asked the Prime Minister if she will take steps to improve co-ordination between higher education institutions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

So far as the universities are concerned, the University Grants Committee advises my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science in respect of universities in Great Britain, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in respect of universities in the Province. The committee is thus well placed to effect co-ordination in the university sector. So far as the public sector of higher education is concerned, there is a wide range of institution-based organisations which maintain close links in their areas of interest. Various Government initiatives affecting this sector are currently in progress, all of which are partly intended to improve co-ordination.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what steps he plans to take before the end of the 1981–82 financial year to consult with the Government of Kiribati regarding the amount of financial assistance which that Government may require for the financial year 1982–83 and beyond.

The present aid agreement is not due to expire until 31 December 1982. Provision is being made for consultations in mid-1982 when we will review progress up to that time and consider the need for, and level of, British aid in 1983 and beyond.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what arrangements have been made by Her Majesty's Government to provide financial support to the Government of Kiribati for the development of Banaba Island, in the light of the options set out in the Banaba Island resources survey final report published by the Overseas Development Administration in April 1981.

Financial assistance for any development programme on Banaba will be considered under the aid programme for Kiribati. Provision for such consideration is made in paragraph 3(b) of the financial settlement agreed with Kiribati on independence.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what grants in aid and loans have been made by Her Majesty's Government to Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu in each of the years 1978, 1979 and 1980 and have been agreed for 1981 and any subsequent years, shown separately, in (i) money terms, (ii) on a per capita basis and (iii) as a proportion of gross national product.

[pursuant to his reply, 1 July 1981, c. 388]: The data for the years 1978–80 inclusive is:

		*Total	Project aid	Budgetary aid	TC
(i) In money terms (£ million)
Kiribati	1978	3·5	2·3	—	1·2
	1979	2·6	1·5	—	1·1
	1980	5·9	3·0	1·0	1·9
Solomon Islands	1978	10·4	6·4	1·2	2·8
	1979	7·4	3·8	0·8	2·7
	1980	10·0	6·2	0·3	3·4
Tuvalu	1978	1·0	0·9	—	0·1
	1979	1·1	0·5	0·4	0·2
	1980	1·3	0·4	0·6	0·2
(ii) per capita (£)
Kiribati†	1978	63	41	—	21
	1979	46	26	—	19
	1980	102	52	17	33
Solomon Islands†	1978	49	30	6	13
	1979	34	17	4	12
	1980	44	27	1	15
Tuvalu‡	1978	143	129	—	14
	1979	157	71	57	29
	1980	186	57	86	29
(iii) as proportion of GNP (per cent.)**
Kiribati	1978	13	9	—	5
	1979	14	8	—	6
Solomon Islands††	1978	22	14	3	6
	1979	16	8	2	6
Tuvalu‡‡	1978	63	56	—	6
	1979	73	33	27	13
* Figures are rounded.
† 1980 population data for Kiribati and Solomon Islands estimated.
‡ All population data for Tuvalu estimated.
** GNP figures not available after 1979.
†† GNP for Solomon Islands estimated for 1979.
‡‡ GNP for Tuvalu estimated for 1978 and 1979.

Aid in period after 1980 is provided under the terms of the following agreement:—

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many refugee students have benefited to date as a consequence of his announcement on 9 September 1980; and if he is satisfied that the aims and objectives related to his announcement have been fulfilled adequately in practice.

Information on the numbers benefiting as a result of the announcement of 9 September 1980 is not collected. The main aim of my right hon. and learned Friend's announcement was to place refugee students on the same footing as home students, and he is satisfied that that has been attained, but he is at present considering a further approach on the matter from the World University Service.The Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations 1981, which, subject to negative resolution by the House of Commons, will come into operation on 1 September 1981, will further assist convention refugees by enabling those who become refugees while studying in the United Kingdom and those who were already studying in the United Kingdom in September 1980 to be eligible for mandatory awards from September 1981, provided they meet all other provisions of the Awards Regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has received a copy of the report "Refugee Students—Education Policy is Failing", a copy of which has ben sent to him by the World University Service; and what is his policy towards its recommendations.

My right hon. and learned Friend has recently received a copy of the report and is studying its recommendations.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what arrangements are being made to implement the proposals set out at the Gilbert Islands constitutional conference in November 1978 for a constitutional review by an independent outside body of Banaba's position within the Kiribati republic three years after independence.

The Gilbert Islands constitutional conference agreed that an independent commission of inquiry would be appointed five years after independence—later reduced to three years—to review the operation of the provisions in the Kiribati constitution specifically related to the Banabans. This agreement was enshrined in section 122 of the Kiribati constitution. It is for the Government of Kiribati to make the necessary arrangements for an independent commission of inquiry to conduct such a review.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether the final legal formalities, including indemnities from the Rabi Council of Leaders, arising from the legal action against the British Phosphate Company, Tito and others v Waddell and others, No 2 1973 R2013, have been completed.

Yes, the action against the British phosphate commissioners was concluded by order of the High Court of Justice made on 29 November 1978.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if, subsequent to his replies to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr. Osborn) on 11 June, Official Report column 191, and the hon. Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Mrs. Knight) on 1 June, Official Report, column 230, he is now in a position to make a statement on the reimbursement of persons who have to purchase a temporary passport because of the failure to issue permanent passports as a result of the Civil Service dispute.

We have considered this question very carefully and have concluded that we cannot refund the cost of British visitors passports obtained in these circumstances. The need for people to obtain visitors passports because their applications for full passports had been delayed is entirely due to the industrial action by the Council of Civil Service Unions. The Government cannot accept that it is as a result of any fault on the part of the passport offices. Indeed, the staff remaining at the passport offices are doing everything they can to provide a service.We appreciate that many people feel strongly about this but those who have been able to travel abroad as planned by obtaining British visitors passports are in a better position than those who hoped to visit countries which do not accept these documents and who consequently could not travel at all. The advice to obtain British visitors Passports where possible, was given in order to reduce the workload on the staff at the passport offices to enable them to devote more time to processing applications for those who could not obtain visitors passports.Full passports for which applications have been lodged but which are held up in the mail would of course be valid from the date of issue, not of application. In these cases there is therefore no question of someone having to pay £5·50 for a British visitors passport while their new 10-year passport is valid.

asked the Secretary of State for Northen Ireland if he will make a statement about the visit to the United States of America of two officials concerned with Northern Ireland.

Two officials from the Northern Ireland Office visited the United States from 20 June to 26 June. The visit was part of the regular work of briefing United States officials, journalists and others interested in the Government's policy in relation to Northern Ireland. Such visits take place from time to time and I am satisfied that they are valuable in ensuring that the Government's case is presented abroad, both actively and accurately.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the incidence of multiple sclerosis in Northern Ireland.

It is estimated that the incidence of multiple sclerosis in Northern Ireland is approximately 84 per 100,000 population.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdown of the number out of work in Dundee by percentage (a) unemployed for up to one year, (b) unemployed for more than one year but less than two, (c) unemployed for over two years but less than three and (d) unemployed for over three years.

The following table gives an analysis by duration of unemployment of the numbers registered as unemployed in Dundee on 9 April 1981, the latest date for which information is available.

Duration	Numbers registered as unemployed in Dundee	Percentage
Up to 1 year	10,307	74·5
Over 1 and up to 2 years	1,949	14·1
Over 2 and up to 3 years	611	4·4
Over 3 years	969	7·0
Total	13,836	100

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what rental on the Hunterston platform building yard has been paid to Her Majesty's Government in each year since there has been construction in that yard.

The annual rental payable to the Secretary of State for Scotland in respect of the sub-lease of the site to Ayrshire Marine Constructors Ltd. is as follows:

	£
Year to 20 September 1979	95,000
Year to 20 September 1980	110,656
Year to 20 September 1981	128,221

In addition to these rental payments, Ayrshire Marine Constructors Ltd. also makes payments to the Secretary of State for Energy in respect of the amortisation of the Government's development costs.NATIONAL FINANCE

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much interest charge has been incurred to the latest available date on the borrowings made by the Government to offset income not collected because of the Civil Service dispute.

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Ashton-under-Lyne (Mr. Sheldon) on 3 July.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the meeting of the European Community Finance Council in Brussels on 6 July.

This was the first Council under United Kingdom presidency. I took the chair and the Financial Secretary represented the United Kingdom. There was an exchange of views on problems arising in monetary relations between the Community and third countries. It was agreed that those member States taking part in the forthcoming economic summit in Ottawa would take into account the approach evolved by the European Council last month. The Council also carried out its second quarterly review of the economic situation within the Community.There was a further discussion of export credits in preparation for the September Finance Council, which will consider what position the Community should adopt at the consensus talks in October.The Council also continued its discussion of the Commission's proposals for renewing the new Community Instrument which allows the Community to borrow in the markets for on-lending to investment projects in member States.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the cost to public funds of the current Inland Revenue publicity campaign to encourage employees who change their jobs to obtain a P45 to give to their new employer; and what results it has so far achieved.

This current publicity campaign is estimated to have cost £3,700, it is too early to assess what results it has achieved.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the State of broken marriages in terms of the tax relief granted in periodical payments orders.

[pursuant to his reply, 7 July 1981]: I regret that information on which to base a reliable estimate is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will cause an investigation to be made to ascertain how and on what basis several morning newspapers contained details of his announced tax changes before he made his statement to the House on Thursday 2 July.

[pursuant to his reply, 9 July 1981]: No. The reports did not accurately reflect my proposals and appear to have been based on speculation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the latest total of national debt and annual interest payments, respectively; and if he will express these totals as an amount per average family in Great Britain.

[pursuant to his reply, 9 July 1981]: The provisional figure for total national debt as at 31 March 1981 is £112,780 million. Details of this are given in supplementary table E of the May 1981 edition of Financial Statistics (No. 229), a copy of which is available in the Library. The annual interest paid during the year ending 31 March 1981 was £9,733 million.The 1981 estimated figure for the number of households in Great Britain as published in Social Trends No. 11 Table 2.5, a copy of which is available in the Library, is 20·1 million. The above totals expressed as an amount per household are £5,610·95 and £484·23 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make a decision about the long-term refurbishing of the Royal Air Force Canberra PR9 aircraft, with particular reference to the share of this work that is to be allocated to Messrs. Short Bros. Ltd., of Belfast.

Not for some time.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what facilities are available to defuel, decontaminate and scrap SSBNs and SSNs at the end of their active life.

Studies are being carried out on the best procedures for taking nuclear powered submarines out of service at the end of their active lives. The extent of the facilities required will depend on these studies, which will be completed well before the first submarine is taken out of service.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Trident type SSBNs to be available for refit at Rosyth; and what capital investment programme is likely to be necessary for this purpose.

The Trident submarines are not due to come into service until the 1990s and therefore precise plans for their refitting have not been formulated. The capital investment associated with the refitting is estimated at about £70 million. This has been included in the Trident budget.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what modifications are necessary in his study group proposals for the future of the Royal dockyards in the light of his defence review.

At present I have nothing to add to what was said in the White Paper (Cmnd. 8288) and to the answer which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Trotter) on 3 July.—[Vol. 7, c. 498.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he expects the capacity of the naval dockyards to be sufficient for fleet refit purposes after 1984.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the impact of the current defence review on Rosyth dockyard and naval base in terms of employment and capital investment.

It is planned to increase progressively the numbers employed in HM Dockyard Rosyth by about 500 industrials and 100 non-industrials by 1984. There will be some additional capital expenditure but this cannot be accurately quantified at this stage. It is likely to amount to several million pounds spread over the next two or three years. There may also be some impact on other parts of the naval base, particularly in those areas immediately associated with shiprepair. This will not be quantified until detailed planning has been carried out but it is not expected to be very significant.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade 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 I am responsible are as follows:

• Executive bodies
  • Air Travel Reserve Fund Agency
  • British Film Fund Agency
  • British Hallmarking Council
  • British Overseas Trade Board
  • British Tourist Authority
  • Civil Aviation Authority
  • English Tourist Board
  • General lighthouse authorities:
    • Trinity House
    • Northern Lighthouse Board
    • Commissioners for Irish Lights
  • Monopolies and Mergers Commission
  • National Film Finance Corporation
  • Policyholders' Protection Board
  • Simplification of International Trade Procedures Board
  • Consumer Consultative Bodies:
    • National Consumer Council
    • Nationalised Industries Consumers' Councils (43)
• Advisory bodies
  • Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites
  • Advisory Committee on the Safety of Household Electrical Equipment
  • British Overseas Trade Advisory Council
  • Cinematograph Films Council
  • Consumer Protection Advisory Committee
  • Export Guarantees Advisory Council
  • Insolvency Law Review Committee
  • Insurance Advisory Panel
  • Overseas Projects Board
  • Pilotage Commission
  • Standing Advisory Committee on Patents
  • Standing Advisory Committee on Trade Marks
  • Standing Advisory Committee on the Carriage of Dangerous Goods in Ships
• Tribunals
  • Performing Rights Tribunal
  • Disciplinary Enquiry under S471 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1894
  • Licensed Dealers Tribunal under S56 of the Prevention of Frauds (Investment) Act 1948
  • Consumer Credit Licensing Appeals under S41 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and SI no. 837 of 1976
  • Further info: oration is set out in "Non-Departmental Public Bodies: Facts and Figures 1980".

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will have further discussions with the Director General of Fair Trading on the free choice of consumers to effect household insurance with the company of their choice without interference by a building society lender; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the Director General of Fair Trading is considering with the Building Societies Association its recommendations to member societies about choice of insurer and insurance agency, in the first instance under the restrictive trade practices legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has of the number of (a) foreign and (b) Commonwealth citizens who currently hold employment in the United Kingdom; and if he will give separate figures for men and women.

The most recent information on the nationality of those in employment in the United Kingdom is from the 1979 labour force survey and is given in the following table:

Foreign and Commowealth Nationals Employed in the United Kingdom—1979
(thousands)
Nationality	Men	Women	All persons
Commonwealth*	180	110	290
Foreign	370	230	600
of which Irish	180	120	300
* Including Pakistan for which separate figures are not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing) on 19 May, Official Report, c. 68, he will give further details of the range of gross and net annual costs per entrant to the youth opportunities programme; and if he will explain the computation of net cost.

During 1980–81 gross and net annual costs per entrant to the youth opportunities programme were as follows:

	Gross	Net
	(£)	(£)
Work Experience on Employers Premises	517	352
Community Projects	1815	693
Training Workshops	2368	1120
Employment Induction Courses	140	96
Short Training Courses	1014	715
Remedial and Preparatory Courses	1140	880

The calculation of net costs takes into account the savings in social security and unemployment benefits which would have been paid to participants taken off he unemployment register by the programme; the returns to the Exchequer of taxes and national insurance contributions paid by the adult staff on the programme; and the increased indirect taxes resulting from the higher expenditure of participants and from the non-wage expenditure on the programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will give an assurance that before introducing legislation amending the law dealing with the closed shop, he will ensure that discussions take place with any trade union that operates such a policy, including the lawyers and doctors and any employers' organisation that has firms in membership which operate a closed shop for their employees.

My right hon. Friend has mach.; it clear that he is ready to receive views on all the issues discussed in the Green Paper on Trade Union Immunities, including the closed shop, from anyone who wishes to comment.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will give, at the latest and most convenient stated date, the numbers of peers of the realm who hold any appointment sponsored by his Department; what situation or appointment each one holds; how many hours per week are given to the work connected with it; what are the salaries or expenses paid; and how the latter figures compare with May 1979.

Following is the information as at 1 July 1981:

• Engineering Industry Training Board: Lord Scanlon, part time chairman salary £7,393 pa (£5,285 May 1979) 2½ days a week.
• Civil Service Arbitration Tribunal: Lord Wedderbum, part time member fee £50 per day of attendance. (£23 May 1979).
• Printing and Publishing Industry Training Board: Baroness Seear, part time member, unpaid.
• Advisory Committee on Women's Employment: Baroness Seear, member, unpaid; Baroness Lockwood, member, unpaid; Baroness Gardner, member, unpaid.
• Community Industry National Management Board; Lord Melchett, part-time chairman, unpaid.
• South and Mid-Cheshire District Manpower Committee: Lord Rochester, chairman, unpaid.
• Birmingham Hereford and Worcester Special Programmes Area Board: The Lord Bishop of Worcester, chairman, unpaid.
• North Yorkshire Special Programmes Area Board: The Earl of Swinton, member unpaid.
• Reasonable travelling and subsistence expenses are reimbursed to paid and unpaid appointees within the discretion of the chairman of the board or committee.

Attendance at board and committee meetings is a matter for the chairman concerned and except where stated the number of hours a week given by individual appointees could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the names of all the nationalised industries for which he is the sponsoring Minister, all the subsidiary companies of those nationalised industries and the names of all companies in which his Department, or bodies answerable to his Department, have a majority or minority interest.

I do not sponsor any nationalised industry nor does my Department or any body answerable to my Department have any interest in any company.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he proposes to take before the end of 1981 to increase the number of job vacancies in Halifax, both for school leavers and for adults.

I refer the hon. Lady to the answers which I gave in the House to the hon. and learned Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Lyons) and to herself on 30 June 1981—[Vol. 7 c. 684–85.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will describe his Department's policy for prescribing, providing and maintaining high technology equipment to enable disabled persons to work; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will describe the role of the medical and paramedical professions in providing advanced technology, communication and other aids for disabled people to work, by his Department; what conditions are imposed upon the receivers and suppliers of such equipment; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to deal with the substantial overmanning in British docks.

The National Dock Labour Board has a statutory responsibility for determining and keeping under review the numbers of registered dock workers. My Department has continued to make funds available by way of loans to the board to assist in securing severances under the industry's national voluntary severance scheme. I understand that the national joint council for the industry will shortly be considering a claim by the union side for increased severance payments. Other manning issues, including the numbers of non-registered employees, are primarily a matter for port employers and trade unions.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether, in order to encourage employers to make their own arrangements and to promote mobility of labour, he will take legislative action to make it illegal for an employer to make membership of an occupational pension scheme a condition of service.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has no proposals to do so but I am willing to consider alternatives to the recommendations put forward by the Occupational Pension Board in its recent report "Improved Protection for the Occupational Pension Rights and Expectation of Early Leavers" (Cmnd. 8271). I welcome, therefore, representations on the subject of pension expectations and job mobility.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average cost per trainee week of the youth opportunities programme (a) work experience on employer's premises and (b) community service, including all materials and overheads and including Manpower Services Commission costs.

[pursuant to his reply 9 July 1981]: The average gross cost per trainee week for a young person in the youth opportunities programme (a) on work experience on employer's premises is £23–50 and (b) on community service was £51.These costs take account of all allowable material and overhead costs to the sponsor. Manpower Services Commission administrative costs are excluded as these cannot be broken down by scheme type.

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 their 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 authority by the Manpower Services Commission in respect of their contributions to the youth opportunities programme for each year since the programme's inception.

[pursuant to his reply, "8 July 1981]: The Manpower Services Commission allocates capital to local education authorities to enable them to provide suitable accommodation for youth opportunities programme courses, where such accommodation is not otherwise available.The following table gives details of these amounts broken down by special programmes area and year. Details are not available for 1978–79.

	1979–80	1980–81
Special Programmes Area	£	£
Dumfries	—	430
Dundee	—	15,141
Edinburgh	51,000	28,802
Glasgow	—	23,086
Inverness	7,997	8,000
Middlesbrough	—	27,000
Sunderland	60,000	—
Leeds	—	10,750
Sheffield	42,500	26,623
Hull	—	18,034
Ipswich	9,180	95,837
Southampton	—	33,032
High Wycombe	13,000	—
Horsham	—	7,126

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps the Government now intend to take to reduce the registered unemployment level of over 15 per cent. in the Walsall travel-to-work area; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 9 July 1981]: A reduction in unemployment in Walsall, as in the country as a whole, will depend primarily on the ability of firms in the area to produce the goods which people in this country and abroad want to buy at prices that they are prepared to pay. The Government's policies aim to produce the conditions which will help such firms to become competitive and so enable them to create the jobs we all want to see.Meanwhile the Government's programme of special employment and training measures, which has been expanded for 1981–82, will continue to provide assistance to many workers. For example, almost 9,000 jobs are currently being protected through the temporary short-time working compensation scheme in the Walsall travel-to-work area.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in view of the growing concern regarding the impact on the health services of the increase in marital breakdown, what efforts are being made by his Department, both in terms of service and research, into ensuring that primary care practitioners are better equipped to handle marital problems presented to them.

It is increasingly widely recognised that all members of the primary care team should be well equipped to deal with these problems and that this need should be reflected in the arrangements for their training: for example, many of the compulsory vocational training courses for doctors entering general practice include training in dealing with marital problems and training in family relationships forms an important part of courses for health visitors.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider introducing legislation which would more effectively prevent glue sniffing in public places.

Inhaling the vapours of solvents, including glue, may give rise to a drunken-like state, during which offences may be committed. These can be dealt with under the existing law. There would be great practical difficulties in formulating effective restrictions on the possession and use of the solvents concerned, and in enforcing them; and even if these difficulties could be overcome a specific ban on public places might add to the danger of accidents to solvent sniffers by increasing the likelihood that sniffing would be done secretly or in isolated places.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to ascertain why St. Helens and Knowsley has the ninth highest infant mortality rate in England and Wales at 15·7 deaths per 1,000 live births; and what steps he is taking to ensure more live births.

Incidence of infant mortality in St. Helens and Knowsley was relatively high in 1979 but has been below the national average in other years, and provisional figures for 1980 indicate a rate close to the national average. The regional health authority and area health authority have taken active steps to identify changes in services likely to lead to reduction in perinatal mortality, and to make appropriate improvements.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much money is currently being paid weekly in unemployment benefit; and whether he is satisfied that no overpayments have been made as a result of industrial action by civil servants.

On the best available estimate, current expenditure on unemployment benefit is of the order of £36 million a week. Some overpayments are inevitable as a result of the operation of emergency benefit procedures, but these procedures are designed to minimise the risk of errors as far as is practicable in the circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many fatalities from hypothermia there have been in each quarter of the last two years.

The number of deaths with mention of hypothermia in each quarter of 1979 and 1980, England and Wales, is as follows:

Quarter	1979	1980*
March	585	318
June	125	88
September	32	33
December	82	155
* Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether statistics available to him suggest any relationship between fatalities or serious illness and increasing energy costs.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what extra cost has been incurred as a result of the administrative arrangements made with the Post Office to enable child benefit to be paid to parents who have not received new benefit books because of the Civil Service dispute.

About £1 million to date.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the special revenue allocations for 1981–82 made to each regional health authority for regional secure psychiatric units; and what was the total received by each regional health authority since 1976 and the amount so far spent by each regional health authority on providing such units.

The amounts included in each region's revenue cash limit for 1981-82 for the development of regional secure units or interim secure facilities and the total received by each region since 1976 are as follows:

Regional Health Authority	1981–82	Total since 1976
	(£'000)	(£'000)
Northern	680	2,956
Yorkshire	780	3,389
Trent	1,000	4,340
East Anglian	395	1,719
North-West Thames	755	3,283
North-East Thames	810	3,533
South-East Thames	790	3,432
South-West Thames	635	2,761
Wessex	580	2,523
Oxford	480	2,093
South-Western	690	2,998
West Midlands	1,140	4,957
Mersey	550	2,388
North-Western	900	3,913
England	10,185	44,285

Regional health authorities have been asked to provide details of RSU revenue spending in 1980-81; when this information is available, I will write to the hon. Member with details of spending since 1976 and place a copy in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many prescriptions have been dispensed by dispensing doctors in each month since 1 December 1980.

The numbers of prescriptions dispensed by doctors in England who are paid for dispensing on the drug tariff basis—91 per cent. of dispensing doctors—were as follows:

December 1980	1,534,968
January 1981	1,443,760

February 1981	1,366,965
March 1981	1,498,189
April 1981	1,410,685

Information on the total numbers of items dispensed by doctors paid for dispensing on the capitation fee basis is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action has been taken to implement the decision he made to concentrate acute services for Bolton at the general hospital, Official Report, 27 January, c. 903.

Planning is now actively under way on the redevelopment of Bolton general hospital which will concentrate acute services there. I understand that enabling works will be going forward during the current financial year and that the first major new scheme on the site is included in the North-Western regional health authority's capital programme for a start in 1982–83.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services pursuant to his reply of 25 June, Official Report, c. 173, what is the waiting list expressed per 1,000 of population for each area health authority in the North-West and for England as a whole for general surgery, and for ear, nose and throat.

The information requested is as follows:

Number of people per 1,000 population awaiting in·patient admission to NHS hospitals on 31 March 1980
	General surgery	Ear, nose and throat surgery
Lancashire	3·3	3·7
Bolton	4·6	3·2
Bury	0·7	1·2
Manchester	6·0	4·2
Oldham	4·6	1·2
Rochdale	3·8	0·8
Salford	2·9	3·0
Stockport	7·1	2·6
Tameside	5·8	0·1
Trafford	1·1	3·2
Wigan	2·7	1·8
England	3·6	2·1

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services pursuant to his reply of 25 June, Official Report, c. 173, what is the waiting list for the Bolton area health authority, and England as a whole, expressed per 1,000 population for ophthalmology.

The numbers of people awaiting in-patient admission to NHS hospitals in ophthalmology on 31 March 1980 were:

Bolton area health authority:	1·7 per 1,000 population
England:	0·8 per 1,000 population

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in view of the high percentage increase in crimes of extreme violence in the metropolis in 1980, what measures are proposed to deal with the problem.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, East (Mr. Dykes) on 9 July.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what study has been made of the evidence on the extent of unlicensed acquisition of firearms submitted to the Metropolitan Police on Monday 6 July by Granada Television; and if he will make a statement.

This matter is being investigated by the police and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what study has been made of the evidence on illegal supply and manufacture of armaments submitted to the Metropolitan Police by Granada Television on Monday 6 July; if he will examine the information with a view to considering the effectiveness of existing legislation; and if he will make a statement.

This matter is being investigated by the police and it would be wrong to comment further at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were prosecuted in England and Wales for illegally burning heather or moorland in the most recent period for which figures are available; what is the maximum fine for such an offence; and when the level of fine was last increased.

I have been asked to reply and will do so as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will identify the areas where new deep mines could be established and where the output per man-shift is likely to exceed 5 tonnes.

This is a matter for the National Coal Board. I understand that possible new mine prospects and exploration are described in the board's annual report for 1980–81 which is due to be published at the end of this month.I also understand that the Board would generally expect productivity in excess of 5 tonnes per manshift from new deep mines.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what acreage of farmland, forestry and countryside is threatened if the National Coal Board's Plan 2000 is implemented.

The acreage of land which may be affected by mining operations cannot be estimated with any degree of certainty until individual projects are brought forward.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service which Government Departments are below quota with regard to employment: of disabled people; and why the full quota has not been taken up in these cases.

The numbers of registered disabled people employed by Government Departments are collected once a year. The latest available figures show that on 1 June 1980 the following Departments failed to meet the quota requirements:

• Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
• Cabinet Office
• Charity Commission
• Civil Service Department (and Parliamentary Counsel and Civil Service College)
• Civil Service Pay Research Unit
• Crown Estate Office
• Crown Office Scotland
• Customs and Excise
• Defence
• Education and Science
• Energy
• Environment (including PSA and Transport)
• Export Credits Guarantee
• Fair Trading
• Foreign and Commonwealth
• Government Actuary's
• Health and Social Security
• Home Office
• Industry and Trade
• Information, Central Office of
• Inland Revenue
• Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce
• Land Registry
• Law Officers
• Lord Advocate's (Scotland)
• Lord Chancellor's
• National Savings
• Northern Ireland Office
• Ordnance Survey
• Overseas Development
• Paymaster General's Office
• Population, Censuses and Surveys
• Public Prosecutions, Director of
• Registers of Scotland
• Royal Mint
• Royal Scottish Museum
• Scottish Courts Administration
• Scottish Office
• Scottish Prison Service
• State Hospital Carstairs
• Treasury
• Welsh Office

The number of Government Departments achieving the quota target increased from 8 to 11 during the 12 month period to 1 June 1980.Quota figures are of registered disabled people, but registration is voluntary. Many do not register, and present registered numbers are only sufficient for all employers subject to quota to employ on average some 1·9 per cent. rather than the 3 per cent. quota figure. The number of Government Departments achieving 1·9 per cent. or better is 23 out of 53, and the average for the Civil Service as a whole is 1·7 per cent. This compares favourably with the 1·5 per cent. achieved on average by employers who are legally subject to quota.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has yet approved the application from Cumbria county council for the designation of an experimental area under the Passenger Vehicles (Experimental Areas) Act 1977.

Yes. I very much welcome the initiative taken by the county. I have approved this application and the order designating the experimental area has been laid before Parliament today. The order will enable Cumbria county council to develop a shared hire car service, carrying passengers at separate fares, in the parishes of Sedbergh, Dent and Garsdale. I wish the scheme every success.I believe that imaginative and innovatory projects of this kind can do much to provide economic and efficient ways of meeting those transport needs of rural areas which cannot be met by conventional bus services. I hope that other counties will be encouraged to experiment with similar schemes.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he is satisfied that his Department, and the other authorities responsible for road construction works in the United Kingdom, are adequately informed about the water pollution dangers that may result from the use of blast furnace slag as fill material, where this causes leaching of sulphide into the water table.

My Department is well aware of the dangers to fish from sulphide pollution arising from the use of blast furnace slag in road works. I am advised that there is no danger to the public through leaching of sulphide into the water table. I have no reason to suppose that other highway authorities are not adequately informed of the pollution hazards.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether any lubrication tests have been carried out on the bearings of the elevated sections of Midlands link motorways; if so by whom; when; and with what result.

Some preliminary lubrication trials were carried out by our agents, West Midlands county council, in July 1980. The trials were inconclusive but the implications of this work and the lubrication problem generally will be covered by the consulting engineers, W. S. Atkins and Partners, in their final report on bearings.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer on 30 June, Official Report, column 307, on driving tests, whether a standard letter is used to notify candidates that the driving test fee has been forfeited.

Standard letters on this subject are available for use by traffic area offices. I apologise for a recent incident when a standard letter was used to reply to a constituent of the hon. Member that was not appropriate for the circumstances of the case.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has for extending the area of compulsory motor vehicle insurance under the Road Traffic Acts.

We have no such proposals at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the A3 Guildford bypass—Burpham-Ladymead diversion—to be opened.

About the beginning of August.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he proposes to take any further steps or give advice to local authorities on contracting out waste disposal to private enterprise.

We shall be looking at the whole issue after we have had an opportunity to consider the results of the study referred to in the reply given by my right hon. Friend on 8 July to my hon. Friends the Members for Welwyn and Hatfield (Mr. Murphy) and Bournemouth East (Mr. Atkinson). However, collection and disposal of industrial waste, as opposed to that from commercial and domestic sources is already undertaken largely by the private sector.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he is now in a position to record the total annual acreage of farmland, forestry and countryside lost to motorways and other major road works for the years 1975 to 1980, respectively;(2) whether he is now in a position to record the total annual acreage of farmland, forestry and countryside lost to coalmining and other extractive industries for the years 1975 to 1980 respectively;(3) what is the latest assessment of total annual loss of farmland, forestry and countryside to urban development in the years 1975 to 1980 respectively.

Such statistics are available for England and Wales only on the loss of farmland and only for all forms of development combined (including mineral working, roads and urban development.) The average annual loss of farmland to such development was 9,282 hectares between 1975–76 and 1979–80.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the likely total loss of farmland, forestry and countryside to urban and other forms of ancillary development if the structure plans of England and Wales are fully implemented.

I regret that structure plans are not required to express policies in terms that enable such an estimate to be readily made.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will review the present system of approval of capital expenditure projects of local authorities by his Department, in order to allow the local authorities a greater flexibility in determining their own priorities.

I have reviewed the system for specifying the local authority capital expenditure allocations to be made in 1982–83. Each local authority in Wales will make a single bid for all its capital expenditure projects and I shall specify one capital expenditure allocation for each authority. Subject to any designated schemes of national or regional importance, an authority may use its allocation for capital projects as it sees fit. I shall indicate my view of priorities by stating the total amount included for each service within the overall Welsh capital expenditure allocation. A separate announcement will be made of the amounts assumed in each authority's allocation for housing.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if, in view of the serious effect upon the viability of Welsh producers, he will press for the introduction of import controls on poultry and eggs from France.

The Government are anxious to ensure that home producers do not face unfair competition, and we have asked the EC Commission to investigate certain aids given by the French Government. Import controls, unless justified on public or animal health grounds, would contravene Community law.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total amount of Government expenditure in Wales in the last financial year.

The estimated provisional outturn for 1980–81 for central Government voted expenditure in Wales, on the latest information available, is £1,019 million. Final figures will be published in the Appropriation Accounts.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide a detailed table breaking down the figure of £75 million for 1981–82 estimated in Cmnd. 8175 to be spent in Wales on industry, energy, trade and employment; and if he will give a similar breakdown for each of the previous three years.

I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Salford, East (Mr. Allaun) on 13 April, 1981.—[Vol. 3, c. 17–26.]

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the latest percentage figures for the social class structure of each (a) district and (b) county council area of Wales.

The information is not readily available. I shall write to the hon. Member shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Capital Allocation Working Party and the Revenue Allocation Working Patty of the Health Service in Wales.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the Working Party on the Long Term Capital Programme and the Steering Committee on Resource Allocations in Wales. These are committees of Health Service officers and officials of the Welsh Office and I am fully informed of their proceedings.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many factories have been constructed in Wales by the Welsh Development Agency since June 1979; how many have been let; and how many people they employ.

I am advised by the Welsh Development Agency that 336 advance factory units have been completed by them since June 1979; 100 of these have been let and a further 63 of them have been reserved or approved for letting. The estimated number of actual employees is 2,590. In the same period nine bespoke units have been completed and the estimated number of expected employees in these is 960. In addition 63 further advance factories, which were completed before June 1979, have been let since that date. The estimated number of actual employees in these is 1,100. In some cases employment in advance factories has of course yet to build up to the levels expected at the time of allocations.