asked the Lord Privy Seal which Indo-Chinese countries are receiving United Kingdom aid; and how much each country received in 1980–81.

No Indo-Chinese countries are at present receiving United Kingdom aid.During 1980–81, United Kingdom aid totalling £85,821 and £476,771 was provided to Laos and Vietnam respectively. This was almost entirely in the form of final payments arising from earlier commitments. No United Kingdom aid was given to the Government of Cambodia. Britain did, however, contribute £1£3 million to the cost of the programmes of humanitarian assistance and relief to the Cambodian people co-ordinated by the United Nations Children's Fund, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.The European Community also contributed to the international programmes of assistance and relief to the Cambodian people. The total contribution was 40 million ECU—about £25 million—and 35,000 tonnes of cereals, of which the United Kingdom share was about one-fifth.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will publish in the Official Report a list of those countries to which aid has been granted over the past five years, indicating the amount so granted, for the planting and cultivation of tobacco and the manufacture of tobacco products, indicating the particular purposes for which the funds were used.

The information is as follows:(a) Bilateral government-to-government aid

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether the United Kingdom has ratified the food aid convention 1980.

Her Majesty's Government ratified the convention on 29 June 1981 when the instrument of ratification was deposited with the United States Government as prescribed. A declaration of provisional application was made last year as envisaged in the answer to my hon. Friend, the Member for Chippenham (Mr. Needham) on 11 March 1980. A protocol extending the convention to 30 June 1983 was signed by Her Majesty's Government on 14 May 1981.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will move to approve a Select Committee to examine compensation awards to convicted persons subsequently released in view of their proven innocence.

No.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the exact contribution of the United Kingdom to the United Nations interim force in Lebanon (UNIFIL); and what is the cost of this contribution, its expected duration and direct responsibilities.

The assessed contribution of the United Kingdom to UNIFIL in the period 19 June 1980 to 18 June 1981 was US $7,324,039, most of which was taken up by the cost of logistic support to the force from outside Lebanon. The mandate of UNIFIL was renewed for a further six months on 19 June. We shall continue to support the efforts of the United Nations and of the contributors to UNIFIL to carry out their mandate in South Lebanon.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what was the outcome of the meeting due to be held during June with officials of the Government of the Republic of Ireland concerning the delimitation of the continental shelf between the United Kingdom and the Republic.

The meeting between officials that took place in Dublin on 4 June made further progress in discussion on the proposed arbitration. A further meeting has been scheduled for September.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will take steps to assist Sarah Llewellyn and Jacqueline Kidson in obtaining compensation following their mugging in San Francisco.

Our consular officers in San Francisco will continue to provide, on request, Mrs. Llewellyn and Miss Kidson with such consular assistance and advice as they properly can; but we can not provide legal advice or assistance or pursue claims for personal compensation on behalf of individuals.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the current waiting time for interview for entry certificates at each high commission on the Indian Sub-continent for visitors where they choose to follow this course.

The majority of persons seeking the optional prior entry clearance facility for visitors are seen on or within a few days of the day they apply. Some may require a fuller interview and at certain times of the year wait up to three months to be in seen in India and Bangladesh.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the average time involved in the appeals procedure at each high commission on the Indian Sub-continent for visitors to the United Kingdom who have been refused an entry certificate.

Appeals against the refusal of entry clearance to visit the United Kingdom are usually referred to the independent appellate authorities in this country by our posts in Pakistan and Bangladesh within three months, and by those in India within six months, of the appeal being lodged.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what action he proposes to take to alleviate the effects of unemployment in Gwynedd, following the representations he received during his visit there on Monday 29 June.

The main representations were on assisted area status and the need to develop the county's industrial base. On assisted area status, I will continue to keep the situation under review. Meanwhile, the substantial investment in the road network and the provision of advance factories in the area will ensure that Gwynedd is well placed to attract new industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether design note 18 on "Access for the Physically Disabled to Educational Buildings", has been formally adopted by his Department for use in relation to educational buildings in Wales.

The attention of local education authorities in Wales was drawn to the design note when it was published, and each authority was issued with a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the name of the doctor referred to in the recent trial at Newcastle Crown court of Nancy Elizabeth Purcell, as having supplied drugs to Mrs. Purcell for her to administer to another person whom he had not examined, has been disclosed to his Department; whether the name has been given to the appropriate family practitioner committee; and whether he will ensure that an investigation is carried out into the matter.

The doctor's name has not been disclosed either to the Department or to the family practitioner committee. The family practitioner committee is inquiring locally. My right hon. Friend cannot conduct an investigation because the doctor could have a right of appeal against an adverse local decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has received any representations to suggest that the use of electronic gadgets can damage the brain.

I have received no representations, but if the hon. Member has any evidence and will send it to me, I will consider it.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will consider taking steps to make burglar alarms available to elderly people living in properties particuarly vulnerable to robberies.

This is hardly a function for a central Department, but local authorities provide various kinds of alarm systems in appropriate cases. Local police crime prevention officers are always ready to advise elderly people and other householders about measures they can take to make their homes less vulnerable.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many pensioners have had telephones installed via their local authority in the last 12 months.

For the year ending 31 March 1980, the latest period for which information is available, local authorities in England gave assistance with the installation of telephones for those aged 65 and over in some 10,800 cases.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of paying unemployment benefit at the same rate as invalidity benefit after six months of unemployment and for as long as unemployment lasts; and, assuming that benefits paid to the unemployed are taxed, what would be the additional tax yield from this benefit level.

The net additional cost in social security benefits in 1981–82 is estimated to be nearly £700 million and the additional tax yield, if benefits paid to the unemployed were taxed, would be about £70 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether it remains the intention of Her Majesty's Government to abolish the earnings rule; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Belfast, South (Mr. Bradford) on 22 January.—[Vol. 997, c. 213.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what study he has made of the estimates of smoking-related deaths per annum from coronary heart disease, lung cancer, bronchitis and emphysema calculated by Dr. Nicholas Wald of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund epidemiology unit; and if he will make a statement.

In considering what further measures can be taken to reduce the toll of deaths and disease caused by smoking, the Department takes account of all mortality and morbidity data relating to diseases associated with the habit, including the work of Dr. Wald.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe on 23 June, if he will list the names of the hon. Members, organisations and individuals from whom he has received representations about the future of the rheumatology and rehabilitation wards at St. Mary's hospital, London, W9.

I have received representations from the following organisations and individuals:

• Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster Area Health Authority (Teaching), North West District Community Health Council.
• North West District Hospitals Defence Committee.
• The Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation. Save Westminster Services.
• Dr. Nigel Harris—Chairman, District Hospital Medical Committee.
• Dr. Mary Carter—Consultant Physician.
• The Lord Porritt.
• The right hon. Alfred Morris MP.
• The right hon. Reginald Freeson MP.
• Laurie Pavitt MP.
• John Wheeler MP.
• Lewis Carter-Jones MP.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will ensure that a decision about the future of the rheumatology and rehabilitation wards at St. Mary's hospital, London, W9, is not taken after the House has risen for the summer adjournment.

I expect to announce a decision before the house adjourns for the Summer Recess.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many day-care places are available for mentally ill (a) children and (b) adults in the West Midlands; and what plans there are to increase these numbers.

[pursuant to his reply, 29 June 1981, c. 294]: Day-care places for the mentally ill are provided both by the National Health Sevice and by local authorities. The number of NHS day hospital places in the West Midlands at 31 December 1980—the latest dale for which information is centrally available—was 1,681. Current plans of the regional health authority envisage that the number of NHS day hospital places will almost double by the end of this decade. In addition, facilities exist for patients to attend main hospitals on a day basis without the formal designation of a day place.The most recent information held centrally about local authority provision shows that at 31 March 1980 there were 801 day places available of which 667 were provided in local authorities' own day centres. Information about local authority plans is not available.It is not possible, from the information available, to distinguish between day places for children and those for adults.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the latest estimate of the percentage of total aids in the European Economic Community to agriculture and horticulture which is provided by the common agriculture policy.

The information available is incomplete and out of date. I am not therefore able to provide an estimate on the lines requested.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to receive from the European Economic Community Commission an indication of the levels of cereal intervention prices for the period 1 August 1981 to 30 June 1982.

The levels of cereals intervention prices for the coming season were agreed by the Council on 1 April. However, the Council has not yet formally adopted the regulations implementing these decisions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effects double taxation agreements have on tax revenues received from companies, firms and individuals involved in North Sea oil development.

The power to tax non-resident companies and individuals involved in North Sea oil development—in section 38 of the Finance Act 1973—may in certain cases be overridden by double taxation agreements which were entered into with other countries before North Sea oil was discovered, and before that power was taken. Where appropriate, the Inland Revenue has entered into negotiations with the tax authorities of other countries with the object of modifying the terms of these agreements to allow us to exercise our taxing rights under our domestic law. A number of such modified agreements are now in force.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many repayments of value added tax were made to registered traders by manual means in each of the past three months; and how much value added tax was repaid in each period.

The numbers of manual repayments made to registered traders during the months of April, May and June 1981 were 182, 138 and 435 respectively. These related to VAT returns processed through the computer before the strike but which were delayed to allow inquiries to be made. The approximate amounts involved were £5 million, £4 million and £17 million respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report figures showing releases from bond of spirits during (a) February and (b) March 1981 broken down into the various forms of spirit.

I regret that, owing to industrial action, statistics of the quantities of spirits withdrawn from bond during February and March 1981 are not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current level of bank lending to industry as between (a) funds repayable on demand or within two years, (b) funds repayable between two and five years and (c) funds repayable in excess of five years; what is the equivalent figure for West German lending to German industry for a term in excess of five years; and what are the equivalent percentages of United Kingdom and West German gross national products represented by bank lending to industry for terms in excess of 10 years.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated cost to the Exchequer of double dip leasing providing means for banks and others to obtain accelerated taxation allowances to reduce their United Kingdom tax liabilities; what monitoring of this is done by the Bank of England; what is the estimated investment by British clearing banks and other financial institutions in double dip leasing involving the purchase of equipment from United States companies and the leasing back to them of the equipment within the United States of America; and if he will introduce legislation to stop this practice.

The term "double dip leasing" is usually applied to equipment leases in which the lessor and lessee are resident in different countries, and the equipment attracts capital allowances in both countries. I regret that no information is available about the tax treatment overseas of equipment leased to non-residents by United Kingdom lessors.Exchange control permission is not now required for foreign leasing.Under provisions in the Finance Act 1980, capital allowances on the cost of equipment leased abroad are given at 25 per cent. instead of the usual rate of 100 per cent. We are keeping the working of these new provisions under review, but have no plans at present for further legislation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect have the delays in payments of value-added tax and pay-as-you-earn, due to the Civil Service dispute, each had on the Revenue; and what has been the cost in interest charges on the extra borrowing.

[pursuant to his reply, 1 July 1981, c. 384]: It is estimated that up to the end of June, £4 billion to £4½ billion of net revenue has been delayed as a result of the Civil Service dispute. Inland Revenue taxes—mainly pay-as-you-earn—and national insurance receipts account for £3½ billion to £3¾ billion of the delayed revenue. Net Customs and Excise receipts, notably value-added tax, account for the rest.This delay in receipts is estimated to have cost £70 million to £80 million in interest charges on the extra borrowing to the end of June.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many schools in Warrington were built before (a) 1914 and (b) 1945;(2) if he will publish the number and percentage of children staying on in education after the age of 16 years in Warrington;(3) if he will publish for Warrington the average size of class in primary and secondary schools.

The information requested is not readily available in my Department for areas smaller than local education authorities, and I suggest that the hon. Member contacts the local education authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the pupil-teacher ratio nationally and for Warrington (a) for all children and (b) sub-divided for children in secondary and primary schools, for each year since 1970.

The pupil-teacher ratios within maintained primary and secondary schools which are readily available are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the formalities for the Princes Gate collection of paintings and drawings to pass into the possession of the Courtauld Institute of Art, London University, have been completed; whether he is now in a position to make a statement regarding arrangements for providing public access to this collection on a temporary basis; and whether he can give some indication of plans under consideration for ensuring public access on a permanent basis.

I am pleased to announce that arrangements have now been made to secure the future of this most valuable collection at the Courtauld Institute. This has been made possible by the acceptance, with the agreement of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, of six drawings from the collection in lieu of capital transfer tax at a net cost of£628,887. The major part of the collection will be on public exhibition at the institute from 17 July. Plans for the collection to be displayed on a longer term basis are currently being explored by the institute.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, further to the reply to the hon. Member for Newbury (Mr. McNair-Wilson) on 18 June, if he will publish estimates for the breakdown of the total number of unemployed in Scotland in terms of persons whose previous employment was in (a) central and local government, (b) the rest of the public sector and (c) the private sector.

The information is given in the following table. The estimates have been prepared on the same basis as those given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Mr. McNair-Wilson) on 18 June.—[Vol. 6, c. 43–8–9.]

asked the Secretary of Stale for Scotland how many fires in buildings and homes have been caused by either faulty electrical supply circuits or in leads to appliances in (a) Dundee and (b) Scotland in the last year for which figures are available.

I have been asked to reply."Fire Statistics United Kingdom 1979—Supplement for Fire Brigades", a copy of which is in the Library of the House, shows that in 1979 local authority fire brigades in Tayside attended 69 fires in occupied buildings in which electrical wiring was reported as the source of ignition of the fire, and local authority fire brigades in Scotland attended 786 such fires—table 11. Of these fires 59 and 659 respectively were reported to have been due to faults in electrical supply circuits or in leads to appliances. Separate figures for Dundee could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civilians have been (a) killed and (b) severely injured in each year since 1969 in Ulster in connection with civil disturbances.

Figures are not available for the number of casualties resulting specifically from street rioting. However, the number of civilians killed or injured in Northern Ireland as a result of the violence in each of the last 13 years is as follows:

	Killed	Injured
1969	(from August) 12	Not available
1970	23	(from July) 245
1971	115	1,838
1972	321	3,813
1973	171	1,812
1974	166	1,680
1975	216	2,044
1976	245	2,162
1977	69	1,027
1978	50	548
1979	51	555
1980	50	513
to 30 June 1981	24	to May 1981 403

It is not possible to indicate the severity of the injuries in each case.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will state the outcome of the recent review of the practice of the Northern Ireland Departments in taking out commercial insurance.

Reviews to date have resulted in insurance being effected for further periods through commercial insurers.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if she will place in the Library the report produced by Sir Geoffrey Wardale on grading in the open structure of the Civil Service.

The Government are still considering Sir Geoffrey Wardale's report. It will be made available, together with our reaction to it, as soon as possible.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if, following her statement of 29 June and pending the establishment of new negotiating machinery for determining Civil Service pay, she will reconsider, as an interim measure, the decision to abolish the pay research unit.

No, Sir. We have made it clear in our discussions with the Civil Service unions that there can be no role for the pay research unit in the 1982 negotiations and in these circumstances we should not be justified in keeping the pay research unit in operation.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if she intends to bring forward a Bill to legislate to provide freedom of information during the current Parliament.

No. For the reasons I explained during the debate on 6 February—[Vol. 998, c. 554–63]—the Government do not consider that legislation to provide a general public right of access to official information would be appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many tankers over 70,000 deadweight tonnage called at British ports in each year since 1975; how many were subject to inspection by his Department; and how many inspectors were involved.

Statistical data relating specifically to tanker movements in United Kingdom ports, the random general inspections of such vessels and the number of marine surveyors involved is not readily available and cannot be produced without disproportionate cost. The total numbers of marine surveyors deployed in United Kingdom marine survey districts and normally available for marine safety enforcement tasks on 1 July in the years 1979–1980 and 1981 were 147, 151 and 147 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many inspections have been carried out by his Department on British and foreign vessels for each year since 1975.

The following table gives the number of non-statutory random general inspections carried out by the Department's surveyors in each of the years 1975–1980.

	United Kingdom	Foreign	Total
1975	1,517	681	2,198
1976	993	486	1,479
1977	1,028	677	1,705
1978	729	558	1,317
1979	580	615	1,195
1980	993	1,301	2,294

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what representations he has made to the EEC Commission on the export subsidy offered to footwear manufacturers by the Brazilian Government.

I view with serious concern the export subsidy offered to footwear manufacturers by the Brazilian Government and I am urging the European Commission to give urgent consideration to possible courses of action to protect the interests of the Community industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what instructions have been given to the Export Credits Guarantee Department to withdraw facilities from engineering companies whose accounts show either a fall in profitability or an actual loss;(2) if, in the light of the generally poor trading results achieved by United Kingdom engineering companies during the last 12 months, he will direct the Export Credits Guarantee Department to reduce its existing credit standards to enable firms to continue using its facilities;(3) whether he has taken into account the probable number of redundancies that will result in exporting companies if the Export Credits Guarantee Department withdraws assistance to companies which are in temporary difficulty.

The Export Credits Guarantee Department is required to operate its credit insurance schemes at no net cost to public funds. Given the very heavy claims payments it has faced in recent years, especially under certain facilities, it has inevitably had to review the size and terms of certain guarantees so as to try to ensure prudent underwriting. Against this background, the facilities of a few exporters have had to be reduced but this has not been clone by ECGD without careful consideration of all relevant factors, especially of whether any problems are of a purely temporary nature. No instructions have been issued to ECGD either to renew or withdraw facilities or engineering companies.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if he will give the latest estimate for the total cost of the VIP lounges at Gatwick and Heathrow airports in the current financial year;(2) if he will list the persons who currently have an automatic right to use of the VIP lounges at Gatwick and Heathrow airports; and what is the basis on which the list is compiled.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he intends to publish the report prepared by the Spanish authorities on the Dan-Air Boeing 727 air disaster at Tenerife on 25 April 1980.

It has been agreed with the Spanish] authorities that the report on the Tenerife accident should be published simultaneously in Spain and the United Kingdom on Monday 20 July. It would be inappropriate to comment on the contents of the report until it is published but my right hon. Friend will then make a statement to the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list in the Official Report how much money was spent during the years 1978, 1979 and 1980 on research into renewable energy resources in Wales, Scotland, England, the United Kingdom as a whole, Italy, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

The figures for expenditure by my own Department by financial year are as follows:

	1978/79	1979/80	1980/81
	£000	£'000	£'000
Wales	54	42	226
Scotland	325	609	1,000
England	1,881	5,849	7,529
United Kingdom	2,273	6,520	8,783

I regret that the figures for total Government expenditure could not be obtained on a calendar year basis, broken down as requested, without disproportionate cost.The International Energy Agency in its annual reviews of national programmes gives figures by calendar years for total Government expenditure in this area of research. Its figures—converted to sterling—for the countries requested are given below for 1978 and 1979. The 1980 figures have not yet been published.

	1978	1979
	£ million	£ million
United Kingdom	5·4	9·0
Italy	3·5	6·4
Germany	15·6	21·9
Netherlands	3·5	4·7
Switzerland	2·1	4·1

asked the Prime Minister whether she will cause an investigation to be made to ascertain what action is called for to restore the speed and efficiency of the various Government Departments to that which operated 30 years ago, in view of delays in providing replies to correspondence in general and to that of hon. Members in particular; and whether she is satisfied that increased staff and modern improvements in electronics, computers and telephones have led to commensurate improvements in service.

Departments have now, as in the past, endeavoured to reply to correspondence helpfully and as quickly as possible, and will continue to do so. Mechanical aids and computers, where their use would contribute to greater efficiency, have been readily adopted, and recent examples of the improvements they have brought about have been noted in the White Paper "Efficiency in the Civil Service"—Cmnd. 8293.

asked the Prime Minister whether she is satisfied with the degree of ministerial and parliamentary accountability of the Security Services.

I have nothing to add to the statements I made on 21 November 1979 and 26 March 1981.

asked the Prime Minister what was the average number of unemployed in each of the following decades: the 1950s, the 1960s and the 1970s in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, France and the United States of America.

The available figures using national definitions are given below: they are not directly comparable because of differences in coverage, concepts and methods of compilation.

	United Kingdom	German FR	France	USA
Average	000's	000's	000's	000's
1955–59	352	806	117	3,361
1960–69	458	223	148	3,520
1970–79	1,021	647	723	5,729

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the fact that there is no qualified accountant in the Department of Employment and Home Office doing internal audits and one in the Treasury and as in 1968 the Fulton committee urged more professionally qualified accountants to be employed in Government Departments, she will implement this proposal.

The Department of Employment has a professionally qualified accountant as director of its internal audit unit, and the Home Office has two posts for professional accountants within internal audit. There are 14 professionally qualified accountants currently working in the Treasury. Steps are currently being taken to increase the use of accountants within Government Departments by identifying those posts within Departments which require accountancy expertise. When the total requirement has been assessed, steps will be taken to meet this demand through external recruitment and additional internal training.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement on her recent discussions with the Prime Minister of Canada.

I had talks followed by a working lunch with Mr. Trudeau on 26 June. Mr. Trudeau told me about his earlier visits to Paris and Bonn and we discussed the agenda and arrangements for the economic summit in Ottawa on 20–21 July, which was the main reason for his visit to the three capitals. We discussed also the present situation regarding his constitutional issue and a number of other subjects of interest to both Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the several incidents affecting the safety of Her Majesty the Queen, he will cause an investigation to be made to ascertain to what extent the police generally and in London in particular are carrying out their duties in this regard in a satisfactory manner and to recommend improvements where necessary.

No. There are already adequate arrangements for supervising the performance of these duties and for ensuring that any necessary lessons are learnt from incidents.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current waiting time for interview for entry certificates at each high commission on the Indian Sub-continent.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his question on 1 July.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many Army personnel have (a) been killed, (b) severely injured and (c) suffered other injuries while on duty in Northern Ireland in each year since 1969.

The full information is not held in the form requested, and could only be compiled at disproportionate cost. The following table shows the number of soldiers, Army and UDR, who are recorded as having been (a) killed, (b) wounded by gunshot or bomb blast, and (c) otherwise injured, in each year since 1969:

Year	Army/ UDR	Killed	Wounded	Injured
1968	Army	0	24
1970	Army	0	41	579
1971	Army	43	232	149
	UDR	5	6	3
1972	Army	103	542
	UDR	26	36
1973	Army	58	278	247
	UDR	8	21	2
1974	Army	28	205	248
	UDR	7	27	3
1975	Army	14	44	107
	UDR	6	15	1
1976	Army	14	143	99
	UDR	15	18	4
1977	Army	15	75	97
	UDR	14	9	6
1978	Army	14	29	98
	UDR	7	6	2
1979	Army	38	52	80
	UDR	10	7	14
1980	Army	8	15	38
	UDR	9	13	11
1981 to 31 May	Army	8	20	17
	UDR	6	9	4

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many Army personnel have been stationed in Northern Ireland in each year since 1969.

The following table shows the number of Army personnel in Northern Ireland as at 31 May each year:

1969	2,700
1970	6,800
1971	10,300
1972	14,300
1973	17,000
1974	16,600

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many recruits were taken into the Army in each of the last five years; and how many of them were included in a recognised trade apprenticeship scheme, giving figures trade by trade.

In 1980–81, there were 25,956 Service men recruited to the Army, of whom 1,976 were apprentices. Figures for the previous four years are published in the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1981, Volume 2, Table 4·10—Cmnd. 8212-II.It is not possible to identify from central records the numbers of individual apprentice recruits who entered specific trades, other than by the broad categories of technician and crafts appropriate to Arms and Services. These details are:

Apprentice Recruitment
	Apprentice Technicians	Arm-craft Apprentices	Total
1976–77	298	1,374	1,672
1977–78	235	1,405	1,640
1978–79	257	1,305	1,562
1979–80	353	1,272	1,625
1980–81	406	1,570	1,976

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what interest he has in the site at Portavadie as a potential naval base or outpost.

We have no plans at present to acquire the oil platform building site at Portavadie, to which I assume the hon. Member is referring, for use as a naval base or facility.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what interest has been shown by other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation members in contributing troops, logistical support, equipment or political backing to the rapid deployment force.

Defence policies outside the NATO area are a matter for NATO nations to decide on individually. However, all NATO countries have recognised that events outside the NATO area may threaten the vital interests of the West and have acknowledged the importance of measures being taken by some countries to protect such interests, including United States contingency planning for its rapid deployment force. NATO Ministers have noted that nations may have to facilitate such out-of-area deployments.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the annual expenditure of the Royal Navy in Gibraltar on refitting ships; how many locally employed personnel are engaged in this work; and what percentage they form of the total industrial work force in Gibraltar.

Estimates for the current financial year—1981–82—provide for ship repair and alteration by Gibraltar dockyard for the Royal Navy at a total cost of £13 million, and for the employment by the dockyard—as at 1 April 1981—of 1,340 civilian personnel, made up as follows:

	Non-industrial	Industrial	Total
United Kingdom-based	110	52	162
Locally-engaged	228	950	1,178
Total	338	1,002	1,340

The total represents about 11 per cent. of total numbers employed in all sectors of the Gibraltar economy.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when the Phantom aircraft entered service with the Royal Air Force; whether the two Phantom squadrons to be retained instead of being phased out when the Tornado F2 is introduced will be squadrons assigned to SACLANT; and whether there will then be nine United Kingdom-based front-line fighter squadrons instead of the present seven.

The extent of any possible redundancy will not be known until the changes being made have been worked through.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement indicating the effect of the recently announced cuts upon the Royal Navy in so far as they apply to the hydrographic service both in terms of ships and manpower.

The future size of the surveying flotilla is one of the issues under study in the light of the conclusions announced in Cmnd. 8288. I am, of course, aware of the civil hydrographic requirement.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the figures for employment in the Royal naval dockyards and naval bases for the years from 1970 to the present, indicating for each yard and base the numbers and percentages of naval and civilian personnel.

I regret that it has not been possible to provide the information in the time available. I shall publish a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he intends the Sea Eagle anti-ship missile to be fitted to Sea Harrier aircraft serving in the Royal Navy.

Yes, subject to the completion of satisfactory negotiations with British Aerospace as announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence in his statement of 25 June 1981.—[Vol. 7, c. 389.]

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether, in view of the proposals recently announced concerning the future of the National Freight Company, he is satisfied that the pension provision for former employees will be adequately safeguarded.

Yes. These proposals would have no effect on the Government's support for the rail-based pensions under the provisions of the Transport Act 1980. It is the Government's firm intention that the deficiencies in the road-based part of the pension schemes should be funded at the time of the sale.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons who formerly worked in (a) slate quarrying and (b) other industries have now received compensation under the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers Compensation) Act 1979; how many cases in each category there are still outstanding awaiting determination of their applications; and how many new applications in each category have been received by his Department during the first half of 1981.

In respect of the slate quarrying industry, 377 living sufferers and 376 dependants of deceased sufferers have received payments and 11 cases are still outstanding.Regarding other industries, 1,975 living sufferers and 472 dependants have been paid and 77 cases are still outstanding.During the first half of 1981, 19 applications were received in respect of those who worked in the slate quarrying industry and 97 in respect of other industries.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what has been the relative change in wage differentials for 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20-year-old males and females compared with average adult wages in each year from 1973 to the latest convenient date;(2) what has been the relative change in wage differentials for apprentices compared to the average adult wages between 1973 and the latest convenient date.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will provide, from international sources, information on the wage levels of 16 to 18-year-olds as a percentage of adult wages in each of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.

The information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he intends to implement section 4 of the Dock Work Regulation Act 1976.

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, North-West (Mr. Colvin) on 12 June 1981 which appears in the Official Report of 15 June 1981.—[Vol.6, c.230.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will review the action of his Department's office at Beacon Hill, Aston, Birmingham, in issuing a form UB 123 on 22 June 1981 to Mr. O'Sullivan of 29 Sidcup Road, Kingstanding, Birmingham, referring to a continuing stoppage of work, in the light of the fact that the stoppage ended three weeks ago.

No. Under section 100 of the Social Security Act 1975 the office in question was carrying out my obligation to notify a claimant to unemployment benefit of a decision of the independent adjudicating authorities. No Minister or official has the power to intervene in these decisions which are reached according to the law.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government regarding the European Economic Community directives on asbestos controls; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply,1 July 1981, Vol 7, c. 357]: Negotiations are currently taking place on two Economic Community draft directives relating to controls on exposure to asbestos. One draft directive proposes certain restrictions on the marketing and use of asbestos and products containing it, whilst the other contains proposals for the protection of workers from the risks related to asbestos at work.My colleagues and I are considering further the advice we have received from the Health and Safety Commission on the recommendations made in the reports of the advisory committee on asbestos and their relationship to the draft directives. We will be seeking to agree with other member States a harmonised, practicable and enforceable policy on asbestos. As negotiations proceed, the United Kingdom will aim to ensure that at least existing United Kingdom standards of protection can be maintained, that there is no competitive disadvantage to the United Kingdom asbestos industry and that account is taken of the advisory committee's recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has made of the effect on unemployment of the free movement of labour within the European Economic Community.

[pursuant to the reply, 1 July 1981, Vol. 7, c. 357]: As I indicated in my reply of 24 March, employment levels are influenced by many different factors and it is not possible to quantify with certainty the employment effects of membership of the European Community. The free movement of labour provisions constitute but one of many aspects of European Community membership having employment implications.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is satisfied with the take-up to date of £12 million he has allocated to the Housing Corporation to enable registered housing associations to develop hostels and special projects.

It is too early in the financial year to make a firm assessment of the Housing Corporation's outturn expenditure on hostels in 1981–82. I understand, however, that the corporation's current expectation is that a sum of the order of £12 million will be spent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local government employees earning £10,000 per annum or more have been made redundant over the past two years.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he can now add to his answer on 21 May to the hon. Member for Reading, North (Mr. Durant), Official Report, c. 177, about the steps which he is taking in respect of the seven authorities which were told on 15 April that he was contemplating intervention under section 23 of the Housing Act 1980.

Meetings have been held with six authorities—Barking and Dagenham, Greenwich, Newham, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent and Wolverhampton. They have provided further information on the measures which they are taking to ensure that their tenants are able to exercise the right to buy effectively and expeditiously, and on the progress which they have made in recent weeks. The meetings have led the authorities to give precise undertakings as to their timetables for processing the right to buy applications they have received.In the light of these considerations, and of their undertakings as to future progress, my right hon. Friend has decided not to intervene in Barking and Dagenham, Newham, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent and Wolverhampton at the present time. He will continue to monitor carefully whether tenants of those authorities have or may have difficulty in exercising their right to buy effectively and expeditiously and whether the authorities are fulfilling their undertakings within the timetables they have agreed.My right hon. Friend remains dissatisfied with aspects of the borough of Greenwich's arrangements for implementing the right to buy, and he will announce his decision in respect of that authority shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what conclusions he has so far been able to draw from his Department's monitoring of acid rain.

The main conclusion so far is that the annual average of acidity of rainfall at the three Government measuring stations is in the range pH 4·2 to 4·4. No clear trends are evident and the work is continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many times in each of the past five years the ceremonial flagpoles in Parliament Square and The Mall have been put up and taken down again; and what was the total annual cost of this in each of those years.

Flagpoles have been erected and dismantled in Parliament Square and The Mall on the following number of occasions over the past five years:

	Parliament Square	The Mall	Annual Cost
			£
1976–77	2	2	33,880
1977–78	3	1	35,780
1978–79	4	2	51,380
1979–80	3	2	55,293
1980–81	3	1	40,381

In 1976–77 and 1979–80 flagpoles in Parliament Square were left up after one flag-flying occasion for use on another one shortly afterwards.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much extra in rates he expects that Warrington will be required to pay in the current financial year as a result of the operations of the taper under the new rate support grant system.

The taper increases the increments of poundage necessary to finance increments of expenditure above a threshold level. Assuming that all other aspects of the grant calculations were unchanged, it has the effect of reducing Warrington's grant by an amount equivalent to a 1·2p rate on the spending plans contained in its original budget.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what sum the Government expect to provide to Warrington borough council in rate support grant for the current financial year; and what are the comparable sums in comparable prices for each of the past five financial years.

Warrington borough council's rate support grant entitlements from 1976–77 to 1981–82 are attached, revalued to estimated 1981–82 outturn prices.The figures are not comparable because of changes in the grant system. Needs element was not paid to non-metropolitan districts until 1979–80, and until the introduction of block grant in 1981–82 the greater part of the resources element was passed to the county through the precept, and was not available to support district services.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authority housing starts, and how many public sector housing starts, there have been so far this year in Warrington; and how many in each of these categories there were in the comparable periods of each of the past five years, and in each of the past five full years.

Available figures for 1981 are as follows:

Dwellings started: 1st quarter 1981
	Local authorities	Other public sector
Warrington district	—	—
Warrington new town	60	—

Corresponding figures for 1976 to 1980 appear in "Local Housing Statistics" issues 38, 42, 46, 50 and 54, respectively, and for the full years in 41, 45, 49, 53 and 57, respectively. Copies are available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much the Government expect to pay to Warrington in housing subsidies in the current financial year; and what were the comparable sums, in comparable prices, for each of the last five financial years.

The information required is:

Year	£ million at 1980 Survey Prices
1981–82	*1·917
1980–81	†3·397
1979–80	3·268
1978–79	3·132
1977–78	2·980
1976–77	3·147
* Estimated·
† Provisional·

The figure for 1981–82 is based on the local authority's first estimate of subsidy entitlement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the housing investment programme allocation for Warrington borough council for the current financial year; and what, in comparable prices, were the allocations for each of the past five financial years.

The information for which the hon. Member asked is as follows. Figures, all at estimated 1981–82 outturn prices, are available only from 1978–79, the first year for which housing investment programme allocations were made.

	£ million
1978–79	12·2
1979–80 (revised)	8·6
1980–81	5·4
1981–82	3·8

The allocation for 1981–82 is not directly comparable with allocations for earlier years since, unlike in those years, authorities are now able to increase expenditure in excess of their allocations on account of their capital receipts. It is, moreover, subject to adjustment to take account of the extent to which actual expenditure in 1980–81 differed from the permitted level of expenditure in that year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many shorthold tenancies he is aware of having been created so far in Warrington.

It is not possible to provide a figure for the number of shortholds identified in Warrington, which is not a separate rent registration area.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what policy is to be adopted by the Government towards local authority rents for 1982–83; and if he will make a statement;(2) what was the rent increase for the current financial year which he recommended for local authority tenants in percentage terms; why it was decided to make an increase substantially above the rate of inflation; and if he will make a statement over future local authority rent increases.

In his statement on 15 December 1980 my right hon. Friend announced that he had set the increase in local contribution at £2·95 per dwelling per week for 1981·82. In addition he assumed that non-subsidisable housing costs might require rent income of a further 30p per dwelling per week. Whether authorities secure the necessary income for their housing revenue accounts from rents only, or from a combination of rents and rate fund contributions, is a matter for each authority to decide. Should an authority choose to raise its rents by £3·25 a week in 1981–82 that would represent a 40 per cent. increase from estimated average local authority rents for 1980–81 before rent rebates and the housing element of supplementary benefit.In making his local contribution determination for 1981–82 my right hon. Friend took into account a number of factors, including the decline in rents as a proportion of earnings in recent years, and the protection afforded by rent rebates and supplementary benefit.