asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government have yet reached a decision about whether to permit the bodies of troops killed in the Falklands to be brought back for burial in the United Kingdom.

After considering all aspects of this most difficult problem, including the practical difficulties involved, and having read the letters I have received from the next-of-kin of those killed and others, I have decided that, where next-of-kin wish, arrangements will be made for the return to the United Kingdom of the bodies of the fallen who have been given temporary burial on land in the Falkland Islands. Where next-of-kin wish the bodies to remain in the Falkland Islands they will be buried with all due ceremony at Port Stanley. Arrangements will be made for close relatives to visit the graves if they so wish; and similar arrangements will be made for close relatives of those lost or buried at sea who wish to visit the Falkland Islands.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her official engagements for 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 8 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 8 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 she will consider appointing a Cabinet Minister with the sole concern of disarmament.

No. Responsibility for international agreements on arms control and disarmament lies primarily with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. These agreements can strengthen the arrangements we make for our security through the NATO Alliance. Responsibility within the Cabinet for the latter lies with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence. There is close co-ordination between the two Departments, and I see no need to change a system that is working well.

asked the Prime Minister in respect of how many constituencies the Boundary Commission has made final recommendations; and if she will make a statement.

The final recommendations of the Boundary Commission for England will not be known until it submits the report of its current general review to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department. I can, however, tell the House that it has so far published provisional recommendations for 523 parliamentary constituencies.The Scottish and Welsh Commissions hope to complete their reviews by the end of 1982 and to submit their reports as soon as practicable thereafter. The Northern Ireland Commission is likely to submit its report during the summer.

asked the Prime Minister whether any discussions have taken place between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of France about the export of Exocet and other weapons to Argentina via third parties; and if she will make a statement.

We have been in constant touch with the French Government on this question since the Argentine invasion of the Falklands. The details of our exchanges remain confidential.

asked the Prime Minister what representations have been made by Her Majesty's Government to the South African Government in the past month to secure the release from detention of Mr. David Kitson.

We are in regular touch with the South African authorities over various aspects of Mr. Kitson's case including the possibility of early release. We were informed last month that his case will be considered under the review of security prisoners' sentences announced by the South African Minister of Justice on 12 May. We shall continue to pursue this matter.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement on the latest situation regarding Gibraltar.

Implementation of the 1980 Lisbon agreement, which would have included the lifting of Spanish restrictions, has been postponed at the request of Spain. We regret this further delay in carrying out the agreement, to which, however, both sides remain committed. My right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary discussed the implications of continued closure of the border with the Governor of Gibraltar on 23 June. The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Lord Belstead, will be visiting Gibraltar from 21–23 July to assess the situation at first hand.

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

I have no immediate plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister what priority Her Majesty's Government attach to a coast protection scheme at Swalecliffe.

Litigation has been started by the local authority against the decision of my right hon. Friend on Canterbury city council's application for approval to proposed works at Swalecliffe. In the circumstances it would not be proper for me to make any comment concerning the subject matter of the litigation.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what payments of public service obligation grants he is making to the British Railways Board during the current disruption of railway services caused by the ASLEF strike.

Grant is due to the board under section 3 of the Railways Act, 1974 as compensation for complying with the formal obligation placed on it under that Act to operate the passenger railway. Since the strike by ASLEF has prevented it from complying with this obligation from Sunday, 4 July, payments of grant have been suspended. If the situation changes, and the board is successful in its efforts to run an adequate level of service, I shall be prepared to reconsider the position.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether Service personnel who have served in the task force are to be awarded any additional leave; and if he will set out details of such leave entitlement in the Official Report.

Leave will be granted in accordance with the existing regulations and we have no current plans to grant leave specifically because of the Falklands operation. Existing regulations provide a basic leave allowance of 30, 36 or 42 days depending on Service, seniority, and location. Additional leave is granted when Service men have been away from base for an extended period. In particular, Royal Navy personnel are allowed one extra day's leave for each two months served at sea, and Army and Royal Air Force personnel are allowed an extra seven days' disembarkation leave if they spend over three months outside North-West Europe.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what further consideration he has now given to the future operations and employment of HMS "Endurance" around the British Falkland Islands and dependencies and the waters of the South-West Atlantic; what conclusions and decisions he has made; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the statement by my right hon. Friend on 1 July.—[Vol. 26, c. 1058.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is now known about the Argentine order of battle (a) at the time of its illegal occupation of the Falkland Islands and (b) at the time of surrender of its armed forces; and what is the known number of Argentine dead and seriously wounded.

At the time of Argentina's illegal occupation of the Falkland Islands representative elements of the Argentine order of battle were:

Navy: 1 aircraft carrier, 1 cruiser, 6 destroyers, 3 frigates, 4 submarines.

Army: Over 100,000 men, including conscripts.

Air—including Naval and Army elements: About 210 fixed wing combat aircraft, 9 Hercules transports, and about 150 helicopters of all types.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the total number of (a) Service personnel and (b) members of the Merchant Marine still in hospital as a result of wounds in the Falklands conflict; how many have experienced severe burning; how many have lost limbs, hearing or their sight; and what arrangements are made for financial assistance and compensation, whether in conjunction with voluntary agencies or by the Government direct;(2) what was the total number of

446 Service personnel and four merchant seamen sustained injuries requiring significant treatment and have been repatriated to United Kingdom hospitals. Of these, 340 Service personnel have now left hospital. So far, 42 of the Service personnel are fit for active service. It is too soon to say how many will be unable to continue to serve.106 Service personnel and four merchant seamen remain in United Kingdom hospitals as a result of wounds sustained in the Falklands conflict. Of these 18 Service men have experienced severe burning, six have lost limbs, two have lost their sight, and five have sustained serious head injuries which may result in the loss of sight or loss of the use of limbs.A Service man who is invalided for reasons directly attributable to his service receives both a tax-free lump sum payment and tax-free index-linked pensions from both the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Health and Social Security. The amounts will depend upon the length of service, salary, and the extent of disability. For example, a private with a 100 per cent. disability with five years' service over the age of 18 would receive a tax-free lump sum of £5,438 and tax-free pensions totalling £3,966; a warrant officer I with a 50 per cent. disability with 20 years' service would receive a tax-free lump sum of £13,000 and tax-free pensions totalling £4,700.A merchant seaman would also receive a DHSS war disability pension—if he was a United Kingdom national—and, under National. Maritime Board arrangements, a lump sum paid by his employer depending on the degree of his disability. A rating with 100 per cent. disability would receive £26,000. In addition, individual employers may have arrangements to provide additional benefit.The Service charities can provide additional financial assistance in cases of need or hardship to both Service personnel and merchant seamen, and their dependants. Where this is caused by the Falklands operation such assistance will be paid for out of the South Atlantic fund.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the International Red Cross has brought to the notice of the Government any alleged breaches of the Geneva convention, either by Her Majesty's Government or by the Argentines during the Falklands conflict; and whether any issues have arisen regarding the return to the battlefield of members of Her Majesty's forces returned to the United Kingdom by Argentina after the initial invasion of the Falklands.

To both parts of the question the answer is "No".

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many instances have been verified by forces at Port Stanley of breaches of the Geneva convention concerning the marking of buildings with a red cross; and if he will identify the uses to which buildings so marked were being put.

No instances have yet been confirmed; inquiries are still in hand.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many Service men were injured in the Falklands war; and what was the extent of injuries in each case.

Seven hundred and fifty-nine Service personnel suffered non-fatal injuries in the Falkland Islands conflict. Details of the categories of their injuries have not been compiled. I shall write to the hon. Member when more information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the findings of the inquiry into the death of an Argentine prisoner on South Georgia have now been studied; and what has been the outcome of this incident.

My right hon. Friend will provide a full report shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what proportions of the direct entry officer cadets come from independent and State schools; and, of the latter, how many come from grammar and from comprehensive schools, respectively.

In the latest year for which figures are available 69 per cent. of male officer entrants to the Royal Navy—excluding direct entry graduate officers—and 75 per cent. of male officer entrants to the RAF were educated at State schools. Details of the numbers who attended State grammar and State comprehensive schools are not readily available; nor are details of the educational background of Army officers.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how the money raised by the South Atlantic fund will be applied.

Payments will be made to existing Service benevolent funds and other appropriate charities which will themselves decide how best to meet the needs of the individuals involved.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to visit Hong Kong.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the unit cost of the 14 Sea Harrier planes ordered from British Aerospace and announced on 1 July;(2) what is the unit cost of

I am unable to add to the statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence during the defence debate on 1 July—[Vol. 26, c. 1058]—that the equipment orders he was announcing on that occasion would be subject to satisfactory terms of contract, including price. These terms will be the subject of commercially confidential negotiations.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated cost of the design and development work with Yarrow Limited on a type 23 frigate announced on 1 July.

It is not the practice to reveal such figures in advance of the necessary contractual action.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the 30 overseas Governments who currently have military personnel from the United Kingdom on loan to them.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give an analysis by country of the 660 Service personnel on loan to foreign Governments in 1982 referred to at paragraph 231 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1982", Cmnd. 8529–1.

The following table lists the countries to which members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces are on loan, as at 1 July 1982.

• Australia
• Bahamas
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Barbados
• Belize
• Bermuda
• Brunei
• Dubai
• Ecuador
• Fiji

• Ghana
• Hong Kong
• Indonesia
• Jordan
• Kenya
• Kuwait
• Malaysia
• Mauritius
• New Zealand
• Nigeria
• Oman
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• Singapore
• Sri Lanka
• St. Vincent
• Sudan
• Swaziland
• Uganda
• United Arab Emirates
• Zimbabwe

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why there has been an increased incidence of low-flying military aircraft over the Hatfield and Dunscroft area of South Yorkshire during recent weeks; and how soon this activity will end.

There is normally some increase in low flying activities in the summer months to take advantage of longer daylight hours and more favourable weather conditions. In June the weather was generally better in the North of England than the South resulting in an increase in the number of sorties in this area.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many pieces of land, and of what acreage, have been purchased by, or on behalf of, his Department, in Wales during the past 12 months; and if he will list these, by county, indicating the purpose for which each purchase was made.

Since 1 July 1981 six pieces of land in Wales have been purchased as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements there will be for those men now forming the permanent garrison on the Falklands to have leave to return home; when men of the Welsh Guards and of the Scots Guards will be allowed home on leave; and whether any special arrangements are to be made to allow wives and children of those permanently based on the Falklands to live there.

The units involved in the operation to recapture the Falkland Islands will be returning to the United Kingdom as soon as possible. Members of the 2nd and 3rd battalions, the Parachute Regiment, who were among the first to deploy to the South Atlantic, have already come back, and the majority of 3 Cdo Brigade are on their way home. The return of the other units concerned, including the Welsh and Scots Guards from 5 Infantry Brigade will be arranged as soon as possible. Further information on the planned dates will be given in the near future. Plans for the longer-term garrison are under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a list of the permanent recruiting offices that the Armed Services have in Wales.

Career information offices are located in Wales as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the educational establishments in Wales currently involved in research work under contract from his Department; how many personnel are involved; when these contracts were established; for how long they will continue; and what is the nature and cost of the contract projects at each location.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to a list, placed in the House of Commons Library on 21 June—vote entry 705, line 4—which shows all research studies placed by the Ministry of Defence at British universities and polytechnics from 1979 to 1981, together with the estimated cost in each case. Two of the studies shown in the list have now terminated; but the following additional studies, initiated before 1979 or after 1981, are taking place at the University of Wales—estimated costs shown in brackets in £000s:

• The Behaviour of Pressed 1'lates on Girder Webs under Combined Loading Stress (35)
• Investigation of Running-In and Scuffing Failure of Gears (35)
• Health and Safety Aspects of Chemicals (45)
• Cathodic Protection in Closed Marine Environments (75)
• Spray Preened Blade Coatings (90)
• Microstructures of DS002 (20)

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Radio South Atlantic in influencing members of the Argentine armed forces during the recent conflict on and around the Falkland Islands.

The aim of Radio Atlantico del Sur was to make the Argentine forces on the Falkland Islands aware of events in the South Atlantic and of world news and opinion on the crisis, free of the censorship of the Argentine Government. It is difficult to judge the effect of such an operation, which is inevitably less tangible than that of purely military activities. However, some indication of the concern of the Argentine Government may well be demonstrated by their regular, though largely unsuccessful, attempts to jam the broadcasts.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make the necessary arrangements for the "Canberra" to dock at Plymouth so that Royal Marines stationed in and around Plymouth may disembark there rather than at Southampton.

No. Both Southampton and Plymouth were considered as possible ports for the return of the Royal Marines of 3 Commando Brigade and "Canberra". However, it would have been necessary at Plymouth to disembark over 2,000 men in the Sound by helicopter, lighter and landing craft: this would have been a difficult operation, and would have seriously delayed getting the men ashore and reuniting them with their families. The ship and her crew would then have had to sail to Southampton. The men on board the "Canberra" were consulted and expressed a wish for a joint homecoming to Southampton because of the bond which had developed between them, the ship, and the crew during their operations together in the South Atlantic.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make the necessary arrangements for the coaches carrying the Royal Marines and their families to travel through the centre of Plymouth to enable members of the public to greet them.

I understand that the Lord Mayor of Plymouth and the flag officer Plymouth have now agreed that in order not to delay the return of the Royal Marines and their families, many with young children, to their own homes, the coaches should make their way as quickly as possible direct to the Royal Marines barracks. However, a welcoming party is being organised on the outskirts of Plymouth before the coaches reach the barracks.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many bankruptcies have taken place since May 1979, region by region and industry by industry.

Bankruptcies handled by the county courts in each region for the calendar years 1979 to 1981 are given in the following table. The figures relate to net cases administered and are given for complete years because the quarterly figures are less reliable and not on exactly the same basis. No similar analysis is possible for company liquidations. An industry analysis for England and Wales for the same period, for both bankruptcies and company liquidations, was published in British Business 30 April 1982, page 821, and figures for the first quarter of 1982 are due for publication on 23 July. The total for England and Wales implied by the regional analysis is less than that in table 2 of the article, as the latter includes deeds of arrangement, for which no regional breakdown is available.

asked the Minister for Trade (1) when he expects to conclude his consultations following the Green Paper on copyright;(2) what evidence he has received in response to the Green Paper on copyright;(3) when he expects to introduce legislation to amend the Copyright Act 1956;(4) whether he has had consultations with the record and video industries concerning the level of copyright infringement;(5) what evidence he has as to the level of audio and video piracy;(6) what progress he has made in consultation with other European Economic Community countries on the harmonisation of copyright law; and when he expects such consultations to be concluded.

Since the Green Paper on "Copyright, Designs and Performers' Protection", Cmnd. 8302, was published in July 1981, my Department has received 180 written responses. They relate to all aspects of the subject.On 24 March this year, in a reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bebington and Ellesmere Port (Mr. Porter)—[Vol. 20, c. 179]—I announced that I would like all comments on the Green Paper to reach my Department by the end of August. The Commission of the European Communities expects to publish a memorandum later this year as a preliminary towards harmonisation of copyright law throughout the Community, and the setting of the Green Paper response deadline was necessary to ensure that we can enter the subsequent negotiations within the Community with a full knowledge of the needs of the United Kingdom interests. No consultations have yet taken place within the Community. Because of these Community considerations it is not yet possible to say when new copyright legislation can be introduced.Bodies representing the record and video industries have sent comments on the Green Paper to my Department, and they have indicated their concern at the level of copyright infringement in certain areas. In addition, my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Hall Green (Mr. Eyre), the then Under-Secretary of State, when he was responsible for copyright, met representatives of the record industry to discuss the matter. More recently my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State has received representations from various sectors of the film and video industry on video piracy.According to the 1982 year book of the British Phonographic Industries Limited the level of piracy of gramophone records and audio tapes in the United Kingdom is less than 5 per cent. of the total retail turnover. However, a recent survey commissioned by the British Videogram Association suggests that as many as 75 per cent. fo the video cassettes available for retail sale may be pirate copies. In an Adjournment debate on 11 June on video piracy, initated by my hon. Friend the Member for Howden (Sir P. Bryan), my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State reiterated the Government's concern at the growth of video piracy and their intention to strengthen and improve remedies available to copyright owners.

asked the Minister for Trade why internal flights in the United Kingdom are charged to Eurocontrol; and why this is not the case in France and Austria.

It is the policy of Her Majesty's Government that the costs incurred in providing air navigation services should be met by the users of those services. Hence, with certain limited exceptions, flights in the United Kingdom airspace are charged for the facilities, and invoiced by Eurocontrol on behalf of the Civil Aviation Authority. I understand that Austria and France as a matter of national policy do not recover costs in this way for flights which take place wholly within their borders—irrespective of the nationality of the operator. The associated costs are, however, excluded in the calculation of charges for international flights through the airspace of those two countries.

asked the Minister for Trade if he will take steps to ensure the provision of safety training for those intending to operate power boats; and if he will make a statement.

I fully share my hon. Friend's concern with this matter, and particularly with the sad accident off Littlehampton last weekend when four people were drowned.My Department does all it can to promote awareness of the need for safety measures. The seaway code is the subject of a major advertising campaign. The Coastguard operates the yacht and boat safety scheme, providing advice in all sorts of ways. Local broadcasts are a great help. But there are over 700,000 small boats now in United Kingdom waters and I cannot give an assurance that safety training will be available to all who are likely to use them. As the Littlehampton accident showed, some elementary precautions would help enormously: life jackets should always be worn, and boats should not be taken to sea when the weather is poor and getting worse. I urge everyone who uses a small boat to follow the advice set out in the seaway code.

asked the Minister for Trade what is the present financial position of the aviation security fund.

I have placed in the Library of both Houses today a background paper which explains the present financial position of the aviation security fund and sets out revised estimates of income and expenditure up to 31 March 1983. Draft amendment regulations extending the present 40p reduction in the rate of the aviation security levy—from 1·50 to 1·10—from the end of August 1982 to the end of March 1983 are currently before Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received about the planned closure of the Charlton skillcentre; and what reply he has given.

The chief executive of the London borough of Greenwich has written to me about the Manpower Services Commission's decision to transfer the classes now running at Charlton skillcentre to the new skillcentre at Deptford. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of my reply.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of unemployed men over 54 years of age have been without a job for more than one year in the county of Derbyshire.

At 15 April, the latest date for which the quarterly figures are available, 49·7 per cent. of all unemployed males aged 55 years and over in the county of Derbyshire had been on the register for over 52 weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any information that would enable him to identify the number of employees in the public sector, such as nurses, policemen and firemen, who have become disabled in the course of their work; and to what extent these have been re-employed as a result of retraining.

I regret that such information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list those trade unions having a political fund pursuant to the Trade Union Act 1913 where (a) half or less and (b) between half and three quarters of the members contribute to the fund, giving the figures for the latest convenient date.

I understand from the certification officer that 61 unions currently maintain a political fund. Of these, the annual returns made to him for the year ended 31 December 1980, which is the latest date for which comprehensive information is available, show that the following had half or less of the membership contributing to the political fund:

• Amalgamated Association of Beamers Twisters and Drawers (Hand and Machine)
• Association of Cinematograph Television and Allied Technicians
• Association of Scientific Technical and Managerial Staffs Cloth Pressers' Society
• Liverpool Victoria Section of the National Union of Insurance Workers
• National League of the Blind and Disabled
• National Union of Mineworkers (Durham Area)
• National Union of Mineworkers (Northumberland Area)
• National Union of Scalemakers
• National Union of Seamen
• Society of Shuttlemakers
• The following had between half and three quarters contributing to the political fund.
• Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers Shipwrights Blacksmiths and Structural Workers
• Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers (Constructional Section)
• Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers (Technical Administrative and Supervisory Section)
• Association of Patternmakers and Allied Craftsmen
• Association of Professional Executive Clerical and Computer Staff
• Fire Brigades Union
• Furniture Timber and Allied Trades Union
• Iron and Steel Trade's Confederation
• National Association of Theatrical Television and Kine Employees
• National Union of Blast Furnacemen, Ore Miners, Coke Workers and Kindred Trades
• National Union of Domestic Appliance and General Metal Workers
• National Union of Insurance Workers Prudential Section National Union of Mineworkers
• National Union of Mineworkers (Kent Area)
• National Union of Mineworkers (Leicester Area)
• National Union of Sheet Metal Workers, Coppersmiths and Heating and Domestic Engineers
• Post Office Engineering Union
• Tobacco Workers Union
• Union of Construction, Allied Trade and Technicians

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has made any estimate of the Exchequer cost per head of 1983–84 school leavers who (a) continue full-time education, (b) take part in the youth training scheme and (c) become unemployed.

[pursuant to the reply, 29 June 1982, c. 285]: I am informed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science that the Government's plans imply that the recurrent cost of providing full-time education for a school leaver in 1983–84 will be between £1,600 and £2,000.The average Exchequer cost of providing a place for a school leaver on the youth training scheme is estimated to be approximately £2,500 per head per filled place in 1983–84 prices.It is not possible to provide a full estimate of the Exchequer cost per head of a school leaver who becomes unemployed in 1983–84. However, the rate of supplementary benefit entitlement for 16 and 17-year-olds for the year following November 1982 will be £15·80 per week for those living at home, and £25·70 per week for those who are single householders.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many working days have been lost in each of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries in each of the last three years by sickness.

I have been asked to reply.The information requested about the number of working days lost through sickness in each of the countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in each of the last three years does not appear to be available in the published statistics either of the OECD itself or of the Statistical Office of the European Communities.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether, following his announcement of derelict land clearance area status for the Nuneaton and Bedworth area on Monday 28 June, he will give details of financial assistance available within the area, together with information about further assistance for which local authorities, developers and industrialists now qualify.

Assistance under many national industrial support schemes is already available to firms in the Nuneaton and Bedworth area. Further details are available to firms on request from my Department's West Midlands regional office. From 1 August this year the local authorities in the Nuneaton and Bedworth employment office areas will be eligible for 100 per cent. derelict land clearance grant for expenditure on approved schemes. Other applicants in the area will be eligible for such grants at the rate of 80 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what were the costs of operating the Computer Aided Design Centre in the past year; and whether it made a surplus on its operations.

Gross expenditure on the Computer Aided Design Centre in the financial year 1981–1982 was £4·79 million; in the same year the centre received £1·6 million in revenue, not including receipts from other Government Departments.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry why it took his Department until 24 June to write to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West to advise him that the matter upon which he had written on 11 June concerning the effects of the European Community directive on value added tax on used vehicles was not within the scope of his Department but was within the scope of the Treasury.

I am sorry that the hon. Member finds the delay excessive. The subject raised by his constituent was one in which the Department had an apparent interest; it was therefore first necessary to establish where the principal responsibility lay within Government. The correspondence was then transferred accordingly.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if the United Kingdom has agreed to France being permitted to freeze its domestic steel prices under the European Economic Community arrangements requiring member States to increase steel prices; and if he will make a statement.

Whilst the introduction of price rises designed to return steel prices to viable levels is a major objective of the Community's anti-crisis regime, there is no binding Community requirement to enforce minimum price levels.Following discussions with the Commission the French have agreed to implement the 1 July price increase. In order to avoid undermining the current price freeze in France, they will give rebates to domestic consumers. I understand that these rebates are to be of only limited duration, but Her Majesty's Government will continue to follow developments closely. The rebates are not to be given on exports, and the French have undertaken not to increase their share of their domestic market.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent he takes into account the gross national product of a recipient country in determining the level of British aid.

In determining the level of aid to a particular recipient country a number of factors are taken into account. One of these factors is relative poverty and the need for foreign assistance, and one indicator of this is the country's per capita gross national product. But there are other important considerations, including the country's ability to utilise productively the foreign assistance we could offer, the assistance offered by other bilateral and multilateral donors, and the background of political and commercial relations between the country and the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what statistical sources the Overseas Development Administration uses for determining the gross national product of the world's poorest countries.

The Overseas Development Administration uses an annual World Bank publication called "The World Bank Atlas" as its source of information for determining the gross national product of the world's poorest countries. The latest edition of the atlas, published earlier this year, gives preliminary GNP and population figures for 1980 together with growth rates for the previous decade for some 124 countries, rich and poor.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action the Government are taking to reduce the grey seal population in the North Sea to protect the salmon fisheries; and if he will estimate the value of fish consumed in a year by seals in coastal waters.

My Department is in close consultation with conservation and fishery organisations in regard to a scientifically-based management plan for the grey seal population in Scottish waters. I have not yet decided what if any management action should be taken this year. The case for management rests essentially on the estimated impact of grey seals on exploited fisheries, including salmon. The most recent scientific assessment is that produced by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, in 1979, a copy of which I am sending to my hon. Friend.My right hon. Friends, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Fcod, and the Secretary of State have commissioned the Natural Environment Research Council to carry out a programme of research into the interaction of seals and fisheries. One component of that research is concerned with clarifying the impact of grey seals on local fisheries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much time, after the completion of the relevant consultations, he estimates will be required to draft the changes to the juvenile court rules required by the Government's proposals for representation in care proceedings.

The process of amending the rules, once consultations on policy have been completed, will take at least three months.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the proportion of those convicted of motoring offences who have also been convicted of other types of criminal offences.

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

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the sentences imposed on those convicted of stealing motor cars in the latest year for which data are available.

Information on sentencing of persons convicted of offences of theft or unauthorised taking of motor vehicles is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—table S1.1(A) and S1.2 of vol. 1 and table S2.1(A) and S2.2 of vol. 2 of the supplementary tables for 1980, the latest year for which information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the number of motor cars stolen in the latest year for which figures are available.

The numbers of offences of theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle recorded by the police in England and Wales are published annually—table 4 of Home Office statistical bulletin 4/82, which gives figures for the calendar year 1981.

asked the Attorney-General what is now the average period between lodgement of papers at the personal application department of the London probate office and the interview for swearing the declaration; what was the average such period two years ago; and whether this period is likely to be reduced in the near future.

Appointments for personal applicants at the principal probate registry to come to swear the oath in support of their applications for probate are now being given eight to nine weeks ahead. Two years ago the interval was four to five weeks. With the seasonal decline of business in the summer this interval may diminish somewhat over the next few months, but no permanent improvement can be foreseen at present.

asked the Attorney-General when Mr. Michael West QC was first appointed a Crown court recorder and at what salary and expenses; and what has been his total claim and receipt of income from this appointment to date or when his appointment ceased.

Mr. Michael West QC was first appointed a recorder on 10 November 1975. His appointment came to an end on 9 November 1981. Recorders do not receive a salary but are paid a daily fee; the rates for the period of Mr. West's appointment are shown in the following table. Mr. West received a total of £7,536 in fees for his work as a recorder over the six years.Recorders receive travel and subsistence expenses at rates in line with those payable elsewhere in the public service. It is not in accordance with practice to reveal the expenses claimed by, or paid to, individuals.

asked the Attorney-General what are the qualifications required for an applicant for appointment to a rent assessment committee; whether a financial interest in residential property is a disqualification; whether appointed persons declare any vested interests; and whether any such declarations are available for public examination.

I have been asked to reply.Members of rent assessment panels from which rent assessment committees are drawn consist of professionally qualified lawyers and valuers and of lay persons. Members are chosen by my right hon. Friends the Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State, for qualities of judgment, common sense and an ability to take an unbiased view. Lawyers and valuers in addition contribute their professional expertise.A financial interest in residential property is not a disqualification but members are required not to adjudicate in circumstances which might give rise to doubt regarding their impartiality, that is if they have any personal, professional or pecuniary interest in a case or if any firm or business of which they are a member has such an interest.When interviewing possible new panel members, presidents enquire whether the candidate is active in any organisation representing landlords or tenants, or is involved in any other activity—including significant activity as a landlord—which might make or appear to make his judgment less than impartial but there is no formal register of outside interests of panel members available for public examination.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how successful was the European Economic Community embargo on European Economic Community trade with the Argentine in respect of agricultural, fishery, forestry and food products; and if he will make a statement.

The Community's ban on Argentine imports was an impressive demonstration of political solidarity with the United Kingdom in the face of unprovoked aggression against the dependent territory of a member State of the Community. The information needed to estimate the effectiveness of the import ban in respect of agricultural, fishery, forestry and food, as of other products, is not available at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek the ending of United Nations financial support, through the Council for Namibia and other similar bodies, for the South-West Africa People's Organisation.

The Five recognise that there is concern about the General Assembly's exclusive financial and other support for one of the parties to free and fair elections under the United Nations plan. They envisage that impartiality measures will be agreed before implementation begins.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any action was taken by Her Majesty's Government in regard to the report of the working group of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights dealing with enforced and involuntary disappearances dated 31 December 1981, with particular reference to the large numbers of persons who had disappeared since 1974, many of whom were United Kingdom subjects.

We played a leading part in securing the renewal of the working group's mandate as the best means of following up its report. We are aware of only a few cases of United Kingdom subjects who have disappeared since 1974. In most such cases we pursue the matter bilaterally with the Government concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions representations were made by the British embassy in Buenos Aires concerning cases of United Kingdom citizens who were seized by Argentine security forces after 1974 and who have since disappeared.

It is not possible to provide a precise figure. Nevertheless, I can say that representations, written and oral, were made to the authorities in Buenos Aires on at least 80 separate occasions with regard to the cases of the two United Kingdom citizens who are known to have disappeared in Argentina.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the policy adopted by Her Majesty's Government in the Council of Ministers following its receipt of the resolution of the European Parliament agreed to on 11 July 1980 condemning violation of human rights and international law by the military regime in Argentina.

The particular events raised in the European Parliament resolution of 11 June 1980 have not been discussed by the Ten.The Ten have made clear their concern about violations of human rights in Latin America and in particular in Argentina on many occasions. They have done so both in international organisations and in direct contacts with the countries concerned. The United Kingdom has played a full part in these representations.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales(1) on how many occasions in each of the past five years he has refused to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary question addressed to him, on the basis that the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost;(2) how many answers to written parliamentary questions have been given by his Department in each of the past five years.

I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many persons in his Department there are now involved (a) wholly and (b) for pail of their time in the preparation of parliamentary answers; and how this compares with the corresponding figures for March 1979.

Records are not kept of the time spent by staff in preparing answers to parliamentary questions; it is not possible therefore to make a comparison with March 1979. No member of staff is wholly employed on the preparation of answers, but a large number devote part of their time to this work.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to allow the Manpower Services Commission in Wales more autonomy in the design and implementation of measures to aid the unemployed in the Principality.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether, in view of the diverse nature of unemployment problems in Wales, he will allow the Manpower Services Commission in the Principality greater autonomy and flexibility to adopt appropriate solutions.

Policies to help the unemployed must be considered on a Great Britain basis. However, my Department and I are in close touch with the Manpower Services Commission both nationally and locally to ensure that these policies are developed and implemented in a way which reflects the needs of Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many redundancies have been notified to his Department for the Principality during the last 12 months.

Between July 1981 and June 1982, 25,076 redundancies were notified to the Department of Employment as due to occur in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of entrants for the Welsh joint education committee GCE O-level in the 12 most popular subjects for each of the last three years and the numbers and percentages who obtained A, B and C passes in each of those subjects.

The following information is derived from the WJEC statistical reports on the summer examinations in 1979, 1980 and 1981: