asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the capital cost of the 10-cell unit about to be opened at Her Majesty's prison, Peterhead, and his estimate of the annual revenue cost of operating the unit.

The capital cost of the 10-cell block due to be completed in mid-1983 at Peterhead prison is £500,000. The annual cost of operating the block is estimated at £200,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the criteria for admission of prisoners to the 10-cell unit soon to be opened at Peterhead prison; and if he will set out the objectives of this unit.

The 10-cell block at Peterhead prison will provide the governor with a facility to deal with prisoners who require, for management reasons, to be taken out of general circulation for a time. It will not be for prisoners under punishment but for those who are creating problems of a kind which cannot be dealt with adequately while they remain in ordinary circulation within the prison. The problems might be related to disruptive or subversive activities or arise from pressures created by other prisoners. Provision exists in the prison rules for removal from ordinary association for reasons of this kind but, at Peterhead, there is at present no suitably located accommodation in which effective removal from association can be achieved. The new 10-cell block will provide this kind of facility in conditions where the different needs of prisoners can be dealt with in an individual way.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average cost of direct financial assistance to industry from central Government funded agencies, including the cost of administration and promotion of those agencies; (a) per head of total population of the area, and (b) per registered unemployed person in the area, in Scotland.

Details of the activities and expenditure of the Government funded agencies in Scotland are contained in the published estimates and annual reports of the Scottish Development Agency, the Highlands and Islands Development Board, the Scottish Tourist Board and the new town development corporations, copies of which are available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any changes to announce in the cash limits in 1982–83 which are within his responsibility.

Class XV, Vote 17, National Library of Scotland. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, an increase of £100,000 is required on account of delay in bringing the Scottish libraries co-operative automation project into full operation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide information on the median length of time persons have been registered as unemployed by age group in Scotland; and what is the corresponding information for Dundee.

[pursuant to his reply, 3 February 1983, c. 189]: The following table shows the median length of time spent on the unemployment register by persons registered as unemployed at jobcentres and careers offices in Scotland and Dundee—the old basis of the count—at 14 October 1982, the latest date for which information is available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list in the Official Report the total imports into the United Kingdom of pigmeat from European Community countries for each

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps his Department takes to ensure that new food products and additives conform to European and British food standards; and whether his Department seeks out newly available foods to make such checks.

All foods must comply with the general provisions of the Food and Drugs Acts and with the more detailed regulations made under them to control compositional standards and the use of additives. Enforcement is the responsibility of local authorities.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what change has occurred in the area of rough grazing in the United Kingdom since 1960.

The change has been from 14·5 million acres to 12·6 million acres. The following table illustrates the main changes, in million of acres:

The following tables show the annual imports of pigmeat from European Community countries in 1981 analysed (a) by country of origin and (b) by month.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the present composition of the Farm Animal Welfare Council.

The current membership of the Farm Animal Welfare Council is as follows:

• Professor R. J. Harrison, FRS, MA, MD, DSc, MRCS, LRCP, (Chairman).
• Mr. C. B. Atkinson, ARICS.
• Mrs. M. A. S. Bates, BSc (Agric).
• Rev. A. L. Birbeck, MA.
• Mr. P. L. Brown, BSc, MRCVS.
• Mr. S. Burgess, FBIM.
• Mr. J. H. Cullimore, JP.
• Professor J. M. M. Cunningham, CBE, BSc (Agric), PhD, FRSE, FIBiol.
• Dr. M. S. Dawkins, MA DPhil.
• Dr. A. R. Everton, LLM, PhD.
• Mr. R. Ewbank, MVSc, MRCVS, FIBiol.
• Mrs. R. Harrison.
• Mr. D. L. Haxby, MRCVS.
• Mr. J. A. Inverarity.
• Professor J. O. L. King, PhD, MVSc, BSc (Agric), FRCVS, FIBiol.
• Mr. R. MacPherson, MRCVS.
• Mr. E. T. F. Marsh, BEM.
• Dr. D. W. B. Sainsbury, MA, BSc, MRCVS.
• Mr. P. Staines.
• Mr. J. G. Thomas, BSc (Agric).
• Councillor P. A. Walker, JP.
• Professor A. J. F. Webster, MA VetMB, PhD, MRCVS.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to increase the proportion of the British aid programme to be made available to the poorest countries in the form of local costs.

We are conscious of the need for assistance towards local cost financing in most of the countries in the poorest group. We already make generous provision for this in appropriate caes. For certain projects we can provide 100 per cent. of our aid in the form of local costs and are willing to consider requests for local cost finance, capital and recurrent, in these countries where it can be justified. For the group as a whole, excluding India, we contributed £16·2 million in local costs in 1981, 7 per cent. of our bilateral capital and technical co-operation programmes to these countries.In India there are special arrangements for local costs. Under the 1979 retrospective terms adjustment agreement, India continues to repay previous aid loans to the United Kingdom but receives in return an equivalent amount specifically to cover the local costs of projects. In 1981, this amounted to £39·6 million, or 29 per cent. of the bilateral United Kingdom programme in India.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the population component in the following bilateral aid projects whose assessment included an analysis of the population implications of the project, namely (i) Orissa, north east India: coastal fisheries, provision of boats, freezing plant, and so on, (ii) urban India: local cost aid for housing (HUDCO) and (iii) Swaziland: development of rural water supplies.

The assessment of these three projects included an anlysis by population advisers of the population implication of the proposals. In the light of these, no special population component was included.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her publuc engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 15 February.

This moring I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.

asked the Prime Minister if she will seek to pay an official visit to the island of Alderney.

I have no plans to make such a visit.

asked the Prime Minister whether she has any plans to meet the chairman of the nationalised industries.

I have no plans at present to meet the nationalised industries chairmen's group. From time to time I meet individual chairmen.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will seek to amend the Parliament Act 1911.

No.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Management and Personnel Office has received all reports from Departments as required under the financial management initiative.

Yes. All Departments have sent their reports to both the Treasury and the Management Personnel Office as requested.

asked the Prime Minister what protests were made by Her Majesty's Government to the United Nations or to the Commonwealth Secretary General regarding the mass expulsion by Nigeria of up to 2 million citizens of Ghana.

None. Any such action would be primarily for those countries directly involved. They have not protested in this way; nor have they asked us to do so. We have, however, through the normal channels, drawn the attention of the Nigerian Government to the public concern in Britain about the way in which the expulsions of illegal immigrants were carried out.Our high commissions in Accra and Lagos were immediately authorised to spend locally on emergency medical supplies, and we have provided in total over £150,000 in bilateral assistance. We are also contributing to the European Community's aid of some £4 million.

asked the Prime Minister what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Government of Bangladesh about the policy of that Government towards the multinational drug companies.

In August 1982, we expressed concern to the Government of Bangladesh that the way in which they implemented the drugs legislation introduced in June 1982 might harm their industrial policy of encouraging foreign investment. I understand that the British-owned drug companies in Bangladesh have since been consulted about the legislation and have agreed to co-operate in the implementation.

asked the Prime Minister what principles Her Majesty's Government apply to the valuation of assets taken over by the state.

The valuation of assets depends on the circumstances under which they are to be acquired. It is the policy of this Government to reduce the size of the state sector wherever possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juveniles were in prison department establishments at the latest available date, by age, sex, establishment and category of prisoner.

We shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mentally disordered persons were in prison department establishments on 31 December 1982; how many were in each prison; and what were the categories of the Mental Health Act 1959 into which they fell.

Information is set out below for 30 September 1982—the latest date for which figures are available—on the number of persons in prison department establishments whom prison medical officers considered to be mentally disordered within the meaning of the Mental Health Act 1959.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the throughput of mentally disordered prisoners in 1982 by sex and type of disorder; and if he will identify those who were juveniles and young offenders.

This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mentally disordered prisoners were discharged during 1982.

During the year from 1 October 1981 to 30 September 1982—the latest period for which figures are available—1,437 persons whom prison medical officers considered to be mentally disordered within the meaning of the Mental Health Act 1959 left prison department custody. This figure included sentenced inmates who may have completed their sentence or been transferred to hospital and unsentenced inmates who may have been transferred to hospital, granted bail, acquitted, given a non-custodial sentence or made subject to a hospital order.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mentally disordered prisoners were discharged in 1982 with a form 726A being sent to a local authority.

During the year ended 31 December 1982, the number of mentally disordered prisoners who were discharged from prison department custody with a form 726A being sent to a local authority was 28.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the charges against each of the five men who have been on remand in custody for over two years; and which are the prisons in which they are located.

We shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many actions have been instigated in the last five years for offences under the Highways Acts in the burning off of stubble.

Records available to us, which may be incomplete, show that during the period 1977–81 court proceedings were completed against seven persons in England and Wales for burning heath or grass without a licence, contrary to section 20 of the Hill Farming Act 1946. Information for 1982 is not yet available. Information on persons proceeded against for lighting any fire within 50 ft of the centre of a highway contrary to section 161(2) of the Highways Act 1980 cannot be distinguished from that for other kinds of danger or annoyance under sections 161–163 of the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to co-ordinate prison authorities and magistrates' clerks so that purely formal weekly remand hearings are listed at the beginning of the magistrates' day, with the result that escorting prison officers may immediately take prisoners further remanded back to prison rather then relying upon police officers to do so, so halving the total number of escorted journeys to such remand hearings.

It is already the practice in most magistrates' courts for formal weekly remand hearings to be heard at the start of business.The relationship between the arrangement of magistrates' court business and the demands made on police and prison service manpower is among the matters which we think might usefully be studied by means of a local demonstration project. We have it in mind to propose the setting up of such a project in a selected area in cooperation with the services concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make an estimate of the relative proportion of time and money spent by the police in the pursuit of offences connected with motoring compared with crimes against the person.

Information in the form requested on the allocation of police officer time and expenditure is not available centrally and could not readily be obtained. The proportion of police establishments allocated to particular functions varies from force to force. It was recently estimated that, in England and Wales as a whole, about 10 per cent. is employed in traffic divisions and about 14 per cent. in CID. In addition, the uniform branch—about 70 per cent. of force establishments—work on criminal incident and traffic matters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information is available to him as to independent tests carried out, and by whom, into the efficiency of the Intoximeter, model 3000.

I understand that the Intoximeter 3000 was tested by the Department of Transportation and approved for use in the United States of America in 1980. It was evaluated by the Home Office forensic science service in laboratory conditions in 1981, and in field trials in police forces in 1981. The results were published by HMSO in 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to alter the eligibility for postal votes in order that those persons likely to be on holiday when an election is called will have the right to vote by post.

This is being examined by the Select Committee on Home Affairs as part of its current inquiry into the Representation of the People Acts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish figures to show (a) what has been the cost of operating the Broadcasting Complaints Commission since its inception in April 1981, (b) how many complaints it dealt with (i) in 1981 and (ii) in 1982 and (c) what information he has as to how many of these complaints originated from Scotland.

I refer the right hon. Member to the commission's annual report for 1981–82—H.C. 478 Session 1981–82. This shows that its net expenditure to 31 March 1982 was £97,956. Of the complaints it received during the period 1 June 1981 to 31 March 1982, 23 fell within its jurisdiction; of these, six were still before the commission at the end of the period.We have no information about the geographic origin of complaints.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the concession of £1·25 was introduced for receipt of broadcasting by registered blind people; and what is the value of the concession in current terms.

Registered blind persons have been entitled to a reduction of £1·25 in the television licence fee since 1965, when a combined radio and television licence fee was introduced. The reduction represented the amount of the radio licence fee from which blind people had previously been exempt. £1·25 represented 25 per cent. of the combined radio and television licence fee in 1965 and now represents 8·3 per cent. of the current monochrome television licence fee and 2·7 per cent. of the colour licence fee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the rate of concession in respect of registered blind persons' television licences.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many violations of the speed limit by

The information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will investigate the doping of greyhounds in view of the recent report by the National Greyhound Racing Club; aid if he will make a statement.

I am not aware of any grounds for such an investigation. If there is evidence of criminal activity it should be drawn to the attention of the police, who are responsible for the enforcement of the criminal law.

asked the Attorney-General how many tenants of local authorities and new towns have had their goods distrained in rent arrears cases in England in the years 1971 to 1981; and in how many of these cases leave of the county court has been obtained to carry out action for distress.

No information is available on the number of tenants of local authorities and new towns who have had their goods distrained in cases of rent arrears during the period in question. Such information could be collected only at disproportionate cost. Leave of the court is not required.

asked the Attorney-General how many (a) possession orders have been granted and (b) evictions have taken place by leave of the county courts, for reasons of rent arrears in England in the years 1971 to 1981, concerning dwellings which were rented from (i) a local authority or new towns, (ii) a private landlord and (iii) a housing association; and what were the average amounts involved and the proportion of the tenants concerned who were in receipt of, or otherwise eligible for, supplementary benefit.

The information collected does not distinguish cases where possession is ordered on grounds of rent arrears from other cases; nor between all the different types of landlord referred to. The information about convictions carried out does not distinguish between different types of landlord at all. The following table sets out the information that is available. The figures are taken from the annual published volumes of "Judicial Statistics (Civil Judicial Statistics, before 1975)", where more details can be found.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many home teachers are currently employed in Cambridgeshire; and what were the equivalent figures in May 1979;(2) how many peripatetic music teachers are currently employed in Cambridgeshire; and what were the equivalent figures in May 1979;(3) how many remedial teachers are currently employed in Cambridgeshire; and what were the equivalent figures in May 1979.

The information requested is not collected by the Department, but the following figures have been provided by the local education authority concerned:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many scientific courses have been discontinued at which universities in 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively; and whether any indications have been given to him as to the figures for 1983 and 1984.

This information is not collected by the Department.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) why it is necessary for the Exchequer and Audit Department to maintain an office and staff in Paris;(2) why it is necessary for the Exchequer and Audit Department to maintain an office and staff in Rome;(3) why it is necessary for the Exchequer and Audit Department to maintain an office and staff in Geneva.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of the United Kingdom is the appointed external auditor of a number of United Nations agencies. These include:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the income tax threshold for a single person in 1983–84 if it were to represent the same proportion of average manual earnings as was the case in the tax year 1972–73.

The income tax threshold in 1972–73 for a single person was 32·1 per cent. of average male manual earnings. To represent the same proportion in 1983–84, it is estimated that the threshold would be £2,495.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state for (a) the total of the Inland Revenue management regions of Scotland, the south-east, the south-west and south Yorkshire, excluding offices dealing with London taxpayers, (b) the excluded offices specified in (a), and (c) the total of all other Inland Revenue management regions, what percentage of schedule D tax collectable in the year then current had actually been paid by 4 February in each of the years 1980 to 1983 inclusive.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that the European Community budget rebate of £500 million will not be exclusively earmarked for projects already approved by Her Majesty's Government and that sums are made available to areas such as East Anglia which do not qualify for regional development assistance.

The Government's existing public expenditure plans were drawn up on the assumption that the United Kingdom would receive substantial budget refunds from the Community. The payment to which my hon. Friend refers will not, therefore, open the way to increases in expenditure beyond the levels already planned. The refunds benefit all parts of the United Kingdom by enabling public expenditure programmes generally to be maintained at higher levels than would otherwise be possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the total sums received under the 30 May 1980 agreement from the European Community in respect of 1980–81 and 1981–82; and to which purposes and which regions these sums have been committed.

The United Kingdom's refunds in respect of the 1980 and 1981 budgets were received in the form

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list, for all Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries (a) public expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product, (b) taxation as a percentage of gross domestic product and (c) public sector employment as a percentage of the total work force.

The total tax revenue and total outlays of general government, on OECD definitions, are as follows for 1980 as percentages of gross domestic product. Information is not available on public sector employment in OECD countries.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the £260 million allocated to the community programme and job splitting schemes announced in his statement on 8 November 1982.

The figure of £260 million includes additional gross expenditure of £230 million on the community programme and £30 million on the job splitting subsidy. Administrative costs account for three per cent. of the provision in each case. The remainder is for grants to project sponsors, in the case of the community programme, and grants to employers, in the case of job splitting.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate has been made of the size and timing of the effect upon the flow of revenue to the Exchequer by the removal of pay-as-you-earn end-of-year work from the local collector of taxes as proposed by the report on the review of the collection service.

The Inland Revenue is satisfied that the removal of the pay-as-you-earn end-of-year work from the local collector of taxes will not affect the flow of revenue to the Exchequer.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice has been sought from, and what consultations have taken place with, interested bodies and individuals as to the effect of closing the 143 tax collection offices, as currently proposed in the report of the review of the collection service.

Consultations are now taking place with the Inland Revenue Staff Federation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many draft schemes under the provisions of the Finance Act 1982 which facilitate the purchase by a company of its own shares have been submitted to the Inland Revenue for clearance; how many have been approved; and how many have not been approved.

At mid-February 1983, 456 formal applications for clearance under section 53 of the Finance Act 1982 had been received by the Inland Revenue. Clearance has so far been given to 342–75 per cent.—and another 53 are still being considered. 61 applications did not meet the qualifying conditions and could not be cleared.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his reply to the right hon. Member for Rhondda on 8 February, Official Report, c. 319–20, if he will break down the percentage levels of employment in (a) the public sector and (b) the private sector for each of the regions of the United Kingdom in 1970, 1974, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982.

Comprehensive regional employment data both for the private and public sector are not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the meeting of the interim committee of the International Monetary Fund held in Washington on 10 and 11 February.

The meeting was convened to consider the world economic outlook and to reach decisions on a replenishment of the resources of the fund. It had been brought forward, at my suggestion, from its scheduled date in April.It was decided that the total of fund quotas should be increased from the present figure of some SDR 61 billion to SDR 90 billion—equivalent to about US $98·5 billion. This decision followed the recent agreement of participants in the general arrangements to borrow to increase commitments under those arrangements from some SDR 6½ billion to SDR 17 billion—equivalent to about US $19 billion. This latter amount will also be available for on-lending to non-participants if required by a threat to the stability of the international monetary system. Saudi Arabia announced its readiness to provide resources to the fund in association with the GAB.These decisions taken together amount to a major addition to fund resources in the 1980s. The technical position is that while about half of the fund's quota subscriptions represent useable currencies, a higher proportion—some two thirds—is the case in relation to GAB resources. On that basis the total of effectively available fund resources has been almost doubled.Member countries agreed to take the necessary action to bring these proposals into effect by the end of 1983. The acceleration of the quota decision and its planned date of implementation means that increased resources will be available some two years earlier than previously envisaged.The committee considered the question of allocation of SDRs. It asked the executive board to review the latest trends in growth, inflation and international liquidity in order to establish, not later than the committee's next meeting on 25 September, whether a proposal for a new SDR allocation would command broad support among members of the fund.In my statement of 31 January to the Treasury and Civil Service Select Committee I outlined the global strategy which, speaking as chairman of the interim committee, I thought it desirable should be followed over the coming months. The aim is to manage global recovery without rekindling inflation, and to ensure that countries with particularly severe debt problems are restored to economic health. In that context I said that I regarded it as essential that the fund should have adequate resources to enable it to perform its central role in the process of global adjustment. The decisions now taken meet this need.I have arranged for a copy of the communiqué from the meeting to be placed in the Library.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will cause an interdepartmental investigation to ascertain the reasons why, despite increased staffs, and modern improvements in telephones, copying machines, electronic aids and electric typewriters, it now takes Departments longer to send a formal acknowledgement card of receipt, interim, and substantive replies, to correspondence and to that of hon. Members in particular, than was the case more than 30 years ago.

Comparing like with like there are now fewer civil servants than there were 30 years ago. Many more letters are being received. The use of modern equipment in ministerial offices and elsewhere has helped to deal with the increase in work. My ministerial colleagues and I aim to deal with most inquiries in three to four weeks, but some complex questions may take longer.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what arrangements he intends to make to provide hon. Members with information about the amendments contained in the resolution tabled today updating schedule 1 to the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975.

A detailed note has been placed in the Library of the House, which gives explanatory information on each of the proposed amendments to the schedule of disqualifications.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the purpose of the visit by one of his officials to E1 Salvador; and whom he is proposing to meet during the visit.

An official of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will visit E1 Salvador shortly as part of a familiarisation tour of several central American countries. Such tours are normal Diplomatic Service practice. During his visit to E1 Salvador he will have discussions with appropriate official and unofficial contacts which will be arranged by our embassy.