Written Answers

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Written Answers To Questions

Monday 14 March 1983

Education And Science

Textile Industry

33.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what study he has made of the statement made by the Textile Institute on 27 February, concerning the future prospects of the textile industry; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report the conclusions he has drawn from the two reports of the Textile Institute, copies of which have been sent to him, on the need to maintain an annual output of 100 textile technologists, together with a corresponding number of technicians.

	Numbers of first year students in universities and polytechnics:
	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83^*
	Thousands
Universities, Great Britain
Full-time	112·8	113·1	113·5	111·7	106·1
Part-time	9·2	9·8	10·3	12·2	—
Polytechnics, England
Advanced courses:
Full time	47·8	49·4	51·4	59·5	59·5
Part-time	37·3	36·6	36·4	37·5	33·0
Non-advanced courses:
Full-time	4·6	3·7	3·2	3·9	—
Part-time	13·6	11·6	13·6	8·2	—
^* Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the current level of awards available from public funds through local authorities, research councils and other sources for students studying for second or higher degrees; and what has been the total annual support from public funds for such students in the most recent year for which figures are available.

In the current academic year awards to postgraduate students following courses leading to higher degrees provide for the payment of approved fees and the following rates of grant in respect of ordinary maintenance:i. for students living away from home and attending an establishment

in London,	£2,880
outside London,	£2,335;

ii. for students living in the parental home, £1,705.Some postgraduate awards, mainly for courses which do not lead to higher degrees, are paid at undergraduate grant rates.Awards for students following courses for a second first (undergraduate) degree are made at the discretion of the local education authorities but, where made, must also be

I have read these reports with interest. As the Textile Institute is aware, the National Advisory Body for Local Authority Higher Education (NAB) is reviewing advanced course provision for textile technology in consultation with the interests concerned, and I am sure that it will wish to take account of these studies. Copies of the reports have, I understand, been sent to the NAB and the UGC. My right hon. Friend looks forward to receiving the NAB's recommendations in due course.

Higher Education

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students will enter (a) universities and (b) polytechnics in 1983, 1984 and 1985; and how many enterered in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively.

Projections of student numbers in higher education for 1983–84 and later years cannot yet be provided. The Government's expenditure plans published in February in Cmnd. 8789 stated that the implications for student admissions to higher education in future years are under discussion with the bodies concerned.The available information for 1978 to 1982 is as follows.paid at the full undergraduate rate. Such awards provide for the payment of approved fees and the following rates of grant in respect of ordinary maintenance:i. for students living away from home and attending an establishment

in London	£1,900
outside London	£1,595;

ii. for students living in the parental home, £1,225.The maintenance element of postgraduate awards us subject to deduction, where applicable, in respect of students' and spouses' contributions, that of awards paid at undergraduate rates additionally to deductions, where applicable, in respect of parental contribution.Total expenditure on postgraduate awards to students on higher degree and other postgraduate courses by the Department of Education and Science and the research councils for the latest available year (1981–82) was £65 million. It is not possible to identify expenditure by local education authorities on awards to students following second first degree courses from other awards made under their discretionary powers.

17-Year-Olds

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many boys and girls in the 17 years age group will be in full-time education in 1984.

238,000 pupils aged 17 are projected to be in school or on full-time courses of non-advanced further education in England in 1983–84.

Maintained Schools

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set out the powers of (a) governors and (b) head teachers of maintained schools in regard to the curriculum.

The statutory framework for responsibility for the secular curriculum in county and voluntary schools in England is defined in section 23 of the Education Act 1944 and in the articles of government of individual schools. Section 23(1) of the 1944 Act specifies that in every county school and in every voluntary school other than an aided secondary school the secular instruction to be given to the pupils shall be under the control of the local education authority, save in so far as may be otherwise provided by the articles of government of the school. Section 23(2) specifies that the secular instruction to be given to pupils in every aided secondary school shall be under the control of the governors of the school, save in so far as may otherwise be provided by the articles of government.Articles of government commonly assign to the governors responsibility for the general direction of the conduct and the curriculum of the school, and to the head teacher responsibility for the internal organisation and management of the school; and in practice, curricular matters are often devolved upon the head teachers and the staff.The Government's view of how these responsibilities should be exercised is set out in "The School Curriculum" which was published in March 1981, a copy of which is in the Library.

Overseas Students

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assumptions will be made about income to universities from overseas students' fees in the light of the revised arrangements announced by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 9 February when calculating the overall recurrent grant available for distribution by the University Grants Committee.

Universities' recurrent grant relates to home and European Community students only. Its calculation therefore take no account of income to universities from other overseas students, including any who may receive help towards the cost of their fees under the arrangements referred to by the hon. Member.

Rrs Bransfield

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the work of the RRS Bransfield.

RRS Bransfield was built in 1970 specifically to provide logistic support for the British Antartic survey. The main work of Bransfield is to re-supply and refuel BAS Antarctic stations during the austral summer season. This Antarctic summer her main task has been support for the re-building of Halley station. In the past, Bransfield has also participated in marine geophysical surveys and experiments in the physical sciences, has supported geological and biological field parties, and has undertaken limited hydrographic survey work.

Seafarers (Training)

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will ensure that a greater proportion of the costs of training seafarers is borne by the state than at present; and if he will make a statement.

It is Government policy that, as far as possible, the costs of industrial training should be met by the main beneficiaries: the employers and employees themselves. However, a substantial proportion of the costs of nautical education and training is already met from public funds through subsidised tuition fees, grants to students and the provision of residential and other facilities at colleges. The Department is, however, in close contact with the Department of Trade about the problems currently faced by the shipping industry insofar as they relate to education and training.

Engineering And Marine Engineering Students

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has given any guidance to the University Grants Committee to withhold grant from universities such as Heriot Watt, which have taken on too many engineering and North sea marine engineering students.

No.

Human Embryos (Experiments)

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science to what extent Government funds are spent on experiments on human embryos.

I understand that the Medical Research Council is currently supporting two research projects which involve experiments using human embryos resulting from fertilisation in vitro. In the financial year 1981–82, the council spent about £37,000 on these projects. I believe that some similar work is conducted in universities, using funds for teaching and research allocated on the advice of the University Grants Committee.

Ulster Museum (Transfers)

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, pursuant to the reply from the Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to the hon. Member for Warley, East on 7 March, Official Report, c. 303, he will list, respectively (a) the museums, galleries and libraries in England the authorities of which are empowered to transfer objects vested in them to the trustees of the Ulster museum, and (b) the museums, galleries and libraries in England the authorities of which are not so empowered.

Of the national museums, galleries and libraries in England in receipt of money voted by Parliament in Class X of the Supply Estimates, the following have specific statutory power to transfer certain objects to the Ulster Museum:

British Museum (national history)
British Museum
Museum of London
Tate Gallery

Additionally, the Secretary of State has implied power to direct certain objects to be transferred from the Victoria and Albert Museum or the Science Museum to the Ulster Museum. The National Heritage Bill currently before the House contains specific powers to enable the future boards of trustees of those two museums to transfer certain objects to the Ulster Museum.The remaining such institutions in Class X, listed as follows, have no specific statutory power to transfer objects to the Ulster Museum:

British Library
Imperial War Museum
National Gallery
National Maritime Museum
National Portrait Gallery
Sir John Soane's Museum
Wallace Collection

The Department does not collect information about the transfer powers of the other museums, galleries and libraries in England, most of which are maintained by local authorities, universities or other independent bodies.

Higher Education (Parental Contributions)

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many parents are deemed to be paying contributions to more than one child in higher education.

This information is not available in the form requested. In practice, where there is more than one mandatory award-holder in a family, only one parental contribution is payable and this is shared between the award-holders.

Local Education Authorities (Grants)

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the payment of grants to local education authorities.

The Government propose to introduce legislation, as soon as parliamentary time permits, empowering the Secretary of State for Education and Science to pay education support grants to local education authorities in England in support of expenditure on certain activities. I am consulting the local authority associations on the basis of the consultation paper following. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales will be consulting the appropriate organisations on similar proposals for the Principality.

A proposed new power to pay education support grants to local education authorities in support of certain items of educational expenditure

1. The partnership of central and local government in the national policy of providing a varied and comprehensive educational service in every area is enshrined in legislation. It is the responsibility of local education authorities (LEAs), in the light of their statutory functions and the needs and circumstances within each area, to determine their level of expenditure on education and its broad deployment between different parts of the service. LEAs have long accepted that, in that determination, account is taken of the policies and priorities of the Government; but the ultimate determination is theirs.

2. In the interest of making this partnership serve more effectively the purpose for which it was established, the Government propose to introduce legislation empowering the Secretary of State for Education and Science to pay grants (education support grants) to LEAs in England in support of expenditure on certain activities. The Secretary of State would exercise this power in order to assist LEAs to innovate and respond swiftly to new demands on the education service; to promote qualitative changes and improvements in standards of provision in areas of particular importance; and to encourage them to redeploy their expenditure at the margin in accordance with objectives perceived to be of particular importance at the national level. In making this proposal the Government have taken into account the recommendation of the Education, Science and Arts Select Committee in its report on Secondary Curriculum and Examinations, that the DES should have the ability to fund direct such important new developments on a temporary basis as seem to it to be desirable.

3. The power would require primary legislation. It is proposed that the activities to be supported by the grants should be defined in regulations which would be subject to affirmative resolution. This would ensure appropriate Parliamentary consideration of each activity, and provide for a controlled yet rapid response to new needs.

4. The activities supported would be determined after consultation with the local authority associations, and would be expected to change over time with changes in the education service, in the economy and society. No activity would receive permanent support through these grants, which would be payable beyond a five-year period only in exceptional circumstances. Grants for each particular class of activity would be made subject to appropriate criteria, and would probably not in practice be made to all LEAs. Examples of activities which might be supported by the grants are:

(a) curricular changes in mathematics following the report of the Cockcroft Committee;

(b) the development of a more practical slant to the final years of compulsory education for those pupils for whom examinations at 16-plus were not designed;

(c) the development of teaching programmes related to the proposed CPVE and other initiatives for the 16–19 age group;

(d) the extension to new areas of technically orientated and pre-vocational courses at various levels, building on the recently announced Technical and Vocational Education Initiative;

(e) the supply of microelectronic equipment to very seriously physically handicapped children.

5. The total grant for each year would be restricted to a small fraction of the Government's plans for total local authority expenditure on education. The intention is that the proportion supported by the grants should be less than half of one per cent.—which in 1983–84 is £47 million (0·5 per cent. of £9,428 million).

6. A maximum rate of 70 per cent. would be provided for in the legislation. The total grant would be deducted from total Exchequer grant before the balance was distributed as rate support grants. (The same arrangement applies to grants made under the urban programme). The existence of these new grants would not affect directly the Government's plans for total local authority expenditure. However, the needs for which the grants could be applied would be taken into account by the Government in arriving at their planned level of expenditure on education in a particular year.

7. It is hoped to introduce legislation for education support grants as soon as Parliamentary time permits. The precise basis on which grants would be distributed will be determined after consultation, but it is envisaged that they would be allocated in response to bids by LEAs.

Attorney-General

Legal Aid

38.

asked the Attorney-General on how many occasions the Lord Chancellor had discussions with the Law Society about the administration of the legal aid scheme in 1982.

The Lord Chancellor and his officials had many such discussions with the Law Society in 1982, and he has made it clear to the Law Society that he is always available to its officers when they wish to see him.

Prosecution Policy

39.

asked the Attorney-General what consultation he has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions about prosecution policy.

I had extensive consultations with the director when I was preparing my guidelines on the criteria for prosecution which were circulated last month. I am in regular contact with the director on all aspects of prosecution policy.

Court Of Protection (Fees)

asked the Attorney-General if, in view of the hardship caused to those on low incomes, he will raise the exemption limit in respect of fees payable to the Court of Protection following the appointment of a receiver.

The present exemption limit was introduced on 1 April 1982 and there are no plans at present to change it. The court will continue to exercise its power to remit or postpone any fee if its payment would result in hardship to the patient.

House Of Commons

Privy Council

asked the Lord President of the Council on which dates he has attended meetings of the Privy Council since 1 March.

None.

Home Department

Prisoners (Correspondence)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters are sent to his Department each year from prisons in the United Kingdom that have been written in a foreign language and need to be translated into English before being handed over to the inmate.

Last year about 600 letters were referred by prisons in England and Wales to the Home Office for translation into English. This included both incoming and outgoing letters, which are not distinguished in the central records.

Civil Defence

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Dwyfor district council concerning the new regulations under the Civil Defence Act 1948; and if he will make a statement.

The council wrote on 24 February conveying its resolution on the proposed regulations, to which it is opposed in principle.

Welsh Language Forms

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report the forms, pamphlets and leaflets published by his Department which are available in either a Welsh language or a bilingual Welsh/English version.

The information requested is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Member.

Taxis

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet reached a conclusion about the feasibility of destination boards for taxi-cabs; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Raison), then Minister of State, on 17 November 1982.—[Vol. 32, c. 163.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the consultation paper concerning the licensed taxi trade.

Our review of taxi and private hire legislation and controls in England and Wales is not yet complete. I am unable to say when the results will be published.

Crimes (Detection Rate)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis will have discussions with chief officers of police of neighbouring police authorities to examine ways of increasing the rate of the solving of crimes.

The Commissioner is regularly in touch with other chief officers on matters of common concern including the detection of crime.

Her Majesty's Stationery Office

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what authority expenditure was incurred by sending a printing demand to Her Majesty's Stationery Office for Command Paper 8797-I and 8797-II on 21 December 1982.

On Home Office authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date Her Majesty's Stationery Office was authorised to print and warehouse final copies of Command Paper 8797.

On 4 February 1983.

European Parliament (Electoral Boundaries)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in light of progress on boundaries for United Kingdom parliamentary elections, he now considers it feasible that the boundaries for European elections will be adjusted before the date set for elections in 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive proposed boundaries on which the 1984 European Parliament elections will be fought; and if he will make a statement.

The Boundary Commissions in Great Britain cannot proceed with their reviews of European Parliament constituencies until the Orders in Council giving effect to the new parliamentary constituencies have been made. I understand that the English commission sees no prospect of completing its review of European Parliament constituencies in time for its recommendations to be implemented, with or without modifications, for the elections in 1984. The Welsh and Scottish commissions are assessing the position.

Metropolitan Police (Firearms)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions firearms were issued to police in each district of the Metropolitan police in 1982.

The number of occasions on which firearms were issued to police officers in each district of the Metropolitan police in 1982 in operations against persons known or believed to be armed is as follows:

District	Total
'A'	120
'B'	252
'C'	50
'D'	218
'E'	489
'F'	184
'G'	253
'H'	205
'J'	189
'K'	358
'L'	261
'M'	187
'N'	213
'P'	251
'Q'	153
'R'	103
'S'	393
'T'	219
'V'	47
'W'	152
'X'	160
'Y'	322
'Z'	133
AIRPORT	77

Blood (Sales)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply on 11 February, Official Report, c. 493, whether the police investigation into the sale of blood from a London hospital is now investigating such sales in hospitals other than the national heart and chest hospitals.

It would not be appropriate for me to disclose details of the continuing police investigation into this case.

Immigration Service Computer

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are taken to ensure the accuracy and confidentiality of all information stored in the Heathrow computer at Harmondsworth.

Much of the data stored on the Immigration Service intelligence unit computer is derived from official reports which normally indicate how the information they contain has been verified by the writer. But all items for entry are scrutinised by an immigration officer with a view to ensuring their accuracy, and in appropriate cases a senior officer is consulted.Access to the computer is restricted to Immigration Service staff, to whom instructions have been issued emphasising the confidential nature of the information it contains and warning them of the need to ensure disclosure only to persons authorised to receive it.

Employment

Unemployment Statistics

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the total number of persons in employment in the Bedford/Kempston area, the percentage unemployed, the number of vacancies and the percentages that have been unemployed for six months, one year and two years, respectively.

Employment statistics for local areas are available only from censuses of employment conducted annually from 1971 to 1978. Censuses were not taken in 1979 and 1980 and local results from the September 1981 census are not yet ready. At the previous census, for June 1978, there was an estimated total of 69,700 employees in employment in the Bedford jobcentre area, which includes Kempston.The following table gives the unemployment and vacancies figures requested. The percentage rate of unemployment relates to the Bedford travel-to-work area which comprises the Bedford and Biggleswade jobcentre areas.

	Per cent.
Percentage rate of unemployment (February 1983)	9·6
Unemployed by duration as a percentage of total unemployed (January 1983)
Over 26 and up to 52 weeks	21·2
Over 52 and up to 104 weeks	18·2
Over 104 weeks	10·4
Notified vacancies remaining unfilled (February 1983)	Number
At jobcentre	207
At careers office	21

The vacancy statistics relate only to vacancies notified to jobcentres and careers offices; vacancies notified to jobcentres are estimated to be about one-third of all vacancies in the country as a whole. Because of possible duplication the figures for jobcentres and careers offices should not be added together.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the travel-to-work areas of the United Kingdom in rank order according to the percentage unemployed in October 1982 using the old system of measurement.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 March 1983, c. 494]: The following is the information presented in rank order for each region separately.

	Percentage rate
South East
Margate	20·5
Clacton	20·0
Sheerness	19·2
Chatham^*	16·7
Milton Keynes	16·5
Southend·on·Sea^*	15·9
Ramsgate^*	15·1
Newport (Isle of Wight)^*	14·6
Hastings^*	14·5
Folkestone^*	13·7
Luton^*	13·6
Ashford (Kent)	13·0
Sittingbourne^*	12·9
Portsmouth^*	12·7
Brighton^*	12·6
Canterbury^*	12·4
Stevenage	12·4
Banbury	12·2
Lymington	11·7
Colchester	11·6
Braintree^*	10·9
Harwich	10·8
Harlow^*	10·6
Greater London	10·3
Hitchin^*	9·9
Eastbourne^*	9·8
Southampton^*	9·8
Bedford^*	9·7
Chichester^*	9·6
Worthing^*	9·6
Cranbrook	9·4
Dover	9·3
Newbury	9·2
Aldershot^*	9·0
Chelmsford^*	9·0
Andover	8·9
Maidstone^*	8·6
Reading^*	8·6
Oxford^*	8·5
Buckingham	8·2
Watford^*	8·1
Basingstoke	7·8
Tunbridge Wells^*	7·8
Aylesbury	7·6
Slough^*	7·5
Alton	7·4
High Wycombe^*	7·3
Guildford^*	7·0
Crawley^*	6·8
Hertford^*	6·4
St. Albans^*	6·4
East Anglia
Hunstanton	21·4
Fakenham	16·8
Dereham	16·5
Lowestoft	16·0
Great Yarmouth	15·0
Wisbech	15·0
Cromer	14·7
Peterborough	14·7
Leiston	13·8
North Walsham	13·3
Kings Lynn	13·0
March	12·3
Thetford^*	12·3
Downham Market	11·7
Diss	11·5
Sudbury	11·0
Norwich^*	10·9
Haverhill	10·6
Beccles^*	10·3
Huntingdon	10·3
Ipswich^*	9·5
St. Neots	9·4
Halesworth	9·1

	Percentage rate
Newmarket^*	9·1
Ely	7·8
Bury-St.-Edmunds	6·3
Cambridge	6·2
South West
Helston	25·5
Ilfracombe	24·0
St. Ives	22·5
Falmouth	21·4
Newquay	19·9
Wadebridge	19·7
Liskeard^*	19·4
Redruth^*	18·8
Camelford	18·7
Penzance	18·5
Bude	17·1
Plymouth^*	16·4
Torbay^*	16·2
Weston-Super-Mare	15·5
Dartmouth	15·2
Axminster^*	15·1
Kingsbridge	15·0
Bideford	14·3
Minehead	13·8
St. Austell	13·6
Truro	13·3
Midsomer Norton	13·2
Tiverton	13·2
Honiton	12·9
Weymouth	12·8
Launceston	12·7
Forest of Dean^*	12·6
Frome	12·5
Bridport	12·2
Bournemouth^*	11·9
Bridgwater^*	11·9
Swindon	11·7
Bodmin	11·6
Barnstaple	11·5
Chard	11·3
Bristol^*	11·2
Okehampton	11·0
Stroud	10·9
Wareham^*	10·9
Gloucester	10·7
Shaftesbury	10·3
Blandford	10·2
Dursley	10·0
Bath	9·9
Exeter^*	9·7
Devizes	9·5
Salisbury^*	9·3
Chippenham^*	9·0
Trowbridge^*	9·0
Cirencester	8·9
Warminster	8·7
Taunton	8·6
Cheltenham^*	8·4
Yeovil^*	8·1
Wells	7·8
Dorchester	5·8
West Midlands
Oakengates^*	20·5
Redditch	19·2
Walsall^*	18·9
Market Drayton	18·7
Birmingham^*	18·0
Wolverhampton^*	18·0
Coventry^*	17·6
Dudley and Sandwell^*	16·6
Ludlow	14·8
Kidderminster^*	14·2
Stoke on Trent^*	14·1
Ross on Wye	13·9
Rugby	13·7

	Percentage rate
Leominster	13·0
Oswestry	12·8
Shrewsbury	12·7
Worcester^*	12·7
Whitchurch	12·3
Hereford	11·4
Uttoxeter	11·4
Leamington	11·3
Ledbury	10·9
Burton-on-Trent	10·5
Stratford-on-Avon	10·1
Leek	9·7
Stafford^*	9·1
Evesham	8·4
East Midlands
Mabelthorpe	22·5
Corby	21·0
Skegness	20·2
Alfreton	14·8
Chesterfield^*	14·5
Wellingborough	14·4
Gainsborough	14·2
Kettering	13·5
Hinckley	12·9
Mansfield	12·8
Leicester^*	12·7
Melton Mowbray	12·7
Lincoln	12·5
Worksop	12·5
Nottingham^*	12·3
Stamford^*	12·3
Louth	11·8
Grantham	11·6
Boston	11·4
Sleaford	11·4
Holbeach	11·1
Newark	11·1
Buxton^*	11·0
Horncastle	10·8
Retford	10·8
Derby^*	10·4
Sutton-in-Ashfield	10·3
Northampton^*	10·1
Coalville^*	9·6
Rushden	9·3
Loughborough	9·2
Matlock^*	9·2
Spalding	8·6
Market Harborough	7·4
Yorkshire and Humberside
Whitby	22·5
Mexborough^*	22·3
Rotherham	20·0
Bridlington	18·9
Scunthorpe^*	18·2
Maltby	18·1
Doncaster^*	17·1
Hull^*	16·4
Todmorden	16·4
Goole	16·2
Bradford^*	15·6
Barnsley^*	15·3
Dewsbury^*	14·8
Sheffield^*	14·5
Scarborough	14·3
Castleford^*	13·9
Grimsby	13·9
Huddersfield	13·9
Leeds^*	13·2
Halifax^*	13·1
Richmond	13·0
Keighley	12·9
Wakefield^*	12·3
Selby	12·0
Filey	10·9

	Percentage rate
Northallerton	10·3
Ripon	9·7
Harrogate	9·0
York	8·4
Thirsk	7·9
Malton	7·7
Skipton	7·2
Pickering	6·8
Driffield	5·7
North West
Ormskirk^*	23·0
Widnes^*	21·0
Birkenhead^*	20·9
Liverpool^*	20·2
Wigan^*	19·2
Southport	19·1
St. Helens	18·4
Rochdale	18·3
Rossendale^*	17·4
Leigh^*	17·3
Bolton^*	17·2
Accrington^*	16·5
Northwich^*	15·7
Warrington^*	15·7
Ashton-under-Lyne^*	15·3
Blackburn^*	15·2
Nelson^*	15·0
Oldham^*	15·0
Lancaster^*	14·6
Manchester^*	14·5
Bury^*	14·3
Chester	13·6
Blackpool^*	13·5
Preston^*	13·2
Burnley^*	13·1
Macclesfield	11·0
Crewe^*	10·9
Barnoldswick	10·5
Clitheroe	5·7
North
Consett^*	27·4
Hartlepool	21·4
Wearside^*	20·5
Teesside^*	20·1
Workington^*	19·4
South Tyne^*	19·3
Peterlee^*	19·1
Morpeth^*	16·6
Alnwick^*	15·6
Darlington and South West Durham^*	15·3
Central Durham^*	14·7
North Tyne^*	14·5
Whitehaven^*	14·0
Haltwhistle	13·7
Berwick-on-Tweed	12·7
Barnard Castle	11·3
Carlisle	11·2
Furness^*	11·2
Hexham	10·3
Penrith	9·9
Keswick	8·5
Kendal^*	7·7
Wales
Pembroke Dock	29·5
Tenby	28·0
Ebbw Vale^*	23·5
Lampeter^*	23·3
Rhyl	22·3
Cardigan	22·1
Holyhead^*	22·1
Bargoed^*	22·0
Monmouth	20·4
Wrexham^*	20·0
Aberdare	19·3

	Percentage rate
Llanelli^*	19·0
Tywyn	18·8
Shotton^*	18·6
Caernarvon^*	18·3
Neath^*	18·2
Milford Haven^*	18·0
Pwllheli^*	17·5
Pontypridd^*	17·1
Port Talbot^*	17·1
Swansea^*	17·1
Newtown	16·8
Pontypool^*	16·5
Merthyr Tydfil^*	16·3
Blaenau Ffestiniog	16·1
Machynlleth	15·9
Llandeilo	15·6
Fishguard	15·5
Newport^*	15·4
Cardiff^*	15·2
Llanrwst	14·1
Barmouth	13·9
Llangollen	13·5
Llandrindod Wells	13·3
Llandudno^*	12·9
Aberystwyth	12·7
Welshpool	12·4
Denbigh	11·9
Brecon	9·7
Carmarthen	7·6
Scotland
Stornoway	27·7
Irvine^*	24·2
Rothesay	23·4
Bathgate^*	22·5
Portree	22·3
Sanquhar	22·0
North Lanarkshire^*	21·8
Girvan	21·5
Arbroath	21·3
Newton Stewart	20·5
Cumnock	19·9
Forres	19·9
Dumbarton^*	19·8
Kilmarnock	19·7
Dingwall^*	19·0
Campbeltown	18·8
Stranraer	18·5
Paisley^*	17·7
Lanark^*	17·4
Glasgow^*	17·1
Greenock^*	17·0
Falkirk^*	16·7
Buckie	16·5
Blairgowrie	16·4
Ayr^*	16·3
Dundee	16·1
Anstruther	15·9
Fort William	15·9
Nairn	15·7
Wick	15·7
Stirling^*	15·5
Fraserburgh	15·2
Castle Douglas	14·1
Kirkcaldy^*	13·9
Thurso	13·5
Dunfermline^*	13·4
Kirkwall	13·2
Eyemouth	13·1
Oban	13·0
Dumfries^*	12·9
Dunoon	12·9
Edinburgh^*	12·4
Elgin	12·3
Peterhead	12·1
Lochgilphead	11·9
Montrose	10·9

	Percentage rate
St. Andrews	10·3
Inverness	10·2
Forfar	9·9
Banff	9·8
Perth^*	9·6
Cupar	9·5
Peebles	9·3
Hawick	9·2
Haddington	9·1
Galashiels	8·2
Aberdeen^*	7·7
Kelso	7·1
Lerwick	6·4
Huntly	5·7
Northern Ireland
Strabane	39·2
Dungannon	34·7
Cookstown	33·0
Newry	32·9
Londonderry^*	28·8
Enniskillen	24·8
Coleraine^*	24·0
Downpatrick^*	23·5
Ballymena^*	23·4
Omagh	22·8
Armagh	20·8
Craigavon^*	19·1
Belfast^*	18·8
^* Travel-to-work area comprising two or more jobcentre areas.

Youth Training Scheme

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many places are currently provided for unemployed adults to train or retrain under the training opportunities scheme in the Basildon area of Essex; what is the cost of this provision; whether he has any plans to increase this provision; and if he will make a statement.

196 places are currently provided under the training opportunities scheme in the Basildon area. These are open to either employed or unemployed adults. The cost of this provision in 1982–83 is likely to be about £890,000. There are no plans to increase this provision in 1983.

European Social And Regional Development Funds

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will seek changes in the European social fund and European regional development fund to allow inner city areas of high unemployment such as Islington to benefit.

The European social fund is currently undergoing a major review. The Government support the broad aim of the European Commission that the review should lead to a fund which will concentrate aid on areas where the need is greatest. The Commission has proposed that bulk of fund aid should be allocated to schemes in areas arranged in a 'league table' according to their level of unemployement and (inversely) of gross domestic product. It has also proposed a provision, to be used exceptionally, whereby fund support could be given to schemes in unemployment 'black spots' which are situated in areas which would not otherwise benefit under the league table.The Government broadly welcome both these proposals, but is proposing that the definition of a black spot should be less stringent than that proposed by the commission (ie a locality with an unemployment rate which is at least three times as great as the relevant national average).The overall interest of the United Kingdom in the European regional development fund is the joint responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Industry and for the Environment. I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State fo Industry to questions on this subject from the hon. Member for Caernarvon (Mr. Wigley) on 31 January.—[Vol. 36, c.

10–11.]

Welsh Language Forms

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the Official Report those forms, leaflets and pamphlets published by his Department that are available either in a Welsh language or a bilingual Welsh/English version.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply of Wednesday 2 February.—[Vol. 36, c. 101–102.] Stocks of these leaflets are not held outside Wales, but copies can be obtained on request.

Job Losses

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will bring up to date the information on loss of employment in his reply, dated 22 July 1982, Official Report, c. 263; and if he will express the total in each case as a percentage of the numbers employed in the industry in May 1979.

The following table gives the provisional decreases in numerical and percentage terms between May 1979 and December 1982. The figures on which the decreases are based are not adjusted for seasonal variations.

Employees in employment Great Britain
	Order of the 1968	Decrease
	standard industrial classification	Numerical	Percentage
II	Mining and quarrying	25,200	7·3
III	Food, drink and tobacco	81,400	12·1
IV	Coal and petroleum products	13,000	35·1
V	Chemicals and allied industries	68,000	15·4
VI	Metal manufacture	168,000	37·8
VII	Mechanical engineering	223,600	24·4
VIII	Instrument engineering	23,000	15·1
IX	Electrical engineering	111,600	14·8
X	Shipbuilding and marine engineering	32,400	19·3
XI	Vehicles	203,700	27·8
XII	Metal goods not elsewhere specified	125,500	23·5
XIII	Textiles	148,400	33·7
XIV	Leather, leather goods and fur	9,800	26·5
XV	Clothing and footwear	97,700	27·8
XVI	Bricks, pottery, glass, cement, etc.	63,200	24·5
XVII	Timber, furniture, etc.	47,000	18·8
XVIII	Paper, printing and publishing	57,800	10·7
XIX	Other manufacturing industries	85,900	27·3
XX	Construction	235,800	19·0
XXI	Gas, electricity and water	9,900	2·9

Paternity Leave

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will now consider introducing statutory paternity leave of at least five days; and if he will make a statement.

The Government recognise the value of paternity leave but believe that it is a matter best left to employers and employees to arrange through individual negotiation or collective agreement.

Maternity Leave And Pay

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislation to extend maternity pay for 18 weeks commencing from the first week of maternity leave.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will undertake a comprehensive review of the exclusions from the rights to maternity pay and leave with a view to providing these rights to all women in employment.

The maternity provisions are constantly under review but we have no immediate plans to amend them.

Employment Act 1980

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will seek to repeal section 12 of the Employment Act 1980; and if he will make a statement.

No. We have no intention of repealing this section, which in the Government's view strikes a fair balance between the rights of employees and the burdens on employers. The previous rules governing the right to reinstatement in the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 gave employers too little flexibility.

Self-Employed

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of self-employed people for every year since 1970; and what percentage this constitutes of the labour force.

The latest estimates of the numbers of self-employed people in Great Britain, and the proportion they constitute of the employed labour force, for the years 1970 to 1981 are:

Self-employed
	Thousands	As a percentage of employed labour force
1970	1,933	8·0
1971	1,954	8·2
1972	1,932	8·1
1973	1,969	8·0
1974	1,935	7·9
1975	1,933	7·9
1976	1,888	7·8
1977	1,843	7·6

	Thousands	As a percentage of employed labour force
1978	1,843	7·5
1979	1,842	7·4
1980	1,950	7·9
1981	2,057	8·7

Industry

High Technology Companies

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he is satisfied with the current rate of development of new high technology companies in the south-east and Greater London areas.

Yes. Since 1970 over 130 new companies have been established in the south-east and east Anglia in the electronic components and equipment industries. A study conducted in 1980 identified 388 software companies in the Greater London area and 317 in the rest of the south-east and east Anglia. Approximately three quarters of these had been set up since 1970.

Assisted Areas

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will indicate the circumstances which would qualify as most exceptional in order to allow adjustment of assisted area status.

Judgments about assisted area status depend on an assessment of an area's overall circumstances relative to those of other assisted areas and the country generally at the time. My right hon. Friend has made it clear that the Government do not expect to make further changes in the assisted area status during the lifetime of this Parliament.

Telephone Waiting Lists

15.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how far telephone waiting lists have been reduced over the last three years.

The waiting list for the provision of business and residential telephone service has been reduced from 122,400 as at 31 March 1981—equivalent to 7·9 per cent. of the annual demand for exchange connection service—to 20,100 as at 31 March 1982—1·4 per cent.—and to 5,100 as at 31 January 1983—0·4 per cent.

Manufacturing Output

18.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what change there has been in the level of manufacturing output between May 1979 and the latest available figure.

By the fourth quarter of 1982 the index of production for manufacturing had fallen by 17 per cent. from its level in the first half of 1979, most of the fall occurring during 1980. Since then, the index has been relatively stable.

Shipbuilding

20.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what steps he is taking, either alone or in conjunction with other European Community countries, to prevent unfair competition in shipbuilding from Japan, Korea and other far eastern countries.

The United Kingdom shipbuilding industry in common with other European countries receives assistance to help them secure orders against far eastern competition. Efforts are continuing in the OECD working party on shipbuilding to bring about a concerted reduction in all aids to shipbuilding both direct and indirect. Strong representations have been made through OECD about the share of orders currently being taken by Japan and the OECD has also taken a welcome initiative to open a dialogue with the Korean industry on world shipbuilding problems.

Small Firms

22.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he is satisfied with the response to the small firms technical inquiry service.

The response has been good, given the limited marketing of the service so far. Since it began last June, inquiries have been received from over 1,200 firms. Inquiries are currently running at a rate of 50 to 60 per week. But I am keen that many more firms should be aware of its existence as early evidence shows that it is beneficial and cost-effective.

Engineering (Northern Region)

23.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will introduce measures to increase demand for engineering products in the northern region; and if he will make a statement.

I have no plans to introduce measures to benefit specifically the northern region, many parts of which already have assisted area status. The Government's policies are designed to increase the demand for our products by improving the competitiveness of British industry generally.

Unemployment (Manchester)

25.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will consider the present level of unemployment in Manchester as a most exceptional circumstance entitling the city to review of its assisted area status.

On present evidence there is no case for reconsidering the assisted area status of Manchester on the grounds of most exceptional circumstances.

Manufacturing Investment

27.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the total investment in manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom in each year from 1979 to 1982.

Total investment in manufacturing industry was as follows:

£ million at 1975 prices
	Capital expenditure	Assets leased by manufacturers	Total expenditure
1979	3,969	470	4,439
1980	3,573	580	4,153
1981	2,938	655	3,593
^*1982	2,644	670	3,313
^* Provisional.

Industrial Design

29.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he next expects to meet the chairman of the Engineering Council to discuss innovation in industrial design.

I meet the chairman of the Engineering Council from time to time to discuss matters of mutual interest, including innovation in industrial design.

Industrial Research And Development

30.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how much public and private sector expenditure there has been on United Kingdom industrial research and development over the last four years.

In 1978, the only year since 1975 for which the data are available, expenditure on industrial research and development carried out within or financed by the private sector was nearly £2,400 million. Some £1,600 million of this came from the private sector, with the other £800 million from the public sector. In addition, there was nearly £200 million spent by central Government on R and D in support of industrial programmes.

Rural Telephone Services

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he intends that the Office of Telecommunications should have the power to introduce a two-tier scale of telephone charges with more expensive charging in rural areas; and what is his policy towards such an arrangement.

There is no evidence that it is more expensive to provide telephone services in rural areas or that higher charges in rural areas would be justified. I am exploring with the chairman of British Telecommunications proposals for ensuring that local telephone call and rental charges will be uniform throughout the country. The licence to be issued to BT will in any case forbid BT to discriminate unduly against any group of customers including rural customers.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if, upon the passing of the British Telecommunications Bill, he will make it his policy to require the Office of Telecommunications to have equal regard to social as to the economic criteria in considering the future of rural telephone boxes.

I intend the licence to be issued to British Telecommunications to oblige BT to continue to provide the existing network of public call boxes. Withdrawal of any call box will only be permitted under arrangements agreed by the Director General of Telecommunications and, when considering such issues, the Director will be under a duty to follow the guidelines in clause 3 of the Telecommunications Bill. These guidelines, about which I intend to introduce amendments on Report, cover both social and economic considerations since they require him to have regard to the need for services to be provided in rural areas and for call boxes to be provided to meet all reasonable demands for them.

Bl (Corporate Plan)

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will consult representatives of the BL work force before making a decision on the new corporate plan.

In his reply on 28 February—[Vol. 38, c.18]—my hon. Friend announced the Government's approval of the BL corporate plan. Representatives of the BL work force were not consulted before the decision was made.

Chatham Dockyard

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what steps the Government have taken to redevelop the Chatham dockyards for civilian use.

I have asked the English Industrial Estates Corporation to extend its activities outside the assisted areas of England so as to undertake developments in the Chatham dockyards in co-operation with the private sector and local authorities. Under these arrangements the corporation will shortly be purchasing the commercial dockyard and commencing its redevelopment. The Government will provide the EIEC with the necessary funds to undertake this work without affecting their programme of developments in the assisted areas of England.

British Shipbuilders

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he will announce the appointment of a new chairman for British Shipbuilders.

Mr. Graham Day, currently with Dome Petroleum and formerly (in 1976) chief executive of British Shipbuilders organising committee, has accepted my invitation to succeed Sir Robert Atkinson as chairman and chief executive of BS. He will join the board as executive deputy chairman on 1 July and take up his appointment on 1 September when Sir Robert Atkinson leaves to pursue other business interests. Mr. Day's appointment will be for three years.I would like to express the Government's gratitude to Sir Robert for his valuable services to the corporation. He has made important improvements to the corporation over the past few years and steered the industry through an extremely difficult period.

31.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he last met the chairman of British Shipbuilders; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend last met the chairman on 1 February. The Government's current policy towards British Shipbuilders remains as I stated on 23 February during the Third Reading of the British Shipbuilders Bill, when I announced the financial framework for the corporation for 1983–84.

Prime Minister

Marx Centenary Celebrations (Government Contributions)

asked the Prime Minister if she will list the names of prominent national and international figures in respect of whom Her Majesty's Government have made contributions to events to celebrate the centenary of their birth or death in each of the past 20 years; and whether Her Majesty's Government propose to make any contribution to events marking the centenary of the death of Karl Marx.

This information is not available; we do not propose to contribute to events marking the centenary of Marx's death.

Service Contracts

asked the Prime Minister whether the Government will introduce legislation to prohibit service contracts for directors of public companies.

No. The Companies Act 1980 requires directors' contracts of employment for a period longer than five years to be approved by shareholders. In addition, contracts for service have to be disclosed in the accounts.

Defence Capability (Special Steels)

asked the Prime Minister whether the United Kingdom has a sufficient defence capability in the event of a conventional war in view of the fact that 65 per cent. of the United Kingdom market for special steels is supplied by imports.

Yes.

Williamsburg Summit Meeting

asked the Prime Minister what topics are to be discussed at the forthcoming Williamsburg summit meeting; and if there will be an agenda.

Discussion is likely to concentrate on the state of the world economy, the prospects for lasting recovery, the risks of protectionism, and the problems of debtor countries. But it is too soon to say definately what the agenda will be.

Independent Television (Government Advertisements)

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the political bias shown by the independent television companies in many of their screenings, she will cease placing Government advertisements with them.

No. The Independent Broadcasting Authority is responsible for the content of independent television programmes.

Falkland Islands (Wool)

asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government will extend the United Kingdom guaranteed price for wool to wool produced in the Falkland Islands.

No. The legislation under which the wool guarantee operates does not apply outside the United Kingdom. There would be major practical obstacles to extending the guarantee arrangements to the Falklands. I am not aware of any concern on the part of the Falklanders that their present price fixing and marketing arrangements are disadvantageous compared with those for British wool.

Civil Service

asked the Prime Minister if she has studied the recent report of the Civil Service Commission indicating that 71 per cent. of entrants to the administrative grade of the Civil Service in 1982 were educated at Oxford or Cambridge; if she will take steps to ensure that entrants to senior grades in the Civil Service are more representative of other universities and polytechnics and of the community generally; and if she will make a statement.

This percentage relates to those who entered the Civil Service through the administration trainee scheme. Former administration trainees, and their assistant principal predecessors, form only one of the sources from which promotions to senior grades are made. Senior posts in the Civil Service are filled by people from a variety of educational backgrounds.The Civil Service Commissioners have a duty to select on merit. The recruitment pattern is reviewed annually and I am satisfied that the commissioners are doing all that they can to encourage able graduates of universities and polytechnics other than Oxford and Cambridge to apply for the administration trainee scheme.

Falkland Islands (Food Purchases)

asked the Prime Minister what are the international obligations to which she referred in her answer of 25 February, Official Report, c. 563, as possibly conflicting with the purchasing by the Ministry of Defence of food of British origin.

The European Community Supplies Directive. The only food purchased under this procedure is certain fresh items for BAOR.

Argentine Cargo Aircraft

asked the Prime Minister (1) at what level authorisation was given for an Argentine cargo airliner to leave Heathrow on 29 March loaded with gun mounts and spares;(2) at what level authorisation was given for an Argentine jet cargo aircraft to leave Stansted airport on 25 March 1982 loaded with arms and spare parts.

There is no evidence in official records that the arms which the hon. Member describes were exported on the flights in question. If he has any relevant information, I will arrange for the matter to be further investigated. Military radio and navigation equipment worth £17,700 was exported on the flight from Heathrow on 29 March in accordance with export licences issued on 24 February 1981 and 5 March 1981, and revalidated on 26 February 1982 and 1 March 1982 respectively. A ban on exports of arms and military equipment to Argentina came into force on 3 April 1982.

Blohm And Voss Submarines (Commercial Contracts)

asked the Prime Minister whether Ministerial authorisation was required for the statements by Sir Frank Cooper on the independent television "World in Action" programme on 7 March about the consequences of breaking commercial contracts with West Germany in relation to Blohm and Voss submarines destined for Argentina.

No.

Armaments Industry

asked the Prime Minister whether she will recommend the setting up of a Royal Commission to report on the arms industry in the United Kingdom and problems of commercial decisions, profit, peace and potential use of arms against the United Kingdom.

No.

Overseas Development

Aid Programmes (Review)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which United Kingdom aid programmes to foreign countries are currently under review; what is the present cost of each of these aid programmes; and if he will make a statement.

The total provision made for the net aid programme in the current financial year is £959 million. All aspects of the programme are kept under constant review. Detailed figures showing the use of aid programme funds are published in "British Aid Statistics"; the 1982 edition covering the years 1977–1981 was published last month.

Overseas Students

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report the number of students or trainees directly financed by funds from his Department and the Overseas Development Agency during the current academic year 1982–83, divided broadly into the categories of humanities, social studies and law, pure science, technology, medicine, dentistry and veterinary science; and give comparable figures for 1981–82.

The information requested is as follows:

	Academic year 1981–82	Academic year 1982–83.
Arts and humanities	643	640
Education	1,209	1,169
Medical	924	837
Physical science	802	699
Engineering and technology	1,976	1,790
Biological science	380	305
Agriculture	963	916
Social studies	2,431	2,029
TOTAL	9,328	8,385

It would not however be possible, except at disproportionate cost, to classify a further 2,905 people by discipline in 1981–82. Further, the information for the 1982–83 academic year is incomplete since placement is continuing.

Falkland Islands (Teachers)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many expatriate teachers are currently employed by the Falkland islands Government; and what percentage they form of the total teaching force in the Islands.

17; and 74 per cent.

Falkland Islands (Civil Reconstruction)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what principal items of equipment urgently requested for civil reconstruction by the Falklands Islands Government had not arrived by 21 February.

Requests for equipment for rehabilitation continue to be received from the Falkland Islands.The following items were requested urgently, and had not reached Port Stanley by 21 February, but have now arrived:

	Arrival date, Port Stanley
2 excavators	5 March
2 angledozers	5 March
2 loaders	5 March
1 stone crusher	5 March
3 cement mixers scheduled to arrive	14 March

Other priority items, which were also not available off-the-shelf in the United Kingdom, include a fuel bowzer, due to arrive at the end of April, and a minibus, tippers, a hearse and a mourners' carriage, for which delivery dates are not yet firm.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total value of equipment for civil reconstruction purposes which had actually arrived in the Falkland Islands by 21 February.

The £15 million allocated for civil rehabilitation has been earmarked for projects to provide new housing and to repair roads, and for the supply of an assortment of equipment, goods and materials to meet other needs. The non-project items will cost about £3·5 million—excluding cif charges. Items worth about £2 million had arrived in the islands by 21 February.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the fourth electricity generator expected to arrive soon in the Falkland Islands will make total generating capacity in the islands sufficient for all reasonable needs over the next 18 months.

The firm installed capacity at Stanley B power station, including the newly arrived 320 KVA capacity generator, will meet civilian needs, only, up to December 1983. Estimated power requirement thereafter and the capacity necessary to meet them will be the subject of a study to be undertaken shortly.

South Atlantic (Fishing)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what statements of the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the exploration by other nations, and, in particular, by Japan, of deep sea fishing opportunities in the South Atlantic were made by the Minister of Overseas Development during his visit to the Falkland Islands.

None.

India (Laparoscopes)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made a decision on the request from the Indian Government for 100 laparoscopes to be used in Madhya Pradesh and 108 laparoscopes to be used in Tamil Nadu.

Yes. We have agreed with the indian authorities that we will provide 100 laparoscopes in the first instance. The Government of India will distribute these instruments and we shall not ourselves allocate them to particular states.

Agriculture, Fisheries And Food

Woodland (Public Access)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements have been made by the Forestry Commission in selling woodland owned by it to ensure that public access to such woodland is still permitted.

In selecting woodlands for sale, the Forestry Commission takes into account a number of guidelines which have been prescribed by the Forestry Ministers, including consideration of the extent to which the woodland is used for public access. It is hoped that purchasers will continue to allow reasonable public access especially where this has been enjoyed for a number of years. There can, however, be no question of the purchaser being required by a condition of sale to allow public access. Public rights of way are not affected by the transfer of a wood from the public to the private sector.

Forestry (Sales)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many acres of forestry have been sold by the Forestry Commission to private ownership over the past 12 months.

Before 1 April 1982, statistics on the sale of Forestry Commission plantations and plantable land were compiled and held centrally by financial years only. In the period from 1 April 1982 to 21 February 1983, the latest date for which information is available, a total of 13,590 acres (5,500 hectares) of Forestry Commission plantations and plantable land were sold.

Bacon Factories

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many United Kingdom bacon factories have been closed since May 1979 and since January 1973, respectively; and if such closures have led to improved efficiency in the industry.

Between 1973 and 1982, 118 bacon factories closed, a decline of 42 per cent., while between 1979 and 1982 the number closing was 35 (18 per cent). Over the ten years to 1982 bacon production declined by 30 per cent. I know that the bacon curing industry is trying to improve efficiency. That fewer factories are producing proportionally more bacon between them should help, since 1979 the United Kingdom share of the bacon market has remained at just over 40 per cent.

Pig Industry (Deficiency Payments)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what examination he has made of the advantages of a deficiency payment system for the United Kingdom pig industry.

I refer the hon. Member to my speech in the House on 3 March and to the reply that my right hon. Friend gave him on the same day.—[Vol. 38, c. 389; Vol. 38, c. 188].

Farm Holdings

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will bring up to date the information given in his reply dated 20 May 1982, Official Report, c. 178, to the hon. Member for Grimsby, concerning the size of farm holdings.

The latest information available concerning the size of farm holdings derives from the 1981 agricultural census, and is given in table 7.2 of the publication "Agricultural Statistics United Kingdom 1980 and 1981", which is held in the Library of the House.

Surplus Agricultural Production

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the Official Report the cost of European Community subsidies for the export of surplus agricultural production to countries outside the Community in (a) 1979, (b) 1980, (c) 1981 and (d) 1982; and if he will estimate the comparable figure for 1983.

Community expenditure on export refunds is as follows:

Year
1979	4,732	mecu	(£3,070m)
1980	5,452	mecu	(£3,300m)
1981	4,939	mecu	(£2,750m)
1982 (provisional)	4,800	mecu	(£2,650m)
1983 (estimate)	6,000	mecu	(£3,550m)

Sources:

1979–1981: European Commission: Annual Reports on the EAGGF Guarantee Section.

1982: European Commission: provisional outturn.

1983: EC Budget for 1983.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether there is a correlation between increases in common agricultural policy farm prices and increases in agricultural production for each commodity in surplus.

The level of agricultural production is affected by many factors, including the prices received by producers: producer prices in the Community are themselves influenced by several factors, including the support prices fixed by the Council of Ministers.

Food Imports

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what change has been made in the quantity of United Kingdom imports of basic foodstuffs since 1970; and which countries have lost trade in each case as a result.

The following table shows the total quantities of imports of basic foodstuffs in 1970 and in 1982, together with the quantities imported from those countries which contributed the largest supplies in 1970.

United Kingdom food imports 1970 and 1982
(thousand tonnes)
	1970	1982
Beef and Veal	265	176
of which— Irish Republic	104	97
Argentina	58	7
Australia	32	8
Mutton and Lamb	331	222
of which— New Zealand	296	218
Australia	32	4
Bacon and Ham	384	286
of which— Denmark	287	196
Poland	47	3
Irish Republic	27	25
Butter	407	185
of which— New Zealand	158	99
Denmark	84	37
Australia	66	—
Cheese	157	130
of which— New Zealand	67	7
Irish Republic	20	39
Netherlands	15	23
Wheat	4,928	1,575
of which— Canada	1,534	1,326
Australia	1,179	—
United States of America	685	70
Barley	1,211	39
of which— Canada	673	3
Australia	275	—
USSR	126	—
Maize	3,119	2,122
of which— United States of America	1,553	1,132
France	429	501
Netherlands	223	97
Sugar (Refined)	250	176
of which— USSR	95	—
Netherlands	42	36
West Germany	29	2
Sugar (Raw)	1,839	1,083
of which— Mauritius	412	395
Australia	347	—
Jamaica	242	115
Guyana	175	159
Trinidad and Tobago	146	40
Potatoes (Early)	277	316
of which— Cyprus	135	124
Spain	43	32
France	12	38
Potatoes (Other)	22	276
of which— Spain	9	1
Netherlands	8	241
Cyprus	2	7

Source: Overseas Trade Statistics.

Mediterranean Agricultural Products

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the current costs in pound sterling for the common agricultural policy in respect of Mediterranean agricultural products; and what proportion this represents of total common agricultural policy expenditure.

Budget appropriations in 1983 for support measures for agricultural products which are predominantly Mediterranean in character total about £1,900 million. This represents about 23 per cent. of total budget appropriations for the guarantee section of the EAGGF for 1983.

Community Budget (Agriculture)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he expects the admission of Spain and Portugal to the European Community to lead to an increased proportion of the European Community budget being spent on agriculture; and if he will make a statement.

Estimates made so far by the Commission of the European Communities indicate that this in unlikely. But the accession negotiations are, of course, still at a relatively early stage.

Commodity Prices

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the percentage rise in United Kingdom food prices in the case of common agricultural policy commodities and non-common agricultural policy commodities, respectively, in each year from 1973 onwards.

There is no readily available information on which to provide an accurate answer to this question. However, the indications are that since 1973 there has been no material difference in the average rate of increase in prices of the two broad categories mentioned.

Veal Crates

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now introduce legislation to ban the use of veal crates; and if he will make a statement.

The Farm Animal Welfare Council is currently considering all the codes of recommendations for the welfare of livestock to see whether any of those recommendations can more appropriately be made mandatory by being incorporated into regulations. Were certain recommendations in the new cattle code, notably paragraph 35 dealing with space requirements for individually penned animals, to be made mandatory, veal crates as conventionally understood could no longer be used.

Common Agricultural Policy (Price Discussions)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking in the current common agricultural policy price discussions to prevent an agricultural trade war between the European Community and the United States of America.

I believe that an agricultural trade war between the European Community and the United States would benefit neither side. This is one of the reasons why I am pressing in the current common agricultural policy price discussions for greater restraint on common prices, particularly for products in surplus. It is also why I visited Washington on 9 and 10 March and held discussions with United States Government and Congressional leaders about the progress of talks between the United States and the Community on agricultural matters.

Fruit And Vegetables (Prices)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will oppose any price increases for fruit and vegetables under the common agricultural policy.

I shall seek price changes for fruit and vegetables which are consistent with the Government's objectives for 1983–84 farm support prices of price restraint, especially for products in surplus.

Food And Wine Exports (Soviet Union)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is now in a position to state the total amount of subsidised food and wine exported to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics by the European Community in 1982.

No. Complete information about the volumes of Community exports to the Soviet Union in 1982 is not yet available.

Scotland

Urban Aid (Strathclyde)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the latest available annual figure for urban aid to ethnic minorities in the Strathclyde region; whether a consequence of circular 991 will be that no more urban aid will be given for that purpose; and if he will now consider making special provision such as is made in England under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1976.

In 1982–83 provision for expenditure on ethnic minority projects was as follows:

	£
Strathclyde regional council
Interpreting services	27,500
Assessment of need for interpreting	6,600
Education for ethnic minorities	515,300
Glasgow district council
Library provision	43,400
Survey of ethnic minority housing	2,000
Total (all current expenditure)	594,800

In addition, approval was recently given to Glasgow district council for a further three projects to benefit ethnic minorities to start in 1983–84 at a total capital cost of £15,000 and involving current expenditure of £23,332.Regarding the relationship between grant under Scottish Education Department circular 991 and the urban programme, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mr. Craigen) on 23 December 1982.—[Vol. 34, c. 658.] This does not mean, however, that the "education for ethnic minorities" project cannot in principle be considered for extended urban programme funding after its initial three years.I do not intend to introduce a grants scheme in terms of section 11 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1966 because:

(i) the numbers and concentrations of Commonwealth immigrants in Scotland do not justify a specific grant scheme; needs can reasonably be met by re-ordering of priorities within local authorities' budgets;

(ii) the cost of any new specific grant scheme would have to be met within the total available for aggregate grant, at the expense of the resources distributed by means of rate support grant. In principle I agree with the general preference of local authorities for general support through the RSG mechanism rather than the introduction of additional specific grant schemes which restrict local discretion;

(iii) the section 11 scheme in England has been used mainly for teachers' salaries. The Scottish Education Department's circular 991 scheme expressly allows authorities to deploy some of the extra teachers supported by grant to schools with high ethnic minority rolls;

(iv) the Scottish urban programme already assists projects to meet the needs of ethnic minorities in deprived urban areas—especially voluntary sector projects.

Unemployment Statistics

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report for January 1980 and January 1983, respectively, the unemployment figures for (a) Scotland and (b) each region in Scotland separately, distinguishing males and females by age, using the following categories (i) under 18 years, (ii) 18 years, (iii) 19 years, (iv) 20 to 24 years, (v) 25 to 29 years, (vi) 30 to 34 years, (vii) 35 to 44 years, (viii) 45 to 49 years, (ix) 50 to 54 years, (x) 55 to 59 years, (xi) 60 to 64 years, (xii) 65 years and over and (xiii) the total for all ages disaggregating each of the age categories into the following categories of the weekly duration of unemployment: (1) one week or less, (2) over one week and up to two weeks, (3) over two and up to four weeks, (4) over four and up to six weeks, (5) over six and up to eight weeks, (6) over eight and up to 13 weeks, (7) over 13 and up to 26 weeks, (8) over 26 and up to 39 weeks, (9) over 39 and up to 52 weeks, (10) over 52 and up to 65 weeks, (11) over 65 and up to 78 weeks, (12) over 78 weeks and up to 104 weeks, (13) over 104 and up to 156 weeks, (14) over 156 weeks and (15) the totals.

I shall write to the hon. Member with the information as soon as possible and shall place a copy in the Library of the House.

National Library Of Scotland

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is now in a position to announce the level of grants to Scottish museums and galleries and to the national library of Scotland for 1983–84.

I am pleased to announce the following allocations, which are subject to parliamentary approval:

1983–84 Estimate
£ million
	Total	General expenses	Purchase grant
National Library of Scotland	2·781	2·208	0·573
National Galleries of Scotland	2·709	1·444	1·265
National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland	0·799	0·626	0·173
Royal Scottish Museum	2·298	1·951	0–347
Local Museums Purchase Fund	0·175	—	—
Council for Museums and Galleries in Scotland	0·260	—	—

Hamilton College Of Education

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects Miller Homes (Northern) Ltd. to take possession of the student residences at the former Hamilton college of education.

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member on 14 December 1982.—[Vol. 34, c. 121.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will ensure that none of the student residences at the former Hamilton college of education is demolished.

As I indicated in my reply to the hon. Member on 9 November 1982—[Vol. 31, c. 131] —I would not have considered it appropriate to make this a condition of sale.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of the cost to maintain and safeguard the student residences at Hamilton college of education until they are finally sold.

Approximately £8,600 per month. A firm date for completion of the sale of the residences has not yet been fixed.

Balvaird Castle

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what work he has carried out at Balvaird castle, Glenfarg, Perthshire, over the past year; for what purpose; and what has been the cost of the work.

Masonry repair and consolidation at a cost of £120,000 as part of a programme to restore the castle to a condition in which it can be safely opened and presented to the public.

Departmental Grants

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those bodies, other than non-departmental public bodies and private companies, which receive grants from his Department.

[pursuant to his reply, 17 February, c. 227–231]: The following bodies were inadvertently omitted from the list of bodies given in my reply on 17 February as receiving grants made under section 73 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 and the Further Education (Scotland) Regulations 1959–79.

'Arts' Organisations

An Comunn Gaidhealach
Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association
Sabhal Mor Ostaig
Scottish Amateur Music Association

Scottish Chess Association
Scottish Community Drama Association
Scottish Youth Theatre

I have written to my hon. Friend enclosing a copy of the amended list, and I have placed copies of the complete list in the Library.

Energy

Nuclear Reactors

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) how many advanced gas-cooled reactors have been ordered by the Central Electricity Generating Board; how many construction years have been involved; and which stations are producing electricity;(2) how many air-cooled reactors were ordered between 1965 and 1970;(3) how long, on average, the advanced gas-cooled reactor stations have taken to complete.

The information concerned was contained in the answer given to the hon. Member on 7 December 1982, which was:

	Start of construction	^*Estimated cost £ million
Dungeness B	1966	570
Hinkley Point B	1967	†185
Hartlepool	1968	530
Heysham I	1970	535
Heysham II	1981	1,585
^* Cost of construction from start on site to commercial operation of first reactor.
† Actual cost.

The cost estimates include the initial fuel charge and are based on actual expenditure to 31 March 1982 plus estimates of subsequent expenditure at constant March 1982 prices.Hinckley Point B, which was completed in 1976, is operating at up to 80 per cent. of its original design output rating. Dungeness B, Hartlepool and Heysham are expected to commence generation in the first half of next year. Heysham II is expected to commence generation in 1987. AGRs in Scotland are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.I have nothing to add.

Power Lines (Devon)

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether the durability standards of power lines installed in north Devon have been upgraded since the blizzards of the winter of 1981–82; and what other works have been carried out since that time.

I understand tha the South Western Electricity Board in common with other area boards has embarked on a programme of overhead line improvements based on the recommendations of the joint Government/electricity supply industry panel whose report on technical standards for overhead lines was announced to the House on 1 December 1982.—[Vol. 33; c. 186.] I am asking the chairman of the board to write to the hon. Member giving details of the work in north Devon.

Atomic Energy Authority (Special Constabulary)

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are the present strength and complement of the special constabulary of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.

The current strength of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority constabulary is 624 with a complement of 653.

Oil Stocks

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what oil stocks are maintained and by whom in the United Kingdom, measured by consumption in the previous calendar year.

Obligatory stocks, measured by consumption in the previous calendar year, are held under directions issued by myself to companies whose annual deliveries of petroleum products into the United Kingdom market exceed 100,000 tones. These companies are required to maintain stocks equivalent, in the case of refiners, to 76½ days of the previous year's deliveries, and in the case of non-refiners 66 days.

Uranium Oxide

asked the Secretary of State for Energy where supplies of uranium oxide will be obtained after supplies from the Rossing mine in Namibia terminate in 1984.

The CEGB has informed me that it has a long-term contract for uranium oxide supplies with Canada which is due to expire in the early 1990s. This, along with the United Kingdom's existing civil stockpile, is adequate to meet known future demand well beyond the expiry date of the existing Rossing contract. The British Civil Uranium Procurement Directorate, following its policy on diversification of supplies, will secure further uranium as and when the need arises.

Nuclear Generation (Costs)

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are the current international comparative costs of generating electricity from advanced gas-cooled reactor stations and pressurised water reactor stations.

There are no advanced gas cooled reactors (AGRs) operating outside the United Kingdom and no pressurised water reactors (PWRs) operating within it. The CEGB's memorandum, published on 28 February—a copy of which is in the Library of the House--shows that the Board expect a new PWR to produce electricity at 2·61p/kwh over its lifetime, and a new AGR to produce at 3·16p/kwh on the same basis.

Transport

Pedestrian Crossing (Ealing)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations, and on what dates, he has received requesting an increase in the crossing time allowed at the pedestrian crossings in Greenford road and Mandeville road in the London borough of Ealing; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend received a representation about the pelican crossing in Greenford road with a letter from my hon. Friend dated 14 December 1982. The Department received a similar representation from the assistant chief engineer, London borough of Ealing on 8 December 1982. In reply, I told my hon. Friend that the matter had been referred to the Greater London Council as highway and traffic authority for this road.There is no record of any recent representations regarding the Pelican crossing in Mandeville road.

European Community (Vehicle Lighting)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what response was made by members of the European Community working group on motor vehicles at the meeting in Brussels on 7 and 8 February to the United Kingdom dim-dip proposed regulations.

The representatives of member states expressed great interest in the United Kingdom proposals. There was general agreement that it addressed problems of glare, conspicuity and enforcement that also exist in other member states. We were asked to consider certain technical and legal points, which we are doing.

Lead In Petrol

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received in favour of the phasing out of lead in petrol; and if he will make a statement on current progress.

I continue to receive representations inspired by the CLEAR campaign in favour of eliminating lead from petrol. The oil industry has in hand the work necessary to meet the new maximum limit of 0·15 grammes per litre which comes into force at the end of 1985. This will reduce annual lead emissions from motor vehicles to one-third of the average level that existed during the 1970s.

Sizewell Inquiry (Costs)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what legal costs have been incurred to date by his Department in connection with the Sizewell inquiry; and what he expects the total cost to be.

The services of the Treasury Solicitor and his staff are provided to the Department in the normal course of their duties and no extra expense has been incurred, other than a small amount for travel and subsistence. Counsel has been instructed to represent the Department of the Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of Transport and the proportion of his fees incurred on behalf of my Department will be met from the Law Charges Vote by the Treasury Solicitor. However I understand that it is not the Treasury Solicitor's practice to disclose the fees paid to individual counsel.

A406 (Public Inquiries)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many public inquiries into the A406 Falloden way-Finchley high road, Greater London road scheme have been held;

(2) how much the first public inquiry into the A406 Falloden way-Finchley high road road scheme cost;

(3) when the first public inquiry into the A406 Falloden way-Finchley high road road scheme was held.

There have been two inquiries. The first dealing with the necessary line and side road orders was held from 5 to 15 December 1972. The second dealing with the draft compulsory purchase and associated order, started on 28 September 1982 and was abandoned on 1 October 1982 owing to the inspector's ill health. No record of the cost of the 1972 inquiry is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what recommendations were contained in the report of the first public inquiry into the A406 Falloden way-Finchley high road road scheme.

The inspector recommended that the orders be made as drafted, subject to modifications which had been agreed, but that work on the scheme should not be started until the Department was satisfied that it had produced acceptable proposals for improvement of nearby sections of the North Circular road.

Motor Cyclists (Visors)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether an abrasion test for eye protectors for motor cyclists is now available for (a) visors fitted to the helmet at point of sale and (b) replacement visors; and if it is his intention to make abrasion tests mandatory for all new motor cyclists' visors;(2) in view of the public concern and evidence of the potential dangers of tinted visors for motor cyclists, if he will reconsider his proposals to allow the use of tinted visors during poor daytime visibility and adverse weather conditions;(3) why the proposed minimum specification for the amount of light transmission for motor cyclists' tinted visors is less than 60 per cent. while that for car windscreens is 70 per cent. and is soon to be increased to 75 per cent.

The great majority of visors in use are sold separately from helmets and are at present not subject to any road safety regulations. Tinted visors are popular with motorcyclists as they alleviate the effect of glare in bright sunlight and, providing they are not too heavily tinted, they can be used safely in most daylight hours.For these reasons the Department has proposed that the British standard on visors should be extended to cover tinted visors with a light transmission value of 50 per cent. This would pave the way for regulations leading to an overall improvement in the quality of visors. The different light transmission standard for car windscreens reflects the fact that cars have built in sun visors, drivers can more easily wear sunglasses, and motor cyclists can readily push their tinted visors out of the line of vision or change to a clear visor when daylight fades.The British standard has recently been amended to include an optional abrasion test but because an approval scheme for this option has not yet been finalised, it is still not certain if it would be feasible to require by regulation that all visors, whenever sold, must be abrasion resistant to the standard's specification.

Dim-Dip Lighting Devices

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what will be the cost of fitting dim-dip lighting devices to (i) a new car and (ii) a used car.

We estimate that a dim-dip device would add about £2 to the production costs of a new car and that kits for fitting existing cars will be available for about £5.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he can give an estimate of the potential reduction in accidents owing to the fitting of dim-dip lighting devices to (a) new cars and (b) used cars.

A large number of accidents occur in conditions where dim-dip would provide better conspicuity and reduce glare, as compared with presenT vehicle lighting. The benefits of dim-dip to safety and comfort of road users will increase over the years if more and more vehicles are so fitted, but the potential reduction in accidents cannot be quantified.

Crash Helmets

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the reply of 18 November 1982, Official Report, c. 274, if he is aware of any delays in bringing into effect the code of practice concerning the recall of faulty crash helmets where a fault has been identified.

The inclusion of motorcycle crash helmets in the code of practice covering vehicle and accessory recalls is being discussed with representatives of the helmet manufacturers association. In the meantime, any safety defects brought to the attention of my Department are taken up with the manufacturers.

Hereford And Worcester (Bus Services)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 4 February, Official Report, c. 214, if he will give the levels of revenue support for bus services in the Hereford and Worcester trial area in 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83 and 1983–84.

My Department does not collect separate figures for revenue support payments in trial areas but Hereford and Worcester county council has said that demand for revenue support has been reduced as a result of the competitive tendering it has introduced there.

Road Track Costs

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if, in the light of his policy that 38-tonne lorries should pay their full track costs from the date of their introduction in May, he will implement recommendation 3 of the Armitage report to ensure that other groups of heavy lorries, and in particular four-axled 32.5-tonne lorries, also pay their full track costs;(2) what proposals he has to ensure that the overtaxing of smaller and lighter lorries should cease in accordance with recommendation 6 of the Armitage report.

The new duty structure for lorries introduced last October facilitates the better matching of taxation levels to the road costs of different groups of lorries. But decisions on motor taxation are for the Chancellor of the Exchequer to take as part of his Budget strategy.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in the calculation of the total of road track costs for 1983–84, he will include the public costs of road accidents and a national tax for damage to underground services in accordance with recommendations 4 and 5 of the Armitage report.

No. These recommendations, and other proposals which have been made by interested bodies for changing the present track cost methodology are being considered, but no decisions have yet been taken.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Nazi War Criminals

32.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the steps taken to ensure that war-time and post-war agreements on bringing major Nazi war criminals to justice are still implemented.

The major Nazi war criminals were tried at Nuremburg. Martin Bormann is the only one unaccounted for. He is strongly presumed to have been killed in 1945. The only other major Nazi war criminal to whom wartime and post-war agreements still apply is Rudolf Hess, who is in Spandau prison.

South West Africa People's Organisation

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contacts his Department has had with representatives of the South West Africa People's Organisation; and if he will make a statement.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has periodic contact with representatives of the South West Africa People's Organisation, both in London and through our Missions abroad. My hon. Friend the Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) saw Mr. Sam Nujoma, President of SWAPO, on 30 September last.

Hong Kong

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has yet reached a conclusion on the future of Hong Kong; and if he will now make a statement on the discussions regarding this with the Government of the People's Republic of China.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bromsgrove and Redditch, (Mr. Miller) on 9 March.—[Vol. 38, c. 433.]

United States Of America (Ministerial Visit)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on his recent visit to various cities of the United States of America; who accompanied him on these visits; and what were the actual or estimated costs involved.

I was in attendance on Her Majesty the Queen during her recent visit to the west coast of the United States and I accompanied her on her visits to Los Angeles and San Francisco. I addressed a private meeting of the World Affairs Council in Los Angeles; and had separate talks in San Franciso with the United States Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Defence. I was accompanied throughout by my wife, two members of my private office and two Special Branch officers. The estimated cost of the party's travel and accommodation ashore is £14,400.

Vietnamese Refugees

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the current policy towards Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong.

There are 12,270 Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong currently awaiting resettlement overseas, of whom 3,595 are in closed and 8,675 in open, centres. We continue to support all efforts by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to arrange resettlement. Since 1975 Hong Kong has provided first asylum for more than 100,000 and permanently resettled 14,000 within its own community. We cannot expect Hong Kong to accept any more for resettlement.

Argentina (European Citizens)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Essex, South-East on 23 February, Official Report, c. 459, if European Community countries will take co-ordinated action against those responsible for the arrest, imprisonment without trial, torture and probable murder of such persons.

It is for the Argentine Government to take action against those responsible. We believe that the lines of approach described by my hon. Friend the Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) in his reply of 23 February continue to offer the best hope of encouraging them to do so.

Hong Kong (Students)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate has been made of the number of Hong Kong students who will be financed in 1983–84 under the new shared funding scheme, assuming that the British contribution will be fixed at £1·9 million.

According to the Hong Kong Government's estimate in 1982, about 1,700 students might be financed in 1983–84 under the new arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate has been made of the number of students from dependencies other than Hong Kong who will be financed under the new shared funding scheme in 1983–84.

About 50 students might be so financed under shared funding schemes on the basis of the Hong Kong arrangements.

Overseas Students

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many new discretionary awards will become available from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (diplomatic wing) Vote in 1983–84 through the expanded British Council programme;(2) how many new awards will become available to students from Cyprus in 1983–84 as a result of the allocation of an extra £1 million to assist students from that country;(3) how many new awards will become available to students from Malaysia in 1983–84 as a result of the allocation of an extra £1 million to assist students from that country.

I regret that an estimate cannot be provided until discussions on how best to maximise the benefits of the funds available and to determine the level of award per student in all cases are more advanced.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate has been made of the additional Commonwealth scholarships and fellowships which will become available in 1983–84 as a result of the allocation of an extra £1 million.

It is estimated that the extra money will enable some 125 additional awards to be made.

Falkland Islands (Banking)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects a local branch of a major bank to set up in business in the Falklands Islands.

The Standard Chartered Bank plans to open a branch in the Falkland Islands in July 1983.

Falklands Islands (Private Capital)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the assessment of the amount of private capital attracted to the Falkland Islands since August 1982.

A number of private companies have either committed capital to the Falkland Islands since August 1982 or are considering doing so. It would at this stage be a breach of commercial confidence to give details.

Diego Garcia

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government have any information about whether any of the Diego Garcians living in Mauritius have expressed a wish to return to the island at the expiry of the United States 50-year lease of the island.

There have been various reports that some of those previously employed on the plantations on Diego Garcia would prefer to return to the island. There is, however, no possibility of their doing so in the foreseeable future, as is recognised in the terms of the 1982 Ilois Agreement (Cmnd. 8785), with which the Ilois community is fully associated. The island has not been leased to the United States.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the regulations which govern the admission of visitors to Diego Garcia.

The conditions of access are set out in paragraph 1(4) of the Diego Garcia Agreement 1976 (Cmnd. 6413).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will be issuing any response to demands made by the non-aligned summit meeting in Delhi that Diego Garcia be declared a zone of peace.

Diego Garcia was not specifically mentioned in the section of the non-aligned movements declaration which dealt with a zone of peace.We shall continue to discuss the question of an Indian ocean zone of peace in the United Nations ad hoc committee. We are seeking a balanced and realistic mandate for a conference which would include a wide geographical area, including the hinterland states and in particular Afghanistan.In another section the declaration supports the claim of Mauritius to sovereignty over Diego Garcia, disregarding the fact that the islands of the Chagos archipelago have been under continuous British sovereignty since 1814.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason Father Alain Harel was allowed to visit Diego Garcia.

In conformity with the conditions of access set out in paragraph 1(4) of the Diego Garcia Agreement 1976 (Cmnd. 6413), Father Alain Harel, who is a creole speaker, was allowed to visit Diego Garcia over Christmas to minister to the spiritual needs of the Catholic Mauritian contract workers who are currently employed on construction projects.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations have been received about Diego Garcia from the Government of Mauritius.

We have had no recent representations specifically about Diego Garcia, but we are in regular contact with the government of Mauritius and have discussed Diego Garcia on a number of occasions within the general context of our bilateral relations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to preserve the accommodation of the Diego Garcians, with a view to returning it to the islanders at the expiry of the lease of the island.

All accommodation on Diego Garcia prior to the establishment of the naval support facility belonged to a private company, subsequently acquired by the Crown, which operated the island's copra plantations. With the closure of the plantations there was no further need to maintain such accommodation.

Falkland Islands (United Nations)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any proposal has been made for a visit to the Falkland Islands by any official body or commission of the United Nations.

No such proposal has been made by any official body or commission of the United Nations.

Dr Jack Prager

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Indian Government about the arrest of Dr. Jack Prager, who is to appear before the West Bengal courts later in March.

No. Such representations would constitute an interference in the judicial proceedings of another state.

Zimbabwe

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether Zimbabwe's record on human rights will be taken into account by Her Majesty's Government in making decisions on arms sales to that country;(2) whether Her Majesty's Government will review arms sales and military assistance by the United Kingdom to Zimbabwe.

I have been asked to reply.The Government take into account all the relevant factors, including the question of human rights, when considering all requests for the sale of arms. As regards military assistance to Zimbabwe, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Mr. Proctor) on 28 February.—[Vol. 38, c.

64.]

Wales

Livestock (Transport)

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what progress has been made in re-establishing facilities for the transport of livestock between Ireland and Holyhead.

The Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce has recently agreed that lairage facilities for sheep at Holyhead may be licensed if certain conditions are met. These call for the provision of sheep dips for those animals not going directly for slaughter, sheep pens and an office. When these facilities have been provided and notified a licence will be issued.Cattle licences have been issued periodically, the latest covering the period 28 January 1982 to 19 October 1983.

Coal Miners (Employment Statistics)

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many coal miners are unemployed in south Wales; and how many vacancies there are for coal miners in south Wales.

Detailed information based on those trades classified in the Department of Employment's classification of occupations as "underground coal mining occupations" shows that at September 1982, the latest date for which such information is available, 95 unemployed persons in South Wales were registered as face trained coal mining workers.At the same date there were two notified vacancies in this category. I am told by the NCB that, in present circumstances, it is their policy to fill vacancies wherever possible from within their existing work force.

Environment

Water Industry (Dispute)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the water industry will make rebates to domestic customers who were deprived of normal piped supplies as a result of the water strike.

Yes. The industry proposes to make rebates to domestic customers who were continuously deprived of a piped supply for a least a few days. Implementation of the scheme will be a matter for individual water undertakers.

Homes Insulation

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report a table giving, by quarter since their inception, for England (a) the number of dwellings insulated under the local authorities energy conservation programme and a breakdown of the bodies which completed the work, (b) the cost of the programme, (c) the number of dwellings insulated under the home insulation scheme and a breakdown of tenancies to whom the grants were paid, (d) the amounts of the payments, (e) the number of 90 per cent. grants paid and their cost, and (f) the financial allocation for each of the past financial years to each of these schemes and the allocation for the current financial year.

Available quarterly figures of numbers of dwellings in England insulated under the energy conservation programme and the home insulation scheme, from third quarter 1979 to third quarter 1982 appear in Housing and Construction Statistics tables 2.18 of issue 7 and 2.16 of issue 11: the earlier figures for the home insulation scheme are in table 2.16 of issue 4. Copies of these publications are in the Library.The other information requested is as follows.

Energy Conservation Programme
thousand dwellings
	Work completed by
Quarter	Direct labour	Contractor	Special temporary employment programme	All
1978
2	0·9	2·5	2·0	5·4
3	4·7	7·3	4·6	16·6
4	33·3	32·0	27·6	93·0
1979
1	30·4	71·5	28·5	130·3
2	16·1	61·8	24·8	102·7

Energy conservation programme
Home insulation scheme
	Capital payments	Grant payments
	£ million	£ million
1978
2	0·2	—
3	0·7	—
4	3·1	3·2
1979
1	8·4	5·1
2	4·4	3·1
3	6·2	2·4
4	6·2	4·0

	Capital payments	Grant payments
	£ million	£ million
1980
1	12·2	4·6
2	3·3	2·8
3	3·2	1·9
4	3·6	4·6
1981
1	3·0	6·0
2	1·3	5·2
3	1·2	5·0
4	2·3	5·8
1982
1	5·7	6·7
^*2	1·7	5·6
^*3	1·9	6·0
^* Provisional.

Home Insulation Scheme: 90 per cent. Grants Paid
	Thousand dwellings	Payments £ million
1980
4	21·1	1·7
1981
1	23·1	2·1
2	20·0	1·6
3	19·0	1·6
4	22·1	1·9
1982
1	23·4	2·6
^*2	23·7	2·1
^*3	23·7	2·2
^* Provisional.

Allocations to Local Authorities
£ million
	Energy conservation programme	Home insulation scheme
1978–79	24·2	19·3
1979–80	28·1	25·5
1980–81	No separate allocations	16·7
1981–82		24·6
1982–83		32·8

Temple Bar

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what approaches have been made to him about relocating Temple Bar; and if he will make a statement.

Temple Bar was removed from its former situation in London when roads were widened in 1877. It is now in private ownership and located in Hertfordshire. It is a scheduled ancient monument. The Temple Bar Trust was formed privately in 1976 with the object of securing the return of the structure to London. I understand that outline permission was given in 1979 by the local planning authority for a site in St. Paul's churchyard. Moving the structure would also require scheduled monument consent from me under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.The chairman of the Temple Bar Trust approached my predecessor in 1981 with a request for grant-aid for the removal. Professional advice is that the structure could survive being dismantled, moved and re-erected, and that it will deteriorate if it stays where it is.The request for grant has been discussed with the trustees of the National Heritage Memorial Fund. It was agreed that if, the move were to take place, provided the Temple Bar Trust could secure a sufficient proportion of private donations, my Department and NHMF would match those donations in the following way. If the total cost of the move proved to be less than £1 million, the DOE and NHMF would each contribute one-quarter of the cost. If the total were more than £1 million, the DOE and NHMF would contribute £¼ million each. This offer was, and all previous discussion with the Temple Bar Trust has been, subject to its securing any necessary consents, and subject to any statutory or quasi-judicial procedures with which the Secretary of State might have to comply. The application for Scheduled Monument Consent will be considered on its merits.

Rural Development Areas

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria are used in determining rural development areas; and when the first areas to be designated will be named.

In selecting rural development areas the Development Commission will have regard to the following criteria:

(1) Unemployment is above the average for Great Britain, account being taken of changes in recent years.

(2) There is an inadequate or unsatisfactory range of employment opportunities.

(3) Population decline or sparsity of population is having an adverse effect.

(4) There is a net outward migration of people of working age.

(5) The age structure of the population is heavily biased towards elderly people.

(6) Access to services and facilities is poor.

It will not be necessary for all the criteria to be satisfied but it is envisaged that most development areas will meet the first criterion and one or more of the remainder. However, they may also be selected where a combination of any of the criteria indicates a concentration of problems.All rural development areas will be designated at the same time. The timing of the announcement is dependent on the availability of certain 1981 census data but the Commission hope to be able to name the areas by Spring 1984.

Welwyn Garden City And Hatfield

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the current total of Commission for the New Towns industrial and commercial properties that have been sold in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield; what percentage this represents; how many sales are pending; and how many further inquiries are outstanding.

Following is the information:

	Welwyn	Hatfield	Total
Sales to date (£ million)	15	3	18
As percentage of estimated total saleable industrial and commercial assets	50	30	45
Sales agreed but not yet completed (£ million)	4	2	6
Sales under negotiation (£ million)	6	3	9

In addition, a large number of inquiries is being actively pursued.

Aluminium

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what encouragement is being provided for the recycling of aluminium from cans.

I fully support the efforts of the Can Makers Organisation, representing the major metal packaging manufacturers, which launched a major expansion of their can recovery activities in 1982. Its save-a-can scheme seeks to recover both tin-plate and aluminium cans, and their cash-a-can scheme is for aluminium cans. Through the expansion of other schemes the can makers estimate a recovery of 2,600 million cans by 1985.

Noise (Departmental Booklet)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what publicity is being provided for his Department's booklet "Bothered By Noise? What You Can Do About It".

When "Bothered By Noise?" was published in April last year wide publicity was given in a DOE press notice. In addition copies for information and distribution were sent to all local authorities, citizens advice bureaux, education authorities, county library services, the House of Commons Library and various organisations with an interest in the control of noise nuisance and in noise complaints procedure. Some 175,000 copies have been issued so far; current demand is for about 10,000 copies a month. The need for further publicity is regularly reviewed.

Anti-Litter Legislation

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the efficacy of anti-litter legislation.

Under the Litter Acts of 1958 and 1971 there are on average 2,000 successful prosecutions in a year. Other statutes such as the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 and the Control of Pollution Act 1974 contain provisions requiring local authorities to take positive action to abate litter.However, legislation forms only a part of the Government's overall strategy to overcome the problem of littering. We actively support the Keep Britain Tidy group in its various litter-abatement activities.

Merseyside (Visit)

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

I last visited Merseyside on 3 and 4 March 1983. In Liverpool I opened a Post Office business consultancy, a new site for Blake's Ford dealers and Minster Court, a housing refurbishment and redevelopment scheme by Barratt Urban Renewal (Northern) Limited. I visited Job Creation Ltd., Birkenhead; toured parts of the Wirral Inner Area, particularly the docklands; attended the prizegiving ceremony for the Tate and Lyle site competition, and the joint press conference held there with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry. I met the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, the chairman of the Post Office, the leader and officials of Wirral MBC, elected members and officials of Merseyside CC, the leader of Halton BC, officials of my task force and a number of senior managers from industry, commerce and banking. I was also interviewed for a Radio City broadcast.

Water (Nitrate Level)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions water authorities notified medical officers that th 50 mg per litre nitrate level in public water supplies was exceeded in the most recent annual period for which figures are available; and if he will provide a separate figure for such notifications in Essex.

Individual water authorities are responsible for notifying medical officers in their areas when nitrate levels in water supplies exceed guideline levels.No central record is kept, but officials have asked the four water undertakers supplying Essex, and they say that medical officers were notified of two water supplies, where at some time during 1982, nitrate levels exceed 50 mg per litre.

Social Services

Tadworth Court Children's Hospital

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has yet come to a decision on the future of Tadworth Court children's hospital; and if he will make a statement.

I have now carefully considered the proposal by the board of governors of the hospitals for sick children to transfer all services from Tadworth Court to Queen Mary's hospital for Children, Carshalton. The board put forward this proposal only after a thorough review of activities at its three hospitals in order to release funds for developments. Over recent years the board has received some growth in its allocation but has been overspending due to an increase in highly specialised work at Great Ormond Street, particularly the development of new methods of treating malignant disease, the diagnosis and treatment of renal disease and development of new surgical techniques in the neonate.The cost of running Tadworth Court without any changes is estimated to be £1,400,000 in 1983–84. The cost of relocating services at Queen Mary's hospital would have been about £440,000 and this would, therefore, have freed £960,000 for use at Great Ormond Street and Queen Elizabeth hospital in Hackney. The whole Tadworth Court site would have been sold, and apart from an estimated £330,000 to be spent at Queen Mary's hospital the whole proceeds would then have been available for new capital improvements at Great Ormond Street and Queen Elizabeth hospital. The board acted responsibly and properly in putting forward this proposal and I am satisfied that the children from Tadworth Court would have received very good care and treatment at Queen Mary's hospital. Subsequently a group of charities led by the Spastics Society has put forward a counter-proposal. They suggest that a trust be established to manage Tadworth Court on the basis that the hospital is reduced to 60 beds at an annual cost of £960,000 and are confident that over a three-year period this sum could be built up through sponsorship by local authorities of individual children requiring respite care. The charities would require the scheme to be underwritten by my Department during this period.The Government would like to provide Great Ormond Street with the money it requires. I am attracted by the charities' proposal as an example of partnership between voluntary bodies and statutory services which we are determined to encourage. Health and local authorities cannot themselves meet all the needs of sick and handicapped children and the contribution of voluntary bodies is an invaluable addition to the services available. We want also to encourage the development of respite care which should, of course, be locally based. The charities believe there is an unmet demand for such care and that local authorities within reasonable distance of Tadworth Court would wish to sponsor children there.I am also deeply conscious of the anxiety felt by parents of children at Tadworth Court, which has been reflected in the representations made to me by many hon. Members, and if possible I would like to avoid the distress and disruption which a move to another hospital would inevitably cause. Under the proposal there would still be a substantial saving in the current cost of running Tadworth Court.I have, therefore, decided to agree in principle to the charities' proposal. My hon. Friend the Member for Reigate (Mr. Gardiner) has received pledges of financial support from private sources which will raise income of £70,000 a year to keep Tadworth Court open. I am willing to underwrite the remaining £890,000 a year for a three year trial period by grant aid under Section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 and, subject to Parliamentary approval, I will be willing to lease that part of the site required for the hospital at peppercorn rent.The surplus land and buildings will be sold and the proceeds, less about £90,000 required for a new boiler, x-ray and relocation costs at Tadworth Court, will be retained by the board of governors. The board of governors will also be freed of the revenue cost of running Tadworth Court and, as it will not now need to find the costs of reproviding all services at Queen Mary's hospital, its financial position will be substantially better than that envisaged under its original proposal.I am now inviting the charities to set up the trust and I have asked my officials to initiate detailed negotiations with the trust, the board of governors and the staff at Tadworth Court. These negotiations may take some time to complete. In the meantime my Department will continue to provide the board of governors with additional funds, in order that the present level of services can be maintained. I have agreed, however, that the transfer of the orthopaedic service, which the charities do not wish to keep at Tadworth Court, should proceed as quickly as possible.I am most grateful to the board of governors, the Merton and Sutton health authority, the Spastics Society and the other charities involved, and my hon. Friend the Member for Reigate for the constructive way in which they have dealt with this very difficult problem.

Alcohol Abuse

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the answer of 18 February, Official Report, c. 295, concerning health education about alcoholism, when he expects to receive the report on the cost effectiveness of the health education effort overall; and whether any steps are being taken in the meantime to improve the nature of the advertising by the Health Education Council relating to alcohol abuse.

It is expected that the Health Education Council's report on the cost effectiveness of its overall health education effort will be available by the end of 1983. The council, while it works closely with the Department is an independent body. Questions relating to its advertising are for the council itself and I am asking the chairman to write to my hon. Friend on this point.

Benefits (Cost)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services approximately how many persons qualify for social security only by virtue of the fact that they have to pay income tax or national insurance; and at what cost to the social security budget.

Supplementary benefit is the only income-related social security benefit where earnings are taken into account net of income tax and national insurance contributions. There is no precise information about the numbers of people who qualify for supplementary benefit only by virtue of the fact that they (or their wives) have to pay income tax and/or national insurance contributions, but they and the cost to the social security budget are likely to be small.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the cost of increasing to the long term supplementary benefit rate (a) invalid care allowance, (b) non-contributory invalidity benefit, (c) invalidity benefit, (d) sickness benefit, (e) unemployment benefit and (f) retirement pension, assuming (i) the benefit were untaxable and (ii) the benefit were taxable.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his reply dated 30 April 1982, Official Report, c. 362, concerning the cost of extending the payment of unemployment and earnings-related benefit, if he will provide a more up-to-date estimate for 1982–83 and a forecast for 1983–84.

In 1982–83 the number of unemployed claimants who, at a point in time, have exhausted their entitlement to unemployment benefit is estimated to be 1,190,000 taking the average over the year. The estimate for 1983–84 is 1,360,000. Abolishing the one year limit on entitlement would have cost the National Insurance Fund an estimated £1,650 million in 1982–83. The estimate for 1983–84 is £2,000 million. I shall let the hon. Member have a revised estimate of the cost of restoring the earnings-related supplement as soon as possible.

National Health Insurance Charges

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to the reply of 27 July 1981, Official Report, c. 343–44, to the hon. Member for Grimsby, concerning national insurance charges and average earnings, whether he will bring the table up to date and indicate where appropriate the amount of selective employment tax and national insurance surcharge, respectively.

Month/Year	Average earnings^*	Contribution† of employee with average earnings		Employer's contributiont for employee with average earnings		Set element	NI surcharge element
		NI contribution NHS element		NI contribution NHS element
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	(7)	(8)
	£	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.
July 1961	15·14	5·20	0·89	4·49	0·2	—	—
October 1962	15·86	4·90	0·85	4·28	0·2	—	—
June 1963	16·53	5·50	0·82	4·90	0·2	—	—
October 1964	18·11	5·30	0·75	4·75	0·2	—	—
March 1965	18·69	5·70	0·72	5·51	0·2	—	—
October 1966	20·30	5·50	0·67	11·58	0·1	6·16	—
October 1967	21·37	5·80	0·63	11·70	0·1	5·85	—
May 1968	22·53	5·70	0·70	11·19	0·1	5·55	—
November 1969	25·00	6·20	0·63	15·88	0·1	9·60	—
October 1970	28·05	5·90	0·56	14·69	0·3	8·56	—
September 1971	30·70	6·00	0·52	10·16	0·3	3·91	—
October 1972	35·82	6·00	0·44	9·80	0·2	3·35	—
October 1973	40·92	5·90	0·39	6·75	0·2	—	—
August 1974	47·23	6·10	0·33	8·13	0·2	—	—
April 1975	54·19	5·50	0·40	8·50	0·6	—	—
April 1976	63·20	5·75	0·40	8·75	0·6	—	—
April 1977	69·86	5·75	0·40	10·75	0·6	—	2·0
April 1978	79·07	6·50	0·40	2·0	0·6	—	2·0
April 1979	89·08	6·50	0·40	13·50	0·6	—	3·5
April 1980	106·19	6·75	0·40	13·70	0·6	—	3·5
April 1981	118·32	7·75	0·65	13·70	0·6	—	3·5
April 1982	133·80	8·75	0·75	13·70	0·6	—	3·5
August 1982	138·30	8·75	0·75	12·20	0·6	—	2·0
December 1982	141·90	8·75	0·75	12·20	0·6	—	2·0
^* Average weekly earnings of full-time adult male manual workers.
† The not contracted-out contribution for men.

Note: In each case figures for NI contributions include NHS, SET and NI Surcharge elements as applicable.

Detoxification Evaluation Project

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the report of the detoxification evaluation project.

The final report of the detoxification evaluation project by a research team funded by the Department has been received and is being studied. I will make a further statement as soon as possible.

St Mary's Hospital, Stannington (Patients)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services on what authority patients at St. Mary's hospital, Stannington, Northumberland, are being denied their social security benefit unless they produce evidence of what is described as good behaviour.

No patients at St. Mary's hospital, Stannington, are denied the social security benefit to which they are entitled. Some patients participate in a scheme in which they seek to achieve objectives in a training and rehabilitative programme and in which they receive rewards for their successes.

Genetic Screening

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women expecting babies have had the benefit of genetic screening in the last few years.

This information is not available centrally.

The figures are as follows:

Occupational Health Services

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what Her Majesty's Government are doing to protect Health Service workers from contracting illness resulting from their environment;(2) when he expects the appointment of a consultant occupational health physician to be made in each region.

We have issued guidance from time to time on safety and on the provision of occupational health services, most recently last October in health notice (82)33.Health authorities have been advised that the aim in each region should be to identify one occupational health physician who would be able to give advice to all districts and local authorities in that region on the development and co-ordination of occupational health services. It is not thought necessary nor would there be sufficient numbers of suitably experienced candidates to allow these appointments to be at consultant level in all regions.

Nhs Workers (Illness)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether any figures are available on the incidence of sickness among hospital workers in comparison with other workers.

Information on sickness among hospital workers is not held centrally.

Rent And Rate Rebates

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how rent and rate rebates will be related to income in 1983–84; how many households are expected to benefit and at what approximate cost; how many of these households would cease to be eligible; and what would be the saving overall if (i) child benefit were to be increased to £15 taxable, (ii) the single and married allowances were to be raised to £1,800 and £3,600, respectively, (iii) if a reduced rate band of 10 per cent. were introduced for the first £1,000 of taxable income and (iv) if national insurance was chargeable at the rate of 9 per cent. only on income in excess of the personal allowances.

Details of the way in which rebates will be related to income from April 1983 are set out in part III of the Housing Benefits Regulations 1982 (SI 1982/1124). Approximately 6·7 million households are expected to receive help under housing benefit (including those on rent allowances and those on supplementary benefit) at an approximate cost of £3·2 billion. I regret that the remainder of the hon. Member's question could only be answered at disproportionate cost.

Kidney Machines

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many kidney machines there are in each regional health authority.

I regret that this information is not available.

Mathew Trust

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will reconsider the decision to withhold public funds from the Mathew Trust to enable the trust to set up a committee with his Department and the churches to discuss the possible use of exorcism for patients in special hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

We have received no request for funding on these specific terms. But if such a request were received it would be rejected. There are staff, programmes and facilities in the special hospitals to meet the clinical and spiritual needs of the patients. Decisions on appropriate forms of treatment are the professional responsibility of the doctor in whose care an individual patient has been placed, in consultation with the members of other professions who contribute to the treatment and care of patients in the special hospitals.

Drugs (Reporting Procedures)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to improve the reporting of adverse reactions and deaths due to drugs; what progress has been made; and if he will make a statement.

The Committee on Safety of Medicines is currently reviewing the monitoring of adverse reactions and I will consider carefully any recommendations it may make.

Maternity Grant And Allowance

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will now increase the maternity grant to £114 and ensure that it is reviewed annually;(2) if he will introduce legislation to make the period of payment of maternity allowance more flexible by enabling each woman to choose the commencement date of payment.

We have no current plans for change of the kind suggested. As the hon. Member knows, I recently announced our intention to undertake a review of maternity provision generally next year.

Nuclear War

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in the light of the report by a working party of the British Medical Association, he will revise his Department's plans for action in the event of a nuclear attack.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short) on 9 March 1983.—[Vol. 38, c. 418–19.]

National Health Service (Drug Costs)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the average increase in the cost of prescribed drugs in the National Health Service over each of the last five financial years.

The average increase over the previous financial year in the cost of prescribed drugs in England, excluding the hospital services, was:

	per cent.
1977–78	28·3
1978–79	20·0
1979–80	14·1
1980–81	20·6
1981–82	14·1

Care In The Community

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the care in the community programme will be implemented.

Last July we announced the Government's decision on the care in the community consultative document. Some of these decisions needed legislation and this is currently before the House. But many of the decisions do not and these are being put into effect by a circular that is being sent today to health authorities, local authorities and voluntary organisations. A copy of the circular is being put into the House of Commons Library.The circular gives health and local authorities the go-ahead to set up joint projects for moving people out of long-stay hospitals and into community care. The most important change is that for the first time ever health authorities will be able to offer to local authorities and voluntary organisations continuing payments for as long as necessary to provide for people moving out of hospitals into community care. It will be possible to move resources with the patient for however long it proves necessary to provide him with better care at or near his own home. This goes much further than the so-called joint finance arrangements which provide support finance only for a period. Most people responsible for the care of mentally ill, mentally handicapped, elderly and disabled people agree with the Government that there are still far too many people unnecessarily kept in hospital for long periods simply because facilities are not available to care for them in the community.The circular gives authorities extra flexibility which I hope they will now use. They should work in close partnership with one another and with the voluntary sector in helping people who would otherwise be long stay hospital patients to live in or near their own homes. I also hope that this will bring forward the day when some of our older unsuitably sited mental hospitals can be closed and the cost of maintaining them released to pay for better care based on up-to-date practice.The Government have allocated an extra £11·3 million cash for joint finance next year. This will mean that we will have increased the cash available for joint finance by 180 per cent. during our period of office—over 50 per cent. in real terms.Part of the extra joint finance allocation will be used centrally to support a programme of selected projects to explore ways of achieving the move into community care. This central support for the programme will continue for five years and will total up to £15 million at 1982–83 prices. The programme will be monitored and assessed and the results made widely available.The remainder of the extra money will be allocated to health authorities for local support of arrangements for moving people out of hospital.

Tuberculosis

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what evidence he has of the relative increase in the incidence of tuberculosis among unemployed people compared with other groups.

I have no such evidence.

Hearing Aids

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services to what extent there is a shortage of National Health Service hearing aids; and what the waiting period is for new and replacement units.

Some hearing aid centres have experienced shortages of certain aids, mainly the newer medium and high power behind-the-ear models. Supplies are being increased by the allocation of additional money from within existing cash limits.The organisation and administration of audiological and hearing aid services is a matter for individual health authorities. Records of waiting periods for hearing aids are not maintained centrally.

Benefits

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many unemployed have been in receipt of social security benefit in each of the last five years; if he will publish a breakdown by sex and by region; if he will give figures for Bolton; and if he will express these figures as a percentage of the employed population in each case.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many (a) men and (b) women have drawn social security benefit in each of the last five years for which figures are available (a) nationally, (b) by region and (c) in Bolton.

I assume the question relates to supplementary benefit. Information is not available in the form requested. The available national and regional information is contained in table 34.05, 34.33, 34.72 and 34.74 of Social Security Statistics 1982 a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library.The number of cases in action in November/December each year in the local offices situated in Bolton has been:

	Thousands
November/December 1977	14·7
November/December 1978	14·5
November/December 1979	14·2
November/December 1980	15·5
November/December 1981	19·1

Source: 100 per cent count of cases in action in Local Offices.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the number of women and children in the United Kingdom not claiming benefits or allowances due to them under each scheme administered by his Department, the average level of such potential claims and the total of such sums unclaimed during each of the last five years for which records are available.

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

War Widows (Pensions)

asked the Secretary of State for Social services what would be the cost of calculating the average payment by way of (a) war widow's pension, (b) armed forces pension, (c) payment where applicable from the South Atlantic fund, and (d) all three taken together to the widow of a private killed in (i) the first world war, (ii) the second world war, (iii) Northern Ireland after 1973 and (iv) the Falkland Islands.

About £38,000. The computer payment records do not contain sufficient details, so the individual widows' files in the Department and the Ministry of Defence would need to be specially scrutinised.

Disabled Persons

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to change the system of cash benefits for disabled people to meet the extra costs of disabled living; what recent representations he has received on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

We have received copies of the pre-Budget submission which the Spastics Society put to my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in February. Other groups representing disabled people, and a number of hon. and right hon. Members, have written to us from time to time about different aspects of the system of cash benefits. My right hon. Friend has also received representations from the Social Security Advisory Committee. I gather that the committee has been devoting special attention to the question of benefits for disabled people recently and we look forward to its further views on the matter.As regards future development of benefit provision for disabled people, I have made it clear that this must wait on the recovery of the economy and availability of resources.

Blackburn

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has for relocating the staffs of his Department's social security local offices in Blackburn into a single building in or near the town centre; what stage these plans have reached; and if he will make a statement.

The Property Services Agency is aware of our requirement to relocate the Blackburn social security offices into a single building as an integrated local office. The relocation of the Blackburn offices is a project of top priority and the PSA is urgently seeking suitable alternative premises. The most promising solution for the relocation of the Blackburn offices is dependent on a property expected to be put up for sale by auction. The PSA will in this case be in competition with other potential purchasers. My officials have been assured by the PSA that everything possible will be done to secure the property for DHSS.

Leicester

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to the number of men and women in the city of Leicester who are not claiming benefits or allowances due to them under each scheme administered by his Department; and if he will estimate the average value of such potential claims and the total such sum unclaimed during each of the last five years for which records are available.

I regret that the information requested is not available.

National Heart And Chest Hospitals (Report)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish the report of the board of governors of the national heart and chest hospitals, referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions on 3 March 1982.

We cannot make a decision on the publication of the report until the outcome of police investigations into the matter is known.

Dentists

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to remedy the present uneven distribution of dentists working in the National Health Service.

We and the British Dental Association are currently working towards the publication of profiles of different parts of the country, giving the numbers of dentists. This is intended to help members of the profession, and in particular young dentists, to see where their services are most in demand and thus encourage a more even distribution of dentists.

Dental Care

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to ensure that disadvantaged groups including handicapped and elderly people and patients in long-stay homes and hospitals, including children, are enabled to receive dental care.

Apart from the general practitioner services, the hospital dental service provides routine dental treatment for long-stay patients. The community dental service is already empowered to provide treatment to adult handicapped people as well as to children and to expectant mothers, subject to their prime responsibility for school dental services. Whilst it is for health authorities to develop their services in the way most suited to local needs, we support the view of the dental strategy review group that the community dental services should play an increasing role in meeting the needs of patients in the special care groups.

Union Recognition (Criteria)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what criteria are applied in deciding which unions should be recognised as representing sections of workers in the National Health Service; what rights are conveyed by such recognition; and if he will make a statement.

The established practice has been that the recognition of individual unions to participate in the Whitley councils for the NHS at national level has been left to the staff sides of the councils. Such recognition conveys a number of rights both nationally and locally. National rights include participation in the formulation of agreements of the Whitley councils on terms and conditions of service for NHS employees. Rights locally include such matters as the use of notice boards on health authority premises, accommodation for union meetings, and time off and facilities for union representatives in carrying out their union duties and activities. We expect the Staff Side to nominate people who genuinely represent the employees affected by the decisions of each Whitley council.Employing authorities may recognise other union or staff organisations as representing sections of staff in their local employment, and may provide them with such facilities outside the Whitley system as they think necessary. We expect employing authorities to recognise any organisations which have a significant level of membership amongst any particular section of their employees.

Dental Hygienists

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many dental hygienists are now being trained each year; and if he will make available additional resources to increase the number.

In 1982, 190 dental hygiene students sat the examination for the certificate of proficiency in dental hygiene and in 1983 it is expected that 200 will sit.

Blood Supplies

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the reply of 25 October, Official Report, c. 310, if he has yet concluded his consideration of the views expressed by representatives of the National Health Service and the private sector about the introduction of charges to cover the cost incurred by the national blood transfusion service for the supply of blood to private hospitals and clinics; and if he will now make a statement.

We are still considering this suggestion.

Dental Students

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now make a statement about the results of the survey of the effects of the cuts of 10 per cent. on dental students.

The report of the Department's dental manpower study is currently being considered by Health Ministers and we hope to make an announcement soon.

Children (Dental Treatment)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to announce the details of a pilot study to test the feasibility of a capitation scheme for the dental treatment of young children.

We are discussing with the dental health services research unit at Manchester university and other interested parties, including the British Dental Association, the details of a feasibility study which we aim to launch later this year.

Dental Therapists

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many dental therapists are at present in training in each year; and how many will be trained from September 1983 after the closure of the New Cross school.

There are 37 students at the school for dental therapists at New Cross who are all in their final year of training. Arrangements have been made to train eight dental therapists a year at the London Hospital dental school beginning this Autumn and the provision of further therapist training elsewhere is under consideration.

Drugs (Safety)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has had discussions or correspondence with the United States Food and Drug Administration with regard to the safety of the potassium substitute drug, the name of which has been sent to him, used for the treatment of high blood pressure; if the Committee on Safety of Medicines has reported to him on the possible side effects of the drug; if he will discuss with the Committee on Safety of Medicines the absence of reference to the risk of ulcers arising out of the use of the drug on its data sheet; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 8 March 1983, c. 384]: My hon. Friend has informed me that he is referring to the drug "Slow-K". This is recommended for use as a potassium supplement, which may be needed, for example, during diuretic treatment for high blood pressure. The possible side effects of potassium therapy have been know for many years, including the risk of gastro-intestinal bleeding and ulceration. The slow release formulations of potassium like "Slow-K", were designed to reduce this risk, but the data sheet for "Slow-K" warns of the possibility of these reactions in patients who may have an obstruction in their digestive system which might interfere with the normal passage of the drug. The Committee on Safety of Medicines is in touch with the Food and Drug Administration, and is continuing to monitor the safety of this drug.

Widowed Mothers' Allowance

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be (a) the gross and (b) the net cost of extending widowed mother's allowance on a noncontributory basis to all single parents, assuming abolition of one-parent benefit and taking into account savings on means-tested benefits, revenue from taxation of the benefit and recovery of maintenance from liable relatives; how many people would be removed from eligibility for supplementary benefit and family income supplement as a result; and what would be the corresponding figures for a benefit paid at the same rate as non-contributory invalidity pension.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 January 1983, c. 299]: The gross cost assuming full take-up would have been some £1·9 billions in 1982–83 at widowed mother's allowances rates, and some £1·4 billions at noncontributory invalidity pension rates. The net cost after allowing for savings on other social security benefits and rent and rate rebates and deducting the tax yield would have been respectively £900 million to £950 million and £550 million to £600 million. The numbers ceasing to become eligible for supplementary benefit or better off claiming rent and rate rebates, would have been about 330,000 and 150,000 and the numbers removed from entitlement to FIS about 60,000 and 50,000. However if the benefit were paid net of maintenance payments the gross cost would be lower by some £300 million and £250 million respectively, though the net cost would be reduced by less than this. These estimates have been compiled using a number of different sources relating to different dates and should be regarded as a broad indication of the costs in 1982–83.

Civil Service

European Commission (Staff)

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many United Kingdom civil servants are currently seconded to work for the European Commission; and what was the comparable figure in 1973.

Most appointments in the European Commission are permanent appointments. There are, however, two schemes under which United Kingdom civil servants are seconded to the European Commission either to give expert advice on particular areas of national practice or to obtain experience of working in a community institution. Both schemes came into operation in the United Kingdom in 1976. There are currently 32 civil servants on secondment under the schemes compared with 22 in 1977.

Sex Equality

asked the Minister for the Civil Service, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Eton and Slough on 25 January, Official Report, c. 380, when Her Majesty's Government expect to reach a conclusion about the recommendations in the report Equal Opportunities for Women in the Civil Service.

The Government aim to promulgate an agreed action plan by the end of June for the implementation of those recommendations which have been accepted.

Nursery Council

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if Her Majesty's Government will accept the recommendation in the report Equal Opportunities for Women in the Civil Service relating to the establishment of a grant-aided Civil Service nursery council; and if he will make a statement.

This recommendation is being considered together with all the other recommendations in the report.

National Finance

Personal Taxation

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the answer of 27 January, Official Report, c. 525, to the hon. Member for Grimsby, concerning a change in the structure of personal taxation, how the £8·5 billion would be divided between single people, married couples without wife's earned income and married couples with wife's earned income, distinguishing between those under and those over 65 years of age.

The benefits of the direct revenue cost of approximately £8½ billion going to the different groups would break down as follows:

	Percentage of total
Under 65:
single people	27
married couples without wife's earned income	29
married couples with wife's earned income	35
Over 65:
single people	3
married couples without wife's earned income	4
married couples with wife's earned income	2
	100

Black Economy

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the size of the black economy; and what action has been taken since 1979 to diminish its impact.

I do not believe it is possible to make any accurate estimate of the size of the black economy and I am not impressed by any estimates that I have seen. Both Revenue Departments have kept their procedures for the prevention and detection of tax evasion under constant review as well as redeploying staff so as to increase the number employed in the specialised investigation units.

Linotype-Paul

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Linotype-Paul has been granted permission for the transfer of assets out of the United Kingdom under section 482(1)(b) of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1970.

Consent has been granted to Linotype-Paul. The purpose of section 482 is to prevent tax avoidance. If there is no significant loss of tax there are no grounds upon which consent can be withheld. The Government therefore decided that consent could not be refused.

Competitiveness

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will bring up to date the information given in the Official Report, c. 10, 15 November 1982, concerning changes in competitiveness; and if he will include figures based on relative export prices.

The information requested concerning changes in cost competitiveness is provided in the following table. No such estimates are prepared for relative export prices.

	Relative unit labour costs unadjusted for exchange rate movements	Exchange rate	per cent changes relative unit labour costs adjusted for exchange rate movements
United Kingdom/West Germany
1976 Q4—1982 Q3	+48	+8	+59
1979 Q2—1982 Q3	+21	+9	+31
United Kingdom/Japan
1976 Q4—1982 Q3	+83	-8	+68
1979 Q2—1982 Q3	+ 38	-1	+37
United Kingdom/France
1976 Q4—1982 Q3	+ 10	+46	+61
1979 Q2—1982 Q3	+2	+32	+34
United Kingdom/United States of America
1976 Q4—1982 Q3	+21	+5	+26
1979 Q2—1982 Q3	+ 11	-17	-8

Notes:

1. A rise in relative unit labour costs implies a loss of cost competitiveness.

2. When expressed as ratios the changes in columns 1 and 2 multiply together to give column 3.

Value Added Tax

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when changes were last made in (a) the list of goods and services exempt from value added tax, and (b) the list of goods and services zero rated from value added tax; and how many such changes have been made since 1973.

The information is as follows:

(a) The most recent change (the Value Added Tax (Finance) Order 1982 (SI 476/82)) took effect on 1 April 1982. A total of 16 amendments to the VAT exemption schedule have been made since 1973 (including one which took effect from 1 April 1973).

(b) The most recent change (the Value Added Tax (Double-Glazing) Order 1982 (SI 1007/82)) took effect on 1 September 1982. A total of 41 amendments to the VAT zero rating schedule have been made since 1973 (including 6 which took effect from 1 April 1973).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the current value added tax threshold compares in real terms with all previous thresholds since the introduction of value added tax.

The latest available value at April 1973 prices of the current VAT registration limit of £17,000 is for January 1983 when it was £4,804. The values of the current and previous limits at the date of their introduction were:

Date of introduction	Registration limit£	Value at April 1973 prices £
1 April 1973	5,000	5,000
1 October 1977	7,500	3,704
12 April 1978	10,000	4,733
27 March 1980	13,500	4,931
11 March 1981	15,000	4,864
10 March 1982	17,000	4,996

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much annual revenue he estimates is received from value added tax on privately owned language schools.

I regret that the information from which to make an estimate is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much annual revenue he estimates is received from value added tax on ice cream.

About £40 million a year.

Manufacturers' Input Prices

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will bring up to date the information given in his reply dated 27 July 1982, Official Report, c. 458, concerning manufacturers' input prices; and if he will add the latest month on a 12-month basis and include figures showing the change in the effective exchange rate in each period.

The information requested is as follows:

Year on year increases in the price of manufacturers' inputs of materials and fuels purchased and in the effective exchange rate.
Per Cent.
	Input Prices			Effective Exchange Rate
	Materials^*	Fuels†	Total
1977 on 1976	+14	+18	+15	-5
1978 on 1977	-2	+9	-1	0
1979 on 1978	+16	+12	+16	+7
1980 on 1979	+19	+27	+20	+10
1981 on 1980	+13	+18	+14	-1
1982 on 1981	+6	+10	+7	-5

	Input Prices			Effective Exchange Rate
	Materials^*	Fuels†	Total
February 1983 on February 1982‡	+8	+8	+8	-12
^* Includes coal for carbonising and crude oil (the raw material for the mineral oil refining sector).
† Coal (except for carbonising), gas and electricity.
‡ The February input index (particularly materials) is subject to larger than usual revisions because of the uncertainty over oil prices.

Productivity

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the trend rate of productivity growth used in the assessment referred to in the reply dated 19 December 1980, Official Report, c. 364, to the hon. Member for Grimsby; and how this compares with the current assumption.

The trend rate of productivity growth used by the IMF to calculate normalised unit labour costs was about 1¾ per cent. per annum. This assumption has not subsequently been revised. Since output per man hour has actually increased by over ten per cent. since the end of 1980, relative actual unit labour costs currently provides a more accurate measure of competitiveness.

Beer

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the annual increase in the tax on beer in each of the past five years; and how this compares with the annual increase in the rate of importation over the same period.

The rates of increase were as follows

	Duty rates^*	Imports, quantity duty paid
		per cent.
1977–78	Nil	-15·3
1978–79	Nil	-1·4
1979–80	22·5	7·3
1980–81	37·9	-8·5
1981–82	13·3	-4·6
^* Excise duty rates at 31 March. The standard rate of VAT, which is chargeable on beer, was increased from 8 to 15 per cent. (ie by 87½ per cent.) on 18 June 1979.

Mr Alan Waters

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 28 February, concerning compensation paid by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise to Mr. Alan Waters, Official Report, c. 21, in view of the fact that Mr. Waters has not yet received adequate reimbursement for the cost of repairing the damage caused to his property, if he will make further inquiries into the matter; and if he will make a statement.

The property damaged during this incident belongs to North Hertfordshire district council, which completed the necessary repairs on 8 October 1982 at the request of the Commissioners of Customs and Excise. Payment for the full cost of the repair was made by the commissioners to the council on 26 October 1982. The commissioners are currently negotiating with Mr. and Mrs. Waters, solicitor a claim for damages for trespass.

Manufacturing Industry

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of gross domestic product was represented by manufacturing industry in the last year for which figures are available.

In 1981 manufacturing industry contributed 23·5 per cent. to total gross domestic product at factor cost.

Royal Society For Mentally Handicapped Children And Adults

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has recently received from the Royal Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and Adults; what reply he has sent; if he is taking any action as a result; and if he will make a statement.

I have received representations from the secretary general of the Royal Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and Adults, and replies on 18 February.The representations call for a scheme to relieve charities of value added tax; the extension of invalid care allowance to married and cohabiting women; an increase in maternity grant from £25 to £120; additional expenditure amounting to 1 per cent. of alcohol and tobacco duties on services for the mentally handicapped; and tax deductible status for charitable gifts by companies.There are, of course, formidable obstacles, including its cost, in the way of implementation of this package or anything like it. But I shall continue to bear the needs of the mentally handicapped in mind.

Seafarers (Taxation)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider policies pursued in Sweden and in other countries to reduce the direct cost of employing indigenous seafarers by the introduction of a special seafarers' tax liability; and if he will introduce similar policies in the United Kingdom.

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

Free Ports

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider the advantages of Glasgow airport and the container terminal at Greenock when he studies the recommendations of the working party on free ports.

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

Retail Prices Index

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect the change in the method of deducting tax relief on house purchase mortgages will have on the retail prices index for April and beyond.

I have been asked to reply.The change in April affects the method by which tax relief is administered but not the level of relief itself, so that the rate of mortgage interest net of tax relief, which is the item included in the retail prices index, is not affected.

Northern Ireland

M1/M2 Link Road

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what has been the actual cost of the Belfast M1/M2 link road; and what this represents in 1982 prices;(2) how many houses had to be cleared in order to facilitate the building of the M1/M2 link road; and of these how many were considered to be in sound condition;(3) what was the estimated cost of the M1/M2 link road when it was being planned;(4) what length is the M1/M2 link road;(5) how much was spent on acquiring land and property in connection with the building of the Belfast M1/12 link road; and what would have been the cost of this land and property acquisition at 1982 prices.

The estimated final cost of the M1/M2 link road is £22·5 million. By revaluing all construction costs incurred in previous years the estimated total cost at 1982 prices would have been £24·9 million.Most of the land was acquired for £6·5 million by the former Belfast city corporation in 1970, though the land between Peter's hill and Clifton street had been acquired earlier as part of a redevelopment scheme. After 13 years it would be impossible, without incurring disproportionate costs, to identify the number and condition of the houses on the proposed route.The land so acquired was intended to build the proposed Belfast urban motorway, the plans for which envisaged an elevated three-lane dual carriageway with grade separated junctions. In 1969 the estimated costs of this scheme were £23·4 million-rather more than £120 million at 1982 prices. These plans were radically amended both before and at the public inquiry in 1977. The link as constructed is a two-lane dual carriageway mostly at ground level, but with a below street level section and runs for 4·5 km from the end of the M1 at Donegall road to the start of the M2 at Duncrue street.

Hon Member For Antrim, South (Speech)

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Basildon on 13 December 1982, Official Report, c. 50, whether he has yet had any response to his reference to the police of the contents of the speech delivered by the hon. Member for Antrim, South (Mr. Molyneaux) on 13 July; and if he will make a statement.

I am informed that the matter is still under consideration.

Psychogeriatrics

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research work his Department is sponsoring in Northern Ireland through the National Health Service or universities into the care and treatment of psychogeriatrics; and how much money has been allocated for this purpose.

The Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland is not currently sponsoring any research into the care and treatment of psychogeriatric patients. However, a consultant psychiatrist, employed jointly by the Eastern Health and Social Services Board and Queen's university, Belfast, is engaged in three research projects concerning psychogeriatric patients. It is not possible to quantify the cost of this research.

Trade

South Africa

asked the Minister for Trade what has been the percentage change in the level of trade in respect of imports and exports between the United Kingdom and the Republic of South Africa from 1962 to 1972 and from 1972 to 1982; and if he will break the figures down to show percentage changes for categories of items.

On comparable bases, the value of imports from the Republic of South Africa increased by 94 per cent. between 1962 and 1972, and by 149 per cent. between 1972 and 1982; the corresponding figures for increases in the value of exports are 96 per cent and 287 per cent. respectively. Because of substantial changes in classification and coverage, commodity details of the percentage growth in trade over these periods are not available on a consistent basis.

asked the Minister for Trade if he will prohibit the export to the South African military forces and their agencies by any British company of all equipment of a strategic or military character.

The United Kingdom complies fully with the mandatory United Nations Security Council's Resolution 418 of 4 November 1977, which prohibits the sale of all arms and related material to South Africa. The necessary legal effect in the United Kingdom is given by The Export of Goods (Control) Order 1981 and The South Africa (United Nations Arms Embargo) (Prohibited Transactions) Order 1978 (as amended).

Shipping Industry

asked the Minister for Trade what percentage of cargoes are carried in British and in Soviet vessels in trade between the United Kingdom and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics at the present time and in May 1979.

Statistics of flag shares in United Kingdom overseas trade are not available on a monthly basis. The latest available information is as follows:

Flag shares by weight in trade between United Kingdom and the USSR
	United Kingdom Exports		United Kingdom Imports
Flag of vessel	United Kingdom	USSR	United Kingdom	USSR
	per cent.	per cent	per cent.	per cent.
1979	10	86	3	79
1980	10	86	5	82
1981	not available		2	73

asked the Minister for Trade how many and what tonnage of ships, respectively, under the British flag there are at the present time; and what were the figures in May 1979.

The available statistics cover vessels registered in the United Kingdom and are given in the following table:

United Kingdom registered merchant vessels (vessels of 500 gross registered tons and over)
	1 May 1979	31 December 1982
Number of Vessels	1,382	985
Thousands Gross Tons	26,745	19,233
Thousand deadweight tons	43,810	30,404

Note:

The figures include passenger vessels, container ships, cargo liners, tramps, bulk carriers and tankers. They exclude Government-owned vessels, offshore supply vessels, non cargo or passenger carrying sea going vessels, sailing vessels, dredgers, river and other sea going vessels.

asked the Minister for Trade if it remains his policy that market forces should determine the shape and size of the British merchant fleet.

Yes.

asked the Minister for Trade how many owners have (a) flagged out tonnage from and (b) flagged tonnage into the United Kingdom Registry in each of the periods May 1979 to May 1980, May 1980 to May 1981, May 1981 to May 1982, and May 1982 to the present date.

I regret that the information requested is not available.

asked the Minister for Trade if he will establish a think tank to develop the use of new technology for the British shipping industry.

The proposal made by the Merchant Navy and Airline Officers' Association to establish such a think tank is being considered with the others made to me during my consultations with the shipping industry.

asked the Minister for Trade if he will set out in the Official Report his response to the programme to revive the British shipping industry which was presented to him by the Merchant Navy and Airline Officers' Association in January.

I am considering carefully the many proposals made by the maritime unions, including the Merchant Navy and Airline Officers' Association, and by the General Council of British Shipping. I shall report to the House in due course on the outcome of these consultations.

asked the Minister for Trade how many and what tonnage of British shipping, respectively, were laid up in the following areas: tanker and dry cargo in each of the periods May 1979 to May 1980, May 1980 to May 1981, May 1981 to May 1982 and May 1982 to the present time.

The available statistics, published by the General Council of British Shipping, cover United Kingdom registered merchant vessels laid up for lack of employment. The net changes during the periods requested are as follows:

(+ =addition; - =reduction)
	Dry Cargo		Tanker
	No.	000 DWT	No.	000 DWT
1 May 1979 to 30 April 1980	- 7	- 65	- 8	-1,379
1 May 1980 to 30 April 1981	- 3	+ 8	+ 7	+ 374
1 May 1981 to 30 April 1982	+ 2	+ 204	+ 2	+ 124
1 May 1982 to 31 January 1983	+49	+1,597	+12	+2,020

Ship British Campaign

asked the Minister for Trade what is his policy towards the proposals submitted to him by the Merchant Navy and Airline Officers' Association to launch a ship British campaign.

I do not think it would be appropriate for the Government to initiate such a campaign. The Government have made it clear that they want to see more British goods and services bought if they are fully competitive. I am sure the industry is fully conscious of the need to offer its customers throughout the world value for money, and fully able to make its services known to potential British users.

Merchant Navy Welfare Board

asked the Minister for Trade if he is satisfied that his refusal to contribute to the work of the Merchant Navy Welfare Board and his decision to withdraw his Department's representatives from it is consistent with the United Kingdom's obligations under recommendation 138 of the International Labour Organisation that adequate provision must be made for welfare facilities for seafarers.

ILO recommendations are, by their nature, intended to provide guidance and, unlike ILO conventions, do not impose formal legal obligations. I consider that adequate welfare facilities for seafarers in United Kingdom ports are being provided by the Merchant Navy Welfare Board and the voluntary societies, whose activities are coordinated by the Board acting both centrally and through local port welfare committees.

Airways

asked the Minister for Trade if he will list his powers in relation to the designation of airways in United Kingdom air space.

Under section 60 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982, Her Majesty may by an air navigation order include provision generally for regulating air navigation.Article 93(1) of the Air Navigation Order provides for the notification by means of publication in the "United Kingdom Aeronautical Information Publication NOTAMS" of controlled airspace (which includes airways); and Articles 13 and 19, together with schedules 6 and 9 of the order, specify the scale of equipment and qualifications required by aircraft and their crew who wish to operate in such airspace.

asked the Minister for Trade what decision he has reached on the proposed airway between Edinburgh-Glasgow and Aberdeen; and if he will make a statement.

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

Cork Committee Report

asked the Minister for Trade if he will make a statement on the consultations which have taken place so far concerning the proposals set out in the report of the Cork committee on insolvency law and practice.

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

British Airlines (United States)

asked the Minister for Trade what representations he has made to the United States authorities regarding the proposal to hold a grand jury inquiry into the commercial practices of British airlines.

[pursuant to the reply, 11 March 1983, c. 513]: The two Governments are in consultation following notification by the US Government of a contemplated Grand Jury investigation into North Atlantic airline operations.

asked the Minister for Trade if he will make a statement on the effect of the United States' law on the operation of British airlines in the United States of America.

[pursuant to the reply, 11 March 1983, c. 513]: The Government consider that United States' law should, in respect of the operation of British airlines in the United States of America, be consistent with the bilateral Air Services Agreement (Bermuda 2), a treaty which regulates and governs airline operations between our two countries.

British Trading Interests (United States)

asked the Minister for Trade if he has made representations to the United States' authorities with regard to the effect of their legislation on the legitimate trading interests of British companies; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to the reply, 11 March 1983, c. 513]: The Government have in recent years made representations to the United States authorities on a number of occasions about the effects of US legislation on the legitimate trading interests of British companies. A major example last year concerned the US embargo on the supply of equipment for the Siberian pipeline. More recently, we have made representations to the United States about the Export Administration Act, under which the pipeline measures were introduced, and which is up for renewal this year. We are urging the US authorities to amend this legislation so that it no longer provides for extraterritorial application of the kind to which we object.We have also made representations about the effects of US anti-trust laws on United Kingdom companies in several industries. My hon. and learned Friend will be visiting the United States shortly and proposes to discuss problems of this kind with senior members of the Administration and Congress.

Video Tape Recorders

asked the Minister for Trade pursuant to his replies of 4 March, Official Report, c. 253, by what amount he considers the price of video tape recorders will increase in consequence of the decision of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Community to ratify the Commission's agreement with the Japanese authorities on the setting of an export floor price.

[pursuant to the reply, 11 March 1983, c. 513]: No reliable estimate can yet be made of the effect on selling prices of video tape recorders in the Community as a consequence of raising export floor prices in Japan. This will depend on a number of factors, including the extent of import substitution through manufacture of video tape recorders in the Community, which this measure is designed to encourage.

Defence

Meteorological Service

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are being made to ensure that when the global weather forecasting system at Bracknell becomes operational, aircraft using United Kingdom airspace are not charged for the service provided to users in other areas.

The global weather forecasting system at Bracknell was brought into use in April last year. The new world area forecast system of the International Civil Aviation Organisation which depends on this capability is not yet operational. Cost recovery arrangements are under consideration by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is satisfied that the internal financial management information systems operated by the Meteorological Office make it possible to ensure that customers are charged only for those services that they actually receive and do not pay for costs properly attributable to other users of meteorological data.

Yes.

Equipment (Improvements)

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what improvements he is considering in the following items of equipment: sleeping bags, sleeping mats, thermal underwear, combat gloves, parkas, waterproof clothing and boots, respectively.

A substantial number of improvements to a wide variety of clothing, including the items listed, is under consideration.

Procurement

asked the Secretary of State for Defence by how much the 1981–82 procurement budget is underspent.

The defence procurement Vote was not underspent in 1981–82.

Falkland Islands (Hangars)

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft hangars have been erected in the Falkland Islands since June 1982.

Thirty-one.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft hangars are being constructed on the Falkland Islands by Spandrel Orbit Structures Limited of Glenrothes.

None, eight Spandrel Orbit buildings have been erected on the Falklands by Royal Engineers.

Port Stanley Airport

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what he estimates is the cost of the work camp to be built for contractors' employees at the new Port Stanley airfield.

Costs will be included in the contractors' tenders.

Type 23 Frigate

asked the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the estimated cost per type 23 lightweight frigate has risen from £65 million to £85 million.

I have nothing at present to add to what my right hon. Friend said in the House on 1 July 1982, when he gave our estimate of the cost of the type 23 frigate as around £90 million at September 1981 prices.

British And Research Company

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the British and Research Company of Grantham was informed by his Department that it should not sell 35 mm ammunition to Argentina.

The British Manufacture and Research Company was informed of the arms embargo on Argentina on 5 April 1982.

Sealink Ferry St Edmund

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is satisfied that no information as to the cost of buying the ferry St. Edmund for work in the Falkland Islands was made available to the press by his Department.

I am not aware that any commercially confidential information has been released by the Ministry of Defence to the press.

Ship Cabling

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 28 February, Official Report, c. 60, if he has any conveniently available figures for the cost of replacing PVC cabling in Her Majesty's ships.

No detailed figures are readily available.

Marine Joseph Paterson

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a study of the effects of active service on the psychology and mental health of marines and paratroopers, in the light of the case of Marine Joseph Paterson, convicted in the High Court of Edinburgh on 1 March of offences of violence in Dundee.

No.

Diego Garcia

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the function of the six Women's Royal Naval Service personnel on Diego Garcia.

Four WRNS personnel are serving with the naval party on Diego Garcia. They are employed on police, customs and administrative duties.

Argentine Dead (Burial)

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of the contract with Baker Britt Limited for the burial of the Argentine dead.

It is not our practice to disclose contract prices for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

Rfa Sir Galahad

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place the order for the replacement for the RFA Sir Galahad with British Shipbuilders.

Initial design work on a replacement for the RFA Sir Galahad is nearing completion. Invitations to tender for the build of the ship will be issued once the specification is finalised and approved. A decision on the allocation of the order will be taken when tenders have been received and evaluated.

Squadron Leader Iverson

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether it was with his authority that Squadron Leader Bob Iverson, Royal Air Force, shot down during the Falklands war, appeared on the Independent Television programme "World in Action" on 7 March.

Yes.

Jobs (Glasgow)

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the new Ministry of Defence jobs in Glasgow referred to by the Prime Minister in her reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Queen's Park, Official Report, 17 February, c. 466, have been given to school leavers to date.

Nineteen of the 78 jobs locally recruited for the Army pensions office were filled by school leavers.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the 1,400 defence jobs for Glasgow referred to by the Prime Minister in her answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Queen's Park, Official Report, 17 February, c. 466, had been created in the first week of March.

The move of the Army pensions office to Glasgow on 5–6 March 1983 created 103 jobs.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many key workers have so far been brought to Glasgow for the new defence jobs referred to by the Prime Minister in her reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Queen's Park, Official Report, 17 February, c. 466.

The recent move of the Army pensions office to Glasgow involved 25 staff transferring with their work.

Lakenheath And Upper Heyford

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Air Force personnel and Ministry of Defence policemen are based at Royal Air Force Lakenheath and Royal Air Force Upper Heyford.

There is an RAF commanding officer at each base.

Volume 39: debated on Monday 14 March 1983

Written Answers To Questions

Education And Science

Textile Industry

Higher Education

17-Year-Olds

Maintained Schools

Overseas Students

Rrs Bransfield

Seafarers (Training)

Engineering And Marine Engineering Students

Human Embryos (Experiments)

Ulster Museum (Transfers)

Higher Education (Parental Contributions)

Local Education Authorities (Grants)

Attorney-General

Legal Aid

Prosecution Policy

Court Of Protection (Fees)

House Of Commons

Privy Council

Home Department

Prisoners (Correspondence)

Civil Defence

Welsh Language Forms

Taxis

Crimes (Detection Rate)

Her Majesty's Stationery Office

European Parliament (Electoral Boundaries)

Metropolitan Police (Firearms)

Blood (Sales)

Immigration Service Computer

Employment

Unemployment Statistics

Youth Training Scheme

European Social And Regional Development Funds

Welsh Language Forms

Job Losses

Paternity Leave

Maternity Leave And Pay

Employment Act 1980

Self-Employed

Industry

High Technology Companies

Assisted Areas

Telephone Waiting Lists

Manufacturing Output

Shipbuilding

Small Firms

Engineering (Northern Region)

Unemployment (Manchester)

Manufacturing Investment

Industrial Design

Industrial Research And Development

Rural Telephone Services

Bl (Corporate Plan)

Chatham Dockyard

British Shipbuilders

Prime Minister

Marx Centenary Celebrations (Government Contributions)

Service Contracts

Defence Capability (Special Steels)

Williamsburg Summit Meeting

Independent Television (Government Advertisements)

Falkland Islands (Wool)

Civil Service

Falkland Islands (Food Purchases)

Argentine Cargo Aircraft

Blohm And Voss Submarines (Commercial Contracts)

Armaments Industry

Overseas Development

Aid Programmes (Review)

Overseas Students

Falkland Islands (Teachers)

Falkland Islands (Civil Reconstruction)

South Atlantic (Fishing)

India (Laparoscopes)

Agriculture, Fisheries And Food

Woodland (Public Access)