asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the fact that there are an estimated 1·75 million Ghanaian refugees fleeing from Nigeria, what is his policy towards application by such refugees for settlement in the United Kingdom.

Ghanaians expelled from Nigeria can return to their own country and are not refugees within the definition of the 1951 convention relating to the status of refugees and its 1967 protocol. Any application for settlement in the United Kingdom would be considered under the relevant immigration rules.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are employed by his Department on research; at what level; and at what cost.

Information is readily available only in respect of the Home Office scientific research and development branch, research and planning unit and forensic science service central research establishment. The relevant details are as follows:

Staff in post (including administrative and support staff) at 1 January 1983
	No.
Deputy Chief Scientific Officer/Chief Research Officer	3
Senior Principal Scientific Officer/Senior Principal Research Officer	9
Principal Scientific Officer/Principal Research Officer/ Principal Professional and Technology Officer	40
Principal	1
Senior Scientific Officer/Senior Research Officer/ Professional and Technology Officer I	75
Senior Executive Officer	1
Higher Scientific Officer/Professional and Technology Officer II	42
Higher Executive Officer	2
Scientific Officer/Research Officer/Professional and Technology Officer HI	44
Executive Officer/Clerical Officer	21½
Assistant Scientific Officer/Professional and Technology Officer IV	11
Clerical Assistant/Data Processor/Personal Secretary/Typist/ Messenger/Laboratory Attendant/Telephonist/Cleaner	25
Industrial Grades	11½
Total staff	286

The estimated annual salary cost is £3,131,000.Research is also undertaken in other departments of the Home Office: principally the Police Department, the Directorate of Telecommunications and the Radio Regulatory Department.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are employed by his Department in each of the following: (a) criminal and probation and after-care departments, (b) fire and police departments, (c) broadcasting, community programmes and equal opportunities, and immigration and nationality departments, (d) the prison department, (e) establishment, finance and general departments and (f) radio, regulatory and statistical departments, the scientific advisory branch and research units; and what is the total annual cost of each.

The numbers of staff in post at 1 January 1983 are:

	Numbers
(a)Criminal Department*	164
(b)Fire and Police Departments (including centrally provided support services)	3,257
(c)Broadcasting, Community Programmes and Equal Opportunities, and Immigration and Nationality Departments	3,059½
(d)Prison Department	25,995½
(e)Establishment, Finance and Manpower and General Departments	1,837
(f)Radio Regulatory and Statistical Departments, Scientific Research and Development Branch and Research and Planning Unit	602
* Note: The Criminal Department now covers probation and after-care.

Estimated staff and running costs are contained in the Supply Estimates for 1982–83. For the prison department, they can be found in the Prisons, England and Wales (Home Office) Vote (Class IX, 8). For the centrally provided police and fire support services, they comprise sections A and B respectively of the Central and Administrative Services (Home Office) Vote (Class IX, II). The estimated staff costs of other central services are broken down by department in table 1 of Class IX, II. General administrative expenses for these services tend to be managed centrally, and cannot readily be attributed to individual departments; but the extent to which such attribution may be possible for the future is being explored in the context of the financial management initiative.

asked the secretary of state for the Home Department if he will now lay before the House the report of the Boundary Commission for Wale which he received on 24 January.

I laid the report today, together with the draft of an Order in Council for giving effect to the Commission's final recommendations, without modifications.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now reply to the letter sent to him by the hon. Member for Gower on 19 January.

I wrote to the hon. Member on 31 January.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the White Paper on cable television will be published.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Lewes (Mr. Rathbone) on 3 February.—[Vol. 36, c. 168.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is now recommending dispersal of population to local authorities as one method of civil defence.

No. This is one aspect of the draft Civil Defence (General Local Authority Functions) Regulations which are currently under consideration by my right hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what grants are available to local authorities for the purpose of carrying out their civil defence obligations; and what was the total of such grants in the latest year for which figures are available.

Grant is payable to local authorities under the Civil Defence (Grant) Regulations 1953, as amended, on approved civil defence expenditure: the total paid in 1981–82 was £6,160,174.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek reports from each constabulary as to how they enforce the law on seat belt wearing; and if he will publish this information in the Official Report.

We will write to the hon. Member when information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take measures, if necessary including legislation, to ensure the uniform enforcement of the law relating to seat belts throughout England and Wales.

No. The responsibility for the enforcement of road traffic legislation rests with chief officers of police and there is no case for making an exception for this offence.

Statistics on Security—Part I
Yearly Figures (1971–77)
	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977
Shooting incidents	1,756	10,628	5,018	3,206	1,803	1,908	1,081
Explosions	1,022	1,382	978	685	399	766	366
Bombs neutralised	493	471	542	428	236	426	169
Weight of explosives (in lb)*
In explosions	10,972	47,462	47,472	46,435	13,753	17,596	2,839
Neutralised	3,001	19,978	32,450	27,094	11,159	16,252	2,188
Armed robberies	437	1,931	1,215	1,231	1,201	813	591
Amount stolen	£303,787	£790,687	£612,015	£572,951	£572,105	£545,497	£446,988
Malicious fires†			587	636	248	453	432

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about his recent meeting with the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his meeting with Mr. Barry, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Ireland, in London on Tuesday 1 February.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his recent meeting with the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Ireland.

I had a meeting in London on 1 February with Mr. Peter Barry, TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Ireland. We had a cordial exchange of views on a range of political, economic and security issues of common concern.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the security statistics for 1982 are yet available.

Yes, I am including in the reply details of convictions obtained during the period July-December 1982. The following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he is yet in a position to announce his proposals for implementing article 8 of the Disabled Persons (NI) Order 1982.

Following similar action in England and Wales and in Scotland, the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland will issue shortly a consultation letter inviting views on a draft building regulation to require new buildings to provide for the needs of the disabled. I believe that this approach would be more effective than implementing article 8 of the Disabled Persons (Northern Ireland) Order 1982.

asked the Attorney-General precisely what amounts were paid to his clerk out of public funds by way of remuneration for assisting him in the nomination of counsel to conduct prosecutions and other Treasury cases in England and Wales during (a) 1979–80, (b) 1980–81 and (c) 1981–82.

In each of these years the sum of £1,245 gross was paid out of public funds to my clerk for assisting me.

asked the Attorney-General whether the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland has reopened his investigation into the killing of Danny Barrett, aged 15 years, in the Ardoyne district of Belfast, in the light of the inquest verdict that he was not a gunman and that no gun was fired from the Barrett family's garden.

Following the inquest verdict, the director called for and received the depositions recorded at the inquest. Having considered the depositions he directed further investigations to be conducted by the police and a report of them furnished to him. The result of these further investigations is still awaited.

asked the Attorney-General if he will prosecute Admiral of the Fleet Lord Lewin for disclosures contrary to the Official Secrets Act in his BBC radio interview on Sunday 30 January.

No.

asked the Attorney-General whether and when the Lord Chancellor intends to publish the report of the interdepartmental committee on conciliation; and whether Her Majesty's Government intend to publish their observations and intentions concerning the recommendations contained in that report.

As the Lord Chancellor announced on 17 January in another place, the report will be published.—[Official Report, House of Lords, 17 January 1983; Vol. 437, c. 1182–84.] The report has not yet been received and it is not therefore possible to answer the remainder of my hon. Friend's question.

asked the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the progress towards implementation of the European convention on child custody.

The European convention has been signed but not yet ratified. Further progress must await the outcome of the following closely related work, viz. (1) consultations, now in progress, on whether the United Kingdom should accede to the Hague convention on the civil aspects of international child abduction, and (2) the delivery of a joint report by the two Law Commissions, now well advanced, on the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of custody orders within the United Kingdom.

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

I have had no such meetings since 3 February.

asked the Prime Minister, pursuant to her answer of 20 January, Official Report, c. 175–6, what were the principal duties within the diplomatic service to which the civil servants from Departments other than the Home Office and the Department of Employment have been loaned since May 1979.

The following table gives a breakdown of the types of work in which the 116 civil servants in question have been engaged within the diplomatic service since May 1979:

	Numbers loaned to the diplomatic service
Export Promotion	18
Defence Policy	16
Aid Administration	13
Inward Investment	12
Agriculture and Fisheries	10
Economic and Financial Policy	9
Science and Technology	8
Defence Procurement and Sales	7
Civil Aviation and Shipping	5
Medical	4
Industrial Policy	3
Trade Policy	3
Information	3
Social Affairs	2
Transport	1
Environment	1
Energy	1
TOTAL	116

asked the Prime Minister if she will draw up guidelines for the use of Departments on the expenditure of public funds on advertisements relating to politically contentious matters.

These matters are subject to conventions observed under successive Administrations for many years and well understood by all Departments. I see no need to draw up new guidelines.

asked the Prime Minister what were the conditions imposed by the International Monetary Fund on its loans to Argentina in respect of public sector and external borrowing by that country.

The Argentine authorities are to reduce the borrowing requirements of the non-financial public sector from over 14 per cent. of GDP in 1982 to 8 per cent. of GDP in 1983 and to 5 per cent. of GDP during the first quarter of 1984. Information on the external borrowing limit remains confidential to the IMF, but the programme is projected on the basis that the balance of payments deficit on current account will decline from 4·5 per cent. of GDP in 1982 to about 1·5 per cent. of GDP in 1983 and will be further reduced in 1984. External payments arrears are to be eliminated by June 1983.

asked the Prime Minister what are the total debt arrears that remain to be paid by Argentina by June 1983.

We estimate that the total external debt arrears outstanding at the end of December 1982 were between $2 billion and $2·5 billion.

asked the Prime Minister what information about domestic, social and politial objectives, economic priorities and measures to deal with problems of the balance of payments was given to the International Monetary Fund by Argentina; and what judgment of these was made by the fund in accordance with paragraph 4 of page 20 of selected decisions of the International Monetary Fund.

Details of the negotiations between the IMF and member states are confidential to the IMF. So, too, are the deliberations of the fund's executive board upon them. The fund is required to pay due regard to, not to pass judgment on, the domestic, social and political objectives of members who seek to draw on its resources.

asked the Prime Minister, pursuant to her answer of 31 January, Official Report, c. 8–9, what assessment she makes of Argentina's ability to purchase arms in the context of the constraints imposed by the International Monetary Fund.

The IMF ceilings on public sector and external borrowing should help to constrain Argentina's ability to purchase arms. If Argentina were to divert the scarce resources available to it towards military expenditure, it would have great difficulty in achieving the economic stabilisation upon which the IMF programme is based. Failure to achieve this could put at risk Argentina's eligibility for future IMF drawings.

asked the Prime Minister what indications were given by her office to the BBC prior to her visit to the Falkland Islands that it would be worth while to extend the stay in the islands of their film crew which was already there.

None. The Ministry of Defence, which made the detailed arrangements, suggested to the BBC, without elaboration, that it might be worth while for its TV team to remain in the Falklands for a few more days.

asked the Prime Minister whether Mr. Bernard Ingham told Mr. Alan Protheroe of the British Broadcasting Corporation that the consequences of the corporation's failure to pool the film of her visit to the Falkland Islands would be incalculable; and whether this was said with her authority.

We have no exact record of Mr. Ingham's conversation with Mr. Protheroe, but Mr. Ingham has no recollection of having made such a remark.

asked the Prime Minister, pursuant to her answer of 27 January, Official Report, c. 495, what progress has been made in the investigation into the circumstances in which telephone calls from Mr. Bernard Ingham to 10 Downing Street were intercepted and recorded by a radio ham.

I have nothing further to add at present.

asked the Prime Minister whether any prior indication was given to the British Broadcasting Corporation that film taken by it during her visit to the Falkland Islands should be pooled.

No prior notice was given.

asked the Prime Minister what was the nature of the risk of keeping British Broadcasting Corporation personnel on the Falkland Islands which was referred to by Mr. Bernard Ingham in his conversation with Mr. Alan Protheroe of the British Broadcasting Corporation.

The risk was that it would cause speculation or a leak of information about my impending visit.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in his conversation with Mr. Protheroe of the British Broadcasting Corporation, Mr. Bernard Ingham threatened to prevent any of the corporation's film leaving the Falkland Islands unless the corporation agreed to pool it with Independent Television News and Independent Radio News; and whether this was done with her authority.

With my authority, my chief press secretary indicated to Mr. Protheroe that no Government facilities would be made available to return the BBC's film to the United Kingdom unless it was made available to the ITN and IRN in the interests of fair play.

asked the Prime Minister if, in the light of the statements made by General Juan Guglialinelli, director of the War College and Institute of Higher Military Studies in Argentina until July 1982, that planning for the invasion of the Falkland Islands began in December 1981, she will reconstitute the Franks committee.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total of public funds provided to the Scottish Sports Council in the latest year for which figures are available.

In 1981–82 the Scottish sports council received a grant in aid of £3,510,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will lay the report of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Scotland before the House.

The House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949 requires the Secretary of State as soon as may be after receiving the report of a boundary commission to lay it before Parliament together with the draft of an order in council for giving effect, whether with or without modifications, to the recommendations contained in the report. I have not yet received the report of the parliamentary Boundary Commission for Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce legislation to prohibit factors from seeking advance payments towards common charges.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to introduce legislation in this field, which would seem to be one where there should be the maximum freedom to the parties concerned to negotiate their own arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now make a statement about the implementation of section 37 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1981.

Consultations revealed clear support for our proposal that the body to be prescribed to adjudicate on the provision of access to public buildings for disabled people should be the local authority with building control responsibilities. However, the response also suggested that the purpose would be served more effectively by introducing building standards regulations on access. I am therefore about to send out a further consultation document incorporating a draft regulation. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, in view of an increased incidence of campylobacter-induced enteritis as a result in ingesting raw or insuficiently heat treated milk, he is satisfied with the safety of home-produced milk as now treated and distributed.

Reported cases of human illness attributed to the consumption of milk and milk products are closely monitored. I believe that the present arrangements provide adequate safeguards for the health of consumers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what European Economic Community or other regulations regulate the export of racing pigeons to France for the purpose of racing back to England.

There are no European Community regulations about the export of racing pigeons. However, our domestic rules require pigeon racing bodies to seek export certificates to permit their birds to enter France before return to this country. Under this procedure export certificates may be granted in the light of our assessment of the possible disease risk.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce measures to ensure better control of the spread of bee diseases.

I am satisfied that the measures operated under the Bees Act 1980 are adequate for the control of the spread of bee diseases.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations his Department will be making to the forthcoming London dumping convention meeting on 14 February.

The United Kingdom Delegation will be participating fully in the work of the seventh consultative meeting of the London dumping convention. The reply I gave to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Central (Mr. Cook) on 26 January—[Vol. 35, c. 475]—referred to the draft resolution which the United Kingdom Government have tabled on one particular item.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to publish the results of all cost-benefit studies made of large-scale drainage works schemes which have implications for wetland flora, fauna and wildlife before public moneys are investigated.

Cost-benefit studies for drainage schemes are designed to demonstrate whether a proposed scheme is viable in economic terms. Benefits and disbenefits that cannot be quantified for the purpose of these studies are taken into account by Ministers before they reach decisions on individual schemes. The studies for agricultural schemes are compiled from confidential information obtained from individuals which it would not be proper to release.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has received a report from the Advisory Committee on Pesticides on the safety of phenoxy acid herbicides; and if he will make a statement.

In May 1982, the Government invited the advisory committee to review the latest evidence on the safety of this group of herbicides, which includes 2, 4, 5-T among others. This followed publication in The Lancet of an article suggesting a possible association between exposure to phenoxy acid herbicides, clorophenols or their contaminants and an increased risk of a rare type of cancer.The committee's advice was received on 14 December 1982 and has now been the subject of full and careful consideration; copies are being placed in the Library of the House. In the light of the available medical and scientific evidence, the committee has advised that formulations of phenoxy acid herbicides and related wood preservatives as presently cleared under the Pesticides Safety Precautions Scheme may continue to be used. The Government accept this advice.The committee has also made two recommendations for further research. The first is that some retrospective and prospective investigations should be made among groups exposed to phenoxy acids during their manufacture or use as herbicides, as a contribution to the work being done internationally in this area. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services is asking the Medical Research Council to follow up this recommendation. Secondly, the committee has recommended, in the light on experience in the United States of America, that the possibility of risk arising from exposure to chlorophenols and related products in factory situations should be investigated.The Health and Safety Executive is already conducting studies on this matter, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment is asking the Health and Safety Commission to consider whether further studies are needed.I take this opportunity, on behalf of my right hon. Friends, to thank Professor. Kilpatrick and his colleagues for the skilled and painstaking attention they have given to this sensitive subject, and to express the Government's confidence in them.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the expenditure from United Kingdom public funds on St. Helena for each of the past 10 years.

The figures are as follows:

St. Helena
Year	Total Public Aid £000's
1972	700
1973	723
1974	1129
1975	1257
1976	1560
1977	2376
1978	3721
1979	3935
1980	3795
1981	4062

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of the supplementary grant which he announced on 20 December 1982 will go towards helping the national film archives.

Of the supplementary grant to the BFI of £1·4 million more that half—£750,000. In addition, the archive will derive substantial benefit from essential computer equipment to be purchased for the institute as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what expansion of the activities of the Victoria and Albert museum is planned during 1983.

I am planning on giving the necessary resources for some strengthening of management and conservation, and for the opening of the Henry Cole wing.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the geographical distribution of Arts Council financial support as compared with population density during the last five years.

The Arts Council does not allocate funds to the regions by reference to population but on the basis of the level and variety of artistic activity.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he plans to meet the secretary general designate of the Arts Council.

I often meet the chairman and the secretary general of the Arts Council, and I expect this to continue when the new secretary general takes up his appointment.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he has given to Welsh county councils following the recent House of Lords decision on the question of local authorities paying grants to overseas students who have been resident in the United Kingdom for three years or more.

No advice has so far been issued. The full implications of the judgment are still being considered, but we hope to be able to give advice to local education authorities shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many research projects concerning alcohol-related diseases were financed by the Medical Research Council in 1980, 1981 and 1982;(2) how much money was allocated by the Medical Research Council to the study of alcohol-related diseases in 1980, 1981 and 1982.

I understand that the Medical Research Council has spent £1,797,000 over the last three financial years on research relevant to alcohol-related diseases. The number of projects being financed during each year and the estimated expenditure involved is as follows:

Projects Supported (including continuing projects)
Financial Year	Number	Expenditure £
1979–80	17	373,000
1980–81	20	622,000
1981–82	29	802,000

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how much money was spent by the Social Science Research Council in 1980, 1981 and 1982 on research into the social problems caused by the consumption of alcohol;(2) how many research projects concerning social or behavioural problems involving the consumption of alcohol were financed by the Social Science Research Council in 1980, 1981 and 1982.

I understand that the Social Science Research Council has spent £56,200 over the last three financial years on research relevant to alcohol-related problems. The number of projects being financed during each year and the estimated expenditure involved is as follows:

Projects supported (including continuing projects)
Financial year	Number	Expenditure
1979–80	3	24,000
1980–81	3	20,600
1981–82	4	11,600

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the expenditure of the Medical Research Council towards researching new drugs for each financial year since 1970–71 in cash terms and at constant prices.

I understand that the Medical Research Council undertakes a considerable amount of laboratory and clinical work to develop and test drugs. In 1981–82 the council estimates that some £7 million was spent from its grant-in-aid for research in this area. The information for earlier years is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now publish the education grant-related expenditure assessments of local authorities in England.

For the reasons I gave in my letter of 27 January to the hon. Member, a copy of which has been placed in the Library, the Government have concluded that the service components of the grant-related expenditure assessments in England for 1983–84 should not be published until a little later in the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish his Department's best estimate of the likely outturn of capital expenditure by local authorities on education projects in 1982–83.

The forecast in the autumn of net outturn for education capital expenditure in 1982–83—after allowing for capital receipts—was £317 million, compared with an allocation of £309 million. Following the Government's initiative aimed at encouraging local authorities to spend more capital on education to use some of the substantial underspend forecast for that year on other services, the Department has so far approved additional allocation of £35 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Department has, on an authority-by-authority basis, compared education total spending in 1982–83 with education grant-related expenditure assessments for the same year.

Information about local authorities' expenditure on education in 1982–83 will not be available until much later in the year. It is therefore not possible to make the comparison for which the hon. Member has asked.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he intends to introduce pilot schemes for educational vouchers; and if he will name the local education authorities in which he proposes that the experiment takes place.

My right hon. Friend is considering a number of possibilities, including this one, which can contribute to the Government's objectives of improving standards and extending parental responsibility and choice across all sectors of school education. No conclusions have yet been reached.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will advise local education authorities to employ supply teachers to substitute for teachers who are absent for more than two days.

Questions of cover for absent teachers are matters for decision by local education authorities and governors of voluntary schools. My right hon. Friend has no plans to offer advice to them on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will recommend to local education authorities that where classes in primary schools consist of more than one year age group the maximum size of class should be 24.

My right hon. Friend has already drawn LEA's attention to the substantial educational benefits to be obtained by avoiding such mixed age classes.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether provision is made in rate support grant or other grants to local education authorities to deal with the particular problem of falling school rolls.

The total allowed for local authority current expenditure on education within the annual rate support grant settlement each year takes account of the fact that local education athorities are not able to reduce their expenditure on schools education as fast as the pupil numbers decline. The distribution of block grant takes account of the differences in the rate of decline of pupil numbers in different authorities. Allocation of capital expenditure take account of the need for capital spending to assist in the removal of surplus school places.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he is satisfied that the Industry Act 1972, as amended, is adequate as a legislative framework for a balanced geographic distribution of industrial development.

Yes. I am satisfied that the Industrial Development Act 1982 will aid industrial development throughout the United Kingdom, in particular through regional financial incentives which are available in those parts of the country with the most severe problems of persistently high unemployment and structured weakness.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he last met the chairman of Rolls-Royce.

My right hon. Friend meets the chairman of Rolls-Royce Ltd. when the need arises. The last occasion was on 11 October 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the remunerated positions in other undertakings currently held by members of the board of the British Steel Corporation.

A list of current BSC board members, together with information know to BSC about the non-BSC appointments of each member, is as follows:

Board member	Other appointments
Mr. I. K. MacGregor	Atlantic Assets Trust Ltd.
	Brunswick Corporation
	Lazard Freres & Co. (Limited Partner)
Mr. R. Scholey	None
Mr. F. Holloway	None
Mr. G. H. Sambrook	Iron Trades Insurance Group
Mr. C. W. Abrahams	None
Sir John Boyd	UKAEA
	BBC Governor
Mr. T. U. Burgner	Civil Servant, Her Majesty's Treasury
Mr. A. E. Frost	Marks & Spencer Ltd.
	S. G. Warburg & Co. Ltd.
Lord Gregson	Fairey Holdings Ltd.
	Fairey Engineering Ltd.
	Fairey Hydraulics Ltd.
	Fairey Nuclear Ltd.
Mr. S. J. Gross	None
Mr. R. Halstead	Beecham Group Ltd.
Mr. J. D. Lloyd	None
Mr. J. Sumner	Civil Servant, Department of Industry

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what information he has as to the percentage figures for investment in research and development for the United Kingdom, and for each of the United Kingdom's major competitors, for each of the years from 1972 to 1982.

Internationally comparable figures for national expenditure on research and development are not collected by my Department; work of this nature is left to international agencies. In particular, the OECD has published gross expenditure on research and development as a proportion of gross domestic product—GDP—for the United Kingdom and its more important competitors. This data is to be found on pages 14 and 15 of the OECD publication: Science and Technology Indicators. Basic Statistical Series—Volume B, Gross National Expenditure on R&D (GERD) 1963–1979 (ref DSTI/SPR/82.05) a copy of which is available in the Library. The figure of 22 parts per 1,000 of GDP for the United Kingdom in the year 1978 given in that reference is the latest available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, in view of the financial aids offered to the textile and clothing industries in other member states of the European Community, such as France, Italy and Belgium, which distort competition within the European Community, what progress he has made in seeking the removal of such schemes; or whether it is his intention to offer similar stimulation to the United Kingdom industries.

The Government remain seriously concerned about the proliferation of such aid schemes within the Community. It is the responsibility of the European Commission to judge whether aid is compatible with the treaty of Rome and my right hon. Friend has persistently urged the Commission to stop this upward spiral of aid. The Commission has replied that it shares our concern and is taking steps to ensure stricter observance of the relevant aid guidelines. The Commission is currently considering a number of aid proposals by other member states and decisions are expected soon.Although there is no sectoral aid scheme for textiles and clothing in the United Kingdom and no plans to introduce one, the industry receives support under various assistance schemes applicable to industry as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what has been the response from industry to the robot support programme operated by his Department.

Since the programme was launched in April 1981 the Department has approved assistance of £105,000 towards 56 robot consultancy studies; £5·5 million towards 75 projects involving installation of 143 robots; and £2·4 million towards 20 robot manufacturing projects. Just under one third of the robots supported in the robot support programme are of British manufacture. I am encouraged by this response, which shows the growth of both the use and the manufacture of robots in the United Kingdom. I am convinced that more remains to be done. The level of robotics activity in this country is still below that of major international competitors, and I should welcome more applications from industry for this sort of assistance.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what progress has been made on the self-help levy scheme being proposed by Lazard Bros. & Co. Ltd. on behalf of the general sector of the steel castings industry.

I am pleased to be able to say that Lazards has today announced final agreement on the carbon and alloy scheme. This represents the culmination of two years' work by the industry to reach agreement on a scheme which provides it with a real chance of survival, fit to compete internationally and to grasp new market opportunities.We, of course, regret the redundancies that will have to be made as part of the rationalisation, but believe that the scheme represents the best chance of safeguarding the long-term future of the United Kingdom industry. The Government therefore welcome the scheme and are providing substantial assistance under section 8 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 as well as certifying the scheme under section 406 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1970 in order to ensure advantageous tax treatment of the compensation paid under the scheme.

asked the Minister for Trade what representations he has received from the British Standards Association concerning the wearing of hard hats by horse riders.

We have received no direct representations from the British Standards Institution about this matter. A number of hon. Members have expressed concern and the hon. Member has himself written to the Department about representations he has received from the chairman of the relevant BSI technical committee about the proposed revised standard for horse and pony riders' hats. My Department will be consulted on the draft.

asked the Minister for Trade how many consumer complaints were received in total and by area by citizens advice bureaux during the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what was the total cost of dealing with these.

No precise estimates are available of the cost of dealing with enquiries at citizens'advice bureaux, which are independently managed and locally financed. I understand from the CAB national association that in 1981–82 bureaux in England, Wales and Northern Ireland dealt with 790,000 inquiries in the category "consumer, trade and business", distributed by area as follows:

Area	No. of enquiries 000s
North East	30
Yorkshire and Humberside	56
Lancashire and Cumbria	27
Greater Manchester	60
Merseyside	47
East Midlands	44
West Midlands	107
North Wales	7
South Wales	23
East Anglia	25
Essex	25
Chilterns	56
North London	31
South London	33
West London	33
East London	27
South East	29
Surrey and West Sussex	25
Southern	39
Wessex	36
Devon and Cornwall	17
Northern Ireland	13