asked the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from farmers' organisations in Wales calling for an end to the common agricultural policy.

None, Sir.

Does my right hon. Friend agree that, without the protection afforded by the framework of the common agricultural policy, Welsh farmers would be at the mercy, alternatively, of demands from the Labour party for cheap food from wherever it could be bought, and of pressure from the Treasury to make short-term economies in current expenditure, whatever the damage to long-term interests might be?

I agree with my hon. Friend about the importance of European assistance to our agriculture industry, particularly when the settlement has put about £325 million in a full year into British agriculture. There may be Treasury intransigence under Labour Governments, but that cannot be said of Treasury Ministers of the present Administration in a year in which there has been a substantial financial injection into horticulture and in which the hill livestock compensatory grants have been increased.

Does the Secretary of State not agree that it is better to reform the common agricultural policy than to abolish it?

I am sure that we all agree about the need for further reform and welcome the fact that the total share of the European budget taken by the CAP as well as the British contribution to it has been reduced this year. I am sure that we all want the reform of the CAP to continue, while accepting its fundamental importance to the health of British agriculture.

Is it not true that farmers over the years have not been particularly wise in their political judgment, as their blanket support for the Conservative Party seems to demonstrate? Is it not time that they realised that the agriculture support system introduced by the post-war Labour Government was far more satisfactory all round? Shall we not have to get back to that system, once a Labour Government take Britain out of the Common Market?

The Labour Party spokesman for agriculture appeared to threaten the whole system of grants for agriculture the other day, so the agriculture sector generally seems to have been wise in its political judgment.

The hon. Member for Newport (Mr. Hughes) clearly has few farmers in his constituency because he does not appear to speak with authority on their behalf. Does not my right hon. Friend agree that Welsh farmers also benefit greatly from the less-favoured area status in the EEC, a status which my farmers in Anglesey hope will come to them at some stage?

My hon. Friend has been assiduous in his representations on behalf of Anglesey farmers in that connection. I have already told him that Anglesey will be carefully considered in the review of the less-favoured area status in Wales.

Does not the Secretary of State accept that many farmers are critical of the intervention scheme and would prefer the same scheme to operate for beef as for lamb, since that system is far nearer to the old British system?

No doubt farmers have different opinions about different schemes, as on other issues, but I am sure that they all welcomed the continuation of the beef premium scheme, which is so important for that sector. That scheme, with the better assistance and the lamb premium scheme, provides £300 million of direct benefits for the British consumer. That should not be overlooked.

Is not the main thrust of farmer representation the refusal by Britain to emulate the national stance on agriculture taken by other member States? For example, have not the French subsidised by 50 per cent. turkeys sold in Britain at 36p per pound?

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has made the strongest possible representations to the Commission about that scheme and the Commission is examining it.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will consult representatives of the building and construction industry with a view to organising a public works programme to help alleviate unemployment in Wales.

There is regular contact between my Department and representatives of the industry. The Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Conway (Mr. Roberts), will be meeting the National Federation of Building Trades Employers in July. There is already a substantial capital works programme which benefits the construction industry in Wales and I have no plans for increasing it.

With mass unemployment now sweeping the country, is not such a public works programme with import controls what the country needs? Would not it be better for the Government to concentrate on building houses instead of pressurising local authorities such as Newport to sell prefabs, which is against the public interest?

We note that the hon. Gentleman supports a controlled economy. However, he should not underestimate the scale of the capital programme in Wales. About £100 million a year is being spent on the roads programme, £38·3 million on the Health Service and £47 million on the Welsh water authority. The factory building programme by the Welsh Development Agency, which is of direct benefit to the hon. Gentleman's constituency, is responsible for employing about 3,000 people in the construction industry.

Does the Secretary of State recall his visit to Llanberis a year ago to the major construction scheme by the CEGB at Dinorwic? Where will the 2,000 people who are employed on that scheme and who are to lose their jobs find other work?

As the scheme is phased out, a serious problem will be created. That is one reason why we are pressing on urgently with the A55 programme, which will be of direct benefit to the hon. Gentleman's constituency. I regret that a major part of that scheme—the Bangor bypass—is being held up by one individual's legal challenge.

I appreciate the public works to which my right hon. Friend refers, including the factory building by the Welsh Development Agency. However, in future consideration of such matters, will he take account of the fact that the construction and building industries are not largely dependent upon imported materials? Will he also take account of the particular and peculiar problems of smaller builders?

Of course we must take account of those matters. However, we must also recognise that construction programmes, however desirable and wherever they are, must be paid for by taxes and burdens on other parts of industry. One must achieve a balance. It is a myth to think that there is a miraculous cure for our economic difficulties involving capital projects in unspecified terms.

Will the right hon. Gentleman confirm that only one road laying machine has been working in North Wales this winter?

A major road building programme is continuing in North Wales. It is hard to believe that only one machine has been working on that programme, which has been continued successfully.

Does the Secretary of State realise that it is extremely difficult to reconcile his figures with the industrial index for production in the construction industry in Wales, which fell by about 16 per cent. last year? There are large stocks of building materials and thousands of workers in the dole queues. It is difficult to accept the figures. Does the Secretary of State recall that, in the 1930s, many major roads in South Wales were built as a result of public works programmes? Is it not time for an extended public works programme, not only to create employment but to improve the infrastructure, which Wales will need if there is ever an upturn under the present Government?

There has never been such a massive infrastructure programme as that which is being carried out today. It is having a direct benefit on the construction industry. The son of my hon. Friend the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Sir A. Costain) was telling me only this week of the benefits to his company of participating in that massive programme in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent per pupil in primary schools in Wales in each of the past three years.

Net recurrent expenditure per head on all pupils in maintained primary schools in Wales was £338 in 1977–78, £384 in 1978–79 and £446 in 1979–80, at outturn prices. These figures exclude school meals, milk and transport.

Does my hon. Friend agree that, if there is a connection between standards and the amount of money spent on education, the figures show that there is no reason why standards should have fallen in the last few years and strong reasons why they should have risen substantially?

Consistently since the Second World War Britain has spent a greater share of its gross national product on education than most of its industrial rivals. Between 1960 and 1980 we increased by 64 per cent. in real terms the amount spent per pupil in primary schools. That increase was not matched by a similar increase in standards.

Does the Minister accept that his inspectorate has just made a report which clearly shows that standards in primary and secondary schools in Wales are under threat because of the public expenditure cuts forced upon authorities by his Department?

I have read carefully the report by the inspectorate. It came to the conclusion that the fabric of education was intact.

Is not the pupil-teacher ratio as good as, or better than, it has ever been?

The pupil-teacher ratio in Wales bears out the conclusion of the HMI report. It is at its best level.

Did not that HMI report highlight a reduction in the quality and variety of education provision in the primary schools, in rural areas in particular?

No, Sir. The report made it clear that our education standards are being maintained.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the percentage increase in the level of unemployment for the combined areas of Mid-Glamorgan and Gwent since May 1979; and what steps he proposes to take to reduce this figure.

The figure is 79·4 per cent. to March 1981, the latest date for which unemployment figures are available on a county basis. Government policies have already achieved a sharp reduction in inflation and improvements in competitiveness. Interest rates are already lower than in most other countries. In addition, the major programme of factory building and regional assistance is already attracting substantial new investments to the area and more can be expected as the economy moves out of recession.

Is the Secretary of State aware that it is an indictment of the Government's failure to tackle the problem that the Labour Party made such inroads in the county council elections in South Wales last week? Is he further aware that the problem will be exacerbated since 5,773 young people on temporary youth opportunities programme work will be back on the labour market and in Mid-Glamorgan alone 11,000 new people will join the labour force in the next five years as a result of the birth boom of the 1960s? Will he tackle that?

If the hon. Gentleman wishes to bandy statistics, I must tell him that the youth opportunities programme has been substantially increased from 7,100 to 10,200 places in Mid-Glamorgan, for example. I am encouraged that there was a sharp upturn in the early part of this year in the number of visits paid by prospective investors in Wales. The Welsh Development Agency has announced that, of the 289 visits made in the 1980–81 financial year, 197 were made since January. That shows a considerable interest in investment in the area.

Will my right hon. Friend tell the House about the increase in unemployment in the same areas during the last Labour Government?

I cannot remember all the statistics, but I well recall that, when the present Leader of the Opposition was responsible for employment in the Labour Government, unemployment in his constituency trebled.

Many of the 147,000 unemployed in Wales would welcome a return to the levels of unemployment which obtained under the Labour Government? The figures that the Secretary of State announced today—

Order. The right hon. Gentleman must ask a question.

I apologise, Mr. Speaker. Does not the Secretary of State accept that his announcement of a 79·4 per cent. increase in unemployment is a condemnation of Government policies? Is he aware that that condemnation was shared by the people of Gwent and Glamorgan last Thursday when the Tory Party lost 47 seats?

As usual, the right hon. Gentleman asked about three questions in the middle of his speech. As he takes consolation from the improvement in his party's electoral position in this mid-term period, I hope that he will also take consolation from the more important fact that in Mid-Glamorgan this year eight factories have been allocated and seven more provisionally allocated. There is a widespread interest in new investment and in new job creation in the area.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if, in view of the proposed closure of the No Nail Boxes Ltd. factory at Saltney with the loss of 150 jobs, he will meet the Alyn and Deeside district council and the Welsh Development Agency to draw up a programme to create new job prospects on the Saltney industrial estate: and if he will make a statement.

I shall continue my practice of regular meetings with local authorities in the area. I have recently approved a further programme of factory building by the Welsh Development Agency in the Shotton area amounting to 212,000 sq ft.

Does the right hon. Gentleman know that 2,500 redundancies have already been announced this year for the area between Chester and Mostyn in my constituency? In what way can he direct the WDA to bring new work to the Saltney industrial estate? Does he agree that the No Nail. Boxes board behaved in a sneaky and ungenerous manner by not telling its work force of its talks with the Welsh Office about its application for special financial assistance?

Eight factories in Alyn and Deeside have been either confirmed or provisionally allocated this year. The hon. Gentleman will be pleased to know that this morning WIDAB recommended that BICC should be given a grant of £735,000. Subsequently, the boards of BICC and Corning Glassware Inc. have announced that they will go ahead with the project in Deeside to provide 150 skilled jobs, which will bring new technology to the area.

I am proud to say that Mostyn is in my constituency, not in the constituency of the hon. Member for Flint, East (Mr. Jones). Will my right hon. Friend note that that thriving and go-ahead port has gone from strength to strength since it was relieved from the threat contained in the Labour Government's Dock Work Regulation Act 1976?

I am delighted to hear that. Mostyn can be sure that under this Government it will be given every encouragement.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the range of manpower reductions achieved by Welsh local authorities since May 1979; and whether he is satisfied with progress to date.

From the end of May 1979 until the end of December 1980, the latest date for which figures are available, local authority manpower in terms of full-time employees and full-time equivalents in Wales has been reduced by about 2 per cent. Although the downward trend has been encouraging, it must be maintained if Welsh authorities are to meet the public expenditure targets we have requested.

Will my hon. Friend identify the local authority with the best performance and that with the worst performance? Will he confirm that it is possible to achieve substantial economies without undermining local government services?

I do not wish to comment on the performance of individual authorities because their circumstances vary widely. However, while some authorities have been making efforts to reduce their staff, others have not. It is nonsense to suggest that local government services are being destroyed. We are simply asking local authorities to bring down their current expenditure to the level that it was five years ago in real terms, at the time of the last Labour Government.

How many of the full-time equivalents that have been reduced and jobs lost relate to home helps? What additional cost and burden has that placed on the National Health Service?

I do not have a precise analysis of the reduction in manpower. I do not think that the hon. Gentleman expects me to carry them in my head, or even on a piece of paper. Much greater efficiency could be obtained in local government services without their being disrupted.

Does my hon. Friend agree that the need to reduce staff is not a valid reason for refusing to implement the Government's policy on the sale of council houses?

I certainly agree with my hon. Friend. Local authorities have a duty under the Housing Act 1980 to sell to those who have the right to buy. Many local authorities have previous experience of selling council houses. They can also make use of private sector services and change the duties of those already engaged within their housing departments.

Does not the Minister agree that hardly a social services department in Wales has not had to cut back on staff who care for the elderly and those least able to defend themselves? Does he not agree that the loss of such people means a loss of care and a deterioration of services?

I do not agree that there has been a deterioration of services, especially in the social services sector. I have visited every social services department in Wales. I have met directors and chairmen of social services committees. There is scope for greater efficiency in that area, as there is elsewhere.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the effect of the Government's economic policies on Wales.

The massive programme of factory building, infrastructure improvement and financial support for industry has been designed to cushion the worst effects of the recession and assist change. As a consequence, even in the last year we have been able to attract a large number of new investments and with the general improvement in competitiveness and good industrial relations in Wales we are now well placed to take advantage of the recovery.

Will the Secretary of State name one policy that has actually worked for Wales?

There is no doubt that the improved competitiveness of British industry provides the greatest chance of success in the world. People will buy our goods only if we are competitive and if they want to buy them. The improved competitiveness throughout British industry is the most hopeful factor for the industrial recovery of Britain.

Does not my right hon. Friend have evidence that many overseas visitors have been greatly impressed with the building of new factories and the clearance of sites in many parts of industrial Wales?

There has been not only a great appreciation of the industrial sites that we are able to offer, but recognition of the excellent industrial relations in many of the existing plants in Wales. I am glad to say that the senior management of Inmos told me only this week that they are having no difficulty in attracting the highly skilled personnel that they need for their plant in Wales. That augurs well for the future.

Have not the Government's economic policies had disastrous effects on employment prospects, with a more than 80 per cent. increase in unemployment in Mid-Glamorgan since the Secretary of State took office? Will he seek to restore to those areas the special development area status of which they have been deprived by the Government's policies?

The future prospects of the area lie in the attraction of inward investment and the growth of companies. It is encouraging that companies such as Yuasa are setting up operations, that such companies as Smiths Industries are transferring new work to Ystradgynlais and that many other encouraging developments are taking place.

Will my right hon. Friend confirm that one of the specific areas in which the beneficial effects of Government economic policy may be seen is the Llanwern steel works, where the level of productivity is equal to, or better than, most of our competitors in Europe?

It is that fact that gives that steel works a real chance of survival in a highly competitive world industry.

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that if he gave a complete answer on the effect of the Government's economic policies in Wales it could be summed up in one word—"disastrous"? That was the judgment passed on him and his Government last Thursday. It is a judgment that will be echoed by most political parties in Wales and by most organisations. The only people in Wales who support the Government's policies are Tory Ministers and some Tory Members. Will he now answer the supplementary question that I asked him previously? Why has there been a change in policy for the capital expenditure of local authorities on MSC schemes? The right hon. Gentleman has boasted about the schemes but the change will place many of them in jeopardy.

While the right hon. Gentleman sells Wales short once again, overseas investors such as Mitel are expressing their confidence in the future.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what part of the £48 million allocated for industrial development in the steel areas of South Wales was due to be spent in 1980–81; and how much was actually spent.

A total of £24·8 million was to be spent during 1980–81—£21·7 million by the Welsh Development Agency and £3·1 million by the Cwmbran development corporation. Both bodies spent their full allocation.

Will my right hon. Friend try to extract at least some grudging praise from the Jeremiahs of the Opposition in an acknowledgement that this is the largest investment programme for Wales that has ever been seen in the Principality? Will he go further and convince the people of Wales that there will be the same level of investment for the Principality next year? May I ask him to give that commitment today?

My hon. Friend is aware that we had approximately half of the special programme in the first year and that there will be a substantial programme in the coming year. I was hoping that I would extract from the Opposition an apology for their early-day motion tabled earlier in the year in which they confidently forecast that there would be an underspend in the £24·8 million programme.

Are not these figures a flea bite compared with the calamitous proportions that unemployment has reached? Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that the people are fed up with the Government's economic policies, as the county council elections clearly revealed last Thursday? Will he bear in mind that in a steel making area such as Newport only one Conservative candidate was returned?

The hon. Gentleman may consider that the figures amount to a flea bite. However, his constituency is getting a large chunk of the capital programme that is being spent. It has benefited considerably by the arrival of some major new industries. I wonder whether his judgment will be shared by the many people who will be gaining employment in his constituency as a result of the Government's spending programme.

We welcome the right hon. Gentleman's statement about Government spending. Will he inform the House how much of that money was spent on building and how much on the acquisition of land?

Of the detailed programme that was announced by the Government at the beginning of the year, in which we set out the allocation, 90 per cent. of the factory space that was announced is under construction and the remainder will shortly be started. As the right hon. Gentleman knows, there is a substantial building programme. I suppose that I must take his intervention as his apology for making such an absurd allegation earlier that we would not spend the money that needed to be spent.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many jobs have come to Wales since May 1979; and how many jobs have been lost in the same period.

Comprehensive information is not available on job gains and losses. An indication of net changes in employment levels can, however, be gained from the Department of Employment's quarterly estimates of employees in employment. Latest available figures indicate a net decrease between June 1979 and December 1980 of 80,000.

In view of the seriousness of unemployment in Wales, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman to say what advice he will give to school leavers this summer, besides advising them to cross the border to England to find work?

Unemployment in Wales is serious. That is why we have the massive programme that I have been describing. I am glad to tell the hon. Gentleman that there has been no increase in the percentage of unemployment represented by school leavers. I advise school leavers to continue to provide themselves, especially while at school, with the skills that are best suited for modern industrial development and for the modern techniques that will increasingly be so important.

Does the right hon. Gentleman recall that when, about a year ago, the economic department at Bangor university predicted that there would be unemployment of 147,000 in. Wales by the end of the year and 172,000 at the end of 1983, the forecast was greeted with official scorn? The first figure has already been exceeded, showing that it was a serious underestimate. Does not this call for a major programme of regional activity and investment, which this Government will not initiate?

I did not comment on the forecasts that were made about a year ago. I do not propose to make a forecast now. As I have said repeatedly, we are undertaking the most substantial programme of site development and infrastructure preparation in Wales chat has ever been undertaken by any Government.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that we all welcome the 43,000 places that are being made available for the youth opportunities programme this year, which means that the Government have doubled the number of places in the scheme since they came to office? No doubt he will accept that that is not a panacea for the ills of youth unemployment. Will he continue to press my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment to investigate and move towards a scheme of vocational preparation for young people that will take them immediately they leave school—[Interruption.]—so that they may be better fitted for the needs of industry?

Amid the yowls and yaroos of Opposition Members, which they have been practising recently in the capital's streets instead of in the House, my hon. Friend was making an important point. We must concern ourselves with vocational training and continued retraining so that skills are adapted to new requirements. My right hon. Friend and I are currently considering detailed proposals to improve the arrangements and I hope that it will not be long before further announcements are made.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman's bluster this afternoon expose the fact that the Government's policies are no answer for the problems of Wales? Does he accept that 80,000 jobs have been lost in the Welsh economy as a result of the Government's policies? Instead of talking about inward investment, important though that is, and new factory building, what is he going to do about the 300,000 sq ft of empty factory space at Merthyr Tydfil, a direct victim of imported goods from within the EEC—namely, from Italy? What is his answer to that?

I am glad to observe that rates of absenteeism at Hoover's—

Answer the question.

As usual, the junior Member for Bolsover never listens to an answer. I was about to say that I welcome the fact that in the recent past rates of absenteeism at Hoover's have fallen to their lowest level ever and are a great improvement on anything that has been achieved in the past. They are down to about 5 per cent., when they used to be about 15 per cent. That is the greatest single hope and prospect for the company's recovery.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from local authorities in Wales regarding Government cuts in public expenditure.

I have received a large number of representations from local authorities in Wales regarding public expenditure cuts since I have been in office.

Does the Minister realise that the increase in local authority rates and the cutback in a number of services are due to the policies which have been pursued by the Government and that on Thursday last week the massive Labour gains and the massive Tory losses were an indication that the people do not support the Government's policies on local government?

I am sure that the hon. Member will want to get what consolation he can at this time, with the dereliction of his own party. He is welcome to it.

As Opposition Members have been making use all afternoon of the barometer of last week's elections, is it not a fact that when the Labour Government were in office the local government losses suffered by the Labour Party were much larger?

It is true that not only the local government losses but the swings in opinion polls reached record proportions when the Labour Party was in office. It is much more significant that there has not been one constructive proposal of any sort from the Opposition Benches this afternoon.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Are you aware that a number of Welsh Members have been prevented from asking supplementary questions this afternoon because of the length of questioning and because of the number of times certain individuals have been called?

I understand the hon. Gentleman. However, as there is only one question to the Church Commissioner, with a bit of luck, we shall return to Welsh questions after that.

asked the hon. Member for Wokingham. as representing the Church Commissioners, if he is satisfied with the current method of remuneration of those seeking Holy Orders.

The use of the commissioners' income is governed by statute and is primarily available towards the pay and housing of the clergy and the provision of their pensions. The commissioners themselves are not empowered, for example, to give financial assistance towards the maintenance of ordinands through the period of their training.

Does my hon. Friend agree that, whereas ordinands can normally obtain grants, there is no such general system for the funding of their families, which can result in real hardship because the families must rely on what is available from charities and individual dioceses? Does my hon. Friend agree that in the less-well-endowed dioceses that results in hardship? Does he agree that a fairer system would be to have a general national system for remuneration of ordinands' families?

I should be happy to examine any case my hon. Friend had in mind. In essence, when a man is sent forward for ordination, he is the responsibility of the diocese in question. That responsibility is gladly accepted. He is often supported by a variety of sources, some of which have been mentioned by my hon. Friend. One is the Train a Priest appeal which appears in the Church Times, which I warmly appreciate. It is the established policy of the Church of England that no man, once he has been selected, shall be prevented from undertaking training for lack of money.

asked the Secretary of the State for Wales what information he has on the practice of Welsh local authorities in respect of improvement grants as a result of the Government's cuts in expenditure for housing.

Apart from certain mandatory grants governed by statute, local housing authorities have discretionary powers to award grants. I am aware that some authorities have said that they intend to suspend or restrict discretionary grants, though they are aware of the importance the Government attach to the improvement of our housing stock.

Is the Minister aware that many local authorities are not now giving discretionary grants and that that has put the clock back a decade in Wales? Is he aware that unfit homes which have the standard amenities are not now able to receive grants and that the housing action areas which he has declared are of no use because no money is available in many authorities to give residents the cash to improve their homes?

I have visited housing authorities in Wales and I have stressed to them the simple point that they can increase their housing allocations by the sale of council houses and increase their net receipts. That is why we want them to sell council houses, so that they can increase their allocations. They are free to apply that increase to improvement grants.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when next he expects to meet the chairman of the Welsh water authority to consider the future water policy for Wales.

I shall be brief. I meet the chairman of the Welsh water authority from time to time, but arrangements for the next meeting have not yet been made.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware of the anger in many parts of Wales, particularly in West Glamorgan, over the recent heavy water charges which have been introduced? When he meets the chairman, will he discuss with him the justification for the standing charge of £9 per household for water, particularly when those charges are levied on the basis of rateable value and not on the basis of consumption?

The hon. Gentleman will know that my right hon. Friend arranged, with the Welsh water authority's co-operation, for a team of independent accountants to examine the authority's books and to suggest whether a reduction in charges could be achieved. I am satisfied that the lower level of increase subsequently announced by the authority, amounting to an average rise of 14·8 per cent. in domestic bills, compared with the 20 per cent. originally proposed, is the minimum necessary to maintain an acceptable standard of service.

asked the right hon. Member for Middlesbrough, as representing the House of Commons Commission, how many people are employed in the Palace of Westminster.

I have been asked to reply.

Why has the Commission unilaterally broken off the grading review consultations that it was having with the trade unions representing its employees, especially when the consultations were in their final stages and when an appeal was being considered? Is not that deplorable, shabby treatment for the House of Commons Commission to dish out to its employees? Has the appeal system also been scrapped?

The hon. Gentleman has misunderstood the situation. Those who are involved in the discussions understand precisely what is going on. If there are any points which the hon. Gentleman wishes to draw to the attention of the Commission, he should write to me about them and I shall let him have an answer.

asked the right hon. Member for Middlesbrough, as representing the House of Commons Commission, what is the total number of staff in the Refreshment Department.

I have been asked to reply.

Will the hon, Gentleman confirm that a fair proportion of that 244 is employed in the private dining rooms and that the private dining rooms have received a subsidy? Are there any plans to publish the bookings of the private dining rooms so that hon. Members are made aware, if they so wish, whether the private dining rooms are being used by outside lobbying and public relations organisations? Is the hon. Gentleman aware that at the moment those bookings are not available and there is a strong suggestion that that is because of a covering of such lobbying?

I shall take note of what the hon. Gentleman has said. I remind him that fewer than one-third of those who use the Palace of Westminster catering facilities are the responsibility of the Commission.

Will my hon. friend confirm that it is still the policy of the Refreshment Department, wherever possible, to buy British and that the recent appearance of the glass water jugs marked "Made in Poland" is simply a recognition of the sea change which is taking place in that country?

That matter has not come into my purview. I believe that the country of origin would be acceptable to most hon. Members.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the Refreshment Department employs two and a half times as many people as the Department of the Library and that, to date, not one of them has married a Member of Parliament? Will the hon. Gentleman tell the House where the Refreshment Department has gone wrong?

I am not responsible for the fact that none of them has married a Member of Parliament.

I presume that the last question related to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, who is married to an ex-member of the Library staff.

I note what the hon. Gentleman says. I shall see that those concerned deal with the matter expeditiously.

The hon. Gentleman is a Commissioner.

Indeed, I am, and I am doing my best to make it clear that I accept the responsibility with dignity—I hope.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will place a copy of the speech of the Minister of State for the Arts to the Council of Regional Arts Associations on 15 April in the Library.

Yes, Sir.

Will my right hon. Friend ensure that more support is given to the arts in the regions, especially in the South-West, instead of so much support going to the London area?

The regions should have a large slice of the money spent on the arts, and I am pleased that the proportion has been increasing in recent years. The level of artistic activity in the South-West is very high indeed. It is one of the best areas in the country.

Is not the answer to impose on local authorities a mandatory requirement to raise a specific rateage for arts and heritage purposes, to be used through the regional arts associations?

I am against a mandatory rate for the arts. I am in favour of people supporting the arts as generously as possible, but a mandatory rating system would not be consistent with local democracy.

Would not resources be more effectively distributed if the Arts Council was relieved of the burden of dealing with individual clients and there was an overall allocation of resources to regions?

A great deal of discussion is going on about whether more discretion should be given to regional arts associations. A working party has been set up by the Arts Council, local authorities and others concerned, and I have discussed the matter with local authorities. I hope that progress can be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the recent discussions with the European Ministers of Culture.

The European Ministers of Culture met last week. There was general agreement that within the available resources of member countries we would all work together to further steps for European cultural co-operation.

What progress has been made towards designating 1985 as European Music Year, and what part will Britain play?

There is general agreement throughout Europe that it would be a good idea to have 1985 as European Music Year, as it is the tercentenery of the birth of Handel, Bach and Scarlatti. It was agreed in principle at the meeting last week. We shall play our part with enthusiasm, and I await my hon. Friend's suggestions.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he will be in a position to reply to the Select Committee report on the arts.

The recommendations in the Committee's interim report on works of art require consultation among a number of Departments, but the Government will, of course, aim to reply as soon as practicable.

I thank my right hon. Friend for that reply. May I urge him to have discussions as quickly as possible? Will he ensure that we have a reply before the House rises for the Summer Recess? Is he aware that this important report is unanimous?

The report is important, and it is a great tribute to the members of the Committee that it is unanimous. I shall do my best to accede to my hon. Friends request, although the remedy is not entirely in my hands.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that he will enjoy all-party support if he can deliver Government decisions along the lines of those sensible and constructive recommendations in the report; and that ready acceptance of the recommendations would meet with a especial welcome from the National Art Collections Fund, which has a long and splendid record in helping public acquisitions in galleries?

I agree with the hon. Gentleman's latter remarks. I note his support for the report, which will strengthen the hand of those who advocate its total adoption. I shall attempt to meet the wishes of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is taking any additional steps to encourage business sponsorship of the arts.

I shall continue to take every available opportunity to encourage business sponsorship of the arts, and I have a number of regional engagements planned in which I intend to emphasise the relevance of sponsorship to the smaller arts and business organisations. A booklet to help arts organisations frame sponsorship proposals will be published later this year and I intend to hold a reception in London during the summer to bring together representatives of some sponsoring and non-sponsoring major companies.

I particularly welcome my right hon. Friend's announcement about the booklet to be published later this year. Will he vigorously pursue the prospect of sponsorship by companies hiring pictures from local galleries, particularly in view of the Select Committee's report?

I am most grateful to my hon. Friend for his interest, and I shall adopt his suggestion.

Will the Minister bear in mind the existence of the Honours List and bring it to the attention of potential art sponsors, who are as keen as ever to receive titles?

I note the hon. Gentleman's interest, and I shall give his suggestion the consideration that it is worth.

Will my right hon. Friend ensure that national and local media are not reluctant to give due reward to businesses that sponsor the arts? Will he ensure that the BBC, for example, is not reluctant to mention sponsorship in case it constitutes advertising?

That is a good point. It is an important topic which has been raised frequently. I shall discuss the matter with the BBC and others. Great progress has been made, and I hope that we shall make further strides forward.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what encouragement his Department currently is giving to independent British film-makers.

Within my sphere of responsibility, support for independent British film producers is provided by the production board of the British Film Institute. I am pleased to say that the grant-in-aid to the institute for 1981–82 includes a substantial increase for this work.

Is the Minister aware of the extreme difficulty for the private sector of the film industry in getting its films distributed? Will he see whether he can do something to help?

That is more a matter for the Secretary of State for Trade. My responsibilities in the film industry are limited. The Department of Trade deals with the film industry as a commercial industry. My responsibilities are limited to the British Film Institute, but I shall draw my right hon. Friend's attention to what the hon. Gentleman has said.

Will the right hon. Gentleman encourage independent film production in this country by making more money available to the BFI? Will he accept that his responsibility is not entirely separate from that of the Department of Trade and encourage his colleagues in that Department to make more money available to the National Film Finance Corporation? Will he also bring pressure to bear on television companies to help independent feature film production here?

The matters that the hon. Gentleman raises are partly the responsibility of my right hon. Friend, and I shall mention them to him. The British Film Institute has set a net budget for the production board of about £700,000 this year, which will permit about six low budget feature films and eight low budget experimental films to be made, which is a step forward.

Will the right hon. Gentleman discuss with his colleagues in the Department of Trade, first, the nonsense that films are placed in that Department? Secondly, will he discuss the need to fund British film-making by imposing a levy on the televising of feature films, which would be an easy way to bring funds to the film industry?

I shall certainly discuss the first matter, but, unfortunately, so far the allocation of Government responsibilities is not among my duties. The second part of the hon. Gentleman's question is a matter for the Secretary of State for Trade, and I shall discuss it with him.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his estimate of the number of authors who would be eligible to register for public lending right.

An estimate of 50,000 eligible authors has been used as the basis for planning but no precise figures are available. The number registering may well be substantially fewer.

If my right hon. Friend is in the business of setting up quangos—which I hope he is not—and if he should ever institute a scheme of public lending right, what would be the likely average payment to each author for every £1 million of taxpayers' money expended?

I am indeed enthusiastically looking forward to the introduction of public lending right. I know that this is one of the very few issues on which my hon. Friend and I are not in agreement, but the House has decided by a large majority that public lending right should be introduced. I ask my hon. Friend to await the consultative document which will, I hope before too long, be available to the House.

Will the right hon. Gentleman reiterate that this will be introduced before long, as the Government has been tardy in declaring its intentions on this matter? When will he make a public statement about the introduction of the scheme and exactly how it will be run?

The consultative document will be published before very long and the hon. Gentleman will then be able to see. In fact, we are at the stage of appointing the registrar. I hope that he will be appointed very soon. The prime responsibility for actually getting on with the scheme, once Parliament has approved it, will be his. But there will be no undue delay.