asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now give an actual total figure for United Kingdom public sector employment in place of the provisional figure in Economic Trends, November 1980, page 104, together with estimates for 1981 and future years.

The estimate—thousands at midyear—of United Kingdom public sector employment for 1980 and the revised estimates for 1978 and 1979 are as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by whom and when confirmation was given to the Royal Mint that no objection was raised on behalf of the Crown to the use of Her Majesty's effigy vis-à-vis that of the Pope on a plaque or medallion to be produced by the Royal Mint.

The information that there is no objecton to the production of this plaque came from the Lord Chamberlain's office, which acted in accordance with its rules which make it plain that approval is not required.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total tax revenue received from United Kingdom oil and gas production field by field at the latest available date.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) male and (b) female retirement pensioners have been sent new or amended income tax PAYE codes due to the uprating of social security benefits on 23 November.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Inland Revenue has sent out all the new income tax assessments required due to the freezing of personal allowances and the uprating on 23 November of retirement and graduated pensions.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any change is to be made to the cash limit for Class XIII, Vote 9.

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit is to be increased by £298,000 from £1,000 to £299,000. The cost of the National Investment and Loans Office is generally more than covered by fees and charges levied. The Vote is normally a token of £1,000, with a surplus of about £150,000 a year, surrendered as Consolidated Fund extra receipts.The increase in the Vote this year is necessary because of an anticipated shortfall in receipts from fees, mainly because of an unexpectedly low level of local authority borrowing from the PWLB in the first part of the year. It will be charged to the Contingency Reserve, and will not therefore add to total public expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in the light of the judgment given in the Court of Appeal on 20 October 1981 in the case R v. the Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall, ex parte Central Electricity Generating Board, he will introduce legislation revising the relevant provisions of the Public Order Act.

The reports of the judgment which are available do not refer to any provision of the Public Order Act 1936. The full transcript will be considered carefully when it is available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, as a matter of urgency, he will agree to the suggestion of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities to set up a working party to regulate the establishment of sex shops.

My right hon. Friend has noted with interest the association's recent suggestion that a working party of officials should consider how the proposals of the Greater London Council for the licensing of sex establishments would need to be adapted in the formulation of national legislation. The association's officers subsequently thought it right first to consider the GLC proposals in detail, and their comments on these were received on 12 November. Our officials have now sought an early meeting to discuss the matter further.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether the 1982–83 cash limits on Civil Service wages will be drawn to match the 4 per cent. pay norm in the public sector.

The 4 per cent. pay factor is not a norm. As my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 15 September, it is a broad measure of what the Government think reasonable and can be afforded as a general allowance for increases in pay at this stage of fixing the programme from which the public service wage bill has to be met. Some pay increases in the public services may be less, and some may be more. No decisions have yet been taken on the cash limits for specific groups of staff.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many people have been recruited into the Civil Service to grades of assistant secretary or above in the last three years.

Since November 1978, 65 people have been appointed from outside the Civil Service.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if, in the light of the Civil Service Commission annual report indicating that a high proportion of entrants to the administrative grades of the Civil Service come from a public school, or Oxford or Cambridge, or both, he will take steps to ensure that entry to the higher grades of the Civil Service is more representative of the population as a whole; and if he will make a statement.

As I said in my answer to a similar question on 21 October 1981, the Civil Service commissioners have a duty to select on merit for the administration trainee grade the most suitable of those who apply without regard to which schools or universities they attended. This recruitment pattern is reviewed annually and I am also satisfied that the commissioners are doing all that they can to encourage able graduates of universities other than Oxford or Cambridge to apply.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what is the difference in the number of school leavers and college leavers recruited to the Civil Service in 1978, 1979 and 1980; and what is his estimate for 1981.

There were 10,600 entrants to the non industrial Home Civil Service in 1980 identified as school or further education leavers. This compares with 9,000 such entrants in 1979 and 15,900 in 1978. Whilst I cannot give a precise estimate because I expect recruitment generally to be lower in 1981 I would expect the figure for school leavers and further education leavers also to be lower.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many industrial and non-industrial civil servants have their place of work in central London; how many in the outer London boroughs; and how many in the rest of England.

There were 83,100 non-industrial civil servants located in inner London—within a 5-mile radius of Charing Cross—44,900 in outer London—between 5 and 18 miles of Charing Cross—and 316,600 elsewhere in England on 1 July 1981, the latest date for which realiable figures are available. The corresponding figures for industrials were 5,400—inner London—9,100—outer London—and 102,900 elsewhere.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what has been the percentage increase or decrease of employed civil servants in each region of the United Kingdom by region since May 1979.

The following table shows civil servants in post by economic planning region at 1 January 1979 and 1 July 1981. In addition, there were 10,100 staff working overseas—and on the seas—at the later date. Comparable figures for May 1979 are not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he expects to receive the report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on the bid by European Ferries for Sealink UK Ltd.; and when he expects to make a statement.

I have now received the commission's report. It will be published as soon as practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will study the impact of advertising in the public and private sector on the prices charged to consumers; and if he will take steps to curb excessive advertising; and if he will make a statement.

I see no case at present for new Government action in either of these areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement on the future operation of Concorde by British Airways.

As my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department of Industry told the House on 10 November, in reply to a question from the hon. Member for Preston, North (Mr. Atkins), the Minister of State and I recently discussed Concorde with M. Fiterman, the French Minister of Transport. We agreed that British and French officials should pursue their current joint studies into the future of Concorde, with the aim of reaching conclusions by the first quarter of 1982. Within that framework, commercial responsibility for the operation of Concorde rests with British Airways themselves.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he has been requested by British Airways to seek to obtain on their behalf agreement from the Government of Nigeria for traffic rights to operate Concorde to Lagos.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he expects the Civil Aviation Authority to publish the helicopter performance code of practice in its final form and the current proposed changes in the duty cycle hours for helicopter pilots; and what consideration was given to making cabin attendants mandatory on all North Sea sector flights involving passengers.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) on how many occasions the Civil Aviation Authority has taken action as a result of deficiencies reported under "MOR" requirements by pilots flying helicopters in the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea;(2) how many Civil Aviation Authority staff are employed to monitor helicopter safety in the North Sea; what has been the average frequency of visits by flight operations inspectors to offshore installations in each year since 1976; and how many offshore trips were made by flight operation inspectors in 1980.

This is a matter for the Civil Aviation Authority. I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member with the information.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what influence the European Economic Community Energy Policy Committee has had on Government policy on the fossil fuel of Great Britain.

The United Kingdom plays a full and constructive part in the development of all aspects of Community energy policy, based on the need—recognised by the EC Energy Council and Heads of Government—to diversify our economies away from oil dependence and to make the most of the energy resources of member States. Coal has an important part to play in this process; and prudent management of the nation's limited oil and gas resources is in the interests both of the United Kingdom and of the Community in assisting the general process of adjustment.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the Central Electricity Generating Board power stations closed, permanently or on reserve, since 1 April 1978, including those which were due for closure in October 1981, and in addition those stations which the Central Electricity Generating Board plans to close in 1982 as announced on 5 September 1981, giving in each case (a) the date of commissioning, (b) the date of closure, (c) the original design capacity, (d) the "declared net capability" at the date of closure, (e) the settled down thermal efficiency and load factor after commissioning, (f) the thermal efficiency and load factor in the year before closure, (g) the historic capital cost and the amount unamortised at the date of closure and (h) the provision made for dealing with the unamortised capital cost.

I am asking the chairman of the CEGB to write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will provide percentage figures of oil production sector by sector according to ownership by the United Kingdom and other nations.

To reveal information on the proportion of oil production on the United Kingdom continental shelf sector by sector in the form requested would breach commercial confidentiality since details of field unitisa-tion and participation arrangements could not be adequately protected.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will provide figures of oil production in barrels per day produced in each field of operation.

Field by field figures of oil production in thousands of barrels per day for the last complete year available—1980—are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the estimated profit before tax derived from each oil or gas field at the latest available date.

Information derived from statutory returns to my Department on revenue and expenditure by operators of oil and gas fields may be published in aggregate form only and accordingly publication of estimated profits before tax by field would be in breach of confidence.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage of helicopter landing officers working in the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea have attended the course run by the Scottish Offshore Training Association at Aberdeen.

656 persons have attended the Scottish Offshore Training Association's—SCOTANS—course for helicopter landing officers since its commencement in April 1976.Offshore companies also recruit trained ex-Service personnel as helicopter landing officers.We have no immediate information as to the percentage of helicopter landing officers, currently employed offshore, who have attended the SCOTANS course. Such records are not kept.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place a copy of any agreement between De Lorean Cars Ltd. and GPD Industries in the Library; and if he will make a statement on the relationship between the two companies.

No. Agreements with other companies entered upon by De Lorean Motor Cars Ltd. are commercially confidential. I understand that De Lorean Motor Cars Ltd has a commercial relationship with GPD Services Inc. relating to the supply of goods and services.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what have been (a) the total production to the most reasonable practicable date and (b) the sales of the De Lorean motor car.

At 18 November 1981, 6,098 cars had been produced by De Lorean Motor Cars Ltd, of which 5,286 had been shipped from Belfast and 3,179 had been delivered to dealers. I understand that approximately 2,000 cars have been sold, and that the dealers choose to retain the remaining cars, for which they have paid, for promotional and demonstrating purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary as to actions taken by the Royal Ulster Constabulary to deal with parades and demonstrations by armed members of the majority community in the last week; how many arrests occurred; and how many prosecutions have resulted.

There have been no arrests in respect of persons taking part in parades or demonstrations during the past week, but police investigations into some of these occurrences are continuing. I have every confidence in the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, and I see no need to call for a report from him on these events.

asked the Lord Privy Seal, in the formulation of the Western Five proposals, what safeguards he proposes to make to ensure the democratic parties within Namibia are treated equally with SWAPO in future elections.

Under the United Nations plan, regulations governing the elections to the constituent assembly will be made by the administrator general, acting to the satisfaction of the United Nations special representative. Subsequent elections will take place under the constitution to be drawn up by the constituent assembly.

asked the Lord Privy Seal (1) if any progress has been made to accord observer status at the United Nations to the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance and other parties within Namibia so as to assist them in attaining equal status with SWAPO;(2) if he will press in the United Nations for the cessation of all aid, whether financial, material or moral, to the South West Africa People's Organisation, in order to ensure impartiality in the forthcoming elections or if he will seek to ensure the provision of commensurate aid to the other Namibian internal parties.

Negotiations on such aspects of implementation of the United Nations plan have not yet begun. The Five will seek to ensure that once implementation begins, all Namibian parties contesting the elections will do so on an equal footing.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will ensure that in the electoral arrangements made for Namibia proper account is taken of the electoral disadvantage of the Namibian internal parties due to the substantial financial aid received by SWAPO from the United Nations and other countries; and whether this matter was considered in discussions with interested parties during the recently completed "Crocker" tour of Africa.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 24 November about electoral arrangements for Namibia.—[Vol. 13, c. 346.] The discussions during the visits to African capitals by officials of the Five were confidential, but such issues will be mainly for discussion during the second phase.

asked the Lord Privy Seal (1) if he will make an undertaking similar to that made by the West German Foreign Minister to grant foreign aid to a newly independent Namibia;(2) if the granting of aid by the United Kingdom to a newly independent Namibia will be dependent on which political party wins the forthcoming Namibian elections.

No decisions have yet been taken on the granting of aid to an independent Namibia.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest numbers of unemployed persons in (a) the North-West, (b) Merseyside, (c) Kirkby

Table 1 gives the information at April 1979 and October 1981 for the age ranges specified, distinguishing those unemployed for more than 52 weeks.Table 2 gives the total numbers unemployed and also the numbers of unemployed school leavers under 18 years of age who had not entered employment since completing full-time education. Information for the other age groups specified who have never had a job is not available.The figures for October include some of this year's summer school leavers, whereas the April 1979 figures do not even include the Easter school leavers in that year.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what has been the cost to the Manpower Services Commission of its work to produce the report "No Barriers Here";(2) how many copies of the report by the Manpower Services Commission "No Barriers Here" were printed; how many have been sold; and how many distributed, without cost, to other Departments and bodies;(3) to what extent he expects more women to attain top jobs as a result of the Manpower Services Commission report "No Barriers Here".

"No Barriers Here" is a practical guide for managers produced for free distribution as part of the Manpower Services Commission's effort to promote equal opportunities for women in employment. 15,000 copies have been printed, and 14,000 distributed free of charge, at a cost to the Manpower Services Commission of just under £25,000. It is not possible to estimate how many women will attain top jobs as a result of the guide.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps are being taken to encourage employers to increase the number of apprenticeships for school leavers.

Government assistance for apprentice training is being increased to a total of some £50 million in the current training year, mainly to support the recruitment of nearly 30,000 first year apprentices.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the organisations responsible for safety on the youth opportunities programme.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 November 1981, c. 344.]: The main statutory responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act for the safety of participants on schemes sponsored under the youth opportunities programme lies with the scheme sponsor.The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive or its agents and local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give his best estimate of the amount of public money expended on British Leyland's facilities at Bathgate since the foundation of the factory; and whether any of this expenditure was made in respect of the development of the tractor assembly line.

This information is not available except at disproportionate cost. It is likely that even if the information were readily available, it would be subject to the well established rules on commercial confidentiality.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the total value of sales of National Enterprise Board holdings since January.

Since January 1981 the total value of sales of NEB holdings has been about £4 million, of which £1·7 million represents the profit on the investments made.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he accepts the statistical basis of the first periodic report on the social and economic situation of the regions of the Community (COM)(80) (816 Final).

The periodic report, including its statistical basis, is the responsibility of the Commission after consultation with the Community's Regional Policy Committee, whose membership is drawn from the member States.There are inevitable difficulties in producing comparable relevant statistics for the great variety of regions comprised in the Community. The Government are satisfied that, within these constraints, the best generally available statistics have been used. We shall continue to work with other member States towards the improvement of the statistical basis for future periodic reports.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the percentage increase and the actual average increase in unrebated rents paid by council tenants in 1980 and in 1981 and the projected increase for 1982.

The average unrebated rent charged to council tenants in Wales increased by £1·59 per dwelling per week—24 per cent.—in 1980–81. On the latest available estimates it would increase by some £3·35 per dwelling per week—41 per cent.—in 1981–82, though this figure is necessarily provisional.It is not possible to forecast local authority rent levels in 1982–83.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will increase his Department's grant to Action on Smoking and Health.

The Welsh Office grant to Action on Smoking and Health is reviewed each year, and we have no plans for increasing it for 1982–83.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take immediate steps to correct the faults and complaints that the recent investigation by the College of Psychiatrists have found in the centres in each of the Welsh health authorities where electro-convulsive therapy is practised as routine psychiatric treatment.

The Welsh Office has written to area health authorities to ask them to ensure that all electro-convulsion treatment apparatus is checked for

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how much of the moneys allocated to the Wales steel areas have so far been spent and how much committed; and what are the relevant figures for the Port Talbot travel-to-work area.

Between 1978–79 and 1981–82 the total special funds allocated to the Welsh Development Agency and the Cwmbran Development Corporation for use in the steel areas of Wales have been £101.2 million in cash terms. Total expenditure from 1978–79 to 30 September 1981 was £89.3 million in the same terms. Expenditure of a further £22.6 million is planned between 1 October 1981 and 31 March 1982. No specific commitment has been given for the particular allocation of funds for use in the Port Talbot travel-to-work area. Expenditure there from 1978–79 to 30 September 1981 by the Welsh Development Agency was £18.5 million. A further £5.5 million is expected to be spent between 1 October 1981 and 31 March 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for additional expenditure for assistance for factory building in the steel areas of Wales after 1981–82, with a breakdown of figures for each area.

Decisions on expenditure for factory building in Wales after 1981–82 have not yet been taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the amount of Exchequer subsidy for local authority dwellings at autumn prices in 1980–81 and in 1981–82 prices and the provisional figures for 1981–82; and what were the comparable figures for the three previous financial years.

The information is estimated to be as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on the introduction of student loans to replace student grants.

My right hon. Friend agrees with his predecessor's expressed view that there would be considerable merit in a system which would replace the present system of grants by a scheme of student support involving a mixture of grants and loans. He is reconsidering his predecessor's assessment that economic circumstances make a shift in such a direction, together with other desirable related changes, impracticable, but my right hon. Friend recognises that such a change could be introduced only, if at all, after due preparation and gradually.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many teachers have been made redundant in the county of Cheshire so far in 1981 in (a) nursery education, (b) primary education, (c) secondary education, (d) comprehensive education and (e) higher education.

I understand that, of the teachers employed by the Cheshire education authority, the following numbers have accepted voluntary redundancy terms during 1981:

Teachers in nursery education, 1; in primary education, 82; in secondary education, 47; and in further and higher education, 13.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his Department's estimate of the cost of providing mandatory awards to part-time students attending the Open University.

The Department estimates that the introduction of mandatory awards for Open University students would increase total public expenditure by about

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the proportions of students in British universities studying arts, social sciences and medicine; and how these figures compare with those in universities in other countries in the European Economic Community, the United States of America and Japan.

Proportions of students in higher education in the United Kingdom studying arts, social sciences and medicine and comparable figures for other countries in the European Economic Community, the United States of America and Japan for 1977 are shown in the following table. Proportions of students studying law, commercial and business administration are also shown because there is an overlapping in some countries between these fields and social sciences.The proportions relate to students in what is known for the purposes of international comparisions as third level education which corresponds broadly to higher education. Such comparisons are best made across all third level studies rather than for universities only.£9 million. This includes both fees and an estimate for maintenance, but assumes that students who already possess an advanced qualification would not receive a grant.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, further to his written answer to the hon. Member for Warley, East on 23 March, Official Report, c. 239, he will specify the precise procedures for varying the general rules governing recourse by local museums to the purchase fund administered by the Victoria and Albert museum in the event of special circumstances arising.

The conditions of grant are set out in a leaflet which I placed in the Library in response to the hon. Member's question on 23 March.—[Vol. 1, c. 239.] There are no precise procedures for varying the general rules. Each case is treated on its merits.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of children aged under five years attended nursery classes at the latest convenient date; what were the figures for each of the last five years; and if he will break these down to show each local education authority's figures.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 November 1981, c. 158]:The following is the information requested for schools in England:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will agree to reopen the question of refunding deductions made from officer prisoners of was during 1939 to 1945 in light of new evidence that such prisoners of war were unaware that such deductions were being made and the fact that the moneys deducted were not paid over to the enemy Governments at the end or during the war.

In reviewing the question of officer prisoners of war pay, account has been taken of the views of some former prisoners of war that they did not know of deductions being made but our enquiries have established that the deductions were properly promulgated by each Service in the usual manner. The fact that moneys deducted were not paid over to the enemy Governments at the end of the war resulted from a mutual waiver of claims. This would not have affected officers' eligibility for refunds since the Government had already accepted responsibility for the claims of their personnel.I am, however, now able to make the statement promised by my hon. Friend the Member for Chertsey and Walton (Mr. Pattie) on 31 October 1980, about the possibilities of providing further assistance for ex-prisoners of war. These possibilities have been studied in consultation with other Government Departments and the Royal British Legion and the Officers Association.It has been the policy for many years to concentrate resources available to help ex-Service men or those who are disabled, and under the war pension scheme administered by the Department of Health and Social Security there is a very wide range of provision available to Service men, including ex-POWs, who are disabled as a result of service, and for the dependants of those who have died where the death is attributable to service. Special arrangements can also be made for the medical treatment and rehabilitation of war disablement pensioners and for the provision of specialised appliances. These facilities are supplemented by the invaluable efforts of the various Service charities.War disablement cases are treated on merit and do not give preference to particular groups unless justified by special problems. The Government have not thought it right to give a special pension to all ex-POWs. Some special procedures already exist for dealing with the war pension claims of ex-POWs imprisoned in the Far East, who suffered extreme deprivation, ill-treatment and exposure to tropical diseases with inadequate medical attention. Our study has not revealed evidence of special problems affecting ex-POWs beyond those already recognised, though individual war pension claims from ex-POWs are always handled sympathetically and full account is taken of the circumstances of captivity. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services keeps all these matters under review.We intend to make a small change in the arrangements for admitting ex-Service men for treatment in Service hospitals where capacity exists, to give priority to ex-prisoners of war as well as to war pensioners.The report of a study sponsored by the British Members Council of the World Veterans Federation into the long term effects of war-related deprivation on health has recently been published. The recommendations of this report relating to ex-POWs and severely war disabled are being studied by my hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his evaluation of the effect on the strategic importance to the Western Alliance of the security of the Cape route past Southern Africa; and to what extent this security could be affected by a neutral or hostile Government in Namibia.

The trade route past Southern Africa is of great economic importance to the nations of the Western Alliance. Together with our Allies and other friendly nations we participate in contingency planning for the protection of shipping along this route. These plans do not depend on access to facilities in Southern Africa. However, the extent to which potentially hostile forces might enjoy support facilities in the area is taken into account.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the finding of an unexploded RAF practice bomb in the Willerby Low Road area of Cottingham on Friday 20 November.

It was reported to the police on Friday 20 November that a bomb had been found in a ditch in Cottingham after which an RAF bomb disposal team arrived promptly on the scene. The bomb was found to be an inert five-year old practice bomb in a rusted state, which, in all probability, was washed ashore after being dropped in the sea and certainly not where it was found. The Ministry of Defence takes all reasonable precaution when using practice bombs and there was never any danger to the public or property.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the future of the Port of London Authority.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Woolwich, West (Mr. Bottomley) on 13 November.—[Vol. 12, c. 204.]

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will refuse to agree to the closure of the Glasgow to Kilmacolm railway line.

No. My right hon. Friend has already given consent to the closure of this service, but not before 1 January 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what regard he had to social or economic considerations before giving his consent to the proposed closure of the Glasgow to Kilmacolm railway line.

My right hon. Friend saw no social and economic grounds for challenging Strathclyde passenger transport executive's judgment on the need for this service.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he next expects to meet the chairman of British Railways to discuss investment in the railways.

I meet the chairman frequently to discuss matters of mutual interest.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether, in reviewing public expenditure, he will find additional funds for the British Railways investment programme.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply earlier today to the hon. Members for Derby, South (Mr. Johnson) and Goole (Dr. Marshall).

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the response he has had on the recent cycling consultation paper.

I hope to make a statement later in the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he is satisfied that his Department's current projections of traffic volume and economic rate of return support his decision on the construction of the Oxford to Birmingham motorway; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. The range of our traffic forecasts shows that a motorway is justified and the scheme shows a good return on the investment.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when it is proposed to introduce the advanced passenger train into service; and on what routes it will be introduced.

I understand from the British Railways Board that it intends to introduce the advanced passenger train into passenger service between London and Glasgow on 7 December.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made on the A40 Ross-on-Wye bypass.

Following the announcement of the preferred route last July my Department and Hereford and Worcester county council, as our agents for the scheme, are working on the detailed design. The next formal step will be the publication of the draft statutory orders next summer.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will seek to legislate to prescribe minimum standards of petrol consumption for new cars.

Manufacturers already have to display the official fuel consumption figures for models they sell. We also have a voluntary agreement with them which aims for a 10 per cent. improvement in new car fuel consumption by 1985. I see no need at present for further legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, in view of the inconvenience, hazards and environmental damage caused by heavy traffic from the M1, when he expects the construction of a Flockton bypass to commence.

The A637 road through Flockton is a road for which West Yorkshire metropolitan county council is the highway authority. Therefore, it is for the county couuncil to decide whether and, if so, when to construct a Flockton bypass.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the current level of capital expenditure and the number of employees in British Railways.

The British Railways Board's latest estimate of investment in 1981–82 is £325 million at outturn prices. Of the £325 million, £280 million is in the railways and the balance is in subsidiaries. At 5 September 1981 the board had a corporate total of 233,791 employees, of whom 208,744 are employed in the rail businesses—including British Rail Engineering Ltd.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total value of all programmed trunk road schemes yet to be started; and when the completion of the programme is envisaged.

The value of schemes included in the main programme and reserve lists in the 1980 Roads White Paper—Cmnd. 7908—which have not yet started is about £2,300 million at November 1978 prices. Schemes on which work has been temporarily suspended represent approximately a further £780 million. This programme is, however, subject to revision from time to time, and the rate of progress will depend on the amount of resources the country can afford to devote to trunk road building, so it would be misleading to forecast when it will be completed.