asked the Minister for Trade what response he has received to representations by the Government to the United States Government concerning the Bill (HR 3940) introduced into the House of Representatives of the United States by Congressman Ashbrook which, if enacted, would damage the British book-printing industry.

The late Congressman Ashbrook's Bill has been replaced by one (HR 6198) in the name of Congressman Kastenmeier, which seeks to continue in force until 1 July 1986 the manufacturing clause in United States copyright law. Our embassy and the delegation of the Commission of the European Communities in Washington have both made a number of representations in the past year against continuation of the manufacturing clause. My right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State has also written to the United States trade representative; a reply is expected shortly.

asked the Minister for Trade how many firms receiving the 1981 Queen's award for export achievement were in the defence industry.

Seven companies with substantial involvement in the defence sector received the 1981 Queen's award for export achievement.

asked the Minister for Trade what percentage of the United Kingdom's exports went to the Commonwealth in 1972, 1979 and the most recent year for which figures are available.

In 1972, 19 per cent. of the United Kingdom's exports went to the Commonwealth compared with 13 per cent. in 1979 and 1980.

Short asked the Minister for Trade if he will give details of those British goods that have failed to achieve export orders because their specifications have not been clear enough.

Information of this kind is not available to my Department, but I have no doubt that standards have an important influence on the competitiveness of exports.

asked the Minister for Trade what plans there are to introduce a comprehensive system of standards for British goods; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Minister for Trade if he will encourage public companies in the United Kingdom to buy to British standard.

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

asked the Minister for Trade what progress he has made in determining the appeal lodged by British Midland Airways in October 1981 against the decision by the Civil Aviation Authority not to allow British Midland Airways to compete with British Airways on the Heathrow-Glasgow and Heathrow-Edinburgh routes; what time-limits have been set by him for any submissions from the parties concerned; and if, in view of uncertainty and costs to British Midland Airways, he will fix a date for the final determination of the appeal.

My right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State has requested further elucidation from the parties concerned. Some responses are still awaited. The need to minimise uncertainty and cost is fully appreciated, but at the same time it is important that all the parties should have the opportunity to express their views. Every effort will be made to reach a speedy conclusion.

asked the Minister for Trade if he has received an interim report under either section la of the Companies Act 1948 or section 41 of the Companies Act 1967 in respect of Corporate Management Planning Ltd; whether, if such a report has been received, any action has been taken; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 14 June 1982 c. 182]: It would not be in the public interest to disclose detailed information about inspectors' enquiries.

asked the Minister for Trade (1) what arrangements are made for the annual audit of the accounts of electricity consultative councils;(2) if his Department has been asked by the Yorkshire Electricity Consultative Council to investigate the expenses claims of members of that body; and if he will make a statement;(3) when the financial accounts of the Yorkshire Electricity Consultative Council were last audited; who carried out the audit; to whom a report was made; and what observations were made by the auditors.

[pursuant to his reply, 14 June 1982, c. 182]: The electricity consultative councils, like the other nationalised industry consumer councils, are financed directly by my Department. Expenditure on them is monitored and controlled on the same basis as other Departmental expenditure, and is subject to audit by the Department's internal audit staff as well as by the Comptroller and Auditor General. The councils do not produce separate audited accounts.At the request of the Yorkshire electricity consultative council itself, we are undertaking a special examination of expense claims submitted by its members in the last three years.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will report on the consultations with representative horse organisations and veterinary bodies about stallion licensing.

The extensive consultations set in train in 1981 have now been concluded. Many breed societies argued that the standards of their own schemes were more suited to modern conditions than those of the Horse Breeding Act. A substantial majority of horse organisations together with the veterinary bodies believed that statutory stallion licensing had outlived its usefulness and that the Act should now be repealed.These views are entirely in accordance with the Government's policy of relinquishing control over natural service. Legislative proposals will be brought before the House as soon as practicable.For the interim my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales and I have aimed to meet the industry's views by making an amendment to the horse breeding rules whereby the age at which a stallion should be licensed is raised from two to five years. This will have the effect of postponing further licensing pending the introduction of the necessary legislation. The order will take effect from 2 July 1982.The Agricultural Ministers in Great Britain wish to thank the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the British Veterinary Association and the horse organisations for the full co-operation which has been freely afforded during the seven months in which the consultations have been in progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the centres currently offering wider opportunities for women courses; and how many additional places on such courses he expects to be available in 1982–83 and subsequent years.

The following centres are running wider opportunities for women courses under the Manpower Services Commission's training opportunities scheme in 1982–83:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many applications for licences to operate employment agencies under the Employment Agencies Act 1973 have been refused since the Act came into force;(2) how many holders of licences to operate employment agencies under the Employment Agencies Act 1973 have had their licences revoked since that Act came into force.

The Act was brought into force on 1 July 1976 since when 22 applications for licences have been refused and three licences have been revoked.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he plans to close any jobcentres.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to make a decision about the future role of employment services, including jobcentres; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what consideration he is giving to the number and location of jobcentres; whether private employment agencies have made representations about the competition provided by the jobcentres; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 14 June 1982, c. 194]: The number and location of jobcentres was considered by the team which has recently reviewed the operation of the public employment service. They have recommended urgent review of a number of offices, and other ways of making savings in the resources now spent on jobcentres. Private employment agencies have indeed expressed concern about competition from jobcentres. The review team's terms of reference, given in the Official Report, on 8 December 1981—[Vol. 14, c. 344–5]—made clear that they were to consider the relationship between the public employment service and private agencies. This they have done and have recommended changes particularly in the way in which the service deals with short-term vacancies. The report has only just been submitted to the chairman of the Manpower Services Commission and we shall await the commission's views on it with great interest.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will announce her official engagements for Tuesday 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 June.

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

asked the Prime Minister whether she has any plans to meet the chairmen of nationalised industries.

I have no immediate plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the latest development in the Falkland Islands.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the latest position in the Falkland Islands.

I refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Gentleman to the statement I made today.

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

I have had no such meetings since 8 June.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in the Government's consideration of the possibility of earlier retirement ages, account will be taken of the incidence of poor health in persons aged between 55 and 65 years who wish to retire for that reason.

The Government believe that giving everyone above a particular age the option to retire early is preferable to trying to identify particularly deserving categories. There are of course already provisions in occupational schemes for those who have to give up work early because of ill health, while sickness and invalidity benefit are available to those opting for the State scheme, subject of course to their contribution record.

asked the Prime Minister what general directions have been issued to other Government Departments about using the commercial insurance market following its use by the Ministry of Defence.

None. The use of the commercial insurance market by the Ministry of Defence from 1 April 1982 is experimental and is restricted to motor accident and employer's liability claims, as announced by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence Procurement in his written reply on 5 March. [Vol. 19, c. 245.] It is our intention to await practical experience of these arrangements before considering any extension of them.

asked the Prime Minister if she will reconsider the decision not to publish in full the report prepared by Lord Rothschild on the future of alcohol policies in view of its publication in Sweden.

No.

asked the Prime Minister what progress is being made in bringing jobcentres, unemployment benefit offices and social security offices together in one building.

The hon. Member probably has in mind recommendation 44 of the report on the general employment service in Great Britain published earlier this month. The recommendation was concerned with the sensible use of office space in small towns and rural areas and not with the general amalgamation of services. The Manpower Services Commission will be considering this along with the other recommendations in the report and will report to the Secretary of State for Employment in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many persons were registered as unemployed for more than two years for each of the counties of Wales in January and April.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the most recent unemployment figures for each county and travel-to-work area in Wales, categorised by sex, age and the duration of unemployment.

I am writing to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many persons have been registered as unemployed for more than 52 weeks for each of the counties of Wales for each month since January 1979.

The information is not available in the form requested as the figures are prepared on a quarterly basis. These are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has completed his consultations on the future arrangements for ancient monuments and historic buildings in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

When my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment issued a consultation paper last November on proposed changes in the arrangements for ancient monuments and historic buildings in England, I took the opportunity to seek the views of interested bodies in Wales on existing arrangements there and whether they should be retained or modified along the lines proposed for England or in any other manner.I am grateful to those who responded. A substantial majority of them were clearly against the implementation of major changes in arrangements in Wales. In particular, my statutory advisory bodies, the Historic Buildings Council for Wales and the Ancient Monuments Board for Wales, as well as the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales, considered that the proposals would not be appropriate in the Principality. They expressed the view that the present arrangements work very well.I accept and endorse these conclusions and therefore intend to continue with the present arrangements in Wales. The scale of our ancient monuments and historic buildings operation is very much smaller than that in England and consequently there would be much greater difficulty in dividing functions and resources between myself and a new agency. Moreover, arrangements, for instance for rescue archaeology, are already different in the two countries and I am fully satisfied that those in Wales suit our particular needs and circumstances.Nonetheless, there is undoubtedly scope for improvement on the basis of present arrangements and the consultation process has been most useful in focusing attention in this direction. In my consultation note I referred to proposals for streamlining the organisation of that part of my Department dealing with ancient monuments and historic buildings. Following a detailed review, changes have been implemented with the result that these areas of work have been integrated within a tighter and more effective management structure. A further change which I suggested, and which recieved a wide measure of support, was that monuments in my care should be made more attractive to visitors without spoiling their character and appearance or otherwise detracting from their historic and cultural interest. Work is already underway on this and I am sure it will lead to further improvements. I shall watch with care developments in England and review the exercise of my separate responsibilities in Wales in the light of those developments.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the findings of the recently completed research into the use of rule 43 at prisoners' own request will be published.

The major findings have already been made known both within and outside the prison service. A summary may be found in the published papers of the 12th Cropwood round table conference held at Cambridge in 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long the current research into the use of rule 43 for the maintenance of good order and discipline will take.

Research into rule 43—good order and discipline—was started last year and should be completed by the end of 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Polish refugees have applied to enter the United Kingdom since the establishment of military rule in Poland; and how many have been granted permission to enter.

We regret that the information requested is not available. I am writing to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in each of the past five years have been refused British nationality; and what were the countries from which they came.

The totals below give the number of applications that did not result in the grant of citizenship, and include, for example, applications that were withdrawn. No central record is kept of the country from which the applicants came.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report statistics, related to the Metropolitan Police district, for 1981 together with the comparable figures for 1980 in respect of (a) the total number of robberies, (b) the total number of robberies in which firearms were used, (c) the total number of robberies of sub-post offices in which firearms were used, (d) the number and types of firearms used in robberies at sub-post offices, (e) the number of robberies at which firearms were used, by geographical area, within the Metropolitan Police district.

The information available is shown in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Down, North (Mr. Kilfedder) on 22 March, Official Report, column 234, why estimates of the number of Irish citizens entitled to vote in British elections are not available; and if he will take steps to keep such statistics.

The labour force survey taken in 1981 suggests that close to 450,000 citizens of the Irish Republic aged 18 and over were resident in the United Kingdom. However, it is not known how many of them were on the electoral register: there is no requirement for applicants for electoral registration to state their citizenship.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received any representations about the Greater London Council's plan to spend £18,000 of money budgeted for civil defence on a peace festival and a further £5,500 on a civic reception for 500 peace representatives; and what steps he proposes to take.

We have received no representations about the Greater London Council's expenditure on a peace festival and reception, in respect of which it is answerable to its electorate. Civil defence grant will not be paid in respect of such expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recommedations contained in the Younger report on privacy of 1971 he proposes to implement; and if he will list those recommendations to which effect has been given to date.

Many of the recommendations of the committee, which reported in 1972, were directed to organisations outside Government. Of those that were addressed to Government, some were implemented by the Consumer Credit Act 1974, and by the reference to the English and Scottish Law Commissions of the law relating to breach of confidence. The report of the English Law Commission—Cmnd. 8388—which was published in October 1981, is now being considered.The Government's proposals on data protection were published in a White Paper in April this year—Cmnd. 8539—and we have indicated our intention of legislating on this subject at the earliest opportunity.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the report of the mobile radio committee on the frequency requirements of the land mobile services.

The report of the mobile radio committee is being published tomorrow and copies will be placed in the Library of the House.The committee recommended that additional dual frequency channels should be provided for the land mobile services as soon as possible to relieve the present congestion; and work on this is in hand. As to provision for growth of the land mobile services, a detailed interdepartmental study of the whole of the range 30–960 MHz, which was initiated some time ago, has disclosed no means by which this need can be met within the existing framework of allocation of frequencies unless, as the committee hoped, TV bands I and III are made available for the land mobile services when the 405-line services occupying these bands have been closed down. These bands remain internationally allocated to broadcasting on a primary basis, and, even if it were decided to re-allocate all or part of them for land mobile radio in the United Kingdom, it would be some time before they could be brought into such use. The band 854–960 MHz should in due course yield a significant amount of spectrum for civil land mobile use, but it is in general less attractive for land mobile services under existing technology.

asked to report by June next. In view of the urgency of the situation I shall ask for an interim report from the review team by September of this year as to the future use of bands I and III, taking account, not only of the need to provide for expansion of the land mobile services, but also of various possibilities for the continued use of these bands for broadcasting. The terms of reference of the review will be as follows:1. To help Ministers to formulate a view on the long-term problems foreseen in the radio frequency spectrum between 30 and 960 MHz, and specifically to assist in taking a decision on the future use of TV bands I and III when the present 405-line TV services are withdrawn; there is to be an independent review of the radio frequency spectrum in this range. The review is to:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many firms applied to his Department after 28 May for the small engineering firms investment scheme; and if he will reopen the scheme for further applications.

A total of 81 applications have been received since the scheme was closed on 28 May 1982. The Government currently have no plans to re-open the scheme. As my hon. Friend knows, a further £10 million was allocated to the scheme because of the exceptionally good response from small firms through a re-allocation of departmental funding priorities, making £30 million in all. I stressed from the outset the original sum available within the Government's public expenditure programme, and that applications would be dealt with on a first come, first served basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry for how long the small engineering firms investment scheme was open for applications; how many applications were received; and how many applications came from each of the regions.

The scheme was open for eight and a half weeks during which time 1,748 firms applied for assistance. The regional breakdown is:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will increase the limit under which applications for exchange risk cover on loans from the European Investment Bank and the European Coal and Steel Community can be handled on the basis of a simplified appraisal procedure.

At present the Government accept certain applications on a simplified basis for exchange risk cover under section 7 of the 1972 Industry Act for loans from the European Investment Bank and the European Coal and Steel Community. These arrangements, which are designed to minimise paperwork for the applicant and to allow decisions to be taken quickly, apply where no other form of selective assistance is sought and where the loan does not exceed £50,000. The Government has now decided to extend these arrangements to include loans up to £100,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will obtain and circulate in his Department the recent British Waterways Board publication "Transport: the Waterway".

The board kindly supplied the Department with copies of "Transport: the Waterway" on 5 May.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his answer of 3 March to the hon. Member for Dumfries, Official Report, c. 156, what progress has been made in his negotiations for a voluntary agreement with the tobacco industry on the continuing sponsorship of sport.

I am pleased to announce that I have now reached complete agreement with the tobacco industry on the sponsorship of sport. An important additional feature is that the cigarette importer members of the Imported Tobacco Products Advisory Council have entered into this agreement.It has been agreed that these arrangements will remain in force until at least 31 December 1985.I have placed a copy of the voluntary agreement in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he proposes to make any changes in the present arrangements for the management of the overseas diplomatic estate.

Following an interdepartmental study, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has agreed that responsibility for the management of this estate should pass from the Property Services Agency to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Detailed arrangements for the transfer, effective from 1 April next, are now being worked out. Trade union sides in both Departments are being consulted.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has yet completed his consideration of the comments he has received following the issue in November 1981 of the consultation document "Organisation of Ancient Monuments, and Historic Buildings in England"; and if he will make a statement.

I have received more than 300 comments on the proposals I put forward in that consultation paper to fuse together the Ancient Monuments Board for England, the Historic Buildings Council for England, and the relevant responsibilities of my Department into a single public sector organisation. This level of response reflects the degree of interest in the proposal. The substance of the comments has been of a uniformly high and thoughtful standard, and has been extremely helpful to me in deciding on the best way forward. I am grateful to all those who have put in so much time and effort on compiling comments.The comments have covered a wide spectrum of views on the basic proposal, and many of them have also considered in depth the detailed implications of an agency structure.As a result of the consultation process the Government have concluded that there is a clear balance of advantage in England in proceeding along the broad lines described in the consultation document. We therefore intend to press ahead with a view to introducing a Bill in Parliament when legislative time is available. The aim will be to establish the new organisation as soon as possible, with a target date of 1 October 1983 or 1 April 1984.I am issuing tomorrow a further document "Organisation of Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings in England—The Way Forward" which sets out in more detail my conclusions from the consultation process, and clarifies some of the issues which caused particular concern. It also contains a more detailed account of the structure and functions of the proposed new body than was possible within the confines of the earlier consultation document. Although I am now clear about the overall direction in which to move, I am anxious to make the change in an evolutionary way so far as the details of the proposal are concerned. Any additional comment on these details would, therefore, be welcome.Some major issues still remain to be decided, including in particular the question of the future role of the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments in England. Differing views were expressed on this subject, and time is needed for further thought.Separate statements will be made by my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in respect of the arrangements in those countries.I am placing a copy of the further document in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what additional or increased requirements he intends to impose upon driving instructors; and whether and from what date these requirements will be applied in Northern Ireland.

My right hon. Friend is proposing to raise the standards for entry to the register of approved driving instructors in Great Britain, and is considering the need for stricter trainee licensing requirements. The fees for examinations, licences and registration are also being increased. Interested organisations are being consulted on the proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of freight is carried by rail, road, inland waterways and air, respectively.

The proportion of inland freight traffic* in Great Britain in 1980 accounted for by each mode was as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department will undertake a study similar to the recent survey of disused rail-lines regarding the potential of canal paths for wider cycle and pedestrian use.

The survey of disused railway lines includes an example of a canal path conversion based upon a proposed scheme in the south west, using part of the River Avon towpath. The implications are being examined by the British Waterways Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the response of his Department and of local authorities to the recent study on the conversion of disused railway lines to cycle and pedestrian paths.

The consultant who prepared the report has been retained by the Manpower Services Commision and my Department to liaise with potential sponsors of conversion schemes. County Councils have been told in the 1983–84 TSG circular that favourable consideration will be given to such proposals and several local authorities are showing interest in the possibilities outlined in the report.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department will be issuing advice on bicycle parking facilities to local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

The Department's Transport and Road Research Laboratory is currently working on a research project covering many aspects of cycle parking. A report will be published in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the initial response of county councils to his Department's request that cycling should be given specific reference in their transport policies and programmes.

Initial responses from a number of authorities have been encouraging, but a comprehensive assessment must await the submission of transport policies and programmes at the end of July.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what measureable effect the road safety television commercial concerning motorists' awareness of cyclists has had in the London and East Anglia regions; and whether it is intended to screen it in other areas.

Casualty reductions among cyclists in the Anglia and London Television regions amounted to 18 per cent. and 14 per cent. respectively across the campaign period. Although the reductions would not have continued at these levels over the months following the campaigns, we estimate that the net effect was a drop in annual cyclist casualties of between 3 per cent. and 5 per cent. in the regions covered. This is a significant saving, and we contemplate a campaign this year in the Central Television region. I shall investigate the possibilities of further campaigns.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to complete his consultations on the future of London Transport; and if he will make a statement.

I am continuing my discussions with those concerned and shall want to consider the report of the Select Committee on Transport which should be ready shortly. I shall also be weighing carefully how the GLC responds to my request for a balanced transport plan for London based upon the considerable level of resources which I have indicated can be made available.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what are the latest figures he has for the proportion of heavy lorries checked and found to be above the legal weight limits in (a) Wales, (b) Dyfed and (c) West Glamorgan.

In the three months March to May 1982, the Department's traffic examiners weighed 2,227 heavy goods vehicles in Wales of which 210–9·4 per cent.—were overweight. Of these, 678 were weighed in Dyfed, 97–14·3 per cent.—of which were overweight. None were weighed in West Glamorgan. Local authority trading standards officers, including those in Dyfed and West Glamorgan, also carry out a substantial number of weight checks but figures are not readily available in a comparable form.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether, pursuant to the reply of the hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Clarke) on 17 December 1981, the consulting engineers have yet produced their report on alternative routes for the A52 bypass round Bottesford, Leicestershire; and whether he will make a statement on progress on this matter.

The consulting engineers' report on the A52 bypass for Bottesford in Leicestershire was received on 8 June and is now being considered. I expect to make an announcment in the autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give all those circumstances in which, and details of, any rules or guidelines under which the driver and vehicle licensing centre may reveal to private persons or bodies the name and address of a registered owner or keeper of a vehicle.

Regulations made under the Vehicles (Excise) Act 1971 require my right hon. Friend to provide, for a fee of £2, the name and address of the registered keeper of a vehicle to anyone who shows "reasonable cause" for the request. For many years the general practice has been to regard "reasonable cause" as shown only where inquiries relate to road safety or to criminal or civil law involving the use of a motor vehicle.I am writing to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when the provisions for the smaller learner motor cycle in the Transport Act 1981 will take effect; and if he will make a statement.

The new limits on the powers of learner motor cycles will come into force on 1 February 1983. Introduction has been delayed from 1 October 1982, to avoid hardship to learner riders with machines over 125 cc who would not be able to take their driving test before then. If they are wise, they will take advantage of this postponement by enrolling now for training with one of the bodies appointed by the Department so that they can gain their full motor cycle licences before the new restrictions come into force.

asked the Attorney-General pursuant to his answer on 23 March, Official Report c. 290, if the Director of Public Prosecutions has now decided whether or not to initiate a prosecution in connection with the use of blood at a London hospital.

The result of the police investigation has not yet been reported to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

asked the Attorney-General what is his policy towards prosecution of those involved in making, distributing and showing horror and terror video films which specialise in violence; if any current prosecutions are under consideration; and if he will make a statement.

A decision to prosecute for any offence is based on the facts of each case. This policy will be adopted towards horror and terror video films in deciding whether or not they contravene the relevant legislation.

asked the Attorney-General, pursuant to the reply by the Solicitor-General to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East on 8 March, Official Report, c. 348, about conciliation services, if he will set out the terms of reference of the committee that has been set up to consider this; and if he has yet made a decision on whether to publish the committee's report.

The terms of reference of the committee of officials which is examining matrimonial conciliation services are—

"To review current arrangements for conciliation, that is to say the provision of facilities and services to assist the parties to actual or potential matrimonial proceedings, with a view to bringing about a settlement of disputes, or reducing the area and intensity of conflicts between them and in particular:

(a) to report on the nature, scope and effects (including financial and manpower consequences) of existing facilities and services;

(b) to consider whether these or further facilities should be promoted or developed, and if so how this could best be done within existing resource planning;

(c) to consider any consequential changes in matrimonial law or procedure."

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total amount of money so far committed by Her Majesty's Government on the Learfan aircraft project; and if he will make a statement.

It is the Government's policy to publish details of selective financial assistance to industry in British Business. Details are published on a quarterly basis in respect of commitments of selective financial assistance given to industry in Northern Ireland and made on or after 1 October 1980. Commitments made before that date remain confidential and accordingly details of commitments made to Learfan Ltd. before 1 October 1980 have not been disclosed.To date, since my hon. Friend the Member for Pudsey announced the details of the disclosure arrangements for Northern Ireland on 17 December 1980, there have been no entries in

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many secondary school children from the Newtownards area attend St. Patrick's grammar school, Knock, Belfast; and what is the estimated cost of school transport involved.

The number of pupils attending St. Patrick's grammar school from the Newtownards area is not known.For the 1981–82 school year the estimated cost of providing home to school transport for non-fee paying pupils who live in the Newtownards area is £1,900.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what is the existing position with regard to plans for an extension to Movilla high school, Newtownards; and how many pupils are to be provided for in the school over the next decade;(2) what is the estimated number of secondary age school children in the Newtownards catchment area; and what is the likely movement in the figures over the next decade.

The south-eastern education and library board is at present considering plans for an extension on which will enable Movilla high school to provide accommodation for up to 960 pupils. I understand that this matter will be discussed at the next meeting of the board on 30 June. The enrolments at the three secondary schools in Newtownards in January 1982 were as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would the cost be to the Exchequer of exempting national insurance contributions from income tax.

At 1982–83 levels of income and rates of contribution, the cost of giving relief from income tax in

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in tabular form for each Department of State how many staff from each Department have been transferred to (a) publicly-funded organisations and (b) the private sector since 1 April 1979.

Information about the numbers of staff transferred out of the Civil Service since 1 April 1979 is not held centrally. However, information was collected for 1980–81 and provided to the Treasury and Civil Service Select Committee which published it in its Seventh Report for 1980–81. Similar information for 1981–82 is currently being obtained and will be made available to the Select Committee as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in tabular form for each Department of State the saving in wages and salaries of civil servants achieved through the staff reductions in the three years since 1 April 1979 together with the current annual rate of the savings for 1982–83, and an estimate of the amount of savings that have been achieved by transferring work to (a) other Departments or (b) the private sector.

Information about how savings have been achieved is not held centrally. However the Treasury and Civil Service Select Committee's Seventh Report for 1980–81 contained estimates of the savings in wages and salaries resulting from all manpower reductions made in 1980–81 and from the transfer of work to other Departments and to the private sector in that year. A similar estimate of savings for 1981–82 will be made available to the Committee as soon as possible.Up to 1 April 1982 there have been reductions of nearly 66,000 staff since we came to office, producing savings in wages and salaries estimated at some £½ billion in a full year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in tabular form the number of staff in each Department of State on 1 April 1979 and 1 April 1982, together with the total change in staff between the two dates expressed as a percentage of the 1 April 1979 strength.

The information is given in the following table:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in tabular form for each Department of State the annual change by number and percentage in each Department since 1 April 1977.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons have been found in possession of cannabis at Heathrow airport during the most recent 12-month period; how many of these detections have been for less than one ounce; and how many persons have been prosecuted.

In the year ended 31 May 1982, 677 persons were found in possession of cannabis; 240 of whom had less than one ounce; 579 persons were prosecuted as a result of these detections.

The annual changes since 1 April 1977 are shown in the following table:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much cannabis has been seized at Heathrow airport for each of the last five years; and what percentage of this was in seizures for amounts up to 25 grammes.

The following are the details of seizures of cannabis at Heathrow airport for each of the last five years:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider the introduction of spot fines for minor cannabis offences at international airports.

Under their statutory powers the Commissioners of Customs and Excise propose to institute experimentally at London airport compounding of proceedings for some customs offences involving 10 grammes or less of cannabis.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his written answer, Official Report, 19 April, c. 11, how the cost of zero rating housing repair costs for value added tax breaks down between the zero rating of materials and of builders' services, respectively.

It is estimated that of the total cost of zero-rating housing repairs about £275 million would be the revenue from VAT on materials used by householders and about £150 million the VAT on professional repairs, including materials purchased.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the loss of revenue if the import and export of manufactured goods in Northern Ireland were exempt from duty.

Any loss of revenue would be in respect of imports from third countries subject to customs duties which are payable to the European Communities as "own resources". There are no duties on exports. It is not possible to quantify the revenue involved, as dutiable manufactures ultimately intended for Northern Ireland may have been imported, and customs duty paid, elsewhere within the Community. However, in 1980–81 manufactures accounted for about 75 per cent. of customs duties totalling £817 million collected in the United Kingdom of which it is estimated that about £25 million was borne by residents of Northern Ireland.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he has not replied to the request of the Federation of Scale and Weighing Machine Manufacturers for more information about his new scale of pattern approval; and whether, since the federation provided him with a copy of its original letter sent three months earlier which had been mislaid in the Treasury, he will ensure that a reply is made as soon as possible.

An official reply to the National Federation of Scale and Weighing Machine Manufacturers was sent on 1 June 1982.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any explanatory notes on the additional Ways and Means Resolutions recently tabled will be made available.

Yes. Notes on the new Ways and Means Resolutions were placed in the Vote Office this afternoon.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has considered the capital gains tax position with regard to what are known as secondhand investment bonds; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 June 1982, c. 173]: This matter is under close and continuous review.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the Companies (Floating Charges and Receivers) (Scotland) Act 1972 to which several references are made in the recently published Cork report is out of print and not obtainable from Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

[pursuant to his reply, 14 June 1982, c. 200]: The Companies (Floating Charges and Receivers) (Scotland) Act 1972 sold 3,000 copies in the year after publication. Since then issues have averaged only 80 copies a year. This low level of demand did not justify a reprint after it went out of print in September 1981. Photocopies of the Act or particular sections may be ordered through any Government bookshop or agent.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department has sponsored or collected information on studies showing a possible link between high socio-economic class and high leukaemia mortality rates.

The Medical Research Council, which receives a grant-in-aid from my Department's science budget, has been running a number of large multicentre therapeutic trials since the late 1960s. These trials have been initiated and supervised by its leukaemia steering committee and serviced on a day-to-day basis by the leukaemia trials office at the Royal Marsden hospital. I am advised that data collected in the course of these trials has indicated some very slight regional differences in leukaemia mortality rates, but that the question whether these differences are linked to socio-economic classes is a matter for further research and for analysis of data.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his estimate of the number of deaf-blind children being taught in schools for the educationally sub-normal by teachers who have no training in the educational needs of deaf, or blind, or deaf-blind children.

There is insufficient information available on which to base a useful estimate.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the main reasons why deaf-blind children are unable to accept the existing vacancies in educational institutions; and if he will take urgent action to help such children.

The Department has no information that a problem exists. If the right hon. Member will write to me with further details I shall be glad to follow this up.