asked the Secretary of State for Trade what facilities are available to British companies trading with Vietnam, Laos and Kampuchea.

The usual services of the British Overseas Trade Board, including advice on trading conditions in these countries, are available to such companies; help to British companies is also offered by the British Embassies in Hanoi and Vientiane. Export credit may be guaranteed for business with Vietnam, Laos and Kampuchea within constraints imposed by economic and trading conditions there.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade to what extent, on agreeing to the merger of Hoverlloyd and Seaspeed arising from the report from the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, he gave consideration to how this would affect prices, services and employment; and to what extent this merger will affect these last three points.

These matters were fully considered by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, whose responsibility it is under the Fair Trading Act 1973 to determine where the public interest lies. The Commission concluded that the merger would not be expected to operate against the public interest provided an undertaking on certain matters was given by the merged company. Unless the company refused to give such an undertaking my right hon. Friend would have no power under the Act to prevent the merger.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list the number of price fixing agreements currently on the Restrictive Practices Register; the industries involved, and the percentage that have been referred to the restrictive practices court.

This is a matter for the Director General of Fair Trading who is responsible for maintaining the register of restrictive trading agreements. He informs me that a total of 4,430 agreements had been placed on the register at 30 June 1981. Many of the agreements contain price restrictions and relate to a wide variety of industries. The exact numbers could be established only at disproportionate cost. A total of 663 agreements (15 per cent.) have been referred to the Restrictive Practices Court under section 1 of the Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976. The number ended by virtue of a court order or by action of the parties is 3,322 (75 per cent.). Other agreements have been subject to discretionary treatment by the Secretary of State or are still under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade upon what evidence the Office of Fair Trading concluded that there was a prima facie case for investigating the London Electricity Board and its alleged subsidising of retail sales of appliances and facilities out of electricity sales.

Section 3(1) of the Competition Act 1980 gives the Director General of Fair Trading discretion to initiate preliminary investigations into practices that may be anti-competitive; it is for the Director General to decide what evidence should determine his choice of practices to be investigated.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many seafarers employed in United Kingdom registered ships died as a result of falling overboard and being washed overboard in each year since 1975; what incidence of deaths per 100,000 at risk these figures represent; and what specific measures are being taken to reduce this type of accident.

Deaths from these causes in respect of merchant ships registered in the United Kingdom and recorded by the Registrar of Shipping and Seamen were:

	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979
Estimated number at risk ('000s)	108	103	95	88	82
Deaths due to falls overboard	5	6	2	8	8
(incidence per 100,000 at risk)	(4·6)	(5·8)	(2·1)	(9·1)	(9·8)
Deaths due to being washed overboard	—	—	1	1	—
(incidence per 100,000 at risk)			(1·1)	(1·1)

In addition deaths recorded as missing at sea were as follows:

	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979
	6	12	12	13	8
	(5·5)	(11·6)	(12·6)	(14·8)	(9·8)

Statistics for 1980 are not yet available.The Department of Trade proposes to make two sets of regulations which include provisions bearing specifically on these types of deaths.The first relates to the provision and use of protective clothing and equipment which will require the use of safety harnesses, lifelines and lifejackets for all work overboard or in any area where there is a risk of falling overboard or in any exposed position where there is a risk of being washed overboard.The second relates to safe movement about ship and includes provisions about effective lighting and the locking of any removable sections in a ship's rails.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, if there are any plans for Ministers from his Department to visit Mexico to strengthen trade links for British industry, having regard to the potential of that country for rapid growth in the 1980s.

My hon. Friend the Minister for Trade, accompanied by a group of senior industrialists from the public and private sector, paid a second visit to Mexico from 15–18 June 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will give, for the longest and most convenient stated period of time, the number and ranks of his Department's civil servants who have accepted hospitality and entertainment offered by BAT Ltd., Watney Mann and Truman or any other stated business organisations to attend the Wimbledon tennis tournament or tennis tournaments or other stated forms of entertainment; and whether, in each case, the person accepting carried out the rules governing the acceptance of hospitality by civil servants as laid down in paragraphs 9882–9893 of the Civil Service Pay and Conditions of Service Code.

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 Trade by how much the air security levy fund is in surplus.

Details of the aviation security fund's financial position are contained in a background paper headed "Aviation Security Fund (Third Amendment) Regulations 1981" which was placed in the Library recently. The paper states that the surplus brought forward from 1980–81 into the present financial year is likely to have been a little under £3 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish a table showing the exports to and imports from Japan and Germany, respectively, in each of the most recent three-year period from which figures are

United Kingdom trade in motor vehicles with selected countries, 1973–80
£ million
	Japan		Fed. Rep. of Germany		France		Italy
	Imports cif	Exports fob	Imports cif	Exports fob	Imports cif	Exports fob	Imports cif	Exports fob
1973	72	2	128	17	115	18	46	19
1974	66	3	122	16	91	19	42	20
1975	113	5	129	28	138	24	67	22
1976	163	4	289	41	218	48	94	33
1977	251	9	508	56	287	59	159	51
1978	319	13	679	80	350	72	205	41
1979	389	12	1,043	63	555	86	246	53
1980	349	17	795	82	406	91	177	103

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will make a statement about the accident to the Dan Air HS748, registration G-ASPL, near Nailstone on 26 June.

My Department is issuing the following special bulletin:

"Accident to Dan-Air BAe 748 G-ASPL near Nailstone on 26 June 1981

The aircraft was en route from Gatwick to East Midlands airport in good weather conditions carrying Post Office mail with a crew comprised of two pilots and one postal assistant.

At about 1810 hours the pilot transmitted a distress call indicating that the aircraft had suffered a violent decompression, possibly due to the loss of a rear cabin door and that severe control problems were being encountered. Shortly afterwards both wings and the port tailplane and elevator became detached. The fuselage with the fin, rudder, starboard tailplane and elevator still in position dived steeply into the ground near the village of Nailstone, some 11 miles from East Midlands airport. The three crew members were killed instantly. There was no fire damage to the fuselage structure; however, a fuel fed fire developed in the wings and engines.

The flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder were recovered from the wreckage and good quality read-outs from both have been obtained. No evidence has come to light of any explosive device having detonated inside the aircraft.

Preliminary examination of the aircraft wreckage showed that the starboard rear cabin service door had become detached in flight and had struck the starboard tailplane leading to a loss of control and subsequent overstressing of the aircraft. The reasons for the separation of the door have yet to be established.

The Chief Inspector of Accidents has ordered an inspector's investigation into this accident."

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish a table showing the value of vehicle imports from and exports to Japan, Germany, France and Italy in the most recent eight-year period for which figures are available.

[pursuant to her reply, 6 July 1981]: The information for the period 1973–80 is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what has been the number of bankruptcy cases dealt with by county courts in (a) the Northern region, (b) Durham county and (c) Bishop Auckland parliamentary constituency for each of the last five years, and for the first six months of 1981; what has been the percentage change in each year for each area; and what has been the percentage change in each area in the first six months of 1981 compared with the same period in 1980.

Bankruptcies: Net Cases Administered
	Northern Region		Durham County (Darlington and Durham County Courts)		Durham County Court
	Number	Percentage change on previous year	Number	Percentage change on previous year	Number
1976	195	-12	32	-3	16
1977	129	*	32	*	16
1978	140	+9	32	—	16
1979	110	-21	20	-37	13
1980	151	+37	30	+50	18
*There is a break in continuity between 1976 and 1977 because of the increases in December 1976 in monetary limits in bankruptcy proceedings and in deposits on petitions.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what has been the number of bankruptcies and insolvencies in England and Wales for the past five years, and for the first six months of 1981; what has been the percentage change in each year; and what has been the percentage change in the first six months of 1981 compared with the same period in 1980.

[pursuant to his reply, 7 July 1981]: Annual totals of bankruptcies and company liquidations in England and Wales for the years 1976–80 are included in table 1 on insolvencies published in British Business on 24 April 1981, page 823. It should be noted that in the case of bankruptcies there is a break in continuity between 1976 and 1977 because of increases made in December 1976 in monetary limits in bankruptcy proceedings and in deposits on petition.The figures requested for the first six months of 1981 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he is contemplating any special steps to ease the fuel problems of firms associated with the National Federation of Clay Industries in view of the fact that in these industries energy constitutes between 15 and 60 per cent. of total operational costs.

I am concerned at the problems facing many energy intensive industries during the recession. I believe that the clay industry is benefiting in particular from the ceiling on contract gas prices which British Gas is holding until December and which is providing interruptible gas at prices significantly below that of fuel oil.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what effect he estimates the increased energy costs will have on the paper manufacturing industry.

[pursuant to his reply, 7 July 1981]: Separate figures are not available for Bishop Auckland as bankruptcy cases in that area are among those dealt with by the Durham county court, whose numbers are given in the last column of the following table. The figures requested for the first six months of 1981 are not yet available.

Energy costs are only one factor contributing to current difficulties in the paper and board industry and it is not possible to treat their effect in isolation. The paper and board industry has traditionally faced large disparities in energy prices with its main North American and Scandinavian competitors, but we are concerned that in this, and in other energy intensive sectors of industry, some firms have more recently been paying more for fuels than competitors on the Continent. The energy supply industries, in consultation with the Government, have introduced measures designed to alleviate this problem within the limits set by costs of production.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list in the Official Report those public bodies for which his Department has responsibility, dividing the list into those which are of a consumer or advisory nature and those which have other functions.

I am currently responsible for the following non-departmental public bodies:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will give, for the longest and most convenient stated period of time, the number and ranks of his Department's civil servants who have accepted hospitality and entertainment offered by BAT Ltd., Watney Mann and Truman or any other stated business organisation to attend the Wimbledon championships or tennis tournaments or other stated forms of entertainment; and whether in each case the person accepting carried out the rules governing the acceptance of hospitality by civil servants, as laid down in paragraphs 9882–9893 of the Civil Service Pay and Conditions of Service Code.

My Department does not maintain detailed records of this kind, but all such offers of hospitality are required to be considered in accordance with the existing rules.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 9 July.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.

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

I have had no such meetings since 7 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will review the relationship between Her Majesty's Government and the nationalised industries.

Such a review is already in process.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied that sufficient information is available to Ministers on the effect of early retirement and work sharing on reducing unemployment; and if she will make a statement.

I believe we have such information as is available. If my hon. Friend has any views or fresh information I should be very interested to receive them.

asked the Prime Minister on how many occasions since she assumed office she has been absent from Prime Minister's Question Time.

Since I assumed office, I have been absent from Prime Minister's Question Time on the following 12 occasions:

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement in response to President Brezhnev's call for arms control negotiations as stated in his speech to the Supreme Soviet on 23 June 1981.

The Government support the negotiation of specific, realistic and verifiable measures of arms control and disarmament in both nuclear and conventional forces. We believe this approach will prove more valuable than declarations which contribute nothing to the easing of tension.

asked the Prime Minister when she last met the Trades Union Congress.

On 4 February.

asked the Prime Minister whether any arrangements exist for monitoring changes in local authority policies concerning educational maintenance allowances, free school transport for sixth-formers, the payment of discretionary grants for further education and the effects of any changes on (a) youth unemployment and (b) the future supply of skilled manpower; and, if so, which Departments are responsible.

Local authorities provide annual returns of their total recurrent expenditure under a number of headings including maintenance allowances, discretionary grants for further education and transport, but information on the last of these does not distinguish between young people above and below compulsory school age. The information is taken into account for rate support grant calculations. However, information is not collected centrally on amounts paid to individuals, so it is not possible to monitor local authorities' policies in this respect. The factors influencing youth unemployment and the supply of skilled manpower, which are matters primarily for the Department of Employment, are very complex and it is not possible to identify the effects of any particular factor.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will give, for the longest and most convenient stated period of time, the number and ranks of her civil servants who have accepted hospitality and entertainment offered by BAT Ltd., Watney Mann and Truman or any other stated business organisation to attend the Wimbledon championships or tennis tournaments, or other stated forms of entertainment; and whether, in each case, the person accepting carried out the rules governing the acceptance of hospitality by civil servants, as laid down in paragraphs 9882–9893 of the Civil Service Pay and Conditions of Service Code.

Records of this kind are not kept

asked the Prime Minister if she will dismiss Professor Alan Walters.

No.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what approximate percentage turkey breeding in the United Kingdom has been cut back in the past three years; and by what estimated percentage turkey production in France has increased.

The number of turkey poults leaving incubator houses in the United Kingdom and of turkeymeat production in France, in the last 3 years, is as follows:

	United Kingdom
	Millions of poults	Percentage change
1978	22·76	+5·3
1979	25·22	+10·8
1980	25·51	+1·1
1981 (first five months)	9·55	-4·9*
* Change compared to the first five months of 1980.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what standards of gluten content his Department requires in order for a food to be labelled "gluten free".

No standard of gluten content for foods labelled gluten-free is prescribed by law. However, under section 6 of the Food and Drugs Act 1955 and parallel Acts in Scotland and Northern Ireland it would be an offence to label any food in a way which falsely described it or was likely to mislead as to its nature, substance or quality.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the purpose of the review he is conducting of beam trawling within 12 miles of United Kingdom baselines.

There have been suggestions that we should adopt in respect of the United Kingdom 12-mile limit the same provisions as are currently imposed in the 12-mile limits of other Atlantic member States where beam trawlers of more than 300 bhp or 70 gross registered tonnes are banned. The evidence and views put forward by the fishing industry will be taken into account in any changes that may be needed.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give the percentage change in (a) investment and (b) productivity in manufacturing industry in each of the last five years.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many finished manufactured components used in the jointly produced BL-Nissan motor car will be of British manufacture.

The Nissan company, if it decides to locate in the United Kingdom, will not be producing cars jointly with BL. At the time of the announcement of the Nissan feasibility study, my hon. Friend said that the company intended to achieve 60 per cent. local content, rising to 80 per cent. as soon as practicable after full production was reached.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) how many officials of his Department monitor or record the activities of the National Research Development Corporation;(2) out of how many office locations the officials of his Department monitor the activities of the National Research Development Corporation.

Three officials of the Department of Industry are concerned, as part of wider duties, with monitoring the activities of the National Research Development Corporation. They are located in one office in London.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give additional financial assistance to British shipowners to place orders with British Shipbuilders.

No. We believe, in line with other countries, that subsidies to shipbuilding must progressively reduce.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will give, for the longest and most convenient stated period of time, the number and ranks of his Department's civil servants who have accepted hospitality and entertainment offered by BAT Ltd., Watney Mann and Truman or any other stated business organisation to attend the Wimbledon tennis tournament or other stated forms of entertainment; and whether, in each case, the person accepting carried out the rules governing the acceptance of hospitality by civil servants, as laid down in paragraphs 9882–9893 of the Civil Service Pay and Conditions of Service Code.

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 what are the manufacturers' present total costs of, and the receipts from. the development, production and in-service support of the Concorde aircraft; what is the total net cost to public funds; and what is the net Government commitment to production and in-service support expenditure.

The manufacturers' total development costs in Britain and France to completion of the airframe development programme on 31 December 1978, and of the engine development programme on 31 December 1980, were £1,126 million. The expenditures were divided as follows:

	(£ million)
British manufacturers
British Aerospace	312

	Figures for 1980		Estimates for 1981
	Expenditures	Receipts	Expenditures	Receipts
British manufacturers (£ million)
British Aerospace	18	3	20	6
Rolls-Royce	15	19	20	7
Totals	33	22	40	13
French manufacturers (F million)
SNIAS	102	17	98	20
SNECMA	37	32	41	26
Totals	139	49	139	46

The total net cost to public funds of the foregoing United Kingdom manufacturers' expenditures net of receipts, of expenditures at Government research establishments—£76 million—and of all other expenditures and receipts accruing to the Department's Concorde Vote, to 31 December 1980 was £849 million at the prices arid exchange rates prevailing when the costs were incurred or the income received.At 31 March 1981, the Government's total net commitment to Concorde production and in-service support expenditures stood at £303 million, and net expenditures at £262 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what steps are being undertaken by the Government to revive economic activity in the Walsall and Black Country areas of the West Midlands in view of the recent very substantial increase in unemployment.

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

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the facilities available for the training of Metropolitan police officers.

The facilities are adequate to meet current training needs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in view of the increasing incidence of old people being violently attacked, if he will give consideration to the inadequacy of the form of punishment for those convicted of such offences.

Maximum penalties for crimes of violence are already substantial, and it is for the courts to make appropriate use of their powers in sentencing people convicted of violent offences against especially vulnerable members of society.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement concerning the increase in crimes of violence committed in the Greater London area.

The number of offences of robbery recorded by the police in the Metropolitan Police district over the period 1975 to 1980 shows an annual average increase of 11 per cent. The increase in 1980 compared with 1979 was 21 per cent. and is a matter for particular concern. For other recorded offences of violence against the person the average annual increase was 7 per cent. over the same period but there were 2 per cent. fewer such offences in 1980 compared with 1979. The Government continue to give high priority to the law and order services, and since May 1979 the strength of the Metropolitan Police has increased by 2,114.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any fresh legislative proposals for dealing with the growing volume of violent crime.

The courts already have wide powers to deal with those convicted of offences including violence. But, against the background of widespread concern about the extent to which young people are involved in crime, and violent crime in particular, the Government published last October their proposals for strengthening the law relating to young offenders. We shall introduce legislation on these proposals as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to publish the findings of his Department's recent inquiry into racial attacks.

I shall report the findings of this study to the House in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to ban the sale of books instructing the public how to grow and produce drugs, the possession and use of which are illegal in the United Kingdom.

My right hon. Friend appreciates the concern which lies behind my hon. Friend's question, but such books appear to have only a limited circulation, and we have no plans at present for seeking to control them by legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions Dr. Alan Clift, senior forensic scientist at the Home Office, gave evidence at trials.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the latest number of offenders currently under stricter regimes in detention centres at Send and New Hall.

228 on 30 June.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received since May 1979 on the subject of law and order.

We cannot give a precise figure. Since May 1979, Home Office Ministers have received some 50,000 letters from hon. Members. A substantial proportion of them will have been concerned with law and order.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis regarding improving riot control.

The commissioner is fully involved in the follow-up to the conclusions of the examination of police arrangements for handling spontaneous public disorder which I had published on 6 August 1980 and with the working group on protective clothing and equipment for the police that I appointed on 1 May this year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to convene a meeting of the advisory committee on radio interference to discuss citizens band radio equipment.

My right hon. Friend hopes shortly to appoint the advisory committee on radio interference which he will consult before he makes regulations to control undue interference from citizens band radio equipment to other radio services. Once the committee has been appointed, we hope it will be possible to arrange an early meeting.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his expectation of revenue from licences for citizens band radio over the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

The licence fee for citizens band radio has yet to be determined and it is not therefore possible to provide an estimate. Our aim will be to ensure that the revenue is adequate to cover the costs of introducing and administering the service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the operation of the Independent Broadcasting Acts.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in his review of the law relating to replica hand guns.

The review of replica firearms is under way and discussions are being held with the police and other Government Departments. In addition, consideration is being given to the representations that have been received from other interested organisations and members of the public.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to introduce legislation to make it possible for judges to preside over coroners' courts.

High Court judges already have the powers of coroners, but fundamental changes in the procedure of coroners' courts would be needed to enable judges to act as coroners. In particular, legislation would be needed to enable a judge to take over from a coroner who had already opened an inquest, which he usually does within a very short time of the death. We are not satisfied that such charges would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied with the criteria being used to determine to which detention centre individuals are sent.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of citizens who, under the terms of the British Nationality Bill, will lose their existing right to pass their citizenship on to their children born abroad.

No useful estimate can be given. Many of those currently able to transmit their citizenship to their children born overseas will continue to be able to transmit British citizenship under the Bill, provided that they are maintaining a continuing connection with this country through their employment. Many children will also benefit from the introduction of transmission of citizenship in the female line.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if Her Majesty's Government intend to recommend acceptance of the increase in police pay which will be worked out in the current year in accordance with the recommendations of the Edmund-Davies report.

Increases in police pay are a matter in the first instance for the police negotiating board, which makes a recommendation to me. I have not yet received the board's recommendation for this year's settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conclusions he has reached, in the light of recent events, on the need for the introduction of more stringent controls to regulate the acquisition and the possession of firearms and imitation firearms.

The review I announced on 15 June to re-examine what effective controls can be devised for replica firearms is still in progress. I remain of the view that the introduction of further controls on real firearms would not have a significant effect on the level of crime.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what will be the total number of Home Office staff engaged in research following the merging of the research unit with the criminal policy planning unit; and how the new number will differ from the old one.

The proposed strength of the new research and planning unit is 52, including 30 in the research group. There is expected to be a saving of about 23 posts, of which about 14 will be in the research group.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when last he met the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to discuss policing techniques.

I regularly meet the commissioner to discuss a wide range of matters, including police techniques. My last such meeting was on 25 June.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made following his review of court procedures with a view to saving police time.

The report of the inter-departmental working party on road traffic law was published on 20 May with a foreword stating that the Government generally accepted the working party's recommendations but would welcome comments on certain points.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present average size of the electorate of the parliamentary constituencies in England.

On the 1981 register the electoral quota for England, id est the average size of electorate of the parliamentary constituencies, is 67,961. This figure was published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys on 12 May in the OPCS monitor "Electoral Statistics—parliamentary" reference EL 81/2, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in the review of hand-held radar speed meters, including their susceptibility to interference from nearby radio transmissions.

The accuracy of speed measuring devices is a matter for chief officers of police. The traffic committee of the Association of Chief Police Officers has recently conducted a review of hand-held radar speed meters in the light of a recent court case, and has concluded that the radar devices now in use by police forces in this country are accurate when used in accordance with the operating instructions and by officers who have been properly trained.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes have recently been made in the size, structure and role of the Metropolitan Police special patrol group.

As to changes in the group's size and structure, I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave to questions by my hon. Friend the Member for Paddington (Mr. Wheeler) on 4 June 1981 and by the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short) on 9 June 1981.—[Vol. 5, c. 384; Vol. 6, c. 82.] The group's role as a mobile reserve remains unchanged.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what initiatives he intends to take to overcome those problems confronting homeless people which are within his responsibilities.

We have no departmental responsibility for the problems of homelessness, but we are continuing to assist certain voluntary organisations which, as part of their activities, provide help to homeless people.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the proposals put forward by the Bondsway shelter for an overnight shelter for drunks; and if they provide provision for constant nursing care and initial medical assessment.

My right hon. Friend had decided not to proceed with these proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report those public bodies for which his Department has responsibility, dividing the list into those which are of a consumer or advisory nature and those which have other functions.

The non-departmental public bodies for which the Home Office is the sponsoring Department are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received regarding private prosecutions for theft from shops.

During the last year six hon. Members have made representations regarding the right to bring private prosecutions for theft from shops. Over the same period seven members of the public have also written, either directly or through an hon. Member, primarily on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will request the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis to ensure that maximum priority in manpower allocation is given to the duties of home beat policemen to ensure minimum disruption of their main duties.

The allocation of police manpower within the force is a matter for the Commissioner, but I know he attaches considerable importance to home beat policing.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the purpose of look-out bunkers; how many there are in the United Kingdom; and if he will give the location of those situated in the Penistone area.

Monitoring posts of the United Kingdom warning and monitoring organisation are equipped with instruments for detecting the location and power of a nt. clear burst and for monitoring the presence and intensity of radio active fall-out. They are maintained at a high state of readiness and used regularly by volunteer members of the Royal Observer Corps for exercises and training.The major war time functions of the UKWMO are to warn the public of the threat of air attack and fall-out and provide civil and military authorities with details of nuclear burst and a scientific assessment of the path and intensity of fall-out. A network of 870 underground monitoring posts covering the whole of the United Kingdom at intervals of 10 to 15 miles has been established to provide field reporting by land line and radio to 25 UKWMO controls. In the Penistone area monitoring posts are located near Stocksbridge and Holmfirth.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost of building civil defence look-out bunkers; and what are their total running and maintenance costs.

The field reporting network of underground monitoring posts for the United Kingdom warning and monitoring organisation was planned in the late 1950s. Over 1,500 posts were originally built at an average cost of £1,200 each, a total of £1·8 million. The number of posts required for warning and monitoring operations was reduced to 870 in 1968 and their running and maintenance costs currently total about £100,000 a year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report the address to which members of the public may direct their comments on the Yorkshire Ripper investigation currently being conducted.

Members of the public may write to Mr. Byford in connection with his review of the Yorkshire Ripper inquiry at Mill House, Brayford Wharf North, Lincoln LN1 1YW.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the report on the current investigation into the West Yorkshire police "Ripper" inquiry.

My right hon. Friend expects to receive Mr. Byford's report in the autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the petrol bombs thrown during the recent disturbances at Southall were manufactured and thrown by skinheads or by Asians; and at whom were they thrown.