asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if the Lord Advocate will examine the application of commercial law to Government contracts in relation to the case put before him by the hon. Member for West Lothian in a letter of 16 February.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given him by my hon. Friend on 22 February.—[Vol. 37, c. 412.] In the circumstances, there is nothing which I can usefully add to the information given to the hon. Member on that occasion.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland how many prosecutions there have been during the last convenient year for exceeding the road speed limit where radar guns have been used.

Figures are not separately kept of the means used to detect motorists committing speeding offences. However, I can advise my hon. Friend that during 1981, the latest year for which statistics are available, the total number of persons prosecuted for speeding offences in Scotland was 27,296 and the number of those cases which were proved during that period was 26,467.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland what delays and associated problems have been encountered with regard to High Court and sheriff court prosecution over the past 12 months in Edinburgh.

With regard to the High Court, I am not aware of any delays or associated problems over the past 12 months. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that the Lord Justice General has always been able, but not without difficulty in some cases, to instruct the clerk of justiciary to provide a judge and a court. There are delays in the sheriff court and more court accommodation, particularly for jury trials, is required.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he will meet procurators fiscal to discuss prosecution policy in relation to section 27 of the Transport Act 1981.

No. Since the wearing of seat belts became compulsory I am not aware of any particular problems which have arisen with regard to prosecution policy. But I will of course have regard to any difficulties that procurators fiscal have encountered.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland how many prosecutions have been raised against hoteliers in the past 12 months for the reset of poached salmon.

None. At common law salmon caught by poachers cannot be said to be stolen and consequently those acquiring fish from poachers subsequently do no commit the crime of reset.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total sum contributed by industry, commerce and domestic ratepayers, respectively, in the most recent annual period for which figures are available.

Following is the information for England, in 1981–82—after domestic rate relief grant and rate rebates:

	£ million
Industry	1,048
Commerce	2,543
Domestic	3,936
Other	1,557
TOTAL	9,084

asked the Secretary of State for the' Environment whether he will make a statement on the outcome of the Council of Environment Ministers' meeting on 28 February.

I led the United Kingdom delegation at this meeting where the main matter discussed was again action on imports of certain harp and hooded seal pup products.I am very pleased to report that, after prolonged discussion, the council agreed to adopt a directive under article 235 of the treaty of Rome, on conservation grounds. This will meet the concern of many hon. Members that there should be a formal community instrument on this subject. As I reported to the House on 7 December and 16 February—Vol. 33, c. 457, and Vol 37, c. 443—the United Kingdom pressed for such action at the last two meetings of the Council. In accordance with the assurance I gave the House on 16 February I played a major part in achieving unanimous support for the directive in the Council yesterday.The draft directive provides for a two-year ban on imports of these products from 1 October, unless the Council decides otherwise on the basis of a report and a proposal from the European Commission. The Council chose to delay the taking effect of the directive in order to give the Commission time to investigate the scientific aspects and consequences of the culling of the two species of seal, with the countries mainly involved in sealing. I made it very clear that I think full consultation and co-operation with the Canadian and Norwegian Governments is essential since they, and not the European Community, have powers to control the cull directly. The two year period of any ban is intended to give time for resolution of any remaining uncertainties.In the United Kingdom the Government are monitoring trade to ensure that the voluntary ban agreed with the British Fur Trade Association is effective for the year beginning March 1983. This Community-wide action has already produced results. There will be no Norwegian cull of seal pups this year and any Canadian cull will be minimal. The implementation of the directive would give this action legislative force. Further, this instrument provides a sound basis for resolving this problem, which has given rise to so much Parliamentary and public concern.The delegation of the Federal Republic of Germany announced their Government's intention to convene in 1984 an international conference on the protection of the North Sea, with particular reference to oil pollution, and to invite the participation of the European Commission and all states with a relevant interest.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to reply to the letter dated 5 January from the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley, concerning finance for local arts associations which was passed to him for answer by the Minister for the Arts.

I replied to this letter, which was received in my Department on 8 February, on 28 February.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the percentage reduction in local authorty staffing since May 1979.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Preston, North (Mr. Atkins) on 26 January 1983.—[Vol. 35, c. 893.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the average standard rent charged by each local authority in England in May 1979 and at the latest available date.

Average unrebated rents, net of charges for amenities and of rates, for individual English local authorities' dwellings are published, for April of each year, by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy in annual volumes of "Housing Rents Statistics", copies of which are in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ensure that the establishment of the Commission for Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings does not lead to any decrease in the importance placed upon rescue archaeology or in the likely level of funding for rescue archaeology and those archaeological units involved.

The Government do not intend that the establishment of the commission should mean any decrease in the importance placed on rescue archaeology, or in the likely level of funding for it. The work carried out at present by the DOE, through the inspectorate, the ancient monuments laboratory and the central excavation unit, will continue within the commission. The important and complementary roles of local archaeological units and other expert local bodies will also continue. The Government believe that the commission will be best able, as the central focus of heritage work, to co-ordinate these activities and to carry them forward effectively in future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage and how many privately owned dwellings in the London borough of Croydon are considered to be substandard or unsatisfactory.

At 1 April 1982, 5,800—six per cent.—of the private dwellings in Croydon were substandard, that is, unfit or lacking in basic amenities—and a further 6,800—seven per cent.—were in need of renovation, according to the authority's own estimates in its 1982 housing investment programme return.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage and how many privately owned dwellings in the London borough of Croydon are known to be without indoor bathrooms and indoor toilets.

The latest available information relates to households present on census night and is in table 27 of part 1 of the 1981 census county report for Greater London, a copy of which is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the percentage of and how many council owned dwellings within the London borough of Croydon are currently empty; and how many of these properties are considered to be derelict.

Croydon borough council reported in its 1982 housing investment programme return that 284 dwellings, 1·3 per cent. of the council's stock, were vacant on 1 April 1982. Any housing closed for slum clearance is excluded from the figures in these returns and no estimate of derelict housing is collected. Of the council dwellings, 15 had been vacant since before 1 April 1981 but these were all undergoing or awaiting repair or improvement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his recent visit to Merseyside.

[pursuant to his reply, 1 March 1982, c. 129]: I visited Merseyside on 17 and 18 February 1983. I met the bishop and archbishop of Liverpool, leaders of Liverpool, Ellesmere Port and St. Helens councils, representatives of Merseyside Housing associations, representatives of Merseypride Ltd. and officials of my task force, Merseyside county council and British Rail. I visited the new clerical training centre in Toxteth, opened a showhome at the first new inner city housing scheme at Cherrymead, Bootle, visited INDEX at St. Helens, and spoke at the annual luncheon of St. Helens chamber of commerce. I also presented to Merseyside youth association 12 boat kits donated by the Royal Yachting Association's seamanship foundation.

asked the Attorney-General how many divorces were registered during 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively.

The numbers of petitions for divorce, nullity of marriage and judicial separation and the numbers of decrees absolute of divorce and nullity and decrees of judicial separation granted for the four years from 1979 to 1982 are set out in the table.

England and Wales
Year	Petitions	Decrees Absolute of divorce and nullity	Decrees of Judicial Separation
1979	167,511	137,985	1,640
1980	177,415	146,458	2,560
1981	176,162	144,825	3,334
1982	170,350	135,903	3,868

asked the Minister for Trade whether, as a means of protecting holiday makers from losing their deposits and payments to travel companies and holiday organisations who are not members of the Association of British Travel Agents, he will introduce the necessary legislation to ensure that all such companies must place with his Department a surety bond of £1 million to protect these holiday makers where such holiday firms go into voluntary or compulsory liquidation.

The Association of British Travel Agents is not alone in providing financial protection for intending holiday makers, whether through bonding, or by other means such as commercial insurance schemes. The consumer should take into account the level of protection available when choosing his holiday arrangements from the wide variety available. I therefore see no call for legislation on the lines proposed by the hon. Member.

United Kingdom Trade in Manufactured Goods*
£ million
	European Community (Original Six)				European Community (Current Membership)				Rest of World			Export/Import ratio
	Exports	Imports	Crude balance	Export/ Import ratio	Exports	Imports	Crude balance	Export/ Import ratio	Exports	Imports	Crude balance
1962	601	440	+ 161	137	800	491	+309	163	2,449	976	+1,473	251
1963	675	478	+197	141	880	535	+345	164	2,558	1,032	+1,525	248
1964	697	589	+108	118	936	636	+300	147	2,679	1,373	+1,306	195
1965	771	638	+133	121	1,029	714	+315	144	3,066	1,539	+1,527	199
1966	840	708	+132	119	1,110	796	+314	132	3,281	1,674	+1,606	196
1967	850	817	+33	104	1,135	929	+206	122	3,251	1,915	+1,336	170
1968	1,065	1,031	+ 34	103	1,439	1,193	+246	121	3,974	2,580	+1,394	154
1969	1,283	1,111	+171	115	1,749	1,292	+457	135	4,507	2,846	+1,662	158

asked the Minister for Trade what percentage of the United Kingdom's manufactured exports went to the original sax members of the European Community, to the nations which now comprise the European Community and to the rest of the world, respectively, in 1982 and in 1972.

[pursuant to the reply, 28 February 1983, c. 2]: Following is the information:

United Kingdom Exports of Manufactures*
Share going to	1972 Per cent.	1982 Per cent.
European Community—original six	22	31
European Community—current membership	29	37
Rest of the world	71	63
* Standard International Trade Classification Sections 5 to 8.

asked the Minister for Trade what obstacles have been created by European Community directives to the establishment of duty-free manufacturing sub-zones near airports in Europe; and if he has studied the ways in which these have been established in the United State of America.

[pursuant to the reply, 28 February 1983, c. 1]: Although the Council directives concerning free zones makes no specific reference to sub-zones we see no obstacle in Community legislation to their establishment. The use of such a facility in the United States of America is a consequence of different tariff policy and administration, particularly as regards the processing of imported goods into products for the home market.

asked the Minister for Trade if he will publish a table showing (a) the total amount of the United Kingdom's manufacturing exports which went to the original six members of the European Community, to the nations which now comprise the European Community and to the rest of the world, respectively, in 1982 and in each of the previous 20 years, (b) the comparable figures for imports of manufactured goods from these three groups of nations (c) for each group the positive or negative balance of manufactured goods trade and (d) the export to import ratios for manufactured goods trade in each category.

[pursuant to the reply, 28 February 1983, c. 2]: The information is as follows:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the average cost per tonne of the export refunds for butter and butter oil exported from the European Community; and what was the average subsidy per tonne of butter sold at subsidised prices on the European Community market in the latest year for which figures are available.

In 1981, the latest year for which figures are available, the average cost per tonne of export refunds on butter and butter oil was 1,424 ecu; the average subsidy per tonne on butter sold at subsidised prices in that year was 583 ecu.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much public money has been spent in grants towards the physical improvement of farms since 1947, in the past 20 and in the past 10 years in both cash terms and at 1982 values.

I regret that the information requested is not available for the full period from 1947. For the 20 years ending March 1982 the amount which was paid in grants for purposes which can be broadly described as "the physical improvement of farms" was about £1,522 million. For the 10-year period the corresponding figure was about £1,172 million.These figures are in cash terms and are not available in 1982 prices. They are only approximations because some of the schemes covered items other than farm improvements and it is no longer possible to separate the relevant expenditure from the irrelevant.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he will take to regulate the sale of veterinary medicinal products by agricultural merchants.

The Medicines (Exemptions from Restrictions on the Retail Sale or Supply of Veterinary Drugs) Order 1979, as amended, was introduced on an interim basis to accommodate the then pattern of distribution of veterinary products to the principles of the Medicines Act 1968. It has been in full operation for three years and has worked satisfactorily.After consulting the Veterinary Products Committee—set up under the Medicines Act 1968—and organisations representative of the interests concerned, the Government have concluded that, with certain minor modifications, the order should form the basis of permanent arrangements. Organisations representing agricultural merchants and others involved in retail sales of veterinary medicinal products have re-shaped the existing code of practice governing the sales of such products. Taken together these changes represent a substantial strengthening of the controls. The necessary order will be laid before the House as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West on 17 February, Official Report, c. 219, when Sergeant Brian O'Leary was first suspended from duty; and how long he has been so suspended.

Sergeant O'Leary was first suspended on 11 January 1979 and remained so until 22 June 1981. He was again suspended on 21 July 1981 and has remained so to date.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is issued to the police as to the use of short-barrel 12 bore shotguns.

It would not be in the interests of police effectiveness to make public the guidance that has been issued to chief officers of police about the use of specific weapons, including shotguns.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to the number of persons charged and found guilty of drug offences generally and the sentences imposed at the Horseferry road court, for the latest and most convenient period of time.

Persons proceeded against and persons found guilty of drugs offences at Horseferry Road magistrates' court by type of sentence or order
	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981
Total proceeded against	12	237	182	239	273	295	406
Total found guilty	12	224	171	236	251	285	380
Absolute discharge	—	—	—	1	1	1	5
Conditional discharge	1	58	60	73	85	99	157
Probation order	1	7	8	4	10	6	8
Fine	10	135	91	148	144	165	197
Suspended imprisonment	—	14	4	5	10	4	6
Immediate imprisonment	—	8	6	3	1	7	6
Otherwise dealt with	—	2	2	2	—	3	1

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many returns have been received by the Government Actuary in connection with his report into the employees' contribution to the firemen's pension scheme; how many returns have not been so received; when the Actuary's report became available; and whether he is satisfied that sufficient time will have elapsed thereafter before the meeting of the joint pensions committee to consider it on 16 March before passing its views to him for decision.

All 16 local authorities which were asked to provide additional data have done so. The Government Actuary expects to complete his further report within a week. I have agreed that discussion by the joint pensions committee should be extended to give adequate time for consideration of the report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he hopes to meet representatives of the Fire Brigades Union to discuss their concern over the firemen's pension scheme following the Government Actuary's report on employees' contributions.

I have written to the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union proposing that a meeting might take place after the joint pensions committee of the central fire brigades advisory councils has discussed the contribution rate in the firemen's pension scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what appointment Mr. Clive Moore holds in the legal department of Scotland Yard; what is his designation and rate of pay; how long he has held this appointment; and when and why he was suspended from duty.

Mr. Moore is a legal assistant. His salary is £10,712 including London weighting. He has been employed by the Metropolitan Police since 30 July 1979. He was suspended from duty on 7 February, in accordance with the procedures laid down for civil staff, pending inquiries into whether or not he is to be charged with possessing a firearm without a firearm certificate and internal inquiries into whether or not disciplinary action should be taken against him.

The information available centrally is given in the following table.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will ensure that, if any foreigner is convicted of serious crime warranting prison sentencing, on completion of sentence he will be automatically deported to his country of origin.

I refer the hon. Member to the: provisions of paragraph 150–152, 154, 156 and 159 of the: "Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules" (HC 169).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will publish in the Official Report the number of police officers injured in the course of their duties who in each of the years 1975 to 1982, respectively, were awarded compensation in the following amounts; between £250 and £400, between £400 and £1,000 and over £1,000;(2) how many policemen who were injured by criminals in each of the years 1978 to 1982 received compensation of less than £400 from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.

The number of police officers who received awards in the years 1975–76 to 1981–82 is as follows:

	Number
1975–76	2,298
1976–77	2,930
1977–78	2,607
1978–79	3,065
1979–80	2,807
1980–81	2,654
1981–82	1,974

Information about the amount of the awards is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he consulted the police staff associations before raising the threshold for compensation for criminal injuries from £250 to £400.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the reply he gave to the hon. Member for Birkenhead on 17 February, Official Report, c. 222, what are the reasons for his Department reducing the salary scale for probation students.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short) on 24 February.—[Vol. 37, c. 494.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to lay the order for the renewal of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976.

The draft continuance order for the renewal of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976 was laid before Parliament on 9 February 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Irish nationals resident in the United Kingdom but without United Kingdom citizenship are entitled to acquire United Kingdom citizenship.

The number of citizens of the Republic of Ireland resident in the United Kingdom who have an entitlement to be registered as a British citizen is not known.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conditions, including periods of stay and timetable, apply to Irish nationals wishing to acquire United Kingdom citizenship.

I shall be writing to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were arrested for assault

Population *aged under 17 of prison department establishments in England and Wales on 30 November 1982: by establishment, age, sex and category of prisoner
	Untried		Convicted unsentenced		Sentenced
Establishment
	15	16	15	16	14	15	16
MALES
Remand centres
Ashford	—	—	—	—	—	—	2
Brockhill	2	5	2	11	—	1	1
Cardiff	1	1	—	—	—	1	1
Glen Parva	—	4	2	4	—	—	2
Latchmere House	3	14	11	32	—	1	9
Low Newton	1	10	3	6	—	—	1
Norwich	1	—	—	1	—	1	1
Pucklechurch	—	2	1	4	—	—	—
Risley	2	7	5	16	—	—	1
Thorp Arch	5	7	5	13	—	—	3
Winchester	—	2	—	—	—	—	1
Local prisons
Bedford	—	—	—	—	—	—	1
Birmingham	—	1	—	—	—	—	5
Canterbury	—	—	1	1	—	—	—
Leeds	—	—	—	—	—	1	5

[pursuant to his reply, 11 February 1983, c. 494]: We understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the available information relating to serious assaults on police officers is as given in the following table. Statistics for the summary offence of "assault on a constable" are not available on a comparable basis but local records show that during the period July to December 1982, 29 persons were charged with such offences of whom nine were of white skinned appearance, 19 of black skinned appearance, and one was of an appearance not clearly recorded; these figures exclude persons also charged with a serious assault on a police officer on the same occasion.

Persons arrested* for notifiable offences of violence against the person, the victim of which was a police officer, by ethnic appearance Brixton police division July to December 1982
	Ethnic appearance of person arrested
	White skinned persons	Black skinned persons	Appearance not recorded	Total
July to September	3	9	1	13
October to December	5	9	—	14
* Persons arrested and proceeded against by means of a charge, referred to a juvenile bureau, a caution or in some other way; arrests not followed by any action are not included. Also excluded are persons proceeded against for assaults committed in the course of or following an arrest for another offence.

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.

[pursuant to the reply, 15 February 1983, c. 88]: The information requested is given in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the increase in real earnings per hour in manufacturing since the first quarter of 1980 compared with the increase in output per person per hour.

The available information on changes between the first quarter of 1980 and the fourth quarter of 1982 is as follows:

	Percentages
Output per person hour in manufacturing	+10
Average hourly earnings in manufacturing	+43
Retail prices (all items)	+31

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the numbers of youth training scheme places that will be required in the London borough of Lambeth in September for 16-year-olds; and how many places have so far been promised by employers to meet that situation.

It is estimated that about 1,000 16-year-old 1983 school leavers from the borough of Lambeth will participate in the youth training scheme in 1983–84. Outline proposals for 750 places for eligible 16 and 17-year-olds are already under discussion, of which 450 will be with employers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have participated in the job release scheme; and what is the average sum they have been paid for taking early retirement.

From January 1977, when the job release scheme began, to 1 February 1983, 221,463 people have entered the scheme. There have been a number of changes in the ages of eligibility for the scheme and the allowances paid, which means it is not possible to quote an average level of allowance. However, from 11 April 1983 the rates of job release allowance will be as follows:

	Disabled men of60–63 and men of 62–63	Disabled men of 64 Men of 64 and Women of 59
	per week taxed	per week tax free
For married applicants with a dependent spouse whose weekly income from all sources does not exceed £13 per week	£67·20	£57·75
For single applicants and married applicants with a spouse whose income from all sources does exceed £13 per week.	£54·60	£45·70

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many nurses and midwives were registered unemployed at the most recent date for which figures are available; and how many were unemployed at the same date for each of the previous 10 years.

The following table gives, at September each year from 1973, the numbers of unemployed people registered at jobcentres in the United Kingdom for employment as state registered nurses, state enrolled nurses or state certified midwives.

September	Number
1973	1,117
1974	1,127
1975	1,944
1976	3,826
1977	5,110
1978	4,870
1979	4,523
1980	5,104
1981	6,679
1982	8,831

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will reinstate the collection of figures on the numbers of nurses registered as unemployed.

Information about occupation is not available in the unemployment benefit offices records on which the unemployment count is now based. There are no plans at present for the recording of details on occupation as it is not required for benefit purposes and it would be costly.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) whether he will take steps to remove the requirement that two doctors should sign cremation forms in the case of patients who die in hospital;(2) whether he will take steps to remove the requirement that two doctors should sign cremation forms in the case of patients upon whom post mortem examinations are carried out.

I have been asked to reply.The medical certificate in form B and the confirmatory certificate in form C were originally designed to prevent cremation being used for the concealment of crime. The possibility of simplifying these requirements has been under consideration for many years. Most recently the Home Office undertook extensive discussions with funeral and cremation interests, other interested Government Departments and the British Medical Association about the possible abolition of form C in the case of deaths in hospital, but, unfortunately, no agreement could be reached. The suggestion that the cremation of the bodies of persons upon whom hospital post mortem examinations have been carried out should not require a confirmatory certificate is a new one which we will consider. Abolition of both medical certificates would be dependent upon the introduction of an improved system of medical certification of the fact and cause of death on the lines recommended by the committee on death certification and coroners—the Brodrick committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has as to the number of persons employed or previously employed at the Sizewell nuclear power station who have died, or are suspected of having died, of leukaemia; and if he will give similar details for any stated non-nuclear power station for the longest and most convenient stated period of time.

The answer to the first part of the question was given in the reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short) on 28 February. The CEGB has no evidence to link the deaths from leukaemia that have occurred at Sizewell with radiation exposure at the site.Systematic records of deaths of employees or former employees arising from leukaemia are not kept by the CEGB for non-nuclear power stations.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many tonnes of spent nuclear fuel have been imported into the United Kingdom in 1979, 1980 and 1981.

Receipts of irradiated fuel from overseas into BNFL Sellafield works have been as follows:

	Tonnes Uranium
Financial year	Magnox Fuel	Oxide Fuel
1979–80	75	116
1980–81	77	163
1981–82	84	167

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many jobs it is estimated will be created by the proposed conversion of disused railway lines into bicycle paths.

The consultant's report identified 1,000 kms of disused railway track as being suitable for conversion, and estimated that each kilometre could involve between 30 and 90 man-weeks of work.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport by how much the maximum legal gross train weight of a

Analysis of gross value added per head for selected industries based on standard industrial classification (revised 1980) at current prices
Sector analysis (SIC 1980)
Class	Group		1979			1980
			Lower quartile	Median	Upper quartile	Lower quartile	Median	Upper quartile
25		Chemical Industry
	251	Basic industrial chemicals	8·3	11·5	16·4	7·8	11·0	16·2
	255	Paints, varnishes and printing ink	6·9	9·8	13·2	6·9	9·0	12·2
	256	Specialised chemical products mainly for industrial and agricultural purposes	7·2	10·5	15·7	7·9	11·5	17·1
	257	Pharmaceutical products	4·8	8·1	13·1	5·8	9·5	13·7
	258	Soap and toilet preparations	4·6	6·8	11·2	6·6	9·5	14·0
	259	Specialised chemical products mainly for household and office use	5·4	8·0	11·9	5·7	9·9	16·5
	TOTAL CLASS 25		6·3	10·1	14·5	6·9	10·3	15·0
32		Mechanical Engineering
	320	Industrial plant and steelwork	5·1	7·0	9·1	6·1	7·9	10·8
	321	Agricultural machinery and tractors	4·9	6·8	8·9	6·0	7·5	10·8
	322	Metal·working machine tools and engineers' tools	5·4	6·9	8·7	6·4	8·3	10·4
	323	Textile machinery	4·2	5·3	7·0	4·2	6·0	7·6
	324	Machinery for the food, chemical and related industries; Process engineering contractors	5·9	7·8	10·7	6·6	8·3	11·7
	325	Mining machinery, construction and mechanical handling equipment	5·6	7·1	9·4	6·4	8·2	10·5
	326	Mechanical power transmission equipment	5·1	6·2	8·0	6·0	7·3	9·1
	327	Machinery for the printing, paper, wood, leather, rubber, glass and related industries; laundry and dry cleaning machinery	5·6	7·1	8·9	6·2	7·6	9·2
	328	Other machinery and mechanical equipment	5·4	7·1	9·3	6·6	8·3	10·5
	329	Ordnance, small arms and ammunition	6·3	7·3	8·6	7·1	8·2	11·7
	TOTAL CLASS 32		5·4	7·0	9·0	6·3	8·1	10·4
43		Textile Industry
	431	Woollen and worsted industry	3·8	5·2	6·7	4·1	5·7	7·9
	432	Cotton and silk industries	3·3	4·5	6·6	3·4	5·0	7·2

No increase has been made, or is envisaged, in the maximum total weight of locomotives or the trailers which they draw. These are prescribed in regulations 82 and 83 of the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1978, two regulations which were not amended by SI 1982, No. 1576. However, the wording of regulation 10 of the latter SI gives rise to an inconsistency with those two regulations, which I intend to put right at the next opportunity.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for the textile industry, the chemical industry and the mechanical engineering industry, by class and if possible by group, the distribution of labour productivity by median and quartiles at the latest available date in terms of the most reliable measure; and how this compares with the corresponding figures for 1978.

Median and quartile estimates of gross value added per head for the required sectors are shown in the following table for 1979 and 1980. Comparable estimates for 1978 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will arrange for an exhibition relating to communications for the aged and disabled to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

Yes. Arrangements have been made for such an exhibition in the Upper Waiting Hall to take place from Monday 14 March to Friday 18 March.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what plans the Government have to publicise schemes of assistance available to small firms.

Evidence has shown that the many schemes available from Government to help small firms are still insufficiently known, not only among managers and owners of small firms, but also among bankers and accountants to whom the business man often turns for advice. Despite all the effort that has gone into marketing these schemes in recent years, research has confirmed a continuing need to increase knowledge of them among both business men and the professions. A working party under my chairmanship was accordingly set up last August. The working party including advisers from the private sector as well as a number of Ministerial colleagues.We decided to mount a £2·5 million campaign, employing advertising on television and in the national press. The object is to promote the 86 schemes of assistance, introduced by successive Governments, which are available to small firms. These do not include the specific actions to improve the climate for the sector which help compose the list of 98 measures taken in the lifetime of this Parliament. The advertising agency Wight, Collins, Rutherford, Scott, a new entrepreneurial agency, and itself a small firm, was engaged to create the advertising to put the message across to small business managers and to bankers and accountants. The campaign will start on 18 March and will continue until June.Associated with the main advertising will be a series about 100 regional seminars organised by Deloitte Haskins and Sells which are aimed at adding to the knowledge of bankers and accountants about these various schemes. An attractive guide to these schemes and the sources of advice will be available from 25 March.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's relations with Bangladesh.

We maintain close relations with this important Commonwealth country. Since independence Bangladesh has received over £200 million in bilateral aid from the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the purpose of the visit to Bangladesh of Sir David McNee in January 1980; and what other advice has been given to the police and security services in Bangladesh.

Sir David McNee visited Bangladesh at the invitation of the Inspector General of Police there and discussed with the Bangladesh authorities ways in which the effectiveness of their police service might be improved, particularly through training and education. The overseas police adviser of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office visited Bangladesh in December 1981 and also discussed police training.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales why the advance letter sent by his Department to the Welsh health and technical services organisation, informing it of details of the nurses salary settlement of 1982, was not sent until 7 January; what delays in the payment of back pay to nurses and ancillary workers were caused by this; what representations he has received from the Royal College of Nursing on this matter; and if he will ensure that such delays will not occur in future years.

There was no unreasonable delay. Advance letters have to be adapted before issue in Wales. As in England, letters were despatched to district health authorities on 7 January, but an advance copy was sent to the Welsh health technical services organisation three days earlier. I am satisfied that, having regard to the range and complexity of the calculations involved, all reasonable steps have been taken to expedite the payment by authorities of back pay. I have received no representations from the Royal College of Nursing.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report (a) the annual figure of planned aggregate relevant expenditure accepted by central Government in the rate support grant settlement for Wales from 1977 to date and (b) the annual figures of outturn aggregate relevant expenditure by local authorities in Wales from 1977 to date.

Planned relevant expenditure for Wales for the financial years 1981–82, 1982–83 and 1983–84 is as follows. Figures for earlier years are not available as there was then no separate rate support grant for Wales.

	£ million
1981–82	1,195·4
1982–83	1,295·3
1983–84	1,385·2

Outturn relevant expenditure for each of the financial years 1977–78 to 1981–82, the most recent for which information is available is as follows:

	£ million
1977–78	728
1978–79	810
1979–80	943
1980–81	1,132
*1981–82	1,231
* Provisional outturn.