asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will now use his powers under the Weights and Measures Act 1979 to require that a legal pint measure of beer shall consist of liquid beer only and not a combination of liquid and gas.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Norwood (Mr. Fraser) on 6 August 1980.—[Vol. 990, c. 100.] We are still discussing with interested parties how the practical difficulties can best be overcome and I cannot yet say when a satisfactory solution can be found.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Newark on 13 April, Official Report, c. 6, what measures and steps are being taken by British Overseas Trade Board towards supporting the Export United campaign.

The British Overseas Trade Board will continue to respond to requests from individual companies for support when firms propose to run an Export United campaign. The BOTB can provide advice and publicity material.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Newark on 13 April, if he will take steps to ensure that the Export United campaign will not lapse.

As my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade pointed out to my hon. Friend on 13 April the future of the Export United campaign depends on individual companies, not the Government. The British Overseas Trade Board will continue to provide advice, publicity support and material when invited. The British Overseas Trade Board has produced Export United posters, leaflets and sticker for free distribution to companies which request them.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what investigations have been carried out on the accident involving the "Williamsberg" oil tanker which collided with a mooring dolphin in the Firth of Forth, on 20 March; and if he will make a statement.

On 20 March 1981 the United States registered VLCC "Williamsberg" contacted a berthing dolphin on leaving the Hound Point terminal in the Firth of Forth damaging an empty starboard ballast tank. Subsequently the vessel was moved to an anchorage for inspection and temporary repair before sailing to Rotterdam on 31 March. No pollution occurred as a result of this incident but the situation was closely monitored throughout. My Department is investigating the cause of the casualty and this will be completed as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the source of his information that 60 per cent. of petrol pumps are unable to register prices greater than 99p per gallon.

The figure of 60 per cent., which is an estimate, has been obtained from manufacturers and trade associations representing the petroleum industry.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many copies of the Official Report were printed for the proceedings of Monday 27 April in the first printing; how many were printed subsequently to date; and what is the normal number printed for each day of the week.

Only 1,500 copies were initially printed of the Official Report for Monday, 27 April 1981, owing to a component failure on one of the presses. Some 4,300 copies have since been printed, thus completing the normal daily run of 5,800.

asked. the Minister for the Civil Service, pursuant to her reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East on 2 March, Official Report, c. 54, if she will now publish the up-to-date detailed information about non-departmental public bodies contained in Cmnd. 7797 published in January 1980.

The detailed information about non-departmental public bodies contained in appendix A of Cmnd. 7797 was brought up-to-date in "Non-Departmental Public Bodies: Facts and Figures 1980", published on 17 March 1981.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will arrange for the Services Committee to discuss the advisability of preventing the Palace of Westminster from being used for meetings attended by known sympathisers and supporters of terrorists in Northern Ireland.

On days on which the House sits Members may book Committee Rooms for private meetings, or conferences in connection with a parliamentary subject, under arrangements made by the authorities of the House. The Member concerned is responsible for the people he introduces to the meeting and for its conduct. He should also be present throughout. I think these rules are preferable to any attempt to introduce a partial ban, which it would be impossible to enforce.

asked the Prime Minister if she will ensure that all equipment made available through "Micros in Schools" must be of British design and manufacture.

The two microcomputers specified under the scheme are both British. They were the best for the job.

asked the Prime Minister if she will announce the composition of the United Kingdom delegation to the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe.

The Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe will be meeting in Strasbourg from 11 to 15 May. I have appointed 18 delegates from the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The delegation this year will consist of 10 members of the Conservative Party, seven members of the Labour Party and one member of the Liberal Party. I have also appointed a number of substitute delegates. The appointments of representatives and substitutes have been made on the basis of nominations by the leaders of the parties concerned.The same delegation will be representing the United Kingdom Parliament at the Assembly of the Western European Union.Representatives from the Government Benches will be:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether steps are contemplated to assist both public and private steel companies which are still adversely affected by the high price of electricity compared with manufacturers in Europe.

Steel plants in the public and private sectors are among those benefiting from the measures of additional flexibility in their pricing arrangements introduced by the electricity boards, following the Chancellor's Budget Statement. I am of course aware of the concern about electricity prices to large intensive users and am keeping the position under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will take steps to ensure that area electricity boards make available prepayment meters in cases where the consumer is in debt or on a quarterly account.

As I announced to the House on 8 December—[Vol. 995, c. 435.]— area electricity boards have agreed to make prepayment meters more widely available and the industry's code of practice has been amended to make this clear. The only critieria now governing the installation of prepayment meters is that these be safe and practical. I understand that area boards are all applying these criteria, but decisions in individual cases as to safety and practicality must be for them to judge.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many applications have been made by the suppliers of natural gas to the British Gas Corporation to the High Court pursuant to either section 8 of the Energy Act 1976 or section 9 of the Continental Shelf Act 1964 for relief on the ground that hardship has been experienced through changed economic circumstances and low contract prices agreed at a much earlier date,; and if he will outline the results.

Neither section 9 of the Continental Shelf Act 1964, which was repealed by the Energy Act 1976, nor section 8 of the Energy Act 1976 provides for applications to the High Court.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will give the British National Oil Corporation a special directive to reduce the price of $39·25 posted for North Sea Oil more accurately to reflect market conditions, and to give a lead to Nigerian and North African producers.

BNOC's oil prices are a matter for commercial negotiation between the corporation and the oil companies. Much of the corporation's oil is bought under participation agreements which give producers a contractual right to the market price for the oil sold to BNOC. At the present time there is no evidence that term market prices for comparable crudes have changed.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what expenditure has been incurred by his Department in the last 12 months on the "Save it" campaign in (a) the national press, (b) the provincial press,(c) television, (d) radio and (e) elsewhere.

In the financial year 1980–81 expenditure on this Department's energy conservation campaign totalled £3,635,900. Breakdown of expenditure was:

	Expenditure
(a) national press	£1,600,700
(b) provincial press	NIL
(c) television	£1,453,300
(d) radio	NIL
(e) elsewhere	£581,900

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in the light of a recent case, details of which have been sent to him, of a person being found guilty of indecent behaviour in a public place and being sentenced to be bound over for 12 months, in how many cases in London such sentences have been awarded for similar offences, for any stated period of time, and, of these, how many were tried at the Horseferry Road court.

Information on the numbers of persons found guilty at magistrates' courts in England and Wales and required to enter into a recognisance is published annually by offence classification in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—table 1 (a) of the volume for 1979, Cmnd. 8098. Information for a particular police force area or court could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of prisoners sleeping in non-certified accommodation at the latest available date, the establishment concerned and the type of accommodation used.

On 28 April 1981, 30 trainees in Whatton detention centre were sleeping in two rooms normally used as stores, and in a classroom.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his recent meeting with representatives of the police about not control.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to authorise the issue of new riot equipment and special protective clothing to the police.

At my meeting on 1 May with the president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, the deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, the secretary of the Superintendents' Association and the chairman of the Police Federation, about the serious difficulties which police officers face in dealing with large scale violence and disorder, there was complete agreement that any departure from traditional policing methods was undesirable.Although in recent years a good deal of attention has been given to protective clothing and equipment, it is right that in the light of recent serious disorders there should be a further thorough examination of these matters. This should include a careful analysis of the injuries sustained by the police.I have therefore decided to appoint a working group to review the work on protective clothing and equipment that has been undertaken in recent years and to consider whether any changes are necessary.The working group will be under Home Office chairmanship with representatives from Her Majesty 's Inspectorate of Constabulary, the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, the Superintendents' Association and the Police Federation. Representatives from the local authority associations will also be invited to participate.I have asked that this review should be completed as quickly as possible. I shall in due course make a statement to the House both on this review and on the other related work, including the training of police officers to deal with public disorder, which I put in hand last year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in England and Wales have been in voluntary or involuntary segregation from other prisoners for all or most of the last 12 months, two years, three years, four years and five years, respectively; and, of these, how many are segregated at their own request and how many for reasons of discipline.

According to the latest available returns—February 1981—the periods for which individual adult convicted male prisoners had by then been segregated for their own protection or for the maintenance of good order or discipline were as follows:

Time segregated	Number (mutually exclusive categories)
	Own Protection	Good Order or Discipline
8–12 months	175	6
Up to 2 years	42	6
Up to 3 years	6	2
Up to 4 years	1	0
Up to 5 years	3	0
5 years +	2	0

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his policy that, when the youth custody sentence is introduced, those in youth custody centres will be entitled to at least six hours' education a week, as is currently the case in borstals.

No decision has yet been made.

Country of Origin	Applications received 1 January to 31 December 1980	Granted Asylum	Refused Asylum	Applications withdrawn	Under Consideration at 31 December 1980
Afghanistan	117	54	23	0	49
Algeria	6	1	2	0	3
Angola	1	1	0	0	0
Argentina	16	3	13	3	6
Bangladesh	22	1	11	6	6
Bolivia	7	0	0	0	7
Bulgaria	10	5	1	0	5
Burma	11	1	1	9	1
Central African Republic	0	0	0	0	1
Chile	27	12	10	8	3
Columbia	13	4	1	3	8
Cuba	3	3	0	0	0
Cyprus	21	0	29	0	3
Czechoslovakia	66	28	27	6	6
Dominica	0	0	4	0	0
Ecuador	0	0	0	4	0
Egypt	11	3	4	0	4
Ethiopa	139	123	22	2	41
El Salvador	10	5	1	1	3
Ghana	66	19	42	3	63
Greece	3	0	0	0	6
Grenada	7	6	0	0	1
Guatemala	5	2	0	0	3
Guayana	3	0	7	0	0
Hungary	68	28 (2)*	25	13	4
India	1	0	0	0	1
Iran	1751	917	107	67	892
Iraq	168	53	29	13	103
Israel	6	0	0	2	4
Jordan	7	0	0	1	6
Kenya	0	0	0	1
Laos	4	4	0	0	0
Lebanon	17	2	5	2	10
Liberia	4	4	1	0	0
Libya	55	14	0	5	38
Malawi	1	1	0	2	0
Maldives	1	0	0	0	1
Malaysia	1	0	1	0	0
Mauritius	2	2	0	0	0
Morroco	2	0	1	0	1
Mozambique	0	0	0	1	0
Nicaragua	1	1	4	0	0
Nigeria	9	0	1	0	9
Pakistan	69	18	35	15	44
People's Dem. Rep of Yemen	3	0	1	0	3
Poland	41	8(1)*	25	11	8
Portugal	1	0	0	0	1
Romania	21	14	2	3	3
Rwanda	1	1	0	0	0
Saudi Arabia	1	0	1	0	0
Seychelles	20	18	0	2	14
Sierra Leone	10	0	5	3	5
Singapore	3	3	0	0	0
Somalia	14	9	0	0	6
South Africa	30	32	4	2	28
Spain	1	0	1	0	0
Sri Lanka	24	2	11	1	11
Sudan	4	0	0	0	7
Syria	6	2	1	0	5
Tanzania	7	0	1	0	7
Thailand	2	2	0	1	0

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report, by nationality, the numbers of people who applied for and were granted asylum in the United Kingdom in 1980, respectively.

The figures in respect of individual applications are:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if any of the officers involved in the Prosser case at Winson Green prison are still at work in the prison; and for what reasons.

Following the conclusion of the inquest on Mr. Prosser I understand that the coroner is making a report to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Three hospital officers have been placed on paid special leave until their position has been clarified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of community relations officers; and what is the total sum provided from public funds to pay their salaries.

No central record is maintained of the total number of community relations officers or their staff, whose salaries may be funded by the Commission for Racial Equality, local authorities or other public bodies such as the Manpower Services Commission. I understand that on 30 April 1981 the Commission for Racial Equality was providing funds for 190 community relations officers and that the estimated cost in 1980–81 was £1·6 million. In addition, about 290 staff were funded by local authorities or other public bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his assessment of the effect of his decision to allocate 27 MHz FM for citizens band radio on operators of radio-controlled models; and if he will make a statement;(2) what consultations his Department held with organisations representing radio-controlled model users before his announcement to allocate 27 MHz FM for citizens band radio;(3) whether he is satisfied that under his proposals for citizens band radio there will be no conflict between citizens band users and model users.

The responses to the discussion document which we published on this issue reflected a number of interests including those of radio-controlled model users. Only after all these had been carefully considered was it decided to allot part of the 27 MHz band to citizens band radio. However, the authorised service will be located in the sub-band between 27·6–28 MHz which places it above that part of the band used by radio control modellers. This will avoid conflict between modellers and operators of the new service.

as asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many model control licences were granted in (a) Great Britain and (b) Wales in each year since 1974;(2) if he is satisfied with the inspection procedure for model control licence holders.

We can give only the annual number of such licences which were issued in the United Kingdom. These are as follows:

1974	7,403
1975	9,612
1976	10,331
1977	11,127
1978	13,488
1979	23,685
1980	27,184

The use of model control equipment was exempted from licensing with effect from 1 January 1981 by means of the Wireless Telegraphy (Exemption) Regulations 1980. The regulations provide that the use of such equipment is subject to its being made available for inspection by any person authorised for the purpose by the Secretary of State. This provision is a sensible safeguard against the use of model control equipment in a way which does not conform with the terms of the exemption regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the riots that took place in various parts of London on Easter Monday.

The Commissioner informs me that in outbreaks of serious disorder at bank holiday fairs at Finsbury Park, Wanstead and Ealing Common 66 officers were injured and over 100 people were arrested.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East on 16 February, Official Report, c. 22, if he has yet finished his consideration of changes in the guidance issued to prison staff about suicides and attempted suicides; and if he will make a statement.

The trade union side will be asked to consider draft revised guidance in the next few days. The scale and nature of its comments will determine how quickly the new guidance can be issued.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is now able to make a further statement on progress on his investigations into extremist and racist organisations and the establishment of special police investigation units into racism.

As I announced on 5 March, a study of the incidence of racial attacks is being conducted in selected police areas in England and Wales. The areas selected are:

• Bedfordshire
• Greater Manchester
• Kent
• Lancashire
• Leicestershire
• Merseyside
• South Wales
• Sussex
• Thames Valley
• The Metropolitan Police District
• Warwickshire
• West Midlands
• West Yorkshire

My officials will be visiting these areas during May and June to obtain, at first hand, the views of the local authorities ethnic and other minority communities, and the police. In the light of the study I shall consider with the police and other agencies possible ways of tackling the problems posed by such attacks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the West Yorkshire police on the results so far of their investigations into the death of Helen Smith.

No. This is a matter for the Leeds coroner.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people in England and Wales have suffered such severe disablement as would qualify for over 90 per cent. disablement pension under the industrial injury benefit scheme as a result of actions attributed to the Provisional Irish Republican Army or related illegal organisations in each year since 1970;(2) how many people in England and Wales have suffered such severe disablement as would qualify for over 90 per cent. disablement pension under the industrial injury benefit scheme as a result of actions attributed to illegal Loyalist organisations of Northern Ireland in each year since 1970.

I regret that the information requested is not available, since under the Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Benefit) Regulations 1975 such a pension is determined by an independent medical board appointed for the purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what have been the three most specific and narrow bans on processions made under the Public Order Act in the last 20 years; and whether the legality of the specific and narrow nature of these bans was ever questioned in court.

The information requested is as follows.

Class of procession	Date	Duration	Area
Any public procession organised by the body of persons known as the "Committee of 100" or any such public procession organised by any person or persons acting on behalf of the said "Committee".	17 September 1961	24 hours	Part of the Metropolitan Police District
All public processions of a political nature	6 July 1963	48 hours	Part of the Metropolitan Police District
Any public procession in connection with the death of James McDade	20 November 1974	1 month	Solihull Birmingham Coventry (three separate orders)

The wording of none of these orders was questioned in court.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will study the financial and economic impact for the United Kingdom of universal monthly or fortnightly payments of wages; what estimates are available of the savings involved; and if he will make a statement;(2) what estimates are available of the savings to United Kingdom industry and business if wages were universally paid monthly or fortnightly; if he will initiate discussions with the Trades Union Congress and the Confederation of British Industry on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

The Government believe that there are a number of advantages in employees receiving their pay monthly or fortnightly, rather than weekly, and also through a bank account rather than in cash. These advantages would include savings to industry and business, and a resource gain to the economy overall, as well as benefits to employees. Many of these advantages are, however, somewhat difficult to quantify. As was stated in another place on 30 April, the Central Policy Review Staff has prepared a discussion document on these matters, which is due to be published in the summer. During the preparation of this report the CPRS had discussions with the Trades Union Congress and the Confederation of British Industry. The Government hope that these bodies, along with other interested bodies, will let the Government know their views in commenting on the CPRS discussion document.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the figures for the exact annual direct costs of the official services of the Government Broker, based on the latest available annual figures, in terms of any fees, honoraria, extra salary payments, expenses, or any similar remuneration rendered specifically in return for the exercise of such services, including any payments to assistants or staff.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report a table giving details of the expenditure borne on Votes of Government Departments on services connected with the Royal Family for the financial years 1979–80 and 1980–81.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now give an updated estimate in money terms of the effect so far of the Civil Service pay dispute on the Government's income.

I have nothing to add to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Romford (Mr. Neubert) on 30 April.—[Vol. 3, c. 453.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of a pay increase of (a) £1, (b) £5, (c) £10 and (d) £20 per week is kept by a full-time worker with two children under 11 years of age receiving (i) the national average wage, (ii) three-quarters of the national average wage, (iii) two-thirds of the national average wage and (iv) one and half times the national average wage, after deductions have been made for income tax, national insurance contributions and loss of any benefits (a) now, (b) in November 1981 and (c) for each of the last five years.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report the levels of: (a) tax-free income, (b) supplementary benefit level and (c) family income supplement for a married couple with two children under 11 years of age for November 1981 if indexation had been implemented and if benefits had been uprated fully in line with inflation.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will extend the scheme he announced in the Budget, which provides allowances to cover conversions from oil to coal firing, to include also conversions from gas to coal.

Details of the scheme will be announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry shortly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will extend the business start-up scheme to cover debenture stock issued by co-operative enterprises.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the amount of tax payable on an unearned income of a single person, under 65 years, without dependants, where the annual income was £200,000, £300,000, £400,000 and £500,000, respectively.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the cost of increasing industrial building allowances on hotels and associated buildings from 20 per cent. to 50 per cent. and 75 per cent., respectively.

[pursuant to his reply,30 April 1981, c. 454]: The estimated full year cost of increasing the building allowances on hotels to 50 per cent. and 75 per cent. is £10 million and £20 million respectively, on the assumption that sufficient profits are available to absorb the allowances in full.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the basis of the estimate in the Financial Statement and Budget Report 1981–82 that the raising of initial building allowances for industrial premises from 50 per cent. to 75 per cent. would cost £10 million the first year and rise to a full year cost of £25 million.

[pursuant to his reply,30 April 1981, c. 454]: Expenditure qualifying for industrial building allowances in future years was assumed to be at the estimated 1980 level of £1,000 million per annum. The cost of the additional allowances at this level of expenditure was obtained by comparing the estimated tax yield in the next few years using the total of existing capital allowances with the estimated tax yield at the proposed higher level of capital allowances, taking account of the estimated profits, allowances and other reliefs available to individual companies. The comparison therefore reflects the extent to which sufficient profits are available in this period to absorb the increased allowances. In this it differs from estimates made on the assumption that all the additional allowances are covered by profits.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the level of duty on pipe tobacco, in both current and constant money terms, in each of the last 10 years.

[pursuant to his reply, 1 May 1981,c. 476]: It is estimated that the duty on 25 grams^* of pipe tobacco after the Budget each year, was:

	At current prices pence	At March 1981 prices pence
1971	28	100
1972	28	94
1973	†24	74
1974	32	86
1975	43	91
1976	41	75
1977	45	71
1978	40	60
1979	40	50
1980	44	48
1981	55	55
* Before 1978 pipe tobacco was usually sold in ounces. 1 ounce equals about 28·3 grams.
† The duty was reduced on 1 April 1973 when VAT was introduced.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make non-deductible for tax purposes any expenses incurred by United Kingdom companies in the promotion of trade with South Africa.

[pursuant to his reply, 5 May 1981,c. 40]: No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what taxable unearned income would be required to produce a net annual income of £200,000, £300,000 and £500,000, respectively, assuming the taxpayer is single, under 65 years, and with no dependants.

[pursuant to his reply, 5 May 1981,c. 41]: The figures, based on the Budget proposals, which leave unchanged the income tax rates, bands and allowances, and assuming no allowance other than the single person's allowance, are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the Exchequer cost, excluding variable costs such as travel allowances, of maintaining a 16 or 17-year-old person in non-residential sixth form education, assuming that he or she is living in a family of four with a household income of £6,000.

Rate support grant is not earmarked for particular services and the information is not available in the form requested. As a broad indication of the cost to public funds, a recoupment rate of £1,623 has been approved by the inter-authority payments committee for pupils over 16 in England and Wales in the present financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in accordance with his written answer to the hon. Member for Warley, East on 19 January, Official Report, column 74, he has now received the report for the year ended 30 June 1980 of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art; and when he anticipates that this document will be published.

I have received the reviewing committee's report for the year ended 30 June 1980 and expect it to be published next week.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many 16-year-olds left school at Easter in the current year; what are the figures for each of the last five years; and what percentages these figures are of (a) all 16-year-olds in education and (b) all 16-year-old school leavers in each case;(2) how many 16-year olds left school at the end of the summer term in each of the last five years; and what percentages they were of

Figures for the current academic year are not yet available. The following table gives the information for the last five years.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report the current expenditure of every local authority in England in 1980–81 on education, revised budgets stage, and 1981–82 budgets, for those authorities available, at 1980 prices.

Information about local education authorities' 1980–81 revised budget estimates could not be provided except at disproportionate cost. Information about local education authorities' 1981–82 budget estimates is not yet available but will be published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy during the summer.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the present number of (a) men and (b) women registered as unemployed at employment offices covering the London borough of Wandsworth.

At 9 April the provisional numbers of males and females registered as unemployed in the area covered by the Clapham Junction and Tooting employment offices were 7,734 and 2,651, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that the 785 staff referred to on page 33, paragraph 5.16 of the Manpower Services Commission's manpower review 1981 are needed; how many additional staff this involves; and whether the extra cost is necessary.

I am satisfied that the 785 staff referred to on page 53, paragraph 5.16 of the Manpower Services Commission's manpower review 1981 are necessary for the expansion of the youth opportunities programme which was announced in the House on 21 November 1980. No additional staff are involved since other areas of the commission's staffing are to be reduced leaving an estimated overall reduction of 330 in the period 1 April 1981 to 1 April 1982. I am also satisfied that the additional cost is necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether it is his intention that the public holiday announced for 29 July should have the same formal status as annual bank holidays.

The bank holiday on 29 July will have the same status as other bank holidays made by Royal Proclamation, such as the first Monday in May.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the Exchequer cost of maintaining a 16 or 17-year-old person on the youth opportunities programme assuming that he or she is living in a family of four with a household income, excluding youth opportunities programme allowances, of £6,000.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of youth opportunities programme participants are 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.

[pursuant to his reply, 5 May 1981, c. 25]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 26 March.—[Vol. 1, c. 354.] The results of the Manpower Services Commission's latest placing survey will soon be made available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were registered unemployed in the United Kingdom and Scotland, respectively, in each April of the past five years; what were the corresponding number of males, females and young people; and what was the percentage change from the previous year in each case.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the number of participants in the training opportunities scheme for each year since 1976, for each region and for the United Kingdom as a whole; what is the proportion of applicants rejected in each case; and, of these, what proportion were rejected because of failing the English test.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied with the relevance of the English test for training opportunities scheme applicants; and if he will make a statement.

An English test is used in the selection of trainees for courses in clerical and commercial subjects provided by the Manpower Services Commission under the training opportunities scheme. The test, which represents just one part of the selection procedure, is used to help sift out applicants who would be unable to benefit from the training course for which they have applied. A revised and improved version of the test is about to be introduced which, as the original test, has been validated as reliable for use under required conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many disablement resettlement officers are employed in (a) the Northern region, (b) Durham county, and (c) Bishop Auckland constituency;(2) how many firms in

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the number of school leavers currently unemployed in (a) the Northern region, (b) Durham county and (c) Bishop Auckland constituency;(2) what is the number of people unemployed and the number of vacancies in each industrial classification in

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the organisations consulted prior to making the Health and Safety (Fees for Medical Examinations) Regulations 1981 (S.I., 1981, No. 334).

The Health and Safety Commission published proposals for the regulations in a consultative document "Fees for Statutory Medical Examinations—Draft Regulations" in April 1980. In addition to the Confederation of British Industry, the Trades Union Congress and Her Majesty's Treasury, were specifically asked for their views, the consultative document was publicised through a press release and the following organisations and individuals also commented:

• British Nuclear Fuels Ltd.
• British Insurance Association
• Chemical Industries Association
• Engineering Employers' Federation
• Knitting Industries Federation
• British Medical Association
• Royal College of Nursing
• Civil Service Department

Professor R. I. McCallum, University of Newcastle-upon-TyneDr. A. M. Roberts, Atomic Weapons Research EstablishmentDr. D. A. W. Sansome, GEC Power Engineering Ltd.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons are currently supported by the temporary short-time working compensation scheme in the Keighley travel-to-work area; and what were the figures for May 1980 and May 1979.

There were 1,551 potentially redundant employees being supported under the temporary short-time working compensation scheme in the Keighley employment office area in March 1981. The figures for May 1980 and May 1979 were 507 and 31 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many persons have been unemployed in the Keighley travel-to-work area for (a)up to three months, (b) up to six months, (c) up to nine months, (d) up to 12 months, (e) up to 18 months, (f) up to two years, and (g)over two years;(2) how many adult males, females and young persons aged 16 to 18 years are currently unemployed in the Keighley travel-to-work area, in total and as a percentage in each category; and what is the current total percentage unemployment for the area.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state the total registered vacancies in May 1979 and the latest available date in (a) the West Midlands region, (b) the Black Country area and (c) the Walsall travel-to-work area.

The following table gives the numbers of vacancies remaining unfilled at employment offices and careers offices in the areas specified at May 1979 and April 1981. The figures are not seasonally adjusted. The statistics 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.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will seek to ensure that there is parity of treatment between academic trainees and craft trainees in the allocation of training funds.

The Manpower Services Commission's support for both academic and craft trainees is judged by the same criteria—that is, that industry is primarily responsible for the funding of such training and that public financing is generally limited to the volume by which unaided training falls short of industry's estimates of long-term need.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if there is a training opportunities scheme course in embalming; and how many persons have been supported for training as embalmers.

No embalming courses are supported under the training opportunities scheme at the present time. Under other special training arrangements administered by the Manpower Services Commission, limited provision is made available to enable training to be given to certain disabled people and young people in embalming and other occupations not covered by the training opportunities scheme. Detailed records are not kept and precise information about the number of persons trained under these arrangements is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish in the Official Report, (a) the national average wage, (b) the average wage in Cambridgeshire, (c) the median national wage and (d) the median wage in Cambridgeshire, and the percentage of full-time workers who received less than that figure in each case for each of the last five years.

Information for adult male employees is given in the following table:

Males Aged 21 and Over in Full-time Employment*
	1976	1977	1978	1979	April 1980
Great Britain
Average† weekly earnings (£)	71·8	78·6	89·1	101·4	124·5
Percentage of employees earning less than average	60	60	60	59	61

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to receive the annual report of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service.

I have received the ACAS report for 1980, which will be laid before each House of Parliament today. A copy has been placed in the Library. The report is to be published on 7 May and copies are available from the Vote Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of registered unemployed school leavers at the King's Lynn, Fakenham, Hunstanton and Swaffham office for April each year from 1970 to 1981, inclusive.

[pursuant to his reply, 30 April 1981, c. 431]: The precise information is not available. Most school leavers in these areas register at the Kings Lynn and Dereham careers offices, which cover a somewhat wider area. The following table gives the numbers of unemployed school leavers under 18 years of age registered at these offices at April each year from 1973, the earliest date for which information is available. The table also includes a few who registered at employment offices.

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 Act 1944.

[pursuant to his reply, 5 April 1981, c. 23]: The Manpower Services Commission will soon be making recommendations to my right hon. Friend on the future of the quota scheme. These recommendations will be given very careful consideration before any conclusion is reached.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for the future of Sumburgh airport.

I have nothing to add to my letter of 30 April to the right hon. Gentleman in which I said that the Secretary of State for Trade and I will be discussing with the Civil Aviation Authority what practicable measures might be available to retain traffic and attract more traffic to Sumburgh.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the future of Balgowan list D school in Dundee.

The number of children on the roll of this school has been falling in recent months, as has the number of children in list D schools generally. The implications of this reduction in numbers are being considered by the standing advisory committee on the list D schools, but the committee has not yet made recommendations about the future of any individual school.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether any nuclear war directors have been appointed to any Scottish health authorities; if so, to which authorities; and what their duties will be.

No staff with this title have been appointed within the Health Service in Scotland. All health boards have, however, selected one of their existing senior officers as area health director (designate). In wartime the area health director will assume full responsibility for the organisation, administration and execution of policy in respect of all health services in the area. In peace time, the area health director (designate) is responsible for the coordination, preparation and submission to the health board of the area's home defence plans for the Health Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will outline the guarantees given to the Hamilton college of education board of governors about future provision of (a) pre-service training, (b) in-service training, (c) disruption of students' courses, (d) the student residences and (e) the course on technical education.

The board of governors of Hamilton college of education were informed in a letter of 25 March 1981 from the Scottish Education Department that:

(a) the Secretary of State intends to monitor carefully the future position in regard to teacher supply in Lanarkshire, with a view to taking appropriate remedial action if necessary;

(b) it is the Secretary of States's desire that the level of in-service training provision in Lanarkshire should be maintained so far as practicable—in which connection he has noted the board's belief that this could best be done for the time being from the existing location at Hamilton;

(c) it is accepted that, in forthcoming discussions about the implementation of my right hon. Friend's decision to close the college, priority should be given to consideration of the position of students who will still be in mid-course at Hamilton at the end of the current session;

(d) it is the Secretary of State's intention that the Hamilton student residences should remain open, under whatever ownership, until the end of the 1981–82 academic session; and

(e) the Secretary of State very much hopes that it will be practicable to continue in some form or other the course developed at Hamilton for the training of teachers of technical education and will give sympathetic consideration to proposals for achieving this.

My right hon. Friend subsequently indicated in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Argyll (Mr. MacKay) on 14 April that the regulations which he proposes to make in implementation of his decision to close Hamilton college will make provision to the effect that the Hamilton site may be retained for one further academic session in order to permit students in mid-course to continue their studies at Hamilton during that period, and that arrangements will be made to accommodate thereafter at Jordanhill those students who will not have completed their courses at the end of the 1981–82 academic session.—[Vol. 3, c. 78.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were registered unemployed in each of the employment exchanges in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area in each April in the past five years; what were the corresponding numbers of males, females and young

Employment Office Area	Unfilled vacancies at Employment Offices (EOs) and Careers Offices (COs) in April of each year
	1977		1978		1979		1980		1981
	EO	CO	EO	CO	EO	CO	EO	CO	EO	CO
Edinburgh	1,716	117	2,969	95	2,685	212	2,523	123	1,747	63
Leith
Portobeilo
Dalkeith	133	6	63	6	124	28	78	15	91	1
Loanhead	20	—	18	—	29	—	18	—	18	—
Musselburgh	49	—	89	6	92	3	53	5	28	—
Penicuik	6	4	16	12	9	13	27	3	12	5
Tranent	8	—	8	—	10	—	16	—	2	—

Notes: (1) The figures are not a measure of total vacancies but represent only the number of vacancies notified to employment offices and careers offices and remaining unfilled on the day of the count.(2) Because of possible duplication the two series should not be added together.(3) Separate figures for Edinburgh, Leith and Portobello offices are not available.(4) There are no career offices at Loanhead and Tranent.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many people in Scotland have suffered such severe disablement as would qualify for over 90 per cent. disablement pension under the industrial injury benefit scheme as a result of actions attributed to illegal Loyalist organisations of Northern Ireland in each year since 1970;(2) how many people in Scotland have suffered such severe disablement as would qualify for over 90 per cent. disablement pension under the industrial injury benefit scheme as a result of actions attributed to the Provisional Irish Republican Army or related illegal organisations in each year since 1970.

I regret that the information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what conclusions he has reached as a result of his consideration of the recommendations for changes in procedure made in the Halliday report.

I have now considered the recommendations in consultation with other interested Departments and have accepted them, with only minor modifications, except for certain procedural points on establishing the planning status of land. I consider it necessary for the district valuer to approach both district and regional councils when attempting to determine the planning potential of land in those cases where a decision on its development might be either a district or a regional matter. I also consider that in the case of conditional offers for purchase of land the would-be purchaser should retain

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

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many vacancies at each employment exchange in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area there were in April of each of the past five years.

The information is set out in the table below:his right of appeal against a planning authority's decision. I further consider that I should be enabled to give an opinion on the planning potential of land in any case where there is a difference of view between my Department and the planning authority. It seems to me to be important in these ways to provide a mechanism for resolving differences of view on the planning potential of land which is being disposed of.I should specifically record my acceptance of the recommendation for the increased employment of selling agents in appropriate cases. In the light of these decisions work is now in hand on revision of the Scottish health building code, part 3—land transactions procedures.I again record my gratitude to Professor Halliday for the very helpful guidance in his report.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why ports on the East Coast of Scotland such as Dundee were excluded from the Ports (Financial Assistance) Bill.