asked the Attorney-General how much approximately it would cost to answer the question of the hon. and learned Member for Denbigh, which he declined to answer on the ground that to do so would involve disproportionate cost, Official Report, 29 July, c. 673.

I am satisfied that the cost of answering the hon. and learned Member's earlier question would be well in excess of £200, but it is not possible to estimate the actual cost with any degree of accuracy without doing much of the work which would be required to answer that question, including identifying and considering a sample of the several hundred files involved.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received regarding educational provision in Hertfordshire; and if he will make a statement.

Sixteen letters from hon. Members and others were received in the past six months. Additionally, my right hon. Friend saw a deputation of hon. Members from the county and I met a deputation from the county council. The authority's difficulties in cutting education expenditure were clearly presented to us. Nevertheless, reductions in expenditure are necessary since, as is the case with all local authority services, the country and county can spend on education only what they can afford.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why he has not yet given approval to the proposals of the Newcastle diocesan education board for new instruments of government which would provide for parent governors of Church schools.

Negotiations between the Department and the General Synod Board of Education on a "model" new-style instrument of government for Church of England schools will be completed shortly. The informal preparatory work already done by the Newcastle diocesan education board will then enable new instruments to be made quickly for the Church schools in their area.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what provision will exist for religious education teacher training in local authority colleges if the proposals announced on 9 August are implemented.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the distribution of teacher education places for teachers of religious education if his proposals of August were implemented without amendment.

The proposals announced on 9 August were provisional and are unlikely to be implemented without some changes. They provided for 120 full-time equivalent religious education secondary students each year in universities and 225 in voluntary colleges. No secondary religious education allocation was made to institutions maintained by local education authorities, but it was assumed that religious education would continue in such institutions, both in relation to the training of curriculum leaders in religious education for primary schools and more widely for primary teachers generally.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will publish the total intake into (a) universities, (b) polytechnics and (c) other maintained institutions of students who had left school in England within the preceding 12 months on to courses of higher education in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively, using estimates where actuals are not available;(2) if he will publish the total intake into

No estimates of the 1982–83 intake to higher education are yet available. The following table gives estimated intakes to higher education of entrants who were domiciled in England and Wales and left school within the previous year based upon readily available information colleted from the establishments of higher education. Separate figures for each country are not readily available. The figures must be regarded only as orders of magnitude as they have been obtained by combining information from several sources.

Estimated numbers of entrants to higher education from schools in England and Wales (thousands)
	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82
Universities	51	52	51
Polytechnics	12	12	15
Other maintained institutions	7	7	8
Total higher education	70	71	74

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether any items have been accepted by Her Majesty's Government in satisfaction of estate duty or capital transfer tax since 1 April.

Yes. Four paintings by Dominic Serres, a Verzelini glass goblet, and a drawing by Albrecht Darer have been accepted in part satisfaction of capital transfer tax.The net cost, borne equally on the Votes of my Department and the Department of the Environment, is £37,050 for the Serres paintings, £52,750 for the Verzelini goblet and £259,492 for the Darer drawing.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the number of school leavers in England with two or more A-levels in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively, using estimates where actuals are not yet available.

The annual sample surveys of school leavers in England provide the following information:

School leavers in England with two or more GCE A-level passes
	Thousands
1978–79	92·2
1979–80	94·9
1980–81	98·8

The number of school leavers in 1981–82 with two or more A-levels is projected to be 105,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been made in reorganising and improving the provision of education in the Toxteth area of Liverpool since his meeting with local representatives.

Since my right hon. Friend met representatives of the authority in May and sent an open letter to the leader of the city council in June, he has

School Leavers in England proceeding to Full-time further Education
	Thousands
	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81
University	44·9	46·2	44·6
Degree, Teacher Training or HNC/D
Polytechnics	10·1	11·5	14·6
Other Further Education Establishments	5·6	4·1	6·0
Other Courses*
Polytechnics	5·5	4·8	5·3
Other Further Education Establishments	91·4	101·8	127·6
* Including some courses of higher education.

No estimates are available for the destination of leavers in 1981–82.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether civil servants in any Government Departments other than the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office are entitled to receive financial assistance with the cost of independent school fees.

Civil servants in any Government Department who are posted overseas for a tour of duty which is expected to last for more than 12 months may be paid a contribution towards the educational expenses of their children at independent schools.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what percentage of gross national product he considers that public expenditure may rise by 1990; on what

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the number of school leavers from schools in England who entered a course of higher education (a) at a university, (b) at a polytechnic and (c) at other maintained institutions of higher education in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively, using estimates where actual figures are not yet available.

The annual sample surveys of school leavers in England provide estimates of the intended destinations of leavers as known to the schools. The information available from the surveys is as follows:assumptions his estimate is based; and what implications for the rate of income tax and value added tax are involved.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of the fact that his decision to close the HMSO bookshop in Cardiff means that Cardiff will be the only capital city in the United Kingdom deprived of this direct service, and since Cardiff, as the capital city of Wales, is the major administrative, legal and commercial city in the Principality, he will reconsider this decision.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 October 1982, c. 205]: This bookshop has been trading in deficit for some years and, despite the best efforts of the staff, losses have been growing. They were about 15 per cent. of turnover last year.HMSO has already signed an agreement with the University Bookshop (Cardiff) Ltd. under which the latter has been appointed as its official agent in Cardiff. Stocks are now being moved to the agent's premises. The University Bookshop will provide the full range of services previously available from HMSO. Postal customers—who provide 75 per cent. of the business—may order from another HMSO bookshop.Continuity of experience will be provided through the re-employment in the University Bookshop of the former manager of the HMSO shop, together with a junior assistant.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect the non-payment of debts to British banks by Argentine banks as a result of the Falklands dispute has had on British commercial banking.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 October, c. 205]: The effect was marginally to reduce the liquidity of the British banks who were able to meet their needs from other sources.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any proposals to exercise the option for the Treasury to top up the bonus on the second index-linked National Savings "Grannie" bonds, in view of the fall in the rate of inflation and the consequent impairment of the competitiveness of this investment in relation to other savings schemes.

[pursuant to his reply, of 19 October, c. 83]: Yes. I have decided to raise the return on indexed certificates by introducing a supplement for the next 12 months at least. Present holders of these certificates will be credited with a supplement of 2·4 per cent. on 1 November 1983 if they are still holding the certificates on 31 October 1983. Legislation will be included in next year's Finance Bill designed to ensure that all retirement issue certificates are treated in the same way

	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81
Number of school leavers who entered:
(a) University degree courses	2,850	2,840	2,860
(b) Polytechnics:
(1) degree and teacher training courses	570	730	770
(2) other further and higher education courses	445	340	360
(c) Other further education establishments:
(1) degree and teacher training courses	415	280	320
(2) other further and higher education courses	*5,940	*6,665	*7,545
* The majority of these students will be taking further rather than higher education courses.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many private beds in National Health Service hospitals there have been in Wales in each year since 1979; and what has been the average daily occupancy in each year.

The information requested is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the number of school leavers in Wales with two or more A-levels in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively, using estimates where actuals are not available.

'The information available is shown in the following table:

	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81
Number of school levers with two or more A-levels	5,075	5,405	5,710

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the number of school leavers from schools in Wales who entered a course of higher education (a) at a university, (b) at a polytechnic and (c) at other maintained institutions in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively, using estimates where actuals are not available.

The information available is shown in the following table :

Pay Beds in Welsh NHS Hospitals
Year	Number of pay beds at 1 January	Average daily number of private patients occupying pay beds
1979	39	13·96
1980	36	21·21
1981	36	15·47
1982	*48	†21·46
Notes
* One further pay bed was authorised with effect from 22 March 1982.
†This relates to the first quarter only.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the bomb attack on the Official Unionist Party headquarters in Belfast on 19 October.

At 12·48 pm on 19 October the party secretary at the Ulster Unionist Party headquarters in Glengall Street, Belfast, telephoned the Royal Ulster Constabulary to say that a suspect device had been left on a windowsill of the building. The Army was called in and the area was cleared. At 1·18 pm the device exploded. A fire was started and minor damage caused. There were no injuries. A number of other suspect devices were also discovered in the surrounding area, but these were all found to be hoaxes. police are investigating this crime, for which the Irish National Liberation Army has claimed responsibility.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his meeting with EEC Foreign Ministers in Nyborg on 17 October; and, in particular, what discussion there was of the prospect for a long-term agreement on United Kingdom budgetary payments and of the attitude of the Republic of Ireland with regard to the Latin-American resolution on the Falkland Islands to be debated in the United Nations General Assembly in November.

This was not a formal meeting of the Council. I can, however, confirm that there was some discussion of the budget problem.With regard to the Falkland Islands, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 20 October to the hon. Member for West Lothian (Mr. Dalyell).—[Vol. 29, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Zimbabwe about the detention without charge made of Wing Commander J. R. Cox of the Zimbabwe Air Force, who holds both British and Zimbabwe nationality.

Wing Commander Cox is a dual national and, under the Vienna consular convention, this strictly limits the ability of Her Majesty's Government to intervene formally with the Zimbabwe Government on his behalf. We have, however, made clear our concern to the Zimbabwe Government that all detainees should be brought to trial as soon as possible.We understand that Wing Commander Cox has now appeared before magistrates and been remanded in custody.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affars if he will list the various disarmament or arms limitation talks currently in existence at which representatives of East and West are present; and if he will give a brief description of each and list the ones in which Her Majesty's Government have a direct involvement.

The Government are indirectly involved, through the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, in the two sets of bilateral United States-Soviet negotiations taking place in Geneva for reductions in the levels of strategic and intermediate nuclear forces—the strategic arms reduction talks and intermediate nuclear forces talks.The Government are directly involved in

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the visit paid by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the hon. Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) to the Falkland Islands; and what conclusions or decisions have been reached by his Department as a result of that visit.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister of State gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Haltemprice (Sir P. Wall) on 18 October.—[Vol. 29, c. 42.] Final decisions on major outstanding issues will be taken only after all interested parties, including the Falkland Islanders, have been fully consulted.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total number of children of employees of his Department in receipt of financial assistance for attendance at private fee-paying day or boarding schools; and what is the current total cost for the academic year 1982–83.

A total of 1,556 children of members of the Diplomatic Service and the Overseas Development Administration are receiving financial assistance for attendance at boarding schools at a total estimated cost of £6,137,085 for the academic year 1982–83. No help is given with fees for private day schools. The estimated cost of fees for school age children to attend local day school at their parent's overseas stations in the financial year 1982–83 is £768,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans for updating the legislation under which experiments on live animals are controlled.

We intend to improve and modernise the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 when parliamentary time permits and final agreement has been reached on the draft Council of Europe convention on this matter. Substantial progress has already been made in drafting the convention, but some matters remain to be settled and these will be considered by the ad hoc committee of experts next month. The complete text will then have to be adopted by the Committee of Ministers. In the meantime we are continuing our study of detailed proposals to give effect to this intention. Plans for carrying it forward will be announced as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet had any meetings with the new chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, Mr. Peter Newsom.

I have had two meetings with the new chairman since he took up his appointment on 1 September 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received any requests from the Commission for Racial Equality for further public funds and for what purposes; and if he will make a statement.

We have received no such request during the present financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the take-up of the Government's repatriation service under the auspices of International Social Service of Great Britain in the year 1981–82 and the costs to public funds; and if he will give the total number of applicants in the same period.

In the financial year 1981–82, 251 persons were assisted under the repatriation scheme operated under section 29 of the Immigration Act 1971 by International Social Service of Great Britain—ISS. The sum of £188,943 was paid to ISS in connection with its administration of the scheme; and 459 applications were received by ISS.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the recommendations in the Commission for Racial Equality's report entitled "Television in a Multi-Racial Society".

We have noted the report's recommendations, which do not call for any action by the Government. They are addressed principally to the television companies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable for Merseyside concerning disturbances which occurred in various parts of Liverpool during the week commencing 1 August; and if he will make a statement.

We understand from the chief constable that the following incidents occurred between 1 and 7 August, inclusive.On 1 August a group of about 20 youths threw stones at officers on foot patrol in a street in Toxteth and were dispersed.In the early morning of 2 August a large group of youths gathered at Sir Thomas White Gardens, Everton, threw stones at a police vehicle, and one police officer incurred minor injury. The youths were dispersed by other officers.In the afternoon a stolen vehicle was driven erratically in Toxteth, and youths who had gathered to watch threw stones at a police vehicle. The youths were dispersed. Also in the afternoon of 2 August a noisy group of about 100 people, mainly women and children, who were demonstrating against the closure of Croxteth school, threw eggs at my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment as he was leaving a meeting in Croxteth. Three summonses have been issued as a result of that incident.In the evening there were two incidents in Toxteth. In the first, a stolen vehicle was crashed into road works. Police officers who chased and apprehended two occupants of the vehicle were attacked by a group of 30 to 40 youths, and two officers received minor injuries before the group was dispersed. In the other incident, a stolen vehicle was driven erratically and a rowdy group of about 60 youths who gathered in the area were dispersed by the police. The same evening, youths sporadically threw stones at police vehicles in Everton, and a group of youths erected a minor barricade at Sir Thomas White Gardens. The youths were dispersed by officers wearing protective equipment.In the early hours of 3 August, a large group of youths threw stones at passing vehicles on a road in Everton and were dispersed by the police, as were youths who erected minor barricades at Sir Thomas White Gardens.In the evening of 4 August, a large, generally orderly, group of youths who had gathered when a stolen vehicle was driven in a street in Toxteth were dispersed by the police.In the early evening of 5 August, the police dispersed a group of disorderly youths at Sir Thomas White Gardens.During the week, the police in Speke were intermittently called upon to deal with small groups of disorderly youths involved in minor incidents. During the period in question, there were 19 arrests for public order offences in Everton, 17 in Speke and 15 in Toxteth.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Basildon of 23 July, Official Report, c. 310, whether he has now reached a decision with regard to granting bargaining recognition to the new Immigration Service Union; and if he will make a statement.

I have granted Departmental recognition to the Immigration Service Union in respect of the following immigration service grades:

• Assistant Chief Inspector
• Inspector
• Chief Immigration Officer
• Immigration Officer
• Interpreter

The Immigration Service Union was informed of this decision on 30 September.The question of national recognition is one for my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and he is now considering this matter.The Society of Civil and Public Servants continues to hold both Departmental and national recognition for all the above grades.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Basildon of 30 June, Official Report, c. 310, whether he is now in a position to state when he expects to publish the study of a statistical analysis of people arrested in 25 police force areas during the incidents of serious public disorder in July and August 1981; and if he will make a statement.

The information requested was published on 13 October in "Home Office Statistical Bulletin", issue 20/82, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Basildon of 18 June, Official Report, c. 358, whether he has received any further requests from police authorities to approve increases in police force establishment levels; and if he will make a statement.

Further applications have been received from five police authorities for increases in their police establishments in 1982–83. Four have been informed that my right hon. Friend is prepared to approve additional posts. The other application is still being considered.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people died in prison from (a) natural causes, (b) unnatural causes and (c) suicide in each year since 1970; and what percentage of the prison population this represents in each case.

The information requested on the number of deaths in prison department establishments is published annually in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales"—table 10·4 of the issue for 1981 (Cmnd. 8654). Information on the rate per 1,000 of the average daily population in prison department establishments is given in the same publication—table 10(c) (Cmnd. 8654).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Croydon black people's action committee is in receipt of any public funds provided by central Government either directly or through the Commission for Racial Equality; and if he will make a statement.

Neither the Home Office nor the Commission for Racial Equality has provided any funds to the Croydon black people's action committee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will establish an inquiry into shop hours as suggested by the retail consortium.

We have no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress being made in setting up police-community consultative committees under the terms of his recent circular.

Some areas already had consultative arrangements before the circular was issued in June, and in many others the police authorities and chief constables are setting up arrangements suited to local needs. The circular reflects the importance we attach to satisfactory, regular and effective consultative arrangements being set up with the minimum of delay. We shall wish to review the progress made in due course.

asked the Prime Minister whether she has given any further consideration to paying an official visit to the Falkland Islands; and if she will make a statement.

I very much hope to pay such a visit, but do not expect to be able to take a firm decision for some time.

asked the Prime Minister if she will now amend the Health Services Act 1980 to remove the cash limit budget restrictions on health authorities and health boards.

No. The Act requires health authorities and health boards to contain their expenditure within the total sums allotted to them by the health departments and other income they receive. This is an entirely reasonable and necessary financial control.

asked the Prime Minister in what circumstances the Prime Minister's spouse may accompany her on official visits or at official meetings; in what circumstances his expenses or the costs of his travel may be met from public funds; and whether the visits (a) to the Far East in the autumn and (b) to meet the Scottish Trades Union Congress on 1 September fall into these categories.

So far as I am concerned, my husband accompanies me on official visits when he has been invited by the host or when I judge it to be in the public interest that he should do so. Only rarely does this entail a cost to public funds. The practice I follow is, I understand, in line with that adopted by previous Prime Ministers. My husband accompanied me to the Far East this autumn as the guest of the Governments concerned. He accompanied me to Scotland in September in order to accept an invitation from Her Majesty the Queen to us both to stay at Balmoral. He did not attend my meeting with the Scottish Trade Union Congress. Neither visit entailed any additional cost to the Exchequer.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the number and nature of incidents involving Argentine aeroplanes and ships in the Falkland Islands exclusion zone since the ceasing of hostilities.

Since the cessation of hostilities on 14 June, there have been five occasions when Argentine fishing vessels have been asked to leave the protection zone around the Falkland Islands. In the same period there have been two flights on the edge of the zone by unidentified aircraft.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total number of children of employees of his Department in receipt of financial assistance for attendance at private fee-paying day or boarding schools; and what is the current total cost for the academic year 1982–83.

Boarding school allowance is being paid in respect of 220 children of civilian employees of the Department who are serving abroad and 21,000 children of members of the Armed Forces. These totals include 3,258 children attending boarding schools maintained by local education authorities. No allowance is paid to assist with day school fees in this country.The estimated cost for the financial year 1982–83 is £465,000 for Ministry of Defence civilian staff and £63 million for the Armed Forces.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his visit to Zimbabwe in September; and what subjects he discussed with Ministers of the Zimbabwe Government.

During my brief visit I met Prime Minister Mugabe, the Minister of State for Defence and the commanders of the Zimbabwe army and air force. I had useful discussions about the future size and shape of our military assistance programme in Zimbabwe which I am now considering further. While essentially a matter for the Zimbabwe Government, I also discussed with them the allegations of ill-treatment of various members of the air force of Zimbabwe at present in detention there.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what North Atlantic Treaty Organisation grants have been made for military research at Scottish universities and colleges.

I have been asked to reply.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average annual number of mates unemployed in Scotland for one year or over in each year in the period 1965, to 1975.

The information is set out in the following table.

Average numbers of males registered as unemployed for more than one year in Scotland.
Year	Number
1965	11,177
1966	9,235
1967	10,835
1968	13,161
1969	13,707
1970	14,344
1971	18,570
1972	26,177
1973	25,084
1974	19,212
1975	18,916

asked the Secretary of State fir Scotland what are the most recent numbers of registered unemployed women in Scotland by region; what were the figures for the same date in 1979; and what are the respective increases in percentage terms.

The information is set out 'In the following table.

Numbers of women registered as unemployed
Region	September 1982	September 1979	Percentage Increase
Borders	1,169	397	194·5
Central	6,253	3,426	82·5
Dumfries and Galloway	2,933	1,728	69·7
Fife	6,726	4,074	65·1
Grampian	6,118	2,934	108·5
Highland	3,134	1,827	71·5
Lothian	15,268	7,604	100·8
Strathclyde	62,743	36,156	73·5
Tayside	8,665	4,950	75·1
Orkney	216	116	86·2
Shetland	189	75	152·0
Western Isles	479	222	115·8
SCOTLAND	113,893	63,509	79·3

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the total intake into (a) universities, (b) polytechnics and (c) other maintained institutions of students who had left school in Scotland within the preceding 12 months on to courses of higher education in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively, using estimates where actuals are not yet available.

Information in this form is not available. The numbers of students domiciled in Scotland who entered a course of higher education at a college in Scotland within one year of leaving school in 1979, 1980 and 1981 are given in the following table. Neither actual numbers nor estimates are available for universities, or for colleges in Scotland in 1982.

	1979	1980	1981
Colleges in Scotland	5,291	5,192	5,625

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the number of school leavers from schools in Scotland who entered a course of higher education (a) at a university, (b) at a polytechnic and (c) at other maintained institutions in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively, using estimates where actuals are not available.

Information in this form is not available. The numbers of students domiciled in Scotland who entered a course of higher education at a United Kingdom university or a college in Scotland in 1979, 1980 or 1981 are given in the following table. Neither actual numbers nor estimates are yet available for 1982.

	Numbers entering higher education
	1979	1980	1981
United Kingdom universities	9,347	9,890	*9,700
Colleges in Scotland	7,560	9,062	9,828
* Estimated.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the number of school leavers in Scotland with two or more A-levels in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively, using estimates where actuals are not yet available.

The numbers of school leavers in Scotland who left school with two or more GCE A-levels in 1979, 1980 and 1981 ae given in the following table. The table also shows the numbers of those with three or more Scottish certificates of education higher grade passes, generally accepted as the equivalent of two or more A-levels. Neither actual nor estimated figures are available for 1982.

Scottish school leavers with two or more A levels or three or more highers
	Session
Qualification	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81
Two or more A-levels	487	513	549
Three or more highers	15,760	16,661	17,208
Three or more highers or two or more A-levels or both	15,945	16,815	17,370

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the number of assisted places awarded at each participating school in Glasgow and Strathclyde; how many places were awarded in each case to fee-paying pupils; and what was the total cost of the provision of such places since the inception of the scheme.

The number of assisted places awarded at each participating school in the session 1981–82 was announced in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Argyll (Mr. MacKay) on 13 November 1981.—[Vol. 12, c. 127–28.] Full information is not yet available for the session 1982-83, but the returns received from schools so far show that there are 506 assisted pupils attending schools in Strathclyde, of which 425 attend schools in Glasgow. A total of 301 of the pupils in Strathclyde schools attended a fee-paying school immediately before taking up an assisted place; the corresponding figure for Glasgow schools is 254. These totals include pupils admitted to assisted places in 1981–82 as well as those admitted in the current session 1982–83.The allocations of fee remission grant to participating schools for the session 1981–82 were given in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Argyll on 30 March 1981.—[Vol. 2, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to reply to the letter from the Presbytery of Glasgow delivered to him on Monday 18 October by the Rev. Maxwell Craig dealing with unemployment in Scotland and the future of Ravenscraig steel works; and if he will place a copy of his reply in the Library.

A reply was sent yesterday, and a copy is being placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many private beds there have been in National Health Service hospitals in each year since 1979; and what has been the average daily occupancy in each year.

Private beds are available for NHS patients when not occupied by private patients, but the figures for this use are not separately recorded. The figures which follow therefore record only use by private patients.

Year	Total number of paybeds	Percentage occupancy rate
1979	114	23·3
1980	94	24·6
1981	94	26·2

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the amount of underspend or overspend on the National Health Service in Scotland with respect to allocated budgets in each financial year since 1979–80.

The information requested is as follows:

	Total Allocations to Health Boards and the Common Services Agency	Underspend
	£ million	£ million	percentage
1979–80	788·6	0·6	0·08
1980–81	1025·1	2·7	0·20
1981–80*	1141·9	5·5	0·48
*Provisional

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what discussions he has had during the summer with the chairman of the Committee on Safety of Medicines on problems related to Depo-Provera;(2) when he expects the result of the public inquiry into uses of Depo-Provera;(3) what steps he has taken to make inquiries of other Governments about their assessment of the safety or otherwise of the use of Depo-Provera;(4) whether, pursuant to his answer,

We have had no discussions during the Summer Recess with the chairman of the Committee on Safety of Medicines about the licensing of Depo-Provera. The company's representations regarding the licensing authority's proposal to refuse a licence for Depo-Provera for long term use are to be heard on 8 and 9 November 1982 and in the week commencing 25 April 1983 by a panel appointed by the licensing authority, but I do not know when the panel will complete its work. The licensing authority is aware of the decisions of regulatory authorities relating to the licensing of Depo-Provera in other countries. I remain of the view that the data submitted to the licensing authority by the company in support of its application for a product licence must remain confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in the light of the recent publication of the recommendations of the committee on police pay, he will adopt a 10·3 per cent. increase for the health workers or agree to the same committee that investigated the pay for police to investigate the pay for the health workers.

The net pay increase this year for police officers up to and including the rank of chief inspector is around 5·6 per cent. taking into account the increase in pensions contributions. Health Service staff have been offered pay increases of 6 per cent. to 7½ per cent. for this year. The proposals put to the Health Service unions and professional bodies on 16 September offered a two-year settlement paving the way for the introduction of new arrangements for determing the pay of non-medical staff. So far the TUC health services committee has refused to join talks on those proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services on what medical evidence he based his recent statements about the advisability of immunisation against whooping cough for young children.

We are advised on all medical aspects of vaccination, including vaccination against whooping cough, by the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation, a statutory body constituted under the National Health Service Act 1977. This committee keeps medical evidence relating to whooping cough vaccination under constant review. It has presented two reports in recent years—"Whooping Cough Vaccination" (1977) and "Whooping Cough" (1981).

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consultations he has had with the Royal College of Nursing concerning procedures relating to certification of sick leave; and if he is satisfied that all health authorities are acting within the terms of the current agreements.

Earlier this year an agreement on the introduction of self-certification for short periods of sick leave for nurses and midwives employed by the National Health Service was negotiated within the nurses and midwives Whitley Council, on which the Royal College of Nursing is represented. The Department has given advice to a number of health authorities on the interpretation of this agreement, but we know of no departures from it

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will institute an inquiry with his Department's child benefit centre, Washington new town, to ascertain the reason for the delay in the return of a family allowance book of Mrs. C. G. Bennett of 5 Anchor Close, Glascote, Tamworth, reference 7797-5105-ZH.

My hon. Friend will have received a copy of a letter from the child benefit centre to Mrs. Bennett explaining the reasons for the delay and confirming that child benefit has been awarded to Mrs. Bennett from the date of her claim. I regret any hardship that may have been caused by the delay, but in cases where there is a transfer of entitlement from one person to another some delay is inevitable.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons (a) of working age and (b) pensioners are now in receipt of supplementary benefit from his Department's offices in the West Midlands; what were the numbers in May 1979; and if he will give the change in percentage terms.

The information requested for local offices in the Department's former West Midlands region is as follows:

	May 1979	May 1982*	Percentage change
People of working age in receipt of supplementary benefit	113,000	151,000	+34
Pensioners in receipt of supplementary benefit	175,000	168,000	-4
* The latest date for which information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will give details of the pilot schemes that are being run into a computerised system for monitoring the effects of new drugs; when he expects the schemes to become fully operational; how many patients and doctors it will then cover; and if he will make a statement;(2) what steps are being taken to improve the monitoring of the effects of drugs.

There are a number of schemes for monitoring adverse reactions to drugs currently under evaluation, most of which employ computers to assist in the analysis of data. These schemes, which include those being directed by Professor Crookes of the University of Dundee and Dr. Inman at the University of Southampton, are being supported by our Department. Other schemes currently under development include those directed by Professor Grob at the University of Surrey and Dr. Kay at the university of Manchester. It is not possible to say at this stage how many doctors and patients any one of these schemes may eventually cover.The Committee on Safety of Medicines has decided to review the means by which it monitors adverse reactions. This review, which will take into account the pilot studies already referred to, will consider what, if any, changes need to be made to the committee's present monitoring arrangements, including the yellow card system, and what additional methods might be introduced to complement that system.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will hold an inquiry as to why it took the Committee on Safety of Medicines so long to suspend the drug Opren from use, in view of the number of complaints about side effects and deaths that had been reported; and if he will make a statement.

No. I am satisfied that the Committee on Safety of Medicines maintained a close scrutiny of the adverse reactions to Opren and that there was no avoidable delay prior to the suspension of the product licence.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the Committee on Safety of Medicines has yet completed its investigations into the adverse effects of Opren, in view of the fact that the drug was suspended from use in August; and if he will make a statement about its future use.

Following the suspension of the product licences for Opren by the licensing authority the company concerned, Dista Products Ltd., voluntarily

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what research has been sponsored by his Department into children where the local authority has assumed parental rights; if he will publish this; and if he will make a statement.

British agencies for adoption and fostering have recently completed a study sponsored by the Department of the assumption by local authorities of parental rights and duties. It is intended that the report of the project should be published.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women have been screened for breast cancer at the Royal Marsden hospital in each of the past five years; and how many operations have subsequently taken place to arrest the disease.

The numbers of women who have been screened for breast cancer at the Royal Marsden hospital in each of the last five years are as follows:

	New Patients	Total attendances	Number found to have cancer
1977	910	5,883	18
1978	1,312	6,322	33
1979	1,267	7,433	35
1980	1,060	7,452	49
1981	1,155	7,770	37
1982	1,025	*6,176	-
* to September.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current cost of running the cancer screening unit at the Royal Marsden hospital; and if he will ensure that sufficient funds are made available for the work of the unit to continue.

The revenue cost of running the cancer screening unit at the Royal Marsden hospital in the current financial year is £155,000.The board of governors of the Royal Marsden hospital is responsible for determining service priorities for expenditure within its allocation, which has not been cut. I have, however, asked the authority for a report on the proposal to close this unit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what studies are being sponsored by his Department into the costs and benefits of screening women for breast cancer; if he will give details of these; when he expects the results; and if he will make a statement.

The Government are funding a large-scale programme of research at a cost of £0·6 million a year into the early diagnosis of breast cancer. Trials, involving a quarter of a million women between the ages of 45 and 65, are designed to assess the practicability and efficacy of screening by mammography and clinical examination and to assess the feasibility of education in self-examination as an alternative method of early diagnosis. The trials of mammography and clinical examination are taking place in Guildford and Edinburgh; the self-examination trials in Huddersfield and Nottingham. Four centres have been established in Avon, Dundee, Oxford and Stoke-on-Trent to provide comparative information on unscreened populations.Studies of the psychological effects of early diagnosis programmes, of the radiation dose from mammography and of the costs of screening and education in self-examination are included in the research programme. The programme will continue until 1987 with follow-up of the study population until 1997. Preliminary results should begin to become available by 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many private beds there have been in National Health Service hospitals in England in each year since 1979; and what has been the average daily occupancy in each year.

The information is as follows:

	Number of Private Beds at 31 December each year	Average daily occupancy during each year
1979	2,402	1,508
1980	2,402	1,513
1981	2,677*	†
* Including 140 beds for emergency admissions only.
† Figures are not yet available for 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends to change the regulations to enable women to call themselves head of their household and claim social security benefits for their family on an equal footing with men; and if he will make a statement.

During the passing of the Social Security Act 1980 the Government made it clear that they intended to introduce changes to enable women to claim supplementary benefit and family income supplement for their families on the same terms as men from November 1983. Amendments relating to similar treatment for men and women claiming contributory benefits were expected to take effect in November 1983 and November 1984. It is still the Government's intention to adhere to these dates. The question of head of household status should not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East on 5 July, Official Report, c. 29, if he is yet in a position to make a statement on the recommendations of Sir Douglas Black's working party on the development of bone marrow transplantation services; and if he will now publish it.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Abingdon (Mr. Benyon) on 18 October 1982.—[Vol. 29, c. 61-62.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the future of Sefton general hospital, Princes Park hospital and Newsham Park hospital in Liverpool.

The Liverpool health authority met on 19 October to discuss a number of options for the future long-term pattern of health services in Liverpool. Because it is forecast that there will continue to be a fall in the population served by the authority, its revenue allocation will be reduced by the regional health authority over the next decade. The future of Sefton General, Princes Park and Newsham General hospitals is being considered as part of this forward look. No decisions have yet been taken. Once the health authority has approved a draft long-term strategy, the hon. Gentleman will, with other interested parties, be consulted on it.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the cost of mounting the recent operation in Oxford regarding alleged social security frauds.

The cost to Government Departments was in the region of £21,000. Over and above this, the police incurred costs of about £15,000 in addition to normal duty costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the amount of social security benefits which are not in fact claimed although if claimed the claimants could be entitled to them.

The latest available overall estimate is that, for those benefits with a significant take-up problem, about £400 million may have been unclaimed in 1979.

asked the Minister for Trade if he will make representations to the Commission of the European Economic Community pressing for action on its part to prevent dumping of aluminium into the European Economic Community from producers in Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, at prices below the cost of production.

If the aluminium industry believes that it is suffering damage from dumped or subsidised imports from Eastern Europe, Middle East or Latin America, it should present an application for action against them to the European Commission. My Department's antidumping unit will give the industry every help in the preparation of its case.

asked the Minister for Trade whether he will publish guidelines for a standard system of measurement for children's clothes.

Such guidelines are, I understand, already available in British Standard 3728/1970 on the size marking of children's wear.

asked the Minister for Trade how many industrial and commercial companies in Scotland have gone into voluntary liquidation since March 1980.

I regret that information is not available separately for industrial and commercial companies. There were 714 creditors' voluntary liquidations—the type that involves insolvency—in Scotland during the period April 1980 to September 1982.

asked the Minister for Trade how many United Kingdom industrial and commercial companies have gone into liquidation since March 1980.

I regret that separate figures for industrial and commercial companies are not available. The total number of compulsory and creditors' voluntary liquidations—the two types which involve insolvency —in the United Kingdom during the period April 1980 to September 1982 was 24,012.

asked the Minister for Trade (1) when he expects to be able to publish the conclusions of the working group established to study the problems connected with the proposals for an airway linking Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports;(2) if he will publish the names of the working group established to study the problems connected with the proposals for an airway linking Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports, indicating those connected with the British Gliding Association.

I understand that the working group is a body set up under the aegis of the national air traffic service's national air traffic management advisory committee. Accordingly, I am asking the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority to write to my hon. Friend to give him the information requested.

asked the Minister for Trade whether he proposes to act upon the recommendation of the Director General of Fair Trading that the consumer credit advertisement and quotation regulations should be amended so that they apply equally to all financial institutions and other bodies engaged in home mortgage lending; and if he will make a statement.

I am considering the report, on which I hope to consult interested bodies soon.

asked the Minister of Trade if he has received any recent representations from independent British airlines on the privatisation of British Airways.

Yes.

asked the Minister for Trade if he will make a statement on his visit to Chile and on future prospects for trade between the United Kingdom and Chile.

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

asked the Minister for Trade if he will make a statement on recent talks which have been held with the Government of the United States of America concerning United Kingdom participation in the Siberian pipeline project; and if he will assess the extent and effect of United States sanctions on United Kingdom companies involved in the project.

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

asked the Minister for Trade if he will make a statement on the present level of trade with Bophuthatswana; whether he has had any meetings with members of Bophuthatswana's new trade delegation to London; and if he has plans to improve trading links with Bophuthatswana.

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

asked the Minister for Trade whether his Department has yet reached a decision on the report by the Adam Smith institute concerning free ports; what other representations he has received from interested parties since that received from the Institute of Directors; whether there has been any discussion on these matters with (a) trade unions and (b) development corporations; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Minister for Trade what is the current number of company returns outstanding for each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement.

It is not possible, without significant expenditure, to indicate how many companies have been in default for particular periods. However, on 4 October, there were 402,004 companies in default of their obligations to deliver accounts, and 363,430 in default in respect of annual returns. Some 30 temporary clerical staff have recently been recruited to follow up defaults.

asked the Minister for Trade whether he has reached any decision about the reorganisation of nationalised industry consumer councils.

I shall make an announcement as soon as possible.

asked the Minister for Trade if he will make a statement on the current negotiations on the multi-fibre arrangement.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 October 1982, c. 171]: The commission has initialled new bilateral agreements under the multi-fibre arrangement with 18 supplying countries. These are Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Colombia, Egypt, Guatemala, Haiti, Hungary, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Romania, Sri Lanka, Czechoslovakia, Thailand, Uruguay and Yugoslavia. Negotiations with a further nine countries—Argentina, Brazil, Hong Kong, Korea, Macao, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore—were suspended at the end of September whilst the commission reported to the Council of Ministers. This report, which has been received, proposes, inter alia, a further round of negotiations to try to conclude the remaining nine agreements within the existing mandate. The report will be discussed by the Council of Ministers in Luxembourg on 25–26 October.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many health and safety inspectors there were in each of the years 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982; and if he plans to increase them.

The number of inspectors employed by the Health and Safety Executive at 1 April in each of the past four years was as follows:

1 April 1979	1,424
1 April 1980	1,444
1 April 1981	1,404
1 April 1982	1,323

In addition, health and safety inspectors are employed by the Railways Inspectorate, the Petroleum Engineering Directorate and the Scottish Pollution Inspectorate to carry out work under agency agreements with the Health and Safety Commission. Local authorities also appoint inspectors to carry out their functions under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act. There are no plans to increase the total number of inspectors whom the Health and Safety Executive employ.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether warehouses and road hauliers' depots are intended to be covered by the Statutory Instrument No. 1357 regarding hazardous substances; and if he will make a statement.

I understand from the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that it is the intention of Statutory Instrument No. 1357 to cover warehouses and road hauliers' depots wherever there is storage of sufficient quantity of any specified hazardous substance.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received about the Manpower Services Commission's practice of paying local authorities in arrears in compensation for money paid out under employment schemes; and whether he will make a statement.

Representations have been received in recent months from associations representing local authorities in England: and Wales, and in Scotland, asking that local authorities be allowed to claim reimbursement of expenditure on special employment measures and on the youth opportunities programme more frequently than quarterly in arrears. Ministers have considered the local authority representations and the Secretary of State has written to the chairman of the Manpower Services Commission to give the commission authority to make reimbursement one month in arrears. The commission will accept: claims for reimbursement on this basis from 1 November 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment he will publish in the Official Report a table to show the average statutory redundancy payments made to workers within each Standard Industrial Classification group together with the comparative amounts paid to workers in each country of the European Economic Community.

The information for Great Britain for the year to 30 September is as follows. No information is held for other European Community countries. Comparisons would not in any case be valid, since EC countries have differing provisions for redundancy.

Average Statutory Redundancy Payment in each Standard Industrial Classification Group—1 October 1981 to 30 September 1982
Industry	SIC No.	Average Statutory Payment £
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing	I	968
Mining and Quarrying	II	2,928
Food, Drink and Tobacco	III	1,243
Coal and Petroleum Products	IV	1,956
Chemicals and Allied Industries	V	1,537
Metal Manufacture	VI	1,516
Mechanical Engineering	VII	1,245
Instrument Engineering	VIII	1,229
Electrical Engineering	IX	1,243
Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering	X	1,273
Vehicles	XI	1,704
Metal Goods not elsewhere specified	XII	1,202
Textiles	XIII	1,050
Leather, Leather Goods and Fur	XIV	780

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representation he has received concerning recommendation No. 62 of the report of the employment service division Rayner scrutiny on reductions in the service; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects his appeal against the recommendation of the employment appeal tribunal in the Westwood case to be considered.

The appeal to the Court of Appeal was lodged in July. It now seems unlikely that it will be heard before the end of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what provision will be made for 18-year-old and 19-year-old school leavers under the new training initiatives.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment on what basis the retail prices index is compiled; who makes the judgment on the percentage by which the retail price index has moved; and what recent changes have been made in the basis on which the retail price index is calculated.

The retail prices index is designed to measure the change from month to month in the average level of the prices consumers in the United Kingdom pay for the goods and services they buy. The coverage and method of construction of the RPI are well established and follow the recommendations of the retail prices index advisory committee. A description of the RPI can be found in the article "The non-statistical reader's guide to the retail prices index". published in the October 1975 issue of the Employment Gazette.It is the responsibility of my Department to compile the RPI and to publish details of its movement. This is a matter of measurement rather than judgment. Some 130,000 prices are collected each month throughout the country and these are combined, making allowance for their relative importance in household budgets according to regular information obtained on actual expenditure patterns, to give an overall measure of price change.On the recommendation of the retail prices index advisory committee some technical improvements in the method of calculation of the index were made in 1978—see page 148 of February 1978 issue of the

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Basildon of 17 June, Official Report, c. 320, whether he is now in a position to make a decision on the recommendations contained in the Commission for Racial Equality's draft code of practice concerning racial discrimination in employment; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, West (Mr. Janner) on 18 October.—[Vol. 29, c. 19.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West on 18 October, Official Report, c. 20. he will publish in the Official Report as much of the information as contained in the letter he sent to the hon. Member on the same date quoting the figures and details as contained on page two of this letter.