asked the Attorney-General, how many (a) men and (b) women presently serve as justices of the peace.

On 8 January 1982 there were 15,476 male and 10,189 female justices of the peace on the active list in England and Wales.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make representations to the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics about their refusal of an exit visa to Lida Vashchenko of Chevnogovsk, Siberia to whom, on 3 February, she offered asylum in the United Kingdom.

We remain willing to receive the two families known as the "Siberian Seven", including Lidia Vashchenko, if they wish to travel to Britain. However, we continue to believe that this matter is primarily one for the United States and the Soviet Union.

asked the Prime Minister what response has been made to the resolution of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland urging Her Majesty's Government to do everything in its power at the United Nations special session on disarmament to enable the general abolition of nuclear weapons and all weapons of mass destruction and the subsequent transference of military expenditure to end world poverty.

The Government have noted the resolution of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland. We pursue a policy for balanced disarmament, incorporating measures of nuclear and conventional disarmament. No programme for balanced disarmament will be realised overnight, but negotiations are in progress or in prospect that could provide us with what we want. We would like the second special session to endorse the view that the first priority is progress in these negotiations.A successful outcome to the negotiations would free resources for purposes other than defence. This would be for the benefit of all, though there would, of course, be many claims on the freed resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the block numbers in (a) the Irish Sea, (b) the Celtic Sea and (c) Cardigan Bay (i) in which gas discoveries have been made, (ii) which are currently under licence and (iii) where the licence has been relinquished.

The information is as follows:

	(i) Blocks in which gas discoveries have been made	(ii) Blocks or part blocks currently under licence	(iii) Blocks or part blocks relinquished
(a) Irish Sea	110/2, 110/3,	110/2a,	109/4, 109/9,
	110/7, 110/8	110/3a,	109/10,
		110/6a,	109/15,
		110/7a,	110/2b,
		110/8a,	110/3b,
		110/9,	110/4,
		110/12a,	110/6b,
		110/14,	110/7b,
		112/25a,	110/8b,
		113/26	110/11,
			110/12b,
			110/13,
			112/14,
			112/25b,112/-
			30, 113/21,
			113/27,
			113/28
(b) Celtic Sea			102/15,
			102/19,
			102/20,
			102/23,
			102/24,
			102/25,
			102/28,
			102/29,
			102/30,
			103/6, 103/7,
			103/11,
			103/16,
			103/17,
			103/18,
			103/21,
			103/22,
			103/23,
			103/26,
			103/27,
			103/28,
			104/19,
			104/20,
			92/10, 92/14,
			92/15, 92/27,
			92/28, 93/2,
			93/3, 93/4,
			93/6, 93/7,
			93/8, 93/12,
			93/13, 83/5,
			84/1, 84/2
(c) Cardigan Bay		106/24a,	106/15,
		106/25a,	106/20,
		106/29,	106/24b,
		107/16,	106/25b,
		107/21	106/28, 103/3

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many electricity board showrooms have closed in each of the last five years.

This is a matter for the day-to-day administration of the industry. I am therefore asking the chairman of the Electricity Council to write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will meet representatives of the oil companies to discuss recent increases in the prices of petrol and derv; and if he will make a statement.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many power stations closed in 1979, 1980 and 1981 or scheduled for closure in 1982 are situated either in or close to urban centres; and if he will assess how many would be suitable for combined heat and power schemes.

[pursuant to his reply, 25 May 1982, c. 267]: Some 38 power stations in England and Wales were closed or part closed in 1979, 1980 and 1981 or are scheduled for closure or part closure in 1982. Of these, 35 are either situated in or could be considered to be near urban centres. The suitability for CHP depends, inter alia, on there being a local requirement for heat. Selected power station sites are being assessed for suitability as part of my Department's CHP feasibility programme. Three former power station sites have been retained specifically because of the study.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made towards the simplification of documentary procedures involved in exporting livestock to other EEC countres; and if he will make a statement.

I am not aware of particular difficulties relating to documentary procedures for exporting livestock. If the hon. Member has a specific problem in mind perhaps he will write to me.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage butter imports from New Zealand constituted of total United Kingdom consumption in each year from 1975 to 1982.

The quantities of butter imported into the United Kingdom from New Zealand as recorded by Customs and Excise during 1975–80 and the percentages these imports represented of total consumption were as follows:

Year	Imports (tonnes)	Per cent of total consumption
1975	110,790	21·6
1976	130,980	27·8
1977	137,713	32·1
1978	125,000	30·8
1979	119,503	30·1
1980	107,971	29·7

Note: Due to differences in recording practices, some of these figures do not correspond exactly to the entitlements allowed for under the arrangements operated by the European Community.Customs and Excise figures for imports in 1981 and 1982 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were present in connection with the demonstration in Grosvenor Square, London, on Monday 7 June; and what was the estimated total cost.

We understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that 1,935 officers were deployed, at an estimated gross cost of the order of £150,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the unemployed or underemployed inmates at Highpoint prison, Stradishall, Suffolk, identified by the inspector, are not being used to help build the educational facilities he believes to be necessary but which are not to be provided under present financial arrangements.

A start will be made with providing education facilities at Highpoint prison as soon as possible; but funds are not at present available to put the work in hand.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will specify the new work projects that are being undertaken by inmates at Highpoint prison, Stradishall, Suffolk, indicating in each case the nature of the work being done and the number of prisoners employed in each.

No new capital works are being undertaken by inmates at Highpoint prison, but about 40 inmates are being employed on remedial and refurbishing work to the existing buildings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications referring to the entry of male fiancés are pending at British missions on the Indian Sub-continent.

The latest available information, for the first quarter of 1982, was published on 25 May in table 7 of the quarterly Home Office statistical bulletin, "Control of Immigration Statistics"—issue 9/82—a copy of which is in the Library of the House. That table shows that at the end of March 1982, 2,150 male fiances in the Indian subcontinent were awaiting a decision on their application.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations are being held with the established Polish community in the United Kingdom to facilitate the early reception of Polish refugees in Austria who are now to be admitted here.

In their consideration of matters connected with the proposed admission to this country of Polish refugees presently in Austria, my officials have had close contacts with organisations representing the Polish community here and with other bodies which have a specialist interest in the resettlement of refugees. I share my hon. Friend's belief that the Polish Community in Britain can and will make a positive contribution to the resettlement of their fellow nationals. My hon. Friend, the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs explained the criteria under which we would consider applications for ressetlement in the reply that he gave on 15 June to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Wilkinson). Some applications are already under consideration and I expect the first acceptances to be notified in the near future—[Vol. 25, c. 271–272.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to have completed the revision of prison standing orders; and if he will publish them in full.

We intend to publish the prison standing orders as and when they are revised; but it will take some years to complete the process.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list in the Official Report the number of cases and civil actions brought against the Metropolitan Police Commissioner for damages and compensation resulting from (a) damage to personal property and possessions, (b) wrongful and false imprisonment and (c) malicious prosecution as a result of Metropolitan Police operations for the years 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1981;(2) if he will list in the

The information readily available about payments made in the years 1978 to 1980 for damages in settlement of claims arising from the wrongful act of a Metropolitan police officer is as follows:

Year	Number of cases	Total amount paid
		£
1978	12	50,945
1979	7	1,991
1980	11	9,035

It is not possible to distinguish the payments made in respect of each cause of action. Information for 1981 will be available shortly and my noble Friend will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many applications he has received under the small engineering firms investment scheme; how many have been granted; and, of those granted, how many are in the Greater London area.

A total of 1,748 firms applied for assistance before the closure of the scheme, and 326 offers of assistance have now been made, of which 120 are to firms in the South-East region. No separate figures are available for the Greater London area at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he expects to publish his final proposals on the downgrading on 1 August of certain areas which at present have assisted area status; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State hopes to make a statement shortly.

asked the Secretary of Stare for Industry what further evidence the Minister of State has had from the town clerk of Manchester about the case for development area status for the Manchester-Salford partnership area; what reply he is sending; and if he will place in the Library copies of both the town clerk's letter and his reply.

In January, responding to the Manchester city council's request for the Manchester-Salford partnership area to be designated a development area, I explained that successive Governments have designated assisted areas by reference to travel-to-work areas. In reply to subsequent correspondence I said in a letter of 26 March that while the Government would continue to give careful thought to the interaction of regional industrial policy, new urban policies and other policies I could not justify in present circumstances using different boundary designations within the conurbations from those used more generally. The town clerk of Manchester has submitted further argumentation, but my decision, based on the considerations I have explained, remains that I am not able to accept the city council's case for development area status for the partnership area. To do so would have major implications for other inner urban areas with similar problems.I have replied to the town clerk accordingly, and have placed copies of my letter of 26 March and subsequent correspondence in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish in the Official Report the total manpower figures for the British steel industry for each year since 1972, specifying the separate figures for the public and private sectors.

The following is the available information:

Total labour force (including apprentices) engaged on ECSC*iron and steel activities
	Private sector	British Steel Corporation	Total
December 1972	29·6	170·9	200·5
December 1973	28·8	169·7	198·5
December 1974	32·8	164·9	197·7
December 1975	27·4	157·0	184·4

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the average earnings of all workers at the latest date.

Details on the average earnings of the main categories of employees in April 1981 were published in the report on the 1981 new earnings survey, a copy of which is available in the Library. Similar details from the 1982 survey will be published later this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment why schemes under the community enterprise programme have been curtailed in the Yorkshire and Humberside region; and if he will make a statement.

There has been no reduction in the number of places under the community enterprise programme allocated to the Yorkshire and Humberside region; this remains the same—2,800—as that for 1981–82. However, places have been re-allocated within the region to coincide more accurately with the incidence of long-term unemployed in each part of the region.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many places are allocated to the Yorkshire and Humberside region under the community enterprise programme for 1982–83; how many applications under the programme have been received and approved for this period; how many applications are outstanding; and if he will make a statement.

A total of 2,800 community enterprise programme places have been allocated to the Yorkshire and Humberside region for 1982–83. Since the start of the current financial year 50 applications have been made for community enterprise programme funding in the region,

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the increase in placement on the training opportunities scheme over the past four years, expressed in numerical and percentage terms; and what are the respective figures for (a) men and (b) women participating in the scheme in each of those four years.

The latest available information is as follows:24 schemes have been approved and 49 applications, including some carried forward from 1981–82, are outstanding. The number of places available in the region is currently fully allocated; new schemes can therefore be accommodated only as existing ones come to an end. My right hon. Friend hopes to make a statement shortly about new measures to help more people who have been unemployed for some time.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether any changes will be made to the cash limits of his Department or the Manpower Services Commission.

Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, Class IV, Vote 13 (Labour Market Services) will be increased by £12·17 million, which will be met from the Contingency Reserve, towards the cost of the community work programme announced in the Chancellor's Budget statement. This is offset by transferring from this vote the provision of £7·83 million for the voluntary service scheme, which, as I announced on 27 May-[Vol. 24, c. 377–8.]-would be run by the Manpower Services Commission. As the scheme will operate from about September, the expenditure is not expected to exceed £3·83 million in the current financial year. The total grant in aid of the Manpower Services Commission will, therefore, be increased from £1,329·31 million to £1,333·14 million.There is a small offsetting saving—£78,000—in Class IV, Vote 16 (Manpower Services Commission) in respect of the 1980–81 final claim on the National Insurance Fund for the cost of administration of unemployment provided for in this Vote. These changes will require the following cash limits to be amended as shown:

	Present cash limit*	Increase	Revised £ cash limit
Class IV, Vote 13
Labour Market Services	265,732,000	12,170,000	277,902,000
Class IV, Vote 16
Manpower Services Commission	1,093,672,000	3,192,000	1,096,864,000
Class XV, Vote 4
Manpower Services Commission, Scotland	151,057,000	370,000	151,427,000
Class XVI, Vote 4
Manpower Services Commission, Wales	78,635,000	190,000	78,825,000
* As announced on 27 May: original cash limits revised to take account of reduction in National Insurance surcharge.

These changes do not add to planned spending totals.

asked the Minister for Trade, pursuant to the reply of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Marks), Official Report, 8 June, c. 84, whether any petitions were presented against persons or companies who were in default to the Customs and Excise; and whether he is aware of any liquidations other than on the petition of any tax-gathering department where the firm liquidated was substantially in default on tax.

I am informed that 436 persons were the subjects of receiving orders and 185 companies were

United Kingdom Trade: Analysed by Selected Markets
percentages
	European Community*	Rest of W. Europe	United States	Japan	Commonwealth†
(a) Exports
1970	30	16	12	2	20
1972	31	16	13	2	19
1973	32	16	13	2½	17
1977	37	15	9½	1½	15
1980	43	14	9½	1½	13
(b) Exports of manufactures‡
1970	29	16	11	2	21
1972	29	16	13	2	20
1973	31	16	13	2	18
1977	34	15	9½	1½	16
1980	39	14	9½	1½	15
(c) Total trade≑
1970	28	16	12	1½	21
1972	31	16	12	2½	19
1973	33	16	11	2½	17
1977	38	14	10	2	14
1980	42	14	11	2½	12
(d) Exports of Goods and Services
1970–72	●	●	●	●	●
1973	30	●	●	●	●
1977	34	●	●	¶2	●
1980	39	●	●	¶1½	●
Notes:
* Including Greece, Denmark, and Ireland throughout.
† Excluding Bangladesh in 1970 and 1972.
‡ Standard International Trade Classification sections 5 to 8.
║ Exports plus imports (Visible trade on Overseas Trade Statistics basis.)
¶ Including Transfers, but these are of relatively minor importance.
● = Not available.

asked the Minister for Trade what proportion of (a) British exports, (b) British exports of manufactured goods, (c) total visible British trade and (d) the United Kingdom's exports of goods and services went to the present Members of the European Community, the rest of Western Europe, the United States, Japan and the Commonwealth in 1970, 1972, 1973, 1977 and the latest year for which figures are available.

The available information is as follows:

asked the Minister for Trade if there has been any recent reduction in helicopter cover for sea rescues; if he is satisfied with the present level of such cover; and if he will make a statement.

The helicopter cover is provided by the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, using Wessex and Sea King aircraft.Since 11 May the numbers of Sea King aicraft held in support have been reduced, but this has not affected the number normally held at immediate readiness for marine search and rescue purposes. I am satisfied with this as a temporary arrangement.

asked the Minister for Trade what arrangements are being made to meet claims for loss or damage arising from hostile action against merchant ships requisitioned or chartered in support of the task force for the Falkland Islands.

Claims will be met from the Marine and Aviation Insurance (War Risks) Fund, which was established under section 5 of the Marine and Aviation Insurance (War Risks) Act 1952. The balance of the fund is currently £5·25 million. Claims for the loss of the "Atlantic Conveyor" exceed that amount and Parliament's approval will be sought in a Supplementary Estimate to make good the deficit in the fund. In the meantime, repayable advances of up to £4·5 million will be made from the Contingencies Fund so that settlement of these claims may be made in the next few days.The Department of Trade's cash limit will be increased by £2,800,000 from £160,750,000 to £163,550,000. This increase will be met from the Contingency Reserve and will not, therefore, add to total public expenditure.

asked the Minister for Trade if he will initiate a review of the adequacy of the size and capability of the merchant shipping fleet following the events in the Falkland Islands.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 June 1981, c. 4]: The size and capability of the merchant fleet is a matter for which my Department had a general and continuing responsibility. I am keen that the relevant experience gained from the fleet's role in support for the Falkland Islands' operation should be thoroughly studied. I am therefore writing to the General Council of British Shipping, the Merchant Navy and Airline Officers Association, the Mercantile Marine Service Association and the National Union of Seamen, inviting them to give me their views on the appropriate lessons to be learnt from the Falkland Islands operation. I shall study their responses closely.

asked the Minister for Trade what action he has taken on the importation of defective electrical fan heaters from Italy; whether any scrutiny of imported electrical goods is to be instituted to ensure compliance with United Kingdom safety standards; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 June 1982, c. 63]: I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the warning I gave in March about reports of fires caused by fan heaters, believed to be manufactured by Olimpic, an Italian company. Subsequent inquiries have revealed that the Italian manufacturer stopped exporting them to the United Kingdom two years ago and will not do so again unless they comply with the relevant British Standard.Most domestic electrical appliances, imported or manufactured in this country, must satisfy the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1975 and 1976. Although it can be assumed that products complying with relevant British Standards would satisfy the regulations, compliance could not be required as this would be contrary to the European Council directive of 19 February 1973 on the harmonisation of the laws of member States relating to electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits. I am currently reviewing the effectiveness of our consumer safety legislation and will take fully into account the importance of preventing unsafe goods of all kinds, including imported electrical goods, from getting into the shops.

asked the Minister for Trade whether he will seek powers to ensure that forthcoming British standard requirements for bibs containing materials that might asphyxiate babies are applied to both United Kingdom manufactured bibs and imported items; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 June 1982, c. 63.]: I am not aware of any proposals for a British Standard for bibs. But any safety regulations requiring compliance with a standard would apply as much to imported goods as to those manufactured in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he is satisfied that adequate provision is being made for the training of sufficient teachers acceptable to parents of children within the controlled sector, especially in religious education, to satisfy the requirements of the Education and Libraries Order (N.I.) 1972.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in the Official Report the present rate of male unemployment in each of the following travel-to-work areas: Strabane, Dungannon, Newry, Cookstown, Enniskillen, Londonderry and Belfast.

The most recent figures are for 10 June 1982 and are as follows:

	per cent.
Strabane	46·3
Newry	38·8
Enniskillen	28·6

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were unemployed in Northern Ireland in June of the current year.

At the 10 June 1982, the latest date for which information is available there were 116,071 people registered as unemployed in Northern Ireland which is 20·3 per cent. of employees.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the non-official bodies to which his Department made grants in the last financial year; and how much was paid to each.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 June 1982, c. 68]: In the last financial year the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments made grants to the following non-official bodies:

	£
Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Association for Case and Resettlement of Offenders	58,477
Extern	124,747
Save the Children Fund	71,387
Department of Health and Social Services
Northern Ireland Council of Social Service	162,667
Community Service Volunteers	23,270
St. Vincent de Paul Society	33,250
Belfast Voluntary Welfare Society	24,250
Carafriend	1,875
Retirement Association of Northern Ireland	6,000
International Voluntary Service	10,976
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA)	21,000
Northern Ireland Council for Orthopaedic Development	12,000
National Deaf Children's Society	2,000
Ulster Institute for the Deaf	5,000
Age Concern	50,841
Abbeyfield	2,000
Royal Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and Adults	23,500
Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health	59,231
Northern Ireland Marriage Guidance Council	34,278
Northern Ireland Council on Alcohol	43,346
British Epilepsy Association (Northern Ireland Region)	2,000
Northern Ireland Woman's Aid Federation	19,800
Gingerbread	39,000
Catholic Marriage Advisory Council	11,500
Church of Ireland Social and Family Welfare Society	750
Blind Centre for Northern Ireland	6,600
Motability	8,681
Multiple Sclerosis Action Group	11,000
Soldier's, Sailors and Airmen's Families Association (SSAFA)	575
Physically Handicapped and Able-Bodied (PHAB)	5,000
Family Planning Association (Northern Ireland Region)	3,300
Joseph Rowantree Trust (Family Fund)	98,000
Council on Alcohol Related Problems	17,724

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether the vacant post of chairman of the Welsh Development Agency is to be publicly advertised; and whether he is using the services of any consultants or other professional advisers in relation to the filling of this post.

Following the untimely death of Mr. Stephen Gray my right hon. Friend has asked Mr. Douglas Badham, the deputy chairman, to serve as acting chairman pending the appointment of a successor to Mr. Gray. He has readily agreed.We are anxious to ensure that the new chairman should be selected from as wide and good a field as possible. With this in mind we have decided to advertise the post and to engage Spencer Stuart and Associates Ltd. as consultants for the purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements are being made to introduce the opportunities for volunteering scheme in Wales.

I am pleased to announce that Mr. Aubrey Jones, managing director, Welsh Brewers (East) and hon. treasurer of the Council of Social Service for Wales has agreed to chair a committee of six which will act on my behalf in administering the scheme under which some £0·2 million will be available in Wales for expanding the opportunities for unemployed people to participate in voluntary work in the health and personal social service fields. The committee will function with administrative support from the Council of Social Service for Wales.Applications for grants to relevant projects will be invited from voluntary organisations—whether established or ad hoc—and neighbourhood community or self-help groups, including those seeking to meet the needs of ethnic minorities. The application forms, which will be available from and should be returned to the offices of the Council for Social Service for Wales, require applicants to demonstrate how their projects will enable or encourage unemployed people to undertake voluntary work. Like the scheme in England, grants may be given, for example, towards the cost of training, volunteers' necessary expenses, the salary or office expenses of a voluntary service organiser or for limited capital items.Participation by unemployed people in the projects receiving grants under the scheme will be entirely voluntary. Any expenses or allowances paid to volunteers must be such that they do not affect entitlement to social security benefits.Parliamentary approval for this new scheme has been sought in the 1982–83 Main Supply Estimates for the health and personal social services element of the Welsh Office Block Vote Class XVI, Vote 1.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will give for the latest year for which figures are available the value of claims for repayment of tax on investment income submitted to the Inland Revenue charities division in respect of sums paid to charities which are private schools of a type eligible for assistance under the assisted places scheme;(2) if he will estimate for the most recent year for which figures are available the revenue lost to the Exchequer through relief provided for those charities which are also private schools of a type eligible for assistance under the assisted places scheme in respect of

I regret that the information on which to base such estimates is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, from information available from international sources, what was the gross domestic product per head at factor cost in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Australia and (c) New Zealand for the most recent year for which information is available.

The latest available figures are as follows:

Gross Domestic Product at Market Prices per head of Total Population
	US dollars
United Kingdom
Calendar year 1980	9,335
Australia
Year ending 30 June 1980	8,416
Year ending 30 June 1981	9,581
New Zealand
Year ending 31 March 1980	6,840
Year ending 31 March 1981	7,441

Source: National Accounts of OECD Countries 1951–1980 Volume 1.The conversion to United States dollars in the OECD publication is on the basis of official or market exchange rates, but these do not necessarily reflect the internal purchasing power of the currencies and can thus be very misleading. A more realistic assessment is given by the use of purchasing power parities to convert to a common unit, but these are not available for Australia or New Zealand.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has about the extent and nature of profit-sharing schemes in industry; what has been the recent trend in the formation of such schemes; and whether he has any plans further to facilitate the setting up of such schemes.

At 31 May 1982 there were 291 profit-sharing schemes and 149 savings-related share option schemes approved by the Inland Revenue under the provisions in the Finance Acts 1978 and 1980 respectively. The Inland Revenue has continued in recent months to receive a steady flow of applications for approval of new schemes.Under the approved profit-sharing schemes, shares to a total value of about £30 million were appropriated to 145,000 employees in the year 1979–80, and about a further £50 million to 271,000 employees in the year 1980–81. Comparable figures for 1981–82, the first full year of operation of approved share option schemes, are not yet available. The large majority of the schemes involve voting shares.Figures relating to non-approved schemes are not available, but an independent survey estimated last year, taking approved and non-approved schemes together, that companies which operate share schemes employ between them a total of around 1·5 million employees.My hon. Friend will be aware that we have already given substantial encouragement to employee share schemes, but we shall continue to keep this area under review.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the third report from the Education, Science and Arts Select Committee, "Public and Private Funding of the Arts: Interim Report on VAT and the Arts".

It is the Government's intention to reply to the Education, Science and Arts Committee interim report on VAT and the arts by the time of the Third Reading of the Finance Bill in this House.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek to amend clause 39 of the Finance Bill 1982 to ensure that all employees who enjoy the facility of free travel and reduced rate travel as a result of previous transport legislation and who earn less than £8,500 per year will be exempted from tax in addition to employees of passenger transport undertakings.

[pursuant to his reply, 18 June 1982, c. 357]: No. Clause 39 fulfils an undertaking given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury during the debates on last year's Finance Bill to ensure that lower paid employees of passenger transport concerns are not taxed on travel concessions provided by their employers. I do not propose to extend the exemption to any other group of employees.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire, East (Mr. McQuarrie) on 15 June, Official Report, c. 722, what factors have altered since the reply of the then Minister of State to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris), on 15 April 1980, Official Report, c. 605, which led to Her Majesty's Government's present certainty that almost all invalidity pensioners would pay tax if the benefit were taxable.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 June 1982, c. 13]: The factor which has altered is the relativity between the levels of invalidity benefit and the personal tax allowances.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there are any non-official bodies to which Her Majesty's Treasury directly makes grants.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 June 1982, c. 35]: Yes. Grants-in-aid are made from the Treasury Vote to the Royal Trustees, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Group, the British American Parliamentary Group, the Inter-Parliamentary Group, the History of Parliament Trust, and the Chequer's Trust. In addition, a grant is made to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. The Treasury is also responsible for funding the full cost of the National Economic Development Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will state the countries to which the Tropical Products Institute and Centre for Overseas Pest Research sent training teams to other institutes and the originating countries of members attending courses run by these bodies in the United Kingdom in the course of the last year in both cases;(2) if he will list the names of the countries from which Governments or institutions requested research projects, advice or assistance from the Tropical Products Institute and the Centre for Overseas Pest Research in the last year, indicating those from whom fees or other payments were received.

Countries to which training teams were sent in 1981–82 are shown in the following table. The same table shows the countries of origin of participants in courses run in this country by the Tropical Products Institute—the Centre for Overseas Pest Research did not run any courses of its own—and countries which requested advice or assistance, including research. In general, fees were not charged, but where assistance was provided under contract with another donor—for example, the Food and Agriculture Organisation or the European Community—this is also shown in the table.

Table: Activities in and for Different Countries 1981–82
Country of Origin
Algeria	BC
Antigua	C
Argentina	BC
Bahrein	C
Bangladesh	BCD
Barbados	BC
Belize	C
Benin	C
Bolivia	C
Botswana	C
Brazil	ABCD
Brunei	C
Burma	ABC
Burundi	C
Cameroon	BC
Chile	C
China	AC
Colombia	C
Congo Republic	C
Costa Rica	BC
Cuba	C
Cyprus	C
Comoro Islands	C
Cook Islands	C
Dominica	CD
Dominican Republic	BC
Ecuador	C
Egypt	BCD
El Salvador	BC
Ethiopia	ABCD
Fiji	C
Gabon	C
Gambia, The	BC
Ghana	C
Grenada	C
Guatemala	C
Guinea Bissau	C
Guyana	C
Haiti	C
Honduras	BCD
Hong Kong	BC
India	ABC
Indonesia	BCD
Iran	C
Ivory Coast	C
Jamaica	C
Jibuti	C
Jordan	B

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the names of United Kingdom institutions, universities, public bodies, or firms seeking advice from the Tropical Products Institute and Centre for Overseas Pest Research, respectively, indicating those from which fees or costs were recovered in the last financial year.

In 1981–82 the TPI received 445 requests for advice from a wide range of United Kingdom institutions. Fees were or will be charged for any work involving a significant cost to the institute. Contracts with United Kingdom institutions were made in 1981–82 with Cadbury Ltd., the United Kingdom Tea Trade Committee, McKechnie Chemicals Ltd., Falconwood Ltd., J. H. Rayner Ltd., Cooper and Lybrandt Associates Ltd., the Commonwealth Forestry Institute and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The COPR does not record such inquiries centrally but had a substantial number of contacts with universities usually of a collaborative or reciprocal character for which the charging of fees was considered inappropriate. Shell (International) contributed to the costs of a COPR publication on termites.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will estimate the gross and net costs of the Tropical Products Institute and Centre for Overseas Pest Research, indicating the respective sources of income and its trend in the last three years and prospects for the future.

Gross and net costs of the Tropical Products Institute and Centre for Overseas Pest Research over the past three financial years are estimated as follows: