asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) how many opencast coalmining sites have been worked in South Yorkshire since the establishment of the Opencast Executive;(2) how many opencast coalmining sites have been worked in Barnsley and district since the establishment of the Opencast Executive.

Ten sites in the South Yorkshire area have been authorised and worked under the Opencast Coal Act 1958. Of these three were in the Barnsley area. I regret that information is not readily available on the number of sites, if any, worked in the area prior to the 1958 Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many proposals for exploration and for opencast coalmining are before the Barnsley and metropolitan district council and the South Yorkshire county council, stating the acreage involved in each application and the estimated period of operations.

No applications from the NCB for authorisations under the Opencast Coal Act 1958 for opencast sites in Barnsley or South Yorkshire are currently with my Department. I understand however that the board is discussing a number of possible future sites with local authorities in the area.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will update his answer of 15 February,Official Report,column 12, in respect of gas and electricity standing charges to include information for 1982.

The following table shows the information for 1982 in respect of the average quarterly standing charge on normal domestic tariffs for quarterly billed gas and electricity consumers which applied in England and Wales as from the first meter reading occurring on or after the date shown

	Gas	Electricity
	£	£
1 April 1982	8·60	6·82
1 October1982	9·46	—

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he is now able to meet the cost of extending the National Coal Board's pneumoconiosis compensation scheme to include workmen's compensation commuted cases.

Yes. I am glad to say that after detailed consideration of this matter the Government have decided to meet the request of the National Union of Mineworkers, together with the National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and Shotfirers, to provide extra finance to enable the NCB to extend its pneumoconiosis compensation scheme. This will allow a payment under the scheme of £600 to each person disabled through pneumoconiosis who has previously been excluded from payment, because at an earlier date he commuted in return for a lump sum his rights to weekly benefit under the Workmen's Compensation Acts. Surviving widows of such persons will also receive payments of £600.It is expected that the total cost of financing this extension can be met within the statutory authority to make grants to the board to meet expenditure under the pneumoconiosis compensation scheme, taken under section 1 of the Coal Industry Act 1975, as amended (to provide authority to pay an additional £7 million) by section 8 of the Coal Industry Act 1980. Estimates provision to cover the increased payments will be sought in due course.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will carry out a study of the implications of computerisation of the individual family into a positive-negative income tax system; and if he will make a statement.

The Inland Revenue is now engaged in computerising the PAYE processes. The design of the computer system will allow for possible future changes in the administration and structure of income tax to be made over time, but any major changes, such as the introduction of a positive-negative income tax system, apart from any budgetary cost would require careful planning and would involve extensive reprogramming and re-design.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the future of Her Majesty's Stationery Office printing works in Scotland; and what attempts have been made in recent years to place more printing work with the Scottish plant.

Despite considerable investment to improve performance by the introduction of new technology the HMSO press in Edinburgh has continued to lose money. The forecast loss for 1982–83 is as much as 25 per cent. of the turnover of just over £1 million. HMSO has transferred a good deal of work in recent years in order to sustain it, but it has not proved possible to attain viability. A final review of all the work available to HMSO has just confirmed that a viable workload is not within reach.There has been considerable consultation over the last year with staff representatives in the plant and more recently with trace union officials, both at branch and national levels. A further meeting with the union is being arranged in order to discuss an orderly programme for closure.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the total sum paid by the United Kingdom in contributions to the EEC since joining that body, the total sum received by the United Kingdom in grants and subsidies since that date and the total net contribution; and if he will express that net contribution as a sum per day including Saturdays and Sundays.

Gross payments made by the United Kingdom to the Community Budget from 1 January 1973 to 30 June 1982 amounted to £10,116 million. Total receipts from the Community Budget in the same period amounted to £6,627 million, including refunds payable under the agreement of 30 May 1980. Net payments in this period amounted to £3,489 millions as shown in the following table. This is approximately £1 million a day since accession.

		£ million
	Gross Payments	Receipts other than refunds	Gross Refunds	Net Total†
1973	181	79	—	102
1974	181	150	—	31
1975	342	398	—	–56
1976	463	296	—	167
1977	737	368	—	369
1978	1,348	526	—	822
1979	1,606	659	—	947
1980	1,767	963	98	706
1981	2,174	1,084	693	397
1982*	1,317	491	822	4
	10,116	5,014	1,613	3,489
† A negative sign indicates a net receipt
* 1 January to 30 June

(Number of days between 1 January 1973 and 30 June 1982=3,468)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he intends to include in the 1983 Finance Bill provisions for voluntary value added tax registration following the withdrawal of subsections (3) and (4) of clause 12 of the 1982 Finance Bill and the subsequent publication of Customs and Excise press notice 763.

I cannot anticipate the contents of the 1983 Finance Bill.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the revenue to the Exchequer from tax on earned income levied at rates above the basic rate during the years of 5 April 1981 and 5 April 1982, respectively.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the Spastics Society regarding the removal of the liability to pay value added tax; and what steps he proposes to take in this matter.

Prior to this year's Budget I received a number of representations on this subject from local groups affiliated to the Spastics Society, but there have been no such representations recently.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he has take regarding the request sent to him for an early meeting by the Charities VAT Reform Group in order to discuss the removal of value added tax from registered charities which take care of the disabled; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, pursuant to the answer given to the hon. Member for South Ayrshire (Mr. Foulkes) on 16 June, Official Report,c. 280, concerning public borrowing, he will now give the figures for 1981–82 which were indicated as then being "not available", and on a basis consistent with the rest of the table.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in accordance with the note by the Treasury at appendix 5 of the Treasury and Civil Service Committee report, Session 1981–82, on "the Government's Economic Policy: Autumn Review", he will update the figures for 1982–83 and also for 1983–84 on the basis of announced changes, for those on 75 per cent., 100 per cent., 200 per cent. and 500 per cent. of national average earnings, for single, married, and married plus two children families, including data on gross earnings, income tax, national insurance contributions, child benefit net earnings and indirect taxes in each case.

[pursuant to his reply,19 October 1982, c. 84]: Illustrative figures for 1982–83 are given as follows, together with revised figures for 1981–82 which take account of the latest information from the new earnings survey. Comparable figures for 1983–84 cannot be given.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what percentage of gross national product he considers that public expenditure may rise by 1990; on what assumptions his estimate is based; and what implications for the rate of income tax and value added tax are involved.

[pursuant to his reply,22 October 1982, c. 217-18]: The percentage of gross national product represented by public expenditure in 1990 will depend on developments in public policy over the coming years and on the perfomance of the economy. In general, the higher the percentage the heavier will be the burden of taxation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the net contribution of the United Kingdom to the EEC in each year since the United Kingdom joined that body; and what is his latest estimate of the net contribution in the current year.

[pursuant to his reply,21 October 1982, c. 205]: Net payments by the United Kingdom to the Community Budget have been:

Financial Year	£million
1972–73	55
1973–74	96
1974–75	–35

asked the Prime Minister if she will list the statutory powers exercised by Ministers in connection with the operation to recover the Falkland Islands; and whether any resolutions and orders were made to apply this legislation in particular respects.

The following statutory powers were exercised by Ministers in connection with the operation to recover the Falkland Islands. The list shows the practical means (orders etc) which were required.

(a) Naval ratings and men of the Royal Marines who would normally have been entitled to be discharged or transferred to the reserve were retained in service by orders of the Secretary of State for Defence made under section 4 of the Armed Forces Act 1966 and paragraph 4A of schedule 7 to the Army Act 1955 respectively.

(b) The Secretary of State for Defence exercised powers under section 97(5) of the Explosives Act 1975 and regulation 12(5) of the Conveyance in Harbour of Military Explosives Regulations (S1 1977890) on three occasions to override byelaws and other, statutory, restrictions on the movement of munitions through the port of Southampton.

(c) The Secretary of State for Defence exercised his powers under section 134 of the Naval Discipline Act 1957 (as amended by section 74 of the Armed Forces Act 1971), section 224 of the Army Act 1955 and section 222 of the Air Force Act 1955 to consent to the declaration of active service in the South Atlantic, and subsequently exercised those powers to direct its cessation.

(d) The Secretary of State for Defence called out men of the Royal Fleet Reserve under powers conferred on him by section 11 and 26 of the Reserve Forces Act 1980.

(e) The Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, exercising their powers under section 2 of the Emergency Laws (Reenactments and Repeals) Act 1964, introduced The Control of Gold, Securities, Payments and Credit (Argentine Republic) Directions (SI) 1982/512). These directions were repealed by SI 1982/1307.

(f) The Secretary of State for Trade introduced a ban on Argentine imports under powers conferred on him by section 1 of the Import, Export and Customs Powers (Defence) Act 1939 and articles 2 and 5 of the Import of Goods (Control) Order 1954 (SI 1954/23).

(g) Under powers conferred by the same Act and by article 8 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1981 (SI 1981/1641) the Secretary of State for Trade also revoked all export licences for Argentina.

asked the Prime Minister whether she has any proposals for strengthening the Hong Kong economy as a result of her recent visit to the colony.

The Hong Kong Government are responsible for determining Hong Kong's economic policies. I have every confidence in their ability to guide Hong Kong through the current world recession. The Governor's address to the Legislative Council on 6 October outlined an ambitious programme of development despite revised forecasts of growth.

asked the Prime Minister what was the total number of military honours awarded to Service personnel engaged in the Falkland Islands war giving the figures, respectively, for officers and other ranks; and what are the comparable figures to date for the Northern Ireland campaign in each year since 1970.

The total number of military gallantry honours awarded in the Falkland Islands campaign was 676, of which 360 were awarded to officers and 316 to other ranks. Of the total, 303 were Mentions in Despatches. In addition all members of the Task Force (including civilians), are to be presented with the South Atlantic Medal, the recognised campaign medal for the operation to repossess the Falkland Islands.In reply to the second part of the hon. Member's question, the numbers of military awards to officers and other ranks in Northern Ireland from January 1970 to April 1982, are 1,246 and 1,275 respectively. The breakdown by year is as follows:

	Officers	Other ranks
1970	1	2
1971	12	34
1972	80	103
1973	199	188
1974	107	116
1975	157	152
1976	76	52
1977	72	81
1978	93	134
1979	132	116
1980	130	107
1981	102	113
*1982	85	77
Total	1,246	1,275
* To April.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list for each month since January 1979 the number of French and Belgian fishing vessels recorded by his Department's surveillance system actually fishing between six and 12 miles in the areas(a)between Lyme Bay and Lands End and (b)between Lands End and Lundy.

Information on the sightings of fishing vessels is not recorded in a form which enables an answer to be given to the hon. Member's question.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will indicate how many successful claims were made for the sheep annual premium scheme; how many were refused; and how many of the refusals have been contested by applicants who claim to have sent the required information before the closing date.

78,326 claims have been accepted in the United Kingdom this year and 846 have been refused, 642 because they were received after the closing date. 59 of the late claimants subsequently contested the refusal and three then had their claims accepted. In addition, we are aware of about 40 cases where no claims have been received, although it is alleged that one had been posted.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in view of the level of interest being shown in the food additives and contaminants committee review of remaining classes of food additives used as ingredients in the food report on the review of enzyme preparations 1982, he will extend the period during which representations may be made by interests concerned to 31 October.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the reply to the question of the hon. Member for Rugby on 18 October, what are the main difficulties in compiling statistics on new lettings of agricultural land; and if he is in a position to provide any estimate of the current level of new lettings.

New lettings of tenanted land are not reported to the Ministry. An indication can, however, be obtained from the Ministry's annual rent inquiries, copies of which are available in the Library. Each inquiry covers a sample of about a third of tenanted land in England, and shows the number of farms in the sample with a rent change which were let to new tenants. Because this sample is not random, the total number of new lettings cannot be derived accurately from these figures.

asked the Attorney-General how many prosecutions of police officers for assault have been launched by the Director of Public Prosecutions so far in 1982.

So far this year, the Director has instituted or has advised chief officers of police to institute proceedings for offences of assault against 41 police officers.

asked the Attorney-General if he is satisfied with the present degree of enforcement of the law prohibiting the taking of photographs and films of witnesses attending court.

I am satisfied that court staff are vigilant to ensure that no infringement of the law occurs within the court building.

asked the Attorney-General what subjects he expects to discuss at his next meeting with the Director of Public Prosecutions.

A pending trial.

asked the Attorney-General why the ancient office of under sheriff is to be abolished in Northern Ireland; and who was consulted before the decision was made.

The office of under sheriff was abolished under the powers contained in section 104 of the Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978, which was considered fully by both Houses when the Bill was in Parliament. Over the past eleven years the duties of under sheriffs have almost entirely been either abolished or transferred elsewhere; the decision to implement section 104 was made only after full consultation with the under sheriffs themselves and those to whom their remaining functions have been transferred.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will take steps to assess the prospects of the development of specialised tourism in the Falklands and the extent to which this would be increased by the provision of a runway and facilities capable of taking long haul civilian aircraft, including VC10s.

I am happy to say that two specialist cruise vessels are resuming their summer tours of the South Atlantic and will be calling at the Falkland Islands in November and December. For the longer term, the Government is now considering the recommendations put forward by Lord Shackleton and his colleagues whilst awaiting the views of the islanders themselves. The prospects for tourism, and the associated communications issues, are amongst the questions under careful study.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was given in grant aid to the Falkland Islands for each year from 1945; and how much tax was received from the Falklands over the same period, giving figures for each year.

For the period 1945–1960 grant aid figures are available in financial years only and are:

	£000's
1945–46	1
1946–47	-
1947–48	37
1948–49	64
1949–50	14
1950–51	1
1951–52	10
1952–53	9
1953–54	3
1954–55	37
1955–56	9

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the cost to public funds of money disbursed by United Kingdom consulates in France to repatriate United Kingdom subjects who travelled to Southern France for grape picking.

The cost to public funds for the repatriation of seven British nationals who were stranded without funds while grape picking in the South of France was £321·92. The moneys were advanced against undertakings to repay and are therefore recoverable.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will give the estimated additional cost of developing Stanley airport in the Falklands to such an extent that it would be able to accommodate civilian aircraft as well as military aircraft.

Proposals for future airport facilities in the Falkland Islands are still under consideration and it is not yet possible to give any costings for facilities that may be required. Planning of airport facilities will take into consideration the needs of foreseeable civil air operations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what would be the required length of a developed runway at Stanley airport in the Falklands, in order to accommodate long-haul civilian aircraft, including VC10s.

There are numerous considerations which would have to be taken into account before any airport in the Falkland Islands could be cleared for long-haul civil operations. However, the basic requirement on the length of runway for a regular civil operation between the Falklands and Ascension Island would be a minimum of 8,500 feet and an additional 1,000 feet of clearway—that is an area without obstruction under the control of the airport authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total civilian population of the Falkland Islands(a)at the latest available date and(b)one year previously; and how many of these are (i) permanent and (ii) temporary residents.

The most recent census of the Falkland Islands, taken on 7 December 1980, recorded a total civilian population of 1,813. The census did not differentiate between permanent and temporary residents. Population statistics for 1979 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received any request to assist Guyana to resist territorial violations by Venezuelan troops; and what has been his response.

We have received no such request.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total cost of the published information distributed free by his Department in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982 to date.

This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many institutions offering advanced courses, other than polytechnics and colleges of higher education, now exist in the public sector; and what is the number of advanced full-time and advanced part-time places they provide.

In the public sector in 1980–81 there were 315 major establishments of further education, other than polytechnics, offering advanced courses in England. Enrolments on advanced courses at these establishments at 1 November 1980 were:

	Number
Full-time and sandwich	69,001
Part-time	94,102
TOTAL	163,103

Many establishments include the words "Institute/College of Higher Education" in their name but they do not, in themselves, constitute a separate statistical category and they have, therefore, been included in the reply.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department is supporting any research work into the suppression of leukotriene production for developing anti-asthma drugs; and if he will make a statement.

My Department's responsibilities for the support of scientific research are discharged by the research councils, which receive grants-in-aid from the science budget, and by universities, which receive block grants for teaching and research from the University Grants Committee. I understand that the Medical Research Council is currently providing a project grant for the support of a study at the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of the actions of leukotrienes in the lung and circulation and their possible relevance to human disease, and that this work may well make a substantial contribution to our basic knowledge of biology in this field.Research on leukotrienes is also in progress at the University of London. This research is listed in the publication "Research in British Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges", a copy of which is available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department has received any applications for support to develop a human protein body map.

My Department's responsibilities for the support of scientific research are discharged by the research councils, which receive grant-in-aid from the science budget, and by universities, which receive block grants for teaching and research from the University Grant Committee. I am not aware of any application having been received to do the kind of work in question, but I understand that work is in progress at the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois to construct a human protein index and that the Medical Research Council is currently supporting related research at the University of Birmingham and has provided funds for a member of the team concerned to work at the Argonne National Laboratory for short periods.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department has collected any information relating hypertension to possible kidney function abnormality through inheritance.

The Medical Research Council supports a wide range of research on hypertension, on renal function and genetics. I understand that there is no hard evidence to support the hypothesis that kidney malfunction causes hypertension except in comparatively rare cases where raised blood pressure occurs as a result of obstructions in the main blood vessels leading to the kidneys. In such instances the problem can be rectified by surgery.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will reconsider his proposals to withdraw initial teacher training from De La Salle College, Middleton; and why the cuts in Catholic teacher training courses are disproportionately greater than the average for other colleges.

The proposals that initial teacher training should be discontinued at fourteen institutions of higher education were provisional, and are being reviewed in the light of subsequent representations. The reductions proposed for Roman Catholic colleges were the result of considering a wide range of factors which were not designed to result in uniform cuts.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will consider amending the Education Act 1973 in order to extend the provision for the payment of dependent's allowances to dependant co-habitees.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any information on the impact of children living on caravan sites established under the Caravan Sites Act 1968 on the schools they attend, particularly where those schools are small village schools.

I am aware of the impact that these children can have; but this is a matter primarily for local education authorities, which need to take into account a wide variety of local factors.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is yet in a position to reply with a definitive ruling to the submission made to him by the hon. Member for Sudbury and Woodbridge in a letter dated 25 February regarding the interpretation of the Education Act 1944 in relation to Suffolk county council and parents in dispute therewith concerning school transport.

As my hon. Friend will be aware, the Suffolk local education authority revised the basis of its transport arrangements from Capel St. Mary last month. My right hon. Friend hopes to let him have a decision on the original complaint, in the light of those revised arrangements, very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the savings if the public buildings in the educational sector under his Department's control were to be insulated up to the recommended standard.

No current figure is available. Most public educational buildings in England are maintained by local authorities. Recommended standards relating to heat loss from new buildings are given in my Department's design note 17 (1981), where it is stated that every opportunity should be taken to improve the thermal insulation of existing buildings so that they are as close as reasonably possible to these standards. Guidance as to cost effective methods is given in my Department's building bulletin 55—"Energy Conservation in Educational Buildings".

asked the Minister for Trade if, having regard to the all-Ireland jurisdiction of the Commissioners of Irish Lights, he will ensure that their vessels fly, instead of the tricolour of the Irish Republic, an ensign appropriate to a body responsible to Her Majesty's Government as well as to the Government of the Republic.

These vessels are registered in the Republic of Ireland and so fly its national colours in

Crude Balance of United Kingdom Trade in Manufacturest†
£million
	European Community	France	Federal Republic of Germany	Italy	United States of America	Japan	Taiwan	South Korea	Spain
1981
September	-357	-62	-230	-31	-116	-174	-25	-24	-6
October	-164	-20	-185	-43	-30	-165	-15	-21	+10
November	-515	-21	-330	-89	-80	-151	-14	-20	-23
December	-336	-17	-267	-44	-41	-120	-9	+23	-8
1982
January	-374	-82	-202	-68	-110	-145	-18	-21	-14
February	-293	-33	-243	-34	-29	-146	-15	-20	-7
March	-450	-63	-296	-73	-137	-226	-13	-11	-5
April	-439	-64	-265	-62	-165	-198	-12	-12	+4
May	-439	-47	-311	-67	-155	-184	-15	-9	+1
June	-427	-24	-274	-68	-170	-150	-18	-21	+3
July	-419	-39	-293	-70	-80	-147	-17	+9	-49
August	-377	-39	-235	-94	-135	-215	-23	-20	-17
Total*	-4,589	-510	-3,130	-741	-1,248	-2,021	-192	-147	-111
* September 1981 to August 1982.
† Taken as Standard International Trade Classification section 5 to 8.

asked the Minister for Trade if he will make a statement on trade with Taiwan.

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

asked the Minister for Trade if he will make a statement on the representations he received concerning the EEC Commission's proposed regulation on exclusive purchasing agreements.

I have had representations from over 160 individuals and organisations. They dealt with many aspects of the proposed regulation and reflected differing accordance with normal international custom and practice. Under section 1(d)and section 69(1) of the Merchant Shipping Act 1894 it would be unlawful for a vessel owned by the Commissioners of Irish Lights to fly the British flag, since the commissioners are a corporate body whose principal place of business is outside Her Majesty's dominions. However, the commissioners fly their own corporate ensign, thus marking the extent of their responsibilities.

asked the Minister for Trade if he will set out the balance of trade in manufactures for each of the last 12 months for which figures are available and for the year as a whole for the rest of the EEC, France, Germany and Italy individually, the United States of America, Japan, Taiwan, Korea and Spain.

The information is as follows:points of view. The representations included letters from 137 right hon. and hon. Members about the provisions affecting tied house agreements.

asked the Minister for Trade what consultations have taken place with the brewing industry on the EEC Commission's proposed regulation on exclusive purchasing agreements.

The Director General of Fair Trading consulted brewing interests earlier this year when the European Commission's proposed regulation was under discussion in the advisory committee on restrictive practices and monopolies. Subsequently the Commission published its proposals for general comment, and the brewing industry took this opportunity to make its views known. The proposed regulation is shortly to be discussed again by the advisory committee and the Brewers Society and others have been consulted once more. The Government will therefore be able to take account of these views before it decides what views its representative should present to the committee.

asked the Minister for Trade (1) if he has received information on the recent action taken by the South Yorkshire county council in regard to the sale of defective electric plugs; and if he is satisfied that existing powers are sufficient to deal with this problem;(2) if, in view of the circumstances relating to the conviction of Zakar Ltd. in South Yorkshire for selling dangerous electrical equipment, he will consider whether more effective regulations are needed to prevent the import and sale of such unsafe electrical equipment.

I understand the south Yorkshire consumer protection department and the Warwickshire trading standards department have successfully prosecuted Zakar Co. (London) Ltd. for supplying plugs imported from India that did not satisfy the requirements of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations. I also understand that the importer has agreed to withdraw the plugs from sale and recall those he had distributed. Warning notices issued earlier this year by both trading standards authorities were widely reported in the press.I am considering the case for requiring a system of independent prior approval of all plugs before they can be marketed in this country.

asked the Minister for Trade whether he will bring forward an order under the appropriate weights and measures legislation to make statutory measures for table wine sold by the glass in licensed premises.

No. I have, however, with the support of LACOTS, decided to explore with trade bodies the possibility of their developing a voluntary code of practice based on price display backed by standard—or preferred—glass sizes.

asked the Minister for Trade if, in view of the complexity of the draft rules and regulations proposed to be made under the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958 as published by his Department in September and of the administration burdens that implementation of the draft rules and regulations will create both for licensed dealers and for officials of his Department, rather than seeking amendment of the rules and regulations under the 1958 Act, he will seek to amend the 1958 Act itself.

No. I accept that the draft instruments published in September are complex, but the matters with which they deal and the need to strengthen the existing rules and regulations make this inevitable. The need to strengthen the current provisions is widely recognised and the Government are committed to taking action under the 1958 Act to meet it. We shall need to consider Professor Gower's final recommendations before introducing any legislation to replace the 1958 Act itself; and, as I and my hon. and right hon. Friends have stated, we do not envisage legislating for this purpose during the present Parliament. We could not justify failure to take some action under the powers already available in the meantime.

asked the Minister for Trade if he will publish a list of those who are registered as licensed dealers under the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958.

Section 9 of the Act requires a list of the names and addresses of all holders of principals' licences to be published at least once a year. Such a list was published on 7 June 1982. Changes during the course of a year are published inBritish Business.

asked the Minister for Trade what was the number of company liquidations in the North-West region; and what percentage this was of the national total of company liquidations(a)in the first nine months of 1982 and(b)in 1981.

I regret that there are no official figures available for company liquidations by region within England and Wales. It would not be possible, without considerable expense, to analyse the records of companies registered in England and Wales, kept by the Registrar of Companies at Cardiff, to identify those whose registered offices are situated in the North-West region. In any case, the address of the registered office is not always a good indication of the location of trading activities.

asked the Minister for Trade what are the figures for insolvencies in England and Wales for the last available 12-month period divided between voluntary and involuntary bankruptcies and company liquidations.

The information is provided in Table 1 on page 311 ofBritish Business,22 October.

asked the Minister for Trade what are the terms of reference of the consultants whom he has asked to investigate the functions and activities of the British Tourist Authority and the English Tourist Board; and, in particular, whether they are free to recommend a merger of the two bodies.

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

asked the Minister for Trade if he will take steps to obtain a copy of the recent British Airports Authority publication "Why London", with a view to assessing whether the publication is appropriate, having regard to the present inquiry into the authority's proposals for a third London airport; and if he will publish the cost of the publication in theOfficial Report.

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 21 October 1982—[Vol. 29, c.172.]

asked the Minister for Trade (1) what was the positive or negative balance of trade in manufactures with the EEC and the rest of the world, respectively, in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available; and if he will state the positive or negative balances for the same period in each of the previous comparable annual periods commencing 1960ߝ61;(2) what was the positive or negative balance of trade in all goods, commodities and services with the EEC and the rest of the world, respectively, in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available; and if he will state the positive or negative balances for the same period in each of the previous comparable annual periods commencing 1960ߝ61.

[pursuant to the reply,21 October 1982, c. 171ߝ2]: Much of the information is either not available in the form requested or could only be provided at disproportionate cost; the available information is as follows:

United Kingdom Balance of Trade(£ Million)
	Manufactures*		Goods and Services †
	Other EC‡ countries	Rest of World	Other EC‡ countries	Rest of World
1962	+309	+1,473	¨	¨
1963	+345	+1,525	¨	¨
1964	+300	+1,306	¨	¨
1965	+315	+1,527	¨	¨
1966	+314	+1,606	¨	¨
1967	+206	+1,336	¨	¨
1968	+246	+1,394	¨	¨
1969	+457	+1,662	¨	¨
1970	+463	+1,771	¨	¨
1971	+330	+2,442	¨	¨
1972	+21	+2,082	¨	¨
1973	-416	+1,745	-1,521	-279
1974	-750	+2,328	-2,324	-1,944
1975	-640	+4,103	-2,688	+874
1976	-666	+4,800	-3,369	+889
1977	-910	+6,038	-2,006	+2,981
1978	-2,029	+5,692	-2,601	+4,781
1979	-3,081	+4,261	-2,645	+3,154
1980	-1,765	+5,339	+597	+4,648
1981	¨	¨	-143	•+7,131
September 1981 to August 1982▀	-4,589	+5,390	-	-
• Taken as Standard International Trade Classification sections 5 to 8 on overseas trade statistics basis.
† On balance of payments basis.
‡ Including Greece, Denmark, and Ireland throughout.
|| Not available.
¨Figures are only available for January, February, plus September to December (not Seasonally Adjusted): balance with other EC—£1,532m. and with Rest of World +£3,07lm.
• Visible trade component based on Treasury estimates.
▀ A change in export documentation procedures introduced towards the end of 1981 caused exports recorded in the following few months to be greater than they would otherwise have been. The effect over twelve months however is thought to have been small.

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

[pursuant to the reply, 22 October 1982]: Neither the British Government nor any other Government recognises the "independent" homelands within South Africa's borders as sovereign States. Hence, no separate statistics exist on the present level of trade with the territory. I assume my hon. Friend's reference to Bophuthatswana's trade delegation refers to "Bophuthatswana House" which opened in London on 7 September 1982. This establishment has no official or diplomatic status and there has been no Ministerial or official contact; nor is any envisaged. The British Overseas Trade Board's services to exporters are available anywhere within South Africa on the same basis as to other overseas markets, and no additional action is contemplated.

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.

[pursuant to the reply, 22 October 1982]: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed this problem with the American Secretary of State, Mr. Shultz, and with his European colleagues at the recent meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Canada. The Ministers were united on the need to solve the pipeline dispute as quickly as possible, and to ensure that no such dispute occurs in the future.The effect of the United States measures on individual British firms is primarily a matter for the firms concerned. In a number of cases my right hon. and noble Friend was satisfied that there was a likelihood of damage to the trading interests of the United Kingdom, and he therefore issued directions under section 1(3) of the Protection of Trading Interests Act 1980 to prohibit the firms concerned from complying with the United States measures.

asked the Minister for Trade whether his Department has yet reached a decision on the report by the Adam Smith Institute concerning freeports; 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.

[pursuant to the reply, 22 October 1982]: We have had no recent representations either on freeports generally or on freeports at airports as recommended by the report from the Adam Smith Institute. We have, however, decided that there should be a further interdepartmental review of the potential advantages of freeports and are considering the contribution to this work which could be made by the relevant national organisations.

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.

[pursuant to the reply,22 October 1982]: The purpose of my visit to Chile and other countries in South America was to renew trade links and more generally to reinforce our continuing interest in the development of our relations with the region. I was accompanied by a team of experienced businessmen.I believe there are long-term prospects for increasing our exports to Chile in the energy, transportation and mining sectors.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to make a decision about the future of the former Hamilton college of education buildings, offers for which closed on 23 July; and if he will make a statement.

Negotiations for the disposal of the property are still in progress. I shall announce a decision as soon as practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average annual salary of a dental practitioner.

The fees payable to general practitioners for the financial year 1982–83 are intended to produce, after payment of practice expenses, an average net income of £16,435.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish employment statistics for the Torness power station construction contract for each month since February on the same basis as the monthly figures which were provided before that date, indicating the numbers employed in each trade and the number of local, Scottish and other employees.

The information requested is not held centrally but I am asking the chairman of the South of Scotland Electricity Board to write to the hon. Gentleman.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will make a decision on the implementation of section 37 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1981; and if he will make a statement.

Certain issues arising out of our recently-completed consultations on the means of implementing section 37 of the Act require further consideration. This is in hand and it is our aim to implement the new provisions as soon as is reasonably practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of the organisations that have responded to the consultation paper on section 37 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1981 supported the Department's proposals that the most suitable choice as the "prescribed body" would be the building control authorities.

Of the 14 organisations which offered comments on the consultation paper, nine gave fill or qualified support to the proposition that the prescribed body should be the local authority building control department.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the organisations that have responded to the consultation paper on the implementation of section 37 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1981

Comments were received from:

• The Scottish Branch of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
• The Institution of Building Control Officers (Scottish District).
• The Scottish Building Employers Federation.
• The Association of Chief Architects of Scottish Local Authorities.
• The Scottish Association of Chief Building Control Officers.
• The Scottish Committee on Access for Disabled People.
• The Incorporated Association of Architects and Surveyors.
• The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.
• Property Services Agency.
• The Royal Institute of British Architects.
• The Parliamentary All Party Disablement Group.
• Cumbernauld Development Corporation.
• Irvine Development Corporation.
• The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many council houses in Scotland have been sold to date to sitting tenants, giving the total and also a breakdown housing authority by housing authority.

The information requested is set out in the following table, which covers the period since the introduction of the Tenants' Rights Etc. (Scotland) Act 1980, ie from 1 October 1980 to 30 June 1982.

Sales to Sitting Tenants 1 October 1980 – 30 June 1982
Housing Authority	Number of Sales
Borders
Berwickshire	65
Ettrick and Lauderdale	99
Roxburgh	139
Tweeddale	68
Central
Clackmannan	105
Falkirk*	261
Stirling	157
Dumfries and Galloway
Annandale and Eskdale*	12
Nithsdale	297
Stewarty	193
Wigtown	224
Fife
Dunfermline	760
Kirkcaldy	375

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will name the housing associations which have sold fair-rent houses in Scotland.

The relevant housing associations are:

• Central Govan
• Glasgow Fair
• Glasgow Jewish
• Link
• Linthouse
• Meadowside & Thornwood
• Milnbank
• Parkhead
• Partick
• Rurtherglen
• Yorkhill

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many fair-rent houses have been sold by housing associations in Scotland, giving the figures, with and without discount, in each housing authority area.

The information requested is set out in the table below:

Housing Authority	No of fair houses sold
(district council)	with discount	without discount
Edinburgh	—	2
Falkirk	—	13
Glasgow	4	14
TOTAL	4	29

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will list the housing associations possessing fair-rent houses in Scotland, stating how many fair rent houses are owned by each.