asked the Lord Privy Seal whether, in view of the failure of the Crown Agents to enter their objections to the filing of bankruptcy against Mr. William Stern at the proper time, he will dismiss the chairman of the Crown Agents for Overseas Governments and Administrations from office or will use his powers under schedule 1 to the Crown Agents Act 1979 to reduce his £30,850 per annum salary to £10,000 per annum.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the present import penetration of textiles from (a) the United States of America, (b) other countries in the European Economic Community and (c) other countries.

It is estimated that, in terms of value, import penetration of textiles, defined as products classified to order XIII of the standard industrial classification (revised 1968), from the following areas in 1980 was:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the present import penetration of clothing from (a) the United States of America, (b) other countries in the European Economic Community and (c) other countries.

It is estimated that, in terms of value, import penetration of made-up clothing, defined as products classified to minimum list headings 441–449 of the standard industrial classification (revised 1968), from the following areas in 1980 was:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the present import penetration of footwear from (a) the United States of America, (b) other countries in the European Economic Community, and (c) other countries.

It is estimated that, in terms of value, import penetration of footwear, defined as products classified to minimum list heading 450 of the standard industrial classification (revised 1968), from the following areas in 1980 was:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if, in the current negotiations in Geneva, he will ensure that the outstanding interests of the United Kingdom textile industry are protected.

The Government have already made clear their commitment to do the best they can to ensure that the interests of the United Kingdom textile industry are fully safeguarded during the negotiations for a successor arrangement to the multi-fibre arrangement, taking into account the interests of British industry as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether his Department has incurred any liabilities as a result of litigation arising from the collapse of tour operating companies in the Court Line group in August 1974.

In August 1975, the then Secretary of State for Trade gave an indemnity to the Tour Operators Study Group Trust Fund Limited (TOSG) that for a period of seven years he would meet any liability arising from legal proceedings as a result of the implementation of arrangements whereby TOSG, as trustees of moneys held against the failure of certain tour operators, met fully all valid claims to the extent of the money available (less certain retentions for foreseeable costs). The Air Travel Reserve Agency (ATRFA), then newly created, would meet all remaining valid claims. In order to ensure that customers of the tour operators did not receive payments amounting to more than the losses they had incurred, TOSG required them, as a condition of being paid, to assign to ATRFA their rights as unsecured creditors in the liquidation of the tour operating companies.The making of these assignments became the subject of litigation between, on the one hand, the banks who had provided the moneys on behalf of the tour operators and, on the other, the ATRFA and TOSG. The High Court hearing was concluded in November 1980 and judgment delivered on 27 February 1981. TOSG's legal costs up to the end of December 1980 amounted to £38,870 and now fall to be paid by my Department under the terms of the indemnity.Parliamentary approval for the new service for the payment will be sought in a Supplementary Estimate for the Vote of the Department of Trade. Pending that approval, the necessary expenditure will be made by a repayable advance from the contingencies fund.

asked the Secretary of Trade what undertakings he proposes to refer to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission under section 11 of the Competition Act 1980; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend intends to refer a number of public sector bus undertakings to the commission. The undertakings to be included in the investigation are City of Cardiff Transport, West Midlands passenger transport executive, and two National Bus Company subsidiaries, Bristol Omnibus Company (including Cheltenham District Traction Company) and Trent Motor Traction Company. The inquiry will cover the principal aspects of the undertakings' efficiency in supplying stage carriage services, including the use of manpower, maintenance procedures and investment planning. The commission will also be asked to consider whether any of the undertakings is in any way abusing a monopoly situation. Precise terms of reference for the inquiry will be announced shortly.I believe that passengers, ratepayers and the bus industry itself will welcome this investigation, which should help to improve efficiency not only in the undertakings immediately concerned but in the whole of the industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he has reviewed the policy on public safety zones at the ends of busy airport runways introduced after the Manchester air crash in 1958.

An inter-departmental working group of officials has re-examined the present arrangements in the light of recent world-wide accident statistics. These show that the risk to people on the ground from an aircraft crash is very small compared with the normal hazards of life and that most of those aircraft accidents which have taken place around airports occur within 300 metres of the runway threshold. They have therefore recommended that while public safety zones should be retained, some adjustments should be made to the criteria for establishing the zones, their dimensions, and the degree of development which should be allowed within them so as to reflect more closely current assessments of the degree of risk.While responsibility for establishing public safety zones at military aerodromes will remain with the Ministry of Defence, it is proposed that the administration of public safety zones around civil airports will in future pass to the Civil Aviation Authority. The Department of Trade will retain general responsibility for public safety zone policy. I accept these recommendations and will arrange for details to be made available to the local authorities, airport operators and others concerned. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the cost to the Exchequer by each quarter since March 1979 of redundancies in Her Majesty's Treasury and the Department of Industry, together with the number of individuals involved.

Although permanent staff in post in the Treasury have been reduced by 7·2 per cent. since March 1979, there have been no redundancies since that date. Manpower reductions have been achieved by natural wastage. Redundancies in the Department of Industry are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those public companies which have been formed since May 1979 out of assets previously owned by public corporations; and if he will list in each case the percentage of their shares held by the Government and its agencies.

I shall let the right hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce legislation to permit the Inland Revenue to allow licences for short-term tenancies of small business premises to benefit from the provisions of the Capital Allowances Act 1968, in line with the recommendations of the Department of Industry's report on small business premises.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state both the levels and proportions of finance of (a) central Government and (b) local government borrowing raised on Eurocurrency markets for the past 10 years.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of surgery and health centre premises are provided with an adapted or special entrance for the disabled in each health authority in Wales.

This information is not available but departmental guidance on the design of health centres gives specific advice on the needs of the disabled.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details on an annual basis of the number of factory units that have been built by the Welsh Development Agency and their location, together with the number of jobs created since the agency was set up.

I have asked the agency to provide the information to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many school leavers who left school in the current year from schools in the Greater London Council area are now registered as unemployed.

At 9 July the number of school leavers under 18 years of age registered as unemployed in Greater London was 19,949 but the statistics do not distinguish how many of these left school this year. At 9 April, the last count before this year's school leaving started, the numbered registered was 4,750.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the percentage of male and female unemployment, respectively, in the Stoke travel-to-work area in June 1979, June 1980 and June 1981.

The following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many unemployed persons are aged between (a) 16 and 19 years, (b) 19 and 21 years and (c) 21 and 25 years; and in each case what proportion have (i) a minimum of five 0-levels, (ii) a minimum of two A-levels and (iii) a university degree.

The following table gives for 9 April, the latest date for which an analysis by age is available, the numbers registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom for the age ranges nearest to those specified. The unemployment statistics are not analysed according to the academic qualifications of the registrants.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the percentage rate of unemployment (a) in total, (b) among young people and (c) among ethnic minorities in each of the following areas; and what are the similar regional figures for the areas concerned: Deptford, Brixton, Walthamstow, Battersea, Southall, Wood Green, Tottenham, Bedminster, Avonmouth, Swindon, Gloucester, Cirencester, Chester, Derby, Crewe, Highfield (Leicester), Handsworth, Liverpool, 8, Toxteth, Blackpool, Blackburn, Moss Side, Bradford, Halifax, Hull and Leeds.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average number of hours worked per week in manufacturing industry; what is the number of days holiday granted; and how these figures compare with other EEC countries.

The following information relates to adult manual workers and is based on figures compiled by the statistical office of the European Communities (SOEC):

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many employees in Calderdale metropolitan district were being supported by the temporary short-time working compensation scheme in May and June.

The number of potentially redundant employees covered by applications current in May 1981 in the Calderdale metropolitan district was 4,153. The figure for June 1981 was 3,918. It is not possible to give the numbers of workers sharing short-time working to avert redundancies below regional level.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what have been the average hourly earnings of full-time female employees expressed as a percentage of male earnings in each year since 1975.

The available information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the annual operating cost of the Manpower Services Commission's special services division; what proportion of its work is involved in the youth opportunities programme; and how many participants there are likely to be during the average week in 1981–82.

[pursuant to his reply, 23 July 1981]: The special programmes division expects to incur administrative costs of some £23 million in 1981–82. This represents approximately 5 per cent. of its cash limit for the year.The proportion of the division's activity which relates to the youth opportunities programme is estimated to be between 80 and 90 per cent. During 1981–82 there are expected to be an average of some 170,000 young people participating in the youth opportunities programme each week.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will make a statement on the ministerial meeting with representatives of the National Union of Tailoring and Garment Workers regarding the unemployment problem in the tailoring and garment industry; and what was the nature of their representation and his reply thereto.

On 15 July my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade and I had a full discussion with a delegation from the National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers about factors currently affecting the performance and prospects of the United Kingdom clothing industry. A number of issues were raised. In particular the union pressed for the removal of VAT from all clothing, and for finance at preferential rates of interest for manufacturing industry. We explained that both these proposals posed great practical difficulties and ran counter to the Government's wider economic and fiscal policies.We noted, too, the importance which the union attached to an extension of the temporary short-time working compensation scheme which I have drawn to the attention of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment. The union also sought renewal of the multi-fibre arrangement on terms which would allow a tightening of controls on imports from low-cost sources. The Minister for Trade describe the progress made so far in discussions within the Community, and stressed the Government's continuing determination to secure a tough and effective arrangement to succeed the present MFA when it expires at the end of this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many energy-saving projects have been initiated in British industry since May 1979; what has been their success rate; and if the Government have any further plans for savings in this area.

The Government do not keep records of energy saving projects initiated in United Kingdom industry, other than those for which grants have been made available.Since May 1979, 1,298 projects under the energy conservation scheme have been supported leading to estimated annual savings of approximately 300,000 tonnes of oil equivalent. In addition, since May 1979 the Departments of Industry and Energy have provided support for 73 energy conservation demonstration projects in industry. Five of these have reached completion and in nearly all cases the target savings have been achieved.The Government's future plans include continued expenditure under the latter scheme for suitable energy projects in industry. Support for proposals which include an energy-saving content, is also available from the Department's more general R and D financial assistance given by research requirements boards, the product and process development scheme and the microprocessor application project.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if his Department has made, or will be making, any financial contribution to the work of the Duncan Guthrie Institute of Medical Genetics at Glasgow University; if he will visit the institute to study the significance for the United Kingdom as a whole of its work in the fields both of research and the screening of mothers at risk of severe foetal abnormality; and if he will make a statement;(2) what study his Department has made, or will be making, of the facilities at the Duncan Guthrie Institute of Medical Genetics at Glasgow University for the screening of mothers at risk of severe foetal abnormality; and if he is taking any action to make the significance of the institute's work in this field more widely known.

My Department has provided substantial financial support for research into foetal abnormalities over previous years and is currently funding research work associated with the institute in the field of neonatal screening. The Department will continue to be prepared to receive applications for research support from funds allocated by the Secretary of State.The Department is aware of the facilities available and the significance of the work being undertaken. The publicising of the institute's work is a matter for the staff in charge to determine.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the sum paid by the German vessels "Hanover" arid "Kiel" for their confiscated catch following their conviction in Stornoway sheriff court on Tuesday 14 July.

£15,000 for the part of the catch that was confiscated.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether Crombie compensation will continue to be available for staff in colleges of education in Scotland who are made redundant or suffer loss or diminution of emoluments.

I have today laid the Grant-Aided Colleges (Compensation) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1981, which provide that staff in colleges of education who suffer loss of employment or loss of diminution of emoluments in consequence of directions given or regulations made by me after 14 August 1981 will have no entitlement to Crombie compensation.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the correct average differential between the prices paid for imported Australian power station coal and that sold by the National Coal Board to power stations, less subsidy.

Detailed up-to-date information is not available and estimates have a wide margin of uncertainty. However, on the assumption that new contracts for Australian coal would reflect current Rotterdam spot prices, it is estimated that Australian coal would cost £4 to £5 per tonne less than NCB coal at Thameside power stations, after adjusting the NCB price to take account of quality differences and to eliminate the average effect on NCB prices of operating subsidies. At central power stations, it is estimated that the adjusted price of NCB coal would be £4 to £5 per tonne below that of Australian coal.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many power stations are used by the rail network in the United Kingdom to supply their own electricity; and what is the total capacity available.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether mineworkers take with them the benefit of payments made into the mine workers pension fund in the event of transfer by them to another employer.

This is a matter for the mineworkers pension fund.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give estimates of the coal consumption by the Central Electricity Generating Board and the South of Scotland Electricity Board over the past five years giving details in each case of (a) coal derived from the National Coal Board and (b) coal imported; and if he will estimate similar figures for the next five years.

The Central Electricity Generating Board's coal consumption and deliveries in the last five years are given in the following table:

The British Rail network draws its electrical requirement wholly from the public electricity supply system.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list all the past and present major facilities, their functions, dates of commissioning and source of capital funding, at British Nuclear Fuel Ltd.'s and its predecessor's Calder Hall, Chapelcross, Capenhurst, Springfield and Windscale works.

The information requested by the hon. Member can be provided only at disproportionate cost. My officials have been in touch with the chairman of BFNL and I suggest that the hon. Member writes to him.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what was the total amount of plutonium produced and separated by the United Kingdom's nuclear power programme by each five-year period up to the present day and the amounts (a) used in the United Kingdom's fast-breeder reactor research programme, (b) used in the United Kingdom's weapons programme, (c) exported, (d) currently stockpiled for expected civil use and (e) currently stockpiled for expected military use.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers (a), (c) and (d) given to him on 6 April and 14 May 1981. It would not be in the national interest to provide the other information requested.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether the design or operation of any of the United Kingdom's Magnox reactors have ever been altered or modified in order to increase plutonium production; if so, which reactors, when and how; and for how long any reactors in question were operated on the modified criteria.

The Calder Hall and Chapelcross reactors were designed to produce plutonium both for military purposes and electricity, and during their early years of operation associated fuel cycles were optimised for the former objective. No modifications to increase plutonium production have subsequently been carried out. The design or operation of the CEGB's Magnox reactors has not been modified to increase plutonium production, and they have always had the objective of maximising electricity generation.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what were the numbers of reports of alleged offences against the gas safety regulations in 1980 (a) committed by employees of British Gas and (b) committed by employees in the private sector.

The Department of Energy's records distinguish between alleged offences against the Gas Safety Regulations 1972 by the British Gas Corporation, the Confederation of Registered Gas Installers and the rest of the private sector.Figures for 1980 record:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the performance indicators currently published by the major nationalised industries for which he has responsibility; and whether he is satisfied that they enable a fair assessment to be made of the industries' performance and service standards.

The National Coal Board, British Gas Corporation and electricity supply industry all publish a wide range of performance indicators in their annual reports and accounts, copies of which are available in the Library. These are helpful in forming a judgment of the industries' performance in a number of areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about the report he has received from the Institute of Geological Sciences on the potential of oil shales in Great Britain; and what action he proposes to take.

The report records the results of a study carried out by the Institute of Geological Sciences of the Natural Environment Research Council into the potential of oil shales onshore in the United Kingdom as a source of oil or as a fuel. Its principal conclusion is that oil shales could never, even under the most favourable economic circumstances, make a major contribution to the energy supply of the United Kingdom.The report recommends that research into oil shale utilisation would not be justified in view of the small potential of United Kingdom shales. I accept this recommendation. The report also suggests that a watching brief should be maintained on oil shale developments world-wide, and that the establishment of an organic geochemistry unit to interpret data on British organic-rich rocks, including oil shales and other natural oil source rocks, should be considered. These suggestions have been discussed with the council, which already monitors progress on oil shale and mineral developments world-wide and which carries out some organic geochemistry work. I have concluded that in the circumstances it is not necessary for my Department to undertake further work on these matters.The report is a significant contribution to the study of the potential of United Kingdom oil shales. I have therefore agreed with the council that it should make the report available to anyone who wishes to consult it. Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will list all grants given by his Department for the in-service training of teachers for a multi-racial society since 1 September 1978.

Financial support is provided by my Department for short in-service training courses. The following courses related to multi-cultural education have been supported since 1 September 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to be able to go out to consultation on the draft scheme for a public lending right from public libraries.

I am glad to be able to tell the House that the scheme is being issued for consultation today. I am putting a copy in the Library.Subject to views expressed, I expect to lay the scheme before Parliament for approval in the autumn and to bring it into force in the new year. The collection of information on loans of registered books from public libraries and the setting up of the register of authors would then begin as soon as possible thereafter.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many Vietnamese refugees are still in Hong Kong.

On 23 July there were 19,339 Vietnamese refugees still in Hong Kong.

asked the Lord Privy Seal why he regards the convention of 3 December 1937 between the United Kingdom and Switzerland on legal proceedings as not extending to Northern Ireland without express notification; and whether such notification has been or will be made.

In so far as civil proceedings in Northern Ireland are concerned, article 8 has the effect of excluding Swiss citizens from the rights accorded by the convention until such time as the United Kingdom notifies Switzerland through the diplomatic channel that the operation of the convention shall extend to Northern Ireland. A notification in these terms was addressed to the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs by the British embassy in Berne on 26 May 1981, and the extension came into force on 26 June 1981.As regards civil proceedings in Switzerland the provisions of the convention are held to apply, by virtue of the nationality definition in article 1

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many visitors, students and trainees on engineering and industrial studies programmes the British Council placed on courses in the United Kingdom in August 1980.

I regret that statistics are not readily available. I shall provide the hon. Member with this information as soon as it is assembled.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many fellowship students supported by the European development fund the British Council placed in programmes in the United Kingdom between January and June 1981.

126 students sponsored by the European development fund began their training in the United Kingdom between January and June 1981.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many foreign students on main course English language study the British Council placed in colleges in the United Kingdom during the months of March and April 1981.

One overseas student began main course English language study during the months of March and April 1981.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what progress was made in the implementation by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Eastern European countries of the Helsinki final act during the last six months.

During the last six-month period there have been no significant changes in the record of Eastern European and Soviet implementation of the commitments made under the Helsinki final act, although there has been a deterioration on the part of some countries. In Poland, developments set in motion in August 1980 have continued, but it is premature to assess their effect on Poland's implementation record.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with the sale and letting of Service properties in the Catterick area; and if he will make a statement.

In January of this year it was anticipated that over 600 married quarters at Catterick garrison would become surplus to requirements and be passed to the Property Services Agency for disposal. These included 370 timber-clad married quarters of a type known as 5M. Because of the large numbers involved and the unlikelihood of the PSA being able to sell them quickly, I agreed to discuss with the local authority the possibility of making a number available to it for a short period. It is now possible, as a result of changes in the defence programme announced in Cmnd. 8288, that we shall have a requirement for most, if not all of the quarters at Catterick, excluding those of the 5M type in which the council is not interested. Since this requirement is not likely to materialise before 1985 I am still prepared to lease a number of the vacant quarters to the local authority and I understand the PSA, acting on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, has already identified with Richmondshire district council the quarters concerned. As I said in my statement on 29 January—[Vol. 997, c. 513–4]—the houses can be made available only for a short period, and a condition of any agreement will be that the local authority must vacate the houses when the period granted by the agreement expires.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total number of United Kingdom civilians employed at North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries' military bases and installations in the United Kingdom, excluding those of the United Kingdom; and what is his estimate of the numbers employed indirectly.

The total number of United Kingdom based civil servants employed at these military bases and installations on 1 July 1981 was 2,200. This excludes staff employed by the Property Services Agency.The numbers of United Kingdom civilians employed directly by the NATO countries concerned is not readily available, but I shall write to the hon. Member. I regret that a reliable estimate of the numbers employed indirectly could be obtained, if at all, only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total r umber of civilians in each parliamentary constituency employed on defence work (a) directly and indirectly by Government Departments and (b) by private contractors and sub contractors wholly and mainly dependent upon defence contracts.

I regret that the information required is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the number of appeals lodged against decisions to make deportation orders under section 3(5)(b) of the Immigration Act 1971 during 1980 and to the latest convenient date in 1981; and of these how many have been (a) heard, (b) allowed, (c) dismissed and (d) withdrawn.

The following figures, which have been provided by the appellate authorities, show, for the periods in question, the number of appeals referred to them the total number of appeals disposed of, and of these the number allowed, dismissed and withdrawn. Some appeals may have been withdrawn without being heard. Some of the appeals disposed of during the periods in question will have been referred to the appellate authorities in an earlier period.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a breakdown of the prison population detained under Immigration Act powers on the latest convenient date of (a) alleged illegal entrants, (b) people recommended for deportation by the courts without custodial sentences, (c) people recommended for deportation and custodial sentences discharged, (d) people detained under section 3(5)(a) of the Immigration Act 1971 and (e) people detained under section 3(5)(b) of the Immigration Act 1971; and if this information can be given according to prison department establishment and country of origin.

On 22 July 1981 the number of persons detained in prison department establishments under the powers of the Immigration Act 1971, was as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a table indicating the time spent in prison department establishments by persons recommended for deportation by the courts without custodial sentence on the latest convenient date, showing the numbers detained for more than one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and 10 weeks, respectively.

The information as at 22 July 1981 is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in the light of the present wide discrepancies in the level of sentences given for non-criminal minor offences compared to those for serious violent criminal activities, whether he will appoint a committee of investigation to examine to what extent the present system operates on a basis that the penalty should fit the crime and to consider any steps that could be taken to change the present situation.

No. Within the limits set by Parliament, sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the courts in the exercise of their judicial discretion.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Stockport, North on 1 December 1980, Official Report, column 31–32, on immigration appeals tribunals if he will now provide comparable figures for 1980.

Comparable figures for 1980, which have been provided by the appellate authorities are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to whom amendments to prison standing orders are distributed; and whether the Library receives copies of all amendments.

Amendments to prison standing orders are distributed throughout the prison service and to a number of organisations and individuals with an interest in penal matters. Copies of amendments to standing orders are provided for the Libraries of both Houses.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many home lifts have been installed by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in each of the past three years; and what is the present waiting list in each district.

This is a matter for the Housing Executive, but I understand from the chairman that 28, 39 and 47 home lifts were installed by the Housing Executive in the years 1978–79, 1979–80 and 1980–81.Applications for home lifts are outstanding in the following areas:

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will ensure that no reduction will be made in the recurrent grant payable to Queen's University until the funding implications of the Chilver report have been examined by the higher education interests in Ulster.

I can give no such assurance. The same restraints on university finance must be applied In Northern Ireland as in Great Britain.In accordance with the principle of parity, expenditure in the Northern Ireland universities in the academic year 1981–82 will reflect the average of the reductions which have been applied to universities in Great Britain. It is not intended to apply differential reductions to the two Northern Ireland universities.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many buses have been robbed, hijacked and destroyed by terrorists during 1980–81; what has been the total cost of the damage and losses; how many convictions have followed; and what penalties have been imposed.

As at 20 July 60 buses have been destroyed by terrorists during 1981 at a total cost of £393,000. The comparable figures for 1980 were given in my reply of 23 July 1981 to the hon. Gentleman, in which I also explained that the additional information is not available in the form requested.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will set out in the Official Report the estimated loss of income at Queen's University, New University and Ulster Polytechnic resulting from the reduction in the number of overseas students and the erosion of the value of grant as a consequence of inflation.

The fees charged to students from outside the European Community admitted to courses of higher education in Northern Ireland in 1981–82 and subsequent years will be higher than those charged to home students. It is not yet known how many new overseas students will be admitted in 1981–82 or whether this will result in a loss of income to the institutions.The extent to which grants to the universities and the polytechnics are affected by inflation will depend on whether the actual rate of inflation exceeds the rate forecast when the cash limit was set.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many illegal processions in support of the Irish Republican Army hunger strikes are known to the Royal Ulster Constabulary to have been held since 14 January; of these, how many have been held in each police division in Northern Ireland; and how many persons have been charged for taking part in them.

This information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Ross asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the net emigration from Ulster in each year since 1969.

The net outward migration from Northern Ireland is estimated as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish in the Official Report a detailed list of the loans and advances from the Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund to all public bodies, excluding Northern Ireland departments, and to each local authority in Northern Ireland in the present financial year.

In the present financial year the Northern Ireland consolidated fund has issued £4 million to the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland to enable that Department to make a corresponding advance to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.Loans to local authorities, detailed as follows, are made from the Government loans fund:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will take steps to involve parents in his proposed campaign to motivate teenagers to seek contraceptive advice; how he proposes to respect the rights of parents over their children's health and welfare in that campaign; and if he will guarantee that as part of the campaign he will seek to ensure that parents will always be consulted on the difficulties of their under-age children;(2) if he will ensure that in any publicity material, sex education kits, contraceptive packs and advertising produced in furtherance of the campaign to motivate teenagers to seek contraceptive advice, the full facts of the harmful consequences of teenage sexual intercourse are fully explained, including the law on the age of consent;(3) if he will ensure that in his proposed campaign to motivate teenagers to seek contraceptive advice, a major part of the campaign is devoted to the discouragement of promiscuity and premature sexual intercourse;(4) how much of his proposed campaign to motivate teenagers to seek contraceptive advice will be devoted to sex education in the context of marriage and family life and how much to the mechanics of contraception.

The campaign will not be an isolated one but will be an extension of the Health Education Council's continuing work on the prevention of unwanted pregnancies. The Department has asked the council to concentrate its efforts on teenagers later this year because of our deep concern about the increasing numbers of unwanted teenage pregnancies. DHSS Ministers will be closely involved in decisions on the content of the advertising to be used and will be particularly concerned to ensure that it does not encourage promiscuity or premature sexual activity. There will probably be advertising in national newspapers and magazines read by teenagers.Teaching aids or similar material will not be involved. Thus the campaign will not cover all the important matters to which my hon. Friend refers. It will not be directed at children under 16, but I have already made my views clear—in the Department's revised guidance on family planning services—that unless there are exceptional circumstances parents should be informed when advice is given to this group.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what methods he has introduced to reduce the National Health Service drug bill; and where he estimates that he has been successful according to the latest available figures.

We have continued the pharmaceutical prices regulation scheme which enables us to exercise strict control over the level of prices and profitability of drugs supplied to the NHS. Apart from this, the basis of our approach has been to provide doctors with information and support to help them make their own prescribing more effective.The Department's regional medical officers continue to make routine and special visits to general practitioners to discuss prescribing matters. Shortly, doctors will be able to obtain detailed analyses of their own prescribing when computerisation of the Prescription Pricing Authority takes place. An expanded and revised edition of the British National Formulary was distributed to all prescribers earlier in the year and a further edition is due in September. The Department also makes available to doctors free of charge information about drugs and therapeutics through publications such as

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he intends to introduce any legislation affecting the medical profession in the light of the decision by the House of Lords on 16 April in the case of H. P. Tarnesby and Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster health authority.

Discussions about the implications of this case had already taken place with representatives of the medical profession before their Lordships gave their decision. We intend to introduce appropriate legislation as soon as the Parliamentary timetable allows.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which bodies his Department is consulting with regard to the possibility of introducing transitional arrangements to cover charges to foreign visitors for National Health Service treatment, in particular for overseas students; and if he is yet in a position to make a statement.

As indicated in my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Dr. Mawhinney) on 30 June—[Vol. 7, c. 368]—we plan to exempt overseas students already undertaking a full-time course of study on the impelementation date for the remainder of their stay in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Service if he has received the advice of the Committee on Safety of Medicines on the proposed general use of the drug Depo-Provera; and how and when he proposes to make known his decision on it.

Information relating to applications for medical products must remain confidential for commercial reasons. Details of product licences granted by the licensing authority are published in the London Gazette.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in Scotland were receiving (a) the higher rate and (b) the lower rate of attendance allowance in the latest year for which figures are available.

At 31 December 1979 the figures were (a) 10,000 and (b) 14,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the waiting list for each specialty for the East Dorset hospital authority; and how this compares with the position a year ago and with the national position today.

The most recent figures available centrally are those for March 1980. The following table gives details of the waiting lists for each major specialty at March 1979 and March 1980 for East Dorset and at March 1980 for England.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he intends to make arrangements for a national recall system for women to be regularly screened for cancer of the cervix; and if he will make a statement.

In April, as I announced in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Silvester) on 15 April—[Vol. 3, c. 216–17]—the Government published a consultative paper proposing changes in the arrangements for recalling women for cervical cytology testing. Comments on these proposals are now being considered and we expect to make a statement shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why the Minister for Health has not yet replied to a letter dated 22 May from the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury concerning a recent case considered by the Central Midwives Board.

I have replied to the hon. Gentleman's letter. I regret the delay.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give his reasons for not maintaining a statutory advisory council on child care during the last 15 months; and if he will make a statement.

The Advisory Council on Child Care has been in abeyance since last year because, as I have already announced, I intend as soon as possible to propose to Parliament that the statutory provisions relating to it should be repealed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were prescribed some form of birth control as a result of receiving family planning advice through National Health Service family planning clinics and through general practitioners who offer a contraceptive service, respectively, in the years 1978, 1979 and 1980.

The numbers of people attending family planning clinics in England, who, after advice, chose to use some method of birth control including natural family planning methods and sterilisation were 1,457,400 in 1978, 1,416,900 in 1979 and 1,401,100 in 1980.Similar information is not available for general practitioners who offer a contraceptive service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many trained chiropodists are employed by each local authority; how many trained and untrained chiropodists, respectively, are employed on an agency basis within the areas of each authority; and what number of full-time chiropodists each of these figures represents per 1,000 population over 65 years of age.

[pursuant to his reply, 13 July 1981; Vol. 8, c. 292.]: The information is as follows: