asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her public engagements for 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 December.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.

asked the Prime Minister when she next plans to visit the United States of America.

asked the Prime Minister when she next plans to visit the United States of America.

asked the Prime Minister when she next plans to visit the United States of America.

asked the Prime Minister when she next plans to visit the United States of America.

On present plans, at the next economic summit in May 1983.

asked the Prime Minister to what extent inflation has had a redistributive effect on income during the last four years.

This information is not available. However, the substantial reduction of the level of inflation under the present Government can only have benefited the recipients of fixed incomes.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the number of girls studying mathematics and sciences at "A" level.

The proportion of girls among the candidates for A-level examinations in science subjects and mathematics has been increasing, but they still represent only 30 per cent. of A-level candidates in mathematics, 21 per cent. in physics and 34 per cent. in chemistry. We hope that more girls with an aptitude for mathematics and science will take advantage of the opportunities open to them, and there are a number of current national and local initiatives designed to encourage girls to continue studying mathematics and science and to improve their performance in these subjects.

asked the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to the Royal Marsden breast cancer screening clinic.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Southport.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister when she last visited Scotland.

On 26 and 27 November.

asked the Prime Minister by what date she aims to achieve a new long-term formula for the United Kingdom net contribution to the European Economic Community budget.

It may take some time to secure agreement to a satisfactory reform of the Community's budgetary system. Until then, the Government will insist on adequate refunds under the existing system.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the current level of unemployment amongst young people.

About 263,000 young people under the age of 18 are currently unemployed.The Government's special measures programme is directed particularly at this age group. From September 1983 no 16-year-old school leaver need be unemployed, since those unable to find work will be offered either continued education or a place on the youth training scheme. The resources available for the scheme should also be sufficient to cover all unemployed 17-year-old school leavers.The creation of more jobs will in large part depend on increasing the competitiveness of British industry.

asked the Prime Minister if she will visit the Avenham area of Preston.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister how many hon. Members she has seen to discuss factory closures since she last answered oral questions; and how many job losses were involved.

I have had no such meetings since 2 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to pay an official visit to Turkey.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will set up a working party of City institutions and Ministers to discuss improved methods of encouraging small shareholders to increase their equity stake in British industry and commerce.

No. I see no need to formalise, and so limit, the extensive and wide-ranging contacts which now exist between the institutions and Government. This Government believe that small shareholders make a very valuable contribution to British industry and commerce. The importance which we attach to the continued enlargement of their role has been made clear by the steps we have already taken, particularly through the business start-up scheme and the improved arrangements for profit-sharing and share-option schemes.

asked the Prime Minister whether the unit supporting the Chief Scientist, Central Policy Review Staff, referred to in the Government observations on the first report of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology in Session 1981–82 (Cmnd. 8591) has yet been established; how many posts it contains; and what is the total annual cost to public funds.

Staff to establish the unit have been selected and will take up post early in 1983. The unit will have a staff of six, including two existing posts transferred from within the Cabinet Secretariat. The estimated cost of the four new posts and two new supporting secretarial posts is about £160,000 a year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fitness-to-plead reports were prepared in 1981 on women and men, respectively; and, of these, how many were prepared on bail and how many in custody.

The issue of an accused person's fitness-to-plead will normally be considered in any pretrial psychiatric report. We have no information about the number of reports in which it is suggested that the accused is unfit to plead.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pre-trial reports were prepared during 1981 under section 10 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 on women and men, respectively; and, of these, how many were prepared on bail and how many in custody.

The Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 makes no provision for pre-trial reports. Section 10(3) empowers a court to adjourn after convicting an accused for the purpose of enabling enquiries to be made or of determining the most suitable method of dealing with the case. Information held centrally does not distinguish cases where that power is used from those where the court otherwise adjourns a case after convicting but before sentencing the accused; nor does it record cases where the adjournment was for the purpose of obtaining reports on the accused.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if any of the 16 diplomats alleged to have committed theft offences are still in the United Kingdom;(2) if

Five of the persons entitled to claim diplomatic immunity who are suspected of involvement in offences against the Theft Act 1968 have left the United Kingdom and a further three are in the process of leaving. The one person suspected of a sexual offence has also left; otherwise the persons concerned remain.The legal description of the offences alleged are:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the additional conditions attaching to the right of entry of the spouse of a female British citizen born in the United Kingdom or with a parent born in the United Kingdom against that of the spouse of a similar male.

The conditions under which husbands are at present allowed to enter this country are set out in paragraph 50 of the "Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules" (HC 394) which was laid before Parliament on 20 February 1980. Paragraphs 42–45 deal with the entry of wives. The entry of husbands is subject to specific tests designed to assess the motives of the applicant and the nature of the relationship between the parties, and admission is for a limited period only in the first instance. Wives are not subject to similar tests, although their admission, like that of all passengers, is subject to the general considerations in paragraphs 67–69, and they are accepted for settlement on arrival. It is also a condition of entry of a wife that the sponsor must be able and willing to maintain and accommodate her without recourse to public funds, unless he is a Commonwealth citizen who has the right of abode or was settled in the United Kingdom on the coming into force of the Immigration Act 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints he has received over abuses of citizens band radio; and whether he proposes to take action in this connection.

Many complaints have been received by my Department and British Telecom's radio interference service, but the total number could be ascertained only at disproportionate cost. Within the limitations imposed by other heavy demands upon their resources, the radio interference service has been instructed to investigate breaches of the CB licence conditions. Additionally, we are seeking to strengthen the enforcement provisions of Wireless Telegraphy Legislation in the Telecommunications Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total of licences for citizens band radio now issued; and what is his estimate of the number of sets now operating in the United Kingdom.

By 29 October some 350,000 CB radio licences had been issued. We have no reliable information on which to base an estimate of the number of sets in use.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress towards agreement for a common European citizens band frequency; and what frequency, mode and power is proposed.

A committee of the Conference of European Posts and Telecommunications Administrations is considering a draft recommendation on 27 MHz citizens band radio equipment. The current proposals are for a service operating in the frequency band 26·960 MHz to 27·410 MHz. The service contemplated would use only frequency or phase modulation and a maximum power of 4 watts.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from foreign embassies in London or what information is available to him from United Kingdom consular or diplomatic sources abroad concerning the activities of and reports made by representatives of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals visiting overseas countries; and whether he will make a statement.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what wording concerning nationality and citizenship will be contained in the passports of citizens of British dependent territories from 1 January 1983.

Passports issued to British dependent territories citizens from 1 January 1983 will have entered on page one against "National Status/Nationalite" the following:BritishBritish Dependent Territories CitizenThe name of the dependent territory with which the holder of the passport is connected will normally be entered in the third line.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision was taken over the expulsion of the Soviet naval attaché, Captain Anatoli Pavlovich Zotov; and what were the reasons for the delay in making a public announcement.

The Soviet charge d'affaires was requested on 1 December to arrange for the departure of the naval attaché at the Soviet Embassy, Captain A P Zotov, within seven days. It is our usual practice in instances of this kind to take an early and appropriate opportunity to make an announcement at or around the time of departure of the individual concerned.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what steps the Civil Service is taking to promote equal opportunities in its employment; and what consideration is given to the requirements of ethnic minorities.

The Civil Service has a policy of equal opportunity which provides that all eligible persons shall have equal opportunity for employment and advancement on the basis of their ability, qualifications and fitness for the work.As the hon. Member may know, a joint review group was set up in 1980 to review the development of employment opportunities for women in the Civil Service. The review group has now completed its work and its report, entitled "Equal Opportunities for Women in the Civil Service" will be published on 16 December by Her Majesty's Stationery Office. In addition, volume 1 of the report on the pilot ethnic survey of some civil servants in Leeds was published on 29 November. Volume 2 of this report, covering the ethnic survey of applicants for Civil Service posts in Leeds, will be published early in 1983. The implications of the survey will be considered once the results of the job applicant part of the survey are known. At the same time a service-wide review of the impact of personnel policies and procedures on members of the ethnic minorities is being undertaken. A report on this will be available in spring 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to the reply of 23 November, Official Report, c. 438, to the hon. Member for Eton and Slough, if he will set out the principal reasons for benefit disallowances for the 19 women and 17 men during the pilot trial of the initial availability for work test.

The independent adjudicating authorities are not required by law to give reasons for their decisions. However, it is possible to give the reasons why the benefit office staff decided to refer these cases to the independent adjudicating authorities. Those involving restricted availability were dealt with in the light of specialist advice from jobcentres.

WOMEN (19 cases): Eight stated they were not prepared to accept work at all. Eleven wanted part-time work, but in the opinion of the jobcentre they had no reasonable prospects of employment in view of the hours and type of work required and their previous experience.

MEN (17 cases): Eleven stated they were not prepared to accept any type of work. Six were restricting either the hours or place of employment to such an extent that in the opinion of the jobcentre they had no reasonable prospects of a job.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the projects in the United Kingdom which received money from the European social fund in 1980 and 1981 under the women's training projects heading of the social fund.

The following schemes of training exclusively for women aged over 25 years were assisted by the fund in 1980 and 1981:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will ensure that participation in the job-splitting scheme will be purely voluntary and that no unemployed person will be denied benefit if they refuse the offer of a shared post.

It is the Government's intention that participation in the scheme will be voluntary. The operation of the scheme will not interfere with the normal qualifying conditions for the receipt of benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what arrangements will be made to enable older workers to participate in the job-splitting scheme without prejudice to their occupational pension entitlement.

Occupational pension schemes are set up voluntarily by employers.I hope that employers participating in the scheme will devise arrangements whereby occupational pension rights already accrued would not be prejudiced.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is satisfied that by limiting access for the unemployed to the scheme to those in receipt of benefits he is not excluding people who might welcome a job-sharing arrangement, particularly those women who are seeking part-time work but who do not register as unemployed because they are ineligible for benefit.

It is our intention that the job-splitting scheme should be broadly self-financing, with its costs being offset by savings in benefits which would otherwise be paid. For this reason access for the unemployed will be limited to those in receipt of benefit. I recognise that some people interested in part-time work will be ineligible under the scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will raise the qualifying hours for receipt of a job-splitting grant from 15 to 16 so as to ensure employment protection for all the participants.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will ensure that participants in the job-splitting scheme will be entitled to pay and other negotiated benefits on a pro rata basis to their full-time counterparts.

The terms and conditions of employment of people taking part-time jobs under the scheme will be a matter for negotiation between employers and employees, in the normal way.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether the Rayner review of the work permit system has been completed; and if he will make a statement.

The review has been completed and the report of the study team together with an action document giving the response to their recommendations have been placed in the Libraries. The recommendation by the study team that employers should be charged for each application submitted for a work permit has been accepted in principle and will be implemented as soon as a suitable legislative vehicle is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will set out a table showing the numbers of registered unemployed women in England by regions based on the old and new method of compilations.

The information requested can be found in respect of October 1981 to October 1982 in the tables placed in the Library in answer to the question by the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr. Strang) on 3 December 1982.—[Vol. 33, c. 321–22.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the expenditure on supplementary benefit in Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and the English regions in £ million and per head of the population in the most recent year for which figures are available.

The information is as follows.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what minimum and maximum social services payments are payable to an unemployed man with a wife and four children of school age, with a mortgage of £25,000 together with the normal assistance towards the payments of the general and water rates of £500 per annum; and if he will list child allowances additionally to the normal welfare and supplementary benefits payable.

There are no minimum or maximum rates of supplementary benefit. Claimants' entitlements depend on their individual circumstances.The supplementary benefit scale rate for children aged under 11 is £8·75 and for children aged 13 to 15 is £13·15. Supplementary benefit claimants will normally receive child benefit and may also receive child dependency additions payable with other social security benefits, but they will be taken fully into account in calculating entitlement to supplementary benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why his Department includes as a resource to the claimant for supplementary benefit purpose the amounts deducted in lieu of income tax from job release payments.

Under the Supplementary Benefit (Resources) Regulation 1981 only the net amount of a job release allowance from which income tax has been deducted falls to be be taken into account as an income resource. If the hon. Member knows of a particular case in which difficulties have arisen, perhaps he will let me have details.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will bring forward proposals to amend Regulation 23 of the Supplementary Benefit Single Payment Regulations in order to avoid discrimination against women in respect of the items of working clothes and footwear for which payments may be made.

I have no reason to believe that the present regulation operates in a discriminatory manner, but if the hon. Member has a particular difficulty in mind, perhaps he will let me know.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of single payments to those on supplementary benefit has, in the most recent convenient period, been paid in respect of maternity; and what has been the total sum paid out in single payments for maternity leave for this period.

Information from the annual statistical inquiry carried out in December 1981 is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the average annual numbers of ancillary staff employed in the National Health Service for each year since 1972.

The numbers of ancillary staff, together with the whole-time equivalents, employed in the National Health Service in England at 30 September in each year were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many doctors from each of the member States of the European Community have taken posts in Great Britain during each of the last three years for which figures are available; how many British doctors have taken posts in those countries during the same period; and how many European doctors have failed to pass the test of language competence since its introduction.

Information on the lines requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the preventive schemes, such as screening for hormone originated cancers, which his Department is presently researching for cost-effectiveness, in order to expedite and expand the general availability of frequent and regular screening.

The only national screening scheme which is being researched for cost-effectiveness is embodied in the trials for the early detection of breast cancer taking place in Guildford, Huddersfield, Nottingham and Edinburgh.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to prevent wastage of vaccine through the avoidance of distributing multi-dose packs of vaccine which have to be discarded after only a fraction has been used within the time limit recommended.

The use of single-dose containers for vaccines is recommended in the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's booklet "Immunisation Against Infectious Disease', which was published by the Health Departments in May 1982 and circulated to the medical and nursing professions. Manufacturers are moving progressively in this direction. Doctors have been asked to organise their vaccination sessions so that maximum use is made of vaccine from multi-dose containers, by arranging to vaccinate a number of persons at each session.

asked the Secretary of Stale for Social Services why he has not implemented the recommendations of the committee on gynaecological cytology to reduce the age at which cervical screening should start to 22 years.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Silvester) on 26 October 1982.—[Vol. 29, c. 386.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the Barclay report on the role of social workers in the community, and what recommendations of that report he plans to implement.

At this stage there is nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Huckfield) on 26 October.—[Vol. 29, c. 375–76.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the savings in 1983–84 and in a full year if the non-householder's housing addition were abolished.

If the non-householder's housing addition were abolished at the November 1983 uprating the saving in the 1983–84 financial year would be £41 million. In a full year it would be £113 million. These estimates are based on 1982–83 rates of benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of 2-year-olds, 5-year-olds and 10-year-olds have been immunised against poliomyelitis; and if he has any plans to encourage parents of unvaccinated children to have them vaccinated.

By the end of 1981 an estimated 82 per cent. of 2 and 5-year-olds and an estimated 87 per cent. of 10-year-olds in England and Wales had completed courses of immunisation against poliomyelitis, the higher percentage of 10-year-olds being largely attributable to immunisation after school entry. In view of this high level of protection and the rarity of cases in England and Wales, I see no need for special measures in relation to immunisation uptake.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why he has not agreed to the request from the community psychiatric nurses to be represented by a statutory standing committee.

We have received no requests to set up a statutory committee to represent community psychiatric nurses. Apart from the committees for finance, midwifery and health visiting which have to be set up under the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1979, we have been guided by the views of the United Kingdom Central Council and the English National Board for Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors as to the committees to be established.The English National Board has decided to set up two non-statutory committees, one for mental health nursing and one for mental handicap nursing. These are to remain in being until the elected board takes over from the present board in September 1983. We would prefer decisions on other requests for committees to be taken by the elected board.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many young people are currently placed in (a) voluntary community homes with education and (b) local authority community homes with education (i) nationally, (ii) on Merseyside and (iii) from the Ormskirk constituency.

The numbers of children in community homes in England and on Merseyside with educational facilities on the premises on 31 March 1981 are given in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how long each of the 15 patients at Rampton who is waiting for a transfer to a National Health Service hospital has been waiting; and what is the sex of each.

Fifteen patients have been waiting for periods of over four years as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how long the patient at Broadmoor who has been waiting for over four years for a transfer to a National Health Service hospital has been waiting; for what reasons the patient has been waiting; in which area a place is not able to be found for the patient; and what is the patient's sex.

This is an elderly female patient who was recommended for transfer in January 1978. Efforts have been made to find a bed for her in an NHS hospital within the North-West Thames region. Although she no longer requires special security, she is considered to be a serious danger to children. She requires a degree of security appropriate to her circumstances, without close confinement, which would be greater than can be readily provided in an open hospital.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many representations he has received from family practitioner committees for greater financial assistance to meet and monitor the increase in demands upon the primary care services.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why cigarettes sold in duty-free shops on British ships or at British airports are not covered by the voluntary agreement with the manufacturers regarding health warnings on packets.

Such cigarettes are not necessarily manufactured or marketed by the companies which are party to the voluntary agreement.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when it is planned to publish the regulations which will define the "nominated breadwinner" for the purposes of that part of the EEC directive on equal treatment in matters of social security between men and women which the Government intend to make effective from 1983.

My right hon. Friend hopes to refer draft regulations giving effect to our proposals for introducing equal treatment in the supplementary benefit scheme to the Social Security Advisory Committee, under the normal consultation procedures, in the spring of 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether progress is being made towards providing family medical practitioners with a computerised system of drug surveillance and drug side-effect monitoring; and whether such a system could eventually replace the yellow card system now being used.

The yellow card system of drug surveillance is itself partly computerised as the information submitted on the yellow cards is held and analysed on a computer in our Department.Experiments are taking place with more fully computerised systems, where practitioners may communicate directly with the computer through a Viewdata system using a modified TV set. These systems are used at present to disseminate information to the practitioners, but it is possible to incorporate the means whereby the doctor could also report information to the computer system via the TV set.We are also considering, together with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry, an application for support, under the Information Technology Year scheme, for a computer system which would include drug surveillance and monitoring and, eventually, two-way communication with the doctors.These experiments and proposals are designed to work in parallel with the yellow card system. The costs and benefits of introducing any such computer system on a larger scale would have to be thoroughly analysed and assessed before the yellow card system could be totally replaced as the hon. Member suggests.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Barking (Miss Richardson) on 5 July, Official Report, c. 25, if he will give further details of his Department's monitoring of the administrative arrangements for dealing with housewives' non-contributory invalidity pension claims;(2) pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Barking (Miss Richardson) on 5 July,

The administrative arrangements and the working of the rules in relation to housewives' noncontributory invalidity pension are monitored by means of management checks and scrutiny and audit of awards. The decisions of the adjudicating authorities are also subject to an independent check. In addition, the Department keeps procedures and instructions to staff under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, pursuant to his reply to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South, on 12 July, Official Report, c. 295, he will give the basis of his estimate that the gross cost of abolishing the household duties test was made up of (a) 240,000 additional non-contributory invalidity pension beneficiaries and (b) 140,000 child dependants.

The sources for the estimate were routine incapacity statistics and the survey "Handicapped and Impaired in Great Britain" by Amelia Harris published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office in 1971. I shall write to the right hon. Member giving details of the assumptions involved.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent South, on 12 July, Official Report, c. 295, what are the reasons for the difference between the estimate given by his Department to the National Insurance Advisory Committee that the cost of abolishing the household duties test would be £168 million—Cmnd. 7955, paragraph 44—and the estimate of £275 million in his reply on 12 July.

The figure of £168 million was the estimated net cost of paying 240,000 women noncontributory invalidity pension at the November 1979 rate of £14 a week, less an amount of savings from other social security benefits. The figure of £275 million was the estimated gross cost of paying 240,000 women noncontributory invalidity pension at the November 1981 rate of £17·75 a week and paying 140,000 child dependency additions at £7·70 a week. As I explained in my reply to the right hon. Member on 12 July—[Vol. 27, c. 295]—estimated savings from national insurance dependency additions would reduce the figure of £275 million to £250 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the current costs, expressed as a percentage of total expenditure on the benefit, of administering (a) non-contributory invalidity pension and (b) housewives' non-contributory invalidity pension.

The estimated cost in 1982–83 of administering non-contributory invalidity pension and housewives' non-contributory invalidity pension is of the order of £7 million, which is about 5 per cent. of total benefit expenditure. No reliable apportionment of actual administration costs between non-contributory invalidity pension and housewives' non-contributory invalidity pension is available. I shall, however, write to the right hon. Member in more detail on the subject of administration costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of women refused housewives' non-contributory invalidity pension on medical grounds have appealed to a National Insurance local tribunal in each of the past five years, expressed as a percentage of (a) all housewives' non-contributory invalidity pension applicants in that year and (b) all unsuccessful housewives' non-contributory invalidity pension applicants in that year.

Because of the special administrative arrangements that were made when the benefit was first introduced in November 1977 figures are not readily available for that year. Nor is it possible to separate claims disallowed on medical grounds from those disallowed on other grounds.The available information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of appeals against refusal of housewives' non-contributory invalidity pension are heard by national insurance local tribunals which (a) include at least one woman member and (b) are in premises which are inaccessible to a wheelchair user.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of housewives' non-contributory invalidity pension applicants are examined by a general practitioner in their homes.

It is estimated that some 93 per cent. of all applicants for housewives' non-contributory invalidity pension currently have a medical examination. In every case the doctor is asked to conduct the examination in the applicant's own home. Claims are decided without medical examination when the applicant is receiving the higher rate of attendance allowance or is a long-stay hospital patient.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of all applicants for housewives' non-contributory invalidity pension during the first six months of 1982 gave up some form of paid employment (a) during the six months preceding their application, (b) between six and 12 months before their application, (c) between one and two years before their application, (d) between two and five years before their application and (e) between five and 10 years before their application.

The information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total remuneration paid for each year since 1971·72, including estimated figures for 1982–83, to each of the following National Health Service contractors in England and Wales (a) doctors, (b) dentists, (c) chemists, (d) ophthalmic opticians and (e) dispensing opticians.

The information on the gross fees and allowances paid to NHS contractors in England and Wales is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends to implement in full section 64 of the Children Act 1975; and if he will make a statement.

Section 64 of the 1975 Act introduces new sections 32A and 32B into to Children and young Persons Act 1969. Section 32A(2), (3), (4) and (5), and section 32B(1) and (3) are already in force.Urgent consideration is being given to the arrangements necessary for further implementation to the extent required to make parents eligible for legally aided representation when an order is made under section 32A(1). It is not possible to say when section 64 will be fully implemented, since the provisions introducing section 32B(2), about the appointment of guardians ad litem, have resource implications for local authorities and the probation service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Social Services if he will provide figures indicating the value of excess profits recovered from pharmaceutical manufacturers under the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme in each of the last five years.

The sums in question were:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Caernarvon (Mr. Wrigley), Official Report, 18 November, c. 281, if he will list minimum pension entitlement in each European Economic Community member State and in Sweden, Norway and Switzerland; and if he will relate the figures either to average earnings, or to per capita gross domestic product in each country.

[pursuant to his reply, 29 November 1982, c. 86.]: The concept of a minimum pension entitlement is not incorporated into the insurance scheme of the United Kingdom nor, as far as I am aware, that of some others of the countries inquired about. I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly with such information as I have.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what changes are being made to the Government's guarantee for International Computers Ltd.

The present arrangements consist of a guarantee of £150 million of overdraft facilities and £50 million of redeemable preference shares held by ICL's principal banks. ICL has now announced its intention of redeeming a first tranche of £20 million of preference shares on 5 April 1983, and the remainder in three equal tranches of £10 million each on 31 March in each of the three following years. Within the overall limits of the total tapering guarantee to IC1, which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced to the House on 27 November 1981, the Government will therefore be guaranteeing £30 million of preference shares in 1983–84, £20 million in 1984–85, and £10 million in 1985–86.The rights issue which ICL has announced, together with the encouraging return to profit in the company's results for 1981–82, will further strengthen ICL's finances and reduce the extent to which the guarantee in respect of loans may have to be used. ICL reported that at 31 March and 30 September 1982 there was no recourse to the guarantee other than in respect of preference shares; ICL has made use of the loan guarantee at some times in its past financial year, but to a relatively small extent.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) if he will initiate an inquiry into the reasons why the percentage investment from Japan to the European Economic Community which came to the United Kingdom has fallen since 1 January 1973;(2) what was the percentage of Japanese direct investment in the European Economic Community which took place in the United Kingdom in 1981; and when the percentage of European Economic Community direct investment by Japan in the United Kingdom was last at its current percentage level.