asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 March.

I have been asked to reply.I refer the hon. Gentlemen and my hon. Friends to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for West Stirlingshire (Mr. Canavan).

asked the Prime Minister if it is the intention of the Government to close the gap between the level of child benefit and the long-term supplementay benefit for dependent children.

I have been asked to reply.The two benefits serve different purposes: supplementary benefit is a maintenance benefit, and child benefit is primarily an addition to the income of working families to help with the cost of bringing up children. It would cost £2½ billion to close the gap between the two levels of benefit, and the Government have no plans to make this change.

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

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister 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.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has had no such meetings since 19 March.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will make an official visit to Cargreen.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the overall effects of the housing policy being pursued by her Government.

I have been asked to reply.I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Stockport, North (Mr. Bennett) on 26 February 1981.—[Vol. 999, c.

asked the Prime Minister when she next intends to visit Kirkburton.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister what is the policy of her Majesty's Government towards trade, capital investment and sale of technology to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

I have been asked to reply.Our policy continues to be one of pursuing trade on the basis of mutual advantage. There are no special restrictions applying to Soviet investment in the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom Government impose no restrictions on British firms investing in the Soviet Union. The sale of technology is subject to the COCOM rules.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what have been the total numbers of new civil servants employed for each month from November 1980 to February 1981 inclusive.

[pursuant to his reply, 18 March 1981, c. 125]: Monthly totals of new entrants to the non-industrial Home Civil Service up to the latest month for which reliable data are available—up-dating the information I gave to my hon. Friend on 13 November 1980, Vol. 992, c. 374—are as follows. Quarterly totals are also given as they are less prone to erratic fluctuations.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidance is given to local education authorities on ways of collecting statistics on the number and distribution of minority pupils and their educational performance to help assess their needs.

No such guidance has been given by the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will issue guidance on countering discrimination and combating racist activity in schools.

Guidance on the provisions of the Race Relations Act 1976, including those relating to discrimination in education and the promotion of good race relations, was given in June 1977 in a joint circular to local authorities. My right hon. and learned Friend would deprecate discriminatory practices or racialist activities in schools and will consider what further guidance, if any, is needed in the light of the recommendations of the committee of inquiry into the education of children from ethnic minority groups, which is sitting under the chairmanship of Mr. Anthony Rampton.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will hold discussions with the examination boards on the need to reflect the existence of a multi-ethnic society in their syllabuses.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what museums and art galleries the Minister for the Arts visited in Liverpool on 20 March; what the purpose was of his visit; and if he will make a statement.

I visited the County museum, the Walker art gallery, Speke Hall, and the new Maritime Museum. The visit was one of a series which will help me to become better acquainted with museums and the arts outside London. I was particularly glad to be able to congratulate Merseyside county museum service on its successful bid for funds from the European Community for the Maritime museum, and was delighted to see the great effort being made by the greater Merseyside county council to promote the arts in Merseyside.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the chairmen of the new towns concerning the admittance of the press and public to meetings of the town development corporations; and if he will make a statement.

I had a useful discussion with the chairmen on 13 March and I am considering the matter further in the light of the views expressed. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as I have reached a decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the annual sum spent per mile on the building, maintenance and improvement of all roads, including unclassified roads, in Scotland for each year between 1975 and 1980.

The following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the projects approved under the urban aid programme in Dundee in the latest year and the amount involved in each case.

The information is set out in the table below:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to publish his response to the report of the Select Committee on Scottish Affairs on the dispersal of Civil Service jobs to Glasgow and the West of Scotland.

I hope to submit the Government's response to the Select Committee shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the costs incurred by each of the milk marketing boards in Scotland in respect of each litre of milk produced for which they were responsible for the latest available year.

The boards are responsible to their registered producers for the costs they incur. However, each board's accounts for 1977–78 are included;al the report on agricultural marketing schemes for the period 1977–78 presented to Parliament in January 1980 pursuant to section 30 of the Agricultural Marketing Act 1958. A copy of each board's annual report and accounts for 1979–80 may be obtained from the board concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, in the light of the establishment of the national heritage memorial fund, he will make a statement about the future of the heritage grant for Scotland.

When extra funds to assist with the preservation of the national heritage were first made available in 1978, it was decided that the Scottish share should be kept as a central fund which was entitled the Heritage Grant for Scotland, to which any public of nonprofit-making private museum, gallery or similar institution in Scotland could apply for assistance with purchases. In the light of experience of the administration of the Heritage Grant, and in view of the establishment from 1 April 1980 of the national heritage memorial fund, whose resources are available to assist with the preservation of the national heritage throughout the United Kingdom, I have decided that the Heritage Grant for Scotland should cease to operate from 31 March 1981. The sums allocated to it—£424,000 for 1981–82—will be added to the purchase grants of the four national institutions and the local museums purchase fund.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if there are plans to establish a Scottish science reference library; and if he will make a statement.

The proposal that a Scottish science reference library (SSRL) should be established as a national resource and reference centre for scientists by amalgamating the scientific collections in the library of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and those of th National Library of Scotland was made in the report of a joint working party of those two bodies.Discussions between those two bodies and my Department have led to agreement that the SSRL should be set up and housed in new premises proposed for the National Library at Causewayside, Edinburgh. This would permit the establishment under one roof of a comprehensive scientific reference library which would be of great

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the estimated annual cost of the staff at (a) the special security block at Parkhurst and (b) the special wing at Leicester in 1979 and 1980, respectively.

The estimated annual cost of the staff at the special security block at Parkhurst in 1979 and 1980 was £200,000 and £270,000 respectively.The special wing at Leicester was not reopened, after refurbishing, until February 1980. The estimated staff cost from February to December 1980 was £170,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the daily average population of (a) the special security block at Parkhurst and (b) the special wing at Leicester in 1979 and 1980.

The special security wing at Leicester was closed for essential building work throughout 1979 and was not reopened until 25 February 1980. The population of the special security wings at Leicester and Parkhurst during 1979 and 1980 was as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is now in a position to announce the level of grants to Scottish museums and galleries and to the National Library of Scotland for 1981–82.

I am pleased to announce the following allocations, subject to parliamentary approval:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the line of command for traffic wardens in London puts wardens in each division under control of district commanders, or some other officer; and, in the latter event, to whom.

I understand from the Commissioner that traffic wardens are under the operational direction and control of the commander of the traffic district, which comprises the whole of the Metropolitan Police district. Day-to-day control is exercised by traffic chief superintendents in close liaison with senior officers in divisions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the prisons in the United Kingdom to which only sex offenders are sent.

There are no such prisons in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will be assuming responsibility under section 34 of the Criminal Justice Act 1972 for the designation of the proposed overnight shelters as alternative to police cells.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the proposed overnight shelters will have the minimum provisions of unrestricted admission, a professional member of staff always on duty, a doctor on call, a counselling service available and arrangements for a voluntary move into a long-term rehabilitation programme or accommodation.

Arrangements for the shelters, which will take account of their function and local circumstances, are still being developed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the overnight shelter at Bordersley is yet in operation; and if the site for a shelter in London has now been confirmed.

The centre at Bordersley has not yet opened. Negotiations for a London centre in the Vauxhall area are still in progress.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek powers to proscribe any organisation that has the advancement of paedophilia among its objectives.

We share the feelings behind my hon. Friend's request, but my right hon. Friend has no reason to think that the existing law is inadequate for the protection of children.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has for the improvement of conditions in Wales for men and women prisoners;(2) what plans he has for the improvement of prison conditions in Walton, Shrewsbury, Swansea and Cardiff prisons.

The Department's policies generally are intended to improve conditions for prisoners in England and Wales within the available resources. If the hon. Member is concerned about a specific aspect of prison conditions in one or more prisons and will write to me, I will give him the available information.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the evidence on which he has based his decision not to impose any further controls on firearms.

Having studied carefully the scope of existing legislation and the extent of the misuse of firearms, we are not persuaded that more stringent controls would have a significant effect on the level of crime, or that the extra work that would result for the police service would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure that arrangements will continue to be made at British airports and seaports to enable British citizens to enter passport control through a separate channel from other European Economic Community nationals.

At the less busy ports there is only one channel, which is used by all passengers. At the busier ports holders of United Kingdom passports generally go through a separate channel, but the arrangements made at any particular time are those thought likely to achieve the most rapid clearance of all passengers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about economies in the fire service suggested by the employers' secretary on the Joint Council for Local Authorities' Fire Brigades and his letter of 3 February informing the acting employees' side secretary of the employers' decision to withdraw forthwith from the 1977 pay agreement; what replies he has sent or is sending; and if he will make a statement.

The executive council of the Fire Brigades Union has asked me to meet it so that it may convey to me its concern about matters which it says affect the operational efficiency and manning of the fire service, and I have agreed to do so. The pay and conditions of service of firemen are, however, negotiated in the National Joint Council, on which the Government are not represented.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his Department's research unit 's report entitled "Persistent Petty Offenders"; and what action he intends to take to alleviate overcrowding in prisons by petty offenders.

"Persistent Petty Offenders", Home Office research study No. 66, describes four projects whose aim was to explore ways in which such offenders might be diverted from custody. The study discussed alternative approaches to such offenders but concluded that, even if diversion were successful, it would not solve the problem of overcrowding in prisons because the identified numbers were so small.None the less, the Government recognise the importance of developing the alternatives to imprisonment for petty offenders which are available to the courts, and will continue to encourage the provision of facilities such as hostels and day centres. The first experimental overnight shelter for drunkenness offenders is expected to open shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is issued to the police with regard to liaison and co-operation with welfare bodies and organisers at pop festivals.

A letter sent to chief officers of police in 1977 gave information about the work of the Festival Welfare Services Committee in co-ordinating the welfare services provided by voluntary organisations at pop festivals. The letter also described the role of the full-time field worker employed in this area.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will prepare legislation to relax the requirements of the law on the places where invalids and prisoners may marry.

The Government have decided to prepare legislation to amend the marriage law so as to allow prisoners to be married in prison and also housebound invalids to be married in the place where they are living. At present the escort to a church or register office outside prison of prisoners who cannot safely be temporarily released may present serious difficulties, although the Government allow prisoners facilities to get married in so far as this is practicable. After the passage of the legislation, which the Government have decided to prepare, having regard to recent deliberations of the European Commission of Human Rights, prisoners' marriages could take place +without the restrictions and delays which now apply. The necessary adjusments in law and practice will apply in England and Wales and in Northern Ireland; no such change is necessary in Scottish law and practice. We will initiate consultations at an early date to assist in preparing the legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what increase there has been in National Health Service staff since May 1979 in Wales.

Between May 1979 and September 1980 the total number employed rose by 2,100, the great majority of whom are nurses and midwives. Later figures are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales why, in contrast to England, no specific sum has been made available in Wales for the development of community support services; what the source of finance for the Welsh service is to be; and what other sources and means of collaboration with regard to care of the elderly he plans to explore.

The Welsh Office encourages the closest possible collaboration between health and local authorities, including joint financing of services in which both have an interest. Funds are reserved centrally each year to support joint initiatives. The amount earmarked for this purpose in 1981–82 is £200,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many extra consultants will be appointed in the Principality in geriatrics and psychogeriatrics in the next 12 months; how many extra junior hospital staff will be appointed in support; what the central location of each new consultant will be; what area each will be responsible for; and what proportion of the announced increase in the cash limits for the coming year will be taken up by these new appointments for each of the eight health authorities.

Hospital medical appointments are the responsibility of the health authorities; information about their detailed proposals over the next 12 months is not held centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the disaggregated grant-related expenditure assessments for Welsh local education authorities.

Block grant supports local authority revenue expenditure generally and is not earmarked for particular services. In Wales, the 1981–82 grant-related expendture (GRE) calculations were made initially on a service basis at 1978–79 volume and prices and then adjusted, using a single common factor, to determine, on a non-service basis, the overall assessment for each county council at the volume and prices accepted for the 1981–82 rate support grant settlement. Consequently the methodology used in Wales to determine GRE does not provide disaggregated assessments for individual services.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total gallonage of water impounded in Welsh reservoirs and subsequently used in England in 1980.

Figures for 1980 are not yet available. In 1979, 46,377 million gallons of water were supplied for use in England direct from impounding reservoirs in Wales. This figure does not include abstractions from rivers regulated by reservoirs in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the value of the tourist industry to Wales in 1980.

Present estimates from the Wales Tourist Board suggest a total revenue from tourism of over £500 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many workers in Wales became unemployed, on average, for each week between 3 May 1979 and 10 March 1981.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the average number of registrations at jobcentres/employment offices between May 1979 and February 1981 was around 5,300. During the same period the average number of persons leaving the register each week was in the region of 4,700.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many housing associations in Wales will have new housing projects in 1981–82; how many will not; and if he will make a statement.

It is not known how many of the 129 registered housing associations in Wales have proposals for new schemes which could commence in 1981–82; 36 associations feature in the Housing Corporation's planned programme of new scheme approvals.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales on which major trunk road schemes work is expected to start in 1981–82; what is the total cost of such schemes; and if he will make a statement on trunk road policy in Wales.

The information, for trunk road schemes costing over £1 million is as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe on 18 March, if he will now make an estimate of the impact so far of the Civil Service pay dispute on the Government's income.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many new factory units and how many square feet of factory space have been provided by the Welsh Development Agency since its inception; and if he will make a statement.

Four hundred and forty-four units totalling 4·5 million square feet. Of these, 374 units are advance factories and the balance extensions or new units built to order. The WDA has a further 3·6 million square feet—some 650 units—either under construction or planned.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the increase in price, in cash terms, each month since March 1974, of a basket of goods and services representative of the retail price index, costing £10 at that date, to the latest date available.

The information requested is as follows:

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave yesterday to my right hon. Friend the Member for Yeovil (Mr. Peyton)—[Vol. 1, c. 633–36.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the estimated cost of abolishing the national insurance surcharge for manufacturing, mining and quarry industries (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in Wales.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to the Exchequer of exempting all widows' pensions as income for tax purposes.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to the Exchequer of exempting from tax the widow's allowance paid during the first six months of widowhood.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the effect on the retail price index of his Budget proposal to introduce the supplementary petroleum duty;(2) if he will estimate the respective effects on the retail price index of his Budget proposals to increase the duty on

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect on the retail price index of his Budget proposal to levy a special once-for-all tax on deposits of banking businesses that were in operation on 10 March 1981.

This measure will have no direct effect on the RPI.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect on the retail price index of his Budget projection of a public sector borrowing requirement of 10½ billion for 1981–82.

I refer my hon. Friend to pages 5, 10 and 11 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report, where he will find an account of the effects of budget measures on the RPI and the public sector accounts.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the respective effects on the retail price index of his Budget proposals (a) to increase the tax on company cars and (b) to tax (i) petrol provided by employers for employees, (ii) travel costs met by employers and (iii) the use of credit cards by employees.

None of these measures will have a direct effect on the RPI.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many retirement pensioners will be paying tax as a result of his decisions not to increase personal allowances and to increase pensions; what will be the cost of collection; and how many civil servants will be required for this purpose.

[pursuant to his reply, 19 March 1981, c. 176]: The basic retirement pension receivable in 1981–82 by a single woman under 65 will be higher than the single person's tax allowance, but those with no income apart from basic pension will in practice be kept out of tax by the Inland Revenue's administrative tolerances. Some of them who have additions to their basic pension may become liable to tax for the first time in 1981–82. The number is likely to be much less than the figure of 600,000 which has been referred to, but it is not possible to make a realistic estimate, nor to estimate the associated collection and manpower cost because it is not known how many who have such additions also have other income and would be liable to tax even if allowances for 1981–82 had been fully indexed.

asked the Attorney-General if he will introduce legislation so that (a) those charged with offences arising from attendance at pop festivals and similar events held at long distances from normal places of residence who are subsequently found not guilty should be entitled to reimbursement of their travel costs from their home to the court and (b) to require that such costs be taken into account in sentencing convicted defendants.

No. When a defendant is acquitted a court may award costs against the prosecution. These costs may, in appropriate cases, take account of his travel costs. In addition, when he is acquitted of an indictable offence the court may award costs out of central funds and regulations provide for the payment of travel costs. When a defendant is convicted the court may take his travel costs into account on sentencing him.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy which individual industries are levied for the purpose of meeting claims for re-adaptation assistance for workers leaving opencast and deep coal mining and the steel indusry; and how the assistance is assessed in each case.

The Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community provides for a levy to be imposed on the production of coal and steel, as defined in annex 1 of the Treaty, for the purpose of financing a number of activities covered by the Treaty. Amongst these activities is the provision of re-adaptation aid under article 56 of the Treaty. The ECSC does not itself make payments of this aid to individuals, but contributes towards the costs of the various Government and industry schemes. The United Kingdom Government schemes are set out in S.I. 1978/415 as amended (for coal) and S.I. 954/79 as amended (for Steel). The former does not cover opencast operations.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many new jobs have been created in (a) the North-West, (b) Merseyside, (c) Kirkby and (d) Ormskirk since May 1979.

Figures are not recorded for the numbers of new jobs created: there is no requirement for such information to be notified to Government Departments.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) what is the current production level of pig iron in the United Kingdom; and what is the estimate of domestic production of pig iron for the next two years; (2) if he is satisfied with the adequacy of domestic production of pig iron in the United Kingdom for the next two years.

United Kingdom production of pig iron totalled 166,400 tonnes in 1980, though this figure was affected by the strike in the British Steel Corporation at the beginning of the year. My right hon. Friend has made no estimate of future production levels.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether, under section 5(3) of the Iron and Steel Act 1975, he will require the British Steel Corporation to provide information on its future level of domestic pig iron production within the United Kingdom.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the main measures of Government intervention in the economy and support for industry in each of the member States of the EEC, Japan and the United States of America, tabulating the amount of each country's gross domestic product expended on these schemes, comparing that with the amount expended on similar schemes in the United Kingdom.

Information is not available in the form requested. However, examples of the type of assistance given in member countries of OECD were cited in an annex to a report presented to the OECD Council in 1979 entitled "Inventory of the Adjustment Measures taken by Member Governments since 1974". A copy of this document is available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he plans next to meet the chairman of the Manpower Services Commission to discuss the commission's budget.

I have no immediate plans to do so, but I meet the chairman of the Manpower Services Commission from time to time to discuss a variety of matters, including the commission's planned expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will undertake a survey of Manpower Services Commission operations throughout the development and special development areas to investigate any deficiencies that may exist in the funding of a special measures unit.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what measures have been taken to reduce the quantity of information required by his Department from small firms.

Since this Government took office, the statistical forms sent out to businesses by my Department have been reduced by over 350,000 a year, or about 25 per cent. In addition, cancellation of the 1979 and 1980 censuses of employment saved well over 1 million forms. Most of the forms saved would have been sent to small firms.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the rate of unemployment in the Preston travel-to-work area.

At 12 March the provisional rate of unemployment in the Preston travel-to-work area was 9·7 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the progress of the job release scheme.

Since the job release scheme was introduced in January 1977, 142,500 people have joined the scheme. At the end of February 1981, 59,500 people were being supported by the schemes.As I announced in the House on 21 November 1980 the job release schemes will be continued for a further year on the present basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of people registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom.

At 12 March the provisional number of people registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom was 2,484,712.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the latest unemployment figures for the United Kingdom and for Merseyside, respectively.

The seasonally adjusted rise of 77,000 for the United Kingdom, announced today, confirms that the rate of increase is slower than it was at the end of last year.Seasonally adjusted figures for Merseyside special development area are not available, but the unadjusted figure increased by 450, to 109,937 between February and March.Increases in recent months have been much slower in Merseyside than in the rest of the North-West, but unemployment there remains unacceptably high.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest estimated increase in the number of working people who are becoming unemployed on an annual and weekly basis.

The provisional increase in registered unemployment in the United Kingdom between February and March was 77,000 seasonally adjusted and excluding school leavers. This increase represents the difference between the large numbers of people joining and leaving the register between the two counts. On a weekly basis the increase would be 19,000 and on an annual basis 1,000,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest percentages of the male and female working population unemployed in total and for those aged over 55 years and over 60 years; and if he will make a statement.

At 12 March the Great Britain unemployment rate, expressing unemployment as a percentage of the employed population—both employed and unemployed—was 12·3 per cent. for males and 7·0 per cent. for females.At 15 January 1981, the latest date for which the quarterly age analysis is available, the estimated unemployment rates for Great Britain were:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the registered number of unemployed at the latest available date.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest available figures for the seasonally non-adjusted number of unemployed, including school leavers in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest figure for unemployment throughout the United Kingdom.

At 12 March the provisional number of people registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom was 2,484,712.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment by how much unemployment has increased since May 1979.

Between May 1979 and March 1981 the numbers registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom, seasonally adjusted and excluding school leavers, increased by 1,075,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of registered unemployed people in the United Kingdom; and what is his estimate of the number of non-registered unemployed.

At 12 March, the provisional number of people registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom was 2,484,712.I have nothing to add to the answer about estimates of the non-registered unemployed which my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member on 27 January 1981.—[Vol. 997, c. 368.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will seek to make the European social fund guidelines for 1982 to 1984 more responsive to the needs of those depressed areas of England, Wales and Scotland which do not currently count as areas of absolute priority under the fund rules.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom which is designated by the regulations of the European social fund as a region of absolute priority in the Community. So far as the rest of the United Kingdom is concerned, the guidelines for the management of the fund already give priority to schemes in Scotland, Wales and the areas of greatest need in England. We will continue to press for recognition within the social fund of the problems of those areas within the United Kingdom where the need is greatest.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many applications from private voluntary bodies in the United Kingdom for support from the European social fund have been successful since 1973.

Twenty-six applications for assistance from the European social fund from voluntary organisations have secured allocations since 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current level of unemployment in Wisbech for those aged (i) 18 years and under, (ii) 21 years and under for (a) boys and (b) girls; and what percentage of each of these groups has never had a job.

At 15 January, the latest date for which an age analysis is available, there were 213 males and 159 females aged 18 years and under registered as unemployed in the Wisbech employment office area. Of these, 28·2 per cent. of males and 38·4 per cent. of females had not entered employment since completing full-time education. Similar information for those aged 19 to 21 is not available. The hon. Member will recall that last November I announced a major expansion of the youth opportunities programme to provide up to 440,000 opportunities for the young unemployed in 1981–82.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that adequate provision for security of employment is given to those employed by companies using closed shop agreements.