asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will analyse the reasons why the United Kingdom proportion of trade with the rest of the European Economic Community in 1980 was less than that of Greece prior to membership of the Community.

I will reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Northampton, North on 22 June, whether the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Electrical Appliances has in any way through delay or inefficiency caused the period for the examination of its cases against dumping of refrigerators and vacuum cleaners to be extended.

I will reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many reports of narrowly-avoided collisions of aircraft over the Greater London area have been received by him in the last six months; and what steps he is taking to reduce the risk of collisions in future.

Airmiss reports are made to the National Air Traffic Services, not to my Department. They inform me that, in the period 1 December 1980 to 31 May 1981, seven such incidents were reported in the London terminal control area which is much larger than the Greater London area. Four of these were judged to involve no possible risk of collision, one was assessed as having a slight risk and the remaining two are still under investigation. All airmiss reports are investigated by the joint airmiss working group of the National Air Traffic Services. Their conclusions and recommendations are widely disseminated within the aviation community in the interests of overall accident prevention.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what reports he has received of a near collision between two aircraft over Norbury at about 9 am. on 16 June; what investigation has been carried out into such reports; and if he will make a statement.

Airmiss reports are made to the National Air Traffic Services who inform me that there has been no report of any such incident occurring over Norbury on 16 June.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when the report on the operation of the Policyholders Protection Act 1975 is to be published; and if he will make a statement.

The report on the review of the Policyholders Protection Act is published today. Copies of the report have been laid before Parliament. Experience of the operation of the Act has been limited: so far, only three cases have been referred to the Policyholders Protection Board.In May 1980 the Department of Trade invited comments on the operation and effectiveness of the Act. The consensus expressed in the review was that on the basis of the three cases referred to the Policyholders Protection Board, the Act has been shown to be capable of achieving its objectives. Consumer interests, in particular, expressed their continued support for the Act. The main proposals for change related to technical aspects of the operations of the Policyholders Protection Board.The report concludes that the Act should be retained substantially in its present form, that there is no present case for changes to be made to the scope of the Act, nor to the composition of the Board, and that the level of protection should remain at 90 per cent.Consideration will be given to amending certain technical aspects of the scheme when a suitable opportunity occurs for insurance legislation. All United Kingdom legislation dealing with the winding-up of insurance companies will need to be reviewed when the EEC directive on the co-ordination of laws, regulations and administrative provisions governing the winding-up of direct insurance undertakings, now being prepared by the Commission of the European Communities, has to be implemented.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what plans the Government have to improve the audibility of the BBC external services.

The BBC's external services are a valuable national asset but they are often not easy to hear.The Government are now determined that a major effort should be made to improve audibility. In consultation with the BBC they have drawn up a long-term programme. Some progress has already been made, notably two medium wave transmitters now in Cyprus and four short wave ones due next year. A medium wave transmitter will also come on stream then at Orfordness.The new programme envisages existing relay stations being fed by satellite by 1985, eight modern short wave transmitters operational in the United Kingdom by 1985, and six more by 1987 and new relay stations being established to cover East Africa and the Far East. There will also be substantial plant replacement and a thorough modernisation of Bush House.Putting this capital programme into effect at the optimum speed would require an increase in the present PESC provision for expenditure by the external services from 1983–84 onwards. The Government would be prepared to make a substantial increase in the grant-in-aid to help meet this. However, in these days of financial stringency we must look for a proportion of the extra costs to be met from the external services' current operations. The reductions in planned expenditure decided in 1979 were met entirely from the capital provision in both 1980–81 and 1981–82. The Government have accordingly requested the BBC to make net savings in current services of about £3 million per annum—in forecast cash prices—from 1982–83 onwards.The savings will involve a reduction of 58 hours per week out of a total of 726 hours of broadcasts in all languages, or about 8 per cent. The 24 hours a day of the BBC's World Service in English will not be cut and will be heard more clearly, as will the remaining vernacular services.Under the BBC's licence and agreement which this House has recently reviewed, the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary is empowered to prescribe the languages and hours of external services programmes. He does so after taking into account the national interests and available funds. Funds are very limited and the External Services have already been exempted from the cuts on most Government spending plans announced last November.In the difficult task of deciding which services to end we have looked first to the transcription services which are a net charge of nearly £1 million on the grant-in-aid. We recognise the value of providing to overseas broadcasting stations recordings in such fields as music, drama and entertainment, but we do not consider them essential. We have looked next to broadcasts to friendly neighbouring countries where Britain's voice is already well heard, namely French to France, and Spanish to Spain, Italian and Maltese. It was particularly hard to choose services to the Third world. We have chosen from each continent a service directed to one country or confined area only, namely Portuguese to Brazil, Burmese and Somali. In no case does the ending of the vernacular service imply any diminution of the excellent relations we enjoy with the country concerned. In all cases not only will the World Service in English continue—it will be heard more clearly as a result of the steps we plan to take to improve audibility.The Government believe that the first priority must be to ensure that the BBC can be heard. If audibility is to be improved there must be a switch in resources from current to capital expenditure. In being asked to re-order its priorities, the BBC is being treated no differently from other publicly funded bodies which are currently facing the decisions required to manage within limited funds.Assuming the required savings of some £3 million per annum are achieved by 1982–83 the Government would be prepared to contribute a substantially larger amount from 1983–84 onwards to meet the balance needed to implement the capital programme as planned.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is yet able to make a further statement on plans for military training of unemployed young people under (a) the youth opportunities programme or (b) other recruitment programmes.

I have accepted the advice of the Manpower Services Commission that the training of unemployed young people by the Armed Services should not become part of the youth opportunities programme. I am now considering the matter further with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has yet concluded his review of the procedures for dealing with unmarried mothers who claim benefit payments; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to her reply, 16 June 1981, c. 328–29]: I have carried out a careful and detailed examination of these procedures following the concern that has been expressed by Ministers and on all sides of the House. I found that, for at least 20 years, questions seeking intimate information of a type needed for legal proceedings had been asked at the stage when arrangements were being made to interview the alleged father. At this point it could not be known whether legal proceedings would be necessary.These procedures have now been changed. There will be three separate stages of interviewing. In future, detailed information about the mother's relationship with the alleged father will not be sought until the case is actually being prepared for proceedings under section 19 of the Supplementary Benefits Act. This will mean that, after the mother's benefit entitlement has been established, she will be interviewed to obtain only the minimum information needed to enable the allegation of paternity to be put to the alleged father. If he then denies paternity, or refuses to maintain the child, and as a result proceedings seem appropriate, the mother will be interviewed again and a written statement with the detailed information will be obtained.Section 19 proceedings are affiliation proceedings and, as in all affiliation proceedings, paternity has to be proved to the satisfaction of the courts. A comprehensive statement of the evidence of the mother is, therefore, needed when a case is being prepared for proceedings. The information we ask for must necessarily be detailed and personal—it is the sort of information that a private solicitor would require if the mother were taking her own proceedings as she is, of course, free to do.These changes in the procedures will significantly reduce the number of cases in which the detailed information is obtained—although these already represent only a small minority of the total number of cases involving unmarried mothers. Because the statement will be linked obviously to the question of proceedings, the changes will reduce misunderstanding about the reasons for asking for the information.The revised instructions which are being issued to staff to give effect to those changes, re-emphasise that the mother should be advised that she does not have to provide information about the alleged father or her relationship with him, and that her benefit entitlement will not be affected in any way by her declining to answer any question about him.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advantages loans from the European Investment Bank and through the New Community Instrument carry over normal credit sources; and, on average, what has been the difference in each quarter of the last four years in interest rates charged from these sources and those pertaining in the international capital markets.

The European Investment Bank operates by onlending funds which it borrows in the international capital markets. Direct comparisons are difficult, but we would not expect the terms on which it can borrow to be better than those available to the United Kingdom Government. The terms on which it lends will be fractionally worse than those on which it borrows, since the EIB, while non-profit-making, must cover its administrative costs. The position on the new Community instrument is similar.A substantial part of the EIB's lending to the United Kingdom is taken up by public sector bodies. There is advantage to the United Kingdom in maintaining a stable and continuing programme of off-market borrowing from Community institutions. Private sector applicants can derive a direct cost advantage because they obtain better terms from the EIB than they would be able to obtain by direct borrowing in the markets. Much of the EIB's lending to the private sector takes place in foreign currency on which the United Kingdom Government offer an exchange risk guarantee scheme.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is satisfied that the value added tax regulations do not discriminate between yacht builders who export boats that are sailed abroad compared with boats that are exported as freight or towed abroad.

Yes. But if my hon. Friend has a particular case in mind perhaps he will write to me giving the details.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether drinks and refreshments in sports clubhouses are being exempted from value added tax; and if he will make a statement.

No. All sports clubs that are registered for VAT are required to charge and account for VAT at the standard rate on their supplies of drinks and catering, as is any other registered person.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the oil fields in the North Sea on which no petroleum revenue tax has yet been paid;(2) if he will list the fields upon which petroleum revenue tax has been paid and indicate the shares of petroleum revenue tax payable by the producing companies in the period from 1976 to date.

I cannot comment on the tax position of individual taxpayers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has as to the number of banks operating in the United Kingdom which are classified by the Bank of England as overseas banks; and what proportion this represents of the total number of banks recognised by the Bank of England operating in the United Kingdom.

The latest figures show that, as at 15 June 1981, of the 284 institutions granted recognised bank status by the Bank of England under section 3 of the Banking Act 1979, 193—68 per cent. were branches or subsidiaries of overseas banks—162 branches, 31 subsidiaries.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what basis representative offices of overseas deposit-taking institutions are allowed to describe themselves as banks, within the United Kingdom, when they fall outside the criteria on which a United Kingdom originated operation would be allowed by the Bank of England to use the title of bank.

Section 36(9) of the Banking Act 1979 provides that a representative office of an overseas institution may use a name under which the overseas institution carries on a deposit-taking business in a country outside the United Kingdom, provided that the description "representative office" is used in immediate conjuction and equal prominence with the name.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report monthly figures for the rate of inflation measured by retail price index since January 1978 and the monthly figures measured by the tax and price index since June 1979.

I refer the right hon. Member to table 19·1 in the Monthly Digest of Statistics, a copy of which is in the Library.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the amount of capital outflow from the United Kingdom in each of the years since becoming a member of the European Economic Community.

The latest figures for United Kingdom private investment overseas, and for other capital movements in and out of the United Kingdom, were published in table G of the press notice "United Kingdom Balance of Payments in the first quarter of 1981", issued by the Central Statistical Office on 9 June 1981. This press notice covers the years 1978 to 1980. Figures for earlier years back to 1973, when the United Kingdom became a member of the European Economic Community, and earlier, were published on page 88 of the March issue of Economic Trends.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect, both fixed and otherwise, of increasing the married person's allowance by the amount of the single person's allowance when only one partner is in employment and at the same time cancelling the single person's allowance and leaving the married person's allowance as it is if both partners are in employment.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish in the Official Report the local authority borrowing requirement for 1980–81 (a) as estimated in the Budget Statement of March 1980 and (b) as estimated in the Financial Statement and Budget Report of March 1981; and if he will give the reasons for any difference between the figures;(2) if he will publish in the

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if the national insurance fund is currently in surplus or deficit; by how much; and what was the comparable figure a year ago;(2) what have been the contributions received by the national insurance fund so far in the present financial year; and what was the comparable figure for 1980–81;(3) if he will list, under the relevant headings, the payments made out of the national insurance fund in the present financial year; and if he will provide comparable information for 1980–81.

I have been asked to reply.Information is not kept in the form requested. However, the estimated expenditure on benefits in April and May 1980 and in the corresponding period in 1981 was £2,240 million and £2,820 million respectively. The equivalent figures for contribution receipts were £1,900 million and £2,320 million. The value of the national insurance fund investments held by the National Investments and Loans Office on 31 March 1980 and 31 May 1980 was £4,360 million and £4,380 million respectively. The corresponding figures in 1981 were £4,290 million and £3,975 million.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with disease control methods for the United Kingdom pig industry.

I am satisfied that the priorities given to the different pig disease control measures, and the application of those controls represent the most effective use of available resources for that purpose in Great Britain.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he plans to meet the French Minister for Fisheries to discuss future fisheries policy.

I hope to do so shortly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is he will make a statement on the present state of the negotiations for a common fisheries policy.

I have nothing to add to what I said in the debate on 18 May.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the present levels of lamb exports to France.

The latest substantive information available is for January when exports of lamb and sheepmeat to France amounted to 2,524 tonnes.Provisional indicators for February and information provided by exporters indicate that since then the level of exports has declined.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in achieving a reduction of clawback for lamb exports to the European Community countries.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether any agreement has yet been reached on the improvement of clawback arrangements for sheepmeat; and if he will make a statement.

As my right hon. Friend told the House on 16 June, the Commission has not yet fulfilled the undertaking it gave at the time of the price fixing that clawback on sheepmeat would be calculated to take account of the price of export quality sheepmeat. However, at the Council on 15 June Mr. Thorn promised to put a well-balanced proposal to his colleagues in the Commission. We emphasised the urgent need for a proposal and in the meantime have maintained a reserve on other parts of the price fixing.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is satisfied with the current level of returns for milk producers.

I believe the present level of returns is satisfactory but we shall be looking at the position again in the autumn as part of the regular review of milk prices.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to establish why exports of subsidised wine to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics have increased so substantially.

Export contracts for wine are concluded by private traders in the light of the commercial opportunities open to them. These have increased with the growth of production within the Community.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to receive recommendations from the chairman of the Farm Animals Welfare Council for the improvement of conditions under which farm animals are slaughtered.

I understand that the council's consideration of welfare at poultry slaughterhouses is well advanced and that it hopes to turn next to the welfare of animals at red meat slaughterhouses. I cannot say when the council's report will be completed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give further details to substantiate the statement about rabies issued by his Department on 21 May quoting Lord Ferrers as stating that "the situation in France has become less stable recently, with a number of cases closer to the Channel coast"; and what steps he is taking, in conjunction with other Departments, to prevent the occurrence of rabies in the United Kingdom.

I understand that 12 cases of rabies in animals have been confirmed by the French authorities in the Seine maritime area since the autumn of last year, although none of these has been near a Channel port.The Government's policy continues to be to apply stringent import controls, supplemented by a continuous rabies awareness campaign designed to minimise the risks of spread to this country.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when next he proposes to meet the president of the National Farmers Union to discuss the level of farm incomes.

I keep in close touch with the president of the National Farmers Union on all matters affecting the industry.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in eliminating unfair French competition practices that are damaging the United Kingdom turkey industry.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further proposals he has to ensure the survival of the British poultry industry.

We are concerned that United Kingdom producers and processors can compete on reasonable terms with those in other countries. We are consequently pressing for the harmonisation of the Community's hygiene inspection arrangements and for action by the Commission in relation to various aids to production and processing in France. We are also considering what other action might be appropriate.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from Cumbrian farmers regarding his announcement that a cut will be made in producer milk prices in the summer.

During his visit to Penrith on 29 April my right hon. Friend met a number of Cumbrian farmers and took note of their views on the subject of milk prices. In addition, several hon. and right hon. Members for Cumbrian constituencies have written to us recently to inform us of the views of their constituents.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what agreement has been reached in the Council of Agriculture Ministers on the harmonisation of animal welfare codes.

The Council of Agriculture Ministers has given preliminary consideration to the welfare of laying hens kept in cages and has asked the Commission to submit proposals on this subject. The proposals are expected in July.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress he has made in the reform of the common agricultural policy.

I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friends the Members for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor) and Hereford (Mr. Shepherd).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many comments he has so far received on his consultation letter issued on 5 May proposing renumbering of grades of agricultural land.

I have so far received 24 replies to the 60 letters that were issued. Replies were requested by 30 June.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any plans for the restructuring of the British fishing industry.

The Government accept that there will be a need for new measures to encourage the restructuring of the fishing fleet when the extent of future fishing opportunities becomes clearer. Aid for modernising the fleet is already available in the form of grants and loans for fishing vessels. Proposals for further schemes of assistance, involving a contribution from European Community funds, are under discussion in the context of revising the common fisheries policy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will discuss with the fish processing organisations the proposed herring quotas for 1981.

The European Commission has proposed that certain herring fisheries be reopened in 1981, but has not yet put forward proposals for national quotas on a stock by stock basis. Officials met representatives of the industry including processors on 15 May to discuss possible fishery management arrangements if herring fisheries were re-opened, but no decisions have yet been taken.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food if he has yet arrived at a decision on the future of Great House experimental husbandry farm.

Closure of Great House experimental husbandry farm is one of the options being considered for achieving staff reductions in my Department, but decisions have not yet been taken.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what initiatives he proposes to take during his term as President of the Council of Agriculture Ministers; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Leek (Mr. Knox).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the level of sheep exports to European Community countries for the six months commencing 1 November 1980 compared with the corresponding period from 1 November 1979.

The latest substantive information available is for January 1981. United Kingdom exports of lamb and sheepmeat to European Community countries between November 1980 and January 1981 amounted to 11,061 tonnes, compared with 13,002 tonnes for the corresponding period 12 months earlier.Provisional indicators for February 1981 and information provided by exporters indicate that since then, exports have dropped to a level further below last year's sendings.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the increase in the price of meat in the United Kingdom for the last financial year; and how it compares with those in other European Economic Community countries.

The price index of meat and bacon as measured by the Department of Employment for retail price index purposes, rose by 6 per cent. between April 1980 and April 1981. Data on a comparable basis for the other EEC member States are not available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what outlook he sees for the profitability of British dairy herds.

I believe that the structure and efficiency of the British dairy industry provides a sound basis for its future profitability.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the level of imports of poultrymeat from other European Economic Community countries.

The figures for the years 1977–1980 were as indicated to the hon. Member in reply to his question of 16 February 1981.—[Vol. 999, c. 73.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now consider introducing legislation on the tenure of agricultural land following the agreement between the National Farmers Union and the Country Landowners Association on the future of agricultural holdings.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Bradford, South (Mr. Torney).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the United Kingdom marketing schemes for agricultural products; and if he will make a statement.

I believe strongly that the high productive efficiency of British agriculture needs to be complemented by an increased understanding and adoption of the best marketing practice if it is to match the competition in home and export markets. In general, I am satisfied with the operation of the United Kingdom marketing schemes, subject to changes currently being made to the hops and milk marketing schemes. However, I consider that there is scope for supplementing the marketing schemes by new arrangements designed to foster better marketing of British food and agricultural produce. We are currently having discussions with the interests concerned and with our marketing advisers about how best this can be achieved.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of his talks with the new French Minister of Agriculture.

I have had no formal bilateral talks with the new French Minister of Agriculture. I hope that such a meeting will be arranged before long.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has considered the effect of Holstein crossing in the United Kingdom dairy herd on the supply of beef from this source.

Yes. It is clear that the Holstein bull is being used to an increasing extent to the advantage of milk production. Holstein crosses can produce beef of an acceptable quality and quantity though the carcases are generally of a poorer conformation than Friesians.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will alter the payment procedures for grant-aid for agricultural improvements and land drainage schemes to ensure that adequate safeguards exist to prevent serious and unnecessary damage to the environment.

No. I am satisfied that the existing procedures provide adequate safeguards.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much wine produced within the European Economic Community has been sold to third countries during the last 12 months, and for what price.

According to the latest estimates from the European Commission 5·696 million hectolitres of wine were expected to be exported to third countries in 1980. Information on prices is not available.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make it his policy that the export of British nuclear technology to Chile will not be considered; and if he will encourage other European countries to follow a similar policy.

We are not aware of any proposals for exports of nuclear technology to Chile.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what control is exercised over the expenditure by the United Nations Organisation and its agencies of United Kingdom contributions thereto, particularly when the purposes of such expenditure are contrary to the declared policy of Her Majesty's Government.

No one country is in a position to veto the expenditure plans of these organisations. But we constantly seek to influence the purposes to which expenditure is applied, and to monitor the efficiency with which this is done, by taking an active part in all stages of the legislative process of each body, and by regular contacts with secretariats. It is an obligation of membership to pay our contributions as assessed.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if Her Majesty's ambassador in Caracas or the high commissioner in Georgetown have visited the disputed territories of Essequibo since the protocol of Port of Spain was signed; and, if so, when.

Her Majesty's ambassador Caracas has not visited the disputed territories in the Essequibo region. We have been unable to ascertain whether any of his predecessors did so.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, during his recent visit to Angola, raised the matter of the former British mercenaries imprisoned there; and, if so, what was the response of the Angolan Government.

While in Angola last week I raised with President Dos Santos the question of the British former mercenaries imprisoned there since 1976. The President said that he had taken note of the concern of the British Government and he offered to consider the question of clemency when an opportune moment arose.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her public engagements for 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 25 June.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I am giving a dinner for the Vice President of the United States.

asked the Prime Minister when next she intends to meet the chairmen of the nationalised industries.

asked the Prime Minister whether she has any plans to meet the committee of the nationalised industries' chairmen.

I have no immediate plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister what measures Her Majesty's Government propose to introduce within the next six months to achieve the objective of turning the economy on to a long-term recovery path, to which she referred in her reply the hon. Member for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor) on 9 June.

To turn the economy on to a long-term recovery path requires the achievement of four things: we must continue to maintain tight monetary discipline, so that inflation continues to fall and productivity in the private sector continues to rise, as it is now rapidly doing; we have to hold down public spending and borrowing as a proportion of the national product, so that there are resources available for the private sector to grow; we have to improve the performance of the nationalised industries so that they serve the public instead of levying from it higher prices or taxes. Finally, we must try by all the means available to us to bring about a greater realism in pay bargaining, a major improvement in manning levels and the elimination of restrictive practices which damage our whole economy and destroys jobs.Over the next six months, we shall, as everyone knows, be reviewing the levels of public spending; we are at present engaged in a full study of the nationalised industries and their relationship with the Government; we shall be adhering to our present monetary policies; and we shall be deciding what steps should be taken in the light of the responses to our Green Paper on the trade unions.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with co-ordination between Government Departments on European Economic Community matters.

Yes.

asked the Prime Minister when she next expects to meet the Prime Minister of Israel.

I have no plans to do so at present.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list the balance of payments in manufactured items less precious metals and stones between the United Kingdom and each EEC country and the EEC as a whole for each of the last seven years and for 1981 so far; and if she will divide each figure by the then value of output for each worker in United Kingdom manufacturing industry.

The information is as follows:

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

I have had no such meetings since 23 June.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, now that the police operation referred to as "Operation Countryman" is to be wound up, he will make a full and comprehensive statement giving details as to how long this inquiry has taken, why it has taken so long, who was interviewed, what were the costs, and what action was taken or is intended to be taken; and whether he will arrange for a report to be presented to Parliament.

No. Action remains outstanding under Operation Countryman and my right hon. Friend has no plans to publish a report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now correct the information given in his reply to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury on 21 May concerning the command structure of the traffic warden service in London.

The Metropolitan traffic district comprises five traffic divisions, each under a chief superintendent. There are four divisional controllers for the five divisions—one having responsibility for two divisions. Each divisional controller controls a number of traffic and senior traffic warden controllers, under each of whom there are traffic warden supervisors and traffic wardens. Commanders of police districts are in close liaison with traffic district but are not in its chain of command.I regret that the information given in my earlier reply was incorrect.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will list the 1981 electorates for the proposed constituencies provisionally recommended by the Boundary Commission for England in its current general review for the county of Lincolnshire, and as contained in its revised recommendations for Cheshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will list the 1981 electorates for the proposed constituencies provisionally recommended by the Boundary Commission for England in its current general review for the county of Buckinghamshire, and as contained in its revised recommendations for Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will list the 1981 electorates for the proposed constituencies provisionally recommended by the Boundary Commission for England in its current general review for the counties of Gloucestershire, Hereford and Worcester, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and West Midlands.

We are obtaining this information and will publish it in the Official Report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing, where applicable, for each county in England and Wales and for each London borough, the date on which the Boundary Commission published its provisional recommendation, the date on which the local inquiries were held and the date on which the report of the inquiries and revised recommendations were made.

Provisional recommendations for all 36 constituencies in Wales are published today. The information requested about the work of the Boundary Commission for England is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report the annual number of convictions in England and Wales for the crimes of murder, manslaughter and attempted murder from 1960 to the latest available date; and if he will publish figures for the same period covering convictions for the total number of summary offences.

The information is published annually in "Criminal Statistics England and Wales"—tables 10(a) and 10(b) of the volume for 1979, Cmnd 8098. Further information about offences of homicide, which includes infanticide and excludes attempted murder, is given in chapter 10 in the same publication. For the volumes for 1964–68 see table IVB and for 1960–63 table XIB. Information for 1980 will be published later this year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a table showing the provisional totals of crimes and offences involving violence against the person and burglary, respectively, in 1980; and by what percentage these two totals, respectively, exceed or are less than the comparable totals five, 10 and 20 years previously.

Information for 1980 is published 'In Home office statistical bulletin 5/81, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. Information for earlier years is published annually in "Criminal statistics, England and Wales"—table 2.1 of the volume for 1979, Cmnd 8098. The percentages requested are given in the following table.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the byelaws, local and private Acts of Parliament in Wales which specifically deal with public order and the holding of demonstrations.

The following is a list of local Act provisions in Wales which deal with public order and the holding of demonstrations:

• Newport Corporation Act 1925, s.72;
• Swansea Corporation Act 1927, s.67;
• Llanelly Corporation Act 1929, s.79;
• Rhyl Urban District Council Act 1935, s.153;
• Merthyr Tydfil Corporation Act 1948, s.76;
• Glamorgan County Council Act 1952, s.71—which no longer applies to the county of South Glamorgan;
• Monmouthshire County Council Act 1956, s.130;
• County of South Glamorgan Act 1976, s.25.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the Brixton police force consists of former officers of the Special Patrol Group; and how many of these retiring from the Special Patrol Group will be going to Brixton in the future.

1·7 per cent. of the officers attached to Brixton police station have previously served in the Special Patrol Group; the second part of the question cannot be answered, since it turns on decisions by the commissioner which have not yet been taken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many places there were for young offenders in (a) intermediate treatment centres, (b) borstals and (c) detention centres at the lastest convenient date.