	—	—	—	0·04	0·30	0·35
South West Region	0·78	0·74	0·42	1·17	7·94	1·77	12·82
Scotland	9·85	14·61	13·93	24·83	37·17	26·69	127·08
Wales	6·20	8·36	6·51	17·05	21·72	32·47	92·31
Northern Ireland	7·75	7·22	8·13	14·22	27·75	19·22	84·29
Total United Kingdom	35·90	59·13	55·32	99·71	162·93	153·41	566·40

Payments
	1975 £ million	1976 £ million	1977 £ million	1978 £ million	1979 £ million	1980 £ million	Total £ million
England of which:	1·22	19·28	22·32	20·45	50·11	66·55	179·93
Northern Region	0·69	13·03	14·15	12·33	16·74	20·40	77·34
North West Region	0·32	4·26	4·49	5·44	29·63	26·91	71·05
Yorkshire and Humberside Region	0·15	1·29	2·60	1·64	2·31	14·70	22·69
East Midlands Region	0·01	0·15	0·24	0·20	0·96	0·50	2·06
West Midlands Region	—	0·01	—	—	—	0·10	0·11
South West Region	0·05	0·54	0·85	0·84	0·46	3·94	6·68
Scotland	2·02	5·78	15·73	9·90	21·28	26·86	81·57