asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 5 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 5 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 5 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 5 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 5 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 5 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 5 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 5 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 5 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 5 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 5 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 5 May.

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, pursuant to her reply to the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed on 9 April, if she will set out how the law under the present Government is different from the law when the case of the three dismissed British Railways employees arose; and if she is satisfied with the protection afforded by the current law to such individuals.

Under the last Government's legislation the only employees with a remedy for being unfairly dismissed for not being a member of a union were those who objected to union membership on grounds of religious belief.The Employment Act 1980 has greatly increased the protection against unfair dismissal for individual employees who do not want to join a union. The new protected categories are:

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

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister when next she plans to visit Scotland.

Next Friday.

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 30 April.

asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government will take action to encourage British industry to seek industrial raw materials from sources other than South Africa.

It is for industry to weigh and balance the advantages of different overseas suppliers of its raw materials, but following the consultations we announced last year we are considering whether measures can be taken to increase the security of supply of essential minerals imported from abroad.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he intends to continue to charge general practitioners for tests carried out on their private patients by National Health Service laboratories.

There is no such charge.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he intends to issue a circular on membership of district health authorities particularly in relation to nurse members, in view of his suggested guidelines.

Yes. The circular should be available shortly and a copy will be placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Social Services whether he has given any guidance to regional health authorities relating to trade unionists being appointed to membership of the new district health authorities.

Such guidance will be given in a health circular to be published shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has received any representations on the Royal College of Nursing paper on the standard of nursing care.

No, but I have received a copy of its discussion document, "Towards Standards", and at an earlier stage had some discussion on the subject with representatives of the Royal College of Nursing.

Perinatal and Neonatal Mortality Rates—1976–1979
Total Legitimate (social classes I-V and others) and illegitimate		Legitimate Births (by social class)					Illegitimate Births
		I	II	III	IV	V
England only
1976
Perinatal	17·6	12·7	14·3	16·6	19·3	25·0	24·4
Neonatal	9·6	6·9	7·7	8·7	10·4	13·7	14·1
1977
Perinatal	16·8	11·4	12·9	16·4	18·9	22·3	23·1
Neonatal	9·1	5·9	7·4	8·5	10·2	11·9	12·7
1978
Perinatal	15·4	12·0	12·2	14·8	16·7	20·1	21·0
Neonatal	8·6	6·9	6·9	8·0	9·3	10·3	11·9
1979
Perinatal	14·5	10·2	11·9	14·0	16·3	18·2	19·3
Neonatal	8·1	6·4	6·9	7·4	9·1	10·3	11·5
England and Wales
1976
Perinatal	17·7	12·7	14·3	16·8	19·2	24·9	24·3
Neonatal	9·6	6·8	7·7	8·7	10·2	14·0	13·9
1977
Perinatal	16·9	11·6	13·0	16·4	18·8	22·0	23·3
Neonatal	9·2	6·1	7·5	8·5	10·2	11·6	12·9
1978
Perinatal	15·5	11·9	12·3	14·9	16·7	20·3	21·1
Neonatal	8·6	6·8	7·0	8·1	9·3	10·1	11·8
1979
Perinatal	14·6	10·3	11·8	14·0	16·5	18·7	19·5
Neonatal	8·2	6·5	6·9	7·4	9·1	10·7	11·6

Source: OPCS.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek to ensure that notices produced by the tobacco industry of material on the law

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he plans to restore the abatement of unemployment benefit which took place at the November 1980 uprating.

As the hon. Member knows, we propose to make unemployment benefit taxable from April next year. We have said that we shall have to consider the rate of the benefit, when it is brought into tax, in the light of all the circumstances at the time. That still holds good.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to improve the situation in neonatal and perinatal mortality of children born to parents in social classes IV and V, following the publication of the Black report.

In the last few years both perinatal and neonatal mortality rates have been falling very rapidly, particularly for social classes IV and V. The detailed figures are shown in the following table. Since the report on inequalities in health was published we have issued health circular (80)13 which urges health authorities to take steps to improve their services with the aim of achieving still further reductions in mortality rates.regarding sales of cigarettes to children are effectively distributed to retail outlets and fixed to automatic vending machines.

Yes. I am keeping in close touch with the arrangements which the industry is making for the distribution of these notices.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any plans to introduce a State health insurance scheme with optional arrangements for those wishing to obtain private care.

I am examining the strengths and weaknesses of our present system of health care financing as compared with those of other countries, many of which provide health care through compulsory social insurance schemes. In some cases such schemes make provision for contracting out and this is a possible area for study. This examination is still at an early stage and it is too soon to say what if any proposals may emerge as a basis for consultation. I would regard it as essential in any new arrangements to ensure that no one should be denied necessary treatment for want of means to pay.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to require all local authorities to provide the parents of children in care with regular and not infrequent access to such children except in cases in which it is established before a court of law that it is not in a child's best interests for such access to be provided.

I have no plans to do so. Local authorities are required to give first consideration to the welfare of children in their care. This will of course include visits by parents where appropriate, and there would be a presumption that, prima facie, such visits would be appropriate. But they are not appropriate in every case. The welfare of the child must remain the proper basis for decisions about parental access in individual cases.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what guidance he has given to insurance officers concerning the interpretation of regulation 5 of the Supplementary Benefit (Resources) Regulations 1980 as it affects the entitlement of claimants to single payments for exceptional needs.

The interpretation of the supplementary benefits regulations is a matter for the independent adjudicating authorities, the benefit officer in the first instance. Guidance to them is issued by the chief supplementary benefit officer and a copy of his guidance on the regulations governing single payments for exceptional need has been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to improve health care in inner city areas.

I said in my reply to the hon. Member on 3 March—[Vol. 1000, c. 125–26]—that we shared his concern about health care in inner city areas. Responsibility for improving services locally lies with NHS authorities, which allocate their resources according to their priorities. At national level the special problems of these areas are recognised. Government funds are at present available under the urban programme to seven partnership and 25 programme authorities to help implement their inner city plans—including health care and personal social services. In addition, 10 per cent. of joint finance moneys are allocated to regional health authorities on the basis of inner city needs and capital allocations also take this into account. The Department has also been involved in a number of studies of specific aspects of health care, mostly in relation to primary care and with particular relevance to inner cities. The report by a study group of the London Health Planning Consortium on primary care in inner London, which is to be published this month, will help in deciding what more needs to be done.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will increase the proportion of National Health Service expenditure at present allocated to the North-West region.

The distribution of health services resources is based on the criteria established by the resource allocation working party. Under these criteria, the North-Western region is relatively poorly provided and can expect to continue to receive greater than the average national growth in its revenue allocation, as it has done in 1981–82.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will reconsider his decision that only State registered chiropodists may work for the National Health Service.

State registration remains the only recognised national standard against which the training and competence of chiropodists can be measured. Health Ministers hope shortly to issue a consultative document on possible amendment of the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1960 so as to restrict the use of professional titles under the Act in spheres such as chiropody to State registered practitioners. Any proposals must, of course, be generally acceptable to the chiropody profession, health authorities and Parliament. Such proposals might admit to the State register under transitional arrangements many experienced but currently unregistered chiropodists: the conditions of eligibility would be matters to be decided in due course through detailed consultations with the professions concerned and other interests. NHS chiropodists may already be supported in their work by foot care assistants to undertake simple foot care of the kind which a healthy adult would be able to undertake for himself, leaving the chiropodist free to concentrate on treatments requiring his or her professional skills.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many contracts for the use of National Health Service services by private establishments have been entered into by the Wessex regional health authority.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Members for Huddersfield, East (Mr. Sheerman) and for Holborn and St. Pancras, South (Mr. Dobson) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how far the Government's public expenditure plans for the next three years take account of the growing numbers of elderly people in the total population of the United Kingdom.

With regard to services for which I am responsible, the Government's expenditure plans for the National Health Service in England, as set out in Cmnd. 8175, allow for a real terms increase in gross spending of about 4·4 per cent. between 1980–81 and 1982–83, and this accommodates the rising costs associated with population changes, including the growing numbers of elderly people. The social security programme for Great Britain shows a steady increase in expenditure in real terms of about 7 per cent. between 1980–81 and 1983–4 on benefits for the elderly, mainly because of increased numbers qualifying for retirement pensions. It is up to local authorities to determine the level of expenditure on the personal social services in the light of local circumstances and priorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in view of the fact that a bona fide resident, of Gujerati origin, in Brent, South has been charged medical fees because of inadequate understanding of the patient's entitlement, if he will ensure that reimbursement is made; and if he will make a statement on the procedure to be followed to obtain reimbursement in such cases.

The hon. Member has not provided sufficient information to enable me to reply. He might like to write to me giving full details of the patient and the charges made.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consult the representatives of the junior doctors with a view to examining the problems of both overseas doctors and doctors with domestic commitments who find the three-year mandatory vocational training a severe deterrent to obtaining entry into general practice as a principal.

The only requirement at present for those seeking a certificate to enter general practice as principals is 12-months' experience as a general practice trainee or its equivalent; provision is made for this experience to be gained on a part or full time basis. If this requirement is causing difficulties to particular groups, or in particular areas, I would be glad to consider representations from the junior doctors or any other groups affected.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Burnley on 16 April, Official Report, c. 246, if he will set out the existing methods by which Ministers and officials are made aware of the access problems of disabled people.

Ministers, and those officials in the Department who deal with problems of disability, meet disabled people and representatives of organisations dealing with disability frequently and both see and discuss the ways in which access problems arise and the effect they have. They receive correspondence on the subject and references in newspapers and journals are drawn to their attention. They also have close links with the Committee on Restrictions Against Disabled People, which is due to report by the end of this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce new measures to facilitate the provision of telephones in the houses of disabled people.

No. Local authorities have power under section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 to help disabled people with the provision of telephones.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what figures are available for the incidence of bronchitis in the population as a whole; and how this compares with the incidence among those with a lengthy history in dust-creating occupations such as coal mining;(2) what figures are available for the incidence of emphysema in the population as a whole; and how this compares with the incidence among those with a lengthy history in dust-creating occupations such as coal mining.

I regret that information is not available in the form requested. The only figures available on the incidence of bronchitis and emphysema are the annual numbers of claims to national insurance sickness and invalidity benefit in respect of these diseases. These relate only to the insured population, not to the population as a whole, and are not broken down according to occupation.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what statistical evidence there is of the relationship of bronchitis and emphysema to certain dust-creating occupations such as coal mining and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will take steps to list bronchitis and emphysema as industrial diseases for people who have worked in certain dust-creating occupations for a given length of time; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the information given to the hon. Member by my right hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (Mr. Prentice), the former Minister for Social Security, on 21 January 1980.—[Vol. 977, c. 51–3.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the chief medical officer in his Department has received a reply from the regional health authority chairman and the presidents of the Royal colleges and faculties, concerning the proposed discussions on implementing the policy of expanding the consultant grade faster than the training grades in the National Health Service.

The Chief Medical Officer has received an encouraging response from regional health authority chairmen and the presidents of Royal colleges and faculties and discussions have already been held in six regions and with one of the Royal colleges; dates for further discussions in other regions and with other Royal colleges and faculties have been arranged.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total number of those employed in the National Health Service in 1965, 1970, 1975 and 1980.

The earliest year for which an overall total of NHS employees in England can be compiled is 1971; comparable figures for 1965 and 1970 are not available. The latest year for which comparable and complete information is available is 1979. However, my Department has made a rough estimate of NHS staff numbers for 1980 based on provisional estimates from nine regions. The figure should, therefore, be used with caution. The following is the available information:

NHS Directly-employed Staff* England as at 30 September
	Whole-time Equivalents
1971†	629,737
1975	717,282
1979	773,350
1980 (Estimate)‡	793,100
*In addition to staff in the 14 regions numbers include staff in the London postgraduate teaching hospitals, the London ambulance service, the Dental Estimates Board and the Prescription Pricing Authority. Figures include locums and agency nurses and midwives.
†Following NHS reorganisation on 1 April 1974, staff previously employed by local authority health departments were transferred to area health authorities. The 1971 figure has been corrected for this, but a direct comparison with the figures for the later years is unreliable.
‡The figure for 1980 is an estimate based on provisional returns from nine regions. The 1980 estimate for nursing and midwifery staff has been adjusted to take account of the reduction in the working week—from 40 to 37½ hours—to enable a comparison to be made with previous years.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about his meeting with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee on 30 April.

I met the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee on 30 April, when we discussed the outstanding issues currently being negotiated. We agreed to consider the views expressed and to meet again in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many single women aged between 60 and 65 years are receiving graduated State pensions.

The information relating to single women only is not available. However, in November 1980, there were 541,000 female retirement pensioners receiving graduated pensions, including those receiving graduated pensions only. This includes married women receiving a basic retirement pension on their own contributions but not married women receiving a basic retirement pension on their husbands' contributions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many individuals in receipt of (a) attendance allowance and (b) mobility allowance were also in receipt of a heating allowance in 1980–81.

This information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many individuals were granted an additional heating allowance because of (a) chronic ill health, (b) as a result of being housebound and (c) as a result of being bedfast due to ill health.

I regret that our statistical records do not identify these conditions separately. The broad categories of those receiving heating additions are set out in table 34.45 of Social Security Statistics 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the value of payments made on behalf of disabled people by his Department directly to (a) gas boards and (b) electricity boards in 1980.

I regret that the statistical records on direct payments to fuel boards do not distinguish between disabled and other claimants.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the criteria for direct payment of gas and electricity bills by his Department.

The criteria for the application of the direct payment arrangements in relation to fuel are set out in regulation 3 of the Supplementary Benefit (Deductions and Payments to Third Parties) Regulations 1980 (SI 1980 No. 983), and also in the joint statement of intent on direct payment for fuel, which is available in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is satisfied that gas and electricity boards have adequate access to records kept by his Department for the purpose of operating codes of practice in relation to disabled people; and whether such records are sufficiently full and up to date.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are currently training as doctors; and how many new consultant posts will eventually be needed if these trainees are to work in hospitals.

In England and Wales, at 30 September 1980, there were 21,417 doctors in the training grades of senior registrar, registrar, senior house officer and house officer. If all aimed for and were regarded as suitable for appointment as consultants, the number of additional consultant posts required would equal the above number of juniors less replacements for existing consultants who leave the NHS. However, no clear correlation between total numbers of junior doctors at present in training posts and the number of consultant posts which will in due course be required to absorb them, can be arrived at because, inter alia: they are at very different stages in their career progression; many will pursue a career in general practice; and many overseas doctors will return overseas. Some indication of future availability of posts may, however, be derived from the age pattern of consultants at present in post, that is:

	Number
All ages	12,778
Under 30	3
30 to 34	596
35 to 39	1,995
40 to 44	2,525
45 to 49	2,272
50 to 54	1,994
55 to 59	1,850
60 to 64	1,412
65 and over	131

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the numbers of present or former tax inspectors, Customs and Excise officers, immigration officers, rating and valuation officers, police officers and sales representatives employed as enumerators during the census.

No. This information is not available centrally and would be costly to collect. Serving police officers were ineligible for appointment as census enumerators.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if information on census forms relating to professional or other qualifications which is specific to a particular form of employment will be used for any surveys of persons (a) currently in such an employment or (b) to ascertain why they are no longer in such employment; and if he will make a statement.

No such surveys are contemplated in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider granting mobility allowance to persons suffering from severe epilepsy; and if he will make a statement.

Mobility allowance is designed for people who are unable or virtually unable to walk throughout a period of at least 12 months. People suffering from severe epilepsy who satisfy these conditions can qualify for the allowance. The conditions were laid down by the last Administration in the Social Security Act 1975, section 37A(1), when it was decided not to make the mobility allowance available automatically to people suffering from a particular disability. We have no proposals to depart from this principle.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of consultant geriatricians in the National Health Service; and what is the recommended number of posts.

At 30 September 1980 there were 405 consultants in geriatric medicine—397·0 whole-time equivalents—in England and Wales. While the Department has not recommended any staffing level for consultant geriatricians, professional opinion suggests a need for one consultant per 10,000 population over 65 plus a further 50 posts nationally to take account of factors such as teaching—research commitments or a wide geographical spread of population. This would currently require the equivalent of 780 whole-time consultants, rising to 800 in 1990.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what measures are being taken to bring the number of consultant geriatricians in the National Health Service up to the recommended levels.

Geriatric medicine has been one of the most rapidly growing medical specialties in recent years, although there is still a substantial shortfall. To assist expansion, the Department is currently funding bursaries to enable senior registrars in general medicine or related sub-specialties to spend up to a year gaining experience in geriatric medicine. It is also encouraging appointments of general physicians with a special responsibility for elderly patients, and rotational training programmes for junior hospital doctors.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in view of the proven over-expenditure on the excessive number of highly paid persons employed in the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, he will take steps to reduce these costs; and what reductions have already been made, in accordance with the Government's policy of cutting public expenditure.

I do not accept that there is an excessive number of highly paid persons in the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. The Government's programme for reducing the size of the Civil Service provides for the staff of OPCS reducing from its current level of 2,641 to 2,130 by 1 April 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why nearly 30 per cent. of the capital expenditure in the Oxford regional health authority in 1979–80 was committed to professional fees, salaries and wages; and how this compares with comparable private sector capital expenditure schemes.

[pursuant to his reply, 30 April 1981, c. 445]: The percentage of capital expenditure which regional health authorities spend on professional fees, salaries and wages depends to a large extent on the number and size of schemes in progress and the stage which has been reached on each–that is, in planning or under construction. The Department's records of expenditure indicate that in 1979–80 the percentage of capital expenditure which Oxford RHA spent on relevant professional fees, salaries and wages—both "in house" and private consultants—was 18 per cent. This compares with a national average in 1979–80 of 14 per cent. I have no information relating to private sector schemes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to ensure that United Medical Enterprises does not purchase hospitals at present within the National Health Service.

Selling property which is no longer needed by the NHS is welcomed by the Government since it releases extra money for the care of NHS patients. United Medical Enterprises has the same opportunity to buy such property as any other company involved in health care.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will increase National Health Service provision to ensure that adequate numbers of hospital units for the younger disabled are established.

Hospital units for younger disabled people are extremely important, but it is even more important that we should develop services to enable them to remain at home, wherever possible, both allowing them to lead a full life and reducing the requirement for additional hospital units. "Care in Action", which we published recently, refers to this need for support in the community. A copy is in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is intended to be the relationship between the managerial officer of a health management unit in the new health reorganisation within Wales and the most senior medically qualified person; and what status the latter will have.

My right hon. Friend will require the unit administrator and the director of nursing services for the unit to liaise closely with the representative or representatives of the medical profession at that level. It is not intended to have a formal unit team, but the status of the medical representative will reflect his important responsibilities in the running of the unit.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to enable doctors, both working in the community and in hospitals at junior and consultant level, to have greater representation and influence on the workings and recommendations of both area health authorities and the health management units and to enable the medical profession to have more influence on the manner in which Health Service resources are spent and disposed.

The working party on medical professional advisory machinery considered the involvement of the medical profession in the stategic planning and operational management of the NHS in Wales and my right hon. Friend will be considering what steps to take in the light of all the consultations arising out of the working party's report.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, in the light of the proposed changes for community health services and the resultant diminishing importance of community medicine, what plans he has and at what level he intends to introduce measures to counter shortcomings in the general medical services, so far as they affect the lower socio-economic groups.

My right hon. Friend's plan is to continue to improve health services including general medical services according to the resources that the country can afford. The importance of community health services and community medicine will not be diminished as a result of his reorganisation proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide financial assistance for a predominantly rural health authority in Wales to set up an investigation into a monitoring scheme into infant deaths between the ages of one week and five years similar to that being carried out in predominantly urban South Glamorgan in order to compare conditions in rural areas.

Each area health authority is responsible for making appropriate inquiries into deaths of young children in its area. However, there are limited funds available for worthwhile research projects and I would be prepared to consider a proposal for work in this field on its merits.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement, including a public apology, on the error made by his Department when it issued a press release on 15 April 1981, giving a warning and listing names of hair-curling brushes imported from Hong Kong which did not comply with electrical equipment safety regulations, including one "Top Set" which had passed all the British safety regulations.

My Department was informed by West Midlands trading standards department of the dangers inherent in a number of brands of curling brushes from Hong Kong which, after testing by the British Standards Institution, were considered not to comply with the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations. Included in the list of brands which had failed the test was "Top Set". It was on this basis that the warning was issued in a press release to the Press Gallery. My Department was subsequently informed that, although "Top Set" had originally failed the BS test, the supplier of "Top Set" had argued that the sample tested was unrepresentative and testing of a further sample was desirable. A set of revised press releases was immediately sent to the Press Gallery with a covering note drawing attention to the correction, and I was informed that a correction had been made. In my view, however, the covering note drawing attention to the correction should have been more widely circulated and I have given instructions that in the future this must be the practice. My Department has now been informed that further samples of "Top Set" have been tested by the BSI on behalf of the West Midlands trading standards department and are considered not to comply with the regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what steps are being taken by the Civil Aviation Authority to minimise inconvenience to passengers as a result of disruption caused by air traffic controllers; and what reasons have been given for the decision to strike.

The degree of disruption caused by the strike varies depending on which units are affected, and on how many staff are absent, but in all cases the authority is providing the fullest service it can with those staff who report for work, consistent with the maintenance of safety standards.The CAA central trade union side informed the authority last week that its proposed action was in support of the pay campaign being organised by the Council of Civil Service Unions on the ground that as its pay was directly linked to Civil Service pay these issues directly affected it.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what procedures exist for determining the pay of air traffic controllers.

The pay of air traffic controllers, and other employees of the Civil Aviation Authority, is a matter for negotiation between the management of the authority and representatives of its employees.When the authority was set up in 1971 most of its employees transferred from Government service and many of the employees are still represented by Civil Service unions. A contract between the authority management and its employees provided for the use of grades and salary scales comparable to those in the Civil Service. The effect is that in general Civil Aviation Authority pay awards follow those received by the Civil Service. This situation could be changed by agreement between the authority and its employees.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what will be the approximate cost to public funds in 1981 of trade missions to South Africa officially supported by the British Overseas Trade Board.

The estimated cost to public funds of travel grants for British Overseas Trade Board supported trade missions to South Africa in 1981 is approximately £120,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will ensure that the British Overseas Trade Board ceases to spend funds on promoting trade with South Africa.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will conduct a full investigation into reports that North Sea stand-by vessels are flouting safety guidelines agreed between his Department and the United Kingdom Offshore Operators Association; and if he will make a statement.

My Department is already carrying out a thorough investigation into the reports in question and this will be completed as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if he will replace guidelines on stand-by safety vessels for North Sea oil operations by legally binding regulations;(2) if he is satisfied with the standards and design of vessels employed as stand-by safety vessels for North Sea oil operations;(3) if he will undertake a comprehensive review into standards of safety operations, including crew training, of stand-by safety vessels employed in North Sea oil operations.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish in the Official Report in respect of vessels employed as stand-by safety vessels for North Sea oil operation a list showing (a) the number, (b) the age of vessels, and (c) if speficially built for the purpose.

On 1 April 1981 there were 148 vesels with valid stand-by vessel certificates of survey, of which four were built prior to 1955; 90 in the period 1955–64; 38—1965–74—and 16 in the period 1975 to date.All of these vessels have been surveyed by my Department and assessed as suitable for attending offshore installations. Whilst none was purpose-built solely for a stand-by vessel role, a number have been built with relevant multi-operational capabilities or have undergone appropriate reconstruction and re-equipment for compliance with the so-called stand-by vessel code.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how often his Department monitors adherence to the code of practice for stand-by safety vessels employed in North Sea oil operations; and what enforcement methods are, available to his Department where breaches come to his Department's attention.

Stand-by vessel certificates of survey are subject to annual renewal and liable to periodic checks on validity. Stand-by vessels are also liable to random general safety inspections when in United Kingdom ports and, for breaches of marine safety regulations, to penalties laid down under the Merchant Shipping Acts. Additionally, by agreement with the United Kingdom offshore operators, the employment of stand-by vessels is conditional upon the possession and annual renewal of the certificate of survey.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when his Department last held discussions with operators in North Sea oil fields on safety matters; and if he will publish in the Official Report the number of meetings and topics discussed in each of the last three years.

In the period 1978–80 13 meetings were held; three of these were with represenative bodies and the remainder with individual stand-by vessel operators. The representative meetings, the last of which was in January 1980, were concerned with revision of the stand-by vessel code, and related safety and operational matters.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the trade deficit in manufactures with Japan in 1980 shown on the same basis as the deficits with Germany, France and Italy given in his reply of 28 April; and if he will indicate the sensitive industrial sectors of United Kingdom industry affected by these deficits, respectively.

The United Kingdom's crude trade deficit in manufactures with Japan in 1980 was £1,187 million, of which a large part derived from road vehicles, consumer electrical goods, and iron and steel; this reflects the high level of our imports from Japan relative to our exports to them. Our trade performance in manufactures with the Federal Republic of Germany, France and Italy is generally less unbalanced, with export-import ratios for manufacturers in 1980 of 61 per cent., 85 per cent., and 80 per cent., respectively, compared with 29 per cent for Japan.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will consider introducing an amendment to the law to take account of the effect of the House of Lords decision to uphold the objection in the case of Rank Film Distributors Ltd. v Video Information Centre of 8 April on the protection against counterfeiting hitherto provided by the Anton Pillar type of order to British companies and their products and trade marks.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will take steps to restore the safeguards available to British companies to help them prevent the counterfeiting of their products and trade marks, which were adversely affected as a result of the recent House of Lords decision on a case brought under the Anton Pillar type order.

I have been asked to reply.The Government are considering this decision and the steps which might be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what action is being taken by his Department to ensure the future use of a British radar system in the United Kingdom/North Atlantic Treaty Organisation replacement programme.

It is expected that British equipment will be offered in all the relevant competitions which are governed by NATO international bidding procedures. I cannot comment on the likely outcome at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated cost of raising the level of advance under the current assisted house purchase schemes from a maximum of £3,500 to a maximum equivalent to six months' pay of the applicant.

We estimate that to raise the upper limit on advances under the current assisted house purchase schemes to the equivalent of six months' pay for the applicant might cost an additional £4 million in a full year, at 1980 rates of pay.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to encourage sales of British warships abroad, following the placing by Saudi Arabia and Qatar of large orders with French shipyards.

We are giving active consideration to the design of future warships in order to improve export potential. We also keep under review the assistance which the Ministry of Defence can give with training, support and overseeing services. Valuable export orders have recently been secured for refit work, naval sub-systems and fast patrol boats.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what specific proposals have been made or steps taken by him in the last year towards increased weapons interoperability; and what is planned for the next year.

It will be clear from the remarks of my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Air Force on 23 March—[Vol. 1, c. 785]—that the achievement of improved interoperability of the weapons systems of the NATO Allies has our full support. This is best achieved by the harmonisation of detailed technical procedures and designs and must be done in co-operation with our Allies. The United Kingdom is fully involved in those programmes affecting our equipment and is active in agreeing priorities for action.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many aircrew, whose home adresses are in Scotland, have qualified as pilots with the Royal Air Force at the Phantom (228 OCU) school at Coningsby, Lincolnshire, in the last five years;(2) how many aircrew, whose home addresses are in Scotland, have qualified as pilots in the Royal Air Force in the last five years.

The information requested is not readily available in the form required.I shall write to the right hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish his estimates for 1979–80, 1980–81 and 1981–82, of (a) mortgage tax relief per mortgagor and per owner-occupier dwelling, (b) mortgage tax relief plus option mortgage subsidy per mortgagor and per owner-occupied dwelling, (c) Exchequer subsidy per local authority dwelling, (d) Exchequer subsidy plus rate fund contribution, or minus housing revenue account contribution to rate fund, per local authority dwelling, (e) Exchequer subsidy per public sector dwelling, and (f) Exchequer subsidy plus rate fund contribution or minus housing revenue account contribution to rate fund, per public sector dwelling, in each case indicating the number of dwellings or mortgagors on which the estimate is based.

Current estimates, for Scotland, of Exchequer subsidies and rate fund contributions to housing revenue accounts—and house numbers on which the estimates are based—are as follows:

	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82
	£	£	£
Exchequer subsidy per local authority dwelling	238	253	156
Exchequer subsidy plus rate fund contribution per local authority dwelling	321	338	287
Exchequer subsidy per public sector dwelling	264	279	188
Exchequer subsidy plus rate fund contribution per public sector dwelling	335	352	300
House numbers on which estimates are based:
Local authority	893,098	896,458	895,039
Public sector (including local authority)	1,038,385	1,041,876	1,039,595

The only dwellings benefiting from rate fund contributions are those owned by local authorities. No housing revenue account contributions have been made to rate funds.On matters of tax relief, I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. And learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list by name those persons whose deaths have been attributed to the Provisional Irish Republican Army or related illegal organisations from Northern Ireland in Scotland in each of the years since 1970 to the present, giving their age, sex, marital status, children, occupation and cause of death;(2) if he will list by name those persons whose deaths have been attributed to illegal Loyalist organisations from Northern Ireland in Scotland in each of the years since 1970 to the present, giving their age, sex, marital status, children, occupation and cause of death.

There is no separate classification in the statistics collected by my Department for homicides committed by organisations proscribed in prevention of terrorism legislation. It is not thought that there have been any homicides of this kind in Scotland in the period mentioned in the question.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will direct the Housing Corporation to allocate part of the £3·8 million which is excess to previous housing association grants to local authorities for building houses for the mentally handicapped.

No. The £3·8 million which, as announced on 16 March, has been added to the Housing Corporation's provisional allocation of £69 million for 1981–82 is available only for allocation by the corporation to registered housing associations. I made it clear to the Housing Corporation that these extra resources were intended for projects involving sheltered housing and housing for the mentally and physically handicapped.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations he has had about the proposal to replace direct cleaners with private contract cleaners; and if he will make a statement.

In the context of reducing Civil Service numbers and costs my officials have held discussions with the Civil Service Union about the possibility, most recently on 18 March.I have decided to reduce the number of direct cleaners and have indicted that I am ready to meet the union's general secretary this month to discuss the implications of my decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the number of telephones installed in the Western Isles under section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.

According to returns made by the Western Isles islands council, 36 telephones were installed in the period 1976 to 31 March 1980. Earlier figures are not available because of local government reorganisation in 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if, in view of the proliferation of solaria and similar devices for providing an artificial tan, he will establish a code of practice with regard to their use by unqualified people which would have regard to the increasing medical knowledge of the ill effects on skin health of over-exposure to certain dangerous light.

Where such devices are used in commercial establishments the general provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 apply, in relation not only to protecting the employees but also to the protection of the clientele.In consultation with the relevant interested parties the Health and Safety Executive is preparing for publication a guidance note incorporating recommendations for the safe design, construction, operation and use of such equipment. This guidance note will cover the instruction and training of personnel and the provision of suitable protective eyewear and will recommend that the attention of operators and customers be drawn to medical conditions, drugs and cosmetics that render persons hyper-susceptible to acute and long-term adverse effects.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make available funds for a sports complex in Wolverhampton to alleviate the problems of the long-term unemployed; and if he will make a statement.

The community enterprise programme, which is administered by the Manpower Services Commission, might be able to contribute to the cost of such a project.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what are the comparative figures per thousand civilian working population between Wolverhampton and (a) the West Midlands and (b) the South-East of people unemployed for more than a year at the latest convenient date;(2) what are the comparative figures per thousand civilian working population between Wolverhampton and

The latest information available for the total numbers unemployed relates to 9 April and for unemployed for more than a year to 15 January. In the following table the figures are expressed per one thousand of the total numbers of employees, employed and unemployed, in the respective areas. The April figures are provisional.

	Total unemployed per 1,000 employees 9 April 1981	Unemployed over 52 weeks per 1,000 employees 15 January 1981
Wolverhampton travel-to work area	137	26
West Midlands	123	21
South East	72	9

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what have been the numbers of unemployed in (a) Wolverhampton and (b) the West Midlands on a monthly basis from March 1970 to March 1981.

The following table gives the numbers registered as unemployed at March each year from 1970 to 1981 in the Wolverhampton employment office area and the West Midlands region.

March each year	Wolverhampton employment office area	West Midlands Region
1970	2,562	44,321
1971	3,407	56,362
1972	6,137	90,009
1973	3,499	58,017
1974	2,718	48,447
1975	3,745	67,744
1976	7,431	127,840
1977	5,798	122,985

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what emphasis he intends to give in the future to leisure projects and early retirement schemes in dealing with the problem of unemployment, and in particular long-term unemployment.

Projects involving leisure facilities can be mounted within the youth opportunities programme and the new community enterprise programme.The Government are keeping under review the contribution early retirement schemes could make to relieving unemployment, but at present the job release scheme enables men and women to retire from their job a year before State pension aid provided they are replaced by someone who is registered unemployed. For disabled men the eligible age is 60.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action he has taken, or proposes to take, against employers who dismiss permanent employees and then take on young persons under the youth opportunities programme; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will set up special area boards of he Manpower Services Commission to control youth opportunities programme schemes in non-union shops and workplaces;(2) if he will introduce regulations to ensure that all applications for employers to take part in youth opportunities programme schemes have to be countersigned by the trade unions in the workplace.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of youth opportunities programme participants is placed into full-time employment for each Manpower Services Commission, special programmes division area, for each region, and for the United Kingdom as a whole.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the numbers and percentages of unemployed persons for each travel-to-work area in county Durham in March 1981.

The following table gives for 12 March 1981 the numbers of people registered as unemployed and the percentage rates of unemployment in the travel-to-work areas in the county of Durham.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons were, in March 1981, supported in employment in the Consett and Stanley travel-to-work area by the temporary short-time working compensation scheme.

In the Consett travel-to-work area, which comprises the Consett and Stanley employment office areas, 247 potentially redundant employees were being supported by the temporary short-time working compensation scheme in March 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what would be the cost of reducing the qualifying ages of the job release scheme from 64 to 60 years for men and from 59 to 55 years for women, assuming that the jobs vacated by those taking advantage of the scheme were filled by people on the unemployment register and in receipt of unemployment or supplementary benefit.

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

	1979				1980
	March	June	September	December	March	June	September	December*
South East	180	157	195	201	172	165	208	320
East Anglia	11	8	7	12	10	11	13	17
South West	30	36	39	25	31	32	47	49
West Midlands	21	20	27	23	33	21	45	35
East Midlands	11	9	12	15	9	11	14	24
Yorkshire and Humberside	14	14	19	20	24	14	24	34
North West	32	32	32	30	28	29	29	58
North	15	14	20	16	17	13	21	27
Wales	24	26	30	30	27	24	40	35
Scotland	43	35	38	34	37	28	38	42
* Latest available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to publish the findings of the review of the quota scheme for the disabled set up under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish for each month, for the past 12 months, the number of people (a) joining and (b)

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce statutory measures to ensure that all workers in existing closed shops have the right to vote to end their closed shop agreement.

The Government's code of practice on closed shop agreements and arrangement advises that all closed shops agreements should be reviewed by employers and unions every few years, and that where employer and union favour the continuation of the closed shop a ballot should be held to test the opinion of employees.The possibility of a legal requirement that all closed shop agreements be subject to a periodic review of support among the employees they cover is one of the issues discussed in the Green Paper "Trade Union Immunities", on which the Government are seeking views by 30 June.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many doctors were registered as unemployed in each of the regions in April 1981; and what are the comparable figures for each of the last 24 months.

An occupational analysis of the numbers registered as unemployed is made quarterly in March, June, September and December. The following table gives for these months in 1979 and 1980 the numbers of unemployed people registered at employment offices in the areas specified for employment as medical practictioners.leaving the temporary short-time working compensation schemes for each region and for the United Kingdom as a whole.

Up to 21 November 1980 support was given for a maximum of six months. Since that date the period has been extended to nine months. Some employers leave the scheme before the end of the six or nine months and they do not always tell the Department that they no longer intend to claim. It is impossible therefore to give the figures exactly as requested. However, the following table shows the number of applications approved each month for the past 12 months and the number of potentially redundant jobs included in these applications: