asked the Minister for Trade on how many occasions since the passage of the Fair Trading Act 1976 the Secretary of State has made a reference to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission of a merger contrary to the advice of the Director General of Fair Trading; and on how many occasions that difference of opinion has been made public.

I cannot answer for previous Governments. During this Administration one merger has been referred to the commission contrary to the advice of the director general; the difference of opinion was made public. There have also been three occasions on which the Secretary of State decided, contrary to the director

Programme/Body	Grants 1981–82	Provision 1982–83	Powers under which grants made
	£	£
Export Promotion
Simplification of International Trade Procedures Board	536,000	605,000	Appropriation Act
Sino British Trade Council	118,000	125,000	Appropriation Act
East European Trade Council	75,000	90,000	Appropriation Act
Committee for Middle East Trade	71,000	81,000	Appropriation Act
British Overseas Trade Group for Israel	43,000	46,000	Appropriation Act
Latin American Trade Advisory Group	26,000	53,000	Appropriation Act
Assistance to other non-official trade organizations	355,000	465,000	Appropriation Act
Regulation of Trading Practices and Consumer Protection
National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux	4,913,000	5,757,000	Competition Act 1980
National Consumer Council	1,086,000	1,261,000	Competition Act 1980
National Federation of Consumer Groups	11,000	10,000	Competition Act 1980
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents	52,000	67,000	Competition Act 1980
Standards
British Standards Institute	2,820,000	3,300,000	Competition Act 1980

The following statutory bodies for which my Department is responsible make grants to various organisations within their areas of responsibility. A detailed list of the individual grants could not be compiled without disproportionate cost.

Programme/Body	Powers under which grants made
Promotion of Tourism
English Tourist Board	Development of Tourism Act 1969
Regulation of Trade Practices Consumer Protection
Nationalised Industry Consumer Councils:
Domestic Coal Consumer Council	Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946
Electricity Consultative Council	Electricity Act 1947 as amended
Gas Consumers' Council	Gas Act 1972 as amended

asked the Minister for Trade if he will now issue an order under the Consumer Safety Act 1978 prohibiting the sale of plastic erasers in the form of imitation sweets; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for East Grinstead (Sir G. Johnson Smith) on 8 November.—[Vol. 31, c. 28–9.]

asked the Minister for Trade if he will list all non-statutory bodies to which his Department has made grants for 1981–82 and 1982–83 showing the name of the organisation, the amount of grant and the powers under which the grant is made; and if he will give similar information for grant-aid by other statutory bodies for which his Department is responsible.

Details of the grants made by my Department to non-statutory bodies in 1981–82, the financial provision that has been made for such grants in 1982–83, and the powers under which the grants are made are as follows:

Programme/Body	Powers under which grants made
Post Office User's National Council	Post Office Act 1969
Transport User's Consultative Committee	Transport Act 1962 as amended

asked the Minister for Trade if he will visit the Republic of South Africa in order to promote British trade; and if he will make a statement.

I have no present plans to visit South Africa. Our trading relations with South Africa are, however, important to us.

asked the Minister for Trade what are the current major items of trade between the United Kingdom and the Republic of South Africa; and what are their individual values.

The latest information is available in tables II and V of the Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom for October 1982, a copy of which is in the Library.

asked the Minister for Trade whether he will consider legislation to require unincorporated associations which receive political donations under section 19 of the Companies Act 1967 and transmit these to political parties or other persons or organisations to publish accounts showing the sources and destination of the political donations they receive.

No.

asked the Minister for Trade if he will publish the latest figures for the value of British exports to Hong Kong and comparable figures for other significant markets in the region.

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

asked the Minister for Trade (1) whether he is satisfied with the working of section 319(1) of the Companies Act 1948; and if he will make a statement;(2) on how many occasions in each of the last 10 years local authorities, under the terms of section 319(1) of the Companies Act 1948, have been responsible for winding up companies by claiming priority payments of rates; and if he will make a statement;(3) whether he will bring forward proposals to amend section 319(2) of the Companies Act 1948 whereby in a winding-up there shall be paid all local rates from the company in priority to all other debts.

No particular difficulties have been experienced in the working of the provisions of section 319(1) of the Companies Act 1948. However, the insolvency law review committee has recently made detailed recommendations for fundamental changes in the categories of debts—including unpaid local rates—entitled to priority in an insolvency administration. As indicated in my reply to the hon. Member on 6 December 1982, c. 575, the Government will make an announcement on the recommendations as soon as possible, but I am still waiting for replies from several major bodies which have been consulted.I regret that the information as to the number of local authorities which have been responsible for winding up companies in each of the last 10 years is not readily available and could be ascertained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Minister for Trade what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the provision of export credit guarantee finance for trade with Nicaragua.

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

asked the Minister for Trade what response he has received to the Green Paper "A New Form of Incorporation for Small Firms"; whether he now intends to introduce legislation creating a new corporate entity; and if he will make a statement.

The Green Paper aroused considerable interest and replies continued to come in well after the closing date. Opinion was fairly evenly divided as to whether a new form of incorporation was required for the generality of small businesses, but there was more support for some form of incorporated partnership with unlimited liability for use by professional firms.These comments are still being considered.

asked the Minister for Trade if he will establish and promulgate safety standards for the headgear of horse-riders.

There is already a British Standard for protective headgear for horse and pony riders—BS3686: 1983—which is currently being revised to provide a higher level of protection to users. When ready, the revised standard will be published by the British Standards Institution.

asked the Minister for Trade what is the current balance of trade.

The visible trade account and current account of the balance of payments were in surplus by £849 million and £2,625 million respectively in the first three quarters of 1982.

asked the Minister for Trade (1) if he is satisfied with the structure of consumer complaints bodies for airlines and airports, respectively; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will introduce proposals to include complaints in respect of airports in the terms of reference of the air transport users committee.

I am satisfied with the effectiveness of the present arrangements for dealing with the complaints of air travellers, whereby the air transport users committee represents the interests of air transport users, while working closely with the airport consultative committees which represent those of airport users. It is relevant that the chairman of the air transport users committee has advised my right hon. and noble Friend that it would not be practical for a single committee to cover all aspects of air travel.

asked the Minister for Trade if, in view of its consumer role, he will arrange for the air transport users committee to be financed by voted expenditure separate from that for the Civil Aviation Authority.

No. I am not aware that the present arrangements cause any problems.

asked the Minister for Trade how many prosecutions have been brought against cinema exhibitors who have failed to show the required percentage of British or EEC films under the films quota regulations in each of the last five years; and what percentage of exhibitors this represents in each case.

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

asked the Minister for Trade what are the main details of the agreement on the rationalisation of the Anglo-Soviet liner trade which was reached in Moscow in November; and in what specific ways it benefits the United Kingdom.

The main elements in the commercial agreement reached between the British shipping company—United Baltic Corporation—and its main Soviet counterparts during the annual meeting of the Anglo-Soviet Maritime Commission were as follows:

1. the joint liner service between Hull and Leningrad will be catered for in the main by one Russian vessel;

2. the joint container service between Tilbury and Leningrad will be catered for in the main by one British vessel; and

3. the profits—or losses—on each vessel will be shared equally between the two companies.

Imports of selected textile items consigned from Turkey
	(a) January-September 1981	(b) January-December 1981	(c) January-September 1982	(d) Change (a/c) Per cent.
Cotton yarn and thread (tonnes)	5,359	7,723	4,026	- 25
Woven cotton fabric (tonnes)	293	840	2,774	+847
Knitted shirts (numbers)	4,000	4,500	23,759	+494
Trousers (including jeans and shorts) (numbers)	302,097	353,981	504,426	+ 67
Woven shirts (numbers)	—	12,876	291,022	n/a
Towels (tonnes)	53	95	333	+528
Bed linen (tonnes)	187	295	480	+157

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what programme of central efficiency work in the Civil Service will be carried out in 1983.

During 1983 the Government will continue the drive for better management set out in "Efficiency and Effectiveness in the Civil Service" (Cmnd. 8616). The work will involve practical action on

asked the Minister for Trade how much coal was exported in the last full year for which figures are available; and what was the average realised price per tonne.

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

asked the Minister for Trade if he will estimate the average cost of a funeral (a) in London, and (b) outside London.

Official statistics are not kept. The cost of funerals can vary widely depending on what services are required.

asked the Minister for Trade what was the actual level of imports from Turkey for the periods January to September 1981, January to December 1981 and January to September 1982 of the following textiles and clothing products (a) cotton yarn, (b) cotton fabric, (c) knitted shirts, (d) trousers, (e) woven shirts (f) towels and towelling and (g) bed linen; and if he will give the percentage changes between the first and last period.

[pursuant to his reply, 13 December 1982, c.42]: The information is as follows:the plans for financial management which Departments are developing. The Government will publish a central report on these by July. Work will be undertaken to secure the full implementation of the results of existing scrutinies and reviews.In addition to the above and to the work which Departments undertake on their own initiative, there will be a new programme of centrally co-ordinated exercises aimed at further improvements in efficiency and management. This will consist of three elements.

asked the hon. Member for Wokingham, as representing the Church Commissioners, what London properties owned by the Church Commissioners have been sold recently to Hillingdon Investments; and what was the total price obtained.

I have nothing further to add to the written answer I gave to the hon. Member on 15 December.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will have consultations about the form of the daily prayers used in the House with a view to making them accord more closely with contemporary conditions.

No. I an not aware of any general wish amongst hon. Members to change the present long-established form.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will list the responsibilities of assessors appointed by Ministers to Royal Charter bodies.

The appointment of such assessors to certain Royal Charter bodies and their precise responsibilities are matters for the appropriate Secretary of State. However, I understand that these assessors are entitled to attend meetings of the bodies concerned and their committees.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland, for each year since 1978 (a) how many industrial disease deaths resulted in sheriffs' inquiries and (b) how many claims for industrial disease death benefits were rejected by social security insurance offices where procurators fiscal had failed to direct autopsies to determine the cause of death.

I regret to have to advise the hon. Gentleman that the statistics requested are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he decided that the close family members of refugees should be admitted under the policy governing immigrants rather than the policy of the final act of the conference that adopted the 1951 convention relating to the status of refugees;(2) what criteria he took into account when changing the policy of admission of close family members of refugees;(3) whether the oppression suffered by close family members of refugees settled in the United Kingdom when they were in their country of origin is taken into account when determining whether such close family members should be admitted to the United Kingdom.

The final act of the conference that adopted the 1951 convention relating to the status of refugees recommended that Governments took the necessary measures for the protection of the refugee's family, especially with a view to ensuring that the unity of the refugee's family is maintained, particularly in cases where the head of the family has fulfilled the necessary conditions for admission to a particular country. The United Kingdom has adhered to this recommendation since accession to the convention and has allowed the entry of the spouse and minor children of refugees already here and looked sympathetically at applications from other relatives particularly aged parents.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the prison department has for research into the needs of prisoners for social work help; and by which agency or agencies these would best be met.

A review of how the social work needs of prisoners can best be met by prison and probation staff, within the existing constraints on staff and other resources, is being conducted by the Home Office, in consultation with the other interests involved. It is hoped that, as a contribution to that review, a research project will begin in January into the social work needs of prisoners, the range of their problems and the responsese to them. The trade unions of the prison service and of the probation and after-care service are being consulted about the proposed project.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many video cassettes have been forfeited as the result of successful prosecutions under section 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959, following the ruling of the Court of Appeal [72 Cr.App.R 1981, p. 71].

I regret that statistics relating to the number or type of items ordered to be forfeited under the provisions of section 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 are not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many doors have been broken down by the police in effecting a forcible entry to premises; and how many convictions there have been of people arrested following forcible entry, in each of the police districts in the Metropolitan Police area in the last five years.

This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of viral hepatitis have been identified within the prison population during each of the past 10 years.

This information is not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what action is taken in regard to proven cases of viral hepatitis in Her Majesty's prisons; and what measures are taken in order to draw these cases to the attention of staff working within prison establishments;(2) what methods are in use in Her Majesty's prisons for the detection, identification and treatment of viral hepatitis;(3) whether the prison department lays down a general policy in regard to the isolation and treatment of cases of viral hepatitis in prisons; and to what extent individual institutions may determine their own policy in regard to such cases.

Viral hepatitis in the acute phase can normally be detected by medical examination but the diagnosis can be confirmed only by laboratory tests. The treatment of a prisoner who is found to be suffering from viral hepatitis is a matter for the professional judgment of the prison medical officer who has complete clinical freedom. The standard methods of treating the disease are isolation, bed rest and barrier nursing. There is no known drug treatment. The medical officer will decide, in the light of the circumstances, what measures need be taken to establish whether there is a possibility that infection has passed to others in the establishment and what further precautions are necessary. Members of staff who are identified as having been in close contact with a person suffering from the disease are normally advised to consult their general practitioner.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the prison department has carried out any survey on the incidence in prisons of viral hepatitis during the period 1972 to 1982; and if he will publish the results.

No such survey has been undertaken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training is afforded to prison staff in the handling of, and the possible consequences of handling, inmates with viral hepatitis.

Prison medical officers are fully qualified medical practitioners. Prison hospital officers receive specific instructions about viral hepatitis which include the appropriate nursing care and the necessary precautions against the spread of the disease.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provisions are made by the prison department to provide protective clothing, where the main population of a prison absorbs inmates suffering from, or carriers of, viral hepatitis.

Appropriate protective clothing is available in the hospital wing of every prison department establishment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the high costs of maintaining a good standard in established betting shops, he will consider permitting them to provide such facilities as television, non-alcoholic refreshments and fruit machines.

These are among the proposals for the relaxation of restrictions on the provision of facilities in licensed betting offices which have been put forward by bookmakers' organisations. Detailed consideration and consultation with other interests, including the police and licensing authorities, will he needed. Any change would require legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report the name of the witness who failed to appear at the trial of the man accused of the murder of John Docherty referred to in paragraph 5 of the letter of 30 November to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras, South from the Under-Secretary of State; and whether the police have now found the witness.

As has been widely reported in the media, Mr. James Gibson failed to appear as a witness at the trial in June 1982 of the man accused of the murder of Mr. John Docherty. Mr. Gibson is the subject of a bench warrant issued by the Central Criminal Court, but has not yet been traced.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce stricter penalties for illegal betting.

No. The current penalties available under section 2 of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 for the offence of acting as a bookmaker without a permit are as follows:

(a) on summary conviction: a fine not exceeding £1,000, or on second or subsequent conviction up to three months imprisonment or a fine not exceeding £1,000 or both; the Criminal Justice Act 1982 will make imprisonment available for any conviction, not just the second or subsequent conviction.

(b) on conviction on indictment: an unlimited fine, or on second or subsequent conviction up to one year's imprisonment or an unlimited fine or both.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) applications for citizenship, (b) grants of citizenship and (c) outstanding citizenship applications there were in each week from 1 November to 10 December, or the latest date for which figures are available.

The information is not available on a weekly basis. Some 7,478 applications for citizenship were received and 9,424 applications were granted during November. The number of applications outstanding on 30 November, the latest date for which figures are available, was 65,541.

asked the Attorney-General if the Lord Chancellor will publish the guidelines that have been issued by the Board of Judicial Studies to all trial judges that contain suggestions about summing-up in criminal trials; and if he has any plans for public consultation and discussion about these guide lines.

I have arranged for copies of this material to be placed in the Library of the House. The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative.

asked the Attorney-General whether he has any plans to introduce legislation to amend the law relating to the financial consequences of divorce.

Such a Bill has been drafted at the Law Commission at the request of the Lord Chancellor and was presented in this House on 1 December by the hon. Member for Fulham (Mr. Stevens).

asked the Attorney-General if he will monitor the establishment and activities of community legal centres that are operated on a voluntary basis; and if he will make a statement.

Neither the Lord Chancellor nor I am responsible for voluntary advice services. A number of community law centres receive financial support from central funds, mainly through the Department of the Environment and local authorities, and all must observe the Lord Chancellor's guidelines, dated November 1978, which set out a basic framework within which law centres should operate. While funding agents have the responsibility for ensuring that the guidelines are observed, if my hon. Friend has any specific cases in mind I would be grateful if he would write to the Lord Chancellor.

asked the Attorney-General on how many occasions a murder trial has been abandoned because prosecution witnesses failed to appear; and for what reasons.

To my knowledge there has been only one case in 1982 involving two men charged with murder, which was heard at the Central Criminal Court in June and July of this year, where the prosecution's case was severely hampered by Crown witnesses failing to appear. The Crown did not abandon its case against them but both accused were in due course acquitted by direction of the judge after submissions made at the close of the prosecution's case.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the duty-free limits, in £ sterling terms, applicable for goods imported by travellers entering the United Kingdom from the European Community, Commonwealth and foreign countries; what are the dates during the past 25 years when the limits have been increased; and if he will now bring the current limits into line with the rise in the cost of living during the same period.

As regards tobacco and spirits, these are limited by quantity; and therefore the limits cannot be expressed in monetary terms.As regards other goods, prior to 1968 there was no overall value limit; the concessions were related to amounts of duty which could be waived. From 1968–1970 there was an overall value limit of £5 from all destinations. From 1970–1972 this was increased to £10. Thereafter, following our accession to the European Community in 1973, there was a limit of £50 for travellers from the EC, and £10 for other travellers. In 1979 these limits were increased to £120 and £28 respectively.Since 1968 average prices have risen by a factor of 4·9 times and my hon. Friend will therefore see that the present limits have not fallen behind the rise in the cost of living. They are governed by Community legislation and the United Kingdom cannot vary them unilaterally; they are kept under review but I cannot say when member States might agree to any further increase.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the loss to the Revenue in the last fiscal year as a result of the raising of the level of personal allowances, and the bands of higher rate income tax, for those who pay tax at the higher rates.

If income tax allowances and thresholds (including the investment income surcharge threshold) had not been increased from their 1981–82 levels, the additional yield of revenue from taxpayers who would then have been liable at higher rates in 1982–83 is estimated at £320 million in 1982–83 and £540 million in a full year, at 1982–83 levels of income.My right hon. and learned Friend's last Budget provided for increases in allowances and thresholds for 1982–83 above the levels required to index them under the statutory formula. The revenue cost of these increases attributable to higher-rate taxpayers is estimated at £25 million in 1982–83 and £40 million in a full year, at 1982–83 income levels. These costs include those associated with taxpayers who would have been liable at higher rates in 1982–83, if allowances and thresholds had only been indexed under the statutory formula.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table indicating the quarterly net flow of funds out of the United Kingdom to overseas countries for each of the quarters since January 1979.

This information was published on page 86 of the September issue of Economic Trends. The CSO balance of payments press notice of 8 December updated the figures for the most recent quarters, and a copy has been placed in the Library.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate (a) the staff savings and (b) the financial savings accruing from the merging of the employees' national insurance and tax systems into a common rate structure.

I regret that, without detailed proposals for a combined structure, no estimate can be made of the extent of any staff or financial savings that might flow from its introduction.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his reply on 27 July, Official Report, c. 458, whether he has now received the first part of the report of the committee on the enforcement powers of the Revenue departments; and when he intends to publish it.

I have not yet received the first part of the report but I understand that it is nearing completion. It remains my intention to publish it.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent guidelines of the International Monetary Fund regarding extended arrangements, mentioned in his reply to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove on 7 December, Official Report, c. 494.

The orginal 1974 guidelines and the 1976, 1979 and 1981 reviews are set out at PP26–31 of 'Selected Decisions of the International Monetary Fund' (Ninth Issue, 1981), a copy of which is being placed in the Library.The 1982 review stated that the provisions of the extended fund facility remain appropriate in present circumstances. The fund undertook to review the provisions further not later than the time when the eighth general review of quotas becomes effective.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many applications for extended arrangements, and from which countries, are currently under consideration by the International Monetary Fund.

The executive board is to consider Mexico's application for an extended arrangement on 23 December. No other extended arrangements are currently on the board's agenda.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on increasing the International Monetary Fund's quotas.

As my right hon. and learned Friend made clear in his speech at the IMF annual meetings, it is the view of HMG that quotas need to be increased substantially. The increase should be large enough to enable the fund to perform its functions in an effective manner in 1980s. While in my hon. and learned Friend's view a doubling of quotas would be excessive, a 50 per cent. increase could be regarded as the minimum required.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the rules of the International Monetary Fund permit loans made by the fund to be conditional upon further loans being made available from other sources.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost in the financial year 1983–84 and in succeeding full financial years of raising the permissible office content for buildings which qualify for industrial building allowance from 10 per cent. to 30 per cent.

I regret that insufficient information is available upon which to base any estimates of cost.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of total consumer expenditure was spent on food in 1972, 1979 and the latest year for which figures are available.

The proportion of total consumers' expenditure spent on food in 1972, 1979 and 1981 was 18·5, 17·4 and 15·9 per cent. respectively. This information is given in table 6·7. of "Social Trends 13", copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much in total has been paid out of the Contingencies Fund for matters connected with the Falklands campaign; and if he will publish a breakdown.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Inland Revenue expects to publish its revised draft proposals on international tax avoidance.

With my approval the Inland Revenue is issuing today a consultative document entitled "Taxation of International Business". Comments are invited by mid-February.The document contains fresh draft legislation on controlled foreign companies in low-tax countries, which takes into account the representations made on the November 1981 draft legislation on tax havens. The explanatory material accompanying the draft legislation also makes clear that we have decided not to propose a statutory definition of company residence and that we are not proposing legislation on upstream loans but are giving further consideration to the problem.Copies of the document have been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate how much revenue is lost due to illegal betting.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the loss of tax revenue caused by illegal betting; and whether this practice is increasing.

[pursuant to his reply, 17 December 1982, c. 272]: The level of illegal betting can only be a matter of subjective judgment; and in these circumstances there is no sound basis on which to estimate the revenue loss or to judge whether illegal betting is increasing.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has plans to reduce the rate of general betting duty to counter the growth of illicit betting.

[pursuant to his reply, 16 December 1982, c. 212]: I cannot anticipate my right hon. and learned Friend's Budget judgment. I am, however, considering representations on this subject, both written and oral, from interested representative bodies, and these will be taken fully into account.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated cost to the Exchequer in 1983–84 would be if the stamp duty on the purchase of all dwellings were (a) abolished and (b) only became liable on transactions at ½ per cent. at £100,000, 1 per cent. at £110,000, 1 ½ per cent. at £120,000 and 2 per cent. from £130,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what flat rate of ad valorem stamp duty on conveyances of residential property, exigible on the excess of the consideration over £25,000, would be revenue-neutral in comparison with the present system.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the number of acres of agricultural land owned by the Crown Estate Commissioners in England and Wales; and what percentage that is of the total agricultural land.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for West Lothian on 21 October, Official Report, c. 204, whether the Argentine official observers or supervisors put in to oversee British firms in Argentina during the Falklands war have now been removed.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many responses were received to the consultancy exercise carried out by the Board of Inland Revenue on the implementation of the Bray report on pay-as-you-earn files; and if he will list the respondents in the Official Report.

[pursuant to his reply, 16 December 1982, c. 213.]: Fifteen responses were received. The organisations which responded were the consultative committee of Accountancy Bodies, the Law Society, the Sheffield and District Society of Chartered Accountants and two branches of the Inland Revenue Staff Federation. The other replies were from individuals or groups of individuals.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, under the new method of dealing with pay-as-you-earn files, currently the subject of a feasibility exercise in certain tax districts, he is satisfied that individual taxpayers will be able to obtain from the Inland Revenue details of their past claims to personal reliefs.

[pursant to his reply, 16 December 1982, c. 213.]:Yes. Income tax returns which contain claims to personal reliefs would be retained in accordance with existing practice.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what further steps he has in mind to increase the facilities of the British Museum.

Any increase in the facilities at the British Museum is primarily the responsibility of the trustees, but I am glad to say that in recent years there have been many developments, including the new west wing extension, improvements to the Egyptian sculpture galleries, and the current conversion of the Duveen basement.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will now announce the arts grants for 1983–84.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Derby, North (Mr. Whitehead). I hope to announce the remaining arts programme allocations later this week.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about future plans for the appearance of opera and ballet companies in Manchester.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received concerning the failure of the Royal Opera to honour its commitment to visit the Palace theatre, Greater Manchester in 1983.

I have received a number of letters from hon. Members, and from the Greater Manchester council, about the difficulties that have arisen over the planned visit of the Royal Opera to Manchester next year. I understand that discussions are going on between the various parties concerned, and I am optimistic that a way will be found of financing the visit.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total amount of the arts grant allocated to public and private institutions and organisations located in the outer London boroughs for the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Precise information is not available. In 1981–82 the Arts Council's grants to organisations and activities in inner and outer London boroughs totalled about £28 million, the Greater London Arts Association spent just over £1 million and the GLC just over £4 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has for the redevelopment of the Imperial war museum.

Last month I approved a proposal by the trustees of the Imperial war museum to proceed with a detailed feasibility study of the planned reconstruction of the central courtyard infill of the museum and upgrading of the existing buildings. Decisions on the redevelopment will be taken in the light of the outcome of the study and the resources available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received regarding the level of financial provision for Hatfield polytechnic.

None since 1981, when the Department received representations about the implications for Hatfield polytchnic of the advanced further education pool distribution for 1981–82.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, if the city of Liverpool college of higher education four-year B.Ed. for Mencap initial training course closes, what alternative facilities will be provided for advanced special education training.

The college has approval for an in-service teacher training course related to teaching the mentally handicapped which, I understand, it has been unable to offer because it proved impossible to make a relevant staff appointment. The decision to discontinue initial teacher training may enable the college to run the in-service course in future; that however is a matter for the college and the local education authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from the Commonwealth standing committee on student mobility concerning its report entitled "Educational Interchange — a Commonwealth Imperative"; in particular, whether he has considered its recommendations that Commonwealth countries should not unilaterally and without consultation introduce substantial increases in tuition fees and that Her Majesty's Government should modify their present policy and replace full-cost fees with short-term marginal cost fees; and whether he will make a statement.

A copy of the report has recently been received by the Government. Its recommendations on fees are similar to those of the Overseas Students' Trust study, "A Policy for Overseas Students", on which a Government statement will be made as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether Her Majesty's inspectors of schools monitor the numbers of children suspended from schools.

No. Such monitoring is the responsibility of each local education authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many teaching posts were lost in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in 1979, 1980, 1981 and to the nearest available date in 1982.

The Department does not collect information about the number of teaching posts in schools. Changes in the numbers of qualified teachers employed within maintained primary and secondary schools in England are given below:

	Primary schools*		Secondary schools*
January	Number of qualified teachers†	Change from previous year	Number of qualified teachers†	Change from previous year
1979	192,462	-1,059	231,404	+4,025
1980	188,616	-3,846	232,457	+1,053
1981	181,310	-7,306	230,928	-1,529
1982	174,240	-7,070	228,397	-2,531
* Including middle schools as deemed.
†Including the full-time equivalent of part-time teachers.

In September 1982 the total number of teachers employed by local education authorities in the nursery, primary and secondary sector was 411,400, some 8,600 fewer than in January 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assistance, financial or otherwise, his Department is currently providing for railway preservation projects and purposes.

Assistance is provided by the National Railway Museum which is part of the Science Museum, for which the Office of Arts and Libraries is responsible. The National Railway Museum maintains the national collection of railway relics and gives advice and lends objects to preservation groups. In addition, the Science Museum's local purchase grant fund assists preservation projects, and applicants may also seek help from the National Heritage Memorial Fund where appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is yet able to say who will be the next chairman of the advisory board for the Research Councils.

I have decided to appoint Professor Sir David Phillips, FRS, Professor of Molecular Biophysics in the University of Oxford. He will succeed Sir Alec Merrison on 22 January 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what part will be played by the youth training programme in the recording of gravestone inscriptions for historical purposes.

A project based on the recording of gravestone inscriptions for historical research has been sponsored by the Ulster Historical Foundation under the youth community projects scheme. This now forms part of the youth training programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what estimate of the cost of provision of fishing development is allowed for in his estimate of £31 million for the Falkland Islands development programme; whether such expenditure would be funded through a Falkland Islands Development Agency; and what he expects the annual expenditure to be over the expected six-year period;(2) what estimate of the cost of provision of sewerage facilities is allowed for in his estimate of £31 million for the Falkland Islands development programme; whether such expenditure would be funded through a Falkland Islands Development Agency; and what he expects the annual expenditure to be over the expected six-year period;(3) what estimate of the cost of provision of water supply is allowed for in his estimate of £31 million for the Falkland Islands development programme; whether such expenditure would be funded through a Falkland Islands Development Agency; and what he expects the annual expenditure to be over the expected six-year period;(4) what estimate of the cost of provision of development of cottage industry skills is allowed for in his estimate of £31 million for the Falkland Islands development programme; whether such expenditure would be funded through a Falkland Islands Development Agency; and what he expects the annual expenditure to be over the expected six-year period;(5) what estimate of the cost of provision of hotel and guest house facilities is allowed for in his estimate of £31 million for the Falkland Islands development programme; whether such expenditure would be funded through a Falkland Islands Development Agency; and what he expects the annual expenditure to be over the expected six-year period;(6) what estimate of the cost of provision of surveys of shell fish resources is allowed for in his estimate of £31 million for the Falkland Islands development programme; whether such expenditure would be funded through a Falkland Islands Development Agency; and what he expects the annual expenditure to be over the expected six-year period;(7) what estimate of the cost of provision of salmon-ranching schemes is allowed for in his estimate of £31 million for the Falkland Islands development programme; whether such expenditure would be funded through a Falkland Islands Development Agency; and what he expects the annual expenditure to be over the expected six-year period;(8) what estimate of the cost of provision of improvement of tracks is allowed for in his estimate of £31 million for the Falkland Islands development programme; whether such expenditure would be funded through a Falkland Islands Development Agency; and what he expects the annual expenditure to be over the expected six-year period;(9) what estimate of the cost of provision of roads is allowed for in his estimate of £31 million for the Falkland Islands development programme; whether such expenditure would be funded through a Falkland Islands Development Agency; and what he expects the annual expenditure to be over the expected six-year period;(10) what estimate of the cost of provision of improved harbour complexes is allowed for in his estimate of £31 million for the Falkland Islands development programme; whether such expenditure would be funded through a Falkland Islands Development Agency; and what he expects the annual expenditure to be over the expected six-year period;(11) what estimate of the cost of provision of grasslands trials is allowed for in his estimate of £31 million for the Falkland Islands development programme; whether such expenditure would be funded through a Falkland Islands Development Agency; and what he expects the annual expenditure to be over the expected six-year period;(12) what estimate of the cost of provision of agricultural research is allowed for in his estimate of £31 million for the Falkland Islands development programme; whether such expenditure would be funded through a Falkland Islands Development Agency; and what he expects the annual expenditure to be over the expected six-year period;(13) what estimate of the cost of small-scale development projects is allowed for in his estimate of £31 million for the Falkland Islands development programme; whether such expenditure would be funded through a Falkland Islands Development Agency; and what he expects the annual expenditure to be over the expected six-year period;(14) what estimate of the cost of provision of electricity generation and distribution is allowed for in his estimate of £31 million for the Falkland Islands development programme; whether such expenditure would be funded through a Falkland Islands Development Agency; and what he expects the annual expenditure to be over the expected six-year period.

The overall estimate of £31 million is based on a broad assessment of the future development needs of the Falkland Islands. Detailed estimates of expenditure in the sectors referred to must await further study but, taken together, their costs are presently estimated at around £23 million over the six-year period. Estimated annual expenditure will be in the region of £0·7 million, £8·5 million, £7·5 million, £3 million, £1·3 million and £2 million. The extent to which such expenditure will be funded through a Falkland Islands Development Agency has yet to be decided in consultation with the Falkland Islands Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what are the latest figures for the level of competitiveness of British industry; and what were the figures for a similar period in the previous year.

The most recent IMF figures for actual relative unit labour costs are for the second quarter of this year. These show that the competitiveness of United Kingdom manufacturing had improved by about 9 per cent. compared with the same period in the previous year.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many job losses have been announced by the British Steel Corporation and by the private sector so far in 1982.

Between 1 January 1982 and 16 December 1982 the British Steel Corporation announced 15,422 job losses. Precise figures for the private sector are not available, but the estimated total of redundancies which have taken place or which have been announced since January 1982 is about 5,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what information he has as to how many factories have been opened and how many have been closed in the area covered by the Dearne Valley constituency since May 1979.

The only relevant information available to the Department relates to the opening and closure of manufacturing units with more than 10 employees. This information is inevitably somewhat out of date because of delays associated with its collection; this applies particularly to our record of openings. However, our records at the moment show that since May 1979, five manufacturing units with more than 10 employees have opened premises in the Mexborough, Goldthorpe and Wombwell employment office areas, and 11 are known to have closed.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is his estimate of the overall percentage reduction in capacity for manufacturing (a) steel and (b) tinplate arising from the closures and redundancies announced by British Steel since 1979.

Since 1979, total potential liquid steel capacity in BSC, as been reduced by 14 per cent., and manned capacity by about 32 per cent. For tinplate, no significant change in BSC's total potential capacity has occurred during this period. No figures are available for the reduction in manned capacity for tinplate production.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list all non-statutory bodies to which his Department has made grants for 1981–82 and 1982–83 showing the name of the organisation, the amount of grant and the powers under which the grant is made; and if he will give similar information for grant-aid by other statutory bodies for which his Department is responsible.

The information is as follows:

(i)Grants made to non-statutory bodies by the Department of Industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will dismiss Mr. Ian MacGregor, the chairman of the British Steel Corporation.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the proportion and value of seedcorn and project grants expended in Scotland since the launch of the neighbourhood energy action programme.

The proportion and value of seedcorn and project grants approved for community insulation projects in Scotland as at 16 December is as follows:

	Proportion	Value
	Percentage	£
Seedcom grants	24	6,090·94
Project grants	21	18,801·10

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list all non-statutory bodies to which his Department has made grants for 1981–82 and 1982–83 showing the name of the organisation, the amount of grant and the powers under which the grant is made; and if he will give similar information for grant-aid by other statutory bodies for which his Department is responsible.

The information is as follows:

Name of Organisation	1981–82 Actual	1982–83 Estimate Provision
	£	£
1. By my Department (excluding grants to companies under the Industry Acts)
(a) British National Committee of the World Energy Conference	3,000	2,000
(b) The Watt Committee	2,000	2,000
(c) Numerous voluntary organizations for insulation projects	80,000	110,000
(d) Numerous bodies eligible for Energy Survey Scheme grants under Section 15 of the Energy Conservation Act 1981	1,464,872	1,495,000
2. By the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority under the Atomic Energy Authority Act 1954:
(a) The Royal Society	1,000	1,000
(b) Authority Retirement Fellowship	3,000	3,000

The bulk of the foregoing recipients are non-statutory bodies: further details could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what the increases in the price of electricity to domestic and industrial consumers, respectively, have been since May 1979;(2) what the increases in the price of gas to domestic and industrial consumers, respectively, have been since May 1979.

Price indices for domestic gas and electricity are both components of the general index of retail prices. Between 15 May 1979 and 12 October 1982 the index for gas rose by 97·7 per cent. and that for electricity by 82·6 per cent.The price indices for industrial gas and electricity are obtained from data on average revenue received from sales. Between the second quarters of 1979 and 1982 the index for gas rose by 84 per cent. and that for electricity by 60 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to publish the Government's reply to the Energy Commission's report "Coal and the Environment".

In the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how much has been spent in current prices on the research and development in the energy field on (a) nuclear energy, (b) "alternative" energy sources and (c) in total for each of the years since 1978; and how much is projected to be spent over the next three years.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Edinburgh Central (Mr. Cook) on 28 October—[Vol. 29, c. 548–49]. Following the autumn statement 1982 by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 8 November, the net total for 1983–84 should be amended to £252 million. The public expenditure White Paper, to be published early in 1983, will give an amended net total of nuclear and non-nuclear research and development for 1984–85 and a breakdown into these two categories for 1983–84 to 1985–86.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what changes there have been in output per manshift in United Kingdom coal mining between 1972–73 and 1981–82.

The NCB's report and accounts show that overall OMS in 1972–73 was 2·33 tonnes. Under a slightly different definition the figure given for 1981–82 was 2·40 tonnes. That is an increase of 3 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what proportion of investment of £3·5 billion in capital works in the National Coal Board over the past nine years has had as its primary purpose increases in output.

The NCB's annual report and accounts for the period 1973–74 to 1981–82 show total additions to fixed assets of £3,645·6 million. It is for the NCB to decide how, within its overall capital approval sums, to allocate funds to different categories of investment. In undertaking particular projects, the board may have a number of objectives, including the replacement and creation of coal producing capacity.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many collieries in the United Kingdom are recording an output per manshift of (a) 44 cwt. to 5 tonnes, (b) less than 44 cwt. and (c) 5 tonnes and over.

This is a matter for the National Coal Board. I have asked the chairman of the board to write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has any plans to limit grants and subsidies payable to the National Coal Board; and if he will make a statement.

The Government's support for the coal industry reflects a careful assessment of the industry's needs. The Government's aim is for the NCB to return as soon as possible to a position of financial viability in which it will not require deficit grants.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how much debt has been written off in the National Coal Board's accounts since 1946; and what is the accumulated loss currently being carried forward.

The NCB's annual report and Accounts for the period since 1947 show that £864·6 million has been written off, and that the capital reserves of the board and its subsidiaries at 27 March 1982 were £100 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the financial contribution of Her Majesty's Government to the National Coal Board over each of the past 10 years covering (a) operational grants, (b) social grants and (c) deficit grants.

The annual report and accounts of the NCB covering the 10 years from 1972–73 to 1981–82 show the following grants have been received:

	£ million
	(a)	(b)*	(c)
1972–73	—	15·4	—
1973–74	109·1	21·0	130·7
1974–75	46·1	82·1	—
1975–76	—	72·4	—
1976–77	11·1	43·4	—
1977–78	24·0	51·0	—
1978–79	117·7	54·3	—
1979–80	29·9	62·0	159·3
1980–81	26·0	80·4	149·0
1981–82	26·8	121·2	428·3
*Line (b) includes £102·9 million grants in respect of the cost of compensating pneumoconiotics or their dependants.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what volume of electricity will be required to operate the JET project at Culham, Oxfordshire.

I am advised by JET's management that the JET device is expected to commence operation next summer and that electricity consumption will rise to some 10,000 MW hours per year by 1987.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether the report by Dr. T. M. Sugden, master of Trinity College, Cambridge, on pressurised water reactors, has been contributed to or sponsored by Her Majesty's Government.

Dr. Sugden is chairman of the advisory committee on the safety of nuclear installations, an independent, non-statutory body set up by the Health and Safety Commission in August 1977 with the following terms of reference:

"To advise the Commission and, when appropriate, Secretaries of State on major issues affecting the safety of nuclear installations including design, siting, operation and maintenance which are referred to them or which they consider require attention."

In June 1981 the then Secretary of State for Energy asked the committee for advice on safety in pressurised water reactors. The report, published on 7 December, entitled "Some aspects of Safety in pressurised water reactors", constitutes the advice.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the cost to the National Coal Board for stocking coal; and how much is covered by stocking grant.

I am informed by the NCB that the cost to revenue account of putting coal to stock rather than selling it, is some £6 to £7 per tonne, including interest in the first year. The subsequent cost of maintaining coal in stock would depend on the length of time for which stocks were held, and upon interest rates. Grants of £13·4 million in coke stocking aid were paid in respect of 1981–82. In general, the cost to the NCB of stocking coal is reflected in the board's need for deficit grant.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the cost to the Central Electricity Generating Board for stocking coal; and how much is covered by stocking grant.

I shall answer my hon. Friend as soon as possible.