asked the Attorney-General on what basis the maximum level of loss of earnings allowance paid to persons undertaking jury service is calculated.

The maximum allowance is based on the national average for earnings, but free of income tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will move to set up a House of Commons Committee consisting of senior Members of Parliament to scrutinise the operation of the Security Services; and if he will make a statement.

No. I would refer the hon. Member to the statement on security matters made to the House by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 26 March.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what has been the total sum expressed in current cash terms adjusted for inflation of which the pay of an hon. Member from February 1974 to date has been less than the total salary recommended by the Boyle committee over this period.

Fifteen thousand one hundred and fifty-nine pounds.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will introduce proposals to commemorate in the Palace of Westminster the 600th anniversary of the Peasants Revolt of 1381.

I have no such proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the change in the volume of imports of finished manufactures between 1979 ad 1980.

The volume of United Kingdom imports of finished manufactures rose by 2½ per cent. in 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he expects to publish the Green Paper in response to the Whitford committee's Report on copyright and design law.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many trade missions from the United Kingdom visited Angola in 1980; and how many are planned for 1981.

There were no British Overseas Trade Board-supported trade missions to Angola in 1980. No proposals were received from industry for such missions. So far one proposal has been received for a mission in 1981. In addition, the Angolan Minister of External Trade has been invited to visit the United Kingdom as a guest of Her Majesty's Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the value in 1980 of British exports to, and imports from, the Turkish-occupied parts of Cyprus.

The value of United Kingdom exports to Cyprus as a whole in 1980 was £109 million fob; the corresponding figure for imports was £98 million cif. Information is not available about trade with particular regions of Cyprus.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many merger proposals he has referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission and how many he has not recommended to be examined so far this year; and how these figures compare with the equivalent period last year.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many merger proposals he has referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission and how many he has declined to refer since the beginning of the current year; and how these figures compare with those for the same period in 1980.

In the period 1 January to 3 April this year, four proposed mergers were referred to the Commission; and I decided not to refer 29 mergers qualifying for reference. Comparable figures for the same period of 1980 were two and 50. Under the separate provisions governing newspaper transfers, one qualifying newspaper transfer has been referred to the Commission so far this year and one has not. The comparable figures for the same period of 1980 were one and two.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he intends to make any references under section 11 of the Competition Act 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he intends to make any references under section 11 of the Competition Act 1980.

My right hon. Friend intends to make further references in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what study he has made of consumer problems arising from blocked flues and other chimney difficulties; what steps he is taking to improve public knowledge in this area; and if he will make a statement.

158 deaths were reported in England and Wales in 1979 from accidental poisoning by gas and vapours. In most cases the cause appears to be the incomplete combustion of gas and other domestic fuels such as coal, smokeless fuels and oil used in domestic heating appliances. For safe operation, these appliances need a constant supply of oxygen with adequate means of conveying the products of combustion, which can be poisonous, into the outside air. If the appliances are not kept in good order or are used with blocked chimneys orflues, or in rooms without adequate ventilation, the occupants may be in danger of death from monoxide poisoning. I understand that this risk may be largely prevented by householders taking simple and in most cases relatively inexpensive precautions.It is my hope to launch a safety campaign, the purpose of which will be able to draw attention to the hazards and the means of preventing them, before next winter. I am glad to be able to tell the hon. Member that bodies promoting the sale of heating appliances and fuels, and organisations concerned with home safety, have offered to co-operate fully in this campaign.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what measures he has taken recently to improve safety at sea within United Kingdom territorial waters.

My Department is continuously reviewing and bringing up to date the statutory requirements and regulations relating to safety at sea. The work of the marine survey service and the coastguard is devoted to raising safety standards and to reducing the risk to life of those at sea.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the present state of discussions on the problems posed by imports of textile products from the United States of America.

Following a Commission report on its recent discussions with the United States, the Council of Foreign Ministers agreed in March that the issue should be kept high on the agenda of EC/US relations. It instructed the Commission to maintain pressure on the United States Administration over gas price deregulation and over the damage being caused by the high level of United States exports to the United Kingdom. Further discussions are taking place, and I expect a further report at the next meeting of the Council.The Government have considered against that background the case for unilateral action by the United Kingdom. They have concluded that, on balance, such action would not be the right course at this time. It will, however, continue to keep the situation under careful review.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the balance of trade in 1980–81 between the United Kingdom and Spain; and what he expects it to be in 1981–82.

Information later than February 1981 is not at present available. The Provisional figure for the crude deficit on trade with Spain in the twelve months from March 1980 to February 1981 is £57 million. I prefer not to venture an estimate for 1981–82.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he expects the Monopolies and Mergers Commission to report on its investigation into the efficiency and costs of the Central Electricity Generating Board.

My right hon. Friend has now received this report, which will be published as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether progress has been made with a view to the liberalisation of air services and the level of air fares in the European Economic community; and whether he intends to take further initiatives in this matter during the United Kingdom 's Presidency of the Council.

Work is proceeding on draft proposals for a more liberal regime of regional services and for greater freedom for low weight cargo operators. A study of air fares is also in hand, which we hope will lead to action to enable the airlines to offer competitive low fares free from restrictive conditions. We shall do our best during the United Kingdom's presidency to ensure that air services initiatives are handled effectively.Progress is slower than we would wish, but I am encouraged by the recent wide acceptance by European Governments of British Airways' new lower Eurobudget fares and by the Netherlands' agreement to British Caledonian Airways' miniprix fare between Gatwick and Amsterdam.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how Japanese car imports as a proportion of total car imports into the United Kingdom in 1980 compared with the proportion in the years 1975 to 1979.

The precentages of the total numbers of passenger motor cars imported into the United Kingdom which are represented by cars consigned from Japan have been as follows:

	Percentage
1975	28
1976	24
1977	23
1978	21
1979	19
1980	22 (provisional)

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will take steps to raise tariffs for goods from countries whose tariffs against similar goods from the United Kingdom are inordinately high.

The widely varied tariff structures of different countries reflect the various tariffs operated before the conclusion of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1947, and the extent of the obligations to lower tariffs that have been undertaken in successive rounds of negotiation in the GATT. The opration by some countries in some sectors of tariffs much higher than the Community's common customs tariff on corresponding goods is not contrary to the international trade rules and does not constitute a reason for us to propose increases in the level of Community tariffs.Some such disparities are being gradually reduced by the phased tariff cuts agreed at the end of the Tokyo round in 1979, and account is taken of the treatment certain newly industrialising countries give our exports in framing policy towards concessions for them under the Community's generalised preference scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he has any plans to seek to amend the legislation governing references of proposed newspaper purchases to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

I am currently considering whether there is a need for any changes in the legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what has been his response to the proposal by the EEC Commission to permit the use of strontium salts in cosmetics.

I assume that the hon. Member has in mind the provision in the draft directive on amending, for the third time, the Council directive on cosmetic products that would expressly allow strontium salts and lakes of a limited number of colouring agents in cosmetic products. This provision will have our support in discussions on the directive in the Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will monitor and report on the extent of enforcement of regulations requiring the labelling of furniture which fails the statutory lighted match and burning cigarette test.

It is for each weights and measures authority to enforce the provisions in the Upholstered Furniture (Safety) Regulations 1980 that require the labelling of certain furniture, and I feel sure that they carry out this duty effectively. However, I am concerned at reports that some suppliers of furniture are either deliberately flouting these provisions or are ignorant of them. I find this disturbing, as my Department took pains to see that suppliers of all kinds were well informed about the Regulations before they came into force last October.My Department will consult the representatives of manufacturers, retailers and the representatives of local authorities for their comments on the reports. In addition, in an effort to assist trading standards officers, who have many other responsibilities, my Department is to send a letter to chief trading standards officers to ensure that they are aware of some simple cheap but effective methods of testing that can be used in the enforcement of these important regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will announce his decision on the future of Export United; and if he will make a statement.

The future of Export United depends on the decisions of individual companies, not of Government Ministers. The British Overseas Trade Board, which sponsors the campaign along with the CBI, the TUC, the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, the Institute of Exports, and the Committee on Invisible Exports, continues to provide assistance to firms running Export United campaigns, but it is the individual companies that run the campaigns not Government Departments. I am sure that this is the right distribution of responsibility.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he is proposing to intervene in the matter of the recent application by British Midland Airways to the Civil Aviation Authority to operate on the London to Glasgow and Edinburgh routes.

No. In the first instance, the licensing of air transport services is a matter for the Civil Aviation Authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many developed textile importing countries are party to the multi-fibre arrangement.

Seven, in addition to the European Community. There are Austria, Canada, Finland, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, in the most recent year for which figures are available, how many Soviet cargo vessels entered United Kingdom ports; what was the average number of such vessels in United Kingdom ports at any one time; and to what extent they were carrying cargo other than between the United Kingdom and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he has received evidence from United Kingdom manufacturers of low-cost imports of booted roller skates into the European Economic Community from (a) Taiwan and (b) other countries; and if the will make a statement.

I am aware of some anxiety in the industry at competition from low-cost roller skates from Taiwan. If the industry believes that it is being damaged by unfair competition from dumped or subsidised imports, my Department will be glad to advise on an approach to the Commission for remedial action.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will introduce legislation to implement the recommendations of the Insolvency Law Review Committee chaired by Sir Kenneth Cork.

When I receive the report of the Insolvency Law Review Committee, I shall consider its recommendations very carefully. I understand that the committee, which was appointed in January 1977, proposes to submit its final report in two parts, and that part I should be in my hands by May and part II probably by July 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he is satisfied that if S. and W. Berisford proceed with their bid for the British Sugar Corporation, sufficient safeguards exist to ensure tht the conditions set out by the Mononopolies and Mergers Commission as being necessary to protect the public interest are met; and if Her Majesty's Government intend to retain its shareholding in the British Sugar Corporation.

I refer to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend's six earlier questions on 10 April. My right hon. Friend is satisfied that the undertakings sought from S. and W. Berisford, which are in line with the Commission's recommendations, require the company to take action requisite, in my right hon. Friend's opinion, for remedying the adverse effects of the proposed merger specified in the Commission's report.The retention of the Government shareholding in the corporation is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer and my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what percentage of imports into the United Kingdom of manufactured goods from the original European Economic Community Six in 1980 was covered by exports of manufactured goods from the United Kingdom to the European Economic Community Six for the same year; and how the figures compare with similar figures for 1979, 1975 and 1970.

[pursuant to his reply 10 April 1981, c. 385]: The information is as follows:

Export/Import Ratio: for United Kingdom Trade in Manufactures* with the European Community (6)
1970	112
1975	77
1979	69
1980	80

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many countries in Western Europe now enjoy free trade with each other and with the United Kingdom.

[pursuant to the reply, 10 April 1981 c. 385]: Industrial trade between all the ten European Community and seven EFTA countries is generally free of customs duties and quantitative reastrictions, subject to transitional exceptions

(i) relating to the accession of Greece to the Community,

(ii) in respect of imports into Portugal specified in her agreements with the Community and with her EFTA partners, and

(iii) in respect of trade in a small number of products between the Community and all the EFTA countries.

The Community treaties, and the community's agreements with the EFTA countries, contain various provisions prohibiting other barriers to freely-competitive trade.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement about the replenishment of the funds of the International Development Association.

The Sixth Replenishment cannot come into effect until the United States Congress has authorised participation and appropriated an initial United States contribution. The present United States Administration are urgently promoting legislation for these purposes. Meanwhile, some non-United States participants, including ourselves, have made advance contributions to help bridge the gap in commitment authority.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many wind energy projects his Department is currently funding in developing countries.

Financial assistance is being provided under the British aid programme for the manufacture and field testing of a British-designed pumping windmill in Kenya. We are also involved in a study of the likely demand for medium-sized wind turbines, in the 50 to 200 kilowatt ange, and the development of cheap and reliable instruments for measuring the wind power available to assist in the siting of wind energy machines.

asked the Lord Privy Seal when the Government intend to publish the preliminary estimate of the percentage aid figure of gross national product for 1980–81.

Official development assistance figures are compiled, in accordance with international conventions, on a calendar, not financial, year basis as mentioned in this question.As the hon. Member is aware, we have explained that technical factors in large measure explain the fall in aid measured as a proportion of GNP in 1980. These are that no IDA VI promissory note was deposited because the previous United States Congress did not ratify the agreement, and that bilateral drawings by certain recipients, notably India, were slower than anticipated. The figure for British net official development assistance in 1980, which is being submitted to the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD, totals £752 million, provisionally estimated as equal to 0·34 per cent. of GNP.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will make a statement about the recent international conference on aid for Zimbabwe.

We share the Zimbabwe Government's satisfaction with the successful outcome of the conference. Pledges of over £600 million were recorded at the conference, bringing the total of aid pledged to Zimbabwe since independence to nearly £900 million.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what decisions have been made on development assistance following the meeting between the Foreign Secretary and the Foreign Minister of Nicaragua.

None.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how much development assistance has been offered to the new Government of Nicaragua.

British assistance to Nicaragua since 1979 has covered the flying-in of emergency food and drugs, refugee relief, support for the national literacy campaign, the provision of short-term advisers and the supply of tractor spares and ambulances. We have also contributed through the European Community. British bilateral aid to Nicaragua and assistnce through the European Community amounts to some £2·7 million since 1979.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what amount of development assistance has been offered to Guatemala; and for what purposes.

We are supporting the Central American Nutrition Institute in Guatemala City and have provided training awards in Britain for Guatemalan students, at a total cost in 1980–81 of about £100,000.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what was his Department's expenditure on population activities in 1980, broken down into the categories specified in annex 1 to the Report of Population Activities; and what percentage of the total aid programme for 1980 this represents.

Multilateral—£5·5 million; bilateral—£1·5 million; institutional support—£195,000; joint funding scheme—£96,000; research grants—£126,000; training awards—£50,000 (estimated); others—£45,000. This represented about one per cent. of gross public expenditure on overseas aid in 1980.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the planned expenditure on population activities for the years 1981 and 1982 in the following categories (a) multilateral, (b) bilateral, (c) researched and (d) institutional support; ans what percentage of the total aid programme this represents over that period.

I regret that calendar year forecasts are not available. Expenditure on population activities in the financial year 1981–82 is expected to be (a) multilateral - £4·5 million; (b) bilateral - £3 million; (c) research -£145,000; (d) institutional support - £214,000. This will represent about 0·76 per cent. of gross aid programme estimated expenditure. Figures for expected expenditure in the financial year 1982–83 are subject to further consideration.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is the estimated saving to industry in Wales of the reduction of 2 per cent. in the minimum lending rate;(2) what is the estimated savings to agriculture in Wales of the reduction of 2 per cent. in the minimum lending rate.

Lower interest rates will certainly benefit industry and agriculture in Wales, though it is not possible to quantify the exact savings for particular geographical areas or particular industries. The CBI has estimated that a 2 per cent. reduction in interests rates is worth aroung £700 million off companies annual interest charges on bank borrowing.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in the Official Report the figure for M3 at each year end since 1950, and also the annual gross domestic product figure for the same dates; and if he will also list in the table the percentage of M3 in relation to the gross domestic product for each year end.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the gross capital formation in the United Kingdom plus the increase in book value of stocks and work in progress, of industrial and commercial companies in the last quarter of 1979 and in the last quarter of 1980; what percentage the latter figure was of the former; and what evidence he has of how this trend has altered so far in 1981;(2) if he will publish in the

The information is given below:

Gross Capital Formation
	£million, seasonally adjusted
	Q4 1979	Q4 1980	Percentage change
Personal sector	2,318	1,792	-23
Industrial and commercial companies	5,997	2,645	-56
Financial companies and institutions	979	1,335	+36
Public corporations	1,569	1,930	+23
Central government	449	569	+27
Local authorities	917	1,007	+10

Gross capital formation comprises gross fixed capital formation at current prices plus changes in the book value of stocks and work in progress. As the differences between the two quarters are the result both of volume changes and price changes the concept of a trend in the figures is difficult to interpret. No information is yet available for 1981.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing (a) the public expenditure to gross domestic product ratio, and (b) the total taxation to gross domestic product ratio, for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries in 1978 and 1979.

The table below gives information requested as far as it is available:

	General Government expenditure † ‡	Total tax revenue (including social security contributions) †
	1978	1978	1979(P)
United States	33·7	30·2	31·3
Canada	41·0	31·1	31·2
Japan	29·1	24·5*	n/a
Germany	44·7	37·8	37·2
France	45·3	39·7	41·0
Italy	45·7	32·6	32·8
United Kingdom	43·3	34·5	33·8
Netherlands	56·3	46·8	47·2
Belgium	48·2	44·2	44·5
Denmark	n/a	43·6	45·0
Ireland	n/a	33·4	33·3
Sweden	61·5	53·5	52·9
Norway	52·7	46·9	46·7
New Zealand	n/a	30·4	31·4
Austria	n/a	41·4	41·2
Finland	39·6	36·5	35·1
Portugal	n/a	26·2	25·9
Spain	n/a	22·8	22·8
Switzerland	n/a	31·5	31·5
P=Provisional.
* taxes and social security contributions as a percentage of gross national product at factor cost.
† as a percentage of gross domestic product at market prices.
‡ Expenditure by central and local government combined, excluding capital transfers, loans and expenditure on the acquisition of company securities, for which figures on an internationally comparable basis are not available.

Sources (Col 1) National accounts of OECD countries 1961–1978 Volume II(Cols 2 and 3) CSO Economic Trends December 1980

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update the information on mortgage interest tax relief, retirement annuity relief, and life assurance relief given in the answer to the hon. Member for Barking, (Miss Richardson) on February 1980, Official Report, c. 258–9.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the percentage rise in sterling M1 for each of the following banking months: January, February and March 1981.

The figures for banking January and February are shown in table 7.1 of the March issue of "Financial Statistics". The March figure will not be available until 16 April.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the change in domestic credit expansion, seasonally adjusted, for each of the following banking months: January, February and March 1981.

The figures for banking for January and February are shown in table 7.3 of the March issue of "Financial Statistics". The March figure will not be available until 16 April.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current value of Albanian assets held in the United Kingdom, and from what source or sources they are derived.

[pursuant to his reply, 10 April 1981, c. 365–6]: The only asset of which we are aware is the quantity of gold held by the Bank of England which was provisionally allocated to Albania by the Tripartite Commission for the Restitution of Monetary Gold in reparation for gold looted by Germany during the war. This gold is held by the Bank of England on behalf of the Commission, but this is merely a matter of convenience and will not affect the ultimate disposal of the gold. As at January 1981 the value of the gold was $26·5 million.

asked the Prime Minister how many of the 79 full-time and 14 part-time staff employed in her Department on 1 March were registered disabled persons; and what action she has taken or intends taking during the International Year of Disabled People to increase the number of disabled persons in her Department.

On 1 March 1981 none of the staff of the Prime Minister's Office was a registered disabled person. The great majority of posts in my office are filled by competitive selection from serving civil servants. Registered disabled civil servants have the same opportunities to apply, and to be considered on merit for such posts, as their colleagues.Those responsible for the selection and management of the staff at No. 10 are well aware of our policy on the employment of disabled persons, on which I would refer the hon. Member to replies given by my hon. Friend the

Minister of State, Civil Service Department to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 19 January 1981 [Vol. 997, c.

asked the Prime Minister what representations she has recently received from the playwright Dedwydd Jones about the structure of the Arts Council in Wales; and what reply she has sent him.

I received a letter from Mr. Jones on 13 March enclosing a copy of his letter to my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer about the Arts Council in Wales. His letter to me was acknowledged on my behalf on 23 March.

asked the Prime Minister what representations she has received from the farming unions in Wales requesting her personal intervention to stop the proposed transfer of the Welsh Office agricultural division from Aberystwyth to Cardiff; and what response she has given to any such representations.

I have received one letter from the Farmers' Union of Wales. A reply has been sent today, and I have sent a copy to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the purposes for which police helicopters are used; and if the recent purchase of sophisticated equipment for a new helicopter by the Metropolitan Police implies any change in those purposes.

Operational roles include crime prevention, traffic management and patrol, searches for missing people, crowd control and transporting key personnel, forensic evidence and technical equipment. The recent purchase of sophisticated equipment for the Metropolitan Police helicopter does not imply any change in the purposes for which helicopters are used; it should increase effectiveness.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces are below strength; and by how many persons.

The information is as follows:

Police Forces in England and Wales with vacancies at 28 February 1981
Force	Number of vacancies	Vacancies as a percentage of establishment
Avon and Somerset	63	2·09
Bedfordshire	2	0·21
Cambridgeshire	56	4·91
Cheshire	4	0·22
Cumbria	26	2·30
Devon and Cornwall	11	0·40
Durham	14	1·04

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give instructions that, while the Civil Service pay dispute lasts, British citizens should be permitted to leave the United Kingdom without any inspection of their passports.

No. It remains necessary to distinguish passengers subject to immigration control from patrials. The passport is normally the most convenient way for a patrial passenger to establish his status.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to amend the law in respect of registered charities so as to prevent them using non-taxable income contributed for charitable purposes to pay legal costs.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to amend the law for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations took place between his Department and the police authority in connection with the inquiry into the conduct of the Chief Constable of the West Yorkshire police and the appointment of a senior officer from another force to head the investigations; and if he will make a statement.

Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary informed the West Yorkshire metropolitan police authority of allegations against senior officers in that force which had been drawn to his attention., and in accordance with the Home Office guidance on police complaints and discipline, a copy of which is available in the Library, assisted in the selection of the Chief Constable of West Midlands to carry out an investigation. His report will be submitted in due course to the Director of Public Prosecutions and to the police authority. It would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the total arrears of maintenance on all spouse or child maintenance orders registered in magistrates' courts in England and Wales at the end of the last audit period.

I regret that the information requested in not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the average amount of all the spouse maintenance orders registered in magistrates' courts in England and Wales;(2) how many spouse maintenace orders are registered in magistrates' courts in England and Wales; and what proportion in each case is currently in arrears;(3) how many child maintenance orders were registered in magistrates' courts in England and Wales in respect of domestic proceedings guardianship or care orders;(4) what is the average amount of all child maintenance orders registered in the magistrates' courts in England and Wales in respect of domestic proceedings guardianship or care orders.

I regret that the information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police were involved in arresting three North-East London Polytechnic students at the Midland Bank, Barking; and what were the total costs to police funds of these incidents, including the cost of cars, petrol, and the wages and salaries of the officers concerned.

The arrests of three students from the North-East London Polytechnic who had accounts at the Midland Bank, Barking, on charges of obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception, each involved two police officers. I regret that the remainder of the information requested is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of occasions on which firearms were issued to policemen in each of the police authorities in England and Wales in 1978, 1979 and 1980; and what was the number of occasions on which they were used.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 10 April to a question by the hon. Member for Battersea, South (Mr. Dubs).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of the number of police officers in England and Wales who receive training in the use of firearms.

It is for individual chief officers of police to decide how many police officers should be trained in the use of firearms. Figures are not held centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the criteria under which firearms are now issued to policemen and the level of seniority at which authorisation for such issue can be given.

The issue of firearms to police officers is an operational matter for the chief officer of police. The general policy is that firearms are issued only when there is reason to suppose that a police officer may have to face an armed man and on a limited scale for protection purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the status and state of completion of his Department's research unit report on assaults in police custody reported in The Times newspaper of 8 April.

The Times article contained unrevised draft extracts from working documents and an uncompleted research study which began in 1978 into the way the Metropolitan Police deal with complaints from black and white complainants. The study is intended to compare two years, 1973 and 1978—i.e., before and after the establishment of the Police Complaints Board. The research was commissioned by the Police Department of the Home Office, with the full co-operation of the Commissioner, and on completion will be the subject of discussion with him. The timing and form of publication will also be considered at that stage.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the circumstances in which the police refused to take any action in the case of an attack upon a young woman and on related offences, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Newham, North-West.

We have asked the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis for a report and will write to the hon. Member when it is received.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reconsider the decision not to take action on the Tenth Report from the Expenditure Committee, H.C. 495 of Session 1974–75, on the Charity Commissioners and their accountability, in the light of the recent court case involving the Unification Church.

My right hon. Friend does not at present believe that the outcome of the recent court case would justify introducing legislation to amend the law of charities, but he is keeping a close watch on developments.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what grants his Department made to the National Federation of Community Organisations in 1978–79, 1979–80 and 1980–81; and what grants are proposed in future.

The National Federation of Community Organisations does not receive a direct grant from the Home Office; it is partly funded from the grant-in-aid made by the Home Office to the National Council for Voluntary Organisations. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations plans to end its support in April 1982. Discussions are in train about possible funding thereafter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the charge for a private mobile radio licence in 1980 in respect of one base and two mobile radios for a local taxi service; what is the charge for 1981; what percentage increase this represents over the previous year; what are the reasons for such an increase; and if he will make a statement.

£19·20 and £65 respectively, representing an increase of 238 per cent. As far as the reasons for this increase were concerned, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, South-West (Mr. Butcher) on 10 December 1980. The overall increase of fees for private mobile radio was 64 per cent., but under the banding system introduced for such use, users at the bottom of a particular band as in this instance are subject to relatively higher increases, and users at the top of the band to lower ones.—[Vol. 995, c. 658–9.]

Programme 16.1 Agriculture and Fisheries
£ million at 1980 survey prices
Programme	1975–76	1976–77	1977–78	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84
Price guarantees on other products	2	—	—	—	2	5	—	40	40
Production grants and subsidies	—	1	3	3	4	6	8
Support for capital and other improvements	10	7	8	11	14	12	13
Support for agriculture in special areas	3	29	19	12	27	24	16
Other assistance to agricultural productions	6	5	3	—	—	—	—
Animal health	—	—	—	1	1	1	1
Central and miscellaneous services	1	—	1	—	—	1	1
Total Agriculture	23	42	34	27	48	49	39	40	40
Support for the Fishing industry	—	—	—	—	—	—	1
Total Agriculture and fisheries	23	42	34	28	49	50	40	40	40

Programme 16.2 Industry, Energy, Trade and Employment (excluding tourism)
£ million at 1980 survey prices.
	1975–76	1976–77	1977–78	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84
Provision of land and buildings	7	—	—	—	—	—	—
Selective assistance to industry	1	3	—	1	4	7	11
Special Assistance—rural and

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what amount the prison population, including any persons exceptionally detained in police cells, has increased since the lowest level reached during the prison officers' dispute; and what has been the increase in unsentenced and sentenced inmates respectively.

The total population in custody reached its lowest figure for the period of industrial action at the end of December 1980, when it was just under 40,000. By the end of February 1981, the figure had risen and provisional returns indicate that it had reached between 43,500 and 44,000 by the end of March. It is estimated that seasonal factors may have accounted for about 2,000 of the increase to the end of February. Both for this 2,000 and for the remainder of about 1,000, it is estimated that about half was accounted for by unsentenced prisoners and about half by sentenced prisoners. The total prison population at the end of February would have been between 200 and 300 higher but for the extension of remission for short-term prisoners which took effect on 23 February.More detailed information on the changes in the prison population during the early part of the industrial action up to the end of 1980 was published in Home Office Statistical Bulletin Issue 3/81. A further bulletin giving more detailed information up to 31 March will be published next month.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will itemise lines 16.1–16.9 in table 21.16 of Cmnd 8175 on the same basis as the tables detailing expenditure on the corresponding functional programmes.

The information is as follows: