asked the Prime Minister whether, when next meeting Sir Michael Edwardes of BL, she will request him to forgo his recent increase in salary or to accept only 4 per cent. to assist the Government's policy of reducing excessive wage and salary awards.

Sir Michael Edwardes' recent increase in salary was determined by the board of BL. Any suggestion that Sir Michael should forgo any element of his remuneration is therefore a matter for him and for the board of BL. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry has already informed the House in a written reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. Cadbury)—[Vol. 10, c. 125–26]—the cost to BL of Sir Michael Edwardes' remuneration will have increased at an annual rate of 5·1 per cent. compound over the five-year period of his service, excluding early retirement arrangements.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the fact that the chairman of British Railways has been awarded a 25 per cent. increase in salary and is to be enabled to carry on his private industrial activities, she will take whatever action may prove necessary to ensure that all chairmen of public boards and their employees are treated in the same manner.

I announced on 7 April 1981—[Vol. 2, c. 220]—the new arrangements for settling board members' pay. Moderate pay settlements throughout the economy are essential and this requirement has guided the Government's approach in approving new salaries for chairmen and members of nationalised industry boards. However, in individual cases, salary increases must take account of the need to recruit and retain able and experienced people.

asked the Prime Minister what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on the size of the population of the United Kingdom, and which Minister is responsible for population matters.

Government policies are formulated with regard to population well-being, not to population size or growth.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services has ministerial responsibility for general population matters which cut across departmental boundaries.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the co-ordination between the Home Office, the Department of Industry and the Department of Transport on the authorisation of the Carfax radio information service and the allocation of radio frequencies; and if she will make a statement.

Yes, I am so satisfied. Discussions between the Government and the BBC on the question of a permanent frequency for a Carfax service are continuing. There are particular difficulties in finding a frequency which would be both suitable for the proposed service and available under the international radio regulations on a permanent basis.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make representations to the Chilean Finance Minister regarding the disappearance of William Beausire, a British subject, in Chile when the Minister visits the United Kingdom on 15 November.

The Chilean Minister of Finance, who was to have attended a business seminar in London on 16 November, has had to cancel his visit. The Chilean Minister of Labour and Social Security is taking his place. My hon. Friend the Member for Shoreham (Mr. Luce) intends to raise with him human rights questions including the case of Mr. William Beausire.

asked the Prime Minister, pursuant to her written answer of 9 November, whether the security services investigated Mr. Leo Long's activities between 1946 and 1952, and, in particular, in respect of his assertion that he did not pass information to the Russians during this period, in addition to interrogating him; and with what result.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave him yesterday.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether there have been incidents in Wales of consultant obstetricians blocking the use of "Flying Squad" facilities when the latter were urgently needed to attend maternity emergencies in the community; and to what extent it is the policy of the health authorities in Wales to encourage babies to be born in hospitals directly under consultant supervision.

I am not aware of any such incidents. Obstetric "Flying Squad" facilities are organised locally. Government policy is that as far as possible deliveries should take place in hospitals with consultant supervision.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many full and part-time workers have left the agriculture industry in Wales during the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

June census data show the following numbers of regular family and hired workers engaged in work on agricultural holdings in Wales:

	1976	1981
Whole-time	12,342	8,337
Part-time	4,716	3,498
	17,058	11,835

If managers and casual and seasonal workers are included, total numbers are: 24,509 and 21,466.This does not include farmers, partners and directors.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends to implement the pay settlement reached on 29 July by the Whitley Council for the staffs of Industrial Estates Corporation and development agencies; what is the reason for the delay by his Department in implementing the pay settlement in Wales; how many employees of the Welsh Development Agency and the Development Board for Rural Wales are affected by this non-implementation; and if he will make a statement.

The Government have accepted the 7½ per cent. pay increase proposed. The delay in payment has arisen because the employers' side of the Whitley Council, before implementing the new salary scales, is seeking the Government's agreement to a package of measures concerning restructuring, grading and annual leave.My Department, along with the other sponsor Departments—Department of Industry and Scottish Economic Planning Department—together with the Civil Service Department, is still considering the package.The numbers of staff concerned by the pay proposals in the Welsh Development Agency and the Development Board for Rural Wales are 310 and 52 respectively.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will set out the action he has taken in connection with the recommendations adopted by the general conference of UNESCO at its 21st session.

There are three recommendations:

i. Recommendation concerning the status of the artist;

ii. Recommendation for the safeguarding and preservation of moving images;

iii. Recommendation concerning the international standardisation of statistics on the public financing of cultural activities.

The relevant Government Departments have been advised of the adoption of these recommendations. The Governments of the dependent territories have also been informed of the adoption of these recommendations for such action as they consider necessary. I have arranged for copies of all three recommendations to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked the Lord Privy Seal, pursuant to his reply, Official Report, 31 July, column 545, in view of the fact that the tanker "Agios loannes" discharged a cargo of North Sea oil landed at Teesside on 19 November 1980 at the South African port of Saldanha in contravention of Her Majesty's Government's policy, if he will seek to ascertain the companies which (a) owned the tanker, (b) chattered the tanker and (c) owned the oil; and if he will make a statement.

Our investigations show that the oil which this tanker loaded in November 1980 at Teesside was not produced in the United Kingdom continental shelf, and the ship's owners gave a destination for the cargo other than South Africa.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council on 10 November.

I chaired the special meeting of the Foreign. Affairs Council which was arranged for 10 November in order to discuss the Community's future policy on imports of low-cost textiles. My hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Trade represented the United Kingdom. After discussion, the Commission undertook to bring new proposals forward, and these will be considered at a further special meeting in parallel with the main Foreign Affairs Council on 17 November.Commission Vice-President Davignon reported on recent measures taken by the United States against steel imports from the European Community. The Council expressed its very serious concern and gave full support to the Commission's efforts to find a solution in co-operation with the United States authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in view of the case of Mrs. Longsdale of Liverpool, whether he is aware of other disabled people living in Liverpool whose need for a telephone has been accepted by the social services department, but for whom no arrangements for its provision have been made; whether he will seek to ensure installation as soon as possible; and if he will use his powers under section 36 of the National Assistance Act 1948 to investigate the case of Mrs. Longsdale.

My right hon. Friend is already considering a recent suggestion that he should exercise his powers under section 36 of the National Assistance Act 1948 in respect of services provided for Mrs. Longsdale. A letter has been sent to the chief executive. I shall write to the hon. Member once these inquiries are complete.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state for a convenient date in 1974, 1976 and 1979 the number of doctors employed in hospitals in the National Health Service.

The number of doctors employed in NHS hospitals in Great Britain at the dates shown was as follows:

30 September 1974	33,724
30 September 1976	36,258
30 September 1979	39,640

Due to the reorganisation of the National Health Service in April 1974 returns for that year were incomplete and this figure may be understated.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will state the number of general practitioners providing services within the National Health Service on a convenient date in 1974, 1976 and 1979.

On 1 October 1974, 1976 and 1979 there were, respectively, 21,531, 22,015 and 23,062 general medical practitioners, including unrestricted and restricted principals, assistants and trainees, working within the NHS in England.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will state the number of nurses, midwives and health visitors employed in National Health Service hospitals and in primary care on a convenient date in 1974, 1976 and 1979.

The number of nurses, midwives and health visitors employed in National Health Service hospitals and in primary care in 1974, 1976 and 1979 were as follows:

Numbers expressed as whole-time equivalent at 30 September in England
	1974	1976	1979
Hospital nurses	*117,210	133,382	145,859
Hospital midwives	*10,561	12,115	12,399
Primary health care nurses	16,187	17,860	19,528
Primary health care midwives	3,625	2,825	2,984
Health visitors†	8,473	8,016	8,983
TOTAL	156,056	174,198	189,753
* The figures for 1974 include some area and district administrative nursing staff. Unqualified staff and agency nurses have been excluded.
†Health visitors exclude TB visitors, since in 1974 it was not possible to identify separately those with and without HV certificates.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will state the number of ancillary workers employed in the National Health Service on a convenient date in 1974, 1976 and 1979.

The number of ancillary staff employed in the National Health Service in England at 30 September in each year were as follows:

Year	Number	Whole-time equivalents
1974	202,416	163,421
1976	216,687	173,592
1979	219,483	171,896

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his Department accepts the Inland Revenue 714 tax exemption certificate as proof of self-employment; and whether his Department has reclassified self-employed people holding such certificates as employed people.

Possession of a tax deduction certificate—form F714—is normally accepted as evidence of self-employment. If there were a particular reason to investigate the circumstances of someone holding a certificate and a contract of service were found to exist, he would be classified as an employee, but there is no information available to show if any such cases have occurred.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking with the health authorities in inner London to assist them to improve primary health care services in the areas, following the recommendations of the report of the London Health Planning Consortium under the chairmanship of Professor Acheson; and what additional resources he will provide for these improvements.

I have asked health authorities in inner London to consider the report as a basis for action, and invited comments from them and other interested organisations. The Department is considering those recommendations for which it is responsible.Previous reports have said that London has too many acute beds, that their number should be reduced, and that the consequent savings should be used to develop the primary health care services. The Acheson report endorsed that general approach. The Department will monitor the progress health authorities are able to make in this and will announce its own direct response to the Acheson recommendations in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why his Department has decided that nicotine chewing gum should not be prescribed under the National Health Service; what evidence as to its efficacy was available to his Department; and if he will reconsider this decision.

The product was considered by the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances, an independent professional body which advises the Department and the medical profession whether a substance should be regarded as a drug for the purposes of prescribing under the NHS.In the light of all available evidence, it advised that nicotine chewing gum should not be regarded as a drug, but made clear it would be willing to reconsider if further evidence became available.The recommendations of the committee are advisory on the medical profession. General practitioners remain free to prescribe what they think necessary for the treatment of their patients, although they may have to justify their decision to the local medical committee if challenged.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students from overseas began degree courses at British universities and polytechnics during 1980.

There were 6,185 overseas students who entered universities in Great Britain in 1980–81 as undergraduates; 2,203 overseas students started first degree courses at polytechnics in England and Wales. These figures include students from the European Community.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the lower and upper salary limits of university vice chancellors and principals.

This information is not available within the Department. The salary of a vice chancellor or principal is determined by his university.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if he will now introduce legislation to make it illegal to sell solvents to anyone under the age of 21 years;(2) if he will hold discussions with manufacturers of solvents to ask them to add to the manufacturing process any substance which would make it obnoxious to smell or to alter the formula used to make it odourless.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will review the provisions contained in section 49 of the Companies Act 1980 with a view to ensuring that company directors may be provided with loan facilities under personal pensions policies.

I am aware of such schemes and am considering their implications.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what has been the movement in British hotel prices compared with the rest of the world in the most recent year.

[pursuant to her reply, 9 November 1981, c. 15]: Eighteen months ago London had a somewhat unjust reputation for having expensive hotel prices. However, this year's Financial Times survey showed that in the first-class category there were now 25 major cities in the world with hotel prices more expensive than London. So these London hotels are a long way from being top of the high price league. According to research by the British Tourist Authority in the period October 1980 to June 1981 the average price of a double room with continental breakfast in a three-star hotel in London remained static while the sterling equivalent price for comparable accommodation in 14 other cities throughout the world rose by between 1 per cent. and 57 per cent.; prices in six other cities fell by between 1 per cent. and 19 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the breakdown of the types of work involved in the applications approved under the action for community schemes under the various industrial classifications.

The information, as at 3 November 1981, is as follows:

Type of Work	Numbers of Places
Manual	454
Clerical	44
Community Services	207
Exhibitions/Research	37
	742

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the 532 applications approved under the action for community schemes have been taken up; and what is the breakdown between statutory organisations, voluntary organisations and the private sector.

Under the action for community employment scheme, 742 places have now been approved in the current year up to 3 November 1981. The number of places actually taken up at that date is 474.The available details are as follows:

	Number of applications approved	Number of places	Number of places taken up
Statutory organizations (including district councils)	35	251	211
Private and public companies	7	22	13
Voluntary organisations and community groups	169	469	250
Total	211	742	474

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will set out in the Official Report the breakdown of applications under Action for Community Employment as between the 26 district council areas showing the approved and disapproved applications separately.

The information is as follows:

	Number of Applications
District Council Areas	Approved	Not Approved
Antrim	3	—
Ards	—	—
Armagh	3	—
Ballymena	—	—
Ballymoney	—	—

	Number of Applications
District Council Areas	Approved	Not Approved
Banbridge	3	—
Belfast	83	1
Carrickfergus	7	—
Castlereagh	1	—
Coleraine	4	—
Cookstown	2	—
Craigavon	9	1
Down	8	—
Dungannon	9	—
Fermanagh	4	—
Larne	5	—
Limavady	5	—
Lisburn	2	1
Londonderry	23	—
Magherafelt	1	—
Moyle	3	—
Newry and Mourne	13	—
Newtownabbey	4	—
North Down	4	—
Omagh	8	—
Strabane	7	—
TOTALS	211	3

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received from leaders of the Roman Catholic Church about the proposals of the Chilvers report on teacher training.

In response to the request by the Government for the comments on the recommendations of the interim report, the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church wrote that the report's proposals were unacceptable because they put continued participation of the Church in the training of teachers in jeopardy and thereby the future of the voluntary school system.In my recent statement I sought to allay these fears and to stress yet again that the Government recognise the importance which Roman Catholic parents attach to the religious ethos of Roman Catholic schools and that the Government have no intention of excluding the Churches from a direct involvement in teacher training or of ending denominational teacher training.The Government have said that they wish to proceed by agreement as far as possible, and to that end I shall shortly have discussions with Church leaders and other major interests.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the reasons for the practice described in the second last sentence of his reply to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury's question on 30 October as regards not taking account of income other than from Service sources; and how long the grossing-up method described in that letter has been in use.

Grossing of boarding school allowance for tax was first introduced in 1970 in response to a recommendation in the May 1969 report of the National Board for Prices and Incomes on Armed Forces pay—Cmnd. 4079. The present method has been in use since January 1976. The grossing for tax of boarding school allowance is operated by the Ministry of Defence as part of the PAYE system, within which tax adjustments are normally made at the time of payment, or least within the same year. Taxation of other family income is undertaken by the Inland Revenue and only it has access to information on overall financial and tax position of those Service men who have income from non-Service sources.Even if the Ministry of Defence could be given access to such information, it would not be available until well after the end of the PAYE tax year. The individual assessments required would impose an unacceptable administrative burden on Ministry of Defence pay authorities requiring the employment of significant numbers of additional staff.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of United Kingdom defence expenditure is attributable to NATO membership.

More than 90 per cent. of defence expenditure is devoted to our NATO commitments.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what would be the cost of a two-key system giving a British physical control over all United States nuclear weapons based, or projected to be based, in the United Kingdom.

As I told my hon. Friend on 10 November—[Vol. 12, c. 412–131]—the Government are entirely satisfied with the existing arrangements relating to the use by United States forces of bases in the United Kingdom. We have not therefore considered it necessary to undertake detailed studies of the likely cost of "two-key" systems. I can say, however, that if the United Kingdom were to purchase and man the cruise missiles to be stationed in this country, the cost to us would amount to several hundred million pounds.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if any discussions have taken place between his Department and the Government of any other country regarding the possible disposal of HMS "Invincible".

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Wilkinson) on 29 October 1981.—[Vol. 10, c. 464.] Other countries are, of course, aware of our plans for the "Invincible" class, but no detailed discussions have taken place.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has received the report of the study of control of expenditure in the Ministry of Defence.

Yes. I have placed in the Library a copy of the open Government document which summarises the report and describes our views on its recommendations and the action being taken on them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the complaints of mail being delayed at Risley remand centre and Strangeways prison, contained in letters to him from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Edge Hill.

The complaints in the hon. Member's letters of 27 October and 4 November regarding delays in forwarding prisoners' correspondence from Risley remand centre and Manchester prison respectively are being investigated, and a full reply will be sent shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he has received from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs the report of the council's expert group on cannabis; when the report is to be published, and whether he will place a copy in the Library;(2) whether he has any plans to introduce amending legislation to implement the recommendations of the advisory council of December 1979 relating to the reclassification of controlled drugs as urged by the council; and whether he proposes to take any other steps in regard to those recommendations.

We have received this report. We are most grateful to the members of the expert group for the thorough study that they have undertaken. The report will be published as soon as is practicable, and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.In the light of the report, my right hon. Friend will be considering further the recommendations made by the advisory council in December 1979 on the reclassification of controlled drugs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the procedures to be followed by chairmen of boards of visitors who seek to contact the Minister responsible for Her Majesty's prisons on matters of urgency.

Contact is normally made by letter; but if a matter arose which called for immediate contact by telephone, this should be made through the responsible Minister's private secretary or, outside office hours, through the Home Office duty officer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current strength of the Cheshire constabulary.

On 31 October the strength was 1,844, leaving only one vacancy on its authorised establishment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he will now dismiss the Director of Public Prosecutions.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many press and public relations officers are currently employed in his Department; what is the total cost per annum; and what were the comparable figures for May 1979 and May 1980.

The number and cost of information officer group staff in my Department's press office on the dates below were as follows:

	Staff-in-post	Estimated annual salary cost (£000s)
May 1979	13	125
May 1980	16	204
November 1981	16	221

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will include in any proposed criminal justice legislation the repeal of the offence of begging under the Vagrancy Act 1824.

No. The Select Committee on Home Affairs recommended in its third report that the begging offence in section 3 of the 1824 Act should be retained, at least for the time being. The Government, in their reply to the report, said that they accepted this recpommendation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to make the Movement for the Defence of Wales and the Free Wales Army proscribed organisations.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to issue guidance to the fire authorities concerning their responsibilities for ensuring the provision of means of escape from fire in houses in multiple occupation, including hostels and lodging houses; and if he will make a statement.

The Government intend to issue a circular to local housing and fire authorities on the scope and nature of their powers and responsibilities relating to fire safety in houses in multiple occupation. They will shortly be consulting the local authority associations about this.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to restrict the number of pickets at an industrial dispute to a level which does not constitute intimidation.

The police already have powers under the common law to restrict the number of pickets at any one place where they have reasonable cause to apprehend that, for example by reason of the pickets' numbers or intimidatory behaviour, a breach of the peace may occur. The exercise of their powers on any particular occasion is rightly a matter for the operational discretion of the police.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the total prison population now compares with the population on 16 July; and if he will make a statement.

The total number of inmates of prison department establishments in England and Wales was 45,500 on 16 July and 43,900 on 6 November. Although the prison system remains overcrowded, the situation is not such as to justify the continued exceptional use of military camps to provide additional prison accommodation. I therefore intend to arrange for the closure of Rollestone and Beckingham camps at the end of November.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the average rate of unemployment in intermediate areas; and if he will list the unemployment rate in each of those areas.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if it is his intention to take any measures to assist the West Midlands region in view of the growth of unemployment.

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

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will calculate the cost per 100 birds of introducing the more humane and hygienic standards regarding battery-produced eggs recommended by the European Economic Community Commission as expeditiously as is practicable.

The Commission proposed that from 1995 the minimum floor space allowance for a laying bird kept in a battery cage should be 500 sq cm. If egg production were to be maintained at present levels, it is estimated that the overall capital cost—at 1981 prices—of implementing this proposal in respect of the 44 million such birds in the United Kingdom would approach £30 million.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps his Department has taken, since May 1979, in order to reduce rural unemployment.

I have been asked to reply.It is the Government's policy to produce the conditions in 'which industry and commerce can become more competitive and produce the goods and services which people both at home and abroad want to buy at prices they are prepared to pay. Only in this way will firms be able to create the new jobs that are needed in all parts of the country.The Government also seek to help the rural economy through the work of the Development Commission. The commission can provide small factory units, advice and loans to small businesses—through its Council for Small Industries in Rural Areas—and support for agriculture, forestry, rural roads, harbours, inland waterways and fisheries. Responsibilities similar to those of the Development Commission are borne in Scotland and Wales by the Scottish and Welsh Development Agencies.In addition, people in rural areas benefit from the Government's special measures to alleviate unemployment, which operate throughout the country. More than £1·1 billion has been committed to these measures in this financial year. Rural unemployment is being reduced by schemes such as the youth opportunities programme, community enterprise programme and the temporary short-time working compensation scheme.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take effective steps against Dutch glasshouse produce so that United Kingdom growers will not continue to suffer as a consequence of Dutch subsidisation in its present form; and whether it is possible for him to expedite a European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund funded grant to British growers to meet their high energy costs.

We shall continue to exert the utmost pressure for the early end of the preferential tariff for gas supplied to Dutch glasshouse growers. Any proposal for a Community-funded aid is a matter for the Commission.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much beef currently is consumed per head of population in the United Kingdom; and what were the corresponding figures for the last five years.

The latest information relates to beef and veal consumption in the United Kingdom in 1980. The figures for that year and for the previous years are as follows:

Year	kg. per head per annum
1975	23·6
1976	21·1
1977	21·1
1978	22·0
1979	22·5
1980	20·9

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Scottish Education Department made any submissions to the University Grants Committee over student intake numbers which shows the differences between Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom in the percentage of home-based students, the number of qualified school leavers and the fact that an honours degree course in a Scottish university lasts for four years.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to announce his decision on the public inquiry held in 1980 dealing with test bores in the Galloway Hills—Mullwharchar.

I shall announce my decision as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the purpose of the "nationality survey" presently being carried out among patients at the Queen Mother hospital, Glasgow;(2) if he will list by medical category the type of patient being asked the "nationality survey" questions at the Queen Mother hospital, Glasgow;(3) what instructions he has issued to the Queen Mother hospital, Glasgow regarding the carrying out of a "nationality survey" at that hospital.

As announced on 30 June by my right hon. Friend, the then Secretary of State for Social Services, the Government have asked a working party of representatives of the health authorities, the health professions and ethic minorities to prepare advice to the NHS and health professions on the operation of a scheme to charge overseas visitors for their treatment under the NHS. The survey was carried out on behalf of the working party over a period of two weeks in October 1981. It is part of a pilot study of a procedure for identifying overseas visitors who are not entitled to free treatment under the NHS. The survey was concerned with where patients live, not their nationality. The tyes of patients involved in the survey were new patients registering for an initial outpatient clinic appointment or patients being admitted through an accident and emergency department.The NHS in Scotland is represented on the working party. My Department sends an observer to the working party, but I have issued no instructions to the hospital about the carrying out of the survey.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for bringing further provisions of the Children Act 1975 into operation.

Following consultation with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and other representative bodies, we have decided to introduce early in 1982 the following provisions of the Act relating to Scotland which the convention has agreed will have no additional resource implication for local authorities:

• Sections 4–7: approval of adoption societies by the Secretary of State.
• Section 28: restriction on arranging private adoption and placing of children.
• Section 32: submission to the Secretary of State of schemes for the payment of allowances to adopters.
• Section 74—part—and 75: power to transfer parental rights and duties to a voluntary organisation in respect of a child in its care.

We fully support the aims of the Children Act 1975, but further implementation of the remaining provisions will be possible only as and when resources permit. My Department is continuing discussions with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on whether it might be feasible to have further limited implementation of the Act without additional expenditure being incurred.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of house sales (a) in England and Wales and (b) in Greater London he estimates involve the payment of stamp duty.

The latest available information relates to November 1980. The percentage of residential properties sold which involved the payment of stamp duty was as follows:

	Per cent.
(a) England and Wales	35
(b) Greater London	48

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the income from stamp duty on the sale of houses in 1979–80, 1980–81 and 1981–82.

The estimated yield of stamp duty from residential property in the years 1979–80 to 1981–82 is as follows:

	million
1979–80	250
1980–81	225
1981–82*	285
*Forecast

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the Budget of the European Community has been absorbed by (i) the European agricultural guarantee fund, (h) the European agricultural guidance fund, (iii) the European regional development fund and (iv) the European social fund in each year since 1973; and what proportion he estimates will be absorbed by each in 1981, making due allowance for the recent amending budgets.

The appropriations entered in EC budgets from 1973 to 1981, as a proportion of total appropriations, for EAGGF—gurarantee and guidance—the social fund and the regional development fund are as follows:

	EAGGF Guarantee	EAGGF Guidance	Regional Fund	Percentages Social Fund
1973	75	7	—	6
1974	68	6	—	6

	EAGGF Guarantee	EAGGF Guidance	Regional Fund	Percentages Social Fund
1975	70	6	—	7
1976	70	4	4	5
1977	75	2	4	2
1978	71	3	4	4
1979	73	2	4	4
1980	72	2	3	4
1981*	64	3	5	3
*Including the draft supplementary and amending budget No. 2 1981

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the practice of providing loan facilities under personal pensions policies is acceptable to the Inland Revenue.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the loss of revenue if payments to child minders by one-parent families were to be deducted from gross income before tax.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he has any plans to withdraw life assurance tax relief from policies containing a guaranteed surrender value;(2) if he has any plans to withdraw life assurance tax relief from bond contracts linked to building society investment;(3) if he has any plans to extend the clawback period from four years in respect of guaranteed income bonds on which life assurance tax relief is claimed.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his Department's estimate of the current cost of financing each additional 100,000 unemployed in the United Kingdom including the loss of tax, income and insurance contribution.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the cost of interest on Government borrowings in each of the past three years; and what percentage of total Government spending in each year each figure represents.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 November 1981, c. 83.]: The information required is as follows. The figures relate to financial years ending on 31 March. Government spending has been defined as Consolidated Fund expenditure.

Financial year	(A) Interest on Government borrowings	(A) as percentage of Government spending
1978–79	£6,369,350,039	12·3
1979–80	£8,290,469,121	13·4
1980–81	£9,732,712,518	12·6

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the sum that will be payable in tax rebates to recipients of the mobility allowance in consequence of the decision of the High Court on 30 October.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 November 1981]: The implications of the decision will be assessed as soon as the full transcript of the judgment is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he or the Manpower Services Commission has received concerning industrial injuries to trainees on the youth opportunities programme in respect of (a) work experience on employers' premises, (b) training workshops or (c) community service projects; if he will give details of the number of such accidents during the past two years; and whether the Health and Safety Commission is looking into the general issues concerned.

Detailed records are not kept, but the Manpower Services Commission has informed me that inquiries and representations have been made by individuals and by organisations. It has recently been agreed that the MSC, together with CBI and the TUC will discuss the question of health and safety in regard to the programme. The Health and Safety Executive will also be a party to these discussions.The total number of accidents to youth opportunities programme trainees in the period 1 July 1979 to 30 June 1981 was 3,251. The majority of these were of a minor nature.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage per capita grant is given by the Government, local authorities and voluntary organisations in providing and maintaining sheltered workshops for the blind; if these proportions have changed since 1970; and if he will make a statement.

The average level of Government support in 1979–80, the latest period for which figures are available, towards the revenue losses of blind workshops run directly by a local authority or by a voluntary body as an agent of a local authority was 40 per cent. and 39 per cent. respectively. The comparable figures for the period 1969–70 to 1978–79 are listed as follows:

Percentage of revenue losses met by MSC in blind workshops run
	by voluntary bodies as agents for local authorities (28 workshops) Per cent.	directly by local authorities (27 workshops) Per cent.
1978–79	45	44
1977–78	48	46
1976–77	48	44
1975–76	55	48
1974–75	42	38
1973–74	46	40
1972–73	50	44
1971–72	45	40

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the industries, pursuant to the standard industrial classification, in East Anglia in which there has been an increase in unemployment since May 1979; and if he will give the percentage increases.

The following table gives the percentage increases between May 1979 and August 1981 in the numbers registered as unemployed in East Anglia. The figures are analysed according to the industry orders of the standard industrial classification in which the unemployed persons last worked.

	Per cent.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	55·6
Mining and quarrying	16·0
Food, drink and tobacco	81·6
Coal and petroleum products	9·1
Chemicals and allied industries	114·5
Metal manufacture	93·5
Mechanical engineering	182·8
Instrument engineering	110·9
Electrical engineering	169·3
Shipbuilding and marine engineering	134·9
Vehicles	312·8
Metal goods not elsewhere specified	150·0
Textiles	230·7
Leather, leather goods and fur	94·2
Clothing and footwear	204·8
Bricks, pottery, glass, cement, etc.	161·1
Timber, furniture, etc.	160·6
Paper, printing and publishing	171·1
Other manufacturing industries	117·5
Construction	125·2
Gas, electricity and water	19·1
Transport and communication	93·5
Distributive trades	96·0
Insurance, banking, finance and business services	96·5
Professional and scientific services	64·7
Miscellaneous services	88·3
Public administration and defence	44·2
Not classified by industry (including school leavers)	200·9
TOTAL	117·5

asked the Secretary of State for Employment which projects or programmes in the United Kingdom were the main recipients of grants from the European social fund in 1980 and in the first nine months of 1981.

Allocations from the European social fund in any one calendar year are made in respect of schemes starting during that year. Allocations to the United Kingdom for schemes starting in the calendar year 1980 totalled £135·2 million. Allocations for schemes starting in 1981 totalled £141 million. It is not possible to quote figures for part of a year.Th principal allocations in both years were in respect of schemes of vocational training, vocational preparation and employment rehabilitation run by the Manpower Services Commission in Great Britain—mainly the youth opportunities programme, the training opportunities scheme and the training for skills programme. Similar schemes in Northern Ireland run by the Department of Manpower Services also attracted allocations in both years.In 1980 and 1981 a number of small allocations were made in respect of schemes run by national Government Departments, nationalised industries, private firms and voluntary organisations.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of total disbursements from the European social fund has come to the United Kingdom in every year since 1973; and how this compares with the United Kingdom's share of the Community's labour force.

The United Kingdom's percentage share of allocations from the European social fund in each year since 1973 is set out in the following table. Because allocations before 1978 were made in the now obsolete unit of account—which assumed a fixed parity between currencies—it is not possible to compare directly the figures for 1973–77 with those for 1978 and subsequent years which are based on the European unit of account. The percentages shown for 1973–77, therefore, are indicative only.

	per cent.
1973	28·2
1974	22·0
1975	24·8
1976	19·6
1977	26·1
1978	19·7
1979	25·4
1980	22·7
1981	25·1

The United Kingdom working population represented about 24 per cent. of the European Community labour force up to the accession of Greece at the beginning of 1981. It is now estimated to be 23 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his Department's estimate of the number of people out of work in the latest unemployment. figures who have been unemployed for one full calendar year; and what is his Department's estimate of the number of people contained in this figure who generally could be described as being in the process of changing jobs.

At 8 October 1981, 784,636 people had been unemployed for more than 52 weeks in the United Kingdom.While there are no statistics to indicate how many of the total number registered as unemployed were in the process of changing jobs, there is a continual flow of people on to and off the register. Recently, more than one-quarter of a million people have left the register each month, largely for jobs or training.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to introduce a scheme to question members of ethnic minorities who apply for unemployment benefit; and if he will make a statement.

The policy of this and of previous Governments is to eliminate discrimination on the grounds of race or colour and to promote equal opportunities for all. To establish whether this policy is working, it is necessary to identify and count the number of unemployed who belong to the ethnic minority groups so that a comparison can be made between their unemployment situation and that of other workers. Since 1963 unemployed adults from these groups registered at employment offices and jobcentres have been identified and counted, but when registration at jobcentres becomes voluntary in October 1982 it will not be possible to make an accurate count in these offices and it is proposed to try out the collection of the statistics in benefit offices to see how it works in practice for claimants and staff.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of those who left school in the West Midlands during the current year became apprenticed on schemes lasting more than three years.

Information is not available in the form requested. However, from results of a sample survey it is estimated that in the West Midlands region in 1979, the latest year for which information is available, about 10,000, or a fifth of all 16 and 17-year-olds entering employment, had a first job that involved an apprenticeship or similar skilled training lasting two years or more.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many females registered as unemployed in the West Midlands in June 1979 and how many are registered now; and what steps are taken to encourage women who are made redundant to register as unemployed.

At June 1979, the number of females registered as unemployed in the West Midlands region, seasonally adjusted and excluding school leavers, was 35,000. The correspomding figure at October 1981 was 88,000.The Manpower Services Commission encourages all people being made redundant to seek the help of the public employment service to obtain new jobs.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he makes of recent trends in employment in the bicycle industry.

Figures of those employed in the bicycle industry are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what studies of winter maintenance of highways are being carried out by or in co-operation with his Department.

A review of winter maintenance of trunk roads and motorways was included in the 1981 scrutiny programme supervised by Sir Derek Rayner. The report, which was published last month, contained a large number of suggestions for improving the efficiency of this service. In addition, Inbucon Management Consultants Ltd is studying the broader question of recurrent maintenance of trunk roads and motorways at my request. I have now asked Inbucon to include winter maintenance and the Rayner recommendations as part of its wider study, on which a report is expected next February.In the meantime, the Government have already accepted and acted upon two of the Rayner recommendations—that the Department should issue a statement of service and a code of practice on winter maintenance. These documents have today been issued to the Department's agent authorities for action this winter.The statement of service defines the level of winter maintenance that the Department expects its agent authorities to undertake on motorways and trunk roads. The aim is to provide, at reasonable cost, a service which will permit the safe movement of traffic and minimise delays caused by adverse weather conditions. Top priority continues to be motorways where salting and snowploughing during the main winter months will be carried out within two hours of the onset of wintry conditions. At other times and on other roads the arrangements will be sufficiently flexible to permit a prompt reaction to frost and snow warnings.The code of practice sets out in detail the Department's requirements and contains comprehensive instructions on preferred methods for achieving the level of service set out in the statement of service

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has now decided on the future financing of the Port of London Authority and the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company.

I have now considered the corporate plans put to me by the PLA and MDHC earlier this year, and the comments of the accountants—Price Waterhouse and Co, in the case of the PLA, and Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Co in the case of the MDHC. These show that, in the light of forecasts of future traffic and profitability in the two ports, substantial further manpower reductions will be needed over the next few years.I have taken this fully into account in the Transport (Finance) Bill, published today, which increases the limit on financial assistance to the two port authorities by £200 million. This figure also reflects the fact that the Government will need to provide some further assistance for essential capital expenditure and grants towards the cost of keeping these two port authorities going pending a return to profitability. But I have made clear to both authorities the intention that there should be no grants for deficits beyond the end of 1982. Both authorities will be required to produce detailed action plans to meet these objectives. Furthermore, I have told them that, although I may be prepared to help them meet some short-term debt, I cannot agree at present to the major capital reconstructions that they have requested.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many households were renting from local authorities and new towns for each of the last 10 years to the latest available date;(2) how many (i) furnished tenancies, and (ii) unfurnished tenancies there were in England at

Estimated numbers of households in the various tenures are generally available only from the censuses of population and from major sample surveys of housing, and are as follows:

Estimates of Households in Rented Accommodation England
Thousands
	*1961	*1966	*1971	†1977
Rented from private landlords: unfurnished	3.315	2,775	2,667	1,830
furnished	563	664	740	590
Rented with business premises or by virtue of employment	855	799	‡	‡
Rented from housing associates	‡	‡	‡	255
Rented from local authorities or new towns	3,286	3,725	4,367	5,013

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, for each housing authority in England, how many council houses were sold (a) during the period ended 3 October 1980 to 3 April 1981 and (b) 4 April 1981 to the latest available date.

I assume my hon. Friend is referring to the period from 3 October 1980 to 3 April 1981. Not all the information requested is readily available. Sales figures for local authorities and new towns in England for the full financial year 1980–81 will be published shortly and I have placed an advance copy of these in the Library, along with provisional figures for April to June 1981.Authority by authority statistics on sales under the right to buy only for the period October 1980 to March 1981

were placed in the Library of the House in connection wish my right hon. Friend's written reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Ardwick (Mr. Kaufman) on 9 July 1981—[Vol. 8, c.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the operation and effectiveness of the London rent assessment panel; and if he will hold an inquiry into this to enable the public to give evidence.

I refer to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Construction gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Reading, North (Mr. Durant) on 10 November 1981.—[Vol. 12, c. 56.] I am looking for improvements in the operation and efficiency of all rent assessment panels through the implementation of the recommendations of the working party on rent assessment panel procedures.If my hon. Friend has any suggestions, I should be pleased to consider them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in the returns kept by local authorities of persons applying to them for assistance under the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977, he encourages them to record the numbers of applicants who do not have priority need under the Act; if so, whether he will publish the most recent figures available for such applications in England; and, if not, whether he will advise authorities to keep such records.

Local authorities are requested to record numbers of applicants found to be homeless but not in priority need as part of the regular statistical returns made to my Department. In the second half of 1980 the best estimate is that local authorities in England dealt with about 17,000 homeless households not in priority need.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the Association of Inner London Educational Authority Pricipals and Vice-Principals regarding the effects that Government proposed legislation on local government finance could have on the maintenance of standards of education in the inner London education authority area.; and if he will make a statement.

The Department is unaware of any representations from the association on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding the proposed legislation on local government finance from the Association of Metropolitan Authorities; and if he will make a statement.

The association has commented on the proposals set out in the technical memorandum issued by my Department on 30 September. Those comments indicated general opposition to the proposals and dealt with some of their technical aspects.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of private housing stock in Liverpool has been estimated to be unfit or unsatisfactory; and how long he considers it will take for these houses to be improved.

The city council's housing investment programme submission for 1982–83 indicates that on 1 April 1981 23·4 per cent. of the private housing stock in Liverpool was esimated to be unfit, fit but lacking basic amenities, or otherwise in need of renovation. It is for the city council to deploy resources to secure improvements in conjunction with private investment and housing associations. The length of time this will take therefore depends on local decisions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of young homeless persons accepted by local authorities as vulnerable by reason of financial or sexual exploitation, as laid down in the code of guidance to the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977, for each of the years 1978, 1979 and 1980, and for the first six months of the current year; whether he considers that the provisions of the Act sufficiently protect these young homeless persons; and if he will make a statement.

Numbers of homeless persons accepted by local authorities as vulnerable by reason of financial or sexual exploitation are not separately identified in the statistics provided to the Department. The operation of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 is currently under review, and it would be inappropriate at this stage to prejudge the outcome on any particular issue. We hope to conclude the review fairly soon.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the record of local authorities in implementing the Housing Act 1980; and how Norwich compares with other authorities.

[pursuant to his reply, 9 November 1981, c. 31]: The Department collects quarterly from each English housing authority statistics relating to chapter 1 of part I of the Housing Act 1980 on

(a) the number of RTBI claims received;

(b) the number of right to buy claims admitted;

(c) the number of right to buy sales completed;

(d) the number of right to buy sales completed with a council mortgage.

In addition, monthly information is being provided by a limited number of authorities whose progress in implementing the right to buy has been taken up by the Department. The provisional data available from these sources for the nine months, October 1980 to June 1981, have today been placed in the Library. A number of authorities are conducting sales of council houses through their established voluntary arrangements, and a small or nil return under the right to buy may not therefore represent the total number of sales in progress in a given authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now list the local housing authorities which are issuing section 10 notices under the Housing Act 1980 at a rate less than 60 a month.

[pursuant to his reply, 9 November 1981, c. 31]: The Department does not collect monthly figures from local housing authorities generally on the section 10 notices which they have issued. This information is, however, sought from a limited number of authorities whose progress in implementing the right to buy has been taken up by the Department. Of the authorities which had by 12 November provided information for the month of October, the following authorities reported issuing less than 60 section 10 notices in that month—Blyth Valley, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Chester-le-Street, Tower Hamlets and Watford.In relation to the position of tenants seeking to excercise the right to buy, the significance of the rate of progress in issuing section 10 notices in a given month has to be assessed in the light of the number of tenants whose right to buy has so far been admitted by the authority concerned and the date by which all these tenants can expect to receive their section 10 notices.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now bring up to date the statistics in the document on council house sales placed in the Library in connection with the written reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Ardwick, on 9 July 1981, Official Report, columns 212–13.

[pursuant to his answer,10 November 1981, c. 53–54]: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply that I have given to the right hon. Member for Norwich, North (Mr. Ennals) today.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if, in order to utilise the abundance of suitable coal mined in Great Britain for use by the horticultural industry in its glasshouse boilers, he will consider subsidising those growers converting from oil-fired boilers and establishing a scheme to enable the National Coal Board to sell its product as competitively as possible.

Financial support towards the capital costs of converting glasshouse boilers from oil to coal firing is already available under the scheme announced by the Minister of State, Industry on 22 May 1981. Assistance towards these costs may also be available to horticulturists from the capital grant schemes administered by the agricultural departments. The NCB already endeavours to ensure that the prices it charges to customers, including horticulturists, are as competitive as possible. The board's recent price increase was below the level of general inflation.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will list the conditions and criteria for granting offshore and onshore licences in the seventh round.

The granting of offshore and onshore petroleum licences is governed by the Petroleum (Production) Regulations 1976, as amended. The criteria against which application for offshore production licences were judged in the seventh round are set out in the Gazette notice published on 4 July 1980. Applications for onshore licences are not restricted to licensing rounds but can be applied for at any time. The factors taken into account in examining such applications are set out in the Gazette notice published on 5 August 1980. Copies of both notices were placed in the House Libraries at the time of publication.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage of proven North Sea oil reserves is at present held by the British independent exploration companies.

The percentage of proven North Sea oil reserves at present held by British independent exploration companies is approximately 4 per cent. based on the latest figures for proven reserves published in the "Brown Book 1981 (Development of the Oil and Gas Resources of the United Kingdom 1981)".

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the effect of the judgment in the case of Superior Overseas Development Co. Ltd. and Philips Petroleum (UK) Ltd. v. the British Gas Corporation on the price of natural gas in the southern basin Hewett Field.

This is a matter for the parties to the relevant gas sales contracts.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will bring forward legislation to control the way in which oil companies present their economic and financial position and make available their accounts for public scrutiny.

I have no plans for such legislation. Oil companies are subject to the disclosure requirements of the Companies Acts in the same manner as other companies.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how the price of Saudi Arabian light crude compares with that of North Sea light crude.

Following an OPEC meeting on 29 October the official price of Saudi Arabian light is now $34 per barrel. The British National Oil Corporation, which is the largest trader of United Kingdom CS crude oil, has suggested to companies that the price of United Kingdom Forties oil should now be set at $36·50 per barrel. The difference between the Saudi and Forties prices reflects differences in quality and location.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when the Government anticipate that North Sea Oil will run out.

We expect oil production from the United Kingdom continental shelf to increase to a peak in the mid-1980s and then to decline. The rate of decline will depend on the extent and nature of further discoveries, on future levels of demand and on oil prices, and cannot therefore be forecast with any certainty.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the results of the scheme to encourage industry to switch from oil-fired to coal-fired boilers.

This is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry.

asked the Attorney-General what are the criteria for the grant of legal aid for persons wishing to refer to the courts decisions of housing authorities under the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977, how many such applications have (a) been made and (b) been refused for 1978, 1979 and 1980; and, of the refusals, how many have been refused (i) on the merits and (ii) on financial grounds.

The criteria are the same as those for all other civil proceedings. In effect, the applicant must (i) fall within the limits of financial eligibility; (ii) show that he has reasonable grounds for taking, defending or being a party to the proceedings and (iii) it must not appear unreasonable in the particular circumstances of the case that he should receive legal aid. No separate figures are kept of legal aid applications in respect of proceedings under the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977.

asked the Attorney-General what is the estimated cost of extending legal aid to parents in care cases; and how that estimate is calculated.

The Department of Health and Social Security joint working party on costing the operation of unimplemented provisions of the Children Act 1975 estimated that the cost would be about £800,000 to £870,000 at November 1979 prices: about £1 million at today's prices. Those sums were calculated by multiplying the estimated price of each case, about £180, by the number of likely grants of legal aid, about 4,400 to 4,800.

asked the Attorney-General whether, arising from the level of sales of council houses, any changes have been made to the cash limit on the land registry vote for 1981 to 1982.

Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit on the land registry Vote—Class XIII, Vote 17—will be increased by £1,448,000 to £49,777,000. This increase allows for a greater pressure of work than has originally been anticipated mainly because of the effect of the provisions of the Housing Act 1980, conferring on council tenants the right to buy their houses. It w ill be offset entirely by additional fees earned by the registry and surrendered to the Consolidated Fund and will not therefore add to the public expenditure.