asked the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on the road works on the A40 between the Hoover factory and the Target roundabout; when the work will be finished; and what steps he is now taking to assist traffic flow in the area.

Progress on the two schemes in question is well up to schedule. The canal bridge reconstruction should be finished next summer and the Perivale Lane underpass by mid-1984.Traffic flows on the trunk road have been improved at Perivale by the introduction of an additional lane and revised signal timings. "Yellow box" markings will soon be applied to help local traffic.At both Perivale and the canal bridge at least two lanes of the A40 are made available in both directions during peak periods.The Department has the close co-operation of the Metropolitan Police and the London borough of Ealing in controlling the traffic.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement about the future development of radio telephone services.

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced on 15 June the establishment of an independent review of the radio spectrum and his provisional decision that 30 MHz should be allocated to radio telephone services.My right hon. Friend and I are convinced that manufacturing industry, transport, consumers and the economy generally can derive significant benefits from early and substantial expansion of radio telephone services, provided this can be arranged without prejudice to the interests of other users of mobile radio. I therefore intend to press ahead with preparatory arrangements for licensing the provision of radio telephone services in the event that the necessary frequencies are made available. My preparations are designed to permit the frequencies to be taken into service as quickly as possible once a final decision is taken about their allocation. They take account of the recommendations made to my Department by a working group representing public and private sector bodies with an interest in radio phones.The Government's telecommunications policy is based on the need to introduce greater competition in the supply of telecommunications services. We think radio telephone services will develop more rapidly and user interests will be best safeguarded in a competitive environment. The number of competing radio phone networks which it is possible to have, however, is severely limited by the need to ensure the efficient use of scarce frequency resources. The Government agree with the working group's conclusion that, subject to satisfactory commercial and technical arrangements between them, two competing networks may well provide the best balance between the benefits of competition and those of maximising spectrum efficiency.The selection of the organisations to be licensed presents difficulties. Before any new radio telephone network can be licensed the Government will need to be satisfied that it incorporates the most modern celluar radio techniques and that there is fully automatic hand off between cells. The Government will want to be satisfied that applicants have the necessary technical and commercial resources to install and run a system and will require evidence of market research to show that proposals are commercially viable. Radio telephone networks may be highly profitable and at least four organisations have put forward firm proposals for running such networks. British Telecommunications submitted proposals two years ago and, subject to further analysis of technical details, these appear to be ready to be put into effect quickly. Recently a number of private consortia have put forward outline proposals to the Department in anticipation of more than one service being licensed. The Department has also received proposals for a simplex system confined to lorry and coach operators. The Government see a continuing role for both British Telecom and the private sector in this area.I am therefore inviting the private companies and BT to develop their proposals on the basis that there will be two competing radio telephone networks in the United Kingdom, both to be licensed on equal terms and conditions by my Department, and each to be allocated half the available new spectrum. I shall review my provisional decision to licence two competing networks in the light of the technical and commercial assessments of the proposals put forward.In order that at least half the frequencies can be brought into use quickly, I intend that a licence for half the frequencies should be issued to a subsidiary company of BT, in which the private sector would own at least half the shares, and that the company should be subjected to clear conditions to ensure fair competition. I have invited the chairman of BT to submit precise technical details of his proposals.So far as the remainder of the frequencies are concerned, I invite private sector companies to provide detailed evidence about technical specification, fully worked out costings and evidence that they possess the financial backing, management resources and technical competence to run a modern radio telephone system. I shall require evidence of market research to demonstrate that a system using half the available frequencies is viable. My Department will shortly be sending a note giving guidance to the applicants known to them and other applicants may obtain copies of the guidelines from the Department.I intend to appoint independent consultants to evaluate the rival bids and at the same time the proposals will be assessed by the radio regulatory department to determine whether they are technically suitable to be licensed under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts. The reports by the consultants and the radio regulatory department will be considered by independent advisers, who will submit advice to me on how I should exercise my licensing powers under the British Telecommunications Act 1981. While the three private sector applications submitted so far and the separate proposal for a simplex system provide grounds for believing that a licence can be issued to a private sector firm, I must reserve the right not to grant a licence if, after detailed scrutiny, no application meets the necessary minimum standards.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry by how much his Department's scientific and technological assistance Vote cash limit will be increased in 1982–83.

Following the Budget, I announced to the House on 15 March 1982 various measures that my Department would be taking to help British industry improve its design and production techniques. The cost of these measures in 1982–83 that will fall to scientific and technological assistance, Class IV, Vote 6, is £13,300,000. The cash limit for this Vote will be raised by this amount, offset by £209,000 due to the reduction in national insurance surcharge. The net increase of £13,091,000 results in a new cash limit of £260,050,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was paid in compensation by the Criminal Injuries Board during the past year.

Exact figures for the financial year 1981–82 are not yet available but the total paid is expected to be about £22·2 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in providing work for the inmates and improvements in the regime at High Point prison in Suffolk, following his statement on the report of the Chief Inspector of Prisons.

More prisoners are now being employed in cultivating land within the perimeter, and we are considering the scope for converting existing buildings to industrial use and improving educational and recreational facilities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received (a) in favour of the recommendations in part II of the report of the Royal Commission on criminal procedure and (b) against those recommendations; and whether there are any further representations or consultations awaited.

The following organisations have expressed views to the Home Office on the proposal to establish a Crown prosecutor service:

• The Association of Chief Police Officers
• The Association of County Councils
• The Association of Metropolitan Authorities
• The British Legal Association
• The British Multiple Retailers' Association
• The Campaign for Homosexual Equality
• The Cetral Council for Probation and After-Care Committees
• The Commission for Racial Equality
• The Criminal Bar Association
• The Dover Harbour Board
• The Fabian Society
• The Greater London Council
• The Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers "Justice"
• The Justices' Clerks' Society
• The Law Society
• The Legal Action Group
• The Metropolitan Police
• The National Association of Probation Officers
• The National Association of Prosecuting Solicitors' Staffs
• The National Council for Civil Liberties
• The Police Federation
• The Police Superintendents' Association of England and Wales
• The Port of Liverpool Police
• The Prosecuting Solicitors' Society of England and Wales
• The Senate of the Inns of Court and the Bar
• The Society of Labour Lawyers

Of the bodies named above, the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Association of County Councils, the Metropolitan Police, the Police Federation and the Port of Liverpool Police have expressed opposition in principle to the establishment of a Crown prosecutor service, while others have expresed reservations on specific aspects of the scheme which the Royal Commission recommended.We know of no further representations still to come, and no further consultations are at present in hand.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the cost of setting up and maintaining prosecuting solicitors' departments in the 10 remaining police force areas which do not have departments.

We cannot at present offer any better estimate than that provided for the Royal Commission on criminal procedure in its research study No. 12, published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office in 1980. We recognise that the results of that study ought in due course to be updated and, if possible, refined.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what income the Schools Council now receives from royalties; and to whom this income will accrue under his proposals to abolish the council.

The Schools Council Publications Company estimates that it will receive some £225,000 from royalties and sales in 1982–83. The Government's proposals for the replacement of the School Council by an Examinations Council and a School Curriculum Development Council are now the subject of discussion with the local authority associations and other interests. The position of the publications company and the income it receives for royalties and sales will be covered in these discussions.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many sixth form colleges and how many schools with sixth forms there are in the State sector of education;(2) what is the average teacher to pupil ratio in secondary schools which include a sixth form in the State sector of education;(3) what is the average teacher to pupil ratio in sixth form and tertiary colleges in the State sector of education.

The information requested for maintained secondary schools, including sixth form colleges, in England for January 1981 is as follows. The average pupil-teacher ratio for tertiary colleges is not readily available.

Maintained secondary schools with sixth forms
	Number of schools	Pupil-teacher ratio †
Schools with pupils aged 16 years and over* on O-level/CSE courses or above:
Sixth form colleges	100	11·6
Other types of secondary school	2,859	16·4
Total	2,959	16·2
of which schools with pupils on A level courses	2,483	16·1
* Pupils aged 16 years and over on 31 August 1980.
† Pupils per qualified teacher.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to lay an order to bring the Education Act 1981 into force; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the right hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Hannam) on 22 June.—[Vol. 26, c. 58.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has had on the consultative paper "Rationalisation of Secondary Teacher Training in Colleges of Education".

Written submissions have been received from a wide range of bodies which were invited to comment on the consultative paper. I am considering these comments and will make a further statement as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence in which years since 1979 arms have been sold to Venezuela.

It has been the policy of successive Governments not to disclose details of arms sales to other countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of HMS "Endurance".

For the time being HMS "Endurance" will remain in the South Atlantic as long as necessary. Her future is under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what public money has been spent in connection with the former hangars at the old Royal Air Force airfield at Pollington, near Goole, during the past three years; and for what purpose.

Expenditure on the three hangar buildings has been as follows:

Year	£
1979–80	56,543
1980–81	13,746
1981–82	3,303

The principal items included in this expenditure were on building low block walls and other measures necessary to seal the buildings against the ingress of vermin and birds so as to protect very valuable foodstuffs stored in them.A major programme of recladding is currently being undertaken on one hangar at an estimated cost of £145.000 in 1982–83.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement about the outcome of the Council of Environment Ministers meeting of 24 June.

I led the delegation at this meeting at which agreement was reached on a number of proposals, including a draft directive on lead in air and a regulation on Community implementation of the Washington convention on international trade in endangered species. The Council also agreed to support Community action for protection of seals.Agreement on the Washington convention regulation had almost been achieved at the Council of Environment Ministers last December under the chairmanship of my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Environmental Services. The reservations then expressed by certain member States were withdrawn, and the proposal was agreed.The Council had a general discussion on the problem of seals following the resolution adopted by the European Parliament on 11 March. I outlined the action already taken by the United Kingdom Government and stressed the need for action to take place within the framework of the Washington convention. The Commission announced its intention to bring forward proposals, including inclusion of the hooded seal in annex 1 of the Washington convention, as soon as possible.In agreeing to a directive setting an air quality standard for lead designed to reduce people's exposure to lead in the environment, the Council rounded off the progress made under the United Kingdom Presidency last year. This directive sets a limit of 2 micrograms of lead per cubic metre—the standard adopted by the Government in May 1981 on the recommendation of the Lawther working party.The Council held a further exchange of views on the draft directive on environmental assessment. I emphasised the Government's commitment to the principle of assessing the environmental implications of major development proposals. However, I also made clear our belief that the directive currently proposed represented an undesirably rigid and inflexible approach to this. The Council agreed that the subject should be considered further in the light of the views expressed.The Council agreed a resolution endorsing the need to continue the Community's work for the protection of the environment and emphasising the need for clear priorities. The Council will proceed with the examination of a draft third action programme in the light of the opinion of the European Parliament.Also agreed was a directive on the monitoring of the environmental effects of waste from the titanium dioxide industry. This now requires a sensible level of monitoring which is generally in line with present United Kingdom practice and which will reinforce our broader aims of protecting the environment.Agreement was reached on a Council decision designed to reinforce efforts to limit the effect of emissions of chlorofluorocarbons—CFCs—on the ozone layer. This continues the established Community policy of restricting production capacity and use of CFCs 11 and 12 in aerosols, provides a basis for work on other uses, and calls for a further report from the Commission in 1983.Formal adoption also took place of some Community instruments which had been approved earlier by the

Number of Welsh employees in employment: manufacturing sector 1978–81*
	Thousands at June each year
Industry	1978	1979	1980	1981
Food, drink and tobacco	18·3	19·0	18·0	16·0
Coal and petroleum products	5·3	23·0	22·0	20·0
Chemicals and allied industries	17·5
Metal manufacture	73·7	72·0	60·0	43·0
Mechanical engineering	27·5	117·0	112·0	96·0
Instrument engineering	3·3
Electrical engineering	33·1
Shipbuilding and marine engineering	1·2
Vehicles	29·21
Metal goods not elsewhere specified	21·8
Textiles	12·3	29·0	26·0	21·0
Leather, leather goods and fur	0·8
Clothing and footwear	15·4
Bricks, pottery, glass, cement, etc.	9·3	53·0	51·0	43·0
Timber, furniture, etc.	8·8
Paper, printing and publishing	13·0
Other manufacturing industries	20·9
Total all manufacturing industries	311·5	312·0	288·0	239·0
Sources: Welsh Office, Department of Employment.
* The 1978 figures are based on the results of the employment census of that year. 1979–81 data are based on the Department of Employment's quarterly estimates.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the Council. These included the directive on major industrial hazards—the so-called Seveso directive—and decisions on the exchange of information concerned with measuring air pollution in member States and on Community participation in the Bonn convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will now announce a date of commencement for the construction of a bypass for the villages of Penygroes and Llanllyfni on the A487 trunk road; and if he will give a time scale for the undertaking of this scheme.

I have nothing further to add to the reply I gave the hon. Member on 30 March 1982.—[Vol. 21, c. 52.]

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will publish a table in the Official Report showing the number of manufacturing jobs in Wales each year since 1960 broken down by industrial groups, together with the latest available figure.

Figures for the years 1960–64 are not available. Employment statistics by industry for the period 1965–75 are published in the Employment Gazette —August 1976—and for 1971–77 in "Welsh Economic Trends", No. 7, 1980. The number of manufacturing jobs in Wales since 1978 is given in the following table:percentage of those registered unemployed who have been unemployed for more than two years for each county of Wales for each month since January 1979.

Information is available on a quarterly basis only—as follows:

Those unemployed for over two years as a percentage of total unemployed
	South Glamorgan	Mid Glamorgan	West Glamorgan	Gwent	Dyfed	Powys	Gwynedd	Clwyd
April 1979	11·7	13·4	9·6	15·1	12·3	13·5	16·0	16·5
July 1979	11·4	11·6	8·6	14·5	12·3	14·0	16·7	15·0
October 1979	12·7	13·9	10·5	14·0	11·6	16·4	14·0	15·8
January 1980	13·2	12·9	10·2	13·2	10·5	11·8	13·7	15·2
April 1980	13·8	11·9	10·0	12·4	10·5	11·7	14·2	11·4
July 1980	12·8	9·7	8·2	10·4	9·2	9·5	13·1	9·6
October 1980	12·3	9·4	7·4	11·0	8·5	9·1	11·6	10·0
January 1981	11·2	9·1	7·2	10·2	7·6	7·9	9·6	8·7
April 1981	11·3	9·6	7·8	10·3	8·0	7·9	10·3	8·6
July 1981	10·9	9·9	7·7	10·1	7·7	7·4	10·9	8·7
October 1981	11·4	10·8	8·9	11·0	8·2	8·2	10·9	9·4
January 1982	12·6	11·6	9·8	12·1	8·6	7·0	9·8	9·7
April 1982	13·7	13·4	11·6	13·3	9·3	6·6	11·1	13·7

asked the Attorney-General whether he has decided to accept the recommendation of the Royal Commission on criminal procedure that an independent Crown prosecution system be introduced; whether he has any plans to introduce legislation; and whether he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.We are considering the Royal Commission's recommendations about prosecution arrangements in the light of the views that have since been expressed in the House and elsewhere. We have no further statement to make at present.

asked the Attorney-General what estimate he has made of the cost of establishing an independent Crown prosecution system; and whether he accepts the finding of the Royal Commission on criminal procedure that any cost will be largely offset by the benefit to the police in the return to operational duty of police officers at present engaged in prosecution.

I have been asked to reply.The cost of establishing such a system, and the consequences for the police, would depend on its structure and functions. The Royal Commission estimated the additional cost of its proposals at £4 million a year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much aid is currently being given to Guatemala; and what form this aid is taking.

Guatemala is currently receiving no bilateral aid from the United Kingdom, but is eligible for assistance from certain multilateral agencies to which the United Kingdom is a contributor—World Bank, International Development Association, Inter-American Bank and European Community. Since the beginning of 1982 no major new commitments have been made by these agencies to Guatemala.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many official value added tax forms and explanatory leaflets are published by his Department in Gaelic; and what arrangements exist for the provision of Gaelic-speaking staff to deal with value added tax problems and inquiries.

No official value added tax forms or explanatory leaflets are published by Customs and Excise in Gaelic.There are no special arrangements for the provision of Gaelic-speaking staff to deal with value added tax inquiries and Customs and Excise has no knowledge of any requests for such a service from the trading community.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the cost of the rehousing of the European Commission offices in Tokyo; how the cost is being met; what is the purpose of the changes; whether the United Kingdom Government were consulted; and whether the proposed new offices will have facilities which will improve trading opportunities for the United Kingdom.

The Commission has yet again proposed that a new building should be acquired to house the European Community's office in Tokyo. It estimates that the capital cost of this would be 14·3 mecu—about£8 million converted at the rate of £1= 1·81 ecu. Member States, including the United Kingdom, have not so far agreed to the Commission's proposal since they do not consider that sufficient information to take a decision has been made available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the revenue from stamp duty on the purchase or sale of share contracts (a) under £100, (b) under £200 and (c) under £500.

I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about arrangements governing borrowing by the corporate and public sectors.

Yes. I have decided that some further steps should be taken which I believe may help industry to raise long-term finance, to reduce the dependence of the local authorities on bank borrowing and to remove possible obstacles to funding the borrowing requirement.Funding has been an important instrument of monetary policy under successive Governments. Sales of central Government debt, such as gilts and National Savings, to the non-bank public have been used to contain the growth of £M3 and to reduce liquidity in the economy.The level of funding needed to achieve satisfactory monetary conditions would be lower if companies derived more of their finance from the capital market and less from banks than they have done for many years. There was a revival in equity issues last year. But there has so far been little improvement in company stock issues. This should come with further reduction in inflation and interest rates. But there is one obstacle which I can remove immediately. This is the effective embargo on the issue of zero and low coupon stock by companies. The Inland Revenue will be issuing a statement later today, of which copies will be available in the Library, to clarify the tax treatment of such stock and also of different forms of indexed borrowing by companies, together with the safeguards necessary to prevent tax avoidance.Companies, including small companies, will now be free to issue such stock, as they have in the past been free to issue indexed stock, subject to the normal arrangements for obtaining timing consent from the Bank of England for issues of £3 million or above.The Government are separately examining the possibility of providing for the taxation on an "accruals" basis of the discount on zero and low coupon stocks. Under such a regime the discount would be treated for tax purposes, both for the lender and for the borrower, as the interest arising over the life of the stock, rather than as rolled-up interest paid at redemption. Such arrangements, if they were considered appropriate, would require legislation in next year's Finance Bill and would not apply to stock already in issue at that time.The appropriate level of funding has, of course, to be decided in the light of all the monetary indicators. That level may sometimes be higher and sometimes lower than the public sector borrowing requirement. But as a result of the cumulative effect of funding policy in recent years, it may not be possible to fund the borrowing requirement without a risk of producing balances in the national loans fund—NLF—larger than the working levels permitted under the 1968 National Loans Act.I have therefore decided that it would be right to amend section 12 of the Act to allow the Treasury to borrow for monetary policy purposes when this is not needed to meet the NLF's outgoings. If use of this power leads to NLF balances with the banking department at the Bank of England, these sums would be available to relieve shortages in the money market, which are a corollary of debt sales.I shall also be proposing amendments to section 5 of the Act. This will provide an explicit power for the NLF to make variable rate loans. This will enable us to meet the request for such a facility from the local authorities, which in recent years have increasingly borrowed in this form from the banks. Higher lending to the local authorities from the NLF will raise the CGBR but not the PSBR. For a given level of debt sales it will reduce any balance in the NLF and the scale of money market shortages. A similar effect will be achieved if more of the temporary finance needed by nationalised industries is provided from the NLF. The possibility is now being discussed with them.The necessary new clauses and Ways and Means resolution are being tabled today.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, at the latest convenient date, what were, in respect of girls in the 16 to 19 years age group (a) the total number who were unemployed, (b) the number within that total who had been unemployed for longer than six months, (c) the number within that total who had been unemployed for longer than 12 months, (d) the number within that total who had been unemployed for longer than 24 months and (e) the number of registered disabled people in each of those groups.

At 15 April 1982 the total number of females aged 19 years and under registered as unemployed in Great Britain was 204,344. The numbers who at that date had been on the register for the lengths of time specified are given in he following table. Corresponding information showing the numbers of registered adisabled included in the figures is given for 8 October 1981, the latest date for which the statistics of unemployed disabled people are available.

Duration in weeks	April 1982 Number	October 1981 Number	of which registered disabled
Over 26 and up to 52 weeks	54,106	38,503	160
Over 52 and up to 104 weeks	23,568	21,602	150
Over 104 weeks	3,073	1,929	36

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether grants are paid to the employment organisations such as the Confederation of British Industry, the British Institute of Management and the Institute of Directors for the education and training of managers and directors; and of how much.

No, but the Manpower Services Commission plans to discuss with interested bodies—including the Confederation of British Industry and the British Institute of Management—how they might be able to co-operate in promoting management development.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will extend to the South Yorkshire area the pilot special enterprise allowance schemes.

The enterprise allowance scheme will be considered as part of our annual review of the Government's special employment and training measures.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if arrangements have been made by the Manpower Services Commission to provide hon. and right hon. Members with a copy of the report of the employment services division Rayner scrutiny of the general employment service in Great Britain particularly those whose constituencies contain jobcentres which the report suggests might be affected by closure or reorganisation.

Copies of the report were placed in the Vote Office shortly after publication and copies were also supplied to the Clerk to the Select Committee on Employment for distribution to its members.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many deaths and serious injuries have occurred on farms in each of the past 10 years in the United Kingdom.

The following table lists the number of deaths which have occurred as a result of agricultural operations in the United Kingdom during the period 1972–81:

	Numbers
1972	119
1973	132
1974	124
1975	117
1976	124
1977	115
1978	87
1979	106
1980	89
1981	87

The figures include a number, believed small, of fatalities arising from industrial diseases contracted on farms in Great Britain. The Northern Ireland element of the figures refers strictly to accidental deaths. Until 1981, records of non-fatal injuries on farms did not specifically distinguish those which involved serious injuries, and in any case related only to employees. The results for 1981 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, how many working days have been lost during the period March 1981 to March 1982 as a result of industrial injuries.

I have been asked to reply.I regret that this information is not available. Benefit records do, however, show the number of days of certified incapacity due to industrial injuries. During the year from 4 June 1979 to 31 May 1980, the latest period for which the information is available, there were 13,078,200 such days.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the composition of the steering group the Government plan to set up to plan the structure of the new institution for higher education in Northern Ireland.

The members appointed to date are as follows:

Sir Peter Swinnerton-Dyer (Chairman), who is Master of St Catherine's College, Cambridge, and was formerly Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

Sir Norman Lindop (Vice-Chairman), who is Principal of the British School of Osteopathy and was formerly Director of Hatfield Polytechnic.Prof Keith Clayton, who is Professor of Environmental Science at the University of East Anglia and is also a member of the University Grants Committee.Mr James Doherty, who is Chairman of the Western Education and Library Board.Mrs Naomi McIntosh, who is the Senior Commissioning Editor of Channel 4, and who was formerly Professor of Applied Social Research at the Open University.Mr Gil Warnock, who is Regional Director of PA Management Consultants.Four more members will be appointed following consultation with the New University of Ulster and the Ulster Polytechnic.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) whether there is any intention to direct students away from Queen's University, Belfast, to the new institution either by limiting student numbers of Queen's or by transferring courses from it to the new institution;(2) whether, since in his view the new institution for higher education and Queen's University, Belfast, are complementary, he is proposing to take measures to ensure that the new institution will not be allowed to pre-empt natural developments in the courses provided by Queen's University.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Government's statement, published with the Chilver report, where the Government accepted that new arrangements for co-ordination of higher education in Northern Ireland were necessary. Their purpose will be to ensure that each institution fulfils its own role within an overall framework. The roles of Queen's University, Belfast, and the new institution will receive equal consideration. I cannot anticipate the conclusions while arrangements are still under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish in the Official Report the most recent statistics for the number of students enrolled in university or polytechnic degree courses of one or more years' duration in Northern Ireland who are domiciled in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Scotland and (c) England and Wales.

The information is not available in the form requested, but in 1980–81, 10,037 students enrolled in higher education institutions in Northern Ireland were domiciled in Northern Ireland and 199 in Great Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate how many students from Northern Ireland attend degree courses at universities and polytechnics in other parts of the United Kingdom.

I have nothing to add to the information I gave to the hon. Member for Down, North (Mr. Kilfedder) on 18 May 1982.—[Vol. 24, c. 52.]

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether, in order to avoid prolonged uncertainty, he will provide financial guidelines for the various universities and colleges for the next few years at the earliest opportunity.

Whilst I wish to give the institutions all the information they need, I am presently unable to indicate definitive allocations for more than one year ahead. I am, however, considering what guidance I can make available.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any discussions have taken place between his officials and Ministers and representatives of the Government of the United States of America concerning the White Paper "Northern Ireland: A Framework for Devolution"; and if he will make a statement.

There have been no such discussions. But Her Majesty's ambassador and his staff have taken steps to ensure that the United States Government and others in the United States of America understand the policy set out in the White Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Basildon of 17 June, Official Report, c. 331, how many meetings were required for his officials to explain the substance of the White Paper on "Northern Ireland: A Framework for Devolution"; on which dates these meetings took place; what levels of officials and how many were involved in each meeting; and if he will make a statement;(2) pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Basildon of 17 June,

The substance of the White Paper would be explained when it arose in conversation when my officials, and those of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Her Majesty's embassy in Dublin, meet officials of the Republic, which they do frequently on a wide range of matters of common concern. It would not be practicable to give particulars of all such occasions. The attitude of the Government of the Republic towards the White Paper has been made known in their public statements.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any discussions have taken place between his officials and Ministers and officials and Ministers representing foreign Governments other than the Government of the Republic of Ireland concerning the explanation of the substance of the White Paper "Northern Ireland: A Framework for Devolution"; and if he will make a statement.

There have been no such discussions. But our diplomatic posts have taken steps, in appropriate countries, to ensure that the policy set out in the White Paper is understood.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the Republic of Ireland on cross-border security co-operation; and if he will make a statement.

I know from my discussions with the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary that the close and professional relationship between the RUC and the Garda Siochana continues to play a highly effective role in the prevention and detection of terrorist activity on both sides of the border.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the redundancy compensation scheme to be financed by the University Grants Committee is to be applied to Northern Ireland universities or whether comparable arrangements are to be made for university staffs in the Province.

Redundancy compensation arrangements for university staff in Northern Ireland are under consideration, and will be published in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Exchequer and Audit Department will continue to be responsible for the auditing of New University expenditure during the lifetime of the proposed steering group.

No changes are envisaged in the present requirement that expenditure out of the grant-in-aid to the New University of Ulster be accounted for in detail to the Comptroller and Auditor-General for Northern Ireland. Audit of the accounts of the New University of Ulster is undertaken by a firm of accountants appointed by the council of the university.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the steering group announced on 8 June can undertake trustee-type responsibilities or establish a university.

The steering group announced on 8 June is to advise the Government on the planning of the new university institution. Its terms of reference do not involve undertaking trustee-type responsibilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what basis the membership of the steering group that is to be responsible for the planning of the new university that will replace both the New University of Ulster and the Ulster Polytechnic, was chosen.

Members were chosen for the contribution that they could make to the planning of the new institution, and to reflect a range of academic, commercial and social service experience in Northern Ireland and in Great Britain. One member was appointed after consultation with the University Grants Committee. Other members will be appointed after consultation with the New University of Ulster and the Ulster Polytechnic.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the annual cost of third-level students from Northern Ireland currently in attendance at universities and other institutions in Great Britain including student grants and average or typical institution costs.

Expenditure in higher education institutions in Great Britain is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Education and Science and for Scotland.Complete information on the costs of awards to Northern Ireland students tenable at institutions in Great Britain is not readily available. However, it is estimated that for the academic year 1980–81 these totalled some £8.3 million.Higher Education

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the number of higher education institutions in Northern Ireland outside the universities; and what is the number of full-time, sandwich and part-time students in attendance.

There are four higher education institutions in Northern Ireland, apart from the universities. They are the Ulster Polytechnic and the three colleges of education. In January 1981 there were 3,890 full-time, 1,531 sandwich and 2,781 part-time students at these establishments.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated net recurrent cost of higher education in Northern Ireland outside the universities.

Recurrent grants, excluding student awards, to the Ulster Polytechnic and the three Northern Ireland colleges of education totalled £16·2 million in 1981–82.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what control is exercised by the Department of Education over the provision of advanced courses in the university and non-university sectors; and if he contemplates any changes in this regard;(2) what is the current course approval system in operation in regard to the Ulster Polytechnic;(3) if he will publish guidelines setting out the extent to which the Ulster Polytechnic is subject to his directions in regard to funding, course provision and academic standards, including entry requirements.

Decisions on course provision in universities is a matter for the university authorities.The Ulster Polytechnic has to seek specific Department of Education for Northern Ireland approval to the introduction of courses requiring validation by the Council for National Academic Awards, the Technician Education Council or the Business Education Council.Some advanced courses are provided in institutions of further education, but these must receive Department of Education approval.When considering whether to approve a particular course, the Department assesses the need for the course, the resource implications and whether or not the provision would cause wasteful duplication. These arrangements will be reviewed as proposed in the Government's statement on the future structure of higher education in Northern Ireland published in March 1982.The statutory responsibilities of the authorities of the Ulster Polytechnic and of the Department of Education for funding and course provision are set out in the Ulster College Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 and in the Ulster Polytechnic Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1978—SR and 0 1978, No. 279.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how far the University Grants Committee influences the balance and development of course provision in the Province.

Recurrent grants to the Northern Ireland universities are made on the advice of the UGC. Its advice takes account of current and imminent academic developments and other factors. The funding provision will influence the scope of the academic course provision, but final decisions on the academic course provision in any university are made by the university authorities in the light of financial and other circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will extend the time scale that he has announced for the coming into operation of the new institution that is to replace the New University of Ulster and the Ulster Polytechnic by a further two years so as to make it comparable with the time scale granted to universities in Great Britain in connection with reduced recurrent grants.

No.

asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he wilt publish in the Official Report a table corresponding to table 18 of the White Paper annual review 1972, Cmnd. 4928, showing how much was spent under each heading in 1981.

I refer the hon. Member to table 25 in the annual review of agriculture 1982 White Paper—Cmnd. 8491.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if any proposals are being, or have been, discussed in the European Economic Community to restrict the use of materials which are more cost effective than cereals for animal feed.

The Council of Ministers has recently discussed proposals made by the European Commission concerning imports of three feed ingredients that can in certain circumstances offer cost advantages over cereals. For manioc the Council has agreed that imports should be held at approximately the level reached in recent years in order to limit the rapidly rising cost to the Community budget of exporting the cereals which manioc displaces. Against strong objections from the United Kingdom and some other member States, the Council has decided to increase the import levy on cereal brans and screenings to an extent which might make these materials less attractive for inclusion in animal feed. The Commission has proposed that imports of maize gluten feed should be limited, but the Council, with strong support from the United Kingdom, has so far refused to agree to that.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what increases he anticipates in the cost of cereals for animal feed over the next 12 months; to what extent these will derive from decisions on agricultural policy taken by the European Community; what, he estimates, will be the effect of such price increases on the British livestock farmer; and whether there are any proposals for further increases which could raise cereal prices further.

The cost of cereals used for animal feed in the coming year will be influenced by a variety of factors including the size of the harvest, the price and availability of alternative feedingstuffs and the level of European Community support prices. The Council of Agriculture Ministers decided on 17–18 May, as part of this year's price-fixing, to raise the intervention price for feed grains by 8·5 per cent. from the start of the coming marketing year on 1 August and to raise the target price by 8·7 per cent. These increases are around 2 per cent. below those agreed for livestock products, reflecting the Council's desire to adjust the balance of profitability between the cereals and livestock sectors.It is not possible at this stage to predict exactly how prices over the coming year will be influenced by each of these factors.I am not aware of any further proposals for price increases in the cereals sector.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the most recent figure for the average weekly earnings for agricultural workers; and how this compares with workers in manufacturing and all industrial workers, respectively.

The most recent figures for average gross weekly earnings of all hired men in agriculture in England and Wales, as recorded by the wages and employment inquiry, are £99·09 for the year ended March 1982. Comparisons made in recent years with other industries have been based on the results of the new earnings survey. The latest figures on this basis were given in reply to the hon. Member's question on 10 March 1982.—[Vol. 19, c. 416.]

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will now announce the outcome of his discussions with gas and electricity supply industries on standing charges.

The review of the impact of standing charges on poor consumers is progressing well and is nearly complete.An announcement will be made as soon as possible.

asked the Prime Minister whether it was under her Administration that the long-standing practice that Ministers should not write articles for the press whilst holding ministerial office was discontinued; whether Ministers are permitted to receive payments for such articles and why; and whether she will ensure that such articles are made freely available to any newspaper editor who may request same so as to ensure equal treatment for all newspaper editors, their papers and their readers.

The rule under this Administration remains that Ministers are precluded from the practice of journalism and from regular journalistic activities, but may contribute to a journal or newspaper for the purpose of supplementing other means of informing the public about the work of their Department. They do not accept payment for such writings.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in her consideration of proposals for membership of a committee of investigation on the Falkland Islands, she will ensure that no Privy Councillor will be appointed who has had ministerial office connected with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office or the Ministry of Defence during the past 20 years; and if she will ensure that no other person is appointed with an actual or possible interest in ministerial matters connected with the Falkland Islands for the past 20 years.

I shall bear the hon. Gentleman's point very much in mind in considering who should be asked to undertake this review.

asked the Prime Minister if the proposed inquiry into the Falkland Islands dispute will have available to it all Foreign Office documents and memoranda irrespective of whether these are more than 20 years old.

Age will not be a reason for withholding documents which are needed for the purpose of carrying out the inquiry.

asked the Prime Minister if, at the recent economic summit meeting in Versailles, the matter of an appropriate resolution to launch the United Nations global negotiations was discussed; and what amendments were agreed by Heads of State and Governments to such a resolution.

Yes. My colleagues and I approved four short amendments to the latest draft resolution circulated by the G77 which, as the declaration makes clear, we considered helpful. The general effect of these amendments is to afford even greater protection to the specialised bodies concerned. The revised text is now under discussion in New York.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list in the Official Report the dates of meetings that have occurred since May 1979, between United Kingdom Ministers or officials and Argentinian Ministers or officials, naming the participants and venues.

Since May 1979 there have been a large number of meetings between British and Argentine Ministers and officials to discuss a wide range of subjects relevant to Anglo-Argentine relations. To compile the list that my hon. Friend requests would require very considerable research which would not be justifiable in terms of public expenditure.

asked the Minister of Trade if he will set out for each of the past 10 years exports, imports and balance of trade with (a) Israel and (b) the Arab world.

The available information is as follows:

United Kingdom Trade with Israel and Arab countries, 1971–80
	Exports fob	Imports cif	Crude Balance (£ million)
Israel
1971	117	55	+62
1972	135	58	+77
1973	187	70	+118
1974	220	79	+141
1975	238	91	+147
1976	250	126	+124
1977	276	160	+116
1978	243	176	+67
1979	271	219	+52
1980	231	234	-3
Arab Countries
1971	349	764	-415
1972	389	713	-324
1973	490	1,041	-551
1974	804	2,916	-2,112
1975	1,434	2,232	-798
1976	2,058	2,807	-749
1977	2,733	2,737	-4
1978	3,015	2,569	+446
1979	3,124	2,916	+209
1980	3,634	4,245	-612

asked the Minister for Trade what proportion of air traffic in Great Britain was handled at Manchester airport in 1981.

According to the CAA, Manchester was responsible for 6·8 per cent. of the air transport movements, 8·4 per cent. of the terminal passengers and 4 per cent. of the air cargo handled at airports in Great Britain in 1981.

asked the Minister for Trade what representations he has received alleging unfair trading practices by the United States of America.

I receive a large number of representations from individual United Kingdom companies which encounter difficulties in exporting to the United States of America, or whose business may be threatened by unfair imports of United States manufactured goods. It is our policy, in collaboration with the European Commission, to work for the elimination of United States practices which we believe to be unfair.

asked the Minister for Trade what steps he is taking to advise purchasers of citizens band equipment which is imported in a substandard or dangerous condition, or to restrict imports of such equipment in such condition; and if, in particular, his attention has been drawn to the products of the Phihong Manufacturing Organisation of Taiwan in this connection.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will seek to persuade the other members of the Western contact group to go ahead with the new election system for Namibia, if necessary without the South West African People's Organisation, should the South West African People's Organisation continue to delay.

The Five expect that a generally acceptable electoral system for the constituent Assembly will be agreed. We do not envisge circumstances under which elections would take place in Namibia under United Nations auspices without the participation of the South West African People's Organisation.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Her Majesty's Government last protested to the Chilean Government about the human rights issues in Chile (a) through the British ambassador in Chile and (b) through the Chilean ambassador in London; and what replies were given.

Representations about the human rights situation in Chile were most recently made by the British ambassador in Santiago on 3 April. The matter was also raised with the Chilean ambassador in London on 6 May.The Chilean Government have taken note of our representations and are therefore in no doubt as to our concern.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to secure the safety of British personnel in Beirut.

The Government are taking all necessary steps for the safety of British nationals in Lebanon. A British merchant ship was chartered and embarked British and Commonwealth subjects and a number of other nationals who wished to leave the Lebanon from the port of Jounieh on 24 June. We are in close touch with the United States and French Governments to co-ordinate evacuation measures. The British ambassador, who has so far remained with most of his staff in West Beirut, has discretion to move to East Beirut if the situation deteriorates further.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply of 15 June, Official Report, c. 272, if he will publish the definitions used for allocated and unallocated expenditure in making assessments of the kind to which he refers; and if he will explain why, in his view, it is not satisfactory to include unallocated expenditure in any calculation of the United Kingdom's net contribution.

My hon. Friend the Financial Secretary explained the distinction between the allocated and unallocated parts of the budget in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Flint, West, (Sir A. Meyer) on 8 June.—[Vol. 25, c. 83.] The negotiations on the United Kingdom budget contribution have always been conducted on the basis of the allocated budget, because this is concerned with net transfers between member States.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when was the last meeting of the Anglo-Irish Inter-Governmental Council.

The last meeting of the Anglo-Irish Inter-Governmental Council took place in Belfast on 28 May when my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office met the Irish Minister for Industry and Energy to continue discussions on the supply of Kinsale gas to Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the titles of his Department's files which are withheld from publication for 75 years or longer and which deal with the Falkland Islands; and what are the reasons for each file being withheld.

I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for West Lothian on 16 June, Official Report, c. 306, when the Minister of State expects to write to the hon. Member for West Lothian; and if he will publish his letter in the Official Report.

I wrote to the hon. Member on 23 June.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made by Her Majesty's Government, either directly or through the European Community, to the Government of Malaysia in respect of prisoners under sentence of death; and if he will seek to make further representations in the case of Madam Thye Siew Heong in view of the likelihood that sentence will shortly be carried out upon her.

The Ten member States of the European Community recently made a collective appeal to the Malaysian Government for clemency in the case of Tan Chay Wa, a Singaporean sentenced to death under the Malaysian Internal Security Act. We shall look carefully at the question of representations on behalf of Thye Siew Heong once we have studied the Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister's recent briefing on the Internal Security Act which he gave in Kuala Lumpur on 23 June.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Winterton) on 14 June, Official Report, c. 202, whether any private or other assurances were sought from the South African Government about the sale of weapons to the Argentine; whether Her Majesty's Government had evidence of such sales; and whether Her Majesty's Government have made any representations on this matter to South Africa since 14 June.

We have approached a number of Governments, including the South African Government, about reports of supplies of war material to Argentina since 2 April. Argentina has so far not agreed to a definitive end to hostilities. We naturally remain concerned to prevent war material reaching her and have been in touch with Governments as appropriate. The contents of such exchanges are confidential, and I cannot add to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Winterton) on 14 June.—[Vol. 25, c. 202.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will print a table in the Official Report, applying to girls in the age group 15 to 19 and for girls aged 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, for each year since 1970 until the latest available date, the total number of induced abortions, the total number of births, the rate of induced abortions per 1,000 girls and the rate of births per 1,000 girls.

The information is as follows:

Total births (live and still)—occurring in England and Wales
Numbers—in thousands
Year	Age of mother
	15	16	17	18	19	15–19
1970	1·2	5·7	15·1	25·0	34·8	81·8
1971	1·3	5·9	15·7	26·0	34·5	83·4
1972	1·3	6·3	15·3	24·4	32·4	79·7
1973	1·4	6·1	14·2	22·1	30·1	73·8
1974	1·3	5·6	14·1	21·0	27·3	69·3
1975	1·3	4·8	12·4	19·7	25·8	63·9
1976	1·2	4·4	10·8	17·8	24·1	58·3
1977	1·1	4·4	10·3	16·6	22·5	54·9
1978	1·2	4·5	10·6	16·9	23·2	56·4
1979	1·1	4·3	11·1	18·2	24·7	59·5
1980	1·1	4·3	11·0	18·8	25·9	61·0

Rales per thousand women
Year	Age of mother
	15	16	17	18	19	15–19
1970	3·7	17·4	46·4	78·2	104·4	50·4
1971	3·9	18·7	47·9	79·6	106·8	51·5
1972	4·0	19·3	47·8	74·6	98·8	48·6
1973	4·0	18·1	43·3	68·9	91·1	44·3
1974	3·7	16·0	41·5	63·7	85·0	40·9
1975	3·6	13·4	35·4	57·7	77·7	36·8
1976	3·2	12·3	30·3	50·4	70·4	32·7
1977	2·8	11·9	28·5	46·3	63·6	30·0
1978	3·0	11·6	28·2	46·7	64·6	30·1
1979	2·9	11·1	28·8	48·2	67·9	30·9
1980	2·6	10·8	27·8	48·3	68·2	31·1

Abortions* under 1967 Act to residents of England and Wales
Numbers—in thousands
Year	Age of mother
	15	16	17	18	19	15–19
1970	0·7	1·5	2·2	2·7	3·1	10·2
1971	1·0	2·3	3·5	4·3	4·7	15·8
1972	1·3	3·0	4·5	5·4	5·7	19·9
1973	1·5	3·6	5·3	6·1	6·4	22·9
1974	1·6	3·9	5·7	6·4	6·5	24·1
1975	1·7	4·0	5·9	6·5	6·3	24·5
1976	1·7	4·1	6·0	6·4	6·3	24·4
1977	1·8	4·1	5·9	6·4	6·3	24·5
1978	1·6	4·1	6·0	6·7	6·6	25·0
1979	1·7	4·3	6·6	7·5	7·5	27·6
1980	1·8	4·6	7·3	8·4	8·6	30·7

Rates per thousand women
Year	Age of mother
	15	16	17	18	19	15–19
1970	2·1	4·6	6·8	8·5	9·3	6·3
1971	3·0	7·2	10·7	13·2	14·5	9·7
1972	3·8	9·0	14·1	16·5	17·5	12·1
1973	4·2	10·5	16·2	19·1	19·5	13·8
1974	4·5	11·1	16·9	19·4	20·1	14·2
1975	4·7	11·3	16·9	19·0	19·1	14·1
1976	4·5	11·3	16·8	18·3	18·3	13·7
1977	4·6	10·9	16·4	17·9	17·7	13·4
1978	4·1	10·5	16·0	18·5	18·4	13·3
1979	4·3	10·9	17·0	19·8	20·8	14·3
1980	4·5	11·5	18·4	21·7	22·6	15·6

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the rate of pregnancy per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19 years and in each individual age group 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 years, respectively, for each year since 1970 until the latest available date.

The following table shows pregnancy rates obtained by adding numbers of maternities occurring in England and Wales to numbers of abortions to residents of England and Wales under the 1967 Act. Maternities leading to still as well as live births are included; multiple births are counted as a single pregnancy. The figures relate to the age of mother and the date at full term maternity; numbers of abortions have been carried forward by six months to give ages and dates as if the pregnancy had run to its full term.

Pregnancy rates per thousand women—England and Wales
	Age of mother at full-term maternity
Year	15	16	17	18	19	15–19
1970	5·8	21·9	53·0	86·2	113·0	56·4
1971	6·8	25·8	58·4	92·3	120·6	60·9
1972	7·7	28·2	61·7	90·6	115·7	60·5
1973	8·2	28·6	59·3	87·6	110·1	57·8
1974	8·2	27·0	58·2	82·7	104·6	54·8
1975	8·3	24·7	52·0	76·4	96·3	50·6
1976	7·6	23·6	46·9	68·4	88·2	46·1
1977	7·4	22·6	44·8	64·0	80·9	43·2
1978	7·1	22·1	44·1	65·0	82·6	43·2
1979	7·1	21·9	45·6	67·7	88·2	45·1
1980	7·1	22·3	46·1	69·7	90·4	46·5

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimates he has made of the proportion of those entitled to attendance allowance, housewives' invalidity pension, and mobility allowance, respectively, which are not taken up; what further steps he is taking to publicise the availability of these allowances; and if he will make a statement.

No national estimates are available of the numbers eligible for these benefits. There has, however, been a steady increase in the numbers receiving them. We are constantly seeking to improve the flow of information to disabled people who may be eligible for benefits and to those who advise them. For example, a new leaflet about cash benefits for disabled people living at home has been distributed to social workers, district nurses and health visitors. I have also set up a small working party of officials and voluntary organisations to study ways of improving the leaflets and forms used by people claiming non-contributory disablement benefits. Our guide "Help for Handicapped People", which was published last year in a new and improved edition, is widely available and has been promoted by posters and television fillers.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has studied the report brought to his attention by the hon. Member for Cannock of a husband giving up his job to look after his wife who was seriously ill with cancer and who eventually died, and who did not receive an attendance allowance; and if he will take steps to ensure that in this and similar situations an attendance allowance can be paid.

I have already written to the hon. Member explaining that retrospective payment of the allowance is not possible in the unfortunate case to which he has referred.I have no plans for introducing retrospective payments, but we are continuing to make efforts to produce greater public awareness of benefits.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to enable attendance allowances, housewives' invalidity pension, mobility allowances and other similar benefits, to be paid retrospectively in appropriate circumstances; and if he will make a statement.

Non-contributory invalidity pension can already be paid retrospectively to a limited extent in certain circumstances, but I have no proposals for extending such rules or for applying them to the other benefits mentioned. I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his question on 15 June.—[Vol. 25, c. 254.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the outcome of the experiment with detoxification centres at Leeds and Manchester; what are the costs per bed; and what other arrangements are being made to provide simple overnight shelter for drunks.

Work on the appraisal of the experiments in Leeds and Manchester is in its final stage but not yet completed. On costs, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him on 4 December 1979.—[Vol. 975, c. 161–62.] Later comparative figures are not available. A variety of facilities for problem drinkers is provided by statutory and voluntary bodies in different parts of the country. These have recently been supplemented as a result of funds made available by the Home Office to voluntary organisations to assist in the provision of simple overnight shelter for people who are otherwise likely to be charged with drunkenness offences.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now, as a result of representations, withdraw the Government's White Paper on reform of the industrial injuries scheme.

No. The proposed changes to the industrial injuries scheme reflect the main thrust of responses during public consultations and will help the seriously disabled.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the names and addresses of the present chairman, deputy chairman and members of the medical service committee of the Doncaster family practitioner committee.

Details of service committee membership are not held centrally, and the hon. Member may wish to seek this information direct from the family practitioner committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether it is normal practice for consultants to be given two years' leave of absence to work with private medical enterprises; and whether it is within the terms of service agreed between himself and the profession.

It is unusual for consultants to apply for leave for periods as long as two years. The terms of service do provide for unpaid leave to be granted at the discretion of the employing authority, which should consider any such application in the light of individual circumstances, including the effect on services to patients.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will initiate a scheme to use National Health Service property, which has been identified as surplus to requirements, for short-term accommodation for nurses.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if young persons whose supplementary benefit may be cut because they unreasonably refuse a suitable training place under the proposed new youth training scheme will have a right of appeal to a tribunal.

Yes.