asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has about the cost of vandalism and arson in schools; whether he has figures for each of the last 10 years and for each local education authority; and if he will publish these figures, or any others available to him, in the Official Report.

This information is not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he intended, in his recent letter to chief education officers on corporal punishment in schools, to convey the view that article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights precludes the retention of corporal punishment in schools on a strictly regulated basis as a penalty of last resort.

No. The purpose of the letter was to make local education authorities aware that the use of corporal punishment might in certain circumstances amount to treatment contrary to article 3 of the convention.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will encourage the use of the United Kingdom's secondary schools as a national resource for extending the education of adults; and whether he will launch an initiative to increase the multi-purpose use of schools.

A survey by the Department of the shared and extended use of schools in 1978–79 showed that secondary school accommodation is already used extensively for the education of adults. It is for local authorities to determine, in considering how best to rationalise accommodation in the light of falling school rolls, the nature and potential extent of the educational needs of adults in their areas and the resources required adequately to meet them.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the new regulations governing parental contributions to student grants will allow pension contributions in respect of non-pensionable earnings in past years under section 32 of the Finance Act 1980 to be deducted from gross income in assessing residual income.

I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will extend compulsory registration of land title to the whole of the county of Suffolk.

It is the intention to extend compulsory registration to all those areas in England and Wales not at present within the compulsory system as soon as resources are available.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will take steps to ascertain how many magistrates are registered disabled persons.

I regret that this information could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

asked the Attorney-General when the Government will make known their response to the Wilson Committee's report on modern public records.

The Government's response is published today in a White Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will appoint Sir Kenneth Newman as the next commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

The commissioner is appointed by Her Majesty the Queen under section 1 of the Metropolitan Police Act 1829. The appointment of Sir Kenneth Newman was announced on 23 March.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 15 March, Official Report, column 15, concering crimes of violence, for which parts of the question the information necessary for an answer is available.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that information by police district is maintained for the recorded number of offences of violence as defined by the Metropolitan Police and, where known, the victim's assessment of the ethnic appearance of the assailant is recorded. Information on the ethnic appearance of those arrested—but not summoned—for offences of violence is recorded, but analyses of those subsequently convicted could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Questions on population are a matter for the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, of those who have been convicted of offences in the United Kingdom commonly described as mugging over the past five years, how many were eligible for deportation; and how many were in fact deported.

"Mugging" has no legal definition. Most offences of the type frequently referred to as "mugging" are recorded in England and Wales as offences of robbery. Information on the number found guilty of robbery and eligible for deportation is not collected centrally. Information on the number found guilty of robbery and deported could be provided only at disproportionate, cost. Information on the number of persons found guilty of offences of robbery in England and Wales is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", table 5.1 of the volume for 1980—Cmnd. 8376.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the numbers of those Commonwealth citizens and citizens of the Republic of Ireland resident in the United Kingdom who will continue to be entitled to vote at United Kingdom elections but who will not qualify for British citizenship under the terms of the British Nationality Act 1981.

Information is not available on which to base such an estimate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he proposes to take to publicise information to widows and divorced wives of men who would have qualified for citizenship under the provisions of the Nationality Act that they should register before the Act comes into force.

There is provision in the British Nationality Act 1981 for the registration at discretion of widows and divorced wives for five years after the Act comes into force. The position will be set out in a leaflet which we hope to issue later this year describing generally the provisions of the Act. It has already been mentioned in the news release issued by the Home Office on 30 October 1981, the date the Act received the Royal Assent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, as part of his review of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976, he will seek to establish how many persons who were charged under that Act could have been charged with offences under other legislation.

The review of the operation of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976 is to be carried out by Lord Jellicoe. We will draw this point to his attention.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Scotland Exchange of 17 March, whether the eight persons charged under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976 were convicted.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Scotland Exchange of 17 March, whether the religion of persons detained under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act was requested but not recorded.

This information is not normally requested by the police.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any linkage is planned between the immigration records computer centre in Putney and Heathrow airport.

There are no present plans to link Heathrow airport with the immigration and nationality department computer which is now at Bootle. However, experiments are shortly to take place at Heathrow and elsewhere with computer terminals designed to read machine-readable passports and linked to a local micro-computer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forces have intelligence computers and which ones they are; and which other police forces intend to have or to develop a criminal intelligence system.

In addition to the police national computer, there are in England and Wales 17 computer systems wholly operated by police forces, which directly assist the police in the prevention and detection of crime and in the management and deployment of their resources. These systems hold information in varying degrees about crime and criminals, but none is dedicated to handling information of an intelligence nature. Two systems, however, have a predominance of such information in so far as brief details about crime and criminals are assembled in such a way as to enable authorised officers to retrieve information more efficiently than is possible with manual systems. One system is operated by the Metropolitan Police. The other is an experiment conducted jointly by Thames Valley police and the Home Office.I understand that 12 forces are planning the installation of computers for police operational purposes. So far as I am aware, none is contemplating systems dedicated to criminal intelligence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what interconnections there are between the intelligence computers operated by some police forces; and whether it is intended to develop a national criminal intelligence record linking all police forces with computers in due course.

There are no connections over which information can be exchanged between computers operated by police forces. In the future I would not wish to exclude the possibility of utilising technology to assist the exchange of information between particular forces for specific purposes, such as the investigation of a series of major crimes. But I do not have in mind the development of a computerised national criminal intelligence record to which all police force computers would be linked.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people died in fires in privately rented accommodation in each of the last five years.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the last date for receipt of applications for electors to be absent voters at the local elections to be held in England on 6 May.

Friday, 16 April.

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

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

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her official engagements for 25 March.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 have further meetings later today. This evening I shall attend a reception at Buckingham Palace for winners of the Queen's Award for Export and Technology.

asked the Prime Minister whether Her Majesty's Government have given any further consideration to introducing new procedures for dealing with rape cases.

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has under consideration further guidance to the police about the conduct of inquiries into alleged rape offences. Questions of court procedure will be considered in the light of the outcome of the Criminal Law Revision Committee's review of the law on sexual offences.

asked the Prime Minister when next she intends to meet the leaders of the Confederation of British Industry.

I have no immediate plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will introduce emergency measures to increase the housing investment programme.

No. My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has already announced in his Budget Statement that an extra £100 million has been made available for expenditure on housing improvement and home insulation grants in Great Britain next year. Taken in conjunction with capital allocations already announced for 1982–83 local authorities in Great Britain will now have £3,126 million available for gross housing investment in that year, which represents 7 per cent. more in real terms than the provision for 1981–82, and nearly a third more in cash than the currently estimated outturn for that year.

asked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit Earlsdon.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister what progress is being made in the negotiations over British contributions to the European Community.

Community Foreign Ministers resumed discussion on this and related matters at their meeting on 23 March, as my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal reported to the House yesterday.

asked the Prime Minister when she proposes to meet the Taoiseach.

We shall both be present at the meeting of the European Council next week.

asked the Prime Minister if she will appoint an additional Minister to watch local authority expenditure.

No.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make an official visit to the village of Lemsford, Hertfordshire.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether she has any plans to visit Bonn.

The NATO summit meeting, which I shall attend, is due to be held in Bonn on 9–10 June.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what response he has made to the British Steel Corporation's corporate plan covering the period March 1982 to March 1985.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given in the House on 22 March by my hon. Friend the Minister of State to the hon. Member for Consett (Mr. Watkins).—[Vol. 20, c. 675–76.]

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will take steps to ensure that those who send food parcels to people in Poland are enabled to do so as quickly and as cheaply as possible.

I can fully understand my hon. Friend's wish to assist the people of Poland in this way, but postal tariffs and operational efficiency within the postal services are matters for the Post Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will ensure that the automatic sorting of mail takes due account of the total value of stamps on all envelopes.

No. That is a matter for the Post Office, but I understand that, provided the stamps are placed on the envelope in a horizontal line in the top right-hand corner, the Post Office machinery is programmed to ensure that the envelope is directed into the first or second class stream as appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on the Minister of State's recent visit to Liverpool.

My visit to Liverpool on Thursday and Friday 18 and 19 March enabled me to explore and see for myself the problems of the area. I met and had useful discussions with local industrialists and representatives and officials of the Merseyside county council. I also toured four English Industrial Estates Corporation sites, including the Exchange hotel and Tate and Lyle sites where the EIEC will be undertaking substantial new ventures, and met representatives of the press.

	Part I		Part II
	Payments of regional developmentgrant (in amounts over £25,000)		Section 7 offers of regional selective assistance		Section 8 Offers of selective financial assisatance
	Cash £'000	"Cost terms"* £'000	Cash £'000	"Cost terms"* £'000	Cash £'000	"Cost terms"* £'000
1975	468	468	144	144	—	—
1976	1328	1158	295	257	5048	4401
1977	371	358	559	539	265	255
1978	1735	1196	887	612	1161	800
1979	766	460	4237	2542	797	478
1980	349	176	2329	1172	905	455
1981	1037	465	330	148	562	252
* 1975=100

There is no unique way of expressing cash expenditure in constant prices. One way is to deflate the expenditure by the change in the gross domestic product deflator at market prices, thus removing the general effect of inflation, that is, "cost term" figures. The figures have been calculated on this basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the forms of industrial assistance, including designations or withdrawal of designations as assisted areas, which have been withdrawn from the city of Manchester or whose withdrawal has been announced since 3 May 1979.

Those parts of Greater Manchester due to become non-assisted areas from 1 August 1982, which include the city of Manchester, will from that date cease to be eligible for the following assistance from this Department:

(a) regional selective assistance under section 7 of the Industry Act 1972 (regional development grant ceased to be available for buildings in intermediate areas on assets provided on or after 1 August 1980);

(b) inclusion in the assisted area factory building programmes of the English Industrial Estates Corporation, though there will remain the scope for extending existing EIEC factories;

(c) assistance from the quota section of the European regional development fund;

(d) European Investment Bank loans and the exchange risk guarantee scheme.

The Manchester travel-to-work area will be designated a derelict land clearance area from 1 August 1982 and 100 per cent. grants to local authorities for derelict land reclamation will therefore remain available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list, in constant prices, the amounts of aid provided under the relevant sections of the Industry Acts to the city of Manchester for each of the calendar years 1975 to 1981 inclusive.

Assistance has been made available to industry in the city of Manchester under parts I and II of the Industry Act 1972 as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he intends to ask British Telecom and the Post Office to make good their shortfalls from the external financing limits for 1980–81.

Following discussions with my Department both corporations have agreed to do so.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the fall in total income tax relief on mortgage interest for the year 1982–83 assuming a continuation of the 1½ per cent. reduction in building societies' rates throughout that period.

A reduction of one and a half percentage points in mortgage interest rates held throughout 1982–83 would lead to fall of about £240 million in the income tax relief.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his reply of 12 March, what would be the cash increases in the personal allowances necessary to bring those allowances up to the same level in real terms as those in 1979–80.

The level of allowances required to bring them to their 1979–80 levels in real terms and the increases over the proposed 1982–83 levels, are as follows. The levels have been rounded to the nearest £10.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many citizens of the Republic of Ireland currently are employed in the Civil Service.

Information on the number of citizens of the Republic of Ireland employed in the Civil Service is not held centrally. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

	(a) Manufacturing Companies				(b) Financial Institutions†				(a) Unincorporated businesses in Manufacturing
	*Gross Trading Profits	‡Capital Allowances claimed	**Stock Relief claimed	●Interest Payments	*Gross Trading Profits	*Other Income	‡Capital Allowances claimed	●Interest Payments	■Gross Trading Profits	‡Capital Allowances allowed	**Stock Relief allowed
1960	2,608	734	—	—	-205	989	13	171	100	11
1961	2,476	854	—	—	-192	1,124	15	204	95	11
1962	2,423	908	—	—	-185	1,104	19	350	100	12
1963	2,720	1,111	—	—	-197	1,150	25	369	106	12
1964	3,067	1,266	—	—	-296	1,373	40	476	119	15
1965	3,216	1,320	—	—	-310	1,631	44	635	130	15
1966	3,131	1,043	—	—	-359	1,760	44	754	143	17
1967	3,075	979	—	269	-339	1,878	47	829	145	15
1968	3,451	1,037	—	346	-388	2,314	51	1,043	169	17
1969	3,784	1,014	—	427	-487	2,629	160	1,243	178	17
1970	3,956	1,234	—	470	-516	2,898	201	1,339	199	21
1971	4,335	1,915	—	437	-490	3,174	259	1,405	228	26
1972	5,143	2,328	—	536	-695	3,887	407	1,686	275	35
1973	6,572	2,621	1,650	1,084	-815	6,029	406	3,023	335	42
1974	7,750	2,998	3,700	1,687	-1,545	8,053	373	4,215	372	52	9
1975	8,015	3,392	2,550	1,653	-1,774	8,270	490	4,282	414	60	10
1976	9,906	3,573	3,800	1,928	-1,984	10,151	494	4,850	458	63	15
1977	11,301	4,002	2,700	1,827	-2,196	10,906	946	4,834	571	83	18
1978	12,329	4,782	2,250	2,087	-2,868	11,849	1,151	5,304	716	107	4
1979	13,507	4,939	5,300	3,421	-2,772	16,760	1,530	8,546	877	130	6
1980	11,143	5,500	3,150	4,802	-4,479	23,333	1,883	12,176	935	160	4
Notes
General: The national accounts estimates are subject to revision as more historical information becomes available, particularly the estimates for recent years
* As defined for the national accounts and published in the National Income and Expenditure Blue Book; before deducting depreciation and interest and net of trading losses. These figures differ from income from trading as recorded for tax purposes, particularly for financial institutions. In the table non-trading income of financial companies is given separately since trading profits, as defined for the national accounts, exclude all receipts of interest. Figures of profits for 1980 are tentative.
† Stock relief claimed by financial institutions is negligible.
‡ Net of balancing charges: capital allowances "biting" against profits in the same year are lower for the companies sector.
** Net of stock relief withdrawn: stock relief "biting" against profits in the same year is lower for the companies sector.
● Consolidated for each subsector, i.e. excluding payments between companies in the same subsector. For manufacturing companies, estimates not available before 1967. Since then the estimates (which are not available from tax date) have been derived by applying an appropriate rate of interest to the estimated average level of advances made to companies in the manufacturing sector. They are therefore very tentative, particularly for 1980.
■As assessed to income tax under Schedule D Cases I and II. Income from non-trading activities, which is also assessed to tax, is excluded. For years prior to 1973 the figures include small estimated amounts of profits not assessed because the taxpayers' total income were too small.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his answer of 8 March, Official Report, column 302, concerning taxation of overseas income, what information is collected regarding the kind of income referred to in paragraphs 27, 41, 45 and 46 of

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his reply of 8 March, Official Report, c. 297, concerning trading profits and reliefs for tax, whether he will provide the same or as much information as possible for (a) manufacturing industry and (b) financial institutions.

The available information is shown in the following table and notes.the "Tax Return Guide 1981–82"; and what steps have been taken by the Inland Revenue to ensure that tax is paid on income earned overseas.

Details are collected of income assessed to tax under cases IV and V of schedule D and of foreign and public revenue dividends paid by or through United Kingdom paying and collecting agents.With regard to the second part of his question, I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 2 December 1981.—[Vol. 14, c. 130.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further progress has been made in securing United Kingdom budget refunds from the European Community.

The Commission has today announced further decisions on payment of the United Kingdom's Community budget refunds. As a result the United Kingdom is to receive in the next few days payments totalling some £813·2 million under the "supplementary measures" scheme as a first instalment of our entitlement to 1981 budget refunds under the agreement of 30 May 1980. These refunds represent 80·7 per cent. of our

Community contributions in respect of United Kingdom public sector investment programmes 1981–82 £ million
Sub-programmes	Northern Ireland	Scotland	Wales	Northern England	North-West England	South-West England	Yorkshire and Humberside	General Roads	Northern Ireland per cent.	General per cent.	Total
Roads	17·5	37·7	37·7	8·8	24·5	0·3	7·7	108·6	50	*40	242·8
Electricity	—	55·8	13·0	19·6	61·8	2·0	44·6	—	1	20	196·8
Water and Sewerage	13·1	—	13·6	23·0	36·2	7·6	30·4	—	50	40	123·9
Land reclamation	0·2	2·8	—	—	—	—	—	—	20	20	3·0
Telecommunications	34·7	58·9	37·9	27·1	64·0	12·8	55·2	—	50	40	290·6
Housing	46·5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	50	—	46·5
Total	112·0	155·2	102·2	78·5	186·5	22·7	137·9	108·6			903·6
* 45 per cent. for the General Roads Programme outside the assisted areas.

The supplementary measures regulation provides that a down-payment of 90 per cent. of agreed contributions may be made before certification that the expenditure in question has been carried out. Pending certification, the total amount now payable in respect of the eight programmes is therefore 90 per cent. of £903·6 million, ie £813·2 million.The Community budget refunds are enabling public expenditure programmes generally in the United Kingdom to be sustained at levels higher than the country could otherwise have afforded. Expenditure programmes throughout the country are benefiting accordingly. The refunds do not, however, open the way to increases in domestic expenditure programmes beyond the levels already planned. These planned levels were set on the assumption that substantial refunds would be received from the Community budget.Projects which form part of the programmes in Northern Ireland now attracting support under the supplementary measures scheme include the construction of a new road linking the M1 and M2 in Belfast, the provision of a new bridge across the River Foyle at Londonderry.and improvement of the Lagan Valley sewer. Also attracting Community support are programmes to provide new and improved housing, particularly in Belfast, Londonderry and Lisburn, land reclamation and a wide-ranging telecommunications investment programme.Projects which form part of the programme in Scotland now attracting support under the supplementary measures scheme include several improvements to the A9, in particular the construction of a bypass at Pitlochry and bridge at Kessock, and

estimated gross entitlement for 1981 and are additional to the £799 million granted for 1980, details of which were contained in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Drake (Miss Fookes) on 22 December.—[Vol. 15, c.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the loss in revenue to the Government of unemployment in the north-east Lancashire region.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 March 1982, c. 194.]: It is not possible to make any meaningful estimate.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether the figure for the average trade weighted reduction in the European Economic Community tariff quoted in paragraph 15 of the White Paper on the "Multilateral Trade Negotiations 1973 to 1979"—Cmnd. 7724—would be reduced if agricultural products were excluded; and whether he will give revised figures for the European Economic Community excluding such products.

The figure for the average trade weighted reduction in the European Economic Community tariff quoted in paragraph 15 of the White Paper on the multilateral trade negotiations 1973–1979 (Cmnd. 7724) relates to industrial products only, as paragraphs 10 to 22 deal with industrial tariffs, and paragraphs 23 to 28 with agriculture.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the total value of imports of oil exploration and production equipment in 1981.

The latest available information is set out in table 9.1 of the "United Kingdom Balance of Payments", 1981 edition, which is available in the Library. Information for 1981 is not yet available because of the effects of industrial action by civil servants last year.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will arrange for an exhibition relating to home safety to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

I understand that arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from 29 March to 2 April.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if he will publish in the Official Report a copy of the reply made to the letter addressed to the Minister for Consumer Affairs dated 16 February 1982 from the chairman of Arthur Price of England, cutlers and silversmiths;(2) what representations he has recently received from organisations representing the cutlers and silversmiths about imported items of holloware being described as manufactured in England or manufactured in Sheffield, England; and whether he will make a statement;(3) whether he is satisfied with the system of honest marking orders for table cutlery and holloware; and whether he will make a statement.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will estimate the quantity of holloware, including silver plated and stainless steel tea sets, coffee sets, trays, candlesticks, condiment sets, place mats, dishes and all other forms of table and gift silver plated items imported in each of the last five years; and whether he will specify the countries of origin of such goods.

I regret that this information is not available since these items are not separately distinguished in the Overseas Trade Statistics.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) how many feeding bottles for babies have been imported from Italy under the trade name "Chino";(2) Whether he has received any complaints, and from whom, regarding the feeding bottles of the vacuum flask type being sold under the trade name "Chino";(3) whether investigations are being carried out into the possible health hazards of the feeding bottles for babies of the vacuum flask type being sold under the trade name "Chino"; and if he will make a statement.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to vacuum flask type feeding bottles for babies, imported from an Italian supplier under the name "Chicco". I regret that I do not know how many of these thermic feeding bottles have been imported. Although I have received no complaints that illness has resulted from their use, I share the concern expressed by the Health Visitors Association that there is a risk of bacterial multiplication, which could cause gastroenteritis in babies. I understand that there is no need for further investigation of this hazard, which is widely recognised within the medical and nursing professions. I am proposing to ask suppliers to provide suitable warnings to purchasers.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he will be appointing a new chairman to the Civil Aviation Authority.

I am pleased to say that Mr. John Dent, CBE, currently the managing director of Dunlop Ltd., has accepted my invitation to become the next chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority. His term of office will begin on 1 June.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what, if any, recent advice he has had from the Director General of Fair Trading on social and commercial developments relating to the provision of credit; and what issues his Department has referred to the Office of Fair Trading in the past 12 months.

[pursuant to his reply, 23 March 1982, c. 284]: The Director General deals as appropriate with such developments in his annual reports. There is continuing consultation with the Office of Fair Trading on the regulations being prepared to complete implementation of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.On the wider question, my Department regularly passes to the Director General information which might be relevant to his functions, although in the past 12 months the only specific requests made to him were to review certain aspects of the Opticians Act 1958 and their effects upon competition; and to keep watch, as part of his continuing review of the motor sector, for any problems arising from the storage of new cars prior to sale.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the figures for 1979, 1980 and 1981 for the provision of (a) home helps and (b) meals on wheels for each of the Welsh counties and in total.

The information is given in the following tables.

Table 1. Home Helps
	Number of households provided with home helps
	1979	1980	1981*
Clwyd	4,626	4,089	4,511
Dyfed	3,903	4,252	4,306
Gwent	6,992	7,369	7,557
Gwynedd	2,908	3,265	3,405
Mid Glamorgan	11,475	12,647	12,971
Powys	1,031	1,111	1,007
South Glamorgan	6,003	6,278	6,028

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many male, female and young persons have been unemployed in the Port Talbot travel-to-work area for 12, six and three months, respectively.

The information is not available in precisely the form requested. But at 14 January 1982 the numbers unemployed for over 12 months, over six months and over three months in the categories specified were as follows:

Unemployed 14 January 1982 in the Port Talbot travel-to-work area
	Columns	Number
Males aged 20 years and over unemployed
Over 12 months	(1)	2,932
Over 6 months	(2)	4,377
Over 3 months	(3)	5,650
Females aged 20 years and over unemployed
Over 12 months	(1)	775
Over 6 months	(2)	1,443
Over 3 months	(3)	2,011
Young persons aged under 20 years unemployed
Over 12 months	(1)	324
Over 6 months	(2)	734
Over 3 months	(3)	1,405
Footnote: Figures in columns (1) are included in columns (2) and (3).

asked the Secretary of State For Defence how many British representatives serve on the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation high level group; when the group last met; and what activities it is currently undertaking.

The United Kingdom representation on the high level group is led by a senior official from the Ministry of Defence, supported by a small team of officials, including a representative of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The group last met on 15 September 1981. The future work programme of the group is one of the topics for discussion at the ministerial meeting of NATO's nuclear planning group currently being held in Colorado Springs.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if agreement has yet been reached to supply Hawker trainer aircraft to Iraq; and if arrangements have been discussed to permit the assembly of further aircraft on licence in Iraq.

British Aerospace is negotiating with the Government of Iraq for the sale and local assembly of Hawk aircraft. No agreement has yet been reached.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many persons were recruited in Scotland for each of the Services in 1981–82; and if he will give a breakdown by careers information office.

The numbers of Service men and Service women recruited at careers information offices in Scotland between 1 April 1981 and 28 February 1982 are set out in the following table. These figures exclude the recruitment of officers and Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service.

CIO	RN/RM	Army	RAF	All Services
Aberdeen	28	104	35	167
Dundee	32	319	61	412
Edinburgh	94	292	102	488
Glasgow	141	741	50	932
Inverness	20	81	7	108
Total	315	1,537	255	2,107

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the total costs of all benefits paid to people unemployed in December 1981 or at the latest date for which he has information available.

Unemployment benefit and supplementary benefit paid to unemployed persons in December 1981 amounted to about £370 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe on 24 February, Official Report, c. 417, concerning help for disabled people, when he expects to have the information available.

The information requested is at present being processed and I hope to provide the right hon. Gentleman with a reply early next week.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if his Department is sponsoring any research into the psychiatric condition known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

The main Government funded body supporting research into this disease is the Medical Research Council, from its grant-in-aid from the science budget of the Department of Education and Science.Under arrangements by which the Health Departments inform the council of their priorities and needs for biomedical research the demential have been identified as a priority.I understand from the council that research into Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease forms part of the programme of the recently established Joint Agricultural Research Council/Medical Research Council neuropathogenesis unit in Edinburgh, which is studying the biology of diseases of the nervous system caused by unconventional agents, in particular scrapie in sheep and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in man. In addition, the Medical Research Council is providing grant support for research on the characteristics of the agent(s) responsible for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease as well as for an epidemiological study of the disease.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice is given to staff who come into contact with patients suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is extremely rare, and there is no convincing evidence of its spread to other patients, or to saff, in normal conditions.A few reports suggesting that the disease could be transmitted in unusual circumstances had been made from other countries, and an advisory group on the management of patients with spongiform encephalopathy—Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease—was set up by the Health Departments in 1979. The report of this group was published in November 1981, and circulated throughout the National Health Service, and to professional organisations and journals. It contains guidance for all staff coming into contact with patients, or samples from patients, suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people he estimates have died from Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease over the past five years; and how many cases per year on average are diagnosed.

Under the eighth revision of the International Classification of Diseases, deaths from spongiform encephalopathy—Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease—were assigned to mental disorders or to diseases of the nervous system according to whether the disease was with or without dementia. From 1979, the ninth Revision of ICD classifies the disease—without mention of dementia—to slow virus infection of central nervous system.There is no recent information on the number of deaths from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with dementia. An analysis of deaths in 1973 found only one death which was certified in that way. Such deaths are included in ICD category 290.1—presenile dementia.The available information on the numbers of deaths from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease without mention of dementia is as follows:

	Numbers
1974	23
1975	11
1976	21
1977	N/A
1978	N/A
1979	22
1980	25
*1974–1978	333·9 (part)
*1979–1980	046·1
* ICD category

Data are not available for cases diagnosed, but the advisory group on the management of patients with Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease estimated that no more than 20 new cases a year are likely to be identifed in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider seeking to amend section 137(3)(a) of the Mental Health Act to the effect that Mr. Speaker shall cause an hon. Member authorised to be detained on the ground, however formulated, that he is suffering from mental illness to be visited and examined by two medical practitioners appointed by the president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists rather than the Royal College of Physicians.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice he recommends should be given to mothers using feeding bottles of the vacuum flask type for babies.

To mix a milk feed or other perishable feed for a baby and leave it warm for several hours could result in bacterial growth which could cause gastroenteritis. Thus mothers should not use vacuum flask type feeding bottles to store warm feeds for babies for more than an hour, after which any unused contents should be poured away. Feeds should never be kept hot in these vacuum bottles for direct use because of the danger of scalding. We are in touch with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and the Health Visitors Association about this matter.

Average gross weekly earnings (£)
	Agriculture		All industries and services‡
	Regular full-time hired men aged 20 and over* (1)	Full-time males aged 21 and overt† (2)	Full-time manual males aged 21 and over (3)	All full-time male employees aged 21 and over (4)	(1) as percentage of (3)	(2) as a percentage of (3)	(2) as a percentage of (4)
April 1950	5·59		⋆7·29	—	77
April 1959	9·88		⋆13·15	—	75

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the total number of jobs lost since May 1979 for each of the principal sections of manufacturing industry and the number of these which are known to have been due to total or partial closures.

Precise information about job gains and job losses is not available, but an indication of the net effect can be seen by comparing levels of employees in employment at different dates.The following table gives, for Great Britain, the decrease in the number of employees in employment in each manufacturing order of the Standard Industrial Classification between May 1979 and December 1981. The figures on which the decreases are based are provisional and are not seasonally adjusted.National figures concerning plant closures are not available.

	Decrease (000s)
Food, drink and tobacco	63·9
Coal and petroleum products	3·7
Chemicals and allied industries	53·8
Metal manufacture	135·3
Mechanical engineering	190·6
Instrument engineering	27·8
Electrical engineering	115·4
Shipbuilding and marine engineering	26·9
Vehicles	142·8
Metal goods not elsewhere specified	108·6
Textiles	110·1
Leather, leather goods and fur	6·5
Clothing and footwear	67·5
Bricks, pottery, glass, cement, etc.	54·2
Timber, furniture, etc.	36·0
Paper, printing and publishing	52·4
Other manufacturing industries	63·8

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the earnings of adult male farm workers at the latest available date as a percentage of adult male earnings generally; and what were the comparable figures for April 1950, April 1959 and April 1976.

The following table sets out the available information for employees in England and Wales: