asked the Paymaster General how many civil servants were employed by his Department in May 1979; how many are employed in February 1982; and

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he is satisfied that adequate protection exists to resist the further importation of electrical goods imported at a price below economic cost.

The Community's anti-dumping legislation, which is based on the internationally agreed GATT code, provides an adequate means of protection for Community industries which are being harmed by unfairly priced goods from countries outside the European Community. I am satisfied that use of this legislation provides the best method of countering such unfair trade.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, further to his statement on 23 December, Official Report, column 1020, that the report of the European Commission on the alleged dumping of imported vacuum cleaners was expected early in the new year, whether he will make immediate representation to the Commission to publish its findings.

Officials in my Department's anti-dumping unit are in close contact with the European Commission on this case. The Commission has completed

I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish a table showing what proportion of each European Economic Community member State's trade is represented by trade with each other member State.

The following table gives the information for 1980, the latest year for which figures are available.its investigations and is now evaluating its findings and holding discussions with interested parties. It is well aware of our desire for action as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he was consulted by British Airways when it was in the process of commissioning a review of its operations by Price Waterhouse.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 February 1982, c. 265]: No.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland how many civil servants were employed by his Department in May 1979; how many are employed in February 1982; and what has been the percentage change; in each case how many were first division civil servants; and what has been the percentage change in their numbers.The Solicitor-General for Scotland: Staff numbers for the dates requested are not readily available, but the number of civil servants employed by my Department on 1 April 1979 was 789 and on 1 January 1982 the number was 952—an increase of 21 per cent. Although the term "first division civil servants" is not a recognised civil service terminology, the number of staff employed in my Department at Principal and equivalent professional grade and above on those dates was 140 and 160 respectively—an increase of 14 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present crime rate in Luton and Bedford; and what has been the trend during the past five years in each.

The information collected centrally on serious offences recorded by the police is for the whole of police force areas. Information on the number recorded per 100,000 population in Bedfordshire police force area is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—table 2.3 of the volume for 1980, Cmnd. 8376. Figures for 1980 are not precisely comparable with those for earlier years because of the introduction of new counting rules on 1 January 1980. Figures for 1981 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders under 17 years of age who had been sentenced to borstal training were accommodated in adult prisons on the most recent convenient date.

On 30 November 1981 about 30 offenders under 17 years of age who had been sentenced to borstal training were accommodated in adult prisons in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals against the provisional recommendations of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission are still outstanding; how many are in the process of adjudication following appeal; and when he expects to be able to lay before Parliament the necessary orders.

I understand that the last local inquiry into the provisional recommendations of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England opened in Manchester on 17 February 1982 and that the commission has still to announce its preliminary findings in respect of 70 such inquiries. The commission hopes to complete its current review by the end of this year and to submit its final recommendations to my right hon. Friend as soon as possible thereafter. He will lay the commission's report before Parliament as soon as practicable after it has been received.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters were received from, and written to, hon. Members by Ministers in his Department in January.

The only figures which can readily be provided include, as well as letters to and from hon. Members, a relatively small number of letters to and from other individuals and organisations to whom Ministers intend to reply. In January 1982 approximately 1,550 such letters were received, and 1,750 were sent by myself and Ministers in my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much correspondence his Department has had with hon. Members in the most recent year for which figures are available; and whether this represents an increase or decrease over previous years.

The available figures relate to the incoming correspondence from hon. Members and from a relatively small number of other individuals or organisations to whom Ministers intend to reply. There were approximately 22,500 such letters in 1981. This represents about a 1 per cent. decrease on the equivalent figure for 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants were employed by his Department in May 1979; how many are employed in February 1982; and what has been the percentage change; in each case how many were first division civil servants; and what has been the percentage change in their numbers.

The numbers of staff in post in the Home Office on the following dates were as follows:

• 1 April 1979: 33,490, including 23,773 in the prison department.
• 1 January 1982: 34,856, including 25,625 in the prison department.
• This is an increase of 4.1 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to the answer given to the hon. Member for Warrington on 10 February, Official Report, column 373, if he will arrange for records to be kept of the number of cases of rape involving nurses or Health Service workers whilst on National Health Service premises or travelling between a nurses' home and other National Health Service premises.

We regret that it is not possible, within the limited resources available, to maintain central records of details of the circumstances of recorded offences, such as rape.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, pursuant to his answers to the hon. Member for Christchurch and Lymington on shoplifting on 23 February 1977, 5 May 1977, 20 July 1977, 15 December 1977 and 13 February 1978, he will now update the statistics.

The information available is published in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales". The latest estimates of persons convicted for the first time are for 1977 and are published in table 10.1 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1978"—Cmnd. 7670. Information on police cautioning and proceedings at magistrates' courts by offence is published annually—table S4.11 of supplementary tables 1980, volume 4, and table S1.1(A) of volume 1 respectively for 1980, and tables 30—or 33 or 34—and 1(a) of the Command Papers for 1976 to 1979. The numbers of persons tried and found guilty by offence are published annually—tables S1.1(A) and S2.1(A) of volumes 1 and 2 respectively of supplementary tables 1980, and tables 1 (a) and 5(a) of the Command Paper for earlier years. Information on the value of property stolen in offences of shoplifting recorded by the police is published annually—table 2.10 of Cmnd. 8376 for 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young children were sentenced under section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 in 1980; and how many of these were allocated to community homes, youth treatment centres, borstals, young prisoner centres and other establishments, respectively.

Records available to us show no children, aged 10 years and under 14, sentenced in 1980 under section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on behalf of Miss Ewa Sadowska, a member of the student section of Solidarity from a village near Katowice in Poland, to remain in the United Kingdom with her aunt and uncle Mr. and Mrs. Baranski, who are British subjects; and if, bearing in mind the persecution to which known activists of Solidarity are currently being subjected in Poland, he will grant her request to be allowed to remain in the United Kingdom on humanitarian grounds.

Representations on behalf of Miss Sadowska have been received from seven right hon. and hon. Members, two organisations and two members of the public.Miss Sadowska's appeal against the decision to refuse her permission to settle in the United Kingdom is due to be heard on 26 February. If the appeal is dismissed, her position will then be reviewed in the light of the adjudicator's determination and all other relevant factors, including those to which my hon. Friend has drawn attention.Whatever the outcome of Miss Sadowska's appeal, the Government's policy remains that no Pole will be returned to Poland against his or her will for the time being.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to prohibit the distribution and sale of games which are based on bomb disposal work or which imitate the use of nuclear weapons as part of the game; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many customers of the British gas Corporation in England an Wales have an annual gas load of (a) 1 million therms, (b) 3 million therms, (c) 5 million therms and (d) 7 million therms.

The information is commercially sensitive.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the total of Government grants to the mineworkers' pension scheme over the past 10 years to cover deficits in the fund; and what has been the annual contribution for each of the past three years.

The grant payments made, or expected to be made, for this purpose are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many civil servants were employed by his Department in May 1979; how many are employed in February 1982; and what has been the percentage change; in each case how many were first division civil servants; and what has been the percentage change in their numbers.

The Department of Energy had 1,267 staff in post on 1 April 1979 and 1,152½ staff in post on 1 January 1982. This represents a reduction of 9 per cent. Although the term "first division civil servants" is not recognised Civil Service terminology, the number of staff in this Department at principal and equivalent professional grade and above was 246 and 234 respectively. This reduction of about 5 per cent. was made up of a reduction of 14.6 per cent. in administrative grades and an increase of 7.3 per cent. in professional grades.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether, following the Government's decision to require the British Gas Corporation to raise its domestic prices by 10 per cent. in excess of the rate of inflation in 1980, 1981 and 1982, he will make it his policy that no such requirement will be made for 1983 and that a price standstill will take place next year instead.

The Government, together with the British Gas Corporation, will be considering future domestic gas pricing policy in the context of setting the corporation's financial target for the years subsequent to 1982–83. No decisions have yet been taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether, in the interests of assisting the Government's counter-inflation policy, he will direct the British Gas Corporation to cancel forthwith its proposed domestic gas price increases in April and October; and whether he will give reasons for his decision in this matter.

It is essential that the three-year programme of correcting imbalances in the gas market announced by my predecessor on 16 January 1980 be completed. The British Gas Corporation's proposed increases for 1982 represent the last phase of this programme. The Government, together with the corporation, will be considering future gas pricing policy in the context of the corporation's next financial target.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will give financial backing to the national engineering laboratory in East Kilbride to enable it to develop and build a full-scale wave energy generator;

I shall be taking no major decisions on the future of the wave energy research programme until I have considered the advice of my Advisory Council on Research and Development for Fuel and Power, which is due in the spring.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many civil servants were employed by his Department in May 1979; how many are employed in February 1982; and what has been the percentage change; in each case how many were first division civil servants; and what has been the percentage change in their numbers.

The number of staff of the Department of Industry, at the nearest conveniently available dates, was 9,543 on 1 April 1979 and 8,402 on 1 January 1982—a reduction of 12 per cent. The term "first division civil servants" is not recognised Civil Service terminology. However, the number of staff employed in the Department at the above dates at Assistant Secretary level and equivalent grades and above, and below, in grades primarily represented by the Association of First Division Civil Servants was 659½ and 570—a reduction of 13½ per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, pursuant to his reply of 15 February, Official Report, column 3, relating to industrial development certificates for each region, how many approvals related to the region of origin; and how many to another region.

I regret that the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, pusuant to his reply of 27 January, Official Report, column 383, if he is now able to give the full-year figure for 1981 applications and approvals of industrial development certificates.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the total area of industrial floor space allocated for industrial or service trade occupancy by the English Industrial Estates Corporation in each of the travel-to-work areas in (a) Durham county and (b) the Northern region for each year since 1974.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many applications his Department has received under the loan guarnatee scheme since 1 June 1981; what is the total amount of money that has been guaranteed; and if he is satified with the success of the scheme.

At the end of January 1982, the latest date for which figures are available, 2,325 guarantees had been issued in respect of £80.1 million of bank lending and 20 applications were waiting to be processed. The take-up of scheme lending has been very encouraging, but we shall want to look more closely at how the scheme has been operating before judging its effectiveness.I am now in discussion with the banks as to how this can best be achieved.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will consider rebuilding Crown courts in Bedford, in view of the proximity of a transit prison and the increasing crime rate in the area.

There is no present intention of including a new Crown court centre at Bedford. The possibility will be considered only if current plans for building at Luton and St. Albans should fall through.

asked the Attorney-General how many civil servants were employed by his Department in May 1979; how many are employed in February 1982; and what has been the percentage change; in each case how many were first division civil servants; and what has been the percentage change in their numbers.

On 1 May 1979, 18 civil servants were employed in my Department. On 1 February 1982, 18 civil servants were employed in my Department.Although the term "first division civil servants" is not recognised Civil Service terminology, the number of staff employed in my Department at principal and equivalent professional grade and above are four and five respectively.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many Government inspectors are employed in the United Kingdom food industry; what is the cost involved in maintaining current numbers; and how these costs are financed.

Although there are central Government responsibilities for egg and horticultural marketing standards inspections, inspection of food in the United Kingdom is in general the responsibility of local authorities. The number of local government staff involved and their cost is not available centrally.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many Government food inspectors there are in France, Denmark, Germany and the Republic of Ireland; and at what cost they are maintained.

I regret that this information is not readily available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes have taken place in the retail cost of basic food items over the last eight weeks; and if he will introduce measures which would have the effect of reducing the price of food.

The mid-January retail food price index, the latest available, shows a 3.7 per cent. increase compared with mid-November. About half of this is attributable to the effects of the recent severe weather on prices of seasonal foods, especially fresh vegetables.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many civil servants were employed by his Department in May 1979; how many are employed in February 1982; and what has been the percentage change; in each case how many were first division civil servants; and what has been the percentage change in their numbers.

The number of civil servants employed in my Ministry at 1 April 1979 was 13,956^*. At 1 January 1982 there were 12,502^*—a drop of 10.4 per cent. Although the term "first division civil servants" is not a recognised Civil Service terminology, the number of staff employed in the Ministry at Principal and equivalent professional grade and above at these dates was 1,077^* and 1,019^* respectively—a drop of 5.4 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures for homeworking in the clothing industry in the Greater London area.

The Department does not keep statistics about the number of homeworkers, but employers are required to provide local authorities bi-annually with a list of the homeworkers they have employed in certain specified trades, of which clothing is one.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received following the publication of the Employment Committee's report on homeworking; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Bury and Radcliffe (Mr. White) on Tuesday 16 February.—[Vol. 18, c. 97.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of the average adult wage in manufacturing industry is paid to apprentices.

Comprehensive information on the average earnings of apprenticies and full-time trainees is obtained only in periodical labour surveys. The latest figures, for 1978, are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that the proposed youth training scheme will provide training for 16-year-olds in all those industrial skills which experience shows are likely to be in short supply in the event of an expansion of the economy.

The youth training scheme will be designed to equip young people with a broad range of basic skills, especially industrial and commercial skills, and will include a minimum of three months off-the-job training or further education. It will, of course, need to be followed by more specific skill training in jobs where this is required.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if his proposed youth training scheme will require any changes in the existing type and pattern of training courses being run by colleges of further education and technical colleges.

The Manpower Services Commission will be discussing the implications of the youth training scheme with those concerned. These discussions will cover the nature and pattern of provision by the further education sector.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies have occurred between the introduction of containerisation in 1968 and December 1981 in the ports at Southampton, Tilbury, Felixstowe and Liverpool.

Under the port transport industry's national voluntary severance scheme, which began in 1969, 15,348 registered dock workers had accepted severance in the port of London, including Tilbury, 957 in Southampton and 7,879 in Liverpool by the end of December 1981. In addition, 1,539 registered dock workers left the port of London in 1968 in response to private schemes run by port employers. I have no information about severance in Felixstowe which is not a port covered by the dock labour scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many civil servants were employed by his Department in May 1979; how many are employed in February 1982; and what has been the percentage change; in each case how many were first division civil servants; and what has been the percentage change in their numbers.

Staff numbers are counted at set quarter dates. My Department employed 23,300 permanent staff at 1 April 1979 and 30,596 at 1 January 1982—an increase of 31.3 per cent.—due to the recruitment of extra staff for the payment of unemployment benefit, redundancy payments, and for special employment measures. In the same period, measures to improve efficiency and economy have resulted in the saving of over 4,000 staff."First division civil servants" is not recognised Civil Service terminology. The number of staff employed in the Department of Employment in the Principal and equivalent professional grades and above was 230 at 1 April 1979 and 214 at 1 January 1982—a decrease of 7 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the budget for 1982 for expenditure on handicapped people within the European social fund; what part of this expenditure he expects to be available for the developmnent of a network referred to in paragraph II of the resolution of the Council of Ministers on the social integration of handicapped people; and if he will make a statement.

The European social fund's 1982 budget for expenditure on the needs of handicapped people is 116 million European currency units for commitment appropriations—that is, financial commitments—which can be entered into during 1982. The present value of one ECU is approximately 57p.Our understanding is that none of this expenditure will be available for the development of the network of development actions referred to in the resolution of the Council of Ministers on the social integration of handicapped people. The resolution of the Council proposes that such actions should not begin until 1983, and it seems unlikely that the proposed activities would be eligible for assistance under the existing rules and regulations of the fund. The proposed network will be among the matters considered during the review of the fund which is due to be completed by the end of this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of youth opportunities programme places provided in Consett and Stanley in 1981 developed into permanent jobs; and what is the estimated percentage for 1982.

The precise information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employnent whether a final decision has been taken on a merger between the family expenditure survey and the national food survey; and what decision has been taken.

It has been decided not to proceed with a merger, and ways are now being sought to achieve savings in respect of the separate surveys.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her official engagements for 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements for 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 23 February

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 February.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall have further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen. Later I shall attend a dinner given by the Engineering Employers Federation.

asked the Prime Minister if she will introduce proposals to give special help to the quarter of a million people who have been out of work for two years or more.

We are already giving special help to long-term unemployed people through the community enterprise programme, the expansion of which was announced before Christmas by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment. We are seeking to help all unemployed people through the policies we are pursuing to tackle the underlying causes of economic decline and rising unemployment.

asked the Prime Minister if she will review the policy of Her Majesty's Government regarding the reduction in the lead content in petrol with a view to its more rapid implementation.

The Government are anxious to introduce low-lead petrol by the earliest practicable date, and the regulations already require this.

asked the Prime Minister what progress has been made to date in the theatre nuclear disarmament negotiations in Geneva.

As President Reagan announced on 4 February, the United States has tabled a draft treaty which, if agreed, would result in the complete elimination of the land-based intermediate range nuclear missiles of most concern to each side. The Soviet Government have made public their proposal for a joint statement of intentions by the two sides. United States officials continue to brief the NATO allies on progress in the negotiations and have done so most recently on 29 January and 12 February. The briefings are confidential.

asked the Prime Minister if she will invite President Brezhnev to make an official visit to London.

There are no plans at present for President Brezhnev to visit Britain.

asked the Prime Minister what proportion of children are in families gaining from the married man's tax allowance.

On the basis of the position in the last year of child tax allowances—1978–79—I estimate that about 90 per cent. of children now belong to families whose income liable to tax during 1981–82 is greater than the single person's allowance. These families, therefore, gain either from the excess of the married man's allowance over the single person's allowance, (two-parent family), or from the additional personal allowance, (single-parent family), which brings a single parent's allowance to the same level as a married man's.

asked the Prime Minister how many hon. Members she has seen on matters relating to factory closures since she last answered oral questions; and how many jobs were expected to be lost in the closures discussed.

I have had no such meetings since 18 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make an official visit to Leith in Scotland.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether she has any plans to visit Burgess Hill in West Sussex.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the operation of the 1974 facilities agreement between the Government and the Civil Service unions.

The operation of the 1974 non-industrial facilities agreement is unsatisfactory in some respects. It needs to be defined more precisely and to be subject to greater control. As I told my hon. Friend on 11 February, a revised agreement is being negotiated with those objectives in mind.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied that Her Majesty's Government's financial provisions for Leyland Vehicles remain sufficient to ensure the long-term viability of the company.

The Government funding for BL as a whole has been set at levels consistent with the annual corporate plans submitted to the Government by the board of BL. These contain the details of the board's strategy for returning all the company's businesses to viability in the medium term.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the growing practice of Ministers using aircraft of the Queen's Flight, where adequate public transport on routine services is available at less cost to public funds, she will issue a general directive to Ministers to stop this practice.

I am satisfied with present arrangements, under which the use of aircraft of the Queen's Flight by Ministers is authorised occasionally when other RAF aircraft are either unavailable or unsuitable for essential and urgent journeys.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will pay an official visit to Northampton.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister what progress has been made in the Government's examination of the transfer of the titles of The Times and The Sunday Times to News International.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade set out the present position in his reply to the right hon. Member for Lanarkshire, North (Mr. Smith) and others on 18 February.—[Vol. 18, c. 173.] I have nothing to add.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what extra costs he envisages being incurred as a result of the implementation of the provisions of the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill in its present form by local authorities, district health authorities and regional health authorities; and if he will specify the reason for each item of extra expenditure.

The extra costs arising from the implementation of the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill are set out in the Explanatory and Financial Memorandum attached to the Bill which was published on 11 November 1981. The costs arising from the increase in opportunities for review by the mental health review tribunal and from the new Mental Health Act Commission

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will undertake a review of regulation 30 of the Supplementary Benefit (Single Payments) Regulations 1980 in order to enable the provision of liquid gas appliances as an alternative means of cooking for those householders without a supply of electricity; and if he will make a statement.

No. I assume that the right hon. Member has in mind the guidance on regulation 30 issued by the chief supplementary benefit officer to the effect that a single payment should not be awarded for a liquid gas appliance to people with no experience of them. It is for the CSBO to issue guidance to benefit officers, who are the first tier of the independent adjudicating authority, on the application of the supplementary benefit regulations. I understand that this guidance was prepared after consulting published Home Office advice on the use of such appliances and because of concern that there was no possibility of supervision of their use. If the right hon. Member has a specific circumstance in mind, perhaps he will write to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated number of self-employed people in each European Community member State who may potentially benefit from the agreement by the Social Affairs Council in December 1981 on the extension of reciprocal health benefits to the self-employed; and when he expects this scheme to come into operation.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the most recent figures for the number of claims for free milk and vitamins for nursing mothers and children under school age together with the number for whom receipt is (a) on the grounds of supplementary benefit or family income supplement and (b) on other low income grounds.

Figures for numbers of claims are not available in such detail. The hon. Member may, however, find the following table of assistance. This gives some information on numbers of awards extant at a date in November or December 1980.

The best information available to me indicates that in 1980 the number of "employers, self-employed and family workers"^* in each of the countries of the European Community was as follows:

• Belgium—623,000
• Denmark—data not available (424,000 in 1977)
• France—3,622,000
• Germany—3,499,000
• Greece—1, 688,000
• Ireland—data not available (291,000 in 1977)
• Italy—5,867, 000
• Luxembourg—22,000
• Netherlands—514,000
• United Kingdom—1,886,000

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the perinatal, neonatal and infant mortality rates by social class for the West Roding district of the Redbridge and Waltham Forest health authority.

The information requested is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the communication system within the National Health Service whereby notification is given to renal units when organs suitable for transplant become available; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. The evidence is that the supply of donor organs is limited mainly by the reluctance of many doctors to start the procedures necessary for transplantation. These procedures are set out in the code of practice on the removal of cadaveric organs for transplantation, published in 1979. In a letter sent last December to all doctors working in relevant fields, the Department's chief medical officer endorsed the recommendations on the implementation of the code made recently by the conference of medical Royal colleges and their faculties in the United Kingdom. Discussions are continuing with the profession to ensure that all doctors are made aware of the provisions of the code, the need for donor organs and the benefits that transplants bring to patients.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the numbers of kidney transplants for (a) the 12 months preceding, (b) the 12

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the number of days lost from work by patients waiting for hernia operations; if he will give an estimate of the total cost as well as an estimate of the individual costs; and if he will make a statement.

I regret that the information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many civil servants were employed by his Department in May 1979; how many are employed in February 1982; and what has been the percentage change; in each case how many were first division civil servants; and what has been the percentage change in their numbers.

Statistics on Civil Service departmental staff-in-post are collected and centrally collated at quarterly intervals. The numbers of staff in my

In the period October 1979 to September 1980 a total of 784 cadaver kidney transplants were performed in England, compared with a total of 596 in the 12 months October 1980 to September 1981. This represents a decrease of approximately 24 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the average waiting time for each regional hospital board in England for an operation for hernia; if he will give an indication of waiting time for National Health Service patients and private patients under the National Health Service; and if he will make a statement.

The most recent information available centrally is from the hospital in-patient inquiry for 1978 and is shown in the following table. This is based on a 10 per cent. sample and does not include day surgery cases or private patients treated in NHS hospitals.Department at the quarter dates closest to the dates requested and the percentage change over the period were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to the answer to the hon. Member for Warrington on 10 February, Official Report, c. 414, concerning security at nurses' homes, if he will publish the replies he receives from regional personnel officers.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that there is adequate provision within the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys for conducting all surveys necessary for proper information to be provided to Parliament.

Government Departments already have a number of alternative methods of meeting their survey requirements and are not obliged to commission the social survey division of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. The appropriate size of the OPCS capability is at present under review and the needs of Parliament for proper information will be part of that consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether Her Majesty's Government propose to maintain the social survey division in the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made since July 1981 in identifying survey capability in the private sector which is as effective and also cheaper than the public sector.

Information already exists about the capability of private sector firms awarded survey contracts by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. There are no plans to collect further information, other than in the context of selecting contractors for future surveys, should the need for this arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what changes have taken place since July 1981 in the general household survey or the international passenger survey; and what effect these changes will have on the range of statistics available from these surveys and on the variety of sub-groups for which separate analyses are done.

Following the publication in April 1981 of the White Paper on Government statistical services—Cmnd. 8236—arrangements were made to reduce the cost of both the general household survey and the international passenger survey by approximately 28 per cent. The annual sample size of the GHS was reduced by about 15 per cent. as from January 1982 and the achieved annual sample will in future consist of about 10,000 households in Great Britain. The balance of the economies has been achieved by marginal changes in field work procedures, a reduction in the amount of face-to-face interviewer briefing and a reduction in the amount of manual coding and checking of data, balanced by an increase in computer editing.From April 1982 the IPS sample size will be reduced at the main airports—other than terminal 3 at Heathrow—by halving the number of interviews with arriving passengers and halving the number of interviews carried out at weekends. However, in order to maintain acceptable accuracy in migration statistics, information will be collected from an additional sample of passengers passing through Heathrow terminal 3. Other savings will be made by reducing the amount of face-to-face training and briefing of interviewers, reductions in manual coding and reductions in staffing levels linked to the reduction in sample size.Although these changes may reduce the quality of the statistics derived from these two important surveys for some uses, they have been carefully considered in the light of the Government's needs. I am assured that their main objectives will continue to be met. It is not expected that the range or variety of the analyses will be significantly affected.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made in commissioning the ad hoc surveys for the Government referred to in the speech of the Under-Secretary of State on 2 July, Official Report, c. 1132–6; and which organisations or individuals have been consulted.

I understand that a report on the commissioning of ad hoc surveys has been sent to the following organisations and individuals to obtain their comments before the recommendations in the report are considered:

• Arbitration Conciliation and Advisory Service
• Association of Market Survey Organisations
• Association of Metropolitan Authorities
• Association of Scientific, Technical and Management Staffs
• Child Poverty Action Group
• Civil Aviation Authority
• Commission for Racial Equality
• Countryside Commission
• Dental School, University of London
• Department of Community Dental Health, London Hospital Medical College
• Department of Community Medicine, Guy's hospital
• Department of Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science
• Department of Population Studies, London School of Economics and Political Science
• Department of Social Administration and Social Work, University of York
• Department of Social Policy, University of Kent at Canterbury
• Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield Department of Sociology, Bedford College, University of London
• Department of Sociology, University of Surrey
• Equal Opportunities Commission
• Family Planning Association
• Gemma Group (self-help group for the disabled)
• Institute of Psychiatry
• Institute of Statisticians
• Market Research Society
• Medical Research Council
• Medical Sociology Group, University College, Cardiff Mr. L. Moss
• National Economic Development Council
• Nature Conservancy Council
• Policy Studies Institute
• Royal Statistical Society
• Social and Community Planning Research
• Social and Political Sciences Committee, University of Cambridge
• Social Research Association
• Social Science Research Council
• Society for Social Medicine, University of Kent
• Sports Council
• Mr. C. G. Thomas
• Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education,
• University of London
• University of Stirling