asked the Prime Minister if she will take steps to reverse the Government's decision to abolish repeat year grants.

No. The policy announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland on 19 January is fair to the taxpayer as well as to students.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will announce details of her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements for 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 25 February.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.

asked the Prime Minister when last she met the leaders of the Trades Union Congress.

At NEDC on 3 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the co-ordination between the Secretaries of State for Social Services, Education, the Environment, Transport, Energy and Industry concerning the administration of Government policies in relation to the effects of lead in petrol and of the timing and extent of any changes in the amount of lead permitted.

Yes. The Government policy on environmental pollution by lead, including lead from petrol, is co-ordinated by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport is responsible for making regulations setting the maximum level of lead in petrol. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services arranges for the provision to all his colleagues of advice, by the Chief Medical Officer and his staff, on the health effects of lead, including possible effects on children's educational performance. Other Ministers are consulted as necessary; in particular those for Industry and Energy on the industrial and commercial aspects; and close working relations are maintained at official level between all Departments concerned.

asked the Prime Minister whether she has any plans to bring forward proposals to encourage those who are on supplementary benefit to undertake academic study.

Supplementary benefit claimants are able to engage in part-time study so long as they fulfil the basic condition for entitlement in continuing to be available for employment. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services is keeping the detailed provisions of the relevant regulations under review.

asked the Prime Minister whether she is satisfied that the current training programme and succession planning for civil servants is suited to the new emphasis being placed on management skills within the Civil Service.

Management training already has high priority in the Civil Service, but there is more to be done and the work is in hand on it. At senior levels, the recently introduced succession planning arrangements are helping to identify those likely to occupy the highest ranks who will need training and experience in management skills.

asked the Prime Minister what are her criteria for making a ministerial broadcast.

There has been no change in the published criteria.

asked the Prime Minister what was the level of unemployment in the travel-to-work area covering her own constituency in May 1979; and what it is now.

In the area covered by the Finchley employment office, which corresponds closely to my constituency, the numbers of people registered as unemployed at May 1979 and February 1982 were 1,038 and 2,878, respectively. The figures include school leavers and are not seasonally adjusted.

asked the Prime Minister if she will appoint a Minister with responsibility for women's rights, with a post in the Cabinet.

I am satisfied with the existing arrangements for implementing the Government's policy of equality of opportunity for women.

asked the Prime Minister if she will protest to President Reagan about offensive references to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs made by Secretary of State Haig.

No. Neither I nor my right hon. and noble Friend are inclined to take this sort of thing seriously.

asked the Prime Minister if she proposes to appoint a successor to carry out the duties of the former Minister for Consumer Affairs; if her successor will be engaged full-time on consumer affairs; and, if not, what plans she has for ministerial appointments to ensure that consumer interests are safeguarded.

Responsibility for consumer affairs within the Department of Trade rests ultimately, as it always has done, with the Secretary of State. When decisions have been reached on the ministerial arrangements best suited to help him discharge this responsibility in the future, these will be announced in the usual way.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland how many letters were received from, and written to, hon. Members by the Lord Advocate or the Solicitor-General for Scotland in January.

My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate and I received 59 letters from hon. Members and wrote 32 letters to hon. Members in January of this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will report on the examination announced by his predecessor on 8 August 1980, Official Report, column 475, of the Post Office's performance and quality of service objectives and its financial target.

This examination has now been carried out, and I have agreed with the Post Office a new performance objective of reducing its real unit costs by 5 per cent. over the years 1982–83–1984–85, with a reduction of 2 per cent. in 1982–;83. Over the past few years the Post Office's real unit costs have been rising.In addition, I have been examining the Post Office's quality of service targets and I accept that the current targets, 90 per cent. of first class mail delivered by the first working day after collection—day B— on a Monday to Saturday basis, and 96 per cent. second class mail delivered by the third working day after collection—day D— are as demanding as can reasonably be expected at present. I believe, however, that there is a case also for monitoring the Post Office's performance with regard to delivery of second class mail by the second working day after collection—day C— and when the Post Office has managed to achieve consistently its present targets, I shall be discussing with it the possibility of adopting a day C objective within the day D target.So far as the financial target is concerned, the current target, which requires the postal business to achieve a return of 2 per cent. on turnover after interest, expires at the end of 1982–83, and I have set in hand a review that should take account both of the nature as well as the level of a possible new target for the Post Office. I shall report on the outcome of that review in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) what is the typical spread in productivity in manufacturing as shown by sector analysis of the latest census of production of the most and least efficient plants as a percentage of the average; and what are the typical quartiles;(2) whether he will publish in the

In 1979 average net output per head was £9,488 for the mechanical engineering sector and £6,148 for the woollen and worsted industry. Further information relating to the medians and quartiles of productivity measures for these industries and for the manufacturing sector as a whole will become available later this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) if he will list all Government grants and loans for which all industries, including tourism, cease to be eligible as a result of downgrading their locality from (i) development area status to intermediate area status and (ii) from intermediate area status to non-assisted area status in England and Wales;(2) if he will list all Government grants and loans for which all industries, including tourism, cease to be eligible as a result of downgrading their locality from (i) development area status to intermediate area status and (ii) from intermediate area status to non-assisted area status in Scotland.

The Government grants and loans for which industries throughout Great Britain would cease to be eligible in the circumstances quoted are:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, pursuant to his reply of 28 January, Official Report, c. 393, why the take-up of the loan guarantee scheme has been comparatively low in the North-East; and whether he has any plans to improve the situation.

Many factors will be involved in the differences between regions in take up of the loan guarantee scheme, and the apparent disparities are reduced when the size and the population of the regions are taken into account. I should like to see more applications coming from the North-East.Efforts have been made to increase awareness of the scheme and the other measures for small firms through the business opportunities programme, and the scheme will continue to be promoted through the Department of Industry's small firms service.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he is satisfied that fair competition in the glass industry exists between the various States of the European Economic Community; and if he will introduce proposals which will have the effect of placing the United Kingdom industry in as favourable position as any other national industry in the European Economic Community.

The competitive position of the United Kingdom glass industry is kept under review and I should be glad to examine any specific matters that the hon. Member might have in mind and that are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend.

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.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances, and on what

[pursuant to his reply, 23 February 1982, c. 332.]: The attached table sets out the number of factories and floor area let to all types of tenants by the English Industrial Estates Corporation for each financial year since 1974–75, in each of the travel-to-work areas of Durham county and of the remainder of the North-East region.evidence, a prison governor is entitled to open sealed packets sent to him by solicitors for a prisoner in his prison for the purpose of transmission to such prisoner in connection with criminal proceedings in which the instructed by the prisoner; and in what circumstances and on what evidence a prisoner governor may open sealed packets from the prisoner to his solicitors.

A prison governor may open all post to or from a prisoner, but under prison rule 37A(1) correspondence between a prisoner who is a party to any legal proceedings and his legal adviser may not be read unless the governor has reason to suppose that it contains matter not relating to the proceedings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the certified normal accommodation for Liverpool prison; what is the latest figure for the prison's population; and how many baths, showers and toilets, classrooms, square feet of exercise space and workshop places are available to the prisoners.

The certified normal accommodation is 1,016; the number of inmates on 19 February was 1,418. There are 17 baths, 70 showers, 284 toilets and urinals, 10 classrooms, approximately 5,500 sq m of exercise space—of which approximately 1,000 sq m are temporarily out of use—and 578 workshop places.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how many hours the workshops in Liverpool prison were open during the week ended 18 December 1981 or other recent typical week; what was the average number of prisoners employed; how many classes took place and for how many hours; what was the average number of inmates in each class; and how much time on average each prisoner spent out of his cell during that week.

At Her Majesty's prison Liverpool during the week ended 29 January 1982 489 inmates were employed in the industrial workshops, which were open for an average of 13·6 hours. A total of 87 educational classes, each of an average duration of 2 hours, were attended by an average of 8·2 inmates per class. In addition, two full-time construction industry training classes, each of 4¼ hours a day, were attended by an average of seven inmates per class.There is no record of the average length of time each inmate spent out of his cell: it ranged from 2 hours to 10 hours per day. For most adults it was closer to 2 hours, but for young offenders it was nearer 4 hours.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how many hours the workshops in Leeds prison were open during the week ended 18 December 1981 or other recent typical week; what was the average number of prisoners employed; how many classes took place and for how many hours; what was the average number of inmates in each class; and how much time on average each prisoner spent out of his cell during that week.

At Her Majesty's prison Leeds during the week ended 29 January 1982, 301 inmates were employed in the industrial workshops, which were open for an average of 16½ hours. A total of 92 educational classes, each of an average duration of 2 hours, were attended by an average of 7·3 inmates per class. In addition, two full-time vocational training classes, each of 2 hours per day, were attended by an average of four inmates per class.There is no record of the average length of time each inmate spent out of his cell: it ranged from two how's to 10 hours per day. For most adults it was closer to three hours, but for young offenders it was at least four hours.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the certified normal accommodation for Leeds prison; what is the latest figure for the prison's population; and how many baths, showers and toilets, classrooms, square feet of exercise space and workshop places are available to the prisoners.

The certified normal accommodation is 620; the number of inmates on 19 February was 1,186. There are six baths, 34 showers, 175 toilets and urinals, 10 classrooms, approximately 2,500 sq m of exercise space and 330 workshop places.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the project on sentencing in the Crown court, which was proposed to be carried out by the Oxford Centre for Criminological Research with a grant from the Home Office, is not being pursued beyond the pilot stage.

The decision was taken following discussions between the Oxford Centre for Criminological Research and the judiciary, in which the Home Office was not involved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure that the police in the Brixton area of London carry out his guidelines relating to identification parades being held in police stations and that no further such parades are held at underground railway stations; whether he will cause an investigation to be made into the extent of this practice; and if he will make a statement.

The guidance to the police contained in Home Office circular 109/1978 envisages that, in case in which it is not possible to assemble sufficient people who resemble a suspect to enable a fair identification parade to be held at a police station in accordance with the identification parade rule, alternative arrangements may be made to allow the witness an opportunity of seeing him in a group of people. Underground stations may be used for this purpose at the discretion of the chief officer of police concerned, and my right hon. Friend has no present grounds for considering an investigation necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, for the purpose of issuing sets of electoral registers free of charge to organisations supporting prospective parliamentary candidates, two political parties which have decided to support a single candidate in a particular constituency are treated as one or two such organisations in that constituency.

This is a matter for the electoral registration officer, subject to regulation 22(1) of the Representation of the People Regulations 1974, which provides that he may not supply more than one set—four copies—of registers in respect of the same candidature.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current strength of the Metropolitan Police force; and how that figure compares with its strength on 3 May 1979.

The strength of the Metropolitan Police was 25,075 on 31 December 1981; it was 22,225 on 30 April 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will instruct his delegates to the International Telecommunications Union conference to propose that citizens band radio be considered as a type of mobile radio.

Citizens band radio is a type of mobile radio. If my hon. Friend has a particular point in mind I should be glad if he would let me know of it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy towards the admission to the United Kingdom of citizens of the Republic of Ireland, found guilty in that country of criminal offences committed there, on whom a sentence of imprisonment is not imposed provided that they leave the Republic of Ireland for the United Kingdom.

Since the early 1950s, a local journey between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom has not been subject to routine immigration control. A citizen of the Irish Republic arriving in the United Kingdom from the Republic does not require leave to enter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which tests of plastic bullets have been carried out by his Department to determine the risk of fatality or serious injury;(2) which riot control weapons have been evaluated by his Department during the last five years;(3) whether any tests, and if so which tests, have been carried out to determine the risk of fatality or serious injury from the use of water cannon;(4) who controls the storage of the new riot control equipment acquired by police forces since June 1981;(5) how many

Some 3,000 baton rounds and 1,000 CS projectiles of approved types are now held by police forces in England and Wales for anti-riot purposes. The storage of these is controlled by the chief officers of police concerned. My Department is continuing to study water cannon that are, or might be, made available for use by the police in riots. At present two former military vehicles are on loan to the police for assessment. Full account will be taken in the course of these studies of any risk of injury associated with the use of water cannon. Advice on the assessment of risks associated with the use of baton rounds has been made available to me by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.A variety of riot control equipment has been acquired by police forces since July 1981. This includes helmets, shields, fireproof overalls and other supporting equipment. Such equipment is regularly evaluated by my Department, which has a continuing responsibility to monitor equipment developments that might properly be of benefit to the police. Whilst monitoring extends to all types of equipment, evaluation of anti-riot weapons for use by the police has been confined to those mentioned above.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many policemen have received special training in riot control (a) prior to and (b) since the disturbances in the summer of 1981.

Police officers are trained in a variety of disciplines in order to provide an effective response to public disorder. Information about numbers is not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make available the further detailed guidance on the use of and training with riot control equipment referred to in his speech to the House on 16 July 1981, Official Report, column 1402;(2) at what level within police forces the authority to discharge CS gas, plastic bullets and water cannon, if acquired, will be exercised.

Details of the guidance issued to chief officers of police on the use of CS gas and baton rounds were set out in my reply to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Altrincham and Sale (Mr. Montgomery) on 19 October 1981.—[Vol. 10, c. 29–30.] The use of water cannon is under evaluation and central guidance has not been issued.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the guidelines which he has issued to chief constables on the use of bugging devices by officers within their control; and if he will ensure that in the review of those guidelines which he proposes to initiate there will be a full opportunity for hon. Members to express their opinions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make available to hon. Members a copy of the guidelines issued to chief constables covering the bugging of public telephone kiosks; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 15 February 1982, c. 5.]: I have placed a copy of the guidelines in the Library of the House. They were issued to chief constables on 1 July 1977 and remain in force. Before that police use of equipment in surveillance operations was not the subject of Home Office guidance and as stated in my reply I am reviewing the guidelines and would be glad to take into account any views which hon. Members may care to put to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many purpose-built factory buildings were constructed by the Welsh Development Agency, the district and county councils, and privately in each of the districts in Wales in 1979, 1980 and 1981; how many of those factories are at present occupied; and what number of people each one employed at the most recent date for which figures are available.

I have asked the Welsh Development Agency to provide the information to the hon. Member about its factories. Information in the form requested is not collected by my Department on factories built by local authorities and the private sector.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Carmarthen on 9 February, Official Report, c. 308, for the areas of Wales in which night and week-end deputising services are used, how many doctors are on duty at the same time for every 50,000 of the population on the lists of the practices employing the deputising services.

I regret that this information is not available. Arrangements for deputising services are a matter for the individual general medical practitioner concerned, subject to his obtaining the prior consent of the local family practitioner committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will reconsider his statement of 9 February, Official Report, c. 319, that approval of his Votes conveys approval of the applications of the sums appropriated in aid.

The Appropriation Act authorises expenditure, including that to be met from appropriations in aid, as shown in part II of the Estimate. If the right hon. Member has a particular point in mind, perhaps he will write to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will introduce a scheme to ensure that pupils from independent schools are able to obtain the same allowances as pupils from maintained schools for travel expenses when visiting universities prior to obtaining a university place.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the local education authorities which have submitted a response to his Department's circular 2/81 and those which have not yet done so.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the results of the October 1981 census of school meals; how they compare with those for 1980; and if he will make a statement.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy why he will not have discussions with the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to ascertain the practicabilities of extending the piped gas supplies from the Soviet Union to France into Great Britain.

As I have received no representations from anyone in the United Kingdom wishing to purchase such supplies, the question has not arisen.

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

Ministers in my Department received 119 letters from, and wrote 120 letters to, hon. Members in January.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many kilometres of high voltage electricity transmission lines have been laid underground in England and Wales; and what proportion of the grid network this represents.

Four hundred and twenty-eight route kilometres of the Central Electricity Generating Board's 400 and 275 kilovolt transmission system have been laid underground. This represents 5·9 per cent. of the total of 7,249 route kilometres.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make an estimate of reserves in the Viking field.

Estimates of reserves in individual fields are commercially confidential and the hon. Member would have to obtain the information from Conoco, the operator.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the price of heavy duty fuel oil to the glass industry in the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and Belgium.

the price of heavy fuel oil to the glass industry is not available. The table below shows the price of heavy fuel oil for deliveries of 2 tonnes per month or 24 tonnes per annum and is based on an informal survey conducted for the European Commission on 15 February 1982.In making international comparisons it must be borne in mind that difficulties can arise in times of changing prices and exchange rate fluctuations. There can, moreover, be a wide range of prices within countries and differences in the method of collecting the data may not always provide comparable figures.

asked the Attorney-General whether he intends to take steps to reduce the time of remand in custody of accused persons in Northern Ireland.

I shall continue to urge all those who have responsibility for the investigation, prosecution and trial of offences in Northern Ireland to keep the time between arrest and trial to a minimum. I recognise, however, that there are special difficulties in Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if, further to the reply of the Chief Secretary of the Treasury on 8 February, Official Report, c. 259–60, he will list the main items included in the figure under the heading "Other European Community suppliers" given for his Department.

The £1,962,000 was spent by the Department in providing stands and display aids for British companies at various overseas trade fairs and exhibitions supported by the British Overseas Trade Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he has available to him any independent estimate of the total of textile and clothing imports from all low-cost sources into the United Kingdom in 1980 expressed in tonnes, or an estimate of the effect by 1986 if the level of 1980 imports were increased by 1 per cent. each year.

The British Textile Confederation has prepared figures on that and a number of other bases and have kindly made them all available to my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether discussions in the Council of Ministers have given any indication that the reopening of the question of basing future ceilings and quotas for textile and clothing imports from low-cost sources on recent actual levels of trade might usefully be attempted; and if he will make a statement.

No. There was nothing in the discussions in the Council of Ministers on 26 January to lead me to change the view expressed in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Winterton) on 25 January.—[Vol. 16, c. 266.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what consideration he has given to the recommendations in the report by the Adam Smith Institute commissioned by the Under-Secretary of State for Trade to establish six United Kingdom airports as free ports.

We are still giving consideration to this report. Specifically we are studing the potential of export processing zones, offering certain tariff reliefs, in the neighbourhood of airports.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what has been the level of Japanese investment in each European Community country including the United Kingdom, for each of the last five years.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade to which countries (a) rubber bullets and (b) plastic bullets were exported in each of the years from 1970 to 1981; and what were the numbers involved in each case.

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

asked the Lord Privy Seal which European countries will be sending observers to the El Salvador elections; and if there will be liaison with any such countries about the conditions under which the observers will be sent.

Not all European countries have been invited to send observers to the El Salvador elections and of those who have been invited some have still to announce their decision. We shall, of course, take appropriate steps to liaise with any European Government that does send observers.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he is satisfied that the right conditions now exist in El Salvador for the holding of elections at which United Kingdom observers will be present.

We believe the elections in El Salvador to be a step in the right direction and have accepted the Salvadorean Government's invitation to monitor the actual process. The observers will take into account the prevailing conditions as part of their overall assessment, and this will be reflected in their report which will be made public.

asked the Lord Privy Seal where in El Salvador United Kingdom observers will be sent at the time of the elections; and what will be their specific role.

We are in touch with the Government of El Salvador about arrangements for the organisation and deployment of election observers. Their role will be to observe the electoral process including the campaign and the poll itself and to report on their findings.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if Her Majesty's Government have insisted on any conditions as a quid pro quo for the attendance of United Kingdom observers at the elections in El Salvador.

No, though we have made it clear to the Salvadorean Government that the observers must be totally free to monitor the whole electoral process and that we look to them to provide satisfactory arrangements for their security.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he has received any assurances from the Government of El Salvador that the observers to be sent by Her Majesty 's Government to the elections in El Salvador on 28 March will have the facilities necessary for the full performance of their duties; and if he will make a statement.

The Salvadorean Government have assured us that the observers will be able to go wherever they in El Salvador. They have said access will be given to the President, members of his Government and representatives of political parties. Local transport will be provided. We are currently in touch with the Government about other arrangements.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will name the persons to be sent by Her Majesty's Government to observe the election in El Salvador on 28 March and state their qualifications with regard to the practice and law relating to elections.

The observers have not yet been selected. Their names will be announced later.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will state in the Official Report the countries which have decided to send observers to the elections in El Salvador on 28 March, those which have declined an invitation to do so, and those which have not yet decided.

We understand the Salvadorean Government have approached over 60 Governments. We are not in a position to list those who have accepted or refused the invitation, or have yet to make up their minds.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he has had any discussions with other EEC Governments concerning the invitation received from the Government of El Salvador to send observers to the election to be held in that country on 28 March; and if he will make a statement.

The subject has been discussed with our European Community partners, not all of whom have been invited to send observers. There was no question therefore of a European Community consensus.

asked the Lord Privy Seal why it was decided to require all applicants for passports to state their height in metres and centimetres instead of feet and inches; if, in imposing this rule, the unfamiliarity with the metric system of numerous immigration officers in English-speaking countries where British citizens travel was taken into account; and for what reason applicants may not identify their height by measurements that are both lawful and generally familiar in the United Kingdom.

As it had been Government policy since 1950 gradually to switch to metric units, a decision to show the holder's height in a passport in metres rather than feet and inches was made in 1975. However, passport application forms still include a conversion table.The majority of other countries are accustomed to metric measurements and passport holders have not encountered any difficulties at frontier crossings as a result of the change.It would cause confusion to show in a passport the holder's height in both metric and imperial measurements.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether, in the light of the announcement by the Polish authorities that a further 3,500 people have been arrested for violation of martial law regulations, Her Majesty's Government have any plans to make further representation to the Polish Government; and whether he is considering any further measures or sanctions against the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Poland in view of this development.

The Polish authorities are well aware that the Western measures against Poland and the Soviet Union have been taken because of the imposition of martial law which we deplore. We do not plan to announce any further measures at present.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will list in the Official Report the names of those persons and organisations who have made representations to the Governor of Hong Kong concerning the case of Ms Christine Vertucci.

I have placed a copy of the list in the Library of the House.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what representations the Governor of Hong Kong has received from the Asia Monitor Resource Centre and the Kwun Tong Inquiry Service concerning Ms Christine Vertucci; and if he will set out the terms of such representations.

The Governor has received written representations from the Asia Monitor Resource Centre and the Kwun Tong Inquiry Service supporting Ms Vertucci's appeal against the refusal of her request for an extension of stay. It is not the practice of the Hong Kong Government to disclose the specific terms of such representations.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will list in the Official Report the names of persons and organisations who have made representations to him concerning Ms Christine Vertucci.

I have received one letter concerning$Ms Vertucci's case and that was from the hon. Member.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides a grant to the Great Britain-USSR Association; and, if so, how much it amounts to in the current year and how much it amounted to in each of the last five financial years.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides a grant-in-aid to the Great Britain-USSR Association. The amounts for the current financial year and the five previous years are:

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

401 letters were received from, and 428 letters were sent to, hon. Members in January.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what new training facilities he intends to provide for young people in the area covered by the constituency of Epping Forest.

Plans for 1982–83 are not yet available in the detail sought by my hon. Friend. En the county of Essex as a whole provisional plans suggest that places will be available for about 1,600 young people to start training courses under the youth opportunities programme. Nearly 700 of these will be one year courses of the type envisaged in the White Paper "A New Training Inititiative: a Programme for Action", Cmnd. 8455. This compares with 1,100 young people expected to enter training courses under the youth opportunities programme in Essex during 1981–82.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the percentage increases in total unemployment in the United Kingdom for (a) July 1980 to July 1981 and (b) January 1981 to January 1982.

Between July 1980 and July 1981 the increase was 50·4 per cent. The increase between January 1981 and January 1982 was 26·9 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many applications have been received for compensation under the Pneumoconiosis &c.(Workers' Compensation) Act 1979 for byssinosis; how many such claims have been approved; what is the total payable, and what is the lowest and highest payment to a beneficiary; how many claims are still under consideration; and how many have been rejected.

2,753 applications have been received from byssinosis sufferers and dependants. Payments have been made in 2,301 cases. The total

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many registered unemployed persons between 16 and 21 years of age there were in (a) the Hull travel-to-work area, (b) Yorkshire and Humberside region and (c) the United Kingdom as a whole in May 1979; what were the comparable figures for the most recent available date; how many of those currently unemployed in the age groups have been unemployed for longer than six months; and what percentage these figures represent of the total unemployed.

The numbers registered as unemployed are analysed by age in January, April, July and October. The following table gives the figures at April 1979 and January 1982 for those aged under 20 years. Information for the precise age group specified is not available. The figures include school leavers and are not seasonally adjusted.amount paid is £15,262,545; the lowest payment has been £725, and the highest £18,200. 43 claims are still under consideration, and 409 applicants have been told they are not entitled to a payment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report those bodies which have made representations to him concerning the cuts in the budget for voluntary organisations funded by the inner city partnership proposed by the Liverpool city council; and if he will make a statement.

Since the Liverpool city council's proposals for reductions in funds to the voluntary sector became known, I have received representations from or on behalf of the following bodies which are funded wholly or partly through the inner city partnership:

• Liverpool Council for Voluntary Services
• Liverpool Law Society (on behalf of Vauxhall Law Centre)
• Vauxhall Neighbourhood Council
• Merseyside Youth Association
• Charles Wootton Centre for Adult Education
• Liverpool Adult Education Consortium (on behalf of affiliated bodies).