asked the Minister for Trade if he will introduce legislation to provide for criminal penalties for those persons who copy without authority film or video tapes; and if he will make a statement.

It is a criminal offence under section 21(1) (a) of the Copyright Act 1956 to make for sale or hire an unauthorised copy of a copyright film or video tape in the knowledge that it infringes copyright.

asked the Minister for Trade if he will make it his policy to consult all interested flying clubs and associations before introducing restrictions on flying displays for the public.

Air safety is, in the first instance, a matter for the Civil Aviation Authority and it would therefore be for the authority to consider whether to make any recommendation to my right hon. and noble Friend for any changes to air safety legislation affecting public flying displays. It is the authority's normal practice before recommending amendments to air safety legislation to consult appropriate representative bodies.

asked the Minister for Trade, pursuant to the Under-Secretary's reply to the hon. Member for Southampton, lichen, on 28 April concerning the contract for salvaging the gold on HMS "Edinburgh", on what date his Department referred the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions; and on what date the latter referred the matter to the police for investigation.

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

asked the Minister for Trade (1) when he intends to begin the formal inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the loss of the Penlee lifeboat and the "Union Star";(2) if he has any information as to whether the Irish Government intends to hold an informal inquiry into the loss of the "Union Star" in British waters.

The Irish Government have still to decide their action into the loss of the "Union Star". The scope of the formal investigation into the circumstances of the loss of the Penlee lifeboat, to which my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State referred in his reply of 17 March to the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Mr. Mudd), and its timing, cannot yet therefore be determined.

asked the Minister for Trade whether his Department has received any indication that the vessel "Union Star" was in trouble before 6 pm on the day she sank in British waters; and if he will make a statement.

The first positive indication that the "Union Star" was in trouble was the radio message from the vessel to the Coastguard at 6.03 pm. Information was, however, given subsequently to the inspector carrying out the preliminary inquiry into the loss of the Penlee lifeboat that an unidentified vessel had been seen lying low in the water, and not making much headway, between 3.30 and 4.45 pm in the vicinity of Lizard Head.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether, pursuant to the answer of 26 February, Official Report, c. 517–18, he will express under each of the headings of loan or grant support for British Airways the figures for each of the last 10 years, as percentages of the figure for 1971–72.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 April 1982, c. 273]: Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many patients from each for the health authorities in Wales were referred annually over the past three years for further heart investigations and heart surgery at London cardiac centres.

The information is not readily available and cannot be assembled without excessive expenditure in terms of time and money.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will take steps to improve cardiac services at district general hospitals in Wales; and whether he has any target number for specialist cardiac centres in Wales;(2) if he will take steps to increase the number of cardiologists in Wales.

I shall give consideration to these matters when Welsh Office officials have studied and costed the recommendations of the Welsh medical committee's report on cardiothoracic services in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with the present level of house building in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Current indications are that the numbers of houses started in Wales in both the public and private sectors are increasing and I am confident that, as the economy continues to strengthen, this trend will be maintained.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any further plans to give extra financial aid to local authorities in Wales for the clearance of derelict land; and if he will make a statement.

We are satisfied that the resources available to the Welsh Development Agency will enable it to continue with the clearance of derelict land on a worthwhile scale. With my right hon. Friend's approval, the agency recently announced a new programme of land reclamation which is to cost about £16 million in coining years.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales why he does not recognise the Lleyn sheep as eligible for hill livestock compensatory allowance payments; and if he will make a statement.

The Lleyn sheep attracts payment of hill livestock compensatory allowances at the lower rate of £4·25 per head.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of hill farmers in Wales grazing sheep on common land have been paid their hill sheep subsidy this year; and if he will make a statement.

Some 87·5 per cent. of claims involving common land had been paid in Wales by 16 April.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of people covered by special employment and training measures.

At the end of March the measures were assisting 565,000 people, with an estimated effect on the unemployment register of 305,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total number of hours lost in industrial disputes in 1981; and by what percentage this figure exceeds or is less than the comparable figures five and 10 years previously.

The figures are recorded in days rather than hours lost. The provisional number of working days lost in industrial stoppages in 1981 is nearly 4·2 million. This is 28 per cent. more than in 1976, but 69 per cent. less than in 1971. Apart from 1976, fewer days were lost through strikes in 1981 than in any year since 1969.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he remains satisfied with the voluntary arrangements made by industries previously covered by industrial training boards for the continued training of employees in those industries.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what progress there has been in voluntary provision of industrial training to take the place of industrial training boards.

Most of the arrangements being set up by employer organisations to replace statutory industrial training boards are up to an acceptable standard. Others are making good progress. Manpower Services Commission officials are continuing discussions with employer organisations in those sectors where we are still looking for improvements.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what considerations he took into account in the framing of the definition of a trade dispute in the Employment Bill.

The proposals in the Employment Bill are designed to mark more clearly what is acceptable in the field of industrial action and to reflect concern expressed to the Government during consultations about the present wide immunity for strikes which have little to do with the normal subjects of a trade dispute and for action against companies which have no dispute with their own employees.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many representations he has now received about the proposed level of remuneration for those young people participating in the new training initiative.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Saffron Walden (Mr. Haselhurst) on 30 March.—[Vol. 21, c. 81] I have received a widespread response to our training proposals and most of these have included comments on the level of remuneration for trainees.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are now unemployed; and what was the comparable figure in May 1979.

At the April count, the number of people registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom was 3,007,726. The seasonally adjusted figure excluding school leavers was 2,850,400. The corresponding figure for May 1979 was 1,308,100.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest number who are registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom and the number who were registered unemployed in May 1979, giving the percentage increase which has occurred since then.

At April 1982, the number of people registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom, excluding school leavers and seasonally adjusted, was 2,850,400. The corresponding figure at May 1979 was 1,308,100. The increase between the two dates was 117·9 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the employment trends in the city of Liverpool since May 1979.

Employment statistics for the period requested are not available for areas smaller than regions.The Government are very aware of the problems facing Liverpool. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is working with local government and the private sector to find ways of strengthening the area's economy and improving its environment. Liverpool has every form of Government assistance available, including special development area status, an urban development corporation and an enterprise zone. Our programme of special employment and training measures continues to be available to help those hardest hit by the high levels of unemployment. In the longer term, however, a lasting improvement in the employment situation in Liverpool and elsewhere will depend on developing a soundly based economy, which the Government's policies are designed to achieve, and on the efforts of British industry to produce the goods and services which people want to buy at prices they are prepared to pay.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the employment trends in (a) the North-West and (b) the South-East of England.

The following table gives, for the areas specified, the total numbers of employees in employment at June each year from 1971 to 1981 and at December 1981, the latest available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures for the number of people unemployed: what proportion this constitutes of the working population; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the latest unemployment figures.

At 15 April, the number of people registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom was 3,007,726 and the unemployment rate was 12·6 per cent. The rate is based on the estimated number of employees—employed and unemployed—which differs from the working population in that it excludes members of Her Majesty's Forces and the self-employed.Unemployment is increasing much less steeply than it was last year, and the number of vacancies is continuing to increase. Although unemployment is bound to rise again with this year's school leavers, the improvements we have already seen in competitiveness and inflation are encouraging for future employment prospects.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment in how many employment areas the rate of unemployment is above 20 per cent.

Percentage rates of unemployment are calculated for employment office areas, either singly or grouped to form travel-to-work areas. At 15 April there were 39 such areas in the United Kingdom with unemployment rates above 20 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what consideration he is giving to the Rayner report on the employment services of the Manpower Services Commission.

The scrutiny team's report has yet to be submitted.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest trend in job vacancies notified to his Department.

The improved trend in notified vacancies has continued, both in stock and inflow. In the three months to April, the seasonally adjusted stock averaged 111,000, compared with 108,000 in the previous three months and 96,000 in the three months to April 1981. In January to March, the inflow of vacancies averaged 166,000 a month compared with 158,000 a month in the previous three months and 148,000 a month in the three months to March 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many Easter school leavers have so far not got jobs.

The unemployment statistics do not distinguish Easter school leavers from other registered unemployed school leavers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied with the operation of the redundancy payments scheme.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that the European Community institutions are paying full regard to the high level of unemployment in the United Kingdom.

Yes. There can be no doubt that assistance from the European Community makes a significant contribution to promoting training and employment opportunities in this country.The European social fund is the main Community instrument concerned with labour market matters, and provides grants in respect of training and employment schemes. In addition, the European Coal and Steel Community provides reconversion loans for projects which will employ redundant coal and steel workers, and readaption grants for redundancy payments and retraining schemes for former coal and steel workers. The European regional development fund and European Investment Bank provide finance in the form of grants and loans for investment and development projects in the assisted areas.The total amount of assistance allocated to the United Kingdom under these various instruments in 1981 was some £611 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will meet the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress to discuss arrangements in the public utilities which would avoid industrial action if pay negotiations break down; and if he will make a statement.

Pay negotiations in the public utilities, and the procedural framework within which they are conducted, are a matter for the employers and unions concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has compared United Kingdom expenditure on youth special employment training measures with similar expenditure in France and Germany; and if he will make a statement.

Although my Department keeps itself informed about special youth employment and training measures operated in France and Germany, there are difficulties in comparing levels of expenditure in different countries. In particular, there may be differences in the definition of a special employment and training measure and in the basis for funding.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that the results of the invocation of the industrial tribunal procedure do not bear unfairly on employers; and if he will make a statement.

We are satisfied that following the changes we have made to the employment protection legislation and the industrial tribunal procedure regulations, the results of the invocation of the industrial tribunal procedure do not now bear unfairly on employers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to ascertain the number of unemployed who are not registered as being unemployed.

My Department has obtained estimates of the numbers of those seeking work who are not registered as unemployed using information from sample surveys. The latest estimates were given in my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for West Stirlingshire (Mr. Canavan) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the progress of his policy towards industrial training boards.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for West Lothian (Mr. Dalyell) today.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied with the operation of the training for skills programme.

I am satisfied that the training for skills programme has made an important contribution to helping industry meet its own needs for skilled manpower. We have, however, made clear in our recent White Paper—Cmnd. 8455—that continued financial support for industry's skill training will be increasingly conditional upon steps towards implementing reform of the present training arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce a scheme to provide employment opportunities for unemployed persons in their late fifties; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans at present to introduce a special employment scheme for this group, but help is already available to them from a number of the services and programmes operated by the Manpower Services Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the present number of people registered as unemployed in the London borough of Bexley; how many are school leavers; and how many (a) men and (b) women at the most recent available date have been out of work for more than (i) six months, (ii) 12 months, (iii) 18 months and (iv) two years, respectively.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he proposes to seek to abolish the Wool, Jute and Flax Industry Training Board.

My right hon. Friend expects to lay the order to wind up the Wool, Jute and Flax Industry Training Board within the next few days.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if warehousing is to be removed from the scope of the Road Transport Industry Training Board; when he expects to sign the necessary order to give effect to this; what arrangements for voluntary training have been made by the industry; if he is satisfied with them; and what benefits will accrue to the warehousing industry as a result of this decision.

My right hon. Friend announced on 16 November last that he proposed to remove the warehousing sector from the scope of the Road Transport Industry Training Board. He hopes to lay the necessary order before the House within the next few days.This decision was taken in accordance with the wishes of the main employer organisations in the industry and the recommendation of the Manpower Services Commission, which was accepted by the board.The main employer organisations have proposed a joint training council which will set and monitor training standards and provide an advisory service to companies.My right hon. Friend is satisfied that these arrangements will provide a sound basis for training in the industry.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the clear-up rate for the total number of serious offences recorded by the police in 1981 for each police force.

The information requested is given in the following table. These clear-up rates are average rates for all serious offences recorded and so are affected by variations in the types of offence recorded and the circumstances of those offences.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will list the numbers of persons between the age of 16 and 21 years receiving custodial sentences in each of the petty sessional divisions in Cumbria for each year from 1974 to 1981.

The information readily available relates to males aged 17 and under 21 years sentenced for

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if Her Majesty's Government will investigate why violent crime in Hyde park increased by 100 per cent. between 1979 and 1981; whether information is available on increases in other Royal parks; and whether any action is intended in this respect.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the number of offences of assault, robbery, and other violent theft recorded in Hyde park was 18 in 1979, 13 in 1980 and 36 in 1981. As the numbers involved are small and may be affected by many factors, considerable variation from year to year is to be expected.As to increases in other Royal parks, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend, the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment on 10 February.—[Vol. 17, c. 407.] This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will arrange to have a full investigation into all aspects of the police conduct as commented upon by the judge in the case of Mr. and Mrs. David White of Stoke Newington; whether he will arrange that such an investigation will be conducted by a person or organisation independent of the police service; and whether he will make a statement;

I share the concern that has been expressed about the facts of this case as reported. It would be premature, however, for me to comment further for so long as the question of an appeal remains outstanding. None the less I can confirm that the matters are to be investigated by a senior officer and will be considered by the deputy commissioner, who will refer any issue to the Director of Public Prosecutions as necessary, and review force internal procedures for relating civil actions to the complaints investigation procedures even where no formal complaint has been made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give for the longest and most convenient stated period of time the number of cases where police have been charged with wrongdoing or illegal activities of any sort where costs and damages have been awarded against them; what was the total amount of such damages and costs; and whether these have been paid out of public funds.

The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to provide that where a police officer is found guilty of any wrongdoing for which the courts award costs and damages against the officer charged, such costs and damages will be paid for by the officer concerned and not out of the public funds.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure that private security firms which do not belong to the British Security Industry Association or the International Professional Security Association take steps to introduce a code of practice for their companies; whether he has had discussions with such companies about self-regulation; and if he will make a statement.

No. My right hon. Friend has no power to ensure the introduction of codes of practice by such companies, and it is impracticable to hold separate discussions with each of them. But we welcome the steps recently announced by the two associations for further improving the professional standards of their members.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many homicides were made known to the police in the calendar year before the Bill to abolish capital punishment became law; and what was the comparable figure in the most recent year for which figures are available.

The number of offences initially recorded by the police as homicide is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—table 4.1 of the volume for 1980, Cmnd. 8376; the provisional figure for 1981 is 559.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Leicester, South (Mr. Marshall) on 22 April, Official Report, c. 409, if he will set out the difference between surveillance and interception in relation to telephone tapping and bugging.

The interception of telephone communications covers what is said by both parties to the conversation. Surveillance equipment records or monitors what is said in a specific location and might thereby pick up what is said by one party to a telephone conversation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied that all radar speed trap guns used by the police are accurate and that adequate training is carried out by all police forces in their use.

The choice and operational use of radar speed detection devices is a matter for chief officers of police, with guidance from the traffic committee of the Association of Chief Police Officers. I have no reason to doubt that the devices in use are accurate if used correctly by properly trained officers. For all such devices training instructions are recommended by the association to chief officers who are responsible for their implementation.

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

On 20 April I formally opened the Home Office ADP unit at Bootle. The unit now operates from Bootle as part of the Government's dispersal plans.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he proposes to take on the most recent report of the mobile radio committee.

I am grateful to the mobile radio committee for its careful analysis of the spectrum requirements of the land mobile services. I am studying the committee's recommendations and I will announce my conclusions as soon as possible. In the meantime arrangements are being made to publish the report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report in tabulated form the annual maximum level of the baggage allowance for repatriation for each year since 1978 until 1 April 1982, inclusive; if he will also publish figures showing the year-on-year increase in this allowance; if he will express these increases in percentage terms; and if he will provide separate figures for both zone A and zone B of the repatriation scheme and for those over 16 years of age and those under 16 years of age; and if he will make a statement.

There is no automatic annual increase in the maximum allowances for the transport of baggage under the repatriation scheme operated by International Social Service of Great Britain. The allowances for Me period 10 October 1978 to 1 April 1982 were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) whether he will make further provision for the product and process development scheme;(2) how much money has been made available for the product and process development scheme in each period of six months since its inception; and what are his proposals for the future funding of that scheme.

Assistance offered under the product and process development scheme since its inception is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether, in view of the proposed closure of Shildon wagon works, with the loss of 2,500 jobs, he will now reverse his decision to take development area status from Shildon in August, which will seriously reduce the incentives for new industrial development.

The Government are naturally concerned about the effects of the redundancies announced by British Rail at its Shildon works and will watch the position there closely. However, when considering the assisted area status of any one part of the country it is necessary to take account of all the criteria laid down in the Industry Act 1972, and particular announcements of redundancies do not of themselves necessarily warrant revision of an area's status.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether, in view of the disproportionately high cost of the second delivery referred to in his answer of 27 April as a factor in the achievement of the targets set for the Post Office by Her Majesty's Government, he has issued any directive to the Post Office on the subject.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to grant financial assistance to companies wishing to move existing production, administrative or technical facilities to the various development areas when such relocation is certain to produce a reduction in employment within that company.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 April 1982, c. 242]: Assistance may be provided to companies wishing to relocate existing facilities where they decide to move to an assisted area. Such assistance is given under section 7 of the Industry Act 1972 subject to the requirements set out there. All applications for selective financial assistance are carefully considered in relation to the net benefit to the United Kingdom that can be expected from the project.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how much money has been provided by the Government, in the form of regional development grants and other financial assistance, to help finance capital projects by the oil industry in Wales for each financial year since 1964; and how many permanent jobs were created by these projects.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 April 1982, c. 279]: I regret that the information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Attorney-General whether, in view of the comments of the judge and the court's decision in the case of Mr. and Mrs. David White of Stoke Newington, he will prosecute the police officers concerned; and whether he will make a statement.

This matter is being investigated by the police. When and if a report is received by the Director of Public Prosecutions a decision will be taken if the evidence is sufficient to prosecute.No.

asked the Attorney-General how many divorces were made final in each court area in the county of Cumbria in each year from 1974 to the latest available date.

The following table gives the numbers of decrees absolute made in each county court in Cumbria in the years 1980 and 1981. Figures by court for earlier years are not kept centrally.

asked the Attorney-General whether his guidelines for checking potential jurors extend to the compilation of the panel; whether all jury panels in all Crown court cases in 1981–82 were selected at random, and by which method; if not, in which cases random selection of the panel did not operate and for what reasons; and if he will make a statement.

Checks made under my guidelines do not take place until after a jury panel has been drawn up. Jury summoning officers are required to select persons at random for jury service in all cases. When the new electoral registers for 1981 came into use, a method of selection based on a random number formula was put into effect. This method is not yet in use in the Greater London area because of difficulties arising from the very large number of electors and electoral registers in use, but the means of implementing it are under study.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements for 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 4 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 4 May.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, including one with the right hon. Gentlemen the Members for Roxburgh Selkirk and Peebles (Mr. Steel) and for Plymouth, Devonport (Dr. Owen). In addition to my duties in the House I shall have further meetings later today.

asked the Prime Minister what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to encourage suitably able pupils to stay on at school or to attend further education colleges to study for GCE A-levels.

There has been a significant increase recently in the number of young people staying on in schools and further education colleges to take full-time courses including A-levels. To assist this, the Government have provided for additional expenditure of some £100 million in 1982–83. The Government have made clear their commitment to the retention of the GCE A-level examination.

asked the Prime Minister when next she intends to meet the leaders of the Trades Union Congress.

I have no immediate plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister when next she intends to visit the United States of America.

As I told the House on 16 March, it is my intention to visit the United States during the second United Nations special session on disarmament. I hope to speak in New York on 16 June.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the fact that hon. Members representing the general public are unable to get complaints dealt with properly and expeditiously so far as the nationalised industries are concerned, she will now consider an arrangement whereby the Ministers responsible for these industries answer parliamentary questions concerning them in the same manner as now operates with regard to the National Health Service.

Day-to-day management questions are matters for the nationalised industries themselves, and do not fall within the Government's control or responsibility. The present arrangement under which hon. Members contact the management of those industries direct is, I believe, likely to give the best and most detailed reply.

asked the Prime Minister if she is now in a position to announce the form of the review of the way in which Government Departments discharged their responsibilities in the period leading up to the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands, which she announced on 8 April, Official Report, c. 416.

asked the Prime Minister when she expects the inquiry into the circumstances that preceded the invasion and occupation of the Falkland Islands to commence its work.

As I indicated to the right hon. Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Dr. Owen) on 8 April, I shall be happy to consult about the exact form of such a review before announcing the details. I do not consider that the time is yet right to devote attention to past events, but I hope to be able to turn to this matter shortly.

asked the Prime Minister, in view of the increase in unemployment since May 1979 of over 240 per cent. in the Walsall travel-to-work area, if Her Majesty's Government will now take steps to reduce the amount of joblessness in this area and the West Midlands region; and if she will make a statement.

The creation of soundly based jobs depends upon the ability of industry and commerce to meet more effectively the needs of consumers at home and abroad.The Government's policies are designed to that end. By firm control of public expenditure and other measures, inflation has been reduced to 10·4 per cent. with a continuing fall in prospect, and interest rates have been moderated. In industry, productivity has sharply increased, costs have been controlled and our international competitiveness has been increased. Industrial relations have been improved with fewer days lost last year through strikes than in any year since 1967, apart from 1976.All this has formed a firm foundation for future growth in employment prospects in Walsall and the United Kingdom as a whole.In the meantime, under the Government's special employment measures, some 2,800 people in Walsall are currently benefiting from the job release scheme, community industry, the temporary short-time working compensation scheme and the community enterprise programme. And in the last year over 7,400 young people have entered the youth opportunities programme.

asked the Prime Minister if she will take steps to ensure that senior civil servants are not offered pay increases for 1982 at a percentage rate higher than that proposed for hon. Members.

The report of the Top Salaries Review Body is under consideration and the Government will announce their conclusions on it in due course. The Government will also be bringing forward proposals on hon. Members' salaries in the near future. The increases appropriate for 1982 will need to be considered in the light of the circumstances of each group.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will now make a statement on the Security Commission report on the security services.

I hope to do so shortly.

asked the Prime Minister if the recent freeze on Civil Service appointments applies to the security services.

There is not, and there has not recently been, any "freeze" on Civil Service appointments.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will now answer questions on the security services and the intelligence services.

I shall continue to follow the practice of my predecessors on the subject of security matters.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement on reports of co-operation between the Federal Republic of Germany and Argentina on nuclear weapons.

The Government of the Federal Republic made a statement on these matters on 19 April. We are entirely satisfied both that there is no truth in suggestions of support from the Federal Republic of Germany for Argentina in the acquisition of an atomic bomb, and that co-operation in the nuclear field between the two countries is firmly tied to an effective non-proliferation policy. All the relevant agreements on co-operation for peaceful purposes have been approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report those local education authorities that have increased adult education provision as a result of the increased provision for it in the rate support grant; and if he will make a statement.

The 1982–83 RSG settlement included an addition of £10 million for net expenditure on adult education compared to the Government's earlier plans. The planned total of net expenditure on adult education for 1982–83 still represents a reduction in real terms compared to local education authorities actual expenditure in 1980–81. Figures for 1981–82 are not yet available. It is for individual local education authorities to decide on their expenditure plans for adult education and it is not possible to give an indication of how many authorities intend to increase their expenditure in this area.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will publish in the Official Report the proportion of Medical Research Council grants to Scottish universities, to English universities by planning regions and to Welsh universities, for each of the last five financial years;(2) if he will publish in the

The information in the form requested would be available only at disproportionate cost.In the financial year 1981–82, total expenditure by the Medical Research Council on grants was £27·5 million, and the percentage allocation of this sum to research workers—mainly in universities, a number of which include schools or faculties of medicine—in Scotland, Wales, England—including a small number to Northern Ireland and overseas—was as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report what sums of money are disbursed by the Medical Research Council to support research in human reproduction and list the medical schools receiving such grants together with the individual amounts received, for each of the last five financial years.

The Medical Research Council is funding, both in its own establishments and through grants to university and other research workers, a wide programme of research on human reproduction. In 1980–81 the total cost of work relating directly to this area was £3·4 million; in addition, a considerable amount of more basic research, which could have a bearing on problems of human reproduction, also received council support. I shall send lists of these projects to the hon. Member. Similar information in respect of the preceding four years is not available without disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the cost to public funds of the publication of the booklet "The Arts Are Your Business"; how many of these booklets have been printed; and how they have been circulated; and at what price.

"The Arts Are Your Business" was first printed in 1980, when 25,000 copies were produced at a cost of £11,000. These were distributed free as part of the Government's campaign to encourage business sponsorship of the arts and copies were sent on request to a wide range of organisations in local government, business and the arts.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report the cost per pupil of primary and secondary education in the city of Manchester; and how the costs in Manchester compare with costs in Wigan and other metropolitan districts with approximately equal staff-pupil ratios.

The cost per pupil in 1980–81 in schools in Manchester, Wigan and other metropolitan districts with similar pupil-teacher ratios was as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will name the five local education authorities in England that have received full approval in every subject covered by Her Majesty's inspectors of schools in their report on the effects of local authority expenditure policies on the education service in England in 1981.

No. The exercise leading to this report could not have been carried out if it had not been on the basis of confidentiality.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report details of the capitation allowances for the various local education authorities for the year 1982–83; and by how much, in percentage terms, they are less or more than those for the year 1981–82.

The information requested about capitation allowances within individual local education authorities is not available. It is for local education authorities to decide how much money to make available to schools and colleges for expenditure on items such as books and equipment.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will take steps to require, in the case of a governing body of a school, appointed to hold office from 1 April in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1980 and having a general power to co-opt a specified number of additional members, that such power of co-option should be exercised as soon as possible, and that co-option should be in every case for the full term for which the co-opting governors are themselves appointed; and if he will make a statement.

Governors cannot be required to exercise any powers of co-option that they may have under their instruments of government. I would hope, however, that they would consider using such powers to make themselves as representative as possible of the communities served by their schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many men between 60 and 65 years are claiming unemployment and other benefits; and what is the total cost per year.

At November 1980, the latest date for which such figures are available, there were over 163,000 men aged 60 to 64 who were claiming benefit as unemployed, 77,000 of them were receiving unemployment benefit, and about 4,000 of these were receiving supplementary allowance in addition; some 38,000 were receiving supplementary allowance without unemployment benefit. The remaining 48,000—including 7,000 whose entitlement to unemployment benefit had not yet been determined—were receiving neither benefit. No figures are available of how many of these men were receiving other benefits which may be payable at the same time as unemployment benefit, such as disablement pension, mobility allowance or family income supplement. It is not therefore possible to estimate a total cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will arrange for an exhibition relating to the work of the National Child-minding Association 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 14 to 18 June 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now take steps to ensure that increases in pensions announced at Budget time are not delayed until November before being paid.

The present arrangements have been found by successive Governments to provide the most efficient and economic uprating operation and require about seven months from the initial decision of new rates. The timetable is largely conditioned by the 20 or 26-week cycle for the renewal of benefit order books, and it ensures that the higher rates come into payment before the onset of winter each year. There would be no particular gain to beneficiaries if annual upratings were simply moved to another part of the year nor if the announcement were delayed to close the time gap, since the upratings are linked to the movement of prices between uprating dates.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give details of the practical obstacles which would prevent a system of the automatic adjusting of pensions in line with the cost of living at quarterly intervals.

To increase benefits in line with the movement of prices at quarterly intervals, rather than annually, would increase the costs of uprating by more than a third each year, even if the operation were administratively feasible. With annual upratings already costing upwards of £2 billion each year this is the major obstacle. The main administrative obstacle is the time needed to adjust over 3 million claims to supplementary benefit, where account needs to be taken of the effect of increases or adjustments in other benefits or in housing costs or family circumstances. For other benefits the most efficient and economical way of uprating the millions of order books issued each year is to do so as they fall due for renewal at 20 or 26-week intervals. To do otherwise means a very substantial increase in staff costs and in costs of additional order books and girocheques, coupled with increased risks of error or operational breakdown.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what would be (a) the gross cost and (b) the net cost of paying an additional weekly pension of (i) £5 and (ii) £10 to those retirement pensioners whose additional, graduated or occupational pension, if any, is less than this amount; and how many people would be lifted off supplementary benefit in either case;(2) what would be

The information requested is being prepared and will be published in the Official Report when available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the cost of wages and salaries in the National Health Service in 1981–82 and 1982–83, taking wages and salaries as being the same proportion of total costs as in 1980–81, and taking expenditure as set out in table 2.11.1 of Cmnd. 8494, Vol. II; and what is the percentage increase in both 1981–82 and 1982–83.