asked the Secretary of State for Trade how much his Department spent on research and development in the year 1980–81; and how much it intends to spend in 1981–82.

According to the latest forecast of outturn, the Department of Trade spent a little over £4 million on research and development in 1980–81. The corresponding estimated figure for 1981–82 is just over £5·5 million.

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

[pursuant to his reply, 5 May 1981, c. 16]: United Kingdom registered ships employed as stand-by vessels must comply with the appropriate safety regulations, made under the Merchant Shipping Acts, relating to structure, stability, fire fighting and life saving appliances. These statutory provisions, together with additional safety requirements concerning equipment, manning, crew fitness and qualifications, are incorporated in my Department's survey instructions for assessing the suitability and safety standards of stand-by vessels attending offshore installations, known as the "stand-by vessel code". The code, which can also be applied to foreign registered stand-by vessels, is reviewed and revised as necessary and I have no present proposals to introduce regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what proposals he is to make in preparation for the renegotiation of the multi-fibre arrangement.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 May 1981, c. 173]: The Government have already made clear their intention to seek a tough successor to the present multi-fibre arrangement when it expires at the end of this year. It would not, however, be appropriate to disclose our negotiating hand in advance.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland how many prosecutions have taken place in Scotland in each of the past two years with respect to minimum wage rates under the Wages Councils Act; what was the charge in each case; what were the total arrears in each case; and what was the penalty in each case.

No prosecutions have taken place in Scotland in 1979 or 1980 with respect to minimum wage rates under the Wages Councils Acts of 1959 or 1979. However, one prosecution took place in Scotland in 1979 in connection with an obstruction of an authorised officer in respect of a failure to comply with a requirement to produce for inspection relevant records of wages, in contravention of section 19(6) of the 1959 Act. The penalty imposed on 23 July 1979 was a fine of £30 and the question of arrears did not arise in the criminal proceedings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what ways police helicopters are used for crowd control; and on what recent occasions they have been used for such a purpose.

The use of helicopters to assist the maintenance of public order is a matter for individual chief officers of police and details of the occasions on which they are used for this purpose are not kept centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation raising the maximum penalties for tapping and bugging to £50,000.

As regards the unauthorised interception of telecommunications, unlimited fines are already available following conviction on indictment for offences under section 20 of the Telegraph Act 1868, section 11 of the Post Office (Protection) Act 1884 and section 13 of the Theft Act 1968. The penalties available for offences involving the use or manufacture of electronic surveillance devices are being reviewed as part of a current review of the Wireless Telegraphy Acts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the annual cost in the last financial year of keeping a person in a prison department establishment.

The average annual cost of keeping a person in custody during the financial year 1980–81 is not yet available. During 1979–80 the average annual cost was £7,110.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were charged as a result of the disturbances at Brixton, Brighton, Scarborough and Southend during the Easter holiday.

The numbers arrested in Brighton, Scarborough and Southend during disturbances over the Easter holiday period were 80, 92 and 145 respectively. There were no similar disturbances in Brixton during that time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he has now considered the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs regarding its classification and penalties of controlled drugs, particularly cannabis, which were released in January 1979; and if he will make a statement;(2) what persons and representatives of what groups and organisations were invited to submit evidence, either orally or in writing; from what countries or jurisdictions information or practical experience was sought and by what means; what persons offered to provide evidence and what was the response to their offers; and what persons and groups actually appeared to give evidence or submitted evidence in writing in connection with the report on a review of the classification of controlled drugs and penalties under schedules 2 and 4 to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, its sub-committees or working groups.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and its subsidiary bodies did not take formal evidence either orally or in writing in connection with its report on a review of the classification of controlled drugs. The membership of the bodies concerned represented a cross-section of interests and expertise in the control of drug abuse.My right hon. Friend decided that it would be inappropriate for him to come to a view on the recommendations about cannabis until he had also had an opportunity of considering the results of the council's further study—which is not yet completed—of the scientific evidence on the effects of canabis resin.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Home Office research unit reports on prison adjudications and petitions by prisoners will be published.

A report on the project concerning board of visitors adjudications is expected to be published towards the end of this year. The work on applications and petitions is still at a preliminary stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants for whom he is responsible have been suspended without pay during the course of the present Civil Service pay dispute.

None

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many North Sea oil discoveries and fields have been affected by the Government's depletion policy; and how much production has been restrained in an attempt to level the steep trajectory of production that is likely to be surplus to United Kingdom requirements.

In announcing the Government's oil depletion policy on 23 July 1980 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy said that the assurances given by the right hon. Member for Chesterfield (Mr. Varley) on 6 December 1974 would be honoured. This means that, so far as new field developments are concerned, only those related to discoveries made after the end of 1975 can be considered for deferral. Clyde is the only case of this kind which has so far arisen; this will be deferred for two years so that production will not now start until 1987, as announced by my right hon. Friend in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Banff (Mr. Myles) on 18 December 1980. No decisions have been taken on whether to have production cuts which under the assurances to which I have referred cannot be made before 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he is satisfied with the condition of overhead electric cables, bearing in mind the high rate of failure during the recent storms in Wiltshire.

Yes: Standards for the construction and maintenance of overhead electricity lines are laid down in the Electricity (Overhead Lines) Regulations 1970, administered by my Department. These standards are based on long experience of the effects of climate, and my Department also monitors the performance of the electricity supply industry in maintaining the lines in proper condition. No practical design of line can be immune from risk in the rare and extreme weather conditions which recently occurred in Wiltshire and some other parts of the country. An analysis of the incidence and causes of the recent damage is being carried out.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are the total reserves of methane and natural gas liquids now estimated to be available to the proposed gas-gathering system; and what impact this will have on the economics of the project.

The gas-gathering organising group's latest estimate of United Kingdom continental shelf reserves available for collection by the gas-gathering pipeline is about 11 trillion cubic feet of rich gas, which includes 66 million tonnes of NGLs, plus further reserves in fields south of Lomond for which estimates are not yet available. These figures are based on data supplied by field operators; in addition there is likely to be more gas and NGL available from areas which have not yet been appraised.The Government's latest analysis confirms that the project is economically very attractive.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he is yet able to announce a performance objective for the British Gas Corporation.

I have agreed with the corporation that it will aim to reduce unit costs—excluding the cost of gas purchase—by 5 per cent. in real terms over the remainder of the period of the present financial target—that is 1982–83 on 1980–81.

asked the Attorney-General how many nominations were received by the secretary of the South Tyneside magistrates' bench in each of the last three years.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to nominations from members of the public to the South Tyneside Advisory Committee. On that assumption the figures were:

asked the Attorney-General why the pay and administrative expenses of the Public Trustee are met from public funds; and if he will arrange for such charges to be borne by the users of this service instead of by the taxpayer.

The pay and administrative expenses of the Public Trustee are borne by the fees charged upon the trust funds under the administration of the Public Trustee, and thus by the users of the service which he provides.

asked the Attorney-General how many cases of medical negligence were brought in the courts in each of the five years from 1978; how many of these were settled out of court; and what was the average amount of each judgment or settlement.

I regret that this information is not collected and could not be made available except at unacceptable expense.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her official engagements for Tuesday 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements for 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her official duties Tuesday 12 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 May.

This morning I held a press conference with Chancellor Schmidt following our meeting yesterday. In addition to my duties in this House I shall be having meetingss later today with ministerial colleagues and others including one with the United Nations' Secretary General. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.

asked the Prime Minister what progress has been made with the negotiations on the unit costs of the guided weapons system 25, known as Sea Wolf.

Prices on production contracts for the Sea Wolf missile system are being progressively agreed. However, for commercial reasons, unit costs cannot be released.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a further statement about the future of Chevening House.

I am glad to tell the House that the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary has accepted nomination as the resident of Chevening House under the terms of the Chevening Estate Act 1959.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many firms in (a) the North-West, (b) Merseyside, (c) Ormskirk and (d) Kirkby are not employing their full 3 per cent. quota of registered disabled persons.

On 1 June 1980, the latest date for which information is available, the figures were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the number of wages inspectors employed in the United Kingdom and Scotland in each of the past two years; and if he plans to increase or decrease the number.

The numbers of wages inspectors employed in Great Britain were 163 at September 1979 and 152 at September 1980. The corresponding figures for Scotland were 15 at both of those dates. It is planned to reduce the number of inspectors further to a level appropriate to the current work programme of the inspectorate.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the towns and areas visited by

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the most recent unemployment statistics available for the town of Ashbourne in Derbyshire.

At 9 April the provisional number of people registered as unemployed in the Derby employment office area, which includes Ashbourne, was 10,091. There are no separate figures for Ashbourne.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many employers in the United Kingdom were found to be paying below minimum rates under the Wages Council Act in each of the past two years; what percentage of all employers inspected they represented; how much they were found to be paying below statutory minimum rates; how many were prosecuted; and if he will provide a similar breakdown of figures for Scotland.

Information is not available in the precise form requested. However, the following statistics are available for inspections by visits completed in 1979 and 1980:the wages inspectors in Scotland in each of the past two years; and if he will show for each

Statistics are not maintained for particular towns or areas of Scotland smaller than the east and west divisions of the Wages Inspectorate and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when the last inspection of wages council rates took place in the United Kingdom and Scotland, and if he will publish a table for each wages council showing (a) the number of firms inspected, (b) the number of firms underpaying, (c) the percentage of firms underpaying, (d) the number of employees whose wages were examined, (e) the number of employees underpaid, the percentage of employees underpaid, (g) the amount underpaid and (h) the average amount underpaid per employee.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will give the cost of living figures for 4 May 1979 and 4 May 1981.

Following is the nearest available information:

Wages inspectors are constantly engaged in examining wages at establishments covered by wages councils throughout Great Britain. Information is not available in the precise form requested. However, the following statistics are available for each wages council relating to inspections completed by visit in Great Britain in 1980:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many employees in the Sheffield metropolitan district were working short-time under the temporary short-time working compensation scheme during March and April 1981; in what firms and in what main industrial groupings they worked; and when he expects the subsidy to end.

The following table shows the total number of jobs stated to be at risk in the applications from companies in the Sheffield metropolitan district current during March 1981 by main industrial groupings and total. The figures for April are not yet available.

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

The total number of jobs stated to be at risk in the applications from companies in the Liverpool travel-to-work area that were current in March 1981 was 6,053. The figures for May 1980 and May 1979 were 1,923 and 427 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current figure for long-term unemployment in (a) the Northern region, (b) Durham county council area and (c) Bishop Auckland constituency; and what were the comparable figures in May 1979 and January 1980.

Duration analyses of the numbers unemployed are made quarterly in January, April, July and October and the latest available information is for January 1981. The following table gives the numbers registered as unemployed for over 52 weeks at April 1979, January 1980 and January 1981 in the areas specified. The figures are not seasonally adjusted.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will arrange for employment offices to notify the local authority of redundancies involving 20 or more workers by sending a copy of the form HR1 or by other means, subject to the agreement of the employer concerned.

Under the present arrangements, the regional redundancy notification officer copies notifications involving 100 or more employees to the relevant local authorities, provided the employer's agreement has been obtained. I am satisfied that this procedure is working well and is the most that can be done in the circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what are the comparative figures per thousand civilian working population between Walsall travel-to-work area, the Black Country travel-to-work areas and the West Midlands of people unemployed for more than a year at the latest available date;(2) what have been the numbers of unemployed in the

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

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the total amount allocated each year by the Scottish Office to Women's Aid since 1976.

The information is set out below.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the total current annual cost to the Scottish Office of giving financial assistance towards the provision of places in refuges for the victims of domestic violence; and what percentage this is of the total cost of provision;(2) if he will estimate the total cost to his Department if it was to meet the full costs of funding the existing number of places in refuges for the victims of domestic violence in Scotland.

Financial assistance by the Scottish Office towards the cost of places in refuges for victims of domestic violence in the financial year 1980–81 amounted to approximately £28,500. Because of the number of different ways in which such places are funded, it is not possible to provide an estimate of the total cost of provision nor, accordingly, of the potential cost to my right hon. Friend's Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what sums of regional aid have been paid to companies operating in (a) Tayside region and (b) Dundee in the first four months of 1981.

Comprehensive information on regional aid is not available in the form requested. In the first four months of 1981 offers of assistance under section 7 of the 1972 Industry Act totalling £1·8 million were made to companies in Tayside region, all of these being in Dundee. Quarterly information on section 7 assistance and regional development grants—above certain limits—to individual companies appears in British Business.

asked. the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing average rents, including private sector rents, in each of the main Scottish regions and average domestic rates charged by each of the Scottish local authorities.

Information on the overall average level of rent including both public and private sectors is not available by region within Scotland. An estimate based on the general household survey puts the average level of all-category rents for Scotland at £5·20 per week in 1979, subject to a wide margin of uncertainty for sampling error.Information is available by region on the average rents of local authority and New Town tenants as at 1 April 1981, and is given in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many council house tenants receive financial aid towards rents; and, of these, how many receive 100 per cent. assistance (a) in Glasgow and (b) throughout Scotland:; what is the annual cost of this aid throughout Scotland; and if he will give figures for 1977 to 1981 inclusive.

The information requested is given in the following tables:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of the number of jobs in Scotland currently supported by the activities of the Scottish Development Agency in (a) manufacturing and (b) service industries.

The information in the form requested by the hon. Member is not available. However, in 1980 over 75,000 employees were housed in factories administered by the agency and companies in which the agency had invested employed about 10,000 people. In addition, small businesses supported by the agency employ over 3,700. The bulk of the jobs involved were in manufacturing industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the current effects in Renfrewshire of Government order No. 1 under the Land Registration (Scotland) Act.

The Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979 (Commencement No. 1) Order 1980 activated the new system of land registration in the county of Renfrew. The limited number of applications for registration received prior to the commencement date are currently being processed. Civil Service industrial action in the Department of the Registers has, however, prevented the receipt of further applications for registration as well as writs for recording in the Register of Sasines—from any part of Scotland—since 6 April.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans for relieving the acute housing shortage in the public sector in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

We have tried to ensure that local authorities and housing associations have a sufficient allocation in 1981–82 to enable them to undertake worthwhile programmes. Local authorities now have wide discretion to use their capital allocations as they see fit. The best answer to housing problems will often be to make better use of the existing stock, especially by way of improvement and renovation, rather than to build more new council houses.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he still expects the direct labour departments of local authorities in Wales to make a return of 5 per cent. on the capital employed by them; if not, what return he expects for 1981–82; and if, in the present economic climate, he would be prepared to accept break-even performance.

The Direct Labour Organisations (Rate of Return on Capital) Directions 1981 issued on 19 March 1981 as annex A to Welsh Office circular 7/81 prescribe the rate of return to be achieved by direct labour organisations on all four categories of direct labour organisation work as 5 per cent. on a current cost accounting basis. If an authority cannot achieve the prescribed rate of return on any category of direct labour

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the proposals for new or improved roads in Wales for which his Department is responsible which are or which have been in the past 10 years the subject of public inquiries and give, in each case, the dates of (a) publication of proposed route, (b) announcement of public inquiry, (c) opening of public inquiry, (d) conclusion of public inquiry, (e) publication of conclusions of inquiry, (f) letting of contracts, (g) start of work, and (h) conclusion of work.

[pursuant to his reply, 16 April 1981, c. 255]: The information for the major schemes which have beeen the subject of a public inquiry into the draft line proposals since 16 April 1971 is set out below. It is not possible to provide this information for every scheme except at disproportionate cost.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he proposes to implement the proposals he announced last year to allow cut price sales of milk in schools; and what methods he envisages using to encourage school and local education authorities to take advantage of the European Economic Community subsidy of 8p per pint of milk drunk by children in schools.

A substantial number of authorities are already taking advantage of the Community subsidy, but, although certain difficulties still have to be resolved, I hope it will be possible to announce shortly details of the arrangements I have in mind to increase the provision of milk to schoolchildren.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, after the last meeting of the European Economic Community Fisheries Ministers, there remains any disagreement over catch quotas between the United Kingdom and other member States.

No proposals for detailed allocations of catch quotas of individual stocks have yet been put forward by the Commission for 1981. However, the Commission has put forward a proposal containing global allocations for groups of species which is regarded by most delegations as a basis for discussion. It remains the position of Her Majesty's Government that final decisions on quotas cannot be taken until a conclusion is reached on access.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the expected number of female school leavers in July 1981.

Projections indicate that about 350,000 girls will leave school in England in the summer term of this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received regarding adult education in the city of Leicester.

In addition to representations made by the hon. Member, my right hon. and learned Friend has received about a dozen letters concerning the effects of proposed savings in public expenditure on the provision of adult education in Leicestershire, two of which refer specifically to the city of Leicester.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions he has had with the Liverpool education department concerning the reorganisation of secondary education in Liverpool.

On 6 March officials of the Department met officers of the Liverpool local education authority to discuss the authority's proposals of 10 February.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on multi-cultural education.

The Government's policy is that the school curriculum should take account of the history, culture and traditions of the United Kingdom and should also reflect the presence of ethnic minority groups in our society.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will undertake a study of the impact of Her Majesty's Government public expenditure policies on further and higher education.

The impact was set out in the section dealing with higher and further education in the Government's recent expenditure White Paper, Cmnd. 8175.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will review the statutory requirements for the provision of school meals.

My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of children in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools within (i) the Northern region, (ii) Durham county council and (c) Bishop Auckland constituency (1) have free school meals, (2) pay for school meals and (3) bring packed lunches at the latest available date and at the end of May 1979.

The following information relating to the Northern region and the Durham county council is derived from local education authority school meals census returns for October 1980, the latest available, and May 1979. Information is not available for the Bishop Auckland constituency and the hon. Member may wish to approach the Durham local education authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the estimated expenditure of the Science Research Council during 1981–82 on biotechnology.

The Science and Engineering Research Council—as it is now called—estimates that in 1981–82 it will spend £1 million on research into biotechnology in universities and polytechnics, in addition to support for some 80 to 90 post-graduate students working in this area.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science by how much he expects the level of funds available to the University Grants Committee and the research councils, respectively, to be reduced over the next three years.

The Government's expenditure White Paper, Cmnd. 8175, envisages a reduction in the level of funds available to the University Grants Committee for recurrent expenditure in universities of about 3½ per cent. in real terms in the financial year 1981–82. As the White Paper explains, the detailed implications of the plans for the university sector are under discussion with the UGC and its funds for the later years have not yet been settled.For the science budget, from which the research councils receive their annual grants-in-aid from my Department, the expenditure plans announced in the White Paper allow for provision to be held broadly at the current level throughout the period up to 1983–84.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether it remains his policy to continue the dual system of county and voluntary schools within the maintained sector of education.

The Government firmly support the continuation of the dual system of county and voluntary schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been made towards forging links between schools and industry; and whether he will make a statement.

Both schools and industry are increasingly aware of the need to develop closer mutual links. Although much remains to be done, I am well pleased with the progress already made in this area.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether segregation of children according to sex into single sex schools and segregation of children according to religion into denominational schools will continue to be permissible for those parents who want their children to be taught in such schools.

My right hon. and learned Friend believes that parents should enjoy as much choice as is practicable in the education of their children and that single-sex and denominational schools have important roles to play. It is for local education authorities, in co-operation with voluntary bodies, to decide the balance they wish to maintain between different types of school and where necessary for proposals to be made under sections 12 to 16 of the Education Act 1980. In reaching decisions on such proposals, my right hon. and learned Friend will take account of parental preferences.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science 'what research he has sponsored in the field of new materials over the last five years; what has been the cost; and how much has been on beta-sialons, materials from aluminium, silicon, oxygen and nitrogen; and what progress has been made.

The Science and Engineering Research Council—as it is now called—has spent about £20 million over the past five years in support of materials research in universities and polytechnics, including £½ million on sialons/nitrogen ceramics.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will have discussions with the teachers' unions on the subject of teaching computer studies in schools and the effect this may have on specialist teaching manpower levels; and if he will make a statement.

At present my right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to do so. The number of pupils taking courses in computer studies is rising rapidly, and it is important that pupils should become familiar with the use and application of computers. Local education authorities will wish to consult teachers before planning the best way of achieving this objective within the available resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he hopes to make an announcement regarding the allocation of seats on the Burnham further education committee to the Association of Polytechnic Teachers in time for the talks leading to the 1982 pay negotiations.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to be able to make an announcement regarding the allocation of seats on the Burnham further education committee to the Association of Polytechnic Teachers.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to reply to the formal application made to him on 16 November 1979 by the Association of Polytechnic Teachers for representation on the Burnham further education committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress is being made towards the admission of representatives of the Association of Polytechnic Teachers to the Burnham committee for further education.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he will be replying to the formal application which was made to him by the Association of Polytechnic Teachers on 16 November 1979 for representation on the Burnham further education committee.

I refer to the answer I gave today to the questions from the hon. Member for Down, North (Mr. Kilfedder) and my hon. Friend the Member for Newark (Mr. Alexander).

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science for how many postgraduate students a parental contribution is required; and what would be the cost of abolishing it for such students.

This information is available only for those postgraduate awards which fall within the responsibility of central Government. With regard to these, a parental contribution is required in respect of some 600 postgraduate students. The cost of abolishing the parental contribution for these students, in the current academic year, would be £¼ million.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now announce his decision of Bolton's comprehensive reorganisation proposals.

A letter has been delivered to the Bolton education authority today indicating that I am considering approving these proposals with two modifications and, in accordance with section 12(6) of the Education Act 1980, inviting their comments and views on the modifications I have in mind. I will announce my final decision when I have had opportunity to consider the authority's reply.

the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the charges that each local education authority in England was making at the most recent comparable date for which information is available.

Local authorities are not required to analyse their income in this way in their annual returns of expenditure to central departments and this information could not be provided without special inquiries at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, in pursuit of the policy of reducing public expenditure and in view of the problems created by certain senior executive staffs of education authorities, such as Berkshire, going on free holiday cruises and the fact that a similar arrangement is being contemplated by those in the Devon education services, he will issue a circular to all educational authorities to the effect that only the staff usually in control of the pupils should accompany the children, on the same financial terms and conditions as the students.

No. These are matters for the cruise company and the local education authorities concerned. I understand it is P and O Lines practice of some 20 years' standing to offer quotas of free places for those who are to be responsible for an authority's pupils during a cruise, so no questions of unnecessary expenditure arise.