asked the Secretary of State for Wales on what date the Welsh Office received the application by Arfon borough council for authorisation for a compulsory purchase order at Mount Pleasant Square, Caernarvon; and if he is now in a position to respond to the council.

The Arfon Borough Council (Clarke Street and Mount Pleasant Square) Compulsory Purchase Order 1980 was received in the Welsh Office on 28 March 1980. A public local inquiry was held on 6 October 1981. Since that time it has been necessary to seek additional information from the local authority and comments from a statutory objector.A decision on the order will be taken as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the development of Belfast harbour airport.

Belfast harbour airport is operated by Short Brothers Ltd. and its development is a matter for the company.I understand that, until the Civil Aviation Authority in April 1982 removed the restriction which limited the use of Belfast harbour airport to passenger aircraft not exceeding 12,500 lb weight, commercial aviation was confined to air taxi work, occasional air charters and accommodation of diverted air traffic. Since then two airlines, Loganair and Spacegrand, have announced that they intend to operate scheduled air services to Glasgow and Blackpool from 7 February 1983, and British Midland Airways has applied to the Civil Aviation Authority for a route licence to operate a scheduled air service between London Heathrow and Belfast harbour airport.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the latest figures available for the consumption of United Kingdom-produced coal in Northern Ireland.

[pursuant to his reply, 3 February 1983, c. 154]: The tonnage of coal, including smokeless fuels, imported into Northern Ireland from the National Coal Board for the year ending December 1982 is as follows. Actual consumption figures will vary slightly from the figures given due to year end stock adjustments.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the latest estimate of the number of council houses a council needs to sell in order to obtain the funds to build one new one.

My right hon. Friend makes no such estimate.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many jobs have been created and how many lost in each year since 1975 in the Kirkintilloch travel-to-work area.

Comprehensive information on job gains and losses is not available. The net change in total employment in the Kirkintilloch local employment office area in each year between 1975 and 1978—the latest date for which information is available—as measured by the annual census of employment, was as follows:

	Change
1975	+541
1976	+155
1977	-379
1978	+415

There are no separate measures of gross employment change. But the total number of new jobs associated with offers of selective financial assistance in the Kirkintilloch local employment office area during the period 1975 to January 1983 was 170. This understates the true number of jobs gained, since new jobs will have been created in the absence of such assistance. The possibility of disclosure of individual offer information prevents publication of annual totals. The total number of redundancies notified to MSC Scotland as due to occur in the Kirkintilloch local employment office area since 1977 was as follows:

	Number redundant
1977	156
1978	—
1979	108
1980	371
1981	249
1982	224

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the net gain or loss of jobs in Cumbernauld new town for each of the past 10 years.

The information is as follows:

Net annual gain or loss of jobs in Cumbernauld
	Net change
1972–73	+448
1973–74	+1,136
1974–75	+1,303
1975–76	+116
1976–77	+718
1977–78	+733
1978–79	+855
1979–80	+502
1980–81	-670
1981–82	-1,420

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the report of the review into selected operating and administrative activities of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board will be published.

The report has been published today and copies have been placed in the Library. The management consultants who carried out the review find that the board has been performing well in most aspects of the work investigated. Their findings will now require detailed study, and I have asked the board to report on its proposals to implement those findings in three months' time.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about his plans for the pre-service training of primary and secondary teachers in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy towards introducing a four-year degree qualification for primary teachers in Scotland.

I now propose to introduce major changes which will lead to primary teaching becoming an all-graduate profession and ensure that the training of secondary teachers is tailored to the needs of the 1980s and 1990s. Taken as a whole, these measures will secure an important improvement in the already high quality of the teaching profession in Scotland.On 6 August 1980 I announced my intention that entry to the primary teaching profession should be on an all-graduate basis. I indicated that I was initiating consultations on the best way of achieving this and our consultative document issued on the same day canvassed views on a number of options. The response showed that there was general support for the replacement of the existing three-year diploma course by a new four-year degree course combining academic studies and professinal training. I am satisfied that, together with other changes which I propose, this can be achieved with no increase in total public expenditure.I intend, therefore, to invite the General Teaching Council for Scotland, the colleges of education, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the teacher associations to be represented, with officials of my Department, on a working party to prepare guidelines for the content and structure of an appropriate four-year degree course. I propose that the working party should examine further the possibility—discussed in the consultative document of August 1980—of introducing a flexible type of course affording more than one career outlet. I envisage that entry to the new type of degree course will begin in the 1984–85 academic session. From that session onwards there would be no further intake either to the three-year primary diploma course or to the present BEd courses leading to a teaching qualification in primary education, although students who had already commenced such courses would be permitted to complete them.I shall ask the working party also to consider what improvements might be introduced within the existing one-year primary postgraduate course. This course is a valuable way of training teachers—particularly, though not exclusively, for the upper primary classes—and I intend that a substantially increased proportion of students will in future be trained by that route. I envisage that, in time, about 55 per cent. of primary teachers will come from the new four-year degree course and about 45 per cent. from the postgraduate course. This mix will, in my view, achieve a reasonable balance of trained teachers in the primary school.In March 1982 my Department issued a consultative paper which proposed that from the beginning of the 1983–84 session there should be no further intake to general secondary BEd courses. The paper sought views also on the possible rationalisation of provision of the one-year secondary postgraduate courses by which the majority of prospective entrants to secondary teaching are trained.I fully recognise that graduates from the general BEd courses have made a valuable contribution to teaching in the secondary schools. Nevertheless, having regard to the small number of teachers who now qualify by this particular route, I have decided that after the current academic session there will be no further intake to general secondary BEd courses, although students who have started such courses will be allowed to complete their training. My decision to end the general BEd courses does not affect the specialist BEd courses in physical education.I am asking my Department to pursue further, in collaboration with the colleges of education concerned, the desirability and feasibility of effecting some measure of rationalisation of the one-year secondary postgraduate courses.With regard to a number of miscellaneous points:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much aid has been given to Bolivia in each of the past four years; and whether the amount has changed since the restoration of democracy in Bolivia.

Aid to Bolivia in the past four years was as follows:

	£000
1979	888
1980	1,158
1981	1,052
1982	1,008

Some new projects are now planned for 1983–84 although expenditure is likely to be only slightly more than in 1982–83.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aid is given to Third world countries such as Bangladesh to bulk purchase raw materials and equipment to enable them to manufacture essential drugs.

Applications for such aid are considered within the context of our programmes of aid to individual countries.In the case of Bangladesh, for the current year we have agreed with the Government to allocate up to £3 million to private sector pharmaceutical industries in Bangladesh for the import of drugs and raw materials.If the hon. Member is interested in other specific countries, perhaps he could let my right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development know.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the reunification of Germany.

Successive British Governments have taken it as axiomatic that real and permanent stability in Europe will be difficult to achieve so long as the German nation is divided against its will.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the decision of the Foreign Affairs Council that Nicaragua should not receive funds from a special aid programme for Central America was reached by unanimity or by a majority vote.

There was no vote. The decision was by consensus.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the reply of 28 January, Official Report, c. 543, what sum of money has been received from (a) the Conservative central office and (b) branches of the Conservative party, in payment for copies of the leaflet "The Nuclear Debate" supplied to them by his Department.

No charge was made for copies of this leaflet. Like other material on arms control and disarmament, it is supplied free to those who ask for it.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the meeting between the Foreign Affairs Council and the enlarged bureau of the European Assembly on 24 January was a public one; and if he will place in the Library copies of any papers prepared for this meeting by European Community institutions.

The meeting between the Foreign Affairs Council and the enlarged bureau of the European Parliament which took place on 24 January was not a public one. No papers were prepared for the meeting by any of the Community institutions. My right hon. Friend did, however, report the meeting in his statement about the Foreign Affairs Council on 26 January.—[Vol. 35, c. 470–72.]

asked the Attorney-General in how many of the seven cases in which he has appeared for the prosecution since May 1979 the defendants have Pleaded guilty to the offences charged or lesser alternative charges and there has, in consequence, been no trial by jury.

Four.

asked the Attorney-General on how many days he has actually appeared in court since May 1979 for the purposes of conducting prosecutions.

I have appeared in court on four separate days in respect of those four cases in which there was no trial by jury. The three other cases in which I have appeared for the prosecution occupied a total of 35 days. I appeared in court on most of those days.

asked the Attorney-General whether he receives any remuneration additional to his ministerial stipend for conducting prosecutions in the courts.

I receive none.

asked the Attorney-General what was the total sum paid to solicitors and counsel in fees and outlays under the criminal and civil legal aid schemes, respectively, 10 years ago, five years ago and in the last three years for which figures are available.

Payments in England and Wales were as follows:

	Legal aid in criminal cases £ million	Legal aid in civil cases £ million	Legal advice and assistance £ million
1972–73	14·1	17·00	0·5
1977–78	44·5	38·4	6·4
1979–80	62·5	44·1	12·3
1980–81	85·9	56·9	20·5
1981–82	97·1	71·3	32·8

These are gross payments and do not take account of sums recovered by the legal aid scheme through costs, contributions or damages.

asked the Attorney-General what representations he has received with regard to raising the financial threshold for the granting of legal aid; and if he will make a statement.

The financial thresholds were increased in April 1982. No formal representations have been received since then.

asked the Attorney-General if he will consolidate secondary legislation made under the Companies Acts, including Statutory Instrument No. 1771.

Consolidation of the Companies Acts is in hand. Various statutory instruments made under those Acts are the responsibility of my noble Friend the Secretary of State for Trade, but I understand that he has no plans for making a consolidating instrument.As regards Statutory Instrument 1982/1771, this is not secondary legislation made under the Companies Acts, but is an order made by the Minister for Trade under section 12(4) of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what guidance he has given to the Central Electricity Generating Board on holding additional stocks of ancillary materials needed for the burning of coal in the event of an emergency; and whether the cost will be met by the Central Electricity Generating Board or from public funds.

The stocking of ancillary materials at power stations is a matter for the CEGB, as are the costs involved.

the Secretary of State for Energy what account he takes of the performance of the Central Electricity Generating Board as to the accuracy of its forecast costing and construction periods for past major capital projects such as the Dinorwic hydroelectric scheme and the advanced gas cooled reactors when considering whether to approve major new capital projects.

Past performance on projects such as these is one of the factors to be taken into account.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many North sea oil and gas finds await development; and if he will estimate the recoverable reserves involved and the range in capital cost for development expressed in United States $ per barrel.

Eight oilfields and one gas field are at present under development; additionally the development of a gas field as a gas storage project has been approved in principle. The estimated recoverable reserves are 295 million tonnes of oil and 6·5 trillion cubic feet of gas, which includes associated gas from oilfields under development.My Department is discussing the plans for a number of possible future developments with operators. Further prospects are under appraisal by the oil companies, but it is not possible to predict when they will be brought forward as projects for development.The average cost of producing oil from fields under development at the end of 1981 was forecast to be $13 per barrel in the annual report to Parliament on the "Development of the oil and gas resources of the United Kingdom—1982".

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether, by a reduction in taxation or otherwise, he will seek to bring about a reduction in the price of North sea oil.

The price of United Kingdom North sea oil reflects the world market price. It is not set by the Government but is established through negotiations between BNOC, which trades over half our North sea production, and its suppliers and customers. A reduction in the taxes paid by producers would not lower the price of crude oil, but would increase the proportion retained by the companies concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether there is any connection between the Central Electricity Generating Board's nuclear power stations and the manufacture of nuclear weapons.

There is no such connection. No plutonium produced in any of the CEGB's nuclear power stations has ever been used for military purposes in this country, and there are no plans to use it thus in the future. Further, no plutonium from the CEGB nuclear programme has ever been exported for use in weapons.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give, for the longest and most convenient stated period of time, the total number of persons sentenced to custodial or medical treatment for mental disorder on being found guilty of stealing a car in similar circumstances to those of Michael Fagan.

The readily available information on sentences or orders imposed for offences of "theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle" is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—offence classification 48; tables S1.1(A) of volume 1 and S2.1(A) of volume 2 of the "Supplementary tables" for 1980 and 1981; tables 1 (a) and 5 (a) of the Command Paper for 1979 and earlier years. The published tables for magistrates courts show hospital orders made under section 60 of the Mental Health Act 1959—column 13 of table S1.1(A)—and those for the Crown court show hospital orders made under section 60 and restriction orders made under section 65—columns 13 and 14 of table S2.1(A).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the growing practice of demonstrators and representatives of anti-democratic extreme political organisations of right and left throwing missiles of a dangerous character at Her Majesty's Ministers and other prominent politicians, and of the fact that invariably the charges made are of causing a breach of the peace with a negligible penalty if found guilty, he will seek either to increase the penalty for this offence or to introduce another defined offence with more severe penalties for such dangerous actions.

As to the question of a specific offence of missile throwing and the adequacy of the maximum penalties generally available to the courts for offences of assault, I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave on 2 December last year to a question by him.—[Vol. 33, c. 287.] The statutory summary offence of conduct conducive to breach of the peace, section 5 of the Public Order Act 1936, is included in my right hon. Friend's review of the 1936 Act and related legislation. But that offence already carries the highest maximum penalties which may be imposed on summary conviction of six months' imprisonment or a fine of £1,000 or both.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Thames Valley police into the reasons why the press was given full details of "Operation Major" in Oxford on 2 September 1982; at what stage in the operation the press was so informed; at what level the decision to inform the press was taken; and whether any instructions were given to withhold information about the names of people held from relatives making inquiries at the police station.

I understand from the chief constable of the Thames Valley police that it is the normal policy of his force to hold a press conference about an operation of public interest, such as "Operation Major". The press conference was held at 2 pm on 2 September.As to communication with relatives, the chief constable tells us that his officers acted in accordance with the provisions of section 62 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why, following "Operation Major" in Oxford, neither of the two landlords involved was prosecuted.

I understand from the chief constable of the Thames Valley police that there was not evidence to justify proceedings against them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were arrested during "Operation Major"; how many were charged; and with what result.

I understand from the chief constable of Thames Valley police that in "Operation Major" 283 persons were arrested, of whom 179 were charged. Of those charged, 150 received immediate custodial sentences, three received suspended sentences, two were placed on probation and 18 were acquitted. Six cases are still outstanding.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many armed robberies on post offices and sub-post offices have taken place in Suffolk since 1978.

The information readily available relates to offences of robbery at post offices recorded by the police in which firearms were reported to have been used; no such robberies were recorded in Suffolk in the years 1979–81. Figures for [982 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will seek to introduce legislation to make it mandatory for the courts to impose a sentence of five years' imprisonment for the offence of having or being in possession of a sawn-off shotgun.

No. It is important that the courts should have discretion, within the maximum of five years' imprisonment available for unlawful possession of a sawn-off shot gun, to fix sentences according to the circumstances which distinguish one case from another.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will have discussions about the possible establishment of a section of the Metropolitan police special constabulary consisting of the unemployed on a part-time paid basis, together with retired police and other pensioners, on the same basis.

No. The office of special constable is traditionally unpaid. The possibility of introducing some form of remuneration has been considered from time to time, most recently by the Police Advisory Board's working party which reported in 1981 and recommended that the special constabulary should continue on a voluntary basis.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the proposals of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis for improving policing in London, he will suggest that a recruiting campaign be initiated for the special constabulary service.

The commissioner made clear in the summary of his recommendations which my right hon. Friend placed in the Library that a determined attempt will be made to increase recruitment to the special constabulary. The Metropolitan police are currently studying ways of achieving this, including plans for further local recruiting drives later this year.My right hon. Friend will continue to encourage all chief officers to recruit as many specials as they can usefully train and deploy.

asked the Prime Minister why the report to the Cabinet, and minutes thereof, on the result of the British atomic test at Monte Bello in 1952 has not been released under the 30-year rule; and if she will now authorise the release of this material.

Papers relating to this test have been retained with the approval of the Lord Chancellor under the proviso to section 3(4) of the Public Records Act 1958. The material is still sensitive and it is not yet appropriate to release it.

asked the Prime Minister, in view of the effect of smoking on health, if she will issue a general instruction or request that at all Government offices and all public conferences under the auspices or control of Government Departments no smoking should be allowed.

No.

asked the Prime Minister, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West on 20 January, Official Report, c. 480, concerning the resolution of the European Assembly about Her Majesty's Government's policy of buying British whenever possible, if she has now had an opportunity to study the communications on this matter forwarded to her by the hon. Member for Newham, North-West; and if she will make a statement.

I have read the press release which the hon. Member passed to me. I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to him on 25 January.—[Vol. 35, c. 364.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what efforts he has made to ensure that the Government of Norway extend the 1982 licences for British vessels to fish north of latitude 62° in their territorial waters beyond 15 February; and what success he has had.

A meeting of European Community and Norwegian officials is to take place in Norway on 9 February to decide on the licensing arrangements that will apply from 15 February 1983.I anticipate that arrangements will be agreed at this meeting so that reciprocal fishing, including fishing by United Kingdom vessels north of 62°N, can continue after that date-15 February.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, in view of the recent concern expressed by the secretary of the Medical Research Council, Sir James Gowans, that Government cash limits have resulted in some research project being appreciably underfunded, he will consider increasing his Department's funding of medical research.

I am not aware that the secretary of the Medical Research Council has recently expressed concern in these terms. The MRC, in common with other publicly funded organisations subject to cash limited grants-in-aid, is expected to conduct its activities within the sums allotted to it. For 1983–84, my right hon. Friend announced on 15 December 1982 that he had accepted the—published—advice of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils that there should be no reduction in the MRC's funds. The MRC's grant-in-aid of £113·7 million from the science budget for that year will, subject to parliamentary approval of the draft Supply Estimates in due course, reflect that decision. The ABRC's advice further recommended level funding for the MRC in 1984–85 and 1985–86. The decision on the size of the MRC's grant-in-aid for 1984–85 will be taken later this year. For the science budget as a whole, the present level of support should, if costs can be contained, be maintained and possibly even increased slightly in 1984–85 and 1985–86.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will consider halting the Medical Research Council's study of the effect of folic acid in reducing the incidence of neural tube disorders until his Department studies the details and implications of the study proposed to be carried out on 15,000 normal mothers by Professor Nevin at Queen's university, Belfast.

I understand that the Medical Research Council is aware of the study now under consideration by Professor Nevin in Belfast, which is still in the planning stage. The fact that it is likely to be based on a population of women who have not had a neural tube defect pregnancy indicates that it will study a different question from that addressed by the MRC trial. I endorse the MRC's view that the need to undertake the trial remains unchanged.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the number of unemployed school leavers who will be barred from taking certificate of secondary education examinations in the summer.

It is not possible to answer the question in the terms in which it is put. Proposed amendments to the rules governing admission will this year enable Easter leavers to return to school to take CSE examinations in the summer term—in line with the existing arrangements for GCE O-level.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science where he expects the expansion of nursery education in 1983–84 will take place.

Principally in urban areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will approve the establishment of the Bilston tertiary college.

A decision on the authority's proposals to cease to maintain Bilston sixth form centre will be announced as soon as possible. The establishment of a tertiary college does not require my right hon. Friend's approval under section 12 of the Education Act 1980 as it would be a further education institution.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in the light of proposals in the Overseas Students Trust study, "A Policy for Overseas Students", he intends to issue recommendations about fees for overseas students from non-European Community countries in 1983–84; and if he will make a statement.

The OST study proposed that in due course no recommendations on fee levels should be issued. This proposal is being considered in consultation with the University Grants Committee and the local authority associations. In the meantime, for 1983–84, it has been decided to issue recommendations as in previous years.I have recommended that in the academic session 1983–84 fees should be charged as follows to students who began their courses before 1 September 1980 and who continue to be eligible for a subsidised rate of fee until they complete their course:

	£
Postgraduate	2,046
First degree and other advanced	1,575
Full-time non-advanced	843

These fees represent an increase of 6 per cent. on 1982–83 levels.The University Grants Committee and the local authority associations have issued recommendations to universities and local education authorities respectively on fees to be charged in 1983–84 to students who started their courses on or after 1 September 1980:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recommendations he has issued about fees for home students on courses in higher and further education in the academic year 1983–84.

I have recommended the following fee levels for home and EC students in the academic year 1983–84 on postgraduate courses and on first degree and diploma courses:

	£
Postgraduate	1494
First degree and diploma	480

The recommended 1983–84 postgraduate fee represents a 6 per cent. increase on that for 1982–83, broadly in line with price increases. The recommended first degree and diploma fee is the same as that recommended for [982–83 in continuance of last year's policy when the fee was reduced from £900. As I indicated in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, North-West (Mr. Colvin) on 8 November 1982—[Vol. 31, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set up, as part of his reorganisation of traffic areas currently being undertaken by his Department, a traffic area sub-office at Bangor to serve the north Wales area.

No. I am satisfied with the present arrangements for providing a service to north Wales. The network of eleven main traffic area offices is not meant to provide a generally accessible over-the-counter service, and almost all dealings with traffic area offices can be conducted by post or telephone. The north-western traffic commissioners hold public sittings in Colwyn Bay when necessary, and local services are provided by my Department's driving, vehicle and traffic examiners based in North Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he now expects the bypass of Billesdon, Leicestershire, to be (a) commenced and (b) completed.

Subject to the satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures and funds being available at the time, construction of the bypass is now expected to start in November 1984 with completion in August 1986.To take account of representations made following the publication of the draft line and side roads orders, the Coplow junction has been redesigned. A revised draft side roads order and the draft compulsory purchase order will be published this summer.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when the current remedial works to the Severn bridge will be completed and the bridge restored to unrestricted operation.

The autumn programme of patching the surface of the bridge, which was combined with the replacement of defective hangers, was completed on 15 November. The lane closures in operation on weekdays between 4 and 8 am will continue until the bridge has been strengthened to a higher loading standard. The extent and timing of the engineering works cannot be decided until the final report is received from Flint and Neill, our consulting engineers.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to the changes in public transport services that have been made as a result of the introduction of the Norfolk trial area order.

There have been a number of changes to transport services operating in the Norfolk trial area, but it is not possible to isolate the extent to which these have resulted from the designation of the trial area.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to the changes in public transport services that have been made as a result of the introduction of the Devon trial area order.

The Devon trial area came into operation on 10 October 1982 and it is too early for it to have resulted in substantial changes to the services within the area. Two new stage carriage services have been introduce by private operators, and I understand that other operators are contemplating the provision of new services.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to the changes in public transport services that have been made as a result of the introduction of the Hereford and Worcester trial area order.

In the Hereford and Worcester trial area the county council invited competitive tendering for contracts for individual services or groups of services. Contracts comprising a total of 53 services were awarded to 13 operators. There was competition for 32 services and of these 19 changed hands. The level of bus services has remained reasonably stable. There has been a reduced demand for revenue support and on many of the services lower fares are being charged than previously. The net result has, therefore, been of benefit to travellers in the area and to the ratepayers.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to changes in public transport services in Hereford and Worcester arising directly from the changes in transport supplementary grant introduced at the time the trial area came into effect.

I am unaware of any such changes.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he intends to proceed with the further public inquiry into the Archway road scheme with the intention of determining the issue prior to the completion of the M25.

The interests of those suffering for many years in the area from blighting uncertainty would be shabbily served by postponing the inquiry. We are planning to clear the matter up once and for all. Evidence about the potential effects of the M25 will be an obvious input to the inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment on what scale rent and rate rebates currently operate; how many people benefit and at what approximate cost; and if he will estimate the numbers that would cease to be eligible, and at what saving, if the single and married allowances for income tax were lifted to £1,800 and £3,500 in 1983–84, if two reduced rate bands of £1,000 were then payable at 10 per cent. and 20 per cent., if national insurance were chargeable at 9 per cent. on incremental income above the basic tax allowances instead of the present system, and if child benefit were raised to £15 per week.

Entitlement depends on an individual applicant's circumstances, not on any single scale. I am writing to the hon. Member more fully on this point. During 1981–82 the cost of rent rebates and allowances and rate rebates, excluding administrative costs, was £811 million in England and Wales; an estimated 3·3 million to 3·4 million households received assistance. These figures exclude supplementary benefits.For 1983–84, the new housing benefit system will be fully in operation and questions on it should be referred to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in transferring the Commission for the New Towns commons parts to the respective local authorities.

A partial transfer took place at Stevenage in 1981. The principles of the scheme for Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield have recently been agreed. A revised scheme for Bracknell has just been submitted for consideration by my Department. In other towns, discussions have been taking place between the commission and the district council concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in settling claims under section 51 of the New Towns Act 1981 for new town properties.

The authorities have been given full details of our offer, with a deadline of 21 March for acceptance. The only authority who has replied so far has accepted the offer. My right hon. Friend will shortly be seeking the House's approval for a spring Supplementary Estimate enabling the first payments of grant to be made in the present financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will amend the Use Classes Order 1972 to place the use of land for a waste transfer site in a separate use class.

My right hon. Friend has no proposals for amending the use classes order in this way. The separate use class suggested by the hon. Member would not necessarily have the effect of requiring planning permission to be obtained for such a use.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about future provisions for acceptances in lieu of tax and for the national heritage memorial fund.

I am pleased to announce, together with my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Arts, a joint allocation of £2 million for acceptances in lieu of tax in the financial year 1983–84, subject to parliamentary approval. This provision is within the programme totals given in the public expenditure White Paper, Cmnd. 8789, published on 1 February.In the case of the national heritage memorial fund, it is proposed that the joint grant of £3 million which the Government were planning to make to the fund during 1983–84 should instead be made available in the current financial year. This sum, together with the additional payment of £5 million announced by my predecessor on 15 November 1982, will be found from the Contingency Reserve and is again subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the cost to health authorities of employing extra locum doctors to allow junior hospital doctors to be on call for not more than 80 hours per week; whether doctors providing deputising services for family medical practitioners are eligible for such work; and if he will arrange for priority for such additional employment to be given to unemployed doctors.

It is not possible to provide any sensible estimate. Reductions in juniors' hours may be achieved in several ways without employing additional staff. Some may result in savings. An important element in the current review of rota commitments by authorities is that any changes must be achieved within their overall planned spending on medical staffing. Authorities are not expected to employ locums to cover regular rota commitments.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the approximate amount of money paid by his Department to private landlords for the accommodation of single homeless people in 1979, 1980, 1981 and to the nearest available date in 1982.

The information requested is not available. Once a single homeless person has found board and lodging accommodation, his housing costs are provided for under the same rules as apply to other supplementary benefit claimants in similar accommodation and no separate records are kept.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether an information officer from his Department was present at the press conference held by the Thames Valley police following "Operation Major" carried out in Oxford on 2 September 1982.

An information officer from this Department was present at the press conference. She took no part in the proceedings but immediately afterwards replied to questions about social security benefits.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why, in view of the fact that the special claims control unit of his Department uses a 13-week multiplier to calculate the projected savings in fraud investigations, his Department has estimated the benefit savings from "Operation Major" carried out in Oxford on 2 September 1982 to relate to a 52-week period.

Specialist claims control teams do not use a 13-week multiplier to calculate benefit savings. As with all investigations into social security fraud, estimates are based on 52 weeks benefit saved per case. I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Social Services on 6 May 1981.—[Vol. 4, c.79–80]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the fact that social security regualtions penalise Easter leavers who wish to take certificate of secondary education examinations even though they are unemployed, he will seek to amend the regulation to allow them to claim supplementary benefit from the time they leave school instead of having to wait until September.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what resources his Department is providing to fund the study centre on the family.

The Department and the Social Science Research Council will share the cost of a grant of up to £90,000 a year for three years, with a possibility of further extension. The exact amount of the grant has still to be fixed. The purpose of the grant is to enable the study centre to continue the valuable work of its predecessor, the study commission on the family.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North (Mr. Howell) on 19 January, Official Report, c. 125, if he will break down the surgical waiting lists in terms of waiting times of three, six, 12 months and longer.

The figures are not collected in this form.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is taking steps to advise disabled people who may be able to benefit from transferring from invalidity benefit to supplementary benefit at the ordinary rate; and if he will make a statement.

It would not be possible to predict with certainty whether any individual would be likely to gain from the course of action which the right hon. Member suggests. In any event, if a claimant to supplementary benefit were deliberately to forgo invalidity benefit to which he was entitled, it would be open to a benefit officer to continue to take the amount of invalidity benefit into account as a notional resource under regulation 4(2)(a) of the Supplementary Benefit (Resources) Regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much in current terms has been spent by his Department in each year from 1972 to 1983; what is the forecast expenditure for the next 10 years; and what proportion of gross national product the historic figures represent in these years.

Actual or planned expenditure by the DHSS between 1971–72 and 1985–86 is as follows:

	£ million cash
1971–72	6,616
1972–73	7,528
1973–74	8,478
1974–75	10,893
1975–76	14,676
1976–77	17,138
1977–78	19,726
1978–79	23,358
1979–80	27,966
1980–81	34,369
1981–82	40,587
1982–83	45,645
1983–84	49,968
1984–85	52,380
1985–86	54,970

This includes expenditure on social security throughout Great Britain, and net expenditure on the health and personal social services in England.There are no forward plans for expenditure beyond the normal public expenditure survey period indicated.The relationship of these totals to GNP—at market prices—is:

	per cent.
1971–72	11·1
1972–73	11·3
1973–74	11·3
1974–75	12·2
1975–76	13·2
1976–77	13·2
1977–78	13·2
1978–79	13·7
1979–80	13·8
1980–81	14·8
1981–82	15·9

However, these should not be interpreted as expressing expenditure on social security and on health and personal social services as a proportion of GNP because GNP is calculated for the United Kingdom as a whole whereas the expenditure totals include a mixture of Great Britain and England figures, and the majority of social security expenditure constitutes transfer payments not included in GNP.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the standard laid down by his Department for numbers of geriatric beds in hospitals in ratio to population numbers.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 27 October 1982.—[Vol. 29, c. 444.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the national figures for unclaimed (a) supplementary benefit and (b) other benefits for 1982, 1981 and 1980, respectively.

Comprehensive figures are not available for years later than 1979. Unclaimed supplementary benefit was then estimated to be £355 million and £55 million was estimated to be unclaimed in relation to other benefits, including one-parent benefit, for which a significant take-up problem existed. Unclaimed one-parent benefit was estimated to amount to £22 million in 1980–81 and £25 million in 1981–82.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many home helps have been employed in (a) the west midlands region and (b) Wolverhampton during each of the past five years; and what rate per thousand of retired people these figures represent.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is now able to publish the report of the informal working group on effective prescribing; and whether he will make a statement.

The report of the informal working group on effective prescribing is being published today. I have placed copies in the Library of the House. I should like to thank the members of the group for their valuable work.As the report says, effective prescribing needs to be considered in the context of the effective use of resources. The Government are already taking action in several important areas. For example, the report says that GPs should always have analyses of their own prescribing made available to them for self-audit. I agree, and my Department is collaborating with the Prescription Pricing Authority on the research into the method and presentation of this information that the group recommends. DHSS regional medical officers are available to help individual GPs review their prescribing habits in the way suggested.I also agree with the recommendation that the Government should continue to fund the distribution to doctors of essential prescribing information such as the British national formulary and our own cost comparison charts. This helps to ensure that GPs are fully aware of the cost consequences of their prescribing, which in turn helps to keep the drugs bill down.The informal working group suggests that general practitioners should collaborate more closely with their hospital colleagues in achieving agreed local prescribing policies and recommends the wider issue of individual drug treatment cards to patients. These recommendations are also in line with Government policy.Other recommendations are designed to improve undergraduate and postgraduate medical training in pharmacology and prescribing practice, and to encourage responsible public attitudes to the use of prescribed drugs. Not all of these are my direct responsibility, but I shall see to it that they are drawn to the attention of the appropriate professional and educational bodies.In a further recommendation the report says that pharmacists should, wherever possible, substitute generic equivalents for branded drugs unless the prescribing doctor specifically indicates that substitution is unacceptable. The working group refers to various advantages of this course including possible financial savings. But the group also said that there were other factors—including a possible adverse effect on the innovative sector of the pharmaceutical industry—which were outside its terms of reference. The recommendation on generic substitution is also relevant to the review of the working of the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme which I have set up. I am therefore seeking the views of interested organisations, including those representing the medical, dental and pharmaceutical professions and the pharmaceutical industry, on the group's recommendations.While I want to see widespread consultation on the report, I am anxious to avoid uncertainty over the group's recommendations. I have therefore asked for comments by 15 April and will make a further statement as soon as I have had time to consider them.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his Department requires written information to be given to every woman before she consents to take part in the Medical Research Council's trial of the effect of certain nutrients upon the incidence of foetal nueral tube disorders.

I have been asked to reply.The protocols governing the clinical trials of the effect of folate and other vitamin supplementation in the prevention of neural tube defects are a matter for the Medical Research Council. I understand that it is the intention of the council to provide every woman considered for entry into the trials with written information on its purposes and conduct before she enters the study. An explanatory leaflet giving this information is now being prepared in conjunction with the Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. That leaflet, together with the discussion or discussions which each woman will have with her doctor and with any adviser of her choice, will ensure as far as is possible that those women who do consent to take part in the trial will do so with a full understanding of the nature and consequences of what is proposed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in preparing his forthcoming Budget he will consider a complete revision of the income tax rules and procedures in view of the unfairness in that single men and women pay more tax than married people and yet are unable to obtain the same benefits in that they have no social or welfare benefits for their spouses or non-existent children but have to contribute extra taxation to pay for other people's children's education, health and other welfare benefits.

I shall bear the hon. Gentleman's views in mind. The proper balance of taxation between single and married people is one of the matters discussed in the Green Paper on the taxation of husband and wife published in December 1980.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received regarding customs cover in the Dundee area.

The hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. Wilson) wrote to my right hon. and learned Friend on 1 November 1982 about customs facilities at Dundee aerodrome. He asked questions on the same subject on 26 January 1983.—[Vol. 35, c 446.] No other representations have been received by my right hon. and learned Friend.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the level of tax evasion in the building and construction industry in each of the past three years.

By the very nature of the problem, it is impossible to provide a reliable estimate of the tax lost through evasion, but the amounts could be substantial.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has received from the Charities VAT Reform Group; what reply he has sent; and if he will publish the exchange of correspondence in the Official Report.

The chairman of the Charities VAT Reform Group wrote to me proposing that all charities should be given a refund of VAT on all their purchases. His letter said that research by the group indicated that no more than 10,000 charities would claim such a refund if a de minimis limit of £150 per annum was introduced, thereby making the administration of the relief a practical proposition. In my reply I gave reasons why, after careful and sympathetic consideration, this estimate of potential claimants is considered to be far too low and why it is likely that at least 100,000 charities would seek to benefit from this kind of relief.I do not publish letters which are sent to me. I shall write to the right hon. Member explaining these reasons in more detail.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to the Exchequer of (a) allowing stock relief for the first £2,000,(b) allowing training costs to be set against any tax payable under schedule D base 1 or 11 assessment rather than against profits, (c) allowing capital expenditure similarly and (d) extending the industrial building allowance to all business premises.

[pursuant to his reply, 31 January 1983, c. 19]: The estimated costs are as follows:

(a) About £30 million in a full year at present income levels.

(b) and (c) I regret that sufficiently reliable estimates are not available; but the cost of (c) would be very large.

(d) About £500 million to £700 million in a full year at present income levels, but the cost could increase considerably if profit levels improve.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the risk-sharing mechanism with regard to the European Community budget refund operates; and what is likely to be the order of magnitude of the additional refund to the United Kingdom.

[pursuant to his reply, 3 February 1983, c. 173]: The United Kingdom's net refund from the 1982 budget was fixed at 850 million ecu—about £500 million—on the basis of the Commission's estimate of a net United Kingdom contribution to the Community budget of 1,530 million ecu. The risk-sharing arrangement will work as follows. If the actual net contribution is higher than 1,530 million ecu, but lower than 1,580 million ecu, the United Kingdom's net refund will be unchanged. If it is above 1,580 million ecu but lower than 1,730 million ecu, the net refund will be increased by 50 per cent. of the difference between the actual figure and 1,580 million ecu. If the United Kingdom's net contribution is higher than 1,730 million ecu, the net refund will be increased by 75 million ecu plus 75 per cent. of the difference between the actual figure and 1,730 million ecu. If the net contribution is lower than 1,530 million ecu, but higher than 1,480 million ecu, the net refund will be unchanged. If it is lower than 1,480 million ecu, the United Kingdom's net refund will be reduced by an amount equal to 75 per cent. of the difference between the actual figure and 1,480 million ecu.The latest provisional estimate of 1982 budget outturns, which the Commission recently supplied to the European Parliament, point to a United Kingdom net contribution in the range of 1,972 million to 2,108 million ecu. On this basis, the United Kingdom would be entitled to additional net refunds of some 250 million to 350 million ecu—some £150 million to £200 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what particular indications he has received of the policy of the French Government towards a long-term solution to the problem of the United Kingdom budget deficit.

[pursuant to his reply, 3 February 1983, c. 173]: As I said in my answer on 21 January, I believe that the Governments of all member states would like to see a long-term solution. Individual Governments have not to my knowledge tabled concrete proposals as to the nature of the solution; but there is a broad consensus on the importance of developing Community policies.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what are the reasons for the payment by Her Majesty's Government of £5,765,983 to British Aerospace in support of the purchase of Airbus aircraft by Laker Airways; and if he will make a statement.

The Government announced on 26 January 1981—[Vol. 997, c. 284]—that, as an element in their continuing full support to the sales financing arrangements for the Airbus programme, they intended to provide assistance under the Civil Aviation Act 1949 to support the terms for the sale of three Airbus aircraft to Laker Airways. Similar interest rate support arrangements had been announced on 21 April 1980—[Vol. 983, c. 45–46]—for the sale of Airbus A310 aircraft to British Caledonian Airways. The Government's support is a measure for the encouragement of the production of civil aircraft and is accordingly payable to British Aerospace, as the British partner in Airbus Industrie. The intention has been to enable Airbus Industrie to offer financing terms which are competitive with those available from overseas official institutions for competing aircraft. The figure referred to by my hon. Friend was announced to the House on 3 December 1982—[Vol. 33, c. 326]—and represents the total amount paid to British Aerospace in respect of the Laker sale up to the time when Laker Airways went into receivership.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if discussions with the Post Office and the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters are sufficiently advanced for him to make a statement as to criteria for eligibility under the £2 million fund promised by the Government to assist in maintaining an adequate sub-post office network in rural areas.

Consultation with the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters will commence shortly, once discussions with Post Office on the details of the scheme are concluded. It would be premature to make a statement until that consultation has taken place. I can, however, assure my hon. Friend that the guidelines for the £2 million fund, provided in support of the Government's commitment to maintain an adequate sub-post office network, will be made available to the House as soon as the terms are finalised.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on his recent visit to the People's Republic of China.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry visited the People's Republic of China from 14 to 18 January 1983. His host was Madam Chen Muhua, Minister of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade, with whom he discussed trade relations and China's development plans. He also met Vice Premier Wan Li and other Ministers and officials responsible for industry, energy and planning. The main purpose of his visit was to promote British industrial and trade interests in China, including a number of major new projects.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will take steps to assist those industries in Leicester which are labour-intensive.

Firms in Leicester are already eligible for assistance under many national schemes for projects which meet the necessary criteria. Since May 1979, to give one example, 110 companies have been offered assistance under section 8 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 amounting to over £993,000 on

Sector working party (or EDC)
	Approximate SIC coverage	Nearest corresponding minimum list heading		Average annual percentage changes in:
				Output*	Employment†‡	Import Penetration≑
Food and Drink EDC	211–239	211–239¶	Food and Drink	+½	-2¾	-½
Specialised organics SWP	part of 271	271	General chemicals	+1	-1	+2

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) what was the deadweight tonnage of ships ordered in 1980, 1981 and the first three quarters of 1982 by United Kingdom companies for United Kingdom registration from (a) United Kingdom yards and (b) foreign yards;(2) what was the deadweight tonnage of ships completed in

The available information is as follows:

Merchant Ships (100 Gross Tons and over) for United Kingdom Registration
'000 deadweight tons
	1980	1981	*1982
New Orders
For United Kingdom yards	654	133	370
For Overseas yards	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
Completions
In United Kingdom yards	255	161	337
In Overseas yards	407	745	389
* The first three quarters.
n.a. = not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will update the information in his answer to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr of 9 February, Official Report, c. 271–74, in respect of output, import penetration and employment for those standard industrial classification groupings that correspond as closely as possible to the coverage of the sector working parties.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 January, 1983, c. 330]: The information in the following table, is the latest available. It relates to the standard industrial classification—1968—grouping that corresponds as closely as possible to the coverage of the sector working parties.The telecommunications and electronic computers sector working parties—SWPs—referred to in previous answers have been incorporated into a new information technology SWP.