asked the Minister for Trade what was the total value of goods exported to the Republic of Ireland in 1981.

The available information, relating to the months of January, February and September to December inclusive, can be obtained from table V of the Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom for February and December 1981. Copies are in the Library.

asked the Minister for Trade what discussions the Minister with special responsibility for civil aviation had on the financing of Manchester international airport's development plans on the occasion of his recent visit to the airport; what action he is taking; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Minister for Trade if he will place an order bringing into operation section 19 of the Weights and Measures Act 1979; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Minister for Trade when British Caledonian applied for London to Los Angeles route licences; and when they were granted.

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

asked the Minister for Trade if, pursuant to the answers to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Mr. Steen) on 28 June on British Midland Airways, he will now either set new time limits to replace the original limits for further submissions fixed on 21 May, or dispense with them altogether, and come to a final determination of the appeals submitted last October.

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

asked the Minister for Trade if he plans to introduce legislation to implement the proposals of the report of the review committee "Insolvency Law and Practice", Cmnd. 8558.

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

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he has any plans to withdraw any or all of the franked envelope facilities available to hon. Members; and whether stocks are being run down in anticipation of such a change.

There are no such plans. There is at present a shortage of 110 mm by 220 mm envelopes, but this is being rectified. Since Parliament is now the only user of official-paid mail, it is likely that the Services Committee will shortly be asked to consider the best means of replacing the existing imprint with another postage-paid impression which will be exclusive to the House. It is intended that the new system will have the same validity as the present one. The likely date of the proposed changeover is spring 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will provide the universities with additional funding in order that they may maintain the 1968 agreement and grant clinical academic salary increases in line with the April 1982 increases granted to National Health Service hospital doctors.

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, cash limits for universities and the Medical Research Council will he increased as follows to make additional provision for pay for clinical academic staff and medical research workers, following the offer made to NHS hospital doctors and dentists in the light of the recommendations of the Doctors and Dentists Review Body announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 6 May.

1982–83 Financial Year (£000)
Class/Vote	Present cash limit	Increase	Revised cash limit
X,2	1,383,946	700	1,384,646
X,7	107,432	70	107,502

These increases represent about two-thirds of the additional cost of implementing the offer. The total additional provision of £770,000 will be met from the Contingency Reserve and therefore will not add to the planned total of public expenditure.Appropriate adjustments will be made to the universities' academic year grants for 1981–82 and 1982–83.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state the names and lengths of tenure of office of the finance officers of his Department attached to the University Grants Committee since June 1979.

The finance division of the University Grants Committee is headed by an assistant secretary. Mr. J. C. Walne held the post from April 1978 until August 1981 when he was succeeded by Mr. E. C. Appleyard.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of secondary schools in England and Wales run courses in technology.

Precise information is not available in the Department. A recent publication by Her Majesty's Inspectorate "Technology in Schools"—HMSO, 1982—describes some aspects of technological studies in craft, design and technology departments in a sample of 90 schools in England and Wales, representing some 10 per cent. of the schools offering such courses. Technology may also form part of courses in other school subjects, especially science.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy towards the increasing creation of sixth form colleges.

The Department's circular 4/82 sets out certain policies which my right hon. Friend particularly takes into account when considering statutory proposals involving changes to existing secondary provision. Copies are available in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what grounds prison officers can be compelled to retire before they reach normal pensionable age without any compensation and without entitlement to unemployment benefit.

The retirement age for members of the prison officers class is 55, after which age, in present circumstances, they may continue in service—subject to continuing good health and efficiency—only until they reach the normal Civil Service retirement age of 60. At any time between those ages a man may be called upon to retire at the discretion of the Department if he is not deemed to be giving satisfactory service, but in that event he qualifies for payment of any lump sum and pension which may be due to him under the principal Civil Service pension scheme according to his length of service.His entitlement to unemployment benefit on retirement at any stage of this process will be governed by the normal rules applied by the Department of Health and Social Security in such cases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will ensure that the standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners form part of the training of every prison officer and prison governor.

Considerable time is devoted in staff training programmes to the Department's own prison rules and standing orders. These reflect the Council of Europe's standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of amateur radio licences currently issued in the United Kingdom.

Thirty seven thousand, eight hundred and forty seven, as at 31 May 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for amateur radio licences have been (a) refused and (b) issued by his Department in each year since 1975.

The number of licences issued is as follows:

	Numbers
1975	4,853
1976	5,232
1977	2,069
1978	2,570
1979	3,195
1980	5,170
1981	7,340

Figures are not maintained for the number of applications refused, but are likely to be less than 10 for the whole period.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of time taken to process applications for amateur radio licences.

Approximately three and a half months at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average period of time persons in the Indian Sub-continent have to wait from the time of application to the issue of an entry certificate to the United Kingdom; and what are the figures for each high commission or embassy.

Information for each mission is given in the following table. Figures for each country of the Indian Sub-continent are published in the quarterly Home Office Statistical Bulletin on "Control of Immigration: Statistics"—table 6 of issue 9/82.

Entry clearances for immediate settlement
Months waited by a person*first interviewed at end first quarter 1982
Bangladesh
Dacca	16
India
Bombay	15
Calcutta†	—
New Delhi	12
Pakistan
Karachi	18½
Islamabad	18½
* Main settlement queue. All missions have priority arrangements for certain categories.
† No figure is given owing to the small number of applications at this mission.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to give a formal response to the revised amendments to the Sex Discrimination and Equal Pay Acts proposed by the Equal Opportunities Commission.

We hope that we shall shortly be able to write to the chairman of the Equal Opportunities Commission about the commission's recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied that the local consultation arrangements which he proposes between the community and the police will not prejudice the police's political impartiality.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department at what date Prindus purchased £6,000 value of tooling to complete a contract with the National Coal Board for open sandals for miners; from whom; whether Prindus has obtained the materials with which to make the sandals; and by what date the contract is to be completed.

Prison industries purchased the tooling on 3 June 1982 from a firm in the United Kingdom. Initial supplies of materials have been purchased also from a United Kingdom firm. Tenders are being invited for the remainder of the material required. The contract is to be completed by 30 June 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation which would rectify the anomaly that young people under the age of 16 years can now obtain video cassettes for viewing "X" certificate films and films whose contents would have precluded them from obtaining any certificate for cinema showing.

The Government have no plans at present for legislation. We are, however, keeping under review the operation of the law in relation to video cassettes in the light, among other matters, of the discussions which are taking place between the British Board of Film Censors and the British Videogram Association about the introduction of a certificate scheme governing the sale or rental of video cassettes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Basildon of 24 June, Official Report c. 157, if he has information on the conclusions reached by the community-police consultative group for Lambeth concerning the policing problems of the Railton Road area of Brixton, and on the recommendations received from the group.

I understand that, following the group's initial discussion, a series of further meetings about the wider problems of the area are now being held involving hon. Members, the Lambeth borough council, the Metropolitan Police and many voluntary agencies, as well as local residents.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has had on extending the deadline on submissions to the committee of inquiry into cable broadcasting; and if he will make a statement.

I have received representations from the general secretaries of the Trades Union Congress, the Scottish Trades Union Congress, the Post Office Engineering Union and the Association of Broadcasting Staffs about the time scale for the inquiry into cable expansion and broadcasting policy. A number of Scottish Members have now sent me a letter from UNDA Scotland, part of the International Catholic Association for Radio and Television, asking that the inquiry's report should be delayed until 31 December.I have asked for the inquiry's report by 30 September so that the Government can be in a position to take decisions on these important issues by about the end of this year. The inquiry asked for submissions by 31 May, if possible but is willing, I understand, to consider any further written evidence which is sent to it reasonably soon.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 July.Q36. Sir John Biggs-Davison asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her official engagements for 1 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

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

asked the Prime Minister whether Her Majesty's Government will review the current rateable value limits for improvement and repair grants on owner-occupied properties outside Greater London.

There are at present no plans to increase these limits. They will, however, be kept under review.

asked the Prime Minister when next she plans to pay an official visit to West Yorkshire.

I have at present no plans to make such a visit.

The next Council of Europe meeting of Family Ministers will not take place until September 1983, and it is too early to decide on the United Kingdom representation.

asked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit any of the United Kingdom dependent territories.

I plan to visit Hong Kong in September. I have no plans at present to pay a visit to any of the other dependent territories.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement on progress in ensuring that the Luxembourg compromise is not breached again by the Council of Ministers of the European Community.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Mr. Marlow) on 22 June.—[Vol. 26, c. 66.]

asked the Prime Minister if, in view of the present condition of the flag, Her Majesty's Government will arrange for a new Union flag to be flown over the Victoria Tower of the Palace of Westminster.

The flag is inspected daily and repaired or replaced when necessary.

asked the Prime Minister how many new non-departmental public bodies have been established since May 1979 in each region in England, Wales and Scotland, respectively, and at what cost to public funds.

Forty-nine new bodies have been established, of which four have already been wound up. Fifteen cover the United Kingdom; nine, Great Britain; three, England and Wales; seven, England; seven,

Department and Body	Estimated 1981–82 costs £	Geographical area of activity
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Steering Group on Food Surveillance*	—	United Kingdom
Department of Education and Science
National Heritage Memorial Fund (jointly with Department of the Environment)	2,012,000	United Kingdom
Advisory Committee on Business Sponsorship of the Arts	†5,000	England and Wales
Advisory Committee for the Microelectronics Education Programme (formerly the Advisory Committee on Microelectronics in Education)	†16,000	England and Wales
Youth Service Review Group	121,000	England
Public Lending Right	293,000	United Kingdom
Industrial Scholarship Trust (initially the National Engineering Scholarship Scheme (Action Committee))	†149,000	United Kingdom
National Advisory Body for Local Authority Higher Education	—	England
Department of Employment Group
Certification of Electrical Equipment for Mining Advisory Council	5,000	Great Britain
Certification Board for Diver Training	5,000	Great Britain
Industry Advisory Committee for Education Services	5,000	Great Britain
Industry Advisory Committee for Health Services	5,000	Great Britain
Special Programmes Area Board (for Durham)	1,000	Durham
Training of Trainers Advisory Group	7,000	Great Britain
Department of the Environment
Leasehold Valuation Tribunals	—	England
London Housing Staff Commission	9,500	London
Property Services Agency Advisory Board	3,000	United Kingdom
London Docklands Urban Development Corporation	34,000,000	London
Merseyside Urban Development Corporation	6,000,000	North West
National Heritage Memorial Fund (jointly with Department of Education and Science)	2,000,000	United Kingdom
Department of Health and Social Security
Advisory Group on Hepatitis	†4,000	United Kingdom
Informal Working Group on Effective Prescribing	†7,000	England
London Advisory Group║	†80,000	London
Maternity Services Advisory Committee	†6,000	England and Wales
Steering Group on Health Services Information	†85,000	England
Working Group on Laser Safety	†2,000	England
Working Group on Rickets	†1,000	England
Home Office
Alcohol Education and Research Council	—	Great Britain
Broadcasting Complaints Commission	¶100,000	Great Britain
Joint Committee on Refugees from Vietnam	†91,000	Great Britain
Police Negotiating Board	†27,000	Great Britain
Department of Industry
Alvey Committee on "Fifth-generation" computers	—	United Kingdom
Information Technology Focus Committee	50,000	United Kingdom
National Maritime Institute Shadow Board	●33,000	United Kingdom
Space Consultative Committee	—	United Kingdom
Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise
Committee on Enforcement powers of Revenue Departments	43,000	United Kingdom
Scottish Office
Committee of Inquiry into the Functions and Powers of the Islands Councils in Scotland	40,000	Scotland
Committee of Inquiry into Local Government in Scotland║	■40,000	Scotland
Council for Tertiary Education in Scotland	13,000	Scotland
Health Education Co-ordinating Committee	1,000	Scotland
Scottish Seed Potato Development Council	—	Scotland
Standing Advisory Committee on List D Schools║	13,000	Scotland
St. Vincent Drilling Company║	9,000	Scotland

asked the Prime Minister on what basis Her Majesty's Government decline to give information in replying to parliamentary questions on the grounds that this is not available without incurring disproportionate costs, in circumstances where the information is readily available in public records.

It is a well-established convention that Ministers may decline to reply to parliamentary questions on grounds of disproportionate costs. Such costs can arise even where the information requested is available in public records; for example, if it is widely dispersed. It is for individual Ministers to decide particular cases.

asked the Prime Minister (1) whether Merchant Navy personnel involved in the Falklands campaign will be eligible for any campaign medal for the campaign in a similar manner to the armed forces;(2) if she will propose that a special campaign award be made in respect of Merchant Navy personnel involved in the Falklands campaign.

I hope to be able to make an announcement shortly about the award of a medal for the South Atlantic campaign. On past precedent, members of the Merchant Navy will be eligible for such a medal in the same way as personnel in the Armed Forces.

asked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to meet Leonid Brezhnev to discuss the question of nuclear disarmament as a result of the statement made on behalf of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics at the United Nations on 15 June.

No. There is nothing in the Soviet statement to suggest that such a meeting would serve a useful purpose at present.

asked the Prime Minister if she will agree to a mutual freeze of nuclear arms as a first step towards their reduction.

No. A freeze would simply consolidate the existing Soviet advantage in intermediate range nuclear forces and reduce the incentive for the Russians to negotiate. The West has put forward proposals for major reductions in both intermediate-range and strategic weapons.

asked the Prime Minister if she will evaluate the effect on the public sector borrowing requirement of the shortfall in income and consumption taxes, national insurance contributions, unemployment and social security payments associated with current levels of unemployment.

I am afraid it is not possible to give any meaningful answer to this question. It implies comparison with an economy with no unemployment at all, and in which many other factors would be different.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what progress he has made towards permitting private sector companies to supply telex teleprinters for connection to the British Telecom telex network in competition with British Telecom.

Arrangements are well in hand for the drafting of approved standards for single channel voice frequency telex teleprinters. It is expected that these standards will be published in October this year so that manufacturers can be ready to market this new technology apparatus as soon as the BT telex network is ready to accept them. Once the standard is published, any supplier will be able to submit appparatus for testing by the British Appprovals Board for Telecommunications and, if it is approved by the BABT, such apparatus may be supplied for connection to the BT telex network in competition with BT as soon as the network can accept it, probably from mid-1983 onwards.I have been concerned about the delay in these arrangements, particularly since BT is already supplying several types of 80-volt telex teleprinters manufactured in this country which have been approved by BT for connection to the BT network. My hon. Friend the Member for Maldon (Mr. Wakeham) informed the House on 15 March—[Vol. 19, c. 2.]—that there were various technical difficulties to be overcome before permission could be given for the private sale of this apparatus. I am pleased to inform the House that these difficulties have been overcome.From 1 July 1982 the three manufacturers of some 80-volt telex teleprinters which have been already approved by BT will be permitted to supply this apparatus in competition with BT. Because of the imminence of the conversion of the telex network it is not intended to approve any additional 80-volt apparatus.The companies will be required to enter into standard suppliers' agreements with BT to indemnify BT against damage to its network caused by privately supplied equipment. Suppliers will also be required to make arrangements which satisfy BT on the following points:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will support the Expo 82 exhibition organised by the Cannock Chase district council and supported by industrialists and trade unions in the area with the aim of furthering industrial development in the Cannock Chase area; if he will take steps jointly with other local authorities to support similar exhibitions; and if he will make a statement.

I welcome the Cannock Chase district council's initiative in organising with local industrialists and trade unions the Expo 82 exhibition following the success of Expo 81. Such collaboration between public and private sector has an important part to play in stimulating local enterprise and this and similar joint ventures will continue to receive the Government's encouragement.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he has received any representations about the retention of telephone kiosks in rural areas since January 1982.

I have received a regular flow of representations on this topic.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will give the latest figures for the number of people who leave the youth opportunities programme for full-time employment; and if he will make a statement.

The information requested is not available, but the following table gives the most recent sample survey information which relates to young people who entered work experience elements of the youth opportunities programme between July and September 1980 and who were surveyed a year later:

	Employed per cent.
Activity on leaving scheme	47
Activity at time of survey	52

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the increase in unemployment in the United Kingdom since May 1979.

between May 1979 and June 1982 the number of people registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom, seasonally adjusted and excluding school leavers, increased by 1,602,400.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the role of the community projects scheme in relation to his new youth training proposals.

The Government's White paper on training—Cmnd. 8455—published in December 1981, invited community industry to consider carefully where its contribution could best be made in a way consistent with the new youth training scheme. Community industry has since indicated that it would want to provide for 17- and 18-year-olds, although it has accepted that the position may need to be reviewed in the light of any future development in youth training and adult programmes. The Government welcome this decision, which will provide additional help for unemployed young people outside the target group of the new youth training scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average statutory redundancy payment in the United Kingdom as a whole and in Scotland in the latest year.

Figures are not available for the whole of the United Kingdom. The average statutory redundancy payment in Great Britain was £1,162 for the year ending 31 December 1981, or £1,206 for the financial year ending 31 March 1982.The average statutory redundancy payment to employees of firms based in Scotland was £977 for the year ending 31 December 1981, or £1,024 for the financial year ending 31 March 1982.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the percentage of food consumed in the United Kingdom which is produced in the United Kingdom for the latest convenient period.

In 1980, home production for home consumption represented 55 per cent. of all food consumed in the United Kingdom. However, this percentage does not allow for home production for export nor agriculture's use of imported feed, seed and livestock. In 1980, the percentage allowing for these was 60.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any plans that whirling disease should cease to be a notifiable disease under the Diseases of Fish Act 1937; and if he will make a statement.

No. A total of 40 cases of whirling disease have now been confirmed in England and Wales since the outbreak was first detected. However, a survey undertaken by my fish diseases laboratory, Weymouth, has provided clear evidence that the disease is not naturally and widely established in this country. It is therefore in the interests of the whole fish farming industry that the disease be eliminated in order to uphold our fish health status. The disease can be eradicated in fish farms by disinfection, and my fisheries scientists are available to give advice on satisfactory methods. I am glad to say that in two cases we have already been able to lift movement restrictions following disinfection and that disinfection is currently in progress on other farms.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether explanatory notes on the additional Ways and Means resolution on the national loans fund recently tabled will be made available.

Yes. Copies of a Treasury press release are being made available in the Vote Office.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will announce the revision to cash limits for the Health Service to take account of the additional provision for pay that is being made for certain groups in the National Health Service.

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, cash limits for the Health Services in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be increased as follows to take account of the additional provision for pay for certain groups in the NHS as announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services on 8 March and by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 6 May.

	Present cash limit*	Increase of pay	Revised cash limit
	£	£	£
Class XI, Vote 1 (England)	8,040,411,000	58,717,000	8,099,128,000
Class XV, Vote 14 (Scotland)	1,259,926,000	8,767,000	1,268,693,000
Class XVI, Vote 1 (Wales)	666,117,000	3,750,000	669,867,000
NID 1 (Northern Ireland)	1,866,911,000	2,700,000	1,869,611,000
* As announced on 27 May; original cash limit revised to take account of reduction in national insurance surcharge

Three Votes not subject to cash limits are also affected as a result of the pay offer to doctors and dentists announced on 6 May. Class XI, Vote 2 (England) will be increased by £10,400,000; Class XV, Vote 20 (Scotland) by £1,250,000; and Class XVI, Vote 8 (Wales) by £596,000. The comparable increase in non-cash limited expenditure in Northern Ireland is £500,000.The total of these additional provisions for pay is £86,680,000. This represents over two-thirds of the additional cost of the offers: the remainder will be financed from within the existing provision for the Health Service. The total additional provision of £86,680,000 will be met from the Contingency Reserve, and therefore will not add to the total of public expenditure.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services announced on 23 June that further additional provision was being made available for pay in the NHS. The Health Service cash limits will be further revised in due course.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any changes to make on the cash limit for the vote of the Central Office of Information, Class XIV, Vote 3.

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary revised estimate, the cash limit for the COI, Class XIV, Vote 3, will be reduced by £1 million from £41,548,000 to £40,548,000. This reduction is mainly due to savings in recruitment publicity for the Armed Forces made possible by better recruiting results in recent months. Other savings have also been identified in the production of films and publications.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the reply given to the hon. Member for Isle of Ely, Thursday 17 June, Official Report, c. 345. on single person's income tax, if he will express the comparative figures for 1978–79, 1975–76 and 1972–73 in 1982 prices.

The information is as follows:

Year	At estimated 1982–83 prices*
	£
1972–73	2,235
1975–76	1,570
1978–79	1,615
1982–83	1,565
* Assuming an increase of 9 per cent, in the general index of retail prices between 1981–82 and 1982–83.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the dependent relative allowance was raised to its present level of £100; and if he has any plans for a further increase.

The dependent relative allowance was increased to its present level of £100—£145 for single women—in 1973. I have no plans at present to increase it.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the cost of collecting income tax in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what percentage of the revenue this represented.

The estimated cost of collecting income tax in 1980–81, the latest year for which the necessary information is available, was £572 million. This represents about 2·3 per cent. of the revenue collected.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the estimated cost of allowing health insurance premiums in respect of people aged 65 years and over to be set against income tax.

I regret that information on which to base an estimate is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a decision has now been reached about a draft agreement between the Council, Parliament and Commission on budgetary procedure in the European Community.

The draft agreement to which my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office referred on 23 June—[Vol. 26, c. 143]—was signed by the Presidents of the three institutions on 30 June. If it is ratified by the EuropeanParliament it will provide the basis for settling the 1982 Budget dispute between the Council and the Parliament and also contribute to avoiding similar disputes in the future. As soon as the text of the agreement as signed is available I shall place it in the Libraries of the House, in advance of publication in the Official Journal.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage of Central Electricity Generating Board electricity is produced outside the South and South-East; and what is expected to be the cost of new and modernised transmission required to retire a substantial part of oil-fired capacity in the South-East and South-West.

Electricity production outside the CEGB's South-West and South-East regions accounts for about 70 per cent. of the total. I have asked the chairman to write to my hon. Friend about the matters raised in the remainder of the question.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will list all those countries exporting coal to Great Britain and the total amount of imports from each country;(2) what is the total amount of imported coal for the latest period.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Easington (Mr. Dormand) on 28 June 1982.—[Vol. 26, c. 229.]

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the rate of European Coal and Steel Community levy on production or sales of coal; what was the total amount collected in, respectively, England, Scotland and Wales in each of the past three years; and how much was received from the European Coal and. Steel Community in each of the three countries in each of these years.

The European Coal and Steel Community levy on coal production is currently 0.31 per cent. of the value of production.My Department estimates that the amount of levy attributable to coal production in England, Scotland and Wales respectiely has been as follows:

ECSC Levy on Coal Production
(£ million)
	1979	1980	1981
England	6·2	6·2	70
Wales	0·6	0·6	0·7
Scotland	0·6	0·7	0·7
	—	—	—
United Kingdom
Total	7·4	7·5	8·4

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what contribution his Department is making to any consideration by Her Majesty's Government of the recommendations of the Flowers Commission report on "Coal and the Environment"; and if he will make a statement.

The report on "Coal and the Environment" by the Commission on Energy and the Environment was submitted to the Secretaries of State for Environment, Energy, Scotland and Wales. My own Department, in consultation with these other Departments, is closely involved with the preparation of the Government's response.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what steps he has taken to offset the effect of the rail stoppages earlier this year on supplies of coal to the Central Electricity Generating Board.

[pursuant to his reply, 7 April 1982, c. 339]: A grant of £15·5 million has now been made to the Central Electricity Generating Board to cover the net cost of additional oil consumed by the CEBG as a result of the effects on coal deliveries of the rail stoppages earlier this year.Subject to the approval of a Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for Class IV Vote 5, Industrial Support (Department of Energy) will be increased from £668,048,000 to £683,548,000. The electricity supply industry's external financing limit will not be altered and there will be no addition to public expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what definition of the boundary of Wales is used to describe the limits of the responsibilities he exercises as Secretary of State.

Over almost the whole of its length the true legal boundary between Wales and England is shown on Ordnance Survey maps. The one exception is that there is uncertainty over part of the line of the border to the north-west of Chester. The Local Government Boundary Commissions of England and Wales are jointly conducting a review of this part of the border with a view to removing the uncertainty and establishing a legal boundary in the Dee estuary.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the amount spent by Her Majesty's Government over the past 20 years on regional policy was directed towards Wales; and what was the amount spent in Wales during each year.

Information relating to regional development grant and selective financial assistance can be obtained from the relevant annual reports presented by my right hon. Friend to Parliament under the terms of the Industry Act 1972. Data for earlier years and on other types of regional assistance could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if, to reduce foetal abnormalities, he will take immediate measures to ensure that pregnant women throughout their pregnancy ingest extra vitamins and folic acid, particularly women living in South Wales, where the incidence of neural tube defects is higher than the British average.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Pontypool (Mr. Abse) on 24 May.—[Vol. 24, c. 637–8.]

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many factories of 1,000 sq ft or less are currently available to let; and where they are located.

I have asked the Welsh Development Agency, the Development Board for Rural Wales and Cwmbran Development Corporation to provide the hon. Member with details of factories of under 1,000 sq. ft in their respective areas. Welsh local authorities, BSC (Industry) and private companies also have factory and workshop premises to offer, but comprehensive information on these is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will describe the geographical boundaries for which the Boundary Commission for Wales is now responsible; and whether any changes have recently taken place or are proposed.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales is responsible for reviewing local government boundaries and electoral arrangements within the counties of Wales. Numerous changes have recently taken place and more are proposed arising from the special community reviews. The commission is also taking part with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England in a joint review of the England-Wales border in the Dee estuary. The two commissions published draft proposals arising from this review in March.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the statutory provisions which contain definitions of the boundary between England and Wales.

The boundary between England and Wales is defined by the boundaries between English and Welsh counties. These are in turn defined by the boundaries of the parishes and communities which march on the border. Except in the Dee estuary, the relevant parish boundaries have been ascertained by the Ordnance Survey, mainly in the nineteenth century, under powers contained in the Ordnance Survey Act 1841 and subsequent continuing legislation. The defined boundaries are shown on Ordnance Survey maps.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if any staff employed at the Welsh Office, Cardiff, include in their duties the excercising of dogs.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the present position over suspension of pension payments by Argentine Railways in respect of pensions payable to United Kingdom residents; and if he will make a statement.

The suspension of Argentine railway pensions to United Kingdom residents is a consequence of the economic sanctions imposed by Argentina. When, following Argentina's invasion of the Falkland Islands, the British Government froze Argentine assets in this country, an exception was made to allow pensions to people in Argentina to continue to be paid. However, in its retaliatory measures, Argentina made no comparable exception. We have asked the Swiss Government to make representations to the Argentine authorities on this subject, but there has regrettably been no positive response.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to make available financial aid to Namibia in the event of independence following free and fair elections.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Mr. Hooley) yesterday.—[Vol. 26, c. 334.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the expenditure of the Falkland Islands Government in 1980–81 and 1981–82, excluding any expenditure on the recent conflict; and how much of this was met by the Government of the United Kingdom.

The Falkland Islands Government's Estimates of ordinary expenditure were £2,411,004 in 1981–82 and £2,284,320 in 1980–81. The United Kingdom did not provide any budgetary aid to the Falkland Islands in either year. British aid to the Falkland Islands amounted to £1,058,000 in calendar year 1981 and £1,015,000 in calendar year 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Vietnamese refugees there now are in Hong Kong.

On 30 June there were 11,253 Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress was made at the meeting held in June 1982 between officials of his Department and of the Government of the Republic of Ireland concerning the delimitation of the continental shelf between the United Kingdom and the Republic.

At the meeting in Dublin on 17 June officials made further progress towards settling the terms of the arbitration agreement. It remains the hope of both Governments that it will be possible to conclude the agreement during the course of this year. Another meeting has been scheduled for September.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to the hon. Member for Basildon of 25 June, Official Report, c. 195, if he will give details of the steps taken by Her Majesty's ambassador to the United States of America and his staff to explain the Northern Ireland White Paper policy to the United States Government and others; towards whom, apart from the United States Government, these steps were directed; and if he will make a statement.

One of the principal tasks of Her Majesty's ambassador and his staff in Washington is to ensure that the policies of Her Majesty's Government, including their policy in relation to Northern Ireland, are properly understood in the United States. Their efforts are directed not only towards the United States Government but towards Members of Congress, the media, and other important sections of American opinion.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) pursuant to the reply by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to the hon. Member for Basildon of 25 June, Official Report, c. 196, if he will give details of the steps taken by United Kingdom diplomatic posts to ensure that the policy set out in the White Paper "Northern Ireland: A Framework for Devolution" is understood in appropriate countries; and if he will make a statement;(2) pursuant to the reply by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to the hon. Member for Basildon of 25 June,

Guidance on the White Paper was sent to 153 selected diplomatic service posts which were instructed to take every opportunity to ensure that the policy set out in that document was properly understood. Their action will have been tailored to the circumstances of each post.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has discussions with the Government of the United States of America about policy on E1 Salvador.

No, but we are in regular contact with the United States Government at various levels on this and other policy matters.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will tabulate in cash and real terms annual expenditure on ancient monuments over the last 10 years.

The Scottish Office assumed responsibility for the administration of ancient monuments in Scotland on 1 April 1978. Actual expenditure on maintenance and other support in and since 1978–79 was as follows:

£000
1978–79	3,047
1979–80	3,484
1980–81	4,296
1981–82	*5,013
* Provisional.

Statistics of this nature are normally expressed in cash terms and it is not readily possible to provide comparisons in real terms. Information on expenditure in 1977–78 and earlier cannot be obtained except at undue cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he is taking against alcohol abuse in Scotland; and what is the current budget for publicity.

About £725,000 will be spent in the current financial year on various programmes designed to deal with the problem of alcohol misuse in Scotland. This sum includes £100,000 which will be spent on publicity about alcoholism by the Scottish health education group. Since public opinion has an important part to play in this matter, the Government published a discussion document in December 1981, entitled "Drinking Sensibly", to stimulate public discussion about alcohol misuse and to promote sensible attitudes to drinking.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the availability of hospital beds for geriatric and psycho-geriatric patients in Scotland; and if he will increase the provision for such patients to avoid the use of acute beds.

The report of the Scottish Health Services Planning Council entitled "Scottish Health Priorities for the Eighties (SHAPE)" recommended the adoption of a criterion of 40 beds per 1,000 population aged 75 or over in measuring a requirement for geriatric beds in Scotland. Using this measure, the 1980 target requirement for geriatric beds in 1980 was 10,650. The actual number provided was 10,600, although the distribution of these beds over Scotland was not even. I recognise that the number of people over 75 is expected to rise rapidly in this decade, and that a substantial increase in provision is required if the needs of these elderly people are to be met.It is more difficult to estimate the needs of the elderly with mental disability, but the SHAPE report recognised a considerable demand for new and replacement psycho-geriatric beds, as well as for increased day facilities, residential facilities and community support.It is for health boards to decide on priorities within the total resources available to them, and in the light of their own local circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made on the road works on the A742 and A78 between Greenock and Inverkip; and when the work will be finished.

Bad weather held up work at first. But progress has been better recently and the scheme is expected to be completed, on schedule, by early summer 1983.