asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) how many seafarers employed on United Kingdom registered ships died as a result of falling down hatchways for each year since 1975; and what was the incidence rate of death per 100,000 population at risk;(2) how many seafarers employed on United Kingdom registered ships died as a result of accidents in the engine

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he expects to announce the findings of the Maritime Search Committee on whether control of sea searches for civilians involving the use of helicopters should be by the coastguards or by the Ministry of Defence; and if he will make a statement.

All aspects of civil marine search and rescue in the United Kingdom are kept under review by a consultative committee representing the interests principally concerned, including the Ministry of Defence and Her Majesty's Coastguard. The committee meets about twice a year: most recently on 18 June. The members raise whatever items they think necessary but there has been no discussion of the transfer of control of sea searches involving the use of helicopters. Her Majesty's Coastguard is responsible for co-ordinating civil marine search and rescue operations and may call on the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force to assist with helicopters, although these aircraft at all times remain under the control of their Service authorities. I do not envisage any change in these arrangements. I believe they are satisfactory and that there is a close understanding between all the parties involved.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade which countries were granted export licences for British military equipment in 1980; and what was the number and total value of contracts for British military equipment signed in 1980 in the case of each country for which a relevant export licence was granted in that year.

Deaths from these causes recorded by the Registrar of Seamen and Shipping were as follows:

It has been the normal practice of successive Governments not to disclose the destinations of goods covered by export licences or the volume of defence sales to particular countries. Export licences are in fact issued to firms rather than countries. Many are not taken up in the same year as they are issued, or in the year when the relevant order was secured.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many firms in Scotland (a) went bankrupt and (b) went into voluntary liquidation in each of the past two years.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 21 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 July.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend is taking part in the economic summit in Ottawa.

asked the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Sheffield.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend hopes to visit Sheffield early next year.

asked the Prime Minister if she will consider an increase in child benefit as part of the Government anti-inflation strategy.

I have been asked to reply.Child benefit will be increased by 50p a week for each child from 23 November at a net cost of about £280 million in a full year. We shall review the rate again early next year in the context of the Budget strategy as a whole.

asked the Prime Minister if, in the light of recent violence and rioting involving unemployed young people, she will order an urgent investigation of the possibility of lowering the retirement age for men to 60 years in order to make more jobs available for young people.

I have been asked to reply.As made clear in chapter 3 of the White Paper "Growing Older"—Cmnd. 8173—a lowering of the minimum pension age for men must be regarded as a long-term rather than an immediate objective if earlier retirement is to attract worthwhile pension levels at a cost the country can afford. Meanwhile, despite present economic difficulties, the Government have retained and improved such employment measures as the job release scheme and the youth opportunities programme and will aim to build further on these provisions as resources permit.

asked the Prime Minister when she next plans to visit the North-West region of England.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has no immediate plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister when she next intends to visit North Humberside.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.

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 were expected to be lost in the closures discussed.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has had no such meetings since 16 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the progress being made in privatising public services at national and local level.

I have been asked to reply.We have already accomplished the sale of British Aerospace, and legislation is now on the statute book to permit the sale of shares in the National Freight Company and in British Airways. In addition, legislation is currently before Parliament to enable the introduction of private capital into the British Transport Docks Board, certain British Rail subsidiaries, the Radiochemical Centre, Cable and Wireless Ltd. and some of British Telecommunications' peripheral activities. We shall also reintroduce next Session as a matter of high priority legislation enabling the sale to the public of equity in BNOC's exploration and production activities.At the local level, it is for individual councils to decide whether to contract out the provision of local authority services. We are taking steps to encourage them to do so through the dissemination of information about experience of contracting out both in this country and abroad, as well as more directly through the provisions of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 governing the operation of their direct labour organisations.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the state of the law relating to homeless persons.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is currently reviewing the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 and the associated code of guidance to see whether any changes are necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the penalties are for looting during war; and whether he will introduce legislation to provide for similar penalties to be imposed whenever looting takes place.

Under defence regulations in force during the Second World War the maximum penalties for looting and kindred offences were: on conviction on indictment, death or penal servitude for life; on summary conviction, 12 months' imprisonment. The Theft Act 1968 provides maximum penalties for burglary of 14 years' imprisonment on conviction on indictment and six months on summary conviction, which we believe give the courts sufficient scope to deal with offences of this kind committed in peace time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the urgency of the matter, he will now make an immediate decision on the application of Peter James Henry to stay in the United Kingdom.

application was refused on 18 May 1981. After considering the case, I could find no grounds for reversing that decision and I wrote to my hon. Friend on 8 July setting out my reasons and explaining that it would not be appropriate for me to intervene in the case while it is subject to appeal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he is making in finding an alternative waveband for fire and police service transmissions so as to have a single VHF band available for broadcasting by 1986.

I expect to announce shortly the frequencies to be allocated for the transfer of the police and fire and mobile services. The phasing of the transfer, which has to be completed by the end of 1989, is under consideration in the context of preparations for the forthcoming regional administrative radio conference which will plan the use of the VHF band.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now update the statistics in compliance with the Fire Precautions Act 1971 regarding the fire certification of hotels and boarding houses, given in reply to a question by the hon. Member for Hove on 25 July 1979.

According to information provided by fire authorities in England and Wales, the position on 31 December 1980 regarding the fire certification under the Fire Precautions Act 1971 of hotels and boarding houses was as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what figure the West Yorkshire police last requested its establishment to be increased; and why this request was not agreed to.

In October 1980 the West Yorkshire police authority proposed increases in the force establishment by 921 to 6,025 to be spread over a number of years. It is not my practice to approve increases far in advance of their implementation. I offered to approve an increase of 50 to be recruited by April 1982 and this was accepted.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the numbers of known attacks made upon persons in the Metropolitan Police area in each of the last five years; and to what extent these can be attributed to stated ethnic groups.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the available information is as given in the following table. It will be seen that the ethnic appearance of attackers was identified in only about 70 per cent. of the offences recorded. The—unrecorded—composition by ethnic appearance of attackers for the "not known" offences could differ substantially from year to year and the numbers involved could be large enough to invalidate conclusions based solely on the offences for which the ethnic appearance of attackers was recorded.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to make known to the police and the public, especially car owners, the nature of the offence of interfering with vehicles, the penalties relating thereto, and the powers now available to the police to bring charges on suspicion that an offence of this kind has been committed.

Under the Criminal Attempts Bill—which has now completed its passage through both Houses—it will be an offence to interfere with a motor vehicle or trailer, whether in a public place or a private place, with the intention of committing any one of a number of specified offences. After Royal Assent a circular will be issued to the police and to the courts drawing their attention to this and the other provisions of the Act. We also propose to issue a press release about the Act as a whole, copies of which will be sent to the principal motoring organisations and to the motoring press.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of the report by accountants Dixon, Wilson arid Company concerning the index of the operating costs of London taxis published in September 1980.

£3,375·99, exclusive of VAT.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on what criteria the recent London taxi fare increase of 13 per cent. was arrived at;(2) what was the figure of movement of the cost index for the taxi trade arrived at by the Home Office appointed accountants for the taxi trade in the background of the most recent fares increase.

The 13 per cent. increase in London taxi fares was the weighted average of a 16·2 per cent. increase in costs—as shown by the agreed index of operating costs—and a 9·1 per cent. increase in earnings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what revenue was received as a result of the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976 for the 12 months commencing 1 July 1980; and what are the anticipated receipts for the 12 months commencing 1 July 1981.

Information about societies' lotteries registered with local authorities is not collected centrally. Gaming Board receipts in respect of local authority and societies' lotteries registered with it were £178,382 for the 11 months ended 28 February 1981. No later information is available. There is insufficient information to make any estimate of the anticipated receipts for the 12 months beginning 1 July 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to seek to prevent the distribution of subversive literature within a radius of half a mile of schools.

I shall be considering, in the light of my study of the incidence of racial attacks, the arguments for additional measures to deal with extremist literature, and I shall report my conclusions to Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to ban the sale of confectionery and soft drinks by itinerant vendors within a radius of half a mile of schools.

London borough councils already have powers to control itinerant traders under the London County Council (General Powers) Act 1947. Similar powers are provided by local Acts in several other parts of the country. My right hon. Friend is considering the possiblity of legislation enabling all local authorities to adopt such powers. The decision whether to ban sales in a particular area would be left entirely to the discretion of the local authority concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to require that no private proceedings shall be initiated under the Shops Act without the Attorney-General's consent.

I have no plans for legislation to amend the Shops Act 1950 in this way.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made in his consideration of the report of the Royal Commission on criminal procedure; and if he will make a statement.

I have been carefully studying the Royal Commission's report and the initial reaction to it. I see a need to invite more specific comments on some of the issues raised by the report, and for this purpose I shall shortly be sending a consultative memorandum to a wide range of interested bodies. Copies of this memorandum will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses, and will be available from the Home Office on request.

asked the Attorney-General how many charges relating to scheduled offences were withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions against persons in Northern Ireland in 1980.

During the year 1980 the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland directed no prosecution in respect of 26 persons who had been charged by the police with scheduled offences. This represents approximately 4⅔ per cent. of the persons so charged.

asked the Attorney-General, pursuant to his reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe on 15 July, why he refused his consent to bring relator proceedings against the Secretary of State for Social Services on the application of the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation.

The applicants failed to satisfy me that they had a prima facie case.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he will have completed his consideration of proposals from the Manpower Services Commission for additional support for industry's long-term training.

My right hon. Friend has completed his consideration of these proposals. As a result, subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the grant-in-aid to the Manpower Services Commission will be increased by £9·6 million in 1981–82. My right hon. Friend is writing to the chairman of the Manpower Services Commission to inform him of this decision and of the consequential increase of £11 million in provision for 1982–83. This provision is in line with the MSC's estimate of the money required to help support industry's long-term training.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) when he proposes to complete the reorganisation of the Health and Safety Executive; and how he proposes to allocate the Mines and Quarries Inspectorate;(2) under reorganisation what he considers will be the coverage of the Factory Inspectorate.

The Health and Safety Executive will not make decisions on its proposed reorganisation until the executive's management and staff representatives have had the opportunity of discussing the proposals and the necessary consultation and negotiations—including discussion with industry and other interested parties—have been completed.A copy of the proposals, which include reference to the organisation of the Mines and Quarries Inspectorate and the Factory Inspectorate, is in the Library.Implementation of the proposals and allocation of inspection resources will be a matter for the Health and Safety Executive.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons have been employed by the Health and Safety Executive as inspectors in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the number of inspectors to be employed over the next two years.

The number of inspectors employed by the Health and Safety Executive at 1 April in each of the past three years was:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions were initiated by the Factory Inspectorate in the latest available year; and what was the average fine imposed.

Information on the number of prosecutions initiated in any year is not readily available. In 1980, 1,297 prosecutions were completed by Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate, under which 2,323 informations were laid, 2,137 resulting in conviction. The average fine imposed per information laid was £179 and per conviction £195.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons were killed or injured in industries covered by the Factories Act in the latest available year.

In 1980 185,651 employees were injured and 295 were killed in premises covered by the Factories Act. These are provisional figures.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what are the numbers and percentages of (a) young people, (b) men, (c) women and (d) disabled people as a whole who are registered under section (2) of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944;(2) what is the average duration of unemployment among those registered under section (ii) of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944;(3) what is the number of places in sheltered employment and the number of registered disabled people under section (ii) of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 for the latest available date and for each year since 1976; and what is the projected number of places to be offered in sheltered employment schemes for the next three years;(4) if he will publish for the latest available date the numbers of workers unemployed and percentages of unemployment among registered disabled people and the total United Kingdom work force who have been unemployed

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if, in view of the fact that all the major disablement organisations support retention of the disablement quota system, he will abandon proposals to abolish the quota.

I shall reply to my hon. Friend and the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of registered unemployed in the United Kingdom; and what is his latest estimate of the number of non-registered unemployed.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps are taken by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate to evaluate safety data from foreign sources.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 July 1981]: I am advised by the Health and Safety Executive that the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate makes use of a number of different procedures for the evaluation of information received from foreign sources. The procedure used depends on the source, nature and quality of the information and the purpose for which it was obtained.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate includes staff qualified in applied ultrasonics; and, if not, if he will take steps to recruit such staff.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 July 1981]: I am advised by the Health and Safety Executive that the inspectorate has no staff with specialist qualifications in applied ultrasonics, although it has staff with experience in the theoretical aspects and development of the technology. The inspectorate itself would not expect to carry out applied ultrasonics work and therefore would not employ specialist staff for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will examine the possibility of a more flexible retiring age of members of the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate with a view to retaining for a longer period the more experienced staff.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 July 1981]: I am advised by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that some flexibility on retirement is already established for Nuclear Installations Inspectors as they are not normally required to retire at 60 but may choose to do so. The only exception is in the case of the Chief Inspector who, as an open structure under-secretary, is subject to the retirement rules of that grade.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has yet succeeded in raising the strength of the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate to 106.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 July 1981]: I am advised by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that the strength of the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate has not yet reached 106.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many members of the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate have specialist knowledge of (a) civil engineering, (b) flow heat transfer problems, and (c) fast fracture metallurgy.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 July 1981]: I am advised by the Health and Safety Executive that the numbers of inspectorate staff who have some specialist knowledge of the disciplines cited are 4, 12 and 5 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons in the Birmingham travel-to-work area are covered by the special employment and training measures at the latest date.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 July 1981]: At the end of June 1981 it is estimated that the number of people covered by the Government's special employment measures in the Birmingham travel-to-work area—unless otherwise stated—was as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what redundancies have been declared to his Department consequential upon the proposed closure of the Elstree Studios by Associated Television Ltd and what measures are being taken by his Department to assist the persons affected.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 July 1981]: Information to the Department under the redundancy handling provisions of the Employment Protection Act 1975 is given in confidence. In cases of redundancy, every effort is made by the staff of the Manpower Services Commission to make its services available to those affected at the earliest opportunity.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will take steps to reimburse the borough of Blackburn £85,000 in interest charges borne by it through the late reimbursement by Her Majesty's Treasury of moneys expended by the borough of Blackburn on behalf of the Manpower Services Commission;(2) if he will take steps to expedite the payment of moneys due to the borough of Blackburn in respect of schemes operated by it on behalf of the Manpower Services Commission and payable by Her Majesty's Treasury.

[pursuant to his reply, 15 July 1981]: The Manpower Services Commission would consider reimbursing the borough of Blackburn any interest charges borne by the borough because of unreasonable delay in the reimbursement of moneys expended by the borough whenever the cause of the delay was the responsibility of the commission or its officials.I understand, however, that the commission is taking all reasonable steps to expedite the payment of moneys due to the borough of Blackburn.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many building and construction workers were registered as unemployed at the latest available date; and what was the figure for one year ago and in May 1979.

[pursuant to his reply, 17 July 1981]: At May 1981 the number of people registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom who last worked in the construction industry was 381,285. The corresponding figures at May 1979 and May 1980 were 174,656 and 204,574, respectively.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will consider reinstituting for 1982–83 the £3,000 grant which was paid for many years by the Overseas Development Administration to the Welsh Centre for International Affairs.

I have considered the case for reinstituting the ODA grant for the Welsh Centre for International Affairs, but in the light of the many claims on the aid programme I regret that I am unable to continue to provide funds for this centre.

asked the Lord Privy Seal when he now expects the vacancy for a director of the population bureau of the Overseas Development Administration to be advertised; and when he expects it to be filled.

We have no plans at the moment to advertise for a director of the population bureau. Although, as my hon. Friend the then Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Blaker) informed hon. Members on 22 May—[Vol. 5, c. 186]—we had previously decided to appoint a new director, we have since been reviewing how ODA's population activities can best be organised under the general control of the under-secretary concerned. I shall inform the House as soon as the review has been completed: this will cover the question of the post of director of the population bureau.

asked the Lord Privy Seal when the 1980 report and accounts of the Crown Agents Holding and Realisation Board will be laid before Parliament.

The report and accounts will be laid before Parliament on 23 July. Published copies of the report and accounts will, as soon as they are available, be placed in the Library of both Houses.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will give details of Her Majesty's Government's pledge of assistance for Turkey for 1981 made at the recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development meeting.

Her Majesty's Government pledged a sum of £15 million, the same amount as in 1979 and 1980. The loan agreement covering the pledge was signed in Ankara on 20 July and is in the form of non-military programme aid tied to British goods. Its terms are a 6 per cent. rate of interest over 25 years with a grace period of five years.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received concerning the shortage of physics and mathematics teachers in secondary schools; and what action he is proposing to take.

My right hon. and learned Friend has received many representations on this subject; most recently from the authors and recipients of a report on the shortage of physics teachers, prepared jointly by the Royal Society and the Institute of Physics.Current output of these teachers is encouraging. Applications for PGCE courses in mathematics and physics, beginning in 1980, were 33 per cent. higher than in 1979; and applications for this year's courses were, at 8 July, 42 per cent. higher than a year earlier. The existing schemes for the training and retraining of mature entrants with appropriate qualifications and service teachers are currently funded to continue up to 1982–83, and the Government plan to introduce a scholarship scheme to attract high calibre students to initial training. The Advisory Committee on the Supply and Education of Teachers is to examine the future supply of these teachers as part of its current programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will establish procedures to ensure that the content of primary school curricula cannot be influenced by pressure groups whose major concern is not educational.

We look to the good sense of heads and teachers to ensure that unsolicited material is scrutinised with care before any use is made of it in schools. My hon. Friend has written to my right hon. and learned Friend about a particular instance, and he will receive a reply shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the number of classes of 30 pupils in a primary school required to provide one additional equivalent spare room for educational activity, such as a library, that can be provided, together with assembly hall, storage capacity and staff facilities and so on within his minimum standard of 3·7 square metres gross per primary place.

The teaching areas specified in the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1981 are sufficient to allow, in a well designed school for class spaces for 30 pupils, a hall and some additional area for other educational activities. I am writing to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if there have been any reports from Her Majesty's Inspectorate about the level of achievement of West Indian children in State schools.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate has issued two reports during the last year on the school experiences of ethnic minority pupils, including those of West Indian origin. A report on 14 schools for the moderately educationally subnormal—ESN(M)—and for maladjusted pupils was issued, as is usual with issued reports, in confidence to participating local education authorities and schools. A report on aspects of organisation and curriculum in seven multi-ethnic comprehensive schools was issued to participating local education authorities and schools, without the normal restrictive rubric, so that they may use it more widely if they wish.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, in the light of the Rampton report, he will provide resources for community schools which are providing additional tuition to improve the attainment of West Indian children.

It is for local education authorities to decide whether to support the work of community groups giving tuition which is additional to provision made in maintained schools.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he has formally raised the case of Ida Nudel, a prisoner of conscience, interned in exile in Siberia, with the Soviet authorities; and whether he intends to raise her case with the Soviet Union's ambassador.

The case of Mrs. Nudel has been raised both bilaterally and by the British delegation to the CSCE Review Conference in Madrid. My right hon. and noble Friend recently reminded the Soviet Foreign Minister of the importance the Government attach to human rights and of the strong feeling in the United Kingdom on this subject, including the question of Soviet Jews.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he has formally raised the case of Rafael Toer, a prisoner of conscience being detained by the Argentinian Government, with the Argentinian authorities; and whether he will raise Mr. Toer's case with the Argentinian ambassador.

Our embassy in Buenos Aires continues to support Senor Toer's appeals to exercise his "right of option" to go into exile, and to remind the Argentine authorities that Senor Toer has been given clearance to enter the United Kingdom on release from detention.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the latest information available to him on the persecution of members of the Baha'i community in Iran; and if he will make a statement.

Some of the 185 people reportedly executed following last month's bomb explosion in Tehran are said to have been Baha'is. I recently met representatives of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is to discuss ways in which the widespread concern which we share at the condition of the Baha'is in Iran could most usefully be expressed.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the latest information available to him with regard to the situation of the Christian community in the Lebanon; and if he will make a statement.

The present instability within Lebanon seriously affects all the communities. A ceasefire arranged by the Arab League has been in force in central Lebanon since 8 June. There have been outbreaks of fighting since, but for the most part the ceasefire has held. The Arab League Follow-Up Committee's efforts to promote national reconciliation in Lebanon continue. These efforts have our full support. National reconciliation and the restoration of the full authority of the Lebanese Government provide the only assurance of the security of all communities in Lebanon, both Christian and Muslim.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what additional responsibilities for monitoring progress on development projects funded by the Overseas Development Administration are being carried out by posts overseas; and if the additional work load is to be borne without increasing staff numbers.

A circular issued by the Overseas Development Administration last February laid down

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are the totals of loans and grants received by the National Coal Board from the European Coal and Steel Community and other European Economic Community agencies in each of the past five years.

Total loans and grants received by the National Coal Board from European Community sources in each of the last five years were as follows:

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.

[pursuant to the reply, 8 July 1981]: The additional information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what acreage of agricultural land would be involved if the Vale of Belvoir proceeded, after (a) 10 years' coal mining, (b) 30 years and (c) 60 years.

In the planning applications for the North-East Leicestershire prospect the National Coal Board estimated that the three mine sites would involve a total of 270 acres. The three tip sites would ultimately involve 1,520 acres but, as a result of the proposed method of progressive restoration, not more than 7·5 per cent.—about 115 acres—of the tipping area would be out of agricultural use at any one time. The mine and tip sites consist largely of agricultural land but part—about 50 acres—of the Saltby tip site is derelict. Detailed estimates of land use in individual years are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what will be the coal requirement of the proposed synthetic natural gas slagging gasifier at the Westfield development centre in Scotland of the British Gas Corporation; and whether he has made any estimate of the potential coal requirement of synthetic natural gas.

BGC is now constructing a larger version of the BGC/Lurgi slagging gasifier at its Westfield development centre which is expected to have a coal requirement of 500 tonnes a day. The future requirement for substitute natural gas will depend on many factors including the availability of natural gas, the rate of economic growth, the future demand for gas and the prices of coal and competing fuels. The uncertainties in all these are large.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the potential contribution of the proposed British Gas slagging gasifier at Westfield, Fife, to the United Kingdom's energy programme.

The BGC/Lurgi slagging gasifier is the main basis for the development of coal gasification processes in the United Kingdom. Its chief application is expected to be for the manufacture of substitute natural gas, when natural supplies will need to be augmented, but it may also be used for coal gasification for other purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will assess the contribution that the proposed slagging gasifier at Westfield, Fife, will make to synthetic natural gas research and development.

The larger BGC/Lurgi slagging gasifier is intended to demonstrate on a large scale advanced techniques for the gasification of coal for the manufacture of substitute natural gas. In conjunction with the test runs on the existing plant, this programme will provide a firm basis for the design of commercial plants for use either in the United Kingdom or abroad.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what payments have been made to the Isle of Man by the Government for offshore drilling rights.

Payments to date to the Isle of Man, in respect of its share of the revenue arising from the licensing of the continental shelf, total £1,260,462·41.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has discussed with the British Gas Corporation the advantages of locating its Morecambe gas field supply base adjacent to its Barrow onshore terminal; what factors will determine the supply base location; and whether the decision on the location will be made by him or the British Gas Corporation or jointly.

The location of the supply base for the Morecambe gas field is a matter for the British Gas Corporation, subject, of course, to the necessary planning approvals.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether, in the interests of assisting the Government's counter-inflation policy, he will instruct the British Gas Corporation not to go ahead with the planned increase in gas prices due in October, following the Government's instructions, or at least that element of it which exceeds the rate of inflation; and whether he will make a statement on the reasons for his decision.

I have nothing to add to my right hon. Friend's statement of 16 January 1980, as augmented by his answer to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, South-East (Mr. Rost) of 4 February 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will consider the early introduction of legislation to permit the sale to the general public of up to 49 per cent. of shares in British Gas, with the reservation of some stock for all employees of the industry, it being understood that this would be accompanied by the abandonment both of proposals to sell off showrooms and also of recent Government directives regarding pricing policy and excess profit levies; what would be the likely advantage to the public sector borrowing requirement of such a sale of shares; and whether he will make a statement.