asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements he is adopting to implement the scheme for a special sale of butter over the Christmas period.

In the United Kingdom 23,500 tonnes of butter are available from intervention stocks and aided private storage for sale at a reduced price over the coming weeks. Supplies are being released to butter packers and importers in proportion to their market share. The butter will be packed for retail sale with special labelling to make it clear that it is benefiting from a special additional Community subsidy. A statutory instrument will be laid shortly fixing the maximum retail price of this butter at 44p per 250g. Butter prices vary widely according to the varying costs involved in selling through different shops and in different parts of the country. I expect that customers would generally be able to obtain this butter at prices significantly below those for normal butter supplies in the recent past.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how the percentage rise in the retail prices index between May 1979 and September 1982 compares with the percentage rise in the retail price of food over the same period.

There has been a 49·6 per cent. rise in the RPI between May 1979 and September 1982 compared with a 32·1 per cent. rise in its food component. This information may be obtained from successive issues of Employment Gazette and other official publications.

asked the Attorney-General, in view of the evidence given at the inquest into the death of Danny Barrett in Belfast in July 1981, why the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland has declined to bring criminal proceedings; whether, in the light of this evidence, he will ask the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland to reconsider his decision; and whether he will make a statement.

The Director has already called for and received the depositions recorded at the inquest on Danny Barrett, which are presently under consideration. In these circumstances I cannot make any statement, but I will in due course write to the hon. Member.

asked the Attorney-General if he will list in the Official Report those magistrates' courts in Wales where duty solicitor schemes exist.

The information requested is as follows:

Cardiff

Newport (Gwent)

asked the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to the London borough of Newham.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will now make a statement on the duties and terms of reference of the appointment of Sir Anthony Parsons as her personal adviser on foreign affairs.

[pursuant to her reply, 15 November 1982, c. 17]: I am now able to announce that I have appointed Sir Anthony Parsons to be adviser on foreign affairs with effect from 1 January 1983. Sir Anthony Parsons will work at 10 Downing Street in close co-operation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and with other Departments with an interest in foreign affairs.

asked the Minister for Trade whether he has received representations from the Government of Nigeria concerning the need for short-term loan finance.

No.

asked the Minister for Trade (1) what was the manning requirement and certification for the crew of the British vessel "Nesam";(2) what were the maritime qualifications of the officers and crew members at the time of the loss of the British vessel "Nesam".

The minimum officer certification requirements for the "Nesam", a ship of 1,571grt and engine power of 1,206 Kw trading in the unlimited area, were as follows:

Master — Deck Officer Class 1

Mate — Deck Officer Class 2

Second Mate — Deck Officer Class 3

Chief Engineer — Engineer Officer Class 2(e)(Motor)

Second Engineer — Engineer Officer Class 3 (Motor)

Our present information indicates that a crew of 11 persons was carried comprising:

asked the Minister for Trade what was the total value of United Kingdom exports to Hong Kong in 1979, 1980 and 1981 and the value of imports into the United Kingdom in those years; and what were the principal categories of exports and imports.

This information is as follows:

United Kingdom trade with Hong Kong, 1979–81
			(£ million)
	1979	1980	1981
Exports f.o.b.	439	559	617
Imports c.i.f.	689	850	897

Source:Overseas Trade Statistics, SITC(R2) (1981 basis).

asked the Minister for Trade whether he is in a position to announce the capital expenditure allocations for local authority airport investment in 1983–84.

I have decided to designate as projects of national and regional importance the following new airport investment schemes and to make the appropriate capital expenditure allocations for 1983–84.

Airport	Schemes
Manchester	Major Terminal Improvement Programme
	Additional aircraft stands by the International Pier
	New Link Taxiway
	Cargo terminal access and hard standing
Luton	Terminal extension phase III
East Midlands	New fire station
Norwich	Runway improvement

In addition, capital expenditure allocations will be made for the following schemes which have already been so designated and where construction is already in hand or now largely completed;

Airport	Schemes
Birmingham	New terminal complex, taxiways and aprons
Bournemouth	Terminal rebuilding phases II and III

Airport	Schemes
East Midlands	Access to development areas Terminal apron extension
Leeds-Bradford	Runway extension
	Terminal extension
Luton	Terminal extension phase II
Manchester	Runway extension, aircraft stands, services to
	development areas
Newcastle	Completion of terminal extension
Tees-Side	Apron and access track

The total public expenditure provision for 1983–84 for regional airport development will amount to £41.2 million which maintains the record level of such capital expenditure anticipated in the current year. Expenditure on the new approved schemes is expected to amount to about £10 million in each of the next two financial years, the bulk of which will be at Manchester international airport.

asked the Minister for Trade what will be the policy of Her Majesty's Government at the sixth United Nations conference on trade and development at Belgrade in June 1983 relating to the operation of the common fund.

The United Kingdom will continue to support the common fund and will urge other countries to ratify the agreement establishing the fund.

asked the Minister for Trade which countries have exceeded their import quotas for clothing goods to the latest date in the current year for which figures are available.

None. Imports of clothing for consumption in the United Kingdom from countries subject to quota arrangements require an import licence, which is counted against the relevant quota. Some very limited flexibility is allowed in the use of quotas, but once the working level for the year concerned has been reached no further licences are issued.

asked the Minister for Trade when he expects the Government to sign the memorandum of understanding on standards with the British Standards Institution proposed in the White Paper "Standards, Quality and International Competitiveness" (Cmnd. 8621).

The memorandum of understanding, which is as follows and which records the joint commitment and intentions of the Government and the British Standards Institution to enhance, strengthen and maintain the national standards system, has been signed today.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT AND THE BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION ON STANDARDS

The United Kingdom Government and the British Standards Institution (BSI) make the following Memorandum of Understanding which records their joint commitment to enhance, strengthen and maintain the national standards system in the United Kingdom and their intentions in this regard. This Memorandum recognises that BSI is the national standards authority operating under a consolidated Royal Charter and Bye-laws granted in 1981 and confirms the status of British Standards as agreed national technical criteria developed and used to serve the public interest. It takes account of the status of British Standards under the provisions of the Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976 and also recognises that the formulation of British Standards, through the BSI Committee structure, depends on voluntary participation. By established practise, standardisation in certain specialised areas (for example, food and medicinal products administration) generally lies outside the British Standards system and, where it does, it is outside the scope of this Memorandum.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many members of ethnic minorities are unemployed, and how many have been unemployed for more than a year, in (a) Greater London and (b) Islington; and what is the percentage increase, respectively, since May 1979.

At August 1982, the latest date for which the information is available, there were 50,536 ethnic minority workers registered as unemployed in Greater London and 1,804 in the area covered by the Holloway and Kings Cross employment offices, which corresponds closely to Islington. The increases since May 1979 were 211 and 95 per cent., respectively. An analysis by duration of unemployment for ethnic minorities is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the cost of placing advertisements in the national press by his Department headed "Did a Closed Shop Cost You Your Job?"; what allocation of public funds has been made available for these and similar advertisements; and what response he has had to such publicity.

The cost of the advertisements referred to was £39,200. Authority for this expenditure is to be found in section 2(2) of the Employment Act 1982 and relates to the sum of £¼ million set aside in the explanatory and financial memorandum to the Employment Bill, as first published on 28 January 1982, for staff costs and administrative expenses in relation to these compensation arrangements. To date 408 coupons have been received in response to the advertisements. The need for expenditure of this nature would, of course, never have arisen but for the last Government's closed shop legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobs in Islington have been dependent on the temporary short-time working subsidy in each year since its introduction.

The figures requested for the temporary short-time working compensation scheme are shown in the folowing table:

Islington
Column 1	Column 2
Year	Number of potentially redundant jobs covered by applications that were approved in column 1
April 1979 to March 1980	101
April 1980 to March 1981	265
April 1981 to March 1982	47
April 1982 to September 1982	—

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps have been taken by his Department, and when, to reduce the number of unemployed in the London borough of Newham; and what success has been achieved with these endeavours.

Unemployment will come down only when British industry becomes more competitive and world trading conditions improve. It is profitable firms which create jobs: therefore, the more goods and services our firms can sell at home and abroad, the more new jobs we shall see in the London borough of Newham and throughout the country.The Government's task is to create the right environment in which firms can prosper. We have already made a good deal of progress on this front—inflation and interest rates, for instance, have been considerably reduced. But industry has to play its part, too, by continuing to increase productivity and improve the quality and design of its goods. Meanwhile we are helping those groups worst affected by the high levels of unemployment through the considerable range of special employment measures.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the rate of increase between April 1979 and October 1982 in the number of persons registered as unemployed for more than two years for (a) England, (b) each county in England ranked from highest to lowest and (c) each of the economic regions.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he intends to continue to subsidise the publication of Graduate Post; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 18 November 1982, c. 230]: The cost of the publication of Graduate Post is met by the publishers—New Opportunity Press. No subsidy is or has been given to it, and the copies of Graduate Post distributed to graduates by the commission's Professional and Executive Recruitment service have been supplied by New Opportunity Press without charge. I have asked the Manpower Services Commission to ensure that taxpayers' money is not used to subsidise the distribution of Graduate Post.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how the percentage rise in the retail prices index between May 1979 and September 1982 compares with the percentage rise in the domestic price of gas, electricity, and solid fuel for domestic heating, respectively, over the same period.

I shall answer the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the cost of insuring those foreign students coming to the United Kingdom with grants from the Overseas Development Administration against the possibility of being charged for hospital treatment.

Nothing. Rather than have recourse to an insurance scheme we shall meet any charges incurred by aid-funded students for hospital treatment following the introduction of new regulations on 1 October 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the financial aid which has been provided to Kenya for each of the last five years; and if he applies the same rules which apply in the case of other African countries in determining this.

Following are the figures:

£ million
1977	1978	1979	1980	1981
10·217	21·350	18·223	17·412	22·550

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will amend the Income Tax (Official Rate of Interest on Beneficial Loans) Order 1982 with effect from 1 December 1982 so that the official rate of interest is reduced from 12 to 10 per cent.

The "official rate", which was reduced from 15 to 12 per cent. on 6 October 1982, is based broadly upon the rate of interest which a credit-worthy borrower would ordinarily have to pay on a bank overdraft. There are no immediate plans to reduce it further, but it will be kept under review in the light of future changes in interest rates.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce the same tax allowance of £2,445 for widows as that given to a married man.

Widows already qualify in two sets of circumstances for an allowance equivalent to that of a married man; namely, the widow's bereavement allowance and the additional personal allowance in respect of children. I fear that it would not be right to extend an allowance of this kind to widows in general.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update the reply given on 30 July 1980, Official Report, c. 706, showing starting rates of income tax and top rates in each of the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, Denmark, the United States of America, Belgium, France and Japan.

The information requested is given in the following table:

	Starting rates of income tax per cent.	Top rates of income tax per cent.
United Kingdom	30	75
Germany	18	56
Netherlands	16·3	72·75
Canada	15·5	34
Denmark	14·4	39·6
United States of America	12	50
Belgium	21·6	72
France	7·2	66
Japan	7	75

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the net cost of increasing the married man's tax allowance to provide a gain in weekly net income of (a) £1·10 and (b) £1·20; and in each case what would be the increase in the annual married man's tax allowance.

The information is as follows:

Gain in weekly net income for married taxpayers*	Required increase in married man's allowance	Full year cost at 1982–83 income levels†
£	£	£
(a) 1·10	190	640 million
(b) 1·20	210	700 million

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the level of income, in current prices and expressed as a percentage of national average earnings, above which single people, married couples and married couples with two children in each case now pay less income tax and national insurance contributions—less child benefit where applicable—as a total sum of money in constant prices and as a proportion of gross earnings than they did in 1978–79; and whether he will estimate the same level of income for 1983–84 on the basis of announced policy changes and the conventional assumptions incorporated in the latest forecast required under the Industry Act 1975.

[pursuant to his reply, 18 November 1982, c. 231]: The multiples of average earnings in 1982–83 are as follows. The rows of the table refer to the cases where tax plus NIC less child benefit—where appropriate—is expressed (a) as a proportion of gross earnings; and (b) at constant—1978–79—prices. Corresponding estimates for 1983–84, on the conventional assumptions of the autumn statement, are shown in brackets.

Single	Married	Married with 2 children under 11
(a) 2·6 (2·7)	2·8 (2·9)	2·9 (3·0)
(b) 3·5 (3·6)	3·7 (3·7)	3·8 (3·8)

The calculations assume that the taxpayer has no allowances and reliefs other than the appropriate personal allowances and that he or she is not contracted out of the State—earnings-related—pension scheme. In the case of married couples, it has been assumed that the husband is the sole earner. Average earnings, for full-time males—all occupations—have been taken at £161·80 per week in 1982–83 and £172·30 in 1983–84. The increases in income tax and NIC below the earnings levels shown in the table do not mean that those concerned are worse off in 1982–83 than in 1978–79. Gross earnings have risen by more than prices over the period and real net earnings--after tax and NIC—of those in employment have generally increased since 1978–79.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the basis upon which abandonment costs of offshore oil rigs and platforms will be treated for tax purposes.

[pursuant to the reply, 22 November 1982, c. 353]: The costs of closing down all or part of an oil or gas field are deductible for petroleum revenue tax purposes to the extent that they are incurred for the purposes of safety or the prevention of pollution. For income and corporation tax purposes, abandonment costs of offshore installations can generally be expected to be deductible as demolition costs qualifying for a balancing allowance.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total number of persons on hospital waiting lists in Scotland at 31 March 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982; and what is the latest estimate available.

The information is as follows:

As at 31 March	Numbers on waiting lists
1975	56,878
1976	55,182
1979	76,616
1980	69,904
1981	67,679
1982	*67,133

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has completed his consultations on the introduction of inspection of religious education in schools.

Yes. I have consulted a wide range of educational and religious interests. The framework for inspection proposed by Her Majesty's Inspectorate has been generally welcomed and I am satisfied that there are no practical issues which stand in the way of its introduction. I intend therefore to make a commencement order shortly to bring into effect on 1 January 1983 section 16 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1981, which repeals the statutory bar on inspection of religious subjects in schools contained in section 66(2) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.A start will be made with the inspection of religious education in the spring term of 1983. an experienced and suitably qualified inspector of schools will take on responsibilities as national specialist inspector and a specialist in religious education will be recruited as soon as possible.I look forward to successful co-operation with education authorities, specialist teachers in the schools and the expert advisers of the various religious denominations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received Lord Bridge's report on the appointment, as the Queen's Police Officer, and the activities of Commander Trestrail; and if he will make a statement.

I informed the House on 21 July that I had invited Lord Bridge to investigate the appointment, as Queen's Police Officer, and the activities of Commander Trestrail, with a view to determining whether security was breached or put at risk; and to advise whether, in the light of that investigation, any change in security arrangements is necessary or desirable. I also arranged for Lord Bridge to see all the papers relating to the intrusion into Buckingham Palace on 9 July by Mr. Michael Fagan, so that he could make any further inquiries he considered necessary and advise on the adequacy of police inquiries. I have received Lord Bridge's report and it has been published today.The report makes it clear that there was no breach of security and concludes that security was not put at risk; there was no connection between Commander Trestrail and Mr. Fagan; but the risks Commander Trestrail took in his homosexual activities, and the indiscretions he committed, cast serious doubt on the soundness of his judgment which made it impossible for him to continue as the Queen's Police Officer.For the future, Lord Bridge has observed that the question whether the positive vetting procedures can or should be enhanced could be resolved only after fuller consideration than has been possible in the course of this inquiry. This is a matter which will no doubt be further considered by the Security Commission in its examination of the Prime case. For those to whom positive vetting does not apply, Lord Bridge has concluded that the safeguards lie in careful staff management, and in particular in the careful selection and supervision of staff. It is Lord Bridge's view that the reorganisation of Royalty protection arrangements, which I announced to the House on 21 July, offers the opportunity to devise new and appropriate measures to ensure that the selection and supervision procedures are as effective as they can be made.The report makes two specific recommendations. The first is that the current positive vetting criterion for the police service is imprecise, and that the Home Office, with the police, should attempt to give more positive guidance on the application of positive vetting to police posts. The second is that the identification by the police of positively vetted posts within the Royalty protection organisation should follow the outcome of the attempt to provide more positive guidance.I am grateful to Lord Bridge for his full and detailed report. I accept the recommendations which he has made, and will ensure that they are taken forward by the Home Office in consultation with those concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many deaths there were in penal custody between 1979 and 1982, in prison or police custody, respectively;(2) how many deaths of black prisoners there were in penal custody, including borstal trainees, young persons and remands between 1979 and 1982;(3) how many of the total deaths in custody between 1979 and 1982 were found to be not from natural causes; how many of the total were suicides; and how many of the non-natural causes and the suicides were black.

Information on the number and the causes of deaths of those in the custody of prison department establishments in England and Wales is published annually in "Prison Statistics England and Wales"—table 10·4 of the volume for 1981 (Cmnd. 8654). Information on the number and causes of deaths in police custody is published annually in a Home Office Statistical Bulletin—table 1, Issue No. 6/82. Information on the ethnic origin of those who died is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average age of those who died in custody between 1979 and 1982; and what was the average age of black prisoners who died in custody over this period.

The readily available information is given in the following table:

Average age of those who died in the custody of prison department establishments in England and Wales: by cause of death
Years	Suicides	Other deaths
1979	34	41
1980	30	43
1981	37	44

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many, and what proportion of, the total numbers of deaths in penal custody between 1979 and 1982 occurred within a week of an adjudication, either before a governor or a board of visitors; and how many, and what proportion, occurred while the prisoner was in the segregation unit, in the prison hospital, or after transfer to an outside hospital.

No information of the type requested could be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which European Economic Community States United Kingdom citizens may vote for elections to the European Parliament.

At the 1979 elections to the European Parliament citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies, if appropriately qualified, could vote in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many probation hostels are currently in use in (a) Wales and (b) England.

On 31 October this year there were two approved probation hostels in Wales and 80 in England. Of the latter, 16 also provided places for people remanded on bail.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will evaluate the consequences in loss of life and damage to the environment of successful attacks with nuclear or conventional weapons on nuclear reprocessing plants and radioactive waste storage facilities resulting in the release and scattering of high level radioactive waste and other nuclear materials;(2) if he will evaluate the consequences in loss of life and damage to the environment of successful attacks with nuclear or conventional weapons on the nuclear power stations in Great Britain resulting in a breach of containment and destruction of the reactor core.

The results of attacks of the kind hypothesised would be severe, but difficult to quantify precisely.A direct hit by a nuclear weapon on a nuclear installation would cause no significant enhancement of blast, heat or initial radiation. Augmentation of fall-out is possible, more severely in the case of attacks on reprocessing plants and highly active waste storage facilities. Since the containment buildings are inherently blast resistant, attacks falling short of a direct hit are less likely to lead to fall-out augmentation. An attack with a large conventional weapon could lead to release of a small fraction of the fission products, but additional radiation casualties would be low.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will declare Mr. Dick Stoffberg, a South African national, a person whose entry to the United Kingdom is not in the public interest.

My right hon. Friend wrote to the hon. Member on 7 November 1982 to say that he was having inquiries made about Mr. Stoffberg; these are continuing. We shall consider what action might be appropriate when they are complete.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue guidelines to police forces on dealing with the problems of abuse of elderly people by their relatives.

Where allegations of criminal activity are reported to the police, appropriate action will be taken. We have no evidence to suggest that the issue of guidance to chief officers on this subject is called for, but if the hon. Member has any specific case in mind we should be willing to consider it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list his powers in relation to inviting persons to attend, or preventing them from attending, the Armistice Day remembrance ceremony and placing wreaths on the Cenotaph at the official ceremony; and how he decides which political parties and their leaders should be granted this opportunity.

Invitations to take part in the ceremony are a matter for my discretion, in which I have followed the practice of successive Home Secretaries in maintaining traditional arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to publish a draft of the civil defence regulations which are currently the subject of a consultative document.

A draft of the civil defence regulations will be available shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been deported in each of the last five years because marriages had not subsisted for a year.

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

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors led to the reduction in the numbers of deportations of illegal immigrants between 1980 and 1982.

The high figures for 1980 reflect the clearance of a backlog of cases of foreign nationals that had been held in abeyance pending court decisions.I regret that incorrect figures for the number of persons removed as illegal immigrants in the first two quarters of 1982 were given in the answer to my hon. Friend's question on 18 November.—[Vol. 32, c.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been as a result of the investigations in the last five years into organised schemes of abuse of marriage rules.

We shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the reason for delay in replying to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury for 28 October about plastic bullets; and if he will publish his reply in the Official Report.

I have written to the hon. Member today and am arranging for copies of my letter to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. I was unable to reply fully earlier, as I would have wished, because other commitments delayed the completion of advice to me on the range of issues involved.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the cost of delivering to each elderly person a postal copy of the Health Education Council's booklet "Winter Warmth" in order to improve measures to reduce the incidence of hypothermia.

The estimated cost of delivering a postal copy of the Health Education Council's booklet "Keeping Warm in Winter" to every person aged 65 and over in the United Kingdom would be about £3 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the adverse representations he has received following the support given by the Family Planning Association to the wider use of the injectable contraceptive Depo Provera; and what is his present policy towards making the drug freely prescribable.

I have received no representations against the wider use of Depo Provera since 30 September 1982 when the Family Planning Association wrote to me.On behalf of the licensing authority I have indicated that I propose to refuse an application for a product licence for the use of this drug as a long-term contraceptive. This proposal is currently the subject of a hearing in public by an independent panel.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will increase the resources available to general practitioners and the community health service in general so that more adequate surveillance of those suffering from diabetes mellitis may be carried out; and if he will consider providing a national service such as that provided for diabetics by the Whittington hospital in London.

No. So far as the general medical services are concerned, the extent of surveillance of their diabetic patients is for individual doctors to decide as an integral part of the care they provide. We have no plans at present to provide additional resources for this purpose. The priority for expenditure on surveillance by the community health services is a matter for local decision by health authorities. I am sure that close links between hospital specialties and family doctors, like those which have been established at the Whittington hospital, have a valuable place in the treatment of diabetic patients. The form of such links is in our view best left to local medical initiative.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make an assessment of the health risks associated with fluorescent lights.

The National Radiological Protection Board is currently reviewing the biological effects of exposure to optical radiation. Although there is evidence that high levels of exposure to natural ultra-violet radiation are an important contributor to the development of some skin cancers, the information available does not indicate any causal relationship between the emission from fluorescent lights and the induction of these cancers. It has also been known for many years that malfunctioning strip lighting can very occasionally precipitate an epileptic attack.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for dundee, West, Official Report, 27 October, c. 435, if he will make a statement on the use of Verapamil and Nifedipine in the treatment of hypertension.

I have apologised to the hon. Member for an error in my reply of 27 October.—[Vol. 29, c. 435.] The product licence for Nifedipine has recently been varied to extend the indications for use to the treatment of hypertension, and that for Verapamil to moderate and renal hypertension.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made with his plans to introduce measures of privatisation into the National Health Service.

Between 1980–81 and 1981–82 the use of outside contractors for support services by health authorities increased from £135 million to £159 million and for contractual arrangements for patient care the increase was from £28·5 million to £31·8 million. I expect a further increase in these figures in the current year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the ratios recommended by his Department for (a) midwives, (b) health visitors and (c) district nurses to local population in a district health authority.

Guidance issued to local health authorities in 1972 suggested that, excluding school nursing, a ratio of one health visitor to 4,600 population was reasonable for some areas, while a ratio of one health visitor to 3,000 population might be desirable in others, for example those with highly developed systems of attachment to general medical practice or with a high immigrant population. For district nursing it was suggested that in some areas an average of one district nurse to 4,000 population might be desirable, while in others with extensive attachment schemes or with a high proportion of elderly or disabled people a ratio of one district nurse to 2,500 population might be indicated. However, this guidance is 10 years old and health authorities need to reassess for themselves what their aims should be.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the number of people in Islington with incomes below supplementary benefit level.

I regret that the information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) when he expects to announce the decision on which districts within the United Kingdom will participate in the European Economic Community network of districts designed to promote the social integration of disabled people; and if he will make a statement;

Discussions on the establishment of the network of district projects are still continuing between the member States and the European Commission. The United Kingdom is likely to have two such projects. The expectation is that member States should submit recommended project areas by the end of January 1983 to the Commission; and that applications for social fund support should be made by April 1983 for the projects to begin in October 1983The Commission's proposed funding arrangements are outlined in its communication of October 1981, (Cmnd (81) 633—"The Social Integration of Disabled People—a Framework for the Development of Community Action") which was broadly endorsed by the Council of Ministers in its resolution of 21 December 1981. This leaves member

	November 1978	November 1978 at November 1981 prices*	November 1981	November 1982
	£	£	£	£
Central heating 1–2 rooms	0·45	0·70
Central heating 3–4 rooms	0·85	1·30	1·65	1·90
Lower rate* heating addition	0·85	1·30
Central heating 5 or more rooms	1·70	2·60	3·30	3·80
Estate rate heatine† 1–4 rooms	—	—	3·30	3·80
Middle rate heating addition‡	1·70	2·60	4·05	4·65
Higher rate heating addition║	2·55	3·85	4·05	4·65
Estate rate heatingt† 5 or more rooms	—	—	6·60	7·60

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which district councils have a greater proportion of elderly residents than York according to the last census figures; and what are the comparable figures for part III accommodation in those districts.

The 1981 census showed that 20·8 per cent. of the usually resident population of York was of pensionable age—men aged 65 or over and women aged 60 or over. The districts in England and Wales with higher proportions are as follows.Part III accommodation is not separately identified in the census. It is included in the broader category, homes for the old and disabled. Of the usually resident population of York, about 0·5 per cent. were residential inmates of pensionable age living in such establishments. The corresponding figures for the other districts are shown in the table.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what special additions for fuel or heating are currently payable to persons drawing supplementary benefit; and how these compare, at constant prices, with those available in November 1978.

The rates of heating addition payable from November 1978, November 1981 and November 1982 are shown in the following table. The rates for November 1978 have been converted to November 1981 prices in line with the increase in the retail prices index over that period and rounded to the nearest 5p. The figures cannot be converted to November 1982 prices until the retail prices index for that month is available. I shall write to the hon. Member then with the revised figures.

	Percentage of usually resident population:
	of pensionable age	of pensionable age and resident in homes for old and disabled
Avon:
Bath	22·6	0·6
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Carrick	23·1	0·6
North Cornwall	22·2	0·5
Penwith	24·1	0·5
Restormel	20·9	0·5
Cumbria:
South Lakeland	23·1	0·5
Devon:
East Devon	30·7	1·0
North Devon	22·3	0·7
South Hams	23·6	0·4
Teignbridge	26·6	1·2

	Percentage of usually resident population:
	of pensionable age	of pensionable age and resident in homes for old and disabled
Torbay	29·2	1·3
Torridge	23·0	0·4
West Devon	21·9	0·8
Dorset:
Bournemouth	30·1	1·3
Christchurch	32·3	0·4
North Dorset	23·2	0·3
Poole	22·7	0·4
West Dorset	25·4	0·5
Wimborne	25·3	0·2
East Sussex:
Brighton	24·3	0·6
Eastbourne	33·5	1·2
Hastings	27·0	1·6
Hove	31·0	1·1
Lewes	25·5	0·6
Rother	35·3	0·9
Wealden	26·5	0·6
Essex:
Southend-on-Sea	24·9	0·8
Tendring	30·2	0·6
Gloucestershire:
Cotswold	21·6	0·4
Outer London:
Richmond-upon-Thames	20·9	0·6
Hampshire:
New Forest	22·7	0·5
Portsmouth	21·0	0·6
Hereford and Worcester:
Leominster	21·0	0·4
Humberside:
East Yorkshire	22·6	0·5
Isle of Wight:
Medina	23·7	0·3
South Wight	29·1	1·2
Kent:
Canterbury	24·7	0·7
Shepway	25·2	0·4
Thanet	28·2	1·1
Lancashire:
Blackpool	25·8	0·7
Fylde	24·9	0·9
Lancaster	24·1	0·5
Wyre	23·9	0·2
Lincolnshire:
East Lindsey	22·3	0·3
Norfolk:
Great Yarmouth	20·9	0·3
North Norfolk	26·5	0·6
Northumberland:
Berwick-upon-Tweed	22·7	0·4
North Yorkshire:
Craven	21·7	0·3
Scarborough	24·9	0·8
Shropshire:
South Shropshire	21·8	0·6
Somerset:
West Somerset	30·2	0·9
Suffolk:
Suffolk Coastal	21·9	0·4
Waveney	22·2	0·5
Surrey:
Epson and Ewell	21·4	0·2
West Sussex:
Adur	24·4	0·5
Arun	32·0	0·8
Chichester	24·0	0·6
Worthing	34·9	1·6
Clwyd:
Colwyn	29·1	1·0
Glyndwr	21·2	0·4

	Percentage of usually resident population:
	of pensionable age	of pensionable age and resident in homes for old and disabled
Rhuddlan	26·8	0·9
Dyfed:
Ceredigion	22·0	0·5
Dinefwr	22·0	0·5
Gwynedd:
Aberconwy	26·9	0·7
Dwyfor	24·6	0·3
Meirionnydd	23·4	0·5
Powys:
Radnor	21·7	0·4

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many hospitals, wards and beds have been (a) closed and (b) opened since May 1979.

From May 1979 to September 1982 closures were approved of 90 hospitals involving 5,100 beds and part closures involving at least 968 beds—information is not available on the number of beds involved in four part closures approved in 1979. Information on the dates closures take place is not available centrally. Since May 1979, 24 major developments involving new beds have reached completion. Information is not available centrally on the dates when the projects were fully commissioned nor on the numbers of beds opened. Information is not available centrally on schemes costing less than £2 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the cost in constant prices of (a) drugs, (b) dressings and appliances and (c) the pharmaceutical services, in family practitioner committee expenditure and in hospital expenditure, respectively, for each financial year since 1971–72.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the average percentage of total National Healh Service expenditure by family practitioner services for the period 1963–64 to 1973–74; and what was its percentage of total National Health Service expenditure for each year since 1973–74.

The information requested, for England only, is as follows:

	Family practitioner services expenditure as percentage of total NHS expenditure Per cent.
1964–65 to 1973–74	24·5
1974–75	21·6
1975–76	20·8

	Family practitioner services expenditure as percentage of total NHS expenditure Per cent.
1976–77	21·1
1977–78	21·4
1978–79	22·3
1979–80	21·8
1980–81	21·2
1981–82	21·6

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the hospital waiting list of those waiting more than one year for each year since 1975.

The numbers of non-urgent cases who, on 30 September of each year, had been waiting over a year for admission to hospitals in England are as follows:

Year	Number
1975	136,085
1976	150,595
1977	147,264
1978	158,308
1979	197,842
1980	187,993
1981	180,905

For 1982 the corresponding figure is not yet available, but the total on 31 March is provisionally estimated at 176,300.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current rank and what are the responsibilities of Dr. Peter Greenfield a civil servant in his Department.

Dr. P. R. Greenfield is a principal medical officer in the Department and his current responsibilities are as deputy to the chief medical adviser, social security. On 1 January 1983 he will become chief medical adviser, social security in the rank of senior principal medical officer.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report the previous appointments of Dr. B. A. Wills, chief pharmacist of his Department.

Prior to his appointment as chief pharmacist of the Department in 1978, Dr. B. A. Wills held the following appointments:

1951/1954: Assistant Lecturer in Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of London.

1954/1957: Lecturer in Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of London.

1957/1962: Head of Research and Control, Allen and Hanburys (Africa) Ltd.

1962/1978: Head of Control Division, Allen and Hanburys Ltd, London.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he proposes to take on the four reports recently submitted by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council.

I can announce today the publication of two reports by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council on "Occupational Deafness", Cmnd. 8749, and "Asbestos Related Diseases without Asbestosis", Cmnd. 8750. We are considering the recommendations contained in these reports very carefully and the Government's response will be announced in due course. We are also considering the council's recommendations on streptococcus suis and extrinsic allergic alveolitis, although, because these reports are short and of limited interest we do not propose that they should be published as Command Papers.

asked the Minister for Trade whether he proposes to transfer to the private sector some of the functions of the Companies Registration Office.

I am not satisfied that all the functions of the Companies Registration Office need to be carried out by a Government Department. I am inviting a number of companies and organisations to put forward their suggestions for taking over certain of the functions either by themselves or by other parties.At the same time my Department is considering what steps would be beneficial for both the user and the taxpayer. Any legislation is unlikely in the present Parliament, but I hope to bring forward proposals as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total number of full-time equivalent students on courses of higher education in 1981–82 in (a) England and (b) Great Britain; and what was the total cost to central and local government of maintenance awards paid to them.

In 1981–82 there were 498,000 full-time equivalent students on courses of higher education in England, and an estimated 611,000 in Great Britain as a whole. These figures exclude the Open University and students on short courses in universities. The total cost to central and local government of maintenance to postgraduates and students in England who received either a mandatory or full-value discretionary award in the financial year 1980–81, the latest year for which information is available, was £494 million. Information on student awards for Scotland is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much money has been allocated for in-service training of teachers to deal with children with special educational needs; whether his Department monitors the use of that money; and if he will make a statement.

The main financial responsibility for in-service training lies with local education authorities. The Department does not monitor their expenditure on in-service training subject by subject.My right hon. Friend intends to introduce in 1983–84 a limited scheme of in-service training grants in certain specified fields. Training of teachers to deal with children with special educational needs may be one of these fields.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will promote a national education programme to warn schoolchildren of the dangers of glue sniffing.

In his speech in the Adjournment debate on 26 October my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead (Mr. Finsberg) the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security set out the action which the Government are already taking. As my hon. Friend said then, representatives of a number of interests, including those concerned with the education service in England, are shortly to be consulted about the scope for further action. We shall be glad to have responses on the ways in which schools might deal with the dangers of solvent abuse within their health education programmes.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will extend the overseas research students awards scheme to the polytechnic sector in 1983–84.

This was one of the recommendations in the study published in June 1982 by the Overseas Student Trust—"A Policy for Overseas Students"—on which the Government will make a statement in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he proposes to announce fee levels for overseas students for 1983–84.

They will be announced as soon as consultations with the University Grants Committee and the Council of Local Education Authorities have been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, pursuant to his reply of 12 November, Official Report, c.274–75, he will set out the priority he accorded to each of the criteria listed in the answer of 9 November, Official Report, c. 118 to the hon. Member for Woolwich, East (Mr. Cartwright) in reaching his decision to close initial teacher training at North Cheshire college, Warrington.

Each of the criteria was important. They were not accorded a relative priority.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many mentally or physically handicapped children in York have applied to the North Yorkshire county council for special provision in education; and how many places have been provided by the council.

This information is not available in the Department, as returns of the number of handicapped pupils and their placement are not collected for areas smaller than those of whole local education authorities. The hon. Member may wish to contact the North Yorkshire local education authority, which may have this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received concerning the imposition of an amenities fee at the University of Hull.

The president of the National Union of Students raised this matter with me when we met on 10 November.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many universities seek to collect an amenity or similar fee from grant-aided and other students.

The information requested is not available in the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will ascertain from the University Grants Committee whether in fixing the grant to Hull university it took into consideration moneys raised from another publicly financed source, namely, amenity and similar fees financed from student grants.

My right hon. Friend understands that it did not.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Department, on deciding upon the new level for student grants, took into consideration the levying of an amenity or similar fees by Hull and other universities.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his Department's policy towards the raising of amenity and similar fees by universities, funded mainly by public funds; and if he will make a statement.

Universities are free to determine their own fees. My right hon. Friend determines the assistance with fees that may be given to students receiving awards. The majority of universities are willing to confine their fees for home students to the assistance available. Where they are not, students are free to take account of this in deciding which universities to apply for. My right hon. Friend would be concerned if fees for which assistance was not available imposed a significant additional burden on students or their families.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with the amount and quality of educational research into the potential advantages or disadvantages of bilingual education; and if he will consider setting up and financing in and for Wales an organisation on the lines of the Scottish Council for Education Research.

These matters are kept under continuing evaluation and review by Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools. My right hon. Friend has no plans to set up an education research organisation for Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will increase the level of financial support to educational researchers to a comparable level to that pertaining in Scotland and England.

I shall continue to keep under review the level of such support, which compares well with the overall level for Great Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many secondary schools in each education authority area in Wales have sixth forms of fewer than 20 pupils; how many have between 21 and 50 pupils; and whether his Department makes recommendations as to the minimum size of sixth forms.

There are no schools with sixth forms of fewer than 20; those with between 20 and 50 pupils are shown as follows:

Number of schools having sixth forms with*
	Between 20 and 50 Pupils
Clwyd	2
Dyfed	4
Gwent	1
Gwynedd	5
Mid Glamorgan	3
Powys	5
South Glamorgan	4
West Glamorgan	—

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the prospects for the Welsh economy for 1983.

Economic and employment prospects within Wales will benefit, in line with the rest of Great Britain, from the steady progress in reducing inflation and providing a secure basis for expansion. Recent decisions, such as reduction in the national insurance surcharge, and the end of the deferment of payment of regional development grant will be of particular benefit to the Welsh economy, while the process of investment in providing and developing necessary infrastructure will continue to strengthen the economic base.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if the Development Board for Rural Wales has made any proposals to him for the building of an advance factory in Aberaeron; and if he will make a statement.

There is no current proposal before me for consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the annual grant-in-aid to the National Museum of Wales for the years 1979–80, 1980–81 and 1981–82; and how much is for purchases.

The annual grant-in-aid to the National Museum of Wales was £4,095,000 in 1979–80, £4,980,000 in 1980–81 and £5,787,000 in 1981–82. Of these amounts the amounts designated for purchases were £598,000, £778,000 and £877,000, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost of the purchase of the Rubens cartoons by the National Museum of Wales; and how much of it was grant aided by his Department.

It was a condition of the purchase that the price should not be divulged. The purchase was financed almost entirely from grant resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he was consulted by the National Museum of Wales before it purchased the Rubens cartoons; when such consultation took place; and for what purpose.

No. During my period in office the then permanent secretary of the Department was informed by the director in June 1979 that the museum had decided to purchase the cartoons. In so informing him the director requested a special grant towards the purchase, but this was refused.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will place in the Library correspondence between himself, his Office and the National Museum of Wales regarding the purchase of the Rubens cartoons.

I am considering the matter and I shall write to the right hon. and learned Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what machinery exists for his Department to obtain artistic advice when purchases of valuable works of art are made by the National Museum of Wales and the National Library of Wales.

None. It is for the museum and library authorities to obtain any artistic advice considered necessary when such acquisitions are made.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the responsibility of his Department when purchases of works of art at substantial cost are made by the National Museum of Wales and the National Library of Wales.

Decisions on individual purchases are a matter for the institution concerned. The responsibility of my Department is in setting the amount of annual purchase grant and ensuring that the institutions have adequate internal financial procedures.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of persons registered as unemployed had been unemployed for more than two years in each employment office area in West Glamorgan in October 1979 and October 1982.

The information is as follows:

Employment Office Area	October 1979 (per cent.)	October 1982 (per cent.)
Cymmer	14·9	26·9
Gorseinon	10·8	11·9
Morriston	8·8	11·8
Neath	6·8	13·9
Pontardawe	9·7	15·4
Port Talbot	10·5	17·6
Resolven	11·7	13·5
Swansea	12·2	20·0
Ystradgynlais	7·8	15·1

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many sales of National Health Service property there have been in Wales between April 1979 and April 1982; and if he will list the properties sold, the prices paid for each and the names of the buyers.

Forty-one. Details are as follows. It is not my normal practice to disclose individual prices or purchasers because such information is regarded as confidential.

Health Authority	Property/Land	Price
		£
Clwyd
	"Hendre", North Wales Hospital,
	Denbigh
	Land at Strathalyn Bungalow
	Land at Abergele Hospital	121,700
	Land at Saltney Clinic
	Land at Rossett
	Land at Penley HospitalHospital
East Dyfed	Glasfryn Hospital	20,500
	Trimsaron Ambulance Station
Pembrokeshire	Park Street Health Centre	See above

Health Authority	Property/Land	Price
		£
Gwent	Land at Pen y Fal Hospital
	Freehold of "The Ridgeway"
	Abertillery
	Land at St. Cadoc's Hospital,
	Caerleon
	Maindiff Court Lodge
	Lydia Beynon Hospital
	Land at St. James Hospital,
	Tredegar	498,887
	Skirrid Cottage, Abergavenny
	Snatchwood House Hospital,
	Pontypool
	Vale Terrace Ambulance Station,
	Tredegar
	Blaenavon Hospital
	Llanfrechfa Hospital
Gwynedd	Bryn Meurig, Dolgellau
	Isallt Health Clinic, Blaenau
	Ffestiniog	78,100
	Plas Uchaf,
	Abergele
Mid Glamorgan	Land at Parc Hospital, Bridgend Abertysswg Hospital
	Pencoed Ambulance Station
	Lloantrisant Ambulance Station	41,339
	Land at East Glamorgan Hospital
	Canonbie Clinic, Aberfan
	Glannant House, Porth
	Powys Land at Bronllys Hospital
	Pontywal Lane Cottage, Brecon	21,000
South	Land at Prince of Wales Hospital,
Glamorgan	Rhydlafar
	19 The Walk,	110,000
	Cardiff
	Land at Galn Ely
West	Small area of land at Llwynderw
Glamorgan	Annex
	Llwynderw Annexe, Swansea	108,750
	2 small areas of land at West Cross
	Clinic, Swansea