asked the Secretary of State for Trade if it is his intention to make a statement on the Monopolies and Mergers Report on roadside advertising services, reference paragraph 365, giving a detailed response to the several recommendations made.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 1 July to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Dorset, North (Mr. Baker)—[Vol. 7, c. 375.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what his Department is doing to combat the growth of international maritime fraud.

The United Kingdom delegation to IMCO has played a leading part, in co-operation with our commercial interests, in preparing a resolution on maritime fraud to be submitted to the assembly of the Organisation in November. This resolution urges industrial and commercial interests and non-governmental organisations to take appropriate self-regulatory action, including co-operation with the international maritime bureau of the International Chamber of Commerce. The resolution also urges Governments to ratify international instruments; to examine their national laws and law enforcement procedures and resources and to take appropriate action; and to take all possible measures of cooperation with each other and appropriate intergovernmental organisations and other interests, including the International Maritime Bureau.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he intends to publish the report by the Director General of Fair Trading for the year 1980.

The seventh annual report by the Director General of Fair Trading is being published today. It covers the period 1 January 1980 to 31 December 1980. Copies of the report have been laid before Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the discussions held with the Polish authorities on the Polish payments problem.

The United Kingdom has taken part in a series of talks between the Polish Government and the Governments of its main overseas creditors. An agreement was reached in Paris on 27 April dealing with debts maturing in the remainder of 1981. Within the international framework a bilateral agreement between Her Majesty's Government and the Polish Government was signed in Warsaw on 2 July. This provides for a restructuring of the principal and interest of 90 per cent. of debts guaranteed by ECGD and falling due for payment between 1 May and 31 December 1981. After adjustment to take account of interim assistance given earlier in the year, the sum to be restructured will be about £75 million. These debts will now be repaid over four years commencing 1 January 1986. The restructured debts will carry interest at a floating rate of 1 per cent. above the appropriate market rate. The Paris agreement provides for possible extension of these arrangements by stages through 1982 and 1983 by agreement between Poland and its creditors, depending on the progress of the Polish Government's economic stabilisation plan.In addition, I have instructed ECGD to maintain for the time being a modest level of general short term export credit guarantee facilities, and to provide guarantees for specific new credits totalling £45 million for the remainder of 1981, in addition to the credits of £20 million which I announced on 9 April 1981. Much of this credit has been used for purchases of food and animal feed and the United Kingdom has participated in a scheme operated by the European Community for subsidising the price of these commodities. Part of it has also been made available for industrial goods.The Government have also been kept informed of the progress of talks between United Kingdom banks and the Polish authorities about the restructuring of unguaranteed bank debt.The Government hope that these arrangements will help the Polish authorities to resolve their present serious payments problems and return to normal trading relations as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for. the Home Department how many pieces of information the special branch section of the Metropolitan Police computer can hold.

It is not possible to say; the number depends on the size of each piece and the extent to which the storage capacity is varied.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of prison officers involved and the number of man hours devoted annually to the censorship of prisoners' correspondence in penal institutions.

In many establishments censorship is only one of a number of tasks carried out by wing officers in the course of the day. To count the number of officers who have been involved in censorship in any one year or to isolate the time spent on censorship would therefore involve disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will invite those organisations that were present at meetings to discuss citizens' band specifications to any meetings which he may arrange for the consideration of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949;(2) whether he is inviting representatives of the British radio and telecommunications industry to further meetings to discuss matters relating to changes in the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949;(3) whether he will list those organisations which have been invited to attend a meeting to discuss section 9 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949; and whether he will give the reasons for their invitation.

I am proposing to make regulations under section 10 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 to control undue interference from permitted citizens band radio. Before doing so I am required by section 10 of the Act, to consult an advisory committee on radio interference established under section 9 of the Act.As provided in section 9 of the Act, the president of the Institution of Electrical Engineers has supplied me with nominations for the committee being persons who, in his opinion, possess expert knowledge of the matters to be discussed or will represent interests likely to be affected by the making of such regulations. I hope shortly to announce the membership of the committee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many female prisoners suffering from anorexia nervosa have been released on licence from gaols in England and Wales in the last five years.

The information requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the state of the law governing the cultivation of psilocybin.

Yes. The psilocybin mushroom grows naturally in this country; a prohibition on its deliberate cultivation would therefore serve little purpose and be difficult to enforce. The preparation of these mushrooms to obtain the drug psilocin without a licence would be an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the work of Home Office forensic scientists has been investigated internally following their giving evidence in court.

As was indicated in the reply given on 1 July 1981—[Vol. 7, c. 391–93]—to a question by the right hon. Member, examinations of work are carried out regularly. As far as records indicate, on only one occasion—in the case of Dr. Clift—has need been shown for more extensive enquiries as a direct result.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can give the dates of the convictions of the 250 cases investigated, between 1976 and 1977, in which Dr. Cliff had given evidence.

The information requested is not readily available except in respect of a small number of those cases that came to court.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been arrested for offences concerning fire bombs since 3 July.

The information is not recorded centrally. I understand, however, from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that there was no such arrest in connection with the disturbance at Southall on 3 July, and from the Chief Constable of Merseyside that by 7 July there had been two such arrests arising from the disturbances in Liverpool between 4 and 6 July.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the tax income lost to the Exchequer of by reason of the level of unemployment.

No satisfactory estimate can be made, since the income tax payable by all the unemployed if they were in work would depend on the amount of their earnings, their tax allowances and on any other income they might have. An article in the February 1981 issue of the "Economic Progress Report"—available in the House of Commons Library—gives estimates of the income tax and other direct costs to the Exchequer of a typical increase of 100,000 in the number of people out of work in the private sector in 1980–81. For reasons explained in the article, it would not be appropriate to gross those costs up to estimate the tax cost of the present level of unemployment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the additional subsidies on milk for schools secured last week by Her Majesty's Government from the European Economic Community will be in addition to or included in the calculation of rebates from the European Economic Community under the agreement of 30 May 1980.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the pre-tax real rate of returns on capital employed by (a) United Kingdom industrial and commercial companies, (b) these companies but excluding capital employed in North Sea oil and gas, (c) the nationalised industries as a whole and (d) each nationalised industry and public corporation individually.

[pursuant to his reply, 6 July 1981]: I refer my hon. Friend to a paper entitled "Nationalised Industries' Real Rates of Return", a copy of which has today been deposited in the Library of the House. The paper does not provide information on rates of return for individual public corporations which are not nationalised industries. I regret that this additional information could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the specific improvements his Department intends to make on the monitoring of abuses occurring in the youth opportunities programme.

The Manpower Services Commission already monitors very carefully any potential abuses of the youth opportunities programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the action by the Civil and. Public Services Association which has prevented the Manpower Services Commission from taking on entrants under the youth opportunities programme.

I deplore the resolution passed at this year's conference of the Civil and Public Services Association, which reaffirmed its existing policy on non-co-operation with the programme and instructed its union executive to withdraw from all negotiations with the Manpower Services Commission concerning the setting up of schemes in the Civil Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his Department's estimate of the additional net cost to the Government in the current financial year of replacing the "Easter undertaking" to youth opportunities programme entrants with a "Christmas undertaking".

No separate exercise to estimate the different costings of an Easter rather than a Christmas undertaking has been attempted and could not be done except at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what have been the numbers of entrants to the youth opportunities programme, broken down by types of project, each year since the programme started.

The following table shows the number of entrants tothe youth opportunities programme each year by scheme type:

	Entrants to the Youth Opportunities Programe
	1 April 1978 to 31 March 1979	1 April 1979 to 31 March 1980	1 April 1980 to 31 March 1981
Work experience
Work Experience on Employers' Premises	108,400	138,900	242,200
Project Based Work Experience	8,400	15,200	20,100
Community Service	7,600	20,700	30,200
Training
Workshops	3,800	7,300	12,000

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how much money has been allocated by the Manpower Services Commission to local education authorities in respect of capital projects to assist their contribution to the youth opportunities programme in each year since the programme's inception;(2) if he will detail the capital amounts allocated to each local education authority by the Manpower Services Commission in respect of its contribution to the youth opportunities programme for each year since the programme's inception;(3) if he will detail the payments made to each local education authority by the Manpower Services Commission in respect of its contributions to the youth opportunities programme for each year since the programme's inception.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions have been brought over the period 1979 to 1981 for offences relating to employers' failure to take into designated employment their statutory quota of disabled persons.

None. Only two occupations—passenger electric lift attendant and car park attendant are designated employment under the Disabled Persons Employment Act. Entry into these is reserved exclusively for registered disabled people unless no suitable registered disabled person is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether, on the basis of the New Earnings Survey or other relevant figures, he will publish estimates of earnings levels in nationalised industries relative to those in the private sector for 1970, or the earliest subsequent year for which data are available, 1975 and 1980 in the form of index numbers, 1970 = 100, for each major industry; and if he will publish estimates for per capita earnings increases in the 1980–81 wage round in those industries and in manufacturing industry.

The following table expresses the average gross weekly earnings of full-time employees whose pay was not affected by absence in those industries which are wholly or predominantly nationalised as a

Average gross weekly earnings of full-time employees whose pay was not affected by absence in individual industries relative to the corresponding average earnings of all employees in the private sector, 1970=100
		Men aged 21 and over			Women aged 18 and over
Industry	Minimum List Heading*	April 1970	April 1975	April 1980	April 1970	April 1975	April 1980
coal-mining	101	100	138	135	100	111	112
Iron and Steel (General) and Steel Tubes	311 & 312	100	104	98	100	113	98
Gas	601	100	108	111	100	102	100
Electricity	602	100	106	122	100	92	95
Water	603	100	111	106	100	100	97
Railways	701	100	109	98	100	99	86
Road Passenger Transport	702	100	118	†l05	100	93	†82
Air Transport	707	100	100	94	100	102	100
Postal Services and Telecommunications	708	100	107	†96	100	102	†93
Source: New Earnings Survey
* Based on Standard Industrial Classification, 1968.
† The effects of the 1980 agreements affecting Post Office manipulative grades and London Transport drivers and conductors were not reflected in the April 1980 survey.

Estimates of changes in average earnings during the 1980–81 pay round are only available at present from the monthly sample survey of average earnings at broad industrial order level up to April 1981 as follows:

Changes in average earnings of all employees in the year to April 1981*
per cent.
Milling and quarrying	9·8
Metal manufacture	13·9
Gas, water and electricity	15·1
Transport and communications	14·7
Manufacturing industries	11·9
Source: Employment Gazette, June 1981, Table 5·3

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have been made redundant in (a) the paper, board and allied industries, (b) the clothing industry and (c) the textile industry (i) in the last year for which figures are available and (ii) in each of the previous three years.

There are no comprehensive statistics of redundancies.Following is the available information relating to redundancies, involving 10 or more employees, reported to the Manpower Services Commission as due to occur in the specified industries.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if, in view of the level of unemployment, he will estimate the percentage of those over 50 years of age but below the statutory retirement age, who are not reemployed after retraining.

For those trainees who completed courses under the training opportunities scheme in the financial year 1979–80—the latest for which figures are readily available—44 per cent. of those over 50 years of age, but below the statutory retirement age, had not had a job by three months after the completion of their course.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list occasions and dates since 31 March 1980 when he or any of his departmental colleagues have met official representatives of the Trades Union Congress at a formal meeting to discuss policy issues, excluding meetings with departmental unions about Whitley conditions; and whether there has been any occasion when he has refused to meet a Trades Union Congress deputation after the congress has officially requested one.

Since taking office I have never refused to meet a Trades Union Congress deputation after a meeting has been officially requested. Since 31 March 1980 I and my junior Ministers have met official TUC representatives at formal meetings in my Department on the following dates:

• 25 September 1980
• 12 November 1980
• 2 February 1981 with Mr. Morrison

This list does not include occasions when I or my colleagues have met representatives of the TUC in their capacity as members of other organisations such as the Manpower Services Commission or the National Economic Development Council, or other non-departmental meetings.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will establish a Government scheme for additional training for those persons involved in the transport of irradiated materials by road or rail and normally employed by road or rail transport authorities; and if he will make a statement.

No. Irradiated materials are transported by road and rail in accordance with regulations recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency. These are specifically designed so as to avoid the need for extensive specialist knowledge on the part of carriers and their employees. I have no evidence to suggest that the extensive training arrangements within the transport industry are inadequate.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the results of his Department in achieving the Government's policy programme since he answered a similar question from the hon. Member for Melton on 4 June 1980.

[pursuant to his reply,1 July 1981, c. 397]: Since 4 June 1980 my Department has continued to contribute towards the Government's central policy objective of achieving a sound economy, which is necessary to achieving a real and lasting increase in employment.My Department, both directly, and through the Manpower Services Commission, continues to place particular emphasis on measures designed to help those groups hardest hit by unemployment. The estimated expenditure on these measures in 1981–82 will be almost £1 billion. 360,000 young people entered the youth opportunities programme in 1980–81 financial year and the programme has been expanded to provide places for 450,000 young people this year. We are giving urgent and sympathetic consideration to the commission's request for a further 100.000 places. Priority is also being given to improving and increasing the training element in schemes under the programme to make it a worthwhile start for young people's working lives.We have throughout the year continued to provide help through the jab release arid temporary short-time working compensation schemes. We estimate that some 141,000 people were being helped by both schemes at the end of May 1981.During the year the Manpower Services Commission launched a new programme—the community enterprise programme—designed particularly to help 25,000 adults who have been unemployed for some months by providing work for them on projects which will at the same time benefit the community.My Department is also pursuing policies which look at the upturn in the economy and which are designed in particular to improve industrial training. The Manpower Services Commission published in July 1980 a report on its review of the working of the Employment and Training Act 1973. In the light of that report, I announced on 26 November that I had asked the commission to carry out a survey of the training arrangements in each sector of the economy. I now expect that the commission's report on this will be published before the Summer Recess. The Employment and Training Bill, which is now before Parliament, would enable me to act on the results of this review without being bound to act only in accordance with a recommendation from the commission. It would also permit the operating costs of industrial training board.; to be raised by levy on employers.Together with my colleagues the Secretaries of State for Wales, Scotland and Education and Science I was Net), glad to give my support to the consultative document "A New Training Initiative" published on 21 May by the Manpower Services Commission. The achievement of the document's objectives—better arrangements for skilled training to agreed standards; improving the vocational education and training of all young people, and opening up more opportunities for adults to train—are crucial to the revival of British industry and to job prospects in the 1980s and beyond. In addition we have given whole-hearted backing to the consultative document "An 'Open Tech' Programme" which was published on 14 May by the Manpower Services Commission.We also continue to pursue our objective of improving industrial relations. The Employment Act 1980 reached the statute book on 1 August and all the main provisions were brought into force by October 1980. We are carefully monitoring the operation of the Act. A Green Paper—Cmnd. 8128—on trade union immunities was published in January this year. The consultation period ended on 30 June and I am now assessing the comments I have received from over 200 organisations and individuals.Throughout the year, my colleagues and I have taken every opportunity to encourage closer involvement of people in the decisions which affect them at their place of work.Finally, my Department continues to make every effort to ensure that the services it offers are provided efficiently and cost-effectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many invitations from tobacco companies, or to events sponsored by such companies, have been (a) received and (b) accepted by civil servants in his Department since May 1979; and if he will list the events accepted and rejected, respectively.

Detailed records of this kind are not kept, but all such invitations have to be considered in accordance with the existing rules governing the acceptance of hospitality by civil servants.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) out of how many office locations the officials of his Department monitor the activities of the Cooperative Development Agency; and if he will list the towns and cities involved; (2) how many officials of his Department monitor or record the activities of the Cooperative Development Agency.

Two officials are concerned, as part of wider duties, with monitoring the activities of the Agency. They are located in one office in London.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, further to his reply of 22 June, Official Report, column 33, to the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex, in view of the statement of the Council of the European Communities—Official Journal, 17 June C1 47—that "the Community regional policy in particular, which relies on aid from the ERDF, has helped create or maintain during the period in which the latter was in operation (1975–1979), 339,317 jobs for the Community as a whole, including 99,767 in the United Kingdom", what is the basis of his Department's view that European regional development fund grants are not linked directly to job numbers and that no overall records of such jobs are maintained.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how much his Department intends to provide for the promotion and advancement of robotics in (a) research, (b) applications and (c) manufacture in the current financial year; and how much it is proposed to spend in 1982–83 and 1983–84.

[pursuant to his reply, 1 July 1981, c. 401]: The Department and the Science Research Council plan to spend £1 ·5 million on support for robotics in the current financial year. This will rise to some £4 million by 1983–4 provided the response from industry is positive. The allocation of these funds between research, application, manufacture and consultancy has been left open so that we can respond flexibly to demand.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he is satisfied with the numbers of robots currently being used in British Industry; and what steps he is taking to increase this use.

[pursuant to his reply, 1 July 1981, c. 401]: No. Although there has recently been an increase in the British robot population, our major international competitors are still well ahead of us. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said when opening the Automan 81 exhibition at Brighton in April, the Government are committed to encouraging British industry to use robots. This commitment is reflected in the Government's support measures for consultancy, use and manufacture of robots.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the approximate dates on which his Department was consulted on the use of uranium ores from Namibia.

The use to which uranium inported from Namibia is put is a matter for the parties to the contract. The United Kingdom party is now the CEGB.The contract was originally placed in 1968, and was the subject of consultation at that time between the Department then concerned and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will revise the Gas Act 1972 to diminish the scale of the gas monopoly.

I have this matter under review.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will publish the positive vetting procedure used for vetting civil servants.

The positive vetting procedure was described in the Radcliffe committee report "Security Procedures in the Public Service" published in April 1962—Cmnd. 1681, paragraphs 60–77—in the report of the tribunal of inquiry into the Vassall case published in April 1963—Cmnd. 2009, paragraphs 153–173—and in the report of the Standing Security Commission published in July 1965—Cmnd. 2722, paragraphs 92–99.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what is the cost of each 1 per cent. increase in Civil Service pay.

Each 1 per cent. increase in the pay bill in 1981–82 over 1980–81 will cost about £46 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the total amounts spent by the Lincolnshire area health authority (a) on running and maintaining mental subnormality hospitals and (b) out of its own resources in upgrading and improving the conditions in such hospitals.

In the year ended 31 March 1980, Lincolnshire area health authority's total net expenditure on running and maintaining mental handicap hospitals in the area was £4,350,000, of which £240,000 was spent on building and engineering maintenance. Information is not held centrally on the amount spent by the AHA on upgrading and improving conditions in such hospitals, and my hon. Friend may wish to approach the AHA direct for this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to receive the report from the dental strategy review group.

I understand that the dental strategy review group has completed its task and that my right hon. Friend will receive its report within the next few days.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he intends to institute an inquiry into the incidence of sickle-cell anaemia among the ethnic minority communities.

I do not consider that such an inquiry would serve a useful purpose. Information on the groups at risk is already considerable. Screening of high risk patients prior to anaesthesia is a general practice. Routine screening of all pregnant patients from the high risk groups is undertaken and all patients found to have one of the variants of sickle-cell disease are booked for delivery in consultant obstetric units. Many hospitals serving at-risk communities offer screening facilities on request either from individuals or their general practitioners. Couples found to be at risk of having an affected child may be referred to genetic counselling services.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the dates proposed for the publication of the 1981 census for parliamentary constituencies.

Statistics for each county, local authority district, ward, and census enumeration district will be published starting in November this year, with some information for all counties available by mid-1982. Thus it will be possible to obtain statistics of parliamentary constituencies by addition. It is planned to publish a special set of tables for parliamentary constituencies and European parliamentary constituencies as early as possible in 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now make a statement on the reports made to him about the television documentary "Silent Minority" by the Croydon and Berkshire area health authorities.

I refer the right hon. Gentleman to my reply to the hon. Member for Batley and Morley (Mr. Woolmer) yesterday.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further decisions he is able to announce about the future administrative structure for health services; and if he will make a statement.

I am pleased to be able to announce that my right hon. Friend has made decisions on the recommendations of the South-Western regional health authority for restructuring the National Health Service within its region. Subject to the necessary orders being made in due course, the following district health authorities will be established in the South-Western region, and will come into being on 1 April 1982.

	Resident Population (000s)
North Devon	125
Exeter	286
Torbay	215
Plymouth	326
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly	419
Gloucester	293
Cheltenham	204
Bristol and Weston	364
Frenchay	210
Southmead	221
Somerset	366

These changes will mean that the present five area authorities and 10 districts will be replaced by 11 new district health authorities. We are satisfied that, contrary to the recommendation of South-Western RHA, two district health authorities in Gloucestershire will provide a structure more akin to the philosophies set out in "Patients First".Exceptionally, we have also decided that, contrary to the normal pattern of one community health council per district health authority, the Isles of Scilly should retain a suitably-sized community health council. We are also minded to retain the Weston-Super-Mare community health council.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what decisions have been reached on the study of the Directorate of Overseas Surveys carried out as part of the 1980 scrutiny programme.

The main conclusions of the scrutiny are that the private sector can now produce maps more cheaply than, and carry out straightforward surveys as cheaply as, the Directorate of Overseas Surveys. The scrutiny report recommends that much of this work should be handed over to the private sector and supervised by the directorate. With other duties, this would require a complement for the directorate of Overseas Surveys of about 40 per cent. of the present staff. I have accepted these recommendations and will make a statement to the House when proposals for implementing the decisions have been worked out after full consultation with the staff.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many hours of broadcasting of programmes of current affairs, magazine items, editorial comment and drama have been sold to each of the following areas Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, ASEAN countries, Australasia, Central and South America, and the remainder of the Third world by the BBC transcription service in each of the past five years; and at what cost to his department in each year.

Programmes of this sort have been sold to all the areas listed. A detailed breakdown of these sales by subject and area is not immediately available. I shall let my hon. Friend have the information when it has been prepared. Actual expenditure on these spoken word programmes from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Grant in Aid, including all direct costs for all areas of the world, was:

	£
1976–77	490,000
1977–78	489,000
1978–79	534,000
1979–80	686,000
1980–81	791,000

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will give details of the capital programme authorised for the external services of the BBC.

In a written reply on 25 June to my hon. Friend the Member for Loughborough (Mr. Dorrell), the Minister of State my hon. Friend the Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley) explained how the Government would be prepared to make a substantial increase in the present public expenditure provision for the external services on the assumption that the cost of that increase is met in part by certain savings in current operations by the BBC. The capital programme that has been drawn up on this assumption contains the main elements set out in the following list. Work has already begun on the first four projects and the last two.

	Optimum date for completion	Approximate total costs in £million in 1981 Survey Prices
Completion of one 500 kilowatt MF (medium wave) transmitter at Orfordness	1982
Completion of four 250 kilowatt HF (short wave) transmitters at	(first two) 1982
Cyprus	(second two) 1983
Equipment of overseas relay stations with satellite feeds	1985
Replacement for Skelton 'B' transmitter station—eight 500 kilowatt HF (short wave) transmitters	1985

asked the Lord Privy Seal what information he has as to the operation by other countries of broadcasting services of news and current affairs similar to the external services of the British Broadcasting Corporation.

About 50 countries broadcast internationally. Details of the proportion of their programmes devoted to news and current affairs are not available. The total hours and numbers of languages broadcast by the six largest international broadcasters and by six other major countries—with comparisons with 1975—are as follows:

	Hours per week		Languages
	1975	1980	Change	1980
Six Largest Broadcasters
USSR	2,001	2,094	+93	82
United States of America	2,029	1,901	-128	47
China	1,423	1,350	-73	45
Federal Republic of Germany	767	804	+37	39
United Kingdom	719	719	—	39
North Korea	455	597	+142	8
Other Major International Broadcasters
Australia	379	333	-46	9
Netherlands	400	289	-111	8
Japan	259	259	—	21
Italy	170	169	-1	29
Canada	159	134	-25	11
France	108	125	+17	6

asked the Lord Privy Seal by what 1982 percentage the total payroll of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, excluding the Passport Office, has been reduced since 1969; by what percentage the mainstream grades of the Diplomatic Service have been reduced over the same period; and if he will give similar figures for the period 1979 to date.

The payroll of the Foreign and 1985 Commonwealth Office, excluding the Passport Office, has been reduced since 1 April 1969 by 17·8 per cent. The mainstream grades of the Diplomatic Service have been reduced over the same period by 23·2 per cent. From 1 April 1979 to 1 April 1981 the corresponding figures are 4·6 per cent. and 7·3 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing for each of the eight counties of Wales the grant-related expenditure for each county for the current year, the proposed rate support grant for each county and the percentage relationship between those two figures.

The information is as follows:

£000s; percentage
	Grant-related expenditure 1981–82	Provisional block grant entitlement	Provisional grant as a percentage of GRE
Clwyd	123,071	75,545	61·4
Dyfed	107,278	67,865	63·3
Gwent	142,333	87,456	61·4
Gwynedd	77,871	48,935	62·8
Mid Glamorgan	174,599	128,989	73·9
Powys	41,329	30,733	74·4
South Glamorgan	119,323	63,081	52·9
West Glamorgan	111,197	68,985	62·0

The block grant entitlements shown are provisional, and are subject to adjustment in supplementary reports.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing for each of the counties of Wales the total specific grant funds payable to them for the current financial year.

Specific grants are made available for both revenue and capital purposes and the overall distribution by county for the current financial year is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, taking 1974–75 as a base year, and adjusting for the changing value of money, if he will publish a table showing an index for the movement of total expenditure by each counzy in Wales for each year since 1974–75.

Information in the form requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will seek discussions with British Railways, with a view to his Department submitting to the EEC a proposal for financial assistance towards the electrification of the Holyhead to Crewe railway line.

No. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Tansport has invited British Rail to prepare and submit a 10-year programme of schemes for electrification of potentially profitable main line routes where the benefits would justify the investment. At this stage it would be premature to consider any application for aid from the European Community.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing the allocation of urban aid finances by county in Wales for the current financial year.

Following is the information:

	£—at 1981–82 outturn prices
Clwyd	1,929,039
Dyfed	814,334
Gwent	2,254,567
Gwynedd	637,615
Mid Glamorgan	2,036,710
Powys	33,228
South Glamorgan	1,598,258
West Glamorgan	808,942
Total	10,112,693

Local authority proposals related to a further £300,000 are being considered. I intend to announce the allocation of those resources shortly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps further to co-ordinate the work of his Department with that of water authorities and local councils to secure more effective and timely flood prevention and precaution measures.

No. I am satisfied that there is adequate co-ordination between my Department and water authorities and district councils in the exercise of their powers under the Land Drainage Act 1976.

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 oilseed rape intervention prices for the period 1 August 1981 to 30 June 1982.

Council regulations 1776/81, 1777/81 and 1780/81 setting oilseed rape intervention prices for the period 1 July 1981 to 30 June 1982 are expected to be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities L176 dated 1 July 1981. The regulations implement the rates agreed at the Council meeting in April.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to ensure the European Economic Community Commission applies effective import surveillance and controls against imports of East European processed and semi-processed soft fruits, particularly strawberries, to ensure that there is no unfair competition on the British market during the domestic soft fruit harvesting season.

I have no reason to doubt that the European Community Commission will fulfil its obligations on import surveillance in the coming season. Given evidence of unfair competition from any source, I shall take appropriate action to safeguard the interests of producers, fruit processors and consumers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the results of his Department in achieving the Government's policy programme since his reply to a similar question by the hon. Member for Melton on 17 June 1980.

In 1980 agricultural production rose to its highest level ever dispite the economic pressures on the industry. The common agricultural policy prices settlement was consistent with our policy of maintaining a healthy and vigorous agricultural and horticultural industry, took proper account of the interests of consumers and included measures for containing the cost of the policy.Special attention has continued to be given to the needs of the hill areas by further increasing the assistance they receive. These areas will continue to benefit in particular from the suckler cow subsidy and from the sheepmeat support arrangements.The price of milk has been raised to meet the special needs of this sector as a whole.We continue to seek improvements in marketing. The Government have been working closely with the agriculture and food and drink industries to increase the United Kingdom share on a competitive basis of both domestic and export markets.During the last year an outbreak of foot and mouth disease has been rapidly and effectively dealt with and the country's freedom from other major epizootic diseases has been maintained. We have also concentrated on improvements in animal welfare, both in the national and international contexts.To meet the continuing demand from the agricultural industry for advice from the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service, we have ensured that the service remains abreast of new technology and production methods. In addition to its day-to-day advisory work, it is thus able to provide a specialist advice on disease control, conservation, marketing and the use of computers.On fisheries, agreement has been reached in the Community on a range of technical conservation measures which are now in operation. Considerable progress has been made towards the revision of a common fisheries policy so that a settlement can be reached relatively quickly if member States genuinely wish to reach agreement.At the same time, the new Fisheries Act provides a basis for the industry to modernise and develop its catching and marketing arrangements, strengthens the provisions for enforcement of conservation controls and assists the development of fish farming. The Government have confirmed their faith in the future of the fishing industry by providing substantial financial aid to tide the industry over a difficult period.Further action to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Ministry's work has been taken. The administration of the agricultural and horticultural capital grant schemes has been greatly simplified by dropping the prior approval requirement and giving the farmer and grower greater freedom to make his own investment decisions.The recommendations from a management review of the regional and headquarters structure of the Ministry have been implemented. As the Ministry's contribution to the manpower reductions in the Civil Service as a whole, a further 350 posts are to be saved in the current financial year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will outline the existing arrangements whereby subsidised dairy products are made available to schools and charitable organisations; and if he will detail the changes which he secured last week, together with their effect.

Butter held in intervention stocks may be purchased by non-profit making organisations, including schools, at reduced prices, and the Commission will shortly be publishing regulations which will enable a similar subsidy to be paid where butter is purchased on the open market.Children in schools may also benefit from the Community subsidy available for liquid milk, yoghurt and cheese supplied at break time and meal times, subject to the public authorities in the member State concerned making a contribution equal to at least 25 per cent. of that from Brussels. I will be announcing shortly the changes that I have secured in these arrangements so far as whole milk is concerned.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the savings to education authorities who supply milk for sale to schoolchildren in consequence of the recent concessions secured from the European Economic Community by Her Majesty's Government.

I shall write to my hon. Friend about the new arrangements on school milk as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he proposes to publish the consultation paper on his review of inland and coastal waters; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I are issuing our consultation paper on our "Review of Inland and Coastal Fisheries" in England and Wales to-day. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.The consultation paper deals with local fisheries administration, salmon, fish fanning and fish diseases. There has been a clear need for a wide-ranging review: the present split between the fisheries functions of the water authorities and of the sea fisheries committees has not been satisfactory; considerable concern has been expressed about the state of our salmon stocks and the unprecedented level of illegal netting; the rapid growth of fish farming, while greatly to be welcomed, calls for both encouragement and for safeguards for other water users; and, the expansion in fish farming and the increase in the movement of fish call for a thorough review of the Diseases of Fish Act 1937.We are proposing that the sea fisheries committees be retained with a membership that reflects local fishing interests. They should, we suggest, be given the appropriate local regulatory responsibilities for the fisheries in the estuaries and out to 3 miles from baselines. They should also have particular responsibilities for the development of the shell fisheries, which we regard as a valuable growth area. The fisheries responsibilities of the water authorities would relate to the rivers and inland waters. However, we are proposing a pooling of water authority and sea fisheries committee resources for the management of the mixed fisheries stocks of salmon and sea fish in the estuaries and taken by shore operated nets along the coast.It is proposed that the salmon drift net fishery off the Northumbrian and Yorkshire coast be retained but subject to greater restrictions to safeguard, in particular, the salmon destined for the River Tweed. The proposals contained in the consultation paper should make an important contribution to combat illegal salmon netting.The Government have already introduced the derating of fish farms and this, together with the measures in the Fisheries Act 1981, should help this important growth industry. We have not advocated compulsory licencing of fish farms but are prepared to consider some form of compulsory registration. The consultation paper includes proposals on the problem of fish farm emissions and on water abstraction licencing. The existing responsibilities of the water authorities for controlling fish movements would be restricted to the public waters for which they have management responsibilities.In the fish disease proposals particular attention is paid to preventing the importation of serious fish diseases. Greater flexibility in the powers available for preventing or dealing with outbreaks of serious fish diseases is proposed. It is suggested that shellfish diseases be brought fully into the fish disease arrangements. Compulsory slaughter of farmed fish in the event of outbreaks of VHS—viral haemorrhagic septicaemia—or IHN—infectious haematopoetic necrosis—are proposed. There would be a statutory obligation on fish farmers to maintain fish movement records for use in tracing disease outbreaks.Comments on the proposals in the consultation paper are invited and will be taken into account by the Government in reaching their decisions on specific measures to be introduced.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will give the reasons why he will not move to approve a Select Committee for compensation awards to convicted persons subsequently released in view of their proven innocence.

I do not consider that the establishment of a Select Committee would be the appropriate way of dealing with This matter.

asked the right hon. Member for Middlesbrough, as representing the House of Commons Commission, what changes have been made in the group personal accident insurance arrangements.

As from 1 July 1981, the death and capital benefits available under the terms of the policy have been increased from £60,000 to £70,000 per Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science which local education authorities have made cutbacks in swimming curricula within the last 12 months; and which have completely eliminated swimming from their curricula.

Her Majesty's inspectors noted in their report on the effect of local authority expenditure policies published earlier this year that there had been a reduction in the provision for swimming in some schools, but detailed information in the form requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has completed his review of the effects of full cost fees on overseas medical students; and if he will make a statement.

The effect of charging new entrant overseas students full cost fees is being monitored, but my right hon. and learned Friend is conducting no specific review of the effects of the policy on overseas medical students.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in view of the new rules which prevent summer school leavers from receiving benefit until September, he will carry out an inquiry to establish how many pupils are likely to seek additional qualifications as a result of the change.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. and learned Friend to the hon. Member for Stockport, North (Mr. Bennett) on 16 June.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report those maintained schools whose closure has been approved by his Department in each of the last five years, indicating the name of the school, its local authority and its type of status.

Records relating to individual schools are not available before 1978. For information about primary schools approved for closure in each of the last three years I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Hawksley) on 15 June last. Comparable information in relation to secondary schools approved for closure is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report those maintained schools whose amalgamations have been approved by his Department in each of the last five years, indicating the names of the schools, their local authorities and their type and status, both before and after amalgamation.

Information is not available in the form requested by the hon. Member and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The Department's records are related to the categories of proposals defined in sections 12 or 13 of the Education Act 1980, which do not distinguish the amalgamation of two schools from an intention either to close one and significantly to change the character or enlarge another or to close both and establish a new school.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will estimate the effect of the grant cuts to Salford university upon employment in the Salford area.

No such estimate is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will introduce legislation to provide that the Secretary of State shall have greater powers to intervene in the allocation of the annual grants paid to universities by the University Grants Committee;(2) if, in view of their importance to the economy, he will take steps to protect the universities from the effects of the cuts proposed by the University Grants Committee.

My right hon. and learned Friend does not intend to depart from the well-established convention that, while the Government decide how much they can afford in grant to the universities as a whole, the University Grants Committee decides how that money is best divided among individual universities.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is satisfied that the educational needs of the adult unemployed are being met.

Her Majesty's Government fully recognise the wide range of needs which adults without paid employment may have for education either to enhance their opportunities of training for and engaging in paid employment or to overcome the problems of periods without such employment. The Manpower Services Commission has responsibility for specific vocational training, but my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I are concerned that the more general education needs of the adult unemployed should also be met. We have therefore written to the chairman of the Advisory Council for Adult and Continuing Education asking the council to undertake as quickly as possible and report back to us by July 1982 on a specific remit to identify these needs; to consider the various efforts currently being made to provide for them; and to advise on the more effective means of deploying available resources to develop, expand and improve the provision.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if charges imposed by local authorities for planning permission and building warrants for agricultural developments are eligible costs under the agricultural capital grant schemes.

Yes, provided that the developments themselves are eligible under the scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the action by the Civil and Public Services Association that has prevented the Manpower Services Commission in Scotland accepting any entrants under the youth opportunities programme.

I deplore the resolution passed at this year's conference of the Civil and Public Services Association which re-affirmed its existing policy of non-co-operation with the youth opportunities programme and instructed its union executive to withdraw from all negotiations with the Manpower Services Commission concerning the setting up of schemes in the Civil Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many young people entered the youth opportunities programme in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area in June 1981, January 1981 and June 1980, respectively; and what proportion of these worked in the work experience on employers' premises scheme

Information on the number of entrants to the youth opportunities programme in travel-to-work areas, is not available. The following table gives the number of entrants in Lothian region in the specified months and the proportion of these entering the work experience on employers premises element of the programme.

	Total Entrants in Lothian Region	Proportion of these entering Work Experience on Employers Premises per cent
June 1981	575	64
January 1981	280	66
June 1980	175	57

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Argyll on 30 June, if he has any plans to withdraw subsidies from Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd. on the Islay route.

I have no such plans in relation to Caledonian MacBrayne's Islay service or any other approved service covered by my undertaking with that company.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent on education in Scotland in each of the past 10 years; and if he will also express these figures at constant prices.

The information is as follows:

	Actual Outturn	Outturn at 1980 Survey Prices
	£million	£million
1970–71	307	935
1971–72	346	972
1972–73	413	1,037
1973–74	471	1,101
1974–75	620	1,136
1975–76	787	1,196
1976–77	861	1,204
1977–78	894	1,174
1978–79	995	1,154
1979–80	1.096	1,165

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of Scotland's gross domestic product was spent on education in the latest available year; and how this compares with other European Economic Community countries.

Education expenditure in 1979–80 represented 7·7 per cent. of the Scottish gross domestic product. Exactly comparable figures for other EEC countries are not available but education expenditure as a percentage of gross national product for each of these was as follows:

Country	Percentage for latest available year
W Germany	4·2 (1976)
France	5·8 (1977)
Italy	5·1 (1976)
Luxembourg	5·2 (1977)
Belgium	6·5 (1977)
Netherlands	8·4 (1977)
Denmark	6·7 (1977)
Greece	1·8 (1974)
Ireland	6·2 (1977)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the changes in employment in Dundee by Standard Industrial Classification order since May 1979.

Information on changes in employment in Dundee since 1979 is available only for the manufacturing sector. Provisional estimates based on the Scottish manufacturing establishments record are provided below for certain industrial sectors: these relate to the period from mid-1979 to mid-1980.

Industry	SIC order	Percentage change in employment
Food, drink, tobacco	III	- 3·4
Metal manufacture, mechanical, instrument, electrical engineering	VI-IX	-.11·4
Shipbuilding, vehicles, metal goods not elsewhere specified	X-XII	- 9·0
Textiles, leather, clothing	XIII-XV	-14·0
	Rest of III-
Other manufacturing	XIX	+ 0·6
Total manufacturing	III-XIX	- 8·7

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current level of average weekly earnings in Scotland; and how it compares with earnings in each of the past two years at constant prices.

The latest information for manual and non-manual employees is from the 1980 April New Earnings Survey. The retail prices index at April of each of the years 1978 to 1980 is given, and earnings have been revalued by this index to provide an indication of average weekly earnings at constant prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why it took from 1977, when Dr. Clift, the Home Office forensic scientist, was supended from duty, to 1981 before the case of Mr. John Preece was reopened.

I have little to add to my reply to the right hon. Member on 1 July 1981.—[Vol. 7, c. 405.] Until receipt of Miss Pereira's report on the evidence given by Dr. Clift in the trial of Mr. John Preece, there were no sufficient grounds for a reference back to the High Court of Justiciary. That report was received in March 1980 together with a conflicting report by one of Mess Pereira's senior colleagues. The case was subsequently reviewed in the light of these reports. This full and detailed review of all the evidence offered in, and the circumstances surrounding, Mr. Preece's trial was undertaken by my Department in consultation with legal advisers and with the Crown Office. In the light of that review, the whole matter was referred to the High Court on 17 February 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many applications for urban aid he has received from Lothian regional council in the current year; how many he has rejected; and what are the reasons he gave for rejecting them.

Unemployment and unfilled vacancies in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area
Occupation	Numbers registered as unemployed in March			Number of unfilled vacancies in March
	1981	1980	1979	1981	1980	1979
Managerial and professional	2,627	2,251	2,176	455	490	354
Clerical and related	3,131	2,259	2,160	426	507	704
Other non-manual occupations	1,775	1,207	1,050	199	269	234
Craft and similar occupations	2,903	1,730	1,540	119	302	377
General labourers	7,281	5,768	5,589	20	108	70
Other manual occupations	5,906	4,015	3,967	439	998	1,033
Total all occupations	23,623	17,230	16,482	1,658	2,674	2,772

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many applications were made to courts for orders for the possession of dwelling houses under the provisions of section 10 and case 7 of schedule 3 to the Rent (Scotland) Act 1971; and how many such orders were granted during each of the last few years.

I regret that this information is not available.

My right hon. Friend has rejected three out of eight applications; one because the area to benefit was not one of special social need, the other two because resources are limited and not all projects submitted can be assisted.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if any projects local authorities submit for an urban aid grant will be passed conditional on a reduction in local authority staff; and if so, if he will specify the criteria that will be taken into account in reaching a decision.

No such conditions are attached to approvals. However, a local authority which proposes an urban aid project involving an increase in local authority staffing is required as a condition of application to certify that there are overall reductions in its staff numbers which will offset the proposed increase.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by occupation (a) the numbers of unemployed persons and (b) the number of vacancies in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area in each June of the past three years.

Information is not available in the precise form requested. The following table gives the numbers of people registered as unemployed at, and unfilled vacancies notified to, employment offices and offices of Professional and Executive Recruitment in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area in March 1981—the latest date for which information is available—March 1980 and March 1979. Similar information in respect of careers offices is not available. The vacancy figures relate only to vacancies notified to employment offices and Professional and Executive Recruitment and remaining unfilled on the statistical date. They do not purport to be a true measure of all vacancies in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will outline what measures the Government have undertaken over the past two years to help upland farmers in Scotland, particularly hill sheep farmers; and whether the measures have been succesful.

Hill and upland farmers have benefited from very large increases in hill livestock compensatory allowances in that period. The subsidy on a hill cow, inclusive of the European Community Buckler cow premium, has gone up by 89 per cent. to £54·87; the hill and upland sheep subsidies have been increased by 52 and 49 per cent. to £6·25 and £4·25, respectively. Hill and upland sheep .Earmers will obtain substantial benefits from the European Community sheepmeat regime which provides for greatly increased guaranteed prices to fatteners and an annual premium to breeders. There are clear signs of growing confidence in this sector.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps are being taken by the Government to improve the position of Scottish fishermen through negotiations with the European Economic Community about fishing limits, conservation of stocks and other pertinent matters.

The Government's aim in the negotiations for a revised common fisheries policy is to secure an agreement which will take proper account of the needs of the United Kingdom fishing industry, including those of Scottish fishermen, and will contain provisions on access which give protection to our inshore fishermen and to those coastal communities dependent on fishing. Agreement has already been reached on a conservation regime which largely reflects the United Kingdom's own national measures in force prior to that agreement.Recent elections in other member States have restricted the scope for early progress in the negotiations but we are meantime continuing to explore in bilateral talks with other member States the prospects for reaching a satisfactory settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is satisfied that the United Kingdom will retain adequate design capability in the VTOL despite the decision not to proceed with the British-designed development of the Harrier.

Subject to the final conclusion of satisfactory terms of collaboration, the AV8B development of the Harrier for both the US Marine Corps and the RAF will be a genuinely joint programme. I am confident that this programme will help to maintain the British VTOL design capability.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent the United Kingdom will be involved in the manufacture and assembly of the AV8B development of the Harrier produced jointly by British Aerospace and McDonnell Douglas where the aircraft are sold to third countries.

Subject to final agreement on the terms of collaboration for aircraft sold to third countries it is proposed that 25 per cent. of the aircraft will be assembled in the United Kingdom. British Aerospace also expects to gain approximately 40 per cent. of the airframe manufacture network, with Rolls-Royce having at least 75 per cent. of an engine work. Equipment companies will also benefit, but to a lesser degree.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent countries that receive British military assistance in the form of training and advisory visits are also purchasing British equipment for their forces.

During 1980 training and military assistance were provided to 86 countries. Sales of British equipment were made to 62 countries, of which 55 were the recipients either of training or military assistance.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Service personnel and (b) civilians would become redundant in Defence establishments, other than in the Royal naval dockyard, in the Portsmouth travel-to-work area if his White Paper proposals were fully implemented.

The scale and timing of the reduction in service and civilian posts which will be required to implement the measures announced in the Defence White Paper—Cmnd. 8388—are still being worked out. Consequently it is not yet possible to state what the precise effects, including any redundancies, will be for the Defence establishments referred to.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has prepared for the disposal of land at present occupied by the Royal naval dockyard, Portsmouth.