asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied that the storage of live Canadian lobsters in sea tanks in Scotland poses no threat of gaffkaemia infection to the native stock in adjacent waters.

On the basis of the scientific advice available to me, there is some risk of gaffkaemia being transferred to native lobsters from imported stock suffering from that disease. My right hon. Friend and I are considering what steps should be taken to reduce any threat to native lobster stocks.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of imported live Canadian lobsters in Scotland are at present estimated to be suffering from gaffkaemia.

I know of only one Scottish-based merchant who has imported—on two occasions—lobsters from Canada. On the basis of tests carried out earlier this year, the incidence of gaffkaemia in a specimen taken from one of these consignments was 13 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all the stages, statutory and non-statutory, through which a trunk road scheme must pass before contracts can be let; and if he will show for each trunk road scheme in the programme and yet to start, the stage which has been reached.

The main stages through which a trunk road scheme must pass are as follows:

^*These stages apply to line, side road and compulsory purchase orders, which may be taken consecutively or concurrently.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why Tynepark list D school has been nominated for closure, in view of the continuing demand for list D school places for older girls.

The reasons which caused my Department to propose that my right hon. Friend should withdraw his certificate of approval from Tynepark list D school were set out in a consultative document which was widely circulated to interested bodies for comment in November 1980. I am sending a copy of this document to the hon. Member. My right hon. Friend is awaiting advice from the standing advisory committee on the list D schools before he reaches a decision on the proposal.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average turnover and length of stay in list D schools in Scotland.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave him on 13 November 1980 for the most up-to-date figures on use of list D schools.—[Vol. 992, c. 388–90.] No further information is readily available on average turnover or on length of stay in list D schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish comparitive costs for the placement of children in list D schools and in assessment centres.

The average weekly cost, for the year ended 31 March 1980, of the placement of a child in a list D school, including provision to cover loan charges for capital works, was £142. Information about the costs of assessment centres is not held centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what further representations have been made to him by Lothian regional council, Lothian health board and East Lothian district council concerning the proposed day centre for disabled people in Prestonpans; and what time scale he envisages for making decisions under the joint planning and support financing arrangements and section 94 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 in respect of this project.

Since I met the hon. Member on 23 January this year to discuss this proposed day centre I have received two letters from Councillor Nisbet of Lothian regional council, one on behalf of the director of administration for the council and two from the chief executive of East Lothian district council. In addition, my officials have received correspondence from officials of Lothian regional council and Lothian health board in support of the project.Responsibility for providing facilities such as the proposed day centre lies with the social work department of the regional council concerned. The purpose of support financing arrangements is to enable social work projects of particular benefit to the Health Service to be given a greater degree of priority. My Department recently received additional information from Lothian health board about the proposed Prestonpans centre and this is receiving urgent consideration. I cannot, however, predict when I will be in a position to make the necessary decisions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration Her Majesty's Government are giving to the recommendations of the Royal Commission on legal services in Scotland on the subject of divorce.

As well as the Royal Commission's report, there have been a number of reports by legal bodies proposing or discussing possible changes in divorce procedure and jurisdiction. The Lord President of the Court of Session is also examining proposals for procedural changes made by the committee he set up under the chairmanship of Lord Cowie. Work on this will continue, but the Lord Advocate and I have decided that it is desirable that we should, in consultation and taking account of these reports, examine wider possibilities for reform which could include changes to primary law. We have it in mind to issue a consultative document seeking comments from the public and from legal and other bodies on different possibilities for reform. The examination will relate to issues of procedure, evidential requirements and jurisdiction and will not extend to the grounds for divorce or the substantive law relating to the custody of children or financial provision on divorce.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a further statement about his decision to close or merge certain colleges of education.

In my statement of 6 August 1980—[Vol. 990, c. 87–89.]—I announced my decision that Hamilton and Callendar Park colleges of education should be closed and that Craiglockhart college of education should be merged with another institution. After considering a number of representations by the bodies concerned I have reached the conclusion that my decision was well founded and should be implemented as soon as practicable.I propose within the next two months to make regulations under section 77 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 in implementation of my decision to close Hamilton college. The effect of the regulations will be to dissolve Hamilton college after the end of the current academic session and to provide for the transfer of its staff and of its property, rights, liabilities and obligations to Jordanhill college of education; the same regulations will make any consequential modifications in the constitution of the governing body of Jordanhill college. The regulations will also make provision to the effect that the Hamilton site may be retained for one further academic session in order to permit students in mid-course to continue their studies at Hamilton during that period. Arrangements will be made to accommodate thereafter at Jordanhill those students who will not have completed their courses by the end of the 1981–82 academic session; the Hamilton premises also will then be disposed of. I am consulting both colleges about the detailed arrangements and will also consult interested bodies about the content of the proposed regulations.A tripartite working party, comprising representatives of the governing bodies of Notre Dame and Craiglockhart colleges of education and of my Department, has been examining the feasibility of a merger between Notre Dame and Craiglockhart colleges on the basis that a Roman Catholic training facility will be retained in the east of Scotland. I expect to receive a report on this subject in the near future and hereafter to have consultations with interested bodies about the content of regulations to implement my decision.I have invited the governing body of Callendar Park college of education to begin detailed discussions on the implementation of my decision to close that college. I am awaiting a response, but I hope that these discussions also can start soon. I intend within the next two months to make regulations to implement my decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Scottish projects were successful under the European Community's 1980 interim scheme of structural aid for the fishing industry.

Scotland fared very well under this scheme with aid being approved by the Commission for the construction of 18 fishing vessels, the modernisation of two fishing vessels and four aquaculture developments. The assistance involved in these projects amounts to £1·8 million or about 15 per cent. of the total Community budget for the measure.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what contributions have been made by the United Kingdom to the literacy programme in Nicaragua.

In 1980 the United Kingdom supplied 1,000 basic first-aid kits for use by instructors in the adult literacy campaign in rural areas at a cost of approximately £25,000. In addition, £22,000 worth of audio visual equipment has been supplied for use in Nicaraguan school libraries.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what proportion of the United Kingdom's overseas aid in 1979 and 1980 was (a) bilateral and (b) tied.

In 1979 and 1980 the bilateral programme accounted for 72 per cent. and 70 per cent. respectively of total gross public expenditure on overseas aid. It is estimated that four-fifths of the 1979 bilateral programme, excluding technical co-operation, was tied to British goods and services. Figures for the degree of tying in 1980 are not yet available.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what proportion of (a) grants and (b) loans made to Ghana in each of the last two years was dependent on the export of British goods and services.

The 1975 £10 million development loan and 1978 £20 million loan are 100 per cent. tied to British goods and services; disbursements from these loans were £7,891,632 in 1979 and £12,594,130 in 1980. In addition, untied grants totalling £707,301 in 1979 and £126,883 in 1980 were made to Ghana for fertiliser and food aid.The new £10 million loan, signed on 31 March 1981, is also fully tied to British goods and services. It is for disbursement starting in 1981–82.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if, in view of the high initial costs of installation of burglar alarms, he will refer the recent increases in rental charges for these systems to the Monopolies Commission.

I am aware of disquiet about the high levels of initial costs and rental charges in this market, which were the subject of a report by the Price Commission in 1977. The Director General is considering whether it would be appropriate for him to exercise any of his powers under the Fair Trading Act 1973 or the Competition Act 1980. He could not, however, do so until certain questions arising under the restrictive trade practices legislation have been resolved.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what machinery would be needed to denationalise all or part of the British Airports Authority.

Such proposals would require substantial amendment to the Airports Authority Act 1975. There are no present proposals to introduce such legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what steps are being taken to enforce the safety regulations, including the attachment of warning labels, relating to the use of polyurethane foam in furniture manufacture.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Norwood (Mr. Fraser) on 13 April.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he can report any progress on the development of less toxic materials as an alternative to the use of polyurethane foam in domestic furniture and in aircraft furnishings.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the toxic fumes in the smoke produced by polyurethane foam if it catches fire. As I indicated in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Sir D. Price) on 4 March—[Vol. 1000, c. 112]—research by industry into safer alternative fillings for domestic furniture is continuing. Some of the results show that the generation of smoke and toxic fumes and their nature depend to a considerable extent on the other upholstery materials with which the filling is used. Many smoke suppressants have been identified and I understand these are to be studied in further tests. However, the possibilities for their technical, and even more their commercial, exploitation cannot be forecast at present.Much progress, mostly in the United States of America, has been made in the development of less flammable upholstery materals for aircraft furnishings, which would also produce less smoke and toxic fumes once they had caught fire than those currently in use. There are, however, many technical problems to be solved in the manufacture of such materials in quantity. It may be some time before they become available for use even on aircraft.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will hold immediate consultations with the travel associations with a view to making arrangements which will avoid late cancellations and the withholding of repayments to holiday makers of sums paid by them for holidays by travel firms which have gone into liquidation, particularly where schoolchildren are concerned.

No. The relevant trade association, the Association of British Travel Agents, which represents members in some 4,400 retail travel agents' offices in the United Kingdom, already has arrangements for protection against the failure of its members. Unfortunately, travel agents who are not members of the trade association will not be included in these arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he expects to receive the final report of the inspectors on the affairs of St. Piran.

I have now received the report and am arranging for publication in the near future. In view of the recent offer to shareholders, it is likely that they will all want to consider the contents of the report before making any decisions on that offer.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will now fix a precise date for his announcement of the route chosen for the proposed bypass of Llanrwst, Gwynedd.

Consideration of the various comments made as a result of the public participation exercise are now almost complete and I expect to make an announcement shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the various interests represented on the Brecon Beacons national park committee, and state what proportion of these representatives reside within the national park area.

Out of the total 27 members of the Brecon Beacons national park committee, my right hon. Friend is responsible statutorily for the appointment of nine. They are chosen for the contribution they can make to the work of the committee, broadly from the standpoints of agriculture, recreation and conservation. Seven of the nine currently appointed reside within the national park area.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the grant-in-aid to the Sports Council for Wales to cover recurrent expenditure over the period 1980–81 and 1981–82; and what is the percentage increase.

The figures are £2,274,000 in 1980–81; £2,566,000 in 1981–82—an increase of 12·8 per cent. A breakdown of the grant-in-aid for both years is given in the relevant Supply Estimates.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what are the implications of the recommendations of the Armitage report for the dry stone walling along the A5, A55 and A470; and if he will make a statement.

The risk of damage to dry stone walling alongside roads ought not to be increased by the recommendations of the Armitage report, because individual axle loadings on heavier vehicles would be similar to those of existing vehicles.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport is currently considering all the implications of the report.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of families who were receiving rent rebates and rent allowances as tenants of council houses in Wales during 1980–81; and what is his estimate of the increase in this number as a result of the increased council house rents arising from the reduction of Government housing subsidy.

On the basis of local authority returns it is estimated that the numbers of householders in receipt of rent rebates and allowances during 1980–81 were 132,180 and 24,825 respectively. These figures include recipients of rent rebates and allowances paid by the Department of Health and Social Security. Local authorities have not yet been asked to submit their estimates for 1981–82 and it is, therefore, too early for any accurate forecast of the number of recipients to be made centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the total number of additional employees local authorities in Wales have had to employ to deal with additional administrative requirements of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 in regard to compiling estimates for every operation undertaken in direct labour activities of housing departments.

I have no information on which to base an estimate. But I expect the number to be very small and the cost to be more than offset by financial savings from the increased cost-effectiveness of direct labour organisations operating under the new and strict accounting and competition regime introduced by the legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of construction workers in Wales are unemployed; and how this compares with the figures for England and Scotland.

On 12 February 1981 the figures were 33·4 per cent. in Wales, 23·8 per cent. in England and 25 per cent. in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 26 November regarding the circulation of memo 2/80 on contacts with nationals of Communist countries, if he will now publish the memorandum in the Official Report.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences against prison discipline were punished in the last quarter of (a) 1979 and (b) 1980.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Irving) on 12 February 1981. Information for 1980 is not yet available.—[Vol. 998, c. 380.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of young people aged between 16 and 20 years involved in crime during 1980 were unemployed at the time of arrest; and what were the comparable figures for each year since 1970.

Information is not collected centrally on the employment status of persons arrested, found guilty or cautioned for offences.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has now considered the need to amend the wording of new clause 9 of the British Nationality Bill to ensure that he or his successors are able legally to give effect to his undertaking that its provisions will cover all persons to which the original clause 7 of the Bill extended.

Yes.My view is that subsection 3

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of widespread non-application of the law against illegal parking of vehicles, particularly in the metropolis, he will issue a circular to all police authorities on the subject, and will seek to convene a conference at which both police authorities and local authorities would be represented to investigate how, in the interests of public safety, long-term illegal parking can be ended.

No. The responsibility for the use of their resources and liaison with the local authorities rests with chief officers of police, who are well aware of current traffic problems.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why, in view of the growing incidence of rape and the offence known generally as mugging, he will not permit the carrying, particularly by women, of spray phials of dyes and deterrents on a licence basis; and whether, in view of the potential assistance to the police in tracing offenders, he will review his policy.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to a similar question from the hon. Member on 10 February.—[Vol. 998, c. 301.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a study of the European Parliament's report on the Government's changes to the immigration rules; whether he intends to reply to the report; and if so., in what form.

My right hon. Friend has seen copies of the report prepared by the Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament and of the resolution adopted by that Parliament. It is not the practice for member States to make formal responses to such reports and resolutions. The matters with which this report deals will form part of our continuing discussions with the European Commission on the immigration rules.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what representations he has received on the funding of the National Association of Community Relations Councils;(2) whether he has examined the possibility of direct funding from his Department for the National Association of Community Relations Councils; and if he will make a statement.

The chairman of the National Association of Community Relations Councils has written to my hon. Friend the Minister of State requesting help from Government funds. South Glamorgan Committee for Community Relations has written in support of this request. Financial help for the national association is within the discretion of the Commission for Racial Equality: there are no separate Home Office funds which could be made available. The association has been invited to meet officials to discuss its dissatisfaction with the present arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there has been a significant increase in the number of serious crimes instigated and carried out by members of the ethnic minority communities since May 1979.

Information on the ethnic origin of offenders is not collected centrally: nor could it be on a comprehensive basis as the identity of the offender is often not known.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make an early announcement on specifications for citizens band radio equipment.

We hope to make draft specifications available very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the release to a national newspaper of an unpublished report by the Home Office research unit on precedures for investigating complaints against the police was made with his authority.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will arrange now to update the information available to him on the pay and allowances of parliamentarians in the European Economic Community, North America and the Commonwealth and publish the result in the Official Report.

I am having the information assembled and I shall give the hon. Gentelman a full reply as soon as it is available.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many research assistants currently hold passes admitting them to the Palace of Westminster: and how many of these are known to be normally resident in the United Kingdom.

A total of 740 passes are currently issued to Members' secretaries and research assistants admitting them to the Palace of Westminster. Of these, 200 hold research assistants' passes which allow the holders to make restricted use of the main House of Commons Library. All 740 are issued with photo-identity passes which are renewable on application each January.In addition, I understand that 60 temporary secretaries' passes have been issued to individuals not normally resident in the United Kingdom who are attached to Members as short-term research assistants. These passes, which are renewable quarterly, do not admit the holder to the main House of Commons Library.My hon. Friend may wish to know that the Library Sub-Committee has laid down the limit of 200 research assistants' passes. As this limit has been reached, Members applying for a research assistant's pass are issued with a secretary's pass, and holders of these may use only the branch library in Norman Shaw North: not the main House of Commons Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department has estimated the number of casualties which would occur if an attack were to be made on the United Kingdom along the lines of that envisaged by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation exercise Wintex/Cimex 81.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department has estimated how many casualties would arise in the United Kingdom as a result of an attack similar to that assumed in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation exercise Wintex/Cimex 81.

No. Exercise Wintex/Cimex 81 was designed to test NATO's crisis management procedures, including civil emergency planning. The figures produced for military and civilian casualties were solely for practice purposes, and did not represent an estimate of the likely scale of casualties to be expected in any real attack.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future torpedo production programme, and, in particular, of Sting Ray.

The first production order for the Sting Ray lightweight torpedo has already been placed with Marconi Space and Defence Systems Limited, and further orders are planned. The production of Tigerfish, the Royal Navy's current heavyweight torpedo, will come to an end during the next few years, but the manufacture of modification kits, to improve existing stocks of these weapons, and other work will continue beyond this. The extent of future torpedo production in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy will also depend upon decisions on the new heavyweight torpedo planned to replace Tigerfish from the later 1980s onwards.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the use of flight simulators for training in the Royal Air Force.

The Royal Air Force uses flight and other simulators wherever they provide a practicable and cost-effective means of training.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement of policy on houses and flats controlled by his Department but not currently required for Service hirings.

Our policy is to dispose of surplus property as quickly as possible and to the best advantage of the defence budget.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of arrangements for consultation between the United Kingdom and the United States of America over the deployment of Trident and Cruise missiles in the event of a nuclear alarm.

The arrangements will be precisely the same as those which currently apply to Polaris and United States nuclear forces already based in the United Kingdom. I am satisfied with the effectiveness of these arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will seek from the United States Government greater British control over the use of cruise missiles.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Members for Keighley (Mr. Cryer) and Sheffield, Hillsborough (Mr. Flannery).

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if there is any military advantage to be derived from the siting of cruise missiles in the United Kingdom as compared with siting them on the European mainland.

A wide geographical spread of cruise missiles bases provides NATO with a greater range of military options and therefore enhances the deterrent value of the force. This was one of the reasons for the NATO decision to base its modernised long-range theatre nuclear forces in a number of European countries, of which the United Kingdom is one.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the relative strengths of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the Warsaw Pact in nuclear and conventional weapons, respectively.

The information requested by the hon. Gentleman will be set out in some detail in the 1981 defence White Paper, to be published tomorrow.Within Europe the Warsaw Pact has a substantial numerical advantage over NATO in both nuclear and conventional forces, and is continuing to improve its offensive capability in terms of both quantity and quality.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the final overspend on cash limits by his Department in the financial year 1980–81; and whether he intends to recoup this overspend wholly in the 1981–82 financial year.

The outturn on the defence cash limits is not generally known until some time after the end of the financial year. This year the Civil Service dispute has caused added problems, for example, over processing receipts.As I told my hon. Friend on 26 January, it is the general practice to offset any overspend against a cash limit by a corresponding deduction in the following financial year. The position will be reviewed when the final outturn is known.

askedthe Secretary of State for Defence to what extent recent cuts have impaired the effectiveness of the amphibious warfare capability of the Royal Marines.

The planned disbandment of 41 Commando will reduce the number of Royal Marine Commandos by one. We are paying off HMS "Bulwark" six months earlier than planned, which will reduce the number of Her Majesty ships which can be made available in the amphibious role. Despite some loss of flexibility, I am satisfied that the Royal Marines will retain an effective amphibious capability.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is satisfied that sufficient means of transport are available for the rapid deployment of Her Majesty's Royal Marines.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence in what circumstances the British contingent for a rapid deployment force would be used for the defence of Hong Kong.

The United Kingdom's responsibility for the security and integrity of Hong Kong is a national one. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made clear on 17 March, British Armed Forces are ready to undertake national tasks such as the reinforcement of British dependent territories where required as well as being available, in concert with other allies, to help protect the interests of friendly local States and of the West in strategic regions.—[Vol. 1, c. 186–89.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had on the subject of a rapid deployment force on his recent visit to the Gulf.

I made it clear to all the countries I visited that, if so invited, and probably in concert with our major allies, we were ready in an emergency to consider the provision of limited military help. I explained our capability to give such support, and our plans to improve the flexibility of our forces. I found much understanding for our position and a welcome for the assurance of our continued concern.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied that current flying ours on operational squadrons of the Royal Air Force are sufficient to maintain those squadrons at maximum efficiency.

I am satisfied that the current flying hours on operational squadrons in the Royal Air Force are still sufficient to maintain a high level of efficiency.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about his recent official visits overseas.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his recent visit to the Middle East.

My visit to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain between 23 March and 1 April was designed to demonstrate the United Kingdom's strong interest in this region, to establish personal contacts, and to discuss both bilateral defence assistance and wider strategic questions. I made clear the Government's resolve to deal positively with requests for all types of military assistance and for defence equipment.I also made it clear that we were ready to consider the provision of limited military help in an emergency if invited to do so—probably in concert with our major allies. I found a general understanding for Britain's position, and much appreciation of our close and continuing friendship.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the number of accidents to date involving Royal Air Force planes carrying nuclear weapons.

I refer the hon. Member to the statement made earlier today in answer to a question by the hon. Member for Lewisham, West (Mr. Price).

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans any change in emphasis in British defence commitments in the light of the resources available.

Our major defence commitment is to NATO, and this will remain so. The basic roles in which we contribute forces to the Alliance are vital both to NATO's security and to our own. Whether we could fulfil these roles more effectively within the resources available is something which I am considering carefully.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the extra expenditure and the extra number of man training days if all restrictions on man training days were lifted for the Territorial Army.

As I told my hon. Friend on 12 March 1981—[Vol. 1000, c. 404.]—planned expenditure on TA man training days will be higher in 1981–82 than in 1980–81, but restrictions are having to be imposed as part of the measures to contain expenditure on the defence budget. The intention is to give priority to essential operational training tasks at the expense of some lower priority tasks for which man training days have been allocated in the past. TA strengths are forecast to rise above those allowed for in the Estimates and it is reckoned that, if all restrictions were lifted in 1981–82, some 270,000 extra days would be required and that the cost would be at least £4·5 million more than our current provision.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to disband the naval gun competition teams.

There are no plans at present to discontinue the field gun competition held annually at the Royal Tournament.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied with the operation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation international competitive bidding procedures so far as concerns the acquisition of defence equipment of British manufacture; and if he will make a statement.

NATO international competitive bidding procedures afford British firms the opportunity to compete for contracts funded from the common infrastructure programme in any member country. Equally, foreign firms may bid for such contracts in Britain. The principal features are the establishment of technical and contractual compliance following the submission of tenders and subsequently the awarding of the contract to the firm offering the lowest price.Although some changes of detail are currently under consideration, the procedures are adequate for their purpose and ensure that fair treatment is given to all bidders. But the composition and pricing of bids is a matter for individual companies.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average take-home pay of the Civil Service industrial workers involved in the dispute at the Polaris submarine bases.

No industrial employees at the Clyde submarine base are involved in the current dispute.The average earnings of male and female industrial employees at the base, including overtime, shift pay, productivity payments and other allowances, are approximately £149·00 per week. It is not practicable to give average take-home pay, which varies according to personal circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many consultants were contracted on a part-time and full-time basis to the Northern regional health authority in 1980; and how this compares with the last five years.

The numbers of part-time and full-time consultants contracted to the Northern regional health authority over the last five years are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will favourably consider exempting charities, and churches in particular, from the employers' share of national insurance contributions.

No. Churches and other charitable bodies are already exempt from the national insurance surcharge, and total exemption from the employer's obligation to make a national insurance contribution for his employees would not be justified. It would also mean a substantial loss of revenue which would have to be made good by an increase in contribution rates for others or in the Treasury supplement.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services by what estimated amount the income of the national insurance fund would have been reduced in the 1979–80 tax year if all employers with charitable status, including churches, had been wholly exempted from liability to pay secondary class I contributions for their employees.

After taking into account the reduced supplement from the Consolidated Fund, about £130 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the latest figure for the number of families receiving less than £2 a week in family income supplement.

The figure was 1,500 at the end of November 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for the Social Services whether he will give for the latest and most convenient stated date the number of staff employed in the headquarters of his Department; how many of these are employed in his private office; and, in each case, how many were registered disabled persons.

On 1 April 1981, 6,007 staff were employed in the Department's headquarters and 13 staff were employed in my private office. Figures of headquarters staff who are registered disabled are not kept separately, but the figures for the Department as a whole are 1·98 per cent. None of the staff in my private office is a registered disabled person.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, following the reply to the hon. Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Litherland), Official Report, 11 February 1980, c. 488–89, he will publish in the Official Report the number and percentage of child benefit recipients whose benefit is payable to only one parent, for each local authority area in Scotland.

The only available information is that, at December 1978, there were an estimated 84,000 child benefit recipients in Scotland—representing about 12 per cent. of the total—whose benefit was payable in the name of one person only. More up-to-date estimates for each local authority area should become available later in the year, when I will write to the hon. Member with the results.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether unemployment benefit is payable to claimants who go on job training courses during which period they are necessarily unavailable for work.

Under the overlapping benefit provisions, a person on a training course who receives a training allowance from the Manpower Services Commission cannot receive unemployment benefit in addition. If a training allowance is not payable out of public funds, the person's entitlement to unemployment benefit will depend on whether he can satisfy the independent adjudicating authorities that he would be prepared to give up his course if suitable employment became available to him.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is planning any action to remedy the inadequacies in the Resource Allocation Working Party formula relating to the protection of medical and dental teaching hospital costs and specialty costs used to calculate funding identified by the report of the Advisory Group on Resource Allocation 1980.

The Advisory Group on Resource Allocation carried out a revision of the Resource Allocation Working Party's method of allowing for health service costs incurred in support of medical and dental teaching, and recommended further work on the question. The group also examined the specialty costs used in the RAWP formula and found them to be satisfactory. A study to test the feasibility of further research of teaching hospital costs is in progress; an updating of the analysis of specialty costs will be carried out this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Watford (Mr. Garel-Jones), Official Report, 4 February, c. 143, when the question of liability of relatives and others to support those on supplementary benefit was discussed in detail by the review team; where its conclusions were published; and if he will publish any background papers produced before the decision to abandon the further study.

Further study of the subject has not been abandoned. As I said in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Watford (Mr. Garel-Jones) on 4 February—[Vol. 998, c. 143]—we are not conducting a wide-ranging review of the principles of liability, but we are undertaking a thorough examination of the administrative procedures. Maintenance payments are art integral part of the resources of supplementary benefit claimants. In the course of drafting the resources regulations for the introduction of the revised supplementary benefit scheme, which resulted from the formal review, the manner of assessment of these maintenance payments was examined by officials. There are no background papers on that internal examination, but of course the results are to be found in the published regulations itself (SI 1980/1300).

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make £70,000 available, as a matter of urgency, to provide the Jerry Lewis muscle research centre at Hammersmith hospital with electrophoresis analytical equipment necessary to advance research work on muscular dystrophy with the objective of developing a treatment or cure for this disease.

No. This centre is currently funded by a voluntary organisation. Financial assistance from the National Health Service is a matter for the health authorities concerned, but research activities are more appropriately funded by the Government agency for the support of biomedical research, the Medical Research Council, or by voluntary organisations.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will seek information on the number of nursing staff in the National Health Service who suffer such serious back injuries that they are subsequently awarded disablement benefit;(2) what is his estimate of the number of nurses working in the National Health Service who suffer back injury each year; and if he will express this figure as a percentage and give the percentage for each standard category of nursing work;(3) what is his estimate of the number of days off work each year by nurses in the National Health Service as a result of back injuries; and what is his estimate of the cost to his Department.

Separate records of injuries to particular categories of employed persons are not maintained and the information is not available on which reliable estimates could be made of the number of back injuries suffered by nurses or the extent to which these result in days off work.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that the clothing worn by nurses in the National Health Service enables them to adopt the most appropriate posture when lifting patients.

Nurses' uniform dresses, made to the Department's current specification on a central "call off' contract, are available in an adequate size range and are designed to incorporate the necessary functional design features to allow the adoption of appropriate postures for handling and lifting patients.I cannot comment, however, on other clothing provided by some health authorities and worn by nurses in the Health Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he is satisfied with the incidence of back injury among nurses in the National Health Service; and if he will make a statement;(2) what action he is taking to reduce the incidence of back injury to nurses in the National Health Service.

The question of injuries suffered by nurses and other employees in the Health Service whilst in the course of their duties is of continuing concern to the Department.The Department has funded a number of research projects over the years, including one at Surrey university. The main aim of these projects is to make a scientific estimate of the risk factors associated with manual lifting, particularly of patients and how back injury may be avoided. This research is continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide information on the number of occasions when he has sought a reduction of disablement benefit awarded to nursing staff in the National Health Service by reference to a medical board or medical appeal tribunal.

In 1979, the last year for which information is available, some 2,700 cases were referred to medical appeal tribunals on the Secretary of State's behalf. No separate figures are held on the reasons for reference in each individual case or on the claimant's occupation, and to obtain this information by the scrutiny of individual case papers would involve disproportionate expense.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the annual expenditure within the National Health Service on mechanical aids to help nurses lifting patients.

Separate records of the annual expenditure on mechanical aids are not maintained by health authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what research is being undertaken on hospital bed design with a view to reducing back injury to nurses.

This was taken fully into account in the design of the King's Fund bed, which is now the most widely used in the NHS for acute care. I am not aware of any specific new research of bed design for this purpose, but it is possible that some information may emerge from the studies the Department is sponsoring, by the Universities of Surrey and Edinburgh, into back injury to nurses.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the number of women who have been injected with the drug Depo Provera over each of the past five years in the United Kingdom, other member European Economic Community countries and, as far as information is readily available, in other member countries of the World Health Organisation; and how many deaths in each case have been attributed to it.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in 1979 and 1980 were prescribed drugs in the categories of diazepam and chlordiazepoxide, in particular the drugs valium and librium, respectively; and how many of those prescribed these drugs were women and how many men.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he proposes to publish a response to the Duthie report on orthopaedic waiting lists.

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mr. Lyell) on 12 March.—[Vol. 1000, c. 422–23.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of non-urgent cases in England and Wales awaiting orthopaedic surgery have been waiting for more than one year; and what were the comparable figures for the years 1977 to 1980 inclusive.

The following table shows the most recent available information for England only:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is satisfied with the progress in reducing excessive waiting time for orthopaedic outpatients' appointments and in-patients' treatment; and if he will make a statement.

I am not satisfied with the present position, and it is for this reason that I have welcomed the report of the working party chaired by Professor Duthie, which examined the problem of excessive waiting times in the specialty of orthopaedics. I hope that study of the report and its recommendations will assist health authorities to take action within their resources to reduce the waiting times in this specialty.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many hip replacement operations have been carried out in each of the last 10 years for the following age categories (a) 0 to 15 years, (b) 16 to 64 years, (c) 65 to 74 years and (d) over 75 years.

I regret that information on the ages of patients is not readily available from central statistics. The following table shows the estimated numbers of total hip replacements and arthroplasties of the hip for all ages for the last 10 years for which statistics are available:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of urgent cases awaiting orthopaedic surgery in England and Wales have been waiting (a) more than one month, (b) more than six months and (c) more than one year; and what were the comparable figures for the years 1977 to 1980 inclusive.

The following table shows the percentage of urgent cases awaiting hospital admission for orthopaedic treatment for over one month in England only during the years 1977 to 1980. Information on the numbers of cases waiting more than six months and more than one year is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients in England and Wales are currently awaiting orthopaedic surgery; and what proportion of in-patient waiting list numbers awaiting surgery in all specialties this represents.

On 31 March 1980, the most recent date for which figures are centrally available, there were 126,917 patients waiting for admission to hospital in the specialty of traumatic and orthopaedic surgery. This represented 23·7 per cent. of the total number waiting for admission in all the surgical specialties.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish the latest figures to indicate the rate of growth and the number of patients awaiting orthopaedic surgery over the last five years in each health district of England and Wales.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the figures of the waiting lists for hip replacement operations in each of the regional health authorities.

I regret that this information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why he has offered to pharmacist proprietors a smaller percentage salary increase for 1980 than has been awarded to pharmacist managers.

Increases in salary awarded by proprietors to their managers are not subject to negotiation with the Department. Notional salary for the proprietors themselves is a matter for which the Department has responsibility and we have had to say that in the present economic climate we were unable to offer more than the 14 per cent. going rate for the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many complaints he has received in the last 12 months concerning delays in returning child benefit books or in paying child benefit to those entitled to it.

[pursuant to her reply, 9 April 1981, c. 336]: Information is not readily available in the form requested. However, in the 12 months since 1 April 1980 hon. Members have sent a total of 357 letters to DHSS Ministers, including my right hon. Friend, and direct to the child benefit centre, on all aspects of child benefit: 213 of the letters concerned the payment of benefit and in 134 of these—an average of about 11 a month—the subject was "delay in payment" where the centre was at fault. These figures are very low in relation to the 7·2 million families who receive the benefit and the 21 million order books issued by the centre in the course of a year. If the hon. and learned Member has any particular case in mind, I shall be glad to look into it.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many child benefit books he estimates have been mislaid in the Newcastle office during the last 12 months for which records are available.

[pursuant to her reply, 9 April 1981, c. 336]: Order books received at the centre are subject to strict security. They are cancelled and their details recorded immediately on receipt. There is no evidence that order books have been mislaid at the centre. If the hon. and learned Member has any information to the contrary, I would be glad to receive and look into it.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will take steps to reduce and where possible to obviate the delay in returning child benefit books to those entitled to them.

[pursuant to her reply, 9 April 1981, c. 336]: I am not aware of any general difficulty concerning the return of benefit books to those entitled to them. A number of measures have been introduced to obviate the possibility of delay in payment of child benefit. In particular, payment of increases in child benefit is now generally made by means of additional order books, and where child benefit is to be reduced for some reason this can be done at the local social security office by adjustment of the order book. These procedures have reduced very considerably the need for books to be returned to the child benefit centre.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if she will publish in the Official Report the present position on the eleventh report from the Expenditure Committee, Session 1976–77, on the Civil Service by tabulating which of the 54 recommendations as set out in the report and commented on in the Government observations in Cmnd. 7117 (a) have been implemented in full, (b) have been implemented in part, (c) have not been accepted by the Government and (d) are still under consideration.

The eleventh report from the Expenditure Committee, Session 1976–77, made a wide range of recommendations concerning the management of the Civil Service and relations between Parliament and Government. The report of the Committee has certainly had an effect on developments in these areas since 1977. In the course of such developments, however, the issues have evolved and widened and it is not possible directly to relate the Committee's recommendations to current policy and practice. It would, therefore, be somewhat misleading to attempt to classify specific recommendations in the manner requested. However, if my hon. Friend has any particular recommendations in mind, perhaps he would let me know.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make an official visit to Heaton Mersey.

I have at present no plans to do so

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 April.