asked the Attorney-General if the Lord Chancellor will dismiss Judge Bertrand Richards or transfer him from the Ipswich Crown court.

No.

asked the Attorney-General why public records which relate to the Burgess-Maclean case have not yet been made available for public inspection under the 30-year rule; and if any decision had yet been made on the period of time for which they should remain closed.

The records have been retained by the Department which hold them in accordance with the general approval given by the then Lord Chancellor in 1967, under the proviso to section 3(4) of the Public Records Act 1958, whereby Departments may retain sensitive records related to security and intelligence matters. No decision has yet been taken on the period of closure.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many homes are available to the coastguard services for its personnel; how many are occupied; and if it is his policy to sell them to the sitting tenant.

There are at present 482 houses available for Her Majesty's Coastguard, of which 407 are occupied. The sale of surplus houses is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what departmental investigations have been undertaken into the organisation of the coastguard since 1970; what were their principal recommendations; and what action was taken on them.

The organisation of Her Majesty's coastguard was reviewed in 1974 and 1978. The 1974—Lavers—report recommended that

(i) the primary role of Her Majesty's coastguard to initiate and co-ordinate civil maritime search and rescue throughout the United Kingdom search and rescue region should be defined in statute;

(ii) the regular manpower should be concentrated in the 28 rescue headquarters, which were being progressively reequipped to provide continous radio watch along the entire coast of the United Kingdom;

(iii) these rescue headquarters should be grouped in regions under regional controllers;

(iv) until such time as all the functions of the rescue headquarters could be fully carried out by regular officers, auxiliary coastguards should be used to assist them;

(v) the subsidiary stations should be grouped in sectors, in units manned by auxiliaries, under the general supervision of regular officers;

(vi) the role of the auxiliary coastguard service should be to maintain an effective local presence on the coast and to assist the regular coastguard service as required.

With the exception of legislation to define the primary role of Her Majesty's coastguard, these recommendations were accepted in principle and have been substantially implemented.The 1978 review was chiefly concerned with grading, definition of duties, and complementing; it also made certain administrative recommendations concerning coastguard headquarters. Its findings, too, have been substantially implemented.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if his Department is satisfied that the Liberian vessel "Leros Island" left London docks in compliance with all required maritime safety standards, particularly manning and qualifications of her crew, after the detention of a number of her crew under the Immigration Acts.

My Department's attention was drawn to the manning of the Greek ship "Leros Island" which was recently in the port of London. Its inquiries revealed no reason for intervention on the grounds of undermanning or the qualifications of the crew.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for the world, less the European Economic Community Six, the balance of trade in September at an annual rate for (a) visible trade less oil and precious stones and (b) manufactures less precious stones.

The figures are (a) a deficit of £2 billion for visible trade less crude oil and precious stones and (b) a surplus of £4·2 billion for manufactures less precious stones. However, these figures should be treated with some caution as monthly trade data can be quite variable.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is his forecast, based on the United Kingdom September export price figure for manufactures, of the index of relative export prices for the third quarter of the current year at current rates of exchange, having regard to the trend increase in export prices in other countries.

I prefer to leave such forecasts to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the balance of trade with the EEC in visible goods less crude oil in October after reducing exports pro-rata to take account of the change in export documentation.

The result of this calculation, which could be misleading, is a crude deficit of about £0·3 billion.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what guarantees have been given by Her Majesty's Government to the banks in connection with their loans to Poland and to the East European countries.

The Export Credits Guarantee Department has given its standard guarantees to banks in the United Kingdom in respect of credits to Poland and to other East European countries for the financing of British exports.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will provide details of the present financial position of the aviation security fund.

I have placed in the Library of each House today a background paper which explains the present state

United Kingdom Imports of Slabs*of Steel (Other than High Carbon or Alloy Steel), by Country of Origin
	'000 Tonnes
	†1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980
Belgium-Luxembourg	1·0	0·7	3·3	1·4	—	1·0	0·1
Netherlands	0·3	41·3	246·4	24·7	1·5	—	0·2
Germany, Federal Republic	9·3	12·6	18·5	6·2	11·1	15·1	23·6
France	0·4	1·3	19·2	2·4	0·3	—	—
Sweden	—	0·1	19·3	21·2	17·3	19·7	14·0
Norway	0·1	4·1	—	—	3·0	3·0	3·1
Denmark	—	—	—	—	—	0·5	—
Canada	—	—	—	—	—	—	20·0
United States of America	2·3	—	—	—	2·6	2·0	—
Brazil	—	—	—	—	—	56·6	—
Irish Republic	—	0·5	—	—	—	—	—
Japan	—	5·0	—	—	—	1·0	—
Italy	—	0·1	—	—	—	—	—
Spain	4·6	—	—	—	—	—	—
Poland	—	—	—	14·9	17·9	—	—
Romania	—	—	—	0·3	—	—	—
Total	18·0	65·7	306·7	71·1	53·7	98·9	61·2
Total as percentage of United Kingdom consumption‡	¼	1	4	1	¾	1¼	1½

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the payments to Mr. J. Z. De Lorean as chairman, and any bonus payments to directors, have been approved by Government appointed directors on the board of De Lorean Car Company Ltd. or by a Minister in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that bonus payments to officers and executives of De Lorean Motor Cars Ltd. were approved by the board in December 1981.However, these bonuses have not been paid, and earlier this month, in the light of the company's present dificulties, the board rescinded the proposal. The voting

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what have been the annual figures of imports of slab steel for each of the past 10 years; what percentage each figure represented of British use of the product; and what were the countries of origin and the amounts of slab steel from those countries.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 January 1982, c. 157]: The available information is as follows:of individual directors of the board is a matter of commercial confidentiality. The proposal to pay bonuses was not discussed with Ministers or officials.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has yet agreed to a further grant to the De Lorean Car Company Ltd. of Dunmurry in Northern Ireland; what recent additional guarantees he has given; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Epping Forest (Sir J. Biggs-Davison) on 19 January 1982.— [Vol. 16, c. 115.]

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many De Lorean cars have been manufactured up to 31 December 1981; what is the current weekly rate of manufacture; how many have been shipped to the United States of America; and how many have been sold, in each case to the most recent practicable date.

I understand that at 31 December 1981, 7, 681 cars had been manufactured. In the week commencing 18 January 1982, when the company was on short-time working, 143 cars were built. The total number of cars shipped to the United States of America as at 21 January 1982 was 7, 407 and I understand a further 435 cars are presently in transit. By 15 January 1982, 4, 756 cars had been sold to dealers who had in turn reported 3, 085 retail sales at that date.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of Monday 18 January 1982, Official Report, c.89, if he will give his reasons why he will not initiate a system of payment by senior civil servants when using the Government car service to take them to and from their homes and offices, or railway stations, on a cost basis; and whether these benfits are taxed.

When permanent secretaries use official cars for these purposes they do so in the circumstances referred to in paragraph 234a of the Civil Service pay and conditions code—a copy of which is in the Library. They therefore do so in the public interest and it would not be appropriate to levy payment from them. The tax treatment of this use of official cars is exactly the same as that for cars provided for employees generally: because the cars are pooled cars and their use for home-to-work travel is incidental to their official use, there is no liability to tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what negotiations he has had with representatives of British banks with regard to outstanding and future loans to Poland; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend has had no such negotiations. Loans to Poland, other than those guaranteed by the Export Credits Guarantee Department, are entirely a matter for the commercial banks which made them.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what negotiations he has had with representatives of the International Monetary Fund with regard to outstanding and future loans to Poland; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what negotiations he has conducted with other Western Finance Ministers with regard to outstanding and future loans to Poland: and if he will make a statement.

Although my right hon. and learned Friend has naturally discussed Poland with other Finance Ministers from time to time, negotiations with other Western creditor countries about outstanding Government guaranteed debt have been undertaken by officials. The questions of holding negotiations about the repayment's due in 1982, and of any future loans to Poland, are in abeyance as noted by the NATO Council in its communiqué of 11 January.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will commission a report on the effects of loans to Poland and to other East European countries.

No. I do not think that this would be a useful step to take.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cleaners are employed by the National Savings Bank in Glasgow.

The National Savings Bank employs 23 people as cleaners, 19 of them part-time. Other cleaning work at the bank is done by a contractor, employing 68 people.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the answer given to the hon. Member for Eccles (Mr. Carter-Jones), Official Report, 15 December, column 108, how much of the new fund to help bring mentally handicapped children out of mental hospitals and into the community will be available for expenditure in 1982–83; whether this sum has already been allocated to local authorities or health authorities; and, if so, how much has been allocated to each such authority.

In Wales the £1 for £1 scheme is designed to help voluntary organisations provide facilities to afford support and relief to families with mentally handicapped children, thus deferring or avoiding admissions to hospital. In total some £80, 000 has been earmarked for this purpose, of which £20, 000 will be available in 1982–83 for allocation to voluntary organisations in respect of approved projects. No allocations have been made as yet.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for each local education authority in Wales that element of the grant-related expenditure appertaining to education for 1982–83.

Block grant supports local authority revenue expenditure generally and is not earmarked for particular services. In Wales, the current expenditure components of the 1982–83 grant related expenditure calculations were made initially on a service basis at 1979–80 volume and prices and then adjusted, using a single common factor, to determine on a non-service basis, the overall assessment for each county council at the volume and prices accepted for the 1982–83 rate support grant settlement. Consequently the methodology used in Wales to determine GRE is not designed to provide assessments for individual services.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of prosecutions in respect of overloaded lorries in 1981; and if he will divide this figure by police authority.

We shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the warrant signed by him on 28 November 1981 referred to in his answer to the hon. Member for Goole (Dr. Marshall) Official Report, 18 January, c. 13.

I have arranged for this to be done, together with copies of two other warrants that I signed on 6 and 18 October 1981 appointing a further eight assistant commissioners.

	Applications recevied for asylum	Asylum granted	Refused*	Withdrawn	Outstanding at end of year
1979	41	8	18	4	11
1980	41	8	25	11	8
1981	110	12	48	23	35
*The refusal of asylum does not preclude the grant of leave to remain if the individual qualifies under some other heading of the immigration rules.

Between 1 October 1981 and 22 January 1982, 66 applications had been received; asylum was granted in 1 case and refused in three, three applications were withdrawn and 59 were still under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have suffered back injury in the course of their duties.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will ensure that the senior officers of the West Yorkshire police force involved in the Yorkshire Ripper investigation whose promotion is now blocked obtain better understanding of routine patrol work by closer contact with the foot patrol work of more junior officers.

The particular duty on which any officer in the West Yorkshire force is deployed is a matter for the chief constable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will issue guidance to the organisers of disaster appeals.

The Government are concerned that the organisers of disaster appeals should be able to obtain sound legal advice at the earliest possible opportunity. To this end my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General has put in hand the preparation, and publication

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the death in Brixton prison of Mr. Paul Worrell on 12 January.

It would be inappropriate for us to comment before the inquest.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Polish nationals have sought and been granted refuge in the United Kingdom in the last three years and in the last three months.

The figures for 1979, 1980 and 1981 were as follows:to the legal profession, banks and other bodies, of two formulæ which could be used by those organising appeal funds. Depending on which formula was used the public would be in no doubt as to the charitable or non-charitable status of the fund. So far as the establishment of charitable trusts is concerned, the Charity Commissioners have given guidance in their annual reports to Parliament, most recently in their report for 1980, and are always prepared to give advice to appeals organisers as a matter of urgency. Subsequent difficulties may be avoided if the commissioners are consulted before firm decisions are taken about the purposes of the appeal.

asked the Prime Minister which Department of State is responsible for dealing with the financial aspects of the Polish situation so far as they affect the United Kingdom.

General responsibility rests with Her Majesty's Treasury in consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government will refer the matter of manning levels and hours worked by drivers in British Rail to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission under section 11 of the Competition Act 1980.

These and other aspects of British Rail's costs and efficiency were covered in the report by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on the board's London and South-East commuter services, which was published in October 1980. These matters are kept under continuous review. I am only too well aware that all aspects of costs, as reflected in prices, are important to consumers.

asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government will require from the British Railways Board under section 4(3) of the Railways Act 1974 a report on the working practices of drivers, and in particular, the extent to which paid work or duty is being performed.

I share the concern that I know my hon. Friend has about the recent allegations of malpractice by some British Rail staff and it must be right that these allegations should be thoroughly and urgently investigated. However, the day-to-day management of British Rail's work force is the responsibility of the board. It is holding an investigation and the results of this will be brought to the attention of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport. This investigation will be the quickest and most appropriate way to establish the facts rather than proceeding by way of the powers my hon. Friend mentions.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what steps are being taken to reduce the British National Oil Corporation's existing exploration commitments under rounds 5 and 6 by private sector farm-ins of licensed blocks, in view of Her Majesty's Government's recommendations of October 1979.

The Government decided in July 1979 that the British National Oil Corporation's extensive exploration commitments should be reduced. The corporation in October 1979 invited farm-in proposals on a number of specified blocks, including 15 blocks awarded in the fifth round. No sixth round blocks were included in the list. To date, assignments have been completed of part of the corporation's interest in five fifth round blocks.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will indicate the activities undertaken by the British National Oil Corporation in respect of section 3(5) of the Petroleum and Submarine Pipe-Lines Act 1975, specifically the number and description of pipe-line systems and storage locations.

The corporation currently manages that part of the Government's pipeline and storage system which, prior to 1 April 1977, had been managed by the Department of Energy. This includes some 50 storage points, located along the pipeline, not all of which are in use. It would not be in the public interest to publish a list of sites.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy upon how many operating committees the British National Oil Corporation is currently represented.

BNOC is represented on all operating committees where the corporation has an equity interest, but does not currently attend operating committees where it has no equity interest.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the exploration operations of the British National Oil Corporation abroad to which he has assented.

I have issued consents under section 2(4)(a) of the Petroleum and Submarine Pipe-lines Act 1975 for the corporation to search for and get petroleum outside Great Britain and controlled waters in respect of

(a) a defined area of the continental shelf appertaining to the French Republic;

(b) a defined area of the emirate of Dubai;

(c) the territory of metropolitan Denmark and the continental shelf appertaining thereto; and

(d) a defined area offshore Indonesia.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, of the awards granted under round 5 and round 6, how many blocks have led to significant discoveries.

Four fifth and sixth round blocks have yielded significant discoveries.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he is now in a position to indicate the outcome of the review of possible production cuts pursuant to the assurances of the right hon. Member for Chesterfield (Mr. Varley) and model clauses 15 and 16 of the Petroleum (Production) Regulations 1976.

Our decision following the review of possible oil production cuts will be announced as soon as possible after it is made.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish the draft memorandum and articles of the projected Britoil Ltd.

I have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend told the House on 19 January.—[Vol. 16, c. 171.]

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many electricity boards, in addition to the Eastern electricity board, are making reductions in their tariffs on the basis that they have benefited from lower fuel costs.

All 12 area electricity boards in England and Wales, including the EEB, are reducing their quarterly billed tariffs due to lower fuel costs. These reductions are for one quarter only, and are being applied to bills based on meter readings taken during the first quarter in 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is his policy towards giving consent to the laying of a gas pipeline through controlled waters from the Continent to the United Kingdom to permit the passage of European gas to flow to customers who will be eligible to receive it under clause 12 of the Oil and Gas (Enterprise) Bill.

I would consider any such pipeline application according to the procedure laid down in the Petroleum and Submarine Pipe-Lines Act 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will have discussions with the oil industry about producing diesel fuel for lorries and tractors that will not freeze up in cold weather.

Petroleum fuels marketed in the United Kingdom comply with an appropriate specification such as those issued by the British Standards Institution. I have therefore arranged for the question of the cold temperature quality of diesel fuel to be raised with the British Standards Institution.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, in the overall consideration of energy policy, what relative importance he attaches to the promotion of energy conservation, and the achievement of the financial targets of the nationalised energy industries through increased energy consumption.

I attach great importance to both energy conservation and the achievement of the financial targets of the nationalised energy industries. In agreeing financial targets with the industries, I do, of course, take account of sales and revenue projections, which reflect the impact of conservation. I would certainly not encourage wasteful use of energy as a way of meeting a financial target. Indeed, I trust that the industries will continue to promote energy conservation by their customers. At the same time the Government are seeking to ensure, through a variety of means, that the industries' costs are reduced, in order to improve their efficiency.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has yet received a report from British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. on the implementation of the Windscale safety review conducted by the Health and Safety Executive.

Yes. In his statement to the House on 9 April 1981—c. 307–309—my hon. Friend announced the publication of the Health and Safety Executive's report on the management of safety at Windscale. He referred in that statement to the HSE's proposal that British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. should provide a full report after a further six months on progress towards implementation of recommendations made in the HSE's report. the BNFL report has been published today and at the same time the HSE's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate has published a commentary on it. I have arranged for copies of both these documents to be placed in the Library of the House.The BNFL report notes that the company had anticipated or completed many of the review team's recommendations by the time they were published. Of the remainder, those which could by now have been implemented have been put into effect to the satisfaction of the NII. Monitoring of progress towards implementing these was carried out during the regular programme of visits by NII staff to the Windscale—now Sellafield—site. A number of meetings between BNFL and NII staff were held at Windscale to discuss aspects of those recommendations, for instance on a system of safety audit, which will take longer to implement. The NII's commentary notes those recommendations which have still to be fully implemented and the action which BNFL has taken on them.I note that in conclusion the NII states that it is satisfied that substantial progress has been made in the implementation of the recommendations in the HSE report and that, in the longer term, the remaining objectives will be achieved.In view of the importance that the Government attach to nuclear safety, I recently visited Sellafield and discussed the Windscale safety review with the managing director and the director of reprocessing. I also met representatives of the trades unions. I was impressed by what I saw of the safety standards applied in the plant, and the emphasis on safety observed by both the management and the company's staff. I have full confidence in the ability of BNFL's management to continue to operate the plant safely in the interests of both the work force and the local population, and I welcome the conclusion drawn by the NII about the progress made in the implementation of the Windscale safety review.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will give for the latest and most convenient stated date the number of unemployed hotel and catering workers in London and nationally.

At August 1981, the latest date for which an industrial analysis is available, the numbers of people registered as unemployed who last worked in the hotel and catering industries—minimum list headings 884 to 888 of the Standard Industrial Classification—were 16, 321 in Greater London and 116, 464 in Great Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details of the total number of payments from the redundancy fund in the first six months of 1981; and if he will split this figure between entirely private industries, industries partly in the public sector and industries and services wholly in the public sector.

The number of payments made from the redundancy fund in the first six months of 1981 in respect of redundancies was 408, 537. This figure cannot be broken down into the three categories requested. 42, 419 insolvency payments were made from the fund in the same period.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current estimate of the number of youth training places required in order to achieve the aims established in "A New Training Initiative—A Programme for Action" in the regions of (a) Yorkshire and Humberside, (b) West Yorkshire county council, (c) Kirklees metropolitan borough council, (d) Greater Manchester county council and (e) Oldham metropolitan borough council; and if he will make a statement.

The number of youth training places needed to achieve the aims of the "New Training Initiative—A Programme for Action" in the regions mentioned by the hon. Member will depend on the local levels of youth unemployment, for which no forecasts have been made. The size of the scheme as announced will be sufficient to provide a guaranteed offer of a place to every unemployed minimum age school leaver.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what will be the average cost per person per year, excluding the cost of allowances, of providing training for 16-year-olds who enter the proposed youth training scheme.

I estimate the average cost per person per year of providing training for 16-year-olds in the youth training scheme is likely to be around £2, 000 in 1983–84, excluding the cost of allowances.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether under the proposed youth training scheme the parents of young people who leave their placements will be eligible to claim child benefit.

Child benefit will be paid to parents of young people who are not eligible in their own right for benefits and who are neither in work nor on the scheme. This will include payments in respect of young people who leave their placements on the scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the calculations underlying the estimated cost of £1 billion in 1982–83 and 1983–84 of 300,000 12-month places on the proposed youth training scheme.

The youth training scheme will start in 1983–84 and the White Paper "A New Training Initiative: A Programme for Action", Cmnd. 8455, says that to provide some 300, 000 places in 1983–84 and 1984–85, the scheme will cost around £1 billion in a full year. At a total per capita cost, at 1983–84 prices, in the region of £53 a week for those receiving an allowance of £750 per annum and around £62 per week for those receiving an allowance of £1,250 per annum, the cost of the programme is estimated to be around £874 million in 1983–84. In the first year of the scheme's full operation, 1984–85, the cost will be about £1 billion.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, how many workers have been made redundant in the Coventry travel-to-work area since May 1979 to the latest available date.

There are no comprehensive statistics of redundancies. The number of redundancies, involving 10 or more employees, reported to the Manpower Services Commission as due to occur in the Coventry travel-to-work area between May 1979 and December 1981, inclusive, is 18, 895 including provisional figures for November and December 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, in view of the high costs of urban transport, if he will seek to introduce a scheme for unemployed young people to travel at concessionary fares.

Policy on concessionary fares is primarily a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport. However, unemployed job seekers can, in certain cases, be given help with fares to travel longer distances to interviews through the Manpower Services Commission's job search scheme or supplementary benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the most recent unemployment figures for (a) each English region, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales, categorised by sex and age, and duration of unemployment.

The latest available figures are for October 1981 and were published in the labour market data section of the November 1981 issue of Employment Gazette.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the most recent unemployment figures for each Northern region county and travel-to-work area, categorised by sex and age, and duration of unemployment.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest figure for the number of persons unemployed in London compared with the equivalent dates in 1981 and 1980.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies have been declared in each Northern region county and travel-to-work area, quarterly, since May 1979.

The information requested is not readily available. Statistics of redundancies reported to the Manpower Services Commission as due to occur are not maintained centrally for areas below regional level; and the analysis requested could only be provided by the northern regional manpower intelligence unit at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether his Department makes any estimate of the total value of goods and services produced by young people on work experience placements in the youth opportunities programme.

No such estimates are regularly made. But an MSC survey of sponsors of special programmes schemes, carried out in May 1981, estimated that the average trainee on a work experience on employer's premises scheme produced an output of £393 and the average trainee on a community project scheme produced an output of £1,500.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will ensure that voluntary organisations may advertise without charge vacancies for unpaid work at local jobcentres; and if he will encourage such organisations to use these facilities.

The Manpower Services Commission has been discussing with the major voluntary organisations the help which jobcentres might give in encouraging unemployed people to take up voluntary work. By agreement with the voluntary organisations arrangements are about to be introduced for jobcentres to display posters and leaflets about voluntary work and to refer inquiries to a local volunteer bureau or similar organisation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of Community gross domestic product in 1981 was accounted for by (a) expenditure under the common agricultural policy and (b) national agricultural support measures; and how this combined total compares with the proportion of gross domestic product devoted to Government support for agriculture in the United States of America, Canada, Japan, Argentina and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

On (a), final figures are not yet available but on the basis of Commission estimates expenditure under the common agricultural policy in 1981 was around 0·56 per cent. of Community gross domestic product.As to the rest of my hon. Friend's question, reliable information on national agricultural expenditure in the Community and in other countries is difficult to obtain and I regret that I do not have the information for 1981 requested. For an estimate by the Commission of recent comparable expenditure in the United States and Japan I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 12 March 1981.—[Vol. 1000, c. 424.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now take steps to regulate the amount of aflotoxin in human food; and what arrangements have so far been made by importers and manufacturers to restrict aflotoxin in their products.

In December 1980 the Government prohibited the import of groundnut products for animal feed containing detectable aflotoxin, in order to prevent contamination of milk. Discussions are now taking place with importers and manufacturers of nuts and nut products to ensure that any contamination of these foodstuffs is kept to the minimum possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received about the commercial irradiation of food for purposes of its indefinite storage.

I have received no representations about the commercial irradiation of food.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many licensed poultry packing plants in the United Kingdom operating under the Poultry Meat (Hygiene) Regulations 1976 do not currently have any official veterinary surgeon supervision; and what proposals he has to rectify this situation.

Enforcement of the Poultry Meat (Hygiene) Regulations in Great Britain is a local authority responsibility. I understand that in a small number of establishments not using the European Community health mark the official veterinary supervision required by the regulations is not at present being provided. I would expect the local authorities concerned to take early steps to meet their statutory responsibilities. The corresponding regulations in Northern Ireland are administered by the Department of Agriculture and all licensed plants there have official veterinary supervision.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will set out the deep sea catch in British waters now and in 1972 as follows (a) United Kingdom catch, (b) other EEC countries, (c) third countries (non-EEC) and (d) the total catch.

I regret that information on the catches by other EEC countries, by third countries—non-EEC—and the total catch in United Kingdom waters is not available.So far as the information on the United Kingdom catch is concerned, whilst the source information is available, tabulation in the form requested could be done only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will investigate the circumstances surrounding the packaging, importation, care in transit and eventual well-being of tortoises; and whether he will make a statement.

The Transit of Animals (General) Order 1973 governs all transport of tortoises in Great Britain. The order requires, amongst other things, that they be carried in suitable containers, stowed appropriately and be provided with adequate ventilation, food and water. The Agriculture Departments also issue advisory notes to importers.All species of tortoises are covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora. Imports are subject to conservation licensing, for which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is responsible. The eventual well-being of captive tortoises in England and Wales is governed by the Protection of Animals Acts 1911 to 1964, for which my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has primary responsibility. There is similar legislation for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for the regeneration of unemployment black spots, including the Port Dundas area of Glasgow.

Port Dundas, like other areas facing severe economic problems, will continue to benefit to the fullest extent from regional policy measures.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the average increase in rent and rates in council houses since June 1979.

In Scotland between 1979 and 1981 the average gross annual council house rent increased by £142; the average annual gross rate paid per council house increased by £108.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for increasing the house building programme in the next three years.

My right hon. Friend determines the total resources available for the capital programmes of the local housing authorities in Scotland, and for the Scottish Special Housing Association and the new towns. But the proportion of the resources devoted to new building, as distinct from modernisation, is determined by the local authorities in relation to their perception of needs and by the other agencies subject to such priorities as my right hon. Friend declares.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress is being made in improving the infrastructure around Prestwick in Ayrshire.

Responsibility for most of the infrastructure provision rests with Strathclyde regional council, which has made considerable progress with improvements in recent years. In addition, improvement work is underway on the trunk road from Dundonald Camp to Monkton, and I understand that the regional council's highways and transportation committee has now recommended that the council proceed with the electrification of the Glasgow-Ayr rail line, following my offer of financial help.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he intends to take during 1982 to alleviate unemployment in areas such as Greenock and Port Glasgow.

Greenock and Port Glasgow, like other areas facing severe economic problems, will continue to benefit to the fullest extent from regional policy measures.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the level of unemployment in the Girvan area.

On 12 January 1982, 887 people were registered as unemployed in the Girvan employment office area, a percentage rate of 20·1 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to introduce an independent element into the procedure for handling complaints against the police.

My right hon. Friend has no present plans for changing the procedure in Scotland, where an independent element is already provided through the involvement of the procurator fiscal in the investigation of all complaints from which it may reasonably be inferred that a police officer has committed a criminal offence. He will, however, consider whether any change is needed in reviewing the implications for Scotland of Lord Scarman's recent report and also the current work of the Home Affairs Committee on complaints against the police.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on training initiatives relating to young people in Scotland.

Our White Paper "A New Training Initiative—A Programme for Action" proposes important improvements and reforms, including a comprehensive new youth training scheme; increased incentives for employers to train young people in employment; closer co-ordination of vacational education at national and local level; and setting a target date for reform of apprenticeships.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of his Department's Vote is spent on agricultural research.

A total of 16 per cent. of the two Agriculture and Fisheries Votes in 1981–82 is allocated to the Scottish Agricultural Research Institute's.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the places and the timetable for major improvements and bypasses on the A75 from Gretna to Stranraer.

The timetable for all major improvements and bypasses is being reviewed to ensure that generally those schemes that will yield the best economic returns are undertaken first. The Carsluith diversion has now begun, and I expect work to start on the Collin and Gatehouse of Fleet schemes in the next financial year. I shall write to my hon. Friend about the subsequent A75 schemes when our programme revision is complete.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will seek to hold an inquiry into the closure of the aluminium smelter at Invergordon.

No. The subject of the closure has already been explored in great depth by hon. Members.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how the granting by the European Economic Community of a quota of herring to Canada for the Danish market will affect Scottish exports of herring to Denmark; and whether steps have been taken to protect the interests of Scottish fishermen.

At present the import of duty-free herring into the Community is not subject to restriction. Following the new fish marketing regime agreed in September, however, quantitative restrictions on such imports are to be introduced. This should assist the export of Scottish herring to Denmark and other countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on prosecution policy in relation to breach of the peace.

The policy governing the initiation of prosecutions for breach of the peace is the same as for any other crime, namely, to consider each reported case on its merits having regard to all relevant circumstances pertaining to it, and to reach a sensible and humanitarian decision without fear or favour.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Lord Advocate will give guidance to procurators fiscal regarding the operation of the Bail etc. (Scotland) Act 1980 and the circumstances in which an application for bail is to be opposed; and if he will make a statement.

The guidance on the Bail etc. (Scotland) Act 1980, which was issued to procurators fiscal in March 1980 by my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate, included guidance on the circumstances in which an application for bail should be opposed; and that guidance remains in force.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Lord Advocate is satisfied with the number of advocates-depute available to prosecute crimes on indictment in the High Court.

There are 12 advocates-depute at the moment who prosecute crime on indictment in the High Court. My noble and learned Friend is satisfied that this is sufficient to deal with the present case load of the High Court though the situation is constantly monitored and additional appointments are made when thought necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Lord Advocate will introduce legislation to abolish the use of warrant sales to recover debts.

In view of the fact that in October 1980 the Scottish Law Commission published five consultative memoranda on various aspects of the law of diligence including warrant sales and that the Commission is now preparing its report in the light of comments received from interested bodies and individuals we consider that it would be irresponsible to introduce legislation before the commission has submitted its report.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much food is being held in Common Market intervention stores in Scotland; and if he will itemise its contents and its total commercial value.

The following quantities were held in intervention stores in Scotland at 31 December 1981.

	Tonnes	Estimated Value £
Butter	29	55, 632
Skimmed milk powder	1, 040	852, 185
Beef	508	1, 079, 000
Barley	98, 870	10, 654, 231
Feed wheat	139	14, 979

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consider introducing an exceptional supplement to the housing support grant at the end of the present winter to compensate local housing authorities for the extra expenditures incurred arising from adverse weather.

My right hon. Friend has no power to vary housing support grant in the way suggested.For my right hon. Friend's response to the exceptional problems which local authorities have encountered as a result of the bad weather, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Dunbartonshire, East (Mr. Hogg) and the hon. Member for Glasgow, Shettleston (Mr. Marshall).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were unemployed (a) in total and (b) for males and females, respectively, in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area in December 1979, December 1980 and December 1981; expressed both numerically and as a percentage.

The information is set out in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were unemployed in the Portobello and Musselburgh employment exchange areas in December

Numbers registered as unemployed (not seasonally adjusted)
	Portobello			Musselburgh
	Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total
December 1979	1, 192	422	1, 614	731	399	1, 130
December 1980	1, 702	560	2, 262	1, 136	517	1, 653
December 1981	2, 259	678	2, 937	2, 002	917	2, 919

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the percentage increase in unemployment in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area from August 1979 to August 1981.

Between August 1979 and August 1981 total unemployment in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area rose by 68·9 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many offices in the Scottish Office have now changed to employing contract cleaners; and if all the directly employed cleaners have been redeployed in alternative location within the Scottish Office.

Six in the last year. This brings the total number of offices cleaned under contract to 22. All of the direct cleaners previously employed were offered continued employment at alternative locations and the majority accepted.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the best available evidence of the relationship between family income and the staying on rate in full-time education after the minimum leaving age.

We know of no specific research on this matter. However, I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average cost per person, per year, excluding the cost of child benefit and other allowances, of providing education for 16-year-olds who remain in full-time education.

The information is set out in the table below:

The average net cost of providing education for 16-year-olds remaining in full-time education in school or college in 1980–81 is estimated to have been in the range of £1, 400–£2, 000.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average cost per person, per year, of providing travel subsidies, school meals, maintenance and uniform allowances for young people who remain at school after 16 years of age.

Information is not available in precisely the form requested. The average net cost of providing clothing and footwear allowances, maintenance allowances and transport for secondary school pupils aged over school leaving age in 1980–81 is estimated to have been as follows:

	£ (cash)
Clothing and footwear allowances	0·95
Maintenance allowances	14·21
Transport
between home and school	22·28
elsewhere	2·65

Information about school meal costs is not separately available for older pupils. The average net cost for all school pupils—including those at nursery, primary and special as well as secondary schools—in 1980–81 was £47·88 per pupil.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any information available to him on the number of local education authorities provide grants to students accepted for the study of chiropractics at the Bournemouth college; and if he will list them.

I regret that this information is not available. Awards for such courses are made entirely at the discretion of local education authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why the most recent abortion figures published covered a 13-week and a 15-week period of 1981 instead of keeping in line with past practice of using 13-week periods; and if he will now give figures for the first three 13-week periods for 1981.

As reported on 4 March 1981 to the Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments, a new abortion form has been introduced and this is being linked to a computer processing system at OPCS that will produce quarterly statistics based on abortions performed during each three-month period, rather than on notifications received. The 15-week and 13-week figures recently published were interim figures of notifications received, prior to the commencement of regular publication of the numbers of abortions actually performed. Figures of abortions performed in the first quarter of 1981 should be published within six weeks from now, and for the second quarter about the end of April 1982.In the long run the figures will be better, because there are appreciable fluctuations in the number of late notifications received and these distorted the earlier series. The new quarterly figures of abortions performed will be directly comparable with a table produced in previous issues of the annual OPCS reference volume "Abortion Statistics".

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if his Department will undertake to pay travelling expenses for unemployed supplementary benefit claimants who engage in voluntary work while seeking full-time employment.

There is no provision under the supplementary benefits regulations whereby unemployed supplementary benefit claimants may be paid travelling expenses incurred in undertaking voluntary work. We have no plans to introduce legislation to cover such expenses. However, any payment received for travelling expenses incurred in connection with voluntary work is disregarded in calculating a person's weekly supplementary benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many hospital beds were available in each of the last five years.

The average daily number of available beds in National Health Service hospitals in England in each of the last five years for which information is available was as follows:

	Number
1976	383, 132
1977	375, 926
1978	369, 235
1979	361, 670
1980	355, 979

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in (a) Yorkshire and Humberside and (b) West Yorkshire are currently in receipt of supplementary benefit; and if he will list, for both areas, the number of pensioners involved.

Following is information for August 1981 (the latest available date):

	All Supplementary beneficiaries	Supplementary pensioners
(a) Yorkshire and Humberside*	355, 000	168, 000
(b) West Yorkshire †	160, 000	75, 000

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider amending section 5 of the Social Security (No. 2) Act 1980 to modify the provisions relating to non-entitlement of unemployment benefit to those over 60 years receiving an occupational pension of £35 per week or more so as to give consideration to those whose unemployment arises from redundancy.

No. The Government realise that people made redundant may be in a different position from those who have always intended to retire at a particular point; and their redundancy payments are not taken into account for the purposes of section 5. Someone who, following redundancy, receives a substantial occupational pension is in the same position as far as his pension is concerned as other people with comparable pensions; therefore, it is right that the pension should be taken into account in the same way. To exempt those made redundant from the provisions of section 5 would, of course, reduce the savings made by the abatement provision, and equivalent savings elsewhere might well affect people less well off than those with occupational pensions of over £35 a week.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether under the proposed youth training scheme young people in the scheme who leave home will be entitled to supplementary benefit.

No decision has yet been taken on this. Certain groups of young people who have left school at the minimum age will continue to be able to claim supplementary benefit in their own right before 1 September in the year following that in which they leave school. As indicated in paragraph 37 of the White Paper "A New Training Initiative"—Cmnd. 8455—the intention will be to follow broadly the categories at present allowed to claim supplementary benefit while still at school. These include young people who have a child of their own or are estranged from their parents.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services under what circumstances supplementary benefit or child allowance is available for children overseas; in each case how much is available per child; how much in total has been paid in this way for each of the last five years; and how much has been paid on account of children in each of the six countries in respect of children in which the largest total payments have been made.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the number of people who are ineligible for the death grant because of their age;and what would be the potential cost of making them eligible for the grant.

It is estimated that in 1981–82 there will be about 16, 000 deaths among people for whom no death grant is payable because they were over 65—men—and 60—women—on 5 July 1948. A further 103, 000 deaths are eligible only for payment of grant at the half-rate because of the deceased person's age in 1948. If all such deaths attracted grant at the full £30 rate the extra cost would be a little over £2 million in 1981–82. The estimated total number of elderly people ineligible for the full rate of death grant at the end of 1981 was 640, 000, of whom 50, 000 had no entitlement. The extra cost of paying a £30 grant in all such cases would be about £11½ million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Abingdon (Mr. Benyon), Official Report, 22 December, c. 380, what are the qualifications which he regards as sufficient to describe a nurse as qualified; and if he will give a figure for the level of growth in nursing numbers which is due to the reduction in nurses' working weeks.

In England and Wales qualified nurses and midwives are those persons whose names are included in either the register kept by the General Nursing Council for England and Wales or the roll kept by the Central Midwives Board for England and Wales.At present the qualifications are contained in the following statutory instruments:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the development of Kings Mill hospital in Sutton in Ashfield for 900 beds has received approval.

Plans for the development of Kings Mill hospital approved so far are for a total of 550 beds. The Trent regional health authority has not yet submitted for approval proposals for additional developments on the site.