asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is now able to make an announcement about the universities equipment and furniture grant for the academic year 1981–82.

The estimates for Class X—Education and Science, Libraries and Arts—Votes published on 10 March, which are subject to parliamentary approval in due course, include provision for equipment and furniture grant to the universities. This provision in the academic year 1981–82 is £76·7 million; this is a cash limit. In calculating this grant an allowance of about 11 per cent. has been made for price increases between 1980–81 and 1981–82. In real terms, this grant is maintained at about the same level as the previous year.The academic year 1981–82 spans the financial years 1981–82 and 1982–83. For the financial year 1981–82 the Government's policy in respect of cash limits is set out in paragraph 9 of the Government's expenditure White Paper—Cmnd 8175. The assumptions for pay and price movements to be adopted for cash limits for the financial year 1982–83 will not be decided until later in 1981: if they are different from those set out above, consideration will be given to making appropriate adjustments to the universities' grants from 1 April 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many women have been convicted in Scotland of soliciting, prostitution or running a brothel in each of the last five years; and how many have as a result been sentenced to a term of imprisonment in each of these years.

The information requested is given in the following table.

Scotland	Number of women
	Soliciting*		Brothel Keeping
Year	Number convicted	†Number imprisoned	Number convicted	†Number imprisoned
1975	267	3	4	—
1976	304	2	2	—
1977	319	1	2	1
1978	n/a‡	n/a‡	—	—
1979¶	n/a	n/a	—	—
* "Soliciting" means soliciting for the purpose of prostitution.
† Excludes fine-defaulters.
‡ Comparable figures for 1978 and 1979 are not available as a result of local classification changes. It is estimated that there were about 250 convictions for soliciting in each of those years. The number resulting in imprisonment is not available.
¶ Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what has been the balance of trade in manufactures with the European Economic Community and the rest of the world, respectively, in the current year to date; and what were the comparable figures for the same period in each of the previous 10 years.

Detailed overseas trade statistics for the United Kingdom for 1981 have, at present, been published only for January. The figures requested, for January 1981 and for January in each of the previous ten years, are given in the following table:

United Kingdom Crude Balance of Trade in Manufactures* with the European Community† and the Rest of the World
		£ million
	European Community	Rest of World
January 1971	+18	+154
January 1972	-9	+195
January 1973	-33	+182
January 1974	-86	+88
January 1975	-102	+315
January 1976	-51	+415
January 1977	-122	+347
January 1978	-225	+453
January 1979	-225	+403
January 1980	-252	+387
January 1981	-18	+482
* SITC 5 to 8
† Including Greece, Denmark and Ireland throughout.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish a table showing the credit or deficit in the United Kingdom's trade in manufacture with the Federal Republic of Germany, France and Italy, respectively, in each of the past three years.

The information is as follows:

United Kingdom Crude Trade Balance in Manufactures*
£ million
	FR of Germany	France	Italy
1978	-1868	-535	-667
1979	-2523	-727	-796
1980	-2007	-439	-375
* SITC (R2) Sections 5 to 8.

Source: Overseas Trade Statistics (1981 basis).

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he expects the Civil Aviation Authority to publish the statement of its licensing policy required by section 13 of the Civil Aviation Act 1980.

The authority has published this statement in its official record today. For the convenience of hon. Members, I have placed a copy of it in the Library. In accordance with section 12(6) of the 1980 Act I shall make an order tomorrow appointing 22 May as the date on which the relevant new provisions of the Act regarding licensing will come into force.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he will publish his next report on oil and gas development in the United Kingdom.

I have today arranged for the publication of my annual report on the development of the oil and gas resources of the United Kingdom, the Brown Book, and have placed copies in the Library of the House and the Vote Office stores. The report is a detailed account of developments in 1980.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 28 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 28 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 28 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 28 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 April.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House I shall be having further meetings later today.

asked the Prime Minister when she expects to make her next official visit to the City of London.

Later in the year.

asked the Prime Minister if she will publish a list of nationalised industries she intends to denationalise in the next three years.

We have already successfully denationalised British Aerospace. Legislation is on the statute book enabling British Airways and the National Freight Corporation to be floated when market conditions are right. Legislation is now before the House covering the British Transport Docks Board, the Radiochemical Centre, Cable and Wireless, certain British Rail subsidiaries and some of British Telecom's activities; and we shall continue to seek out further opportunities to return nationalised industries, in whole or in part to private ownership.

asked the Prime Minister if she will issue a consultation paper about the future financing of local government.

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and I have both said recently, we do intend that there should be public consultation in due course, and we shall keep in mind the suggestion of a consultation document.

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

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will now bring forward proposals for the reform of the House of Lords.

Not immediately.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make an official visit to New Deer in the East Aberdeenshire constituency.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister, further to her reply to the right hon. Member for Worthing, Official Report, 5 March, col. 164, if she will request the chairmen of nationalised industries to deal more expeditiously with questions referred to them by Ministers on behalf of hon. Members, in view of the failure of the chairman of the National Coal Board to give answers to questions from the right hon. Member for Worthing which were orginally raised in his question to the Secretary of State for Energy recorded in the Official Report, 26 February, col. 426–7.

So far as I am aware, the chairmen do endeavour to deal expeditiously with hon. Members' correspondence. I also understand that the chairman of the National Coal Board has now written to my right hon. Friend.

asked the Prime Minister how much public money has been spent in each of the last three years, including rate support grant, partnership money, unemployment pay, supplementary benefit and other similar categories in (a) Lambeth, and (b) every other district council area.

I regret that most of the information requested could be supplied only at disproportionate cost. Information is, however, available for Lambeth only on public expenditure on rate support grant and on partnership arrangements. It is as follows:

Rate Support Grant (Lambeth)
	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81
	£ million	£ million	£ million
Needs Element	42·782	50·758	*55·373
Domestic Element	4·572	4·610	4·732
TOTAL	47·354	55·368	*60·105
* Including first increase Order adjustments.

Partnership Expenditure (Lambeth): Outturn Figures
1978–79	1979–80	1980–81
£ million	£ million	£ million
1	7	8

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

I have had no such meetings since 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister, in the light of the speech by the Foreign Secretary in Japan about the effect on employment of trade in manufactures with Japan, what factors enable such estimates to be made in respect of trade with Japan but not in respect of trade in manufactures with the European Economic Community; and if she will make a statement.

My right hon. and noble Friend drew attention to the unemployment caused by the concentration of Japanese exports in a few sensitive industrial sectors and the need for Japan to import more from Europe. I am happy to say that the pattern of our visible trade with the rest of the Community affords no parallel.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will seek from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as much detailed information as may be readily available giving either for the various boroughs in the police area, or the police station regions, the number of offences commonly known as muggings that took place during the year ended 1 April 1981; how these compare with the previous year; and what action has been taken to reduce this type of offence.

Mugging is a term with no legal definition. I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the information readily available relating to police districts is as given in the following table:

Certain Offences of Robbery of Personal Property* Recorded by the Police by Police District
Metropolitan Police District 1979–80
	Number of offences
District	1979	1980
A	39	38
B	180	141
C	169	202
D	175	125
E	139	158
F	114	107
G	257	409
H	107	128
I	5	6
J	93	128
K	146	137
L	480	593
M	276	225
N	137	165
P	182	195
Q	173	295
R	52	98
S	31	65
T	57	72
V	37	46
W	253	284
X	90	75
Y	217	358
Z	59	128
Total MPD	3468	4178
* Offences of robbery of personal property following a sudden attack in the open, there having been no previous association between the assailant and the victim.

As to the action taken to reduce the incidence of this type of offence, efforts are made to identify the areas where there is the greatest risk and the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has a policy of deploying extra uniformed patrolling officers in those areas where a problem has been indentified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police as to how and why it was necessary for three police officers to go to Barbados to deliver papers concerning the extradition of Ronald Biggs; how long these officers spent in court giving evidence; what were their ranks and pay; how much it cost in total to public funds, including their 'plane journeys; why they returned and are due to go back again; and whether in future, in view of the need for economy, he will request the Commissioner to take action to save the public's money on such matters.

I understand that the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis agreed, at the request of my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General, that a detective inspector and a detective constable should give such assistance as they were able to the authorities in Barbados in connection with the request for the extradition of Ronald Biggs. They were not called to give evidence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will initiate an investigation into the use of drugs for controlling prisoners in Her Majesty's prisons; and if he will make a statement.

No. If my hon. Friend has any evidence that drugs are used to control prisoners rather than on a doctor's prescription for the restoration of health or the relief of symptoms, my right hon. Friend would be grateful if he would send it to him so that he can consider it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Kent as to (a) the cost of the two inquiries by Kent CID into the Rochester greyhound betting case of 27 May 1978, and (b) the responsibility for payment for its inquiries.

I understand from the chief constable of Kent that the cost of the inquiry cannot readily be obtained. The cost will be met by the police authority out of the county police fund in the normal way.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will establish an independent inquiry into the accuracy of speed measuring devices used by police authorities.

No. This is a matter for chief officers of police.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any formal approval has been given by his Department to the Tribar Muni Quip hand-held digital radar.

No. This is a matter for chief officers of police.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Swansea, East on 31 March Official Report, c. 52, what form the review of operating instructions for the Muni Quip hand-held digital radar will take; and what is the time scale envisaged for it.

The review will be conducted by the Association of Chief Police Officers, and it is expected that it will be completed shortly, we hope within a matter of weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to the number of police authorities which have suspended the use of the Muni Quip radar devices or any similar equipment since the appeal in the case of Hughes on 24 March.

So far as is known, only the Gwent constabulary has temporarily suspended the use of the Muni Quip radar device, pending a review of the operating procedures.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what radar speed devices are in use by police authorities; and whether he is satisfied as to the accuracy of each type of device.

Radar speed devices in use in England and Wales include:

• P.E.T.A.
• Gatso Mini Radar
• Mesta
• Multinova
• Muni Quip
• Kustom H.R.4
• Kustom H.R.8
• K15

All have been tested for accuracy by chief officers of police, and there is no reason to doubt their accuracy if operated according to instructions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in the light of the judgment of His Honour Judge Pitchford in the case of Hughes, whether he is satisfied as to the accuracy and beam width selectivity of the Muni Quip hand-held digital radar.

The accuracy and beam width selectivity were tested by chief officers of police, and these matters are fully explained to operators during training. There is no reason to doubt the accuracy of the device if operated according to instructions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, up to 24 March 1981, how many convictions there were in speeding cases where the prosecution used evidence provided by the Muni Quip device.

The information requested is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set type-approval standards and testing procedures for radar speed measuring devices.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he intends to take following the criticisms of the European Commission of Human Rights of the current rules regarding prisoners' letters and the system for dealing with prisoners' complaints; and if he will make a statement.

We are reviewing the restrictions on prisoners' correspondence in the light of the proceedings before the European Commission of Human Rights. When the review is complete the staff associations will be consulted. It would be premature to announce details of the proposed changes at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will alter the nomenclature of boards of visitors, so that they are not confused with "prison visitors".

A change in the title "board of visitors" would require legislation to amend the Prison Act 1952. In principle, my right hon. Friend would be prepared to support a change which both accurately reflected the duties of boards and was generally acceptable to them. Extensive consultations with boards have, however, not produced a new title which would meet these criteria and in the circumstances my right hon. Friend has decided that it would be better to allow the present title to stand.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish in the Official Report details of all members of prison boards of visitors who do not object to such publication; and whether he will in future inform all persons before they are appointed or re-appointed to prison boards of visitors that their names and addresses will be made available on request.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the average fine imposed for absconding in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980 in (a) England and Wales and (b) Greater London;(2) how many people were charged with the offence of absconding in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980 in

The information readily available relates to numbers of persons proceeded against in England and Wales in 1978 and 1979 and is published in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—offence classification 80 in table 1(a) of the volume for 1978 (Cmnd. 7670) and offence classifications 80 and 83 in table 1(a) of the volume for 1979 (Cmnd. 8098). The other information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information for 1980 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people served prison sentences for the offence of absconding in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980 in (a) England and Wales and (b) Greater London;(2) what was the average length of imprisonment served for absconding in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980 in

The information readily available relates to numbers of persons receiving a sentence of immediate imprisonment in England and Wales in 1978 and 1979, and the length of sentence imposed, and is published in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—offence classification 80 in table 6 of the volumes for 1978 and 1979 (Cmnd. 7670 and 8098) and offence classification 83 in tables 2 and 6 of the volume for 1979). The other information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information for 1980 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people received a penalty for breach of bail conditions in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980 in (a) England and Wales and (b) Greater London.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 27 April 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet decided on the precise frequency sub-bands for the legalised citizens' band service.

I have decided to locate the new citizens' band service in the frequency sub-band 27.6–28MHz in order to minimise the risk of interference to authorised users of the 27 MHz band. Legalised 27 MHz FM equipment will, like that of most illicit AM equipment at present in use, operate on 40 channels at 10 kHz spacing with an effective radiated power limit of two watts. The impact of illicit CB on authorised radio services will be kept under close review.Discussions are taking place with manufacturing industry on the technical specifications for approved citizens' band equipment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons coming within the control of the Treasury paid from public funds have their salaries or incomes published; and how many do not.

There are about 1,270 persons whose salaries or fees are paid through the Treasury Vote and who receive amounts set out in published documents. The Ministerial and other Salaries and Pensions Order 1980—S.I. 1980 No. 1073—the Civil Service Pay and Conditions of Service Code and the Establishment Officers' Guide are all in the House of Commons Library. Separate figures are not published for 512 full-time and part-time staff in Royal Households and parliamentary bodies. But they are in the main paid by analogy with civil servants or other public sector employees.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North Official Report, 9 March, c. 257, if he will show the savings if child benefit were made liable to tax, assuming 1981–82 benefit and income levels and that no child benefit were payable to families earning more than £10,000 a year.

If child benefit were liable to tax and no child benefit were payable to families with incomes over £10,000 a year the savings at 1981–82 benefit and income levels would be about £1·5 billion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update the information on personal tax allowances given in answer to the hon. Member for Birkenhead on 24 March 1980, Official Report, c. 444.

The latest available information on the total costs of granting each personal allowance relates to 1980–81 and was published in the Government's expenditure plans, Cmnd. 8175, page 218. Estimates for 1981–82 are not currently available due to industrial action affecting an Inland Revenue computer, the information to hand is insufficient for a manual estimation of these particular costs.Within these total costs for 1980–81, the only amounts of relief at higher rate in excess of £1 million—that is the yields if the relief were restricted to relief at basic rate—are:

	£ million
Married person's allowance	240
Single person's allowance	60
Wife's earned income allowance	55

The figures relate to those claiming the allowances in 1980–81, in particular those couples for whom an election for separate taxation of wife's earnings was advantageous in 1980–81 are included under the costs of the single person's allowance.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update the information on income tax given in the answer to the hon. Member for Birkenhead on 11 March 1980, Official Report, c. 544.

It is estimated that to allow tax relief in respect of personal allowances at a rate no higher than the basic rate would yield in the region of £300 million in a full year at 1981–82 income levels. This figure assumes that couples who would find it advantageous to elect for separate taxation of the wife's earnings would be able to do so, even if they do not currently find it advantageous.There is greater than usual uncertainty about this estimate since industrial action has prevented a more precise calculation being made on the Inland Revenue

	Percentage of earnings		Percentage of income
Weekly Earnings	Single	Married	Married with 2 children	Married with 4 children
£	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent
30	11·3	7·7	4·0	2·3
60	24·5	17·1	13·4	11·0
80	27·8	22·3	19·9	17·3
100	29·8	23·4	23·2	21·3
150	32·5	29·5	27·7	26·2
200	33·8	31·6	30·1	28·8
250	33·3	31·2	30·1	29·0
300	34·7	32·5	31·5	30·6

National insurance contributions are at the not contracted out rate of 7·75 per cent. up to an earnings limit of £200 per week.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the increased revenue from income tax in 1981–82 deducted from those earnings less than the national average wage, as a result of the decision not to index tax allowances in accordance with section 22 of the Finance Act 1977.

About £1·1 billion in full year terms for those with estimated incomes in 1981–82 less than the national average wage, taken as the annual equivalent of the average weekly earnings of full-time male manual workers. This is somewhat higher than the average annual income of taxpayers as many people are not paid for 52 full weeks' work in a year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average per capita annual personal income, before tax, for each of the eight counties of Wales, for Wales as a whole and for Great Britain for the most recent available year.

Estimates of average per capita personal income before tax are not available for the counties of Wales.The latest estimate for Wales as a whole is £2,702 in 1979: the comparable figure for Great Britain is £2,995.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of earnings for a single person earning (a) £30 per week, (b) £60 per week, (c) £80 per week, (d) £100 per week, (e) £150 per week, (f) £200 per week, (g) £250 per week and (h) £300 per week goes in income tax and national insurance contributions; and what are the comparable percentages in respect of a married man, a married man with two children, and a married man with four children.

The figures are as follows:Child benefit at the rate of £4·75 per child per week has been included in the income of the married man with two and four children. Family income supplement has also been included where appropriate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many sets of pay-as-you-earn records are inspected each year by the audit division of the Inland Revenue; and in how many of these cases additional revenue is recovered from (a) full-time employees, (b) casual employees and (c) employers.

About 18,000 sets of employers PAYE records are inspected each year by the audit staff of the Inland Revenue. In about 45 per cent. of cases some irregularity is discovered which leads to the recovery of under-deducted tax. This tax is normally due and recoverable from the employer and it is estimated from a recent sample that tax in respect of casual or part-time earnings features in at least 25 per cent. of settlements.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the powers of the Inland Revenue to grant tax amnesties such as the one granted to the Fleet Street newspaper proprietors and the Fleet Street casual workers.

Decisions on how far to pursue the investigation of possible liabilities for past years are taken by the Inland Revenue with due regard to its responsibility for the care and management of the direct taxes under section 1 of the Taxes Management Act 1970. For the position with regard to the Fleet Street newspaper proprietors I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Brigg and Scunthorpe (Mr. Brown) on 27 April.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will explain in more specific detail than given in paragraph 34 of chapter 5 in Cmnd. 8175 how the rate of decline between 1979–80 and 1981–82 in total public expenditure on the housing programme as shown in cost terms in table 4.12 of Cmnd. 8175 is greater than the rate of decline in the same programme over the same period as shown in volume terms in table 2·7 in Cmnd. 8175.

Table 4·12 of Cmnd. 8175 shows that the housing pragramme in cost terms declines by 33 per cent. between 1979–80 and 1981–82. Table 2.7 of Cmnd. 8175 shows that the housing programme in volume terms declines by 36 per cent. over the same period. The smaller decline in cost terms reflects the expectation that housing costs, particularly the costs of capital expenditure, will increase more than general inflation between 1979–80 and 1981–82.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated additional revenue to the Exchequer as a result of his decision not to index age allowances.

I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to the hon. Member for Dorking (Mr. Wickenden) on 15 April 1981.—[Vol. 3, c. 153–54.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will change existing rules whereby joint ventures between nationalised and private industries are included in the public expenditure survey and the public sector borrowing requirement if the private involvement is less than 50 per cent. of the joint venture.

I see no advantage in doing so. The coverage of the public expenditure survey and the public sector borrowing requirement conforms with that of the public sector as defined in the national accounting system. The principles of national accounting are described in "National Accounts Statistics: Sources and Methods"—HMSO 1968—and reflect the control normally exerted in cases of majority ownership.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will explain why he includes Government financial guarantees under the general arrangements for the public sector borrowing requirement when no borrowing actually takes place.

Financial guarantees given by the Government affect the public sector borrowing requirement only if and when the guarantees are called.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take immediate steps to ensure that no further demands for value added tax are made on small shopkeepers and other retailers until the long overdue repayments from Her Majesty's Customs and Excise have been made.

[pursuant to his reply, 14 April 1981, c. 104]: No. It is necessary for the normal collection of tax to continue. In the case of retail chemists, however, arrangements are being made to ease the cash flow problems where necessary by means of an enhanced payment on account of the amounts due to be paid to them in respect of National Health Service dispensing.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is satisfied that the application of value added tax at the full rate on bloodstock in the United Kingdom is consistent with the Treaty of Rome; and if he will have regard to the different approach taken by Eire and France with a view to ensuring that exporters of bloodstock are not disadvantaged.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 April 1981]; The United Kingdom has, from the beginning of its own VAT, applied the tax at the standard rate to internal supplies of bloodstock and at the zero rate to exports. The value for tax is the full selling price or open market value. That practice is in accordance with the terms of the EC sixth Council directive. The Government considered that the French system of applying VAT to horses on the basis of carcase value is in breach of article 11 of the directive: I understand that the Commission is continuing with proceedings against the French Government under article 169 of the Treaty of Rome. The Irish are entitled to continue their exemption of bloodstock during the transitional period. The transitional derogations allowed under the directive fall to be reviewed during 1982 under article 28.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of the representations received from the London taxi cab service, he will consider a reduction on the 20p increase on the cost, per gallon of derv.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 April 1981]: A selective duty relief for taxis would be difficult to justify when other business users of derv bear the full burden of the duty.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the organisations and groups which have approached him in recent weeks, subsequent to his Budget announcement, requesting a reduction in the revenue element in the price of derv.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 April 1981]: My right hon. and learned Friend has received about 120 letters on the subject of the Budget increase in derv duty. Organisations which have written include the Road Haulage Association, The British Confederation of Road Passenger Transport, the National Farmers Unions, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the Scottish Motor Trade Association and the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) what financial provision was made in his Department's budget for regional development grants 1980–81 for the Merseyside special development area; and how much of that budget was actually taken up;(2) what financial provision has been made in the budget of his Department for the Merseyside special development area for regional development grant for 1981–82;(3) if he will consider the possibility of transferring funds not taken up under the regional development grant fund as an addition to the funds available and budgeted for under section 7 of the Industry Act in the Merseyside special development area;(4) what was the budget figure in section 7 grants in Merseyside special development area for each of the last five years; and what was the actual amount granted in each of those years.

Payments of both regional development grant and selective assistance under section 7 of the Industry Act 1972 depend on the incidence of eligible applications received. No specific budget is therefore allocated to particular areas, nor is there any occasion for the transfer of provision between the two forms of assistance in respect of particular areas.The amount of regional development grant paid in the Merseyside SDA in 1980–81 is provisionally estimated to be £83,899,000. The payments made under section 7 of the Industry Act 1972 to companies in the Merseyside SDA during each of the past five years were as follows:

1976–77	£2,311,000
1977–78	£3,189,000
1978–79	£4,758,000
1979–80	£9,554,000
1980–81	£7,286,000

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report the differences in the rights between adoptive and natural mothers; and if he will introduce legislation to eradicate such differences.

The Children Act 1975 provides that an adopted child is fully recognised in law as the legitimate child of the adopters. I am not aware of any differences between the rights of adoptive and natural mothers in otherwise identical circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further consideration he has given to the issue of new guidelines for minimum standards in baby care clinics with regard to staffing and equipment for obstetric and neonatal care.

We are holding discussions with the relevant professional bodies about how our undertaking to establish minimum standards for the maternity and neonatal services can best be carried forward, and hope to be able to make an announcement soon.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what new medical evidence has become available on thalidomide damage since the Marre report; what evaluation he has made of it; and if he has any proposals to ask the Distillers Company to reconsider claims for compensation in the light of this evidence.

My right hon. Friend received some medical evidence relating to two young women who claim they were damaged by the drug thalidomide. We are considering that evidence and shall write to the right hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what extra revenue would accrue to the Government if the ceiling on national insurance contributions were abolished (a) for employees and (b) for employers and there were a proportional rate in 1981–82;(2) what extra revenue would accrue to the Government if the ceiling on national insurance contributions were abolished and there were a proportional rate on all earnings in 1981–82.

If the ceiling on Class 1 and Class 4 national insurance contributions had been abolished, it is estimated that, at the existing rates of contributions, the extra contributions that would have been payable for the tax year 1981–82 amount to (a) £400 million for employees, (b) £700 million for employers (including the national insurance surcharge) and (c) £100 million for Class 4 contributors.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many families are currently earning less than supplementary benefit rates; how many children are involved: and what are the comparable figures for each year since 1970.

[pursuant to her reply, 6 April 1981, c. 211]: I regret that the information requested is not

Estimated numbers of working families with incomes below supplementary benefit levels—Great Britain
			Families with children			Families without children
Year	Total families	Total persons including children	Families	Persons including children	Children	Families	Persons
1975	210,000	620,000	110,000	500,000	280,000	100,000	130,000
1976	290,000	890,000	170,000	740,000	400,000	110,000	150,000
1977	230,000	640,000	120,000	500,000	280,000	110,000	140,000
Notes on the Table
(1) All figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000.
(2) The estimates are based on a Department of Health and Social Security analysis of the incomes and other information given by respondents to the Family Expenditure Survey. The estimates are subject to statistical error.
(3) Supplementary benefit level has been taken as the ordinary supplementary benefit scale rate(s), as appropriate. Income refers to net income, less housing costs and less work expenses where appropriate.
(4) No regard has been had to factors that can affect payment of supplementary benefit, such as capital and exceptional circumstances.
(5) The comparisons have been based on the family's normal income in the normal employment of the family head. For example, where the head of the family had been off work due to sickness or unemployment for less than three months at the time of the survey, the family's normal income when the head was at work was used in determining the level of income.
(6) These estimates do not indicate unclaimed entitlement to supplementary benefit. Those who are in full-time work would not normally have entitlement to supplementary benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the proposals for a European Community youth service scheme.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Harrow, East (Mr. Dykes) on 24 March 1981.—[Vol. 1, c. 796–97.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what recent discussions have been held in the European Economic Community Council of Ministers on a Community initiative on unemployment.

Unemployment was one of the major issues discussed at the meeting of the European Council in Maastricht on 23–24 March, and also at an informal meeting of Community Employment Ministers which my right hon. Friend attended at the Hague on 6–7 April.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many representations his Department has received to date on the Green Paper on trade union immunities.

So far my Department has received representations from some 40 organisations and individuals. However, consultations are due to last until 30 June. As I said to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Renton) on 24 March, in view of the importance and complexity of the issues raised in the Green Paper we do not expect to receive comments from the major organisations in industry until later in the consultative period.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he last met the chairman of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service to discuss the operation of the closed shop.

My right hon. Friend does meet the chairman of ACAS from time to time to discuss matters of common concern, but has not recently discussed the operation of the closed shop.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies have been declared in Stockport since May 1979; and how many of these have been in the engineering industry.

There are no comprehensive statistics of redundancies. But the number of redundancies, involving 10 or more employees, reported to the Manpower Services Commission as due to occur in Stockport employment office area in the period May 1979 to March 1981 was 3,586, of which 744 were in engineering—SIC orders VII, VIII and IX.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what further proposals he has for reducing unemployment in the Northern region.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Morpeth (Mr. Grant) on 5 March 1981.—[Vol. 1000, c. 168.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make provision for an additional grant for transport costs for those employed on the Manpower Services Commission's special measures programmes in rural areas.

No. The Manpower Services Commission has reimbursed travel expenses over £4 per week to young people on the youth opportunity programme since the programme began in April 1978, and so the real value of the assistance made available has increased. Moreover, since there are many more opportunities available in the expanded programme the great majority of unemployed young people, even in rural areas, should find a suitable opportunity within reasonable travelling distance of their homes. In these circumstances an additional grant is not justified.As regards adult staff employed on the youth opportunities programme, and adults employed under the community enterprise programme, they are employees of the sponsor of the scheme to which they are recruited and are therefore responsible for the costs of their own transport from and to their place of work.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the European Community guidelines on flexible retirement.

I welcome the Community guidelines as informing our thinking on how greater flexibility in retirement provisions can help alleviate unemployment and meet the general wishes and needs of the older worker.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, if he will take steps to see that more urgent progress is made in the current review of training and retraining.

My right hon. Friend asked the Manpower Services Commission in November to conduct its review of future arrangements for industrial training urgently and to report its conclusions in June. I expect the commission to be able to keep to this timetable. I do not intend to ask the commission to report earlier.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he plans to meet the director general of the Engineering Employers' Federation to discuss industrial training.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to meet the director general at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures available for the proportion of the working population which is unemployed; and if he will make a statement.

At 9 April the provisional rate of unemployment in the United Kingdom was 10·4 per cent. The rate is based on the number of employees, employed and unemployed, which differs from the total working population in that it excludes members of Her Majesty's Forces and the self-employed.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what reports he has received on the workings of the community enterprise programme.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, West (Mr. Eggar).

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received about the future of the industrial training boards; and if he will make a statement.

My Department has received about 900 letters about the future of industrial training boards from organisations and individuals. The Manpower Services Commission, in the course of its review of the subject, has sought views from some 2,000 organisations.We will take decisions when we have the commission's recommendations, and will announce them to the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied with the nature of the work made available to participants in the youth opportunities programme.

Work experience schemes under the youth opportunities programme are approved by the Manpower Services Commission only if they offer opportunities which will improve the young person's employment prospects by providing a realistic introduction to working life.Every effort is made to ensure that the work experience provided is varied an equips young people with basic skills, and the success of the programme is indicated by the large number of young people who find work or enter further education or training after they leave.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied with the effectiveness of the youth opportunities programme as it relates to training.

Within the overall provision of the youth opportunities programme, a comprehensive range of training opportunities now exists which responds to the needs of young people and the local labour market. Such training is regularly monitored and I am generally satisfied with the arrangements being made.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what sums have been received for the youth opportunities programme from the European social fund.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 24 February to my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Mr. Michael McNair-Wilson).—[Vol. 999, c. 321.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make an estimate of the number of young people likely to be placed in employment by the end of 1981.

It is not the Government's practice to forecast future employment or unemployment figures. However, it is expected in the school year 1980–81 around 715,000 young people will leave school for work and I would expect most of these to be in employment by the end of 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether the Manpower Services Commission has completed its consideration of any of the policy matters relating to the employment of disabled people referred to in the reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 19 January, Official Report, c. 39.

The Manpower Services Commission has approved, and intends to publish, a report of a review of its future role in employment rehabilitation. The report proposes a number of experimental developments designed to improve the MSC's employment rehabilitation service for disabled people.The review of the quota scheme is now at an advanced stage and the commission will soon be reporting to Ministers with its recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in the city of Leicester are currently unemployed; and how this figure compares with the figure in each of the past five years.

The following table gives the numbers of people registered as unemployed in the Leicester employment office area, which closely corresponds to the city of Leicester, at April each year from 1976:

April each year
1976	11,841
1977	12,742
1978	11,055
1979	10,499
1980	12,534
1981 (provisional)	21,319

The figures for 1976 and 1977 include relatively small numbers of unemployed people in the Wigston area, who do not appear in the figures for later dates because of a change in employment office area boundaries.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he next plans to meet the director general of the Confederation of British Industry to discuss apprenticeship training.

I have no immediate plans to do so, but I do, of course, meet the director general and other representatives of the Confederation of British Industry from time to time to discuss issues of concern to the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he last held discussions concerning the operation of the national mobility scheme; and if he will make a statement.

The national mobility scheme, which was launched on 1 April this year, falls within the responsibilities of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of registered job vacancies in the Greater London area.

At 3 April, the provisional number of notified vacancies remaining unfilled at employment offices and careers offices in Greater London were 16,681 and 1,139 respectively. The figures relate only to those vacancies notified to employment offices and careers offices; vacancies notified to employment offices are estimated to be about one-third of all vacancies in the country as a whole. Because of possible duplication, the figures for employment offices and careers offices should not be added together. The number of vacancies unfilled on a particular date takes no account of the flow of vacancies being notified, filled, or withdrawn during the preceding month, which may reflect activity more closely.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied with the workings of the new grants offered under the employment transfer scheme.

The new grants and allowances payable under the employment transfer scheme were introduced as from 1 April 1981. The operation of the scheme following these changes will be carefully monitored.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is satisfied with the progress of the job release scheme.

Yes, but obviously I would welcome more applications from people in the eligible age groups in order to provide additional job opportunities for those on the unemployed register.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will remove the Dinnington employment exchange area from the Sheffield travel-to-work area.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many cases there have been in each year for the longest convenient period of time, of mesothelioma attributed to non-occupational exposure to asbestos, affecting families of workers in (a) the asbestos cement manufacturing industry or (b) the building and construction industries.

I regret that this information cannot readily be obtained. The register of deaths from mesothelioma maintained by the Health and Safety Executive's employment medical advisory service does not include information to associate cases with the occupational history of all other members of the family.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will ensure that the Employment Medical Advisory Service issues guidance on the hazards of bis-chloromethyl ether and particularly the carcinogen risks associated with this chemical.

I am advised by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that the commission already advises industry that exposure to all toxic substances including bis-chloromethyl ether (bis-CME) should be kept as low as is reasonably practicable. In addition, the Health and Safety Executive regularly inspects the one plant in Great Britain where chloromethyl ether is produced and where workers might be exposed to bis-CME. In these circumsances, the executive does not consider it necessary to issue further guidance on the hazards of this chemical.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide funding to enable the Employment Medical Advisory Service to complete the study of the carcinogenic risks of bis-chloromethyl ether started in 1971.

No. The study to which the hon. Member refers is a mortality study of workers employed in the manufacture of bis-chloromethyl ether (bis-CME) at two factories in Great Britain, one of which has now ceased production. The study was originally established by the Employment Medical Advisory Service (EMAS) but was taken over for completion by the department of occupational health and hygiene, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and I have been informed that sufficient funds are available for its completion. As neither EMAS nor the Health and Safety Executive now has any direct involvement with the study, it is not proposed to provide further Government funds for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people came on to the unemployment register and how many went off it, in the last month for which figures are available.

The average numbers of people in Great Britain joining and leaving the unemployment register at employment offices each month in the three months ending March were 348,000 and 277,000 respectively, seasonally adjusted. These figures represent on average about 90 per cent. of all those who joined or left the register each month.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action has been taken by the Manpower Services Commission in the past year to publicise among disabled people the advantages of the quota scheme; and what action the Manpower Services Commission will be taking to promote the scheme during the remainder of 1981.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest unemployment figures for the United Kingdom and Merseyside, respectively.

At 9 April, the provisional numbers of people registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom and in the Merseyside special development area were 2,517,958 and 110,421, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the labour force was in public employment in 1951 compared to 1981.

Precise figures on a fully comparable basis covering the whole of the period are not available but my Department has estimated that the percentage of the employed labour force working in the public sector, including public corporations, was 29·7 per cent. at the latest available date—mid-1979—compared to about 27½ per cent. at mid-1951. Part of the increase is the result of transfers to the public sector, in particular the nationalisation of the aerospace and shipbuilding industries in 1977.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Northampton, North (Mr. Marlow) on 3 April, if he has made any estimate of the amount by which the United Kingdom's contribution to the European Economic Community budget will be reduced by the European Economic Community price review; which European Economic Community nations will be required to pay the £596 million additional cost of the price settlement in a full year; and if he will publish a table showing how the extra budgetary cost of £596 million will be shared between Community members.

As I have previously indicated, the recent price settlement together with the EMS realignment will slightly reduce the United Kingdom's net contribution to the Community budget. All member States will contribute towards and share in the net extra expenditure, but the Commission has not provided details for each country.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the European Community price review is likely to increase or reduce the structural surpluses of the common agricultural policy.

The average institutional price increase is broadly similar to the expected rate of inflation in the Community and in my view is unlikely to add to structural surpluses.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he made of any additional or reduced costs of the disposal of surplus foodstuffs in stating that the additional budgetary cost of the European Economic Community price review would be £596 million.

The figure of £596 million for the net cost to FEOGA in a full year of the agricultural price settlement together with the EMS realignment represents the Commission's estimate of 1096 mecu converted at £1 = 1·84 ecu, which is approximately the new sterling central rate. The Commission has not stated how much of the total relates to the cost of disposal of surplus foodstuffs.