Written Answers

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Written Answers To Questions

Thursday 17 March 1983

Manufactured Goods

asked the Minister for Trade whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each quarter since 1979 the value of imports and exports of manufactures together with the surplus deficit on (i) an overseas trade statistics basis, (ii) a

United Kingdom Trade in Manufactures (SITC (R2) 5 to 8)
£ million, seasonally adjusted
	Overseas Trade Statistics Basis			Balance of Payments Basis
	Exports FOB	Imports CIF	Crude Balance	Exports FOB	Imports FOB	Visible Valance
1979
Q1	6,426	6,659	- 233	6,403	6,288	+ 115
2	8,283	7,677	+ 606	8,345	7,292	+1,053
3	7,863	7,393	+ 470	7,871	7,068	+ 803
4	8,298	7,960	+ 338	8,345	7,617	+ 728
1980
Q1	8,878	8,531	+ 347	8,901	8,059	+ 842
2	8,823	8,357	+ 466	8,847	7,906	+ 941
3	8,569	7,264	+1,305	8,565	6,792	+1,773
4	8,541	7,025	+1,516	8,570	6,565	+2,005
1981
Q1	8,184	6,812	+1,372	8,240	6,407	+1,833
2	8,302	7,466	+ 836	8,403	7,031	+1,372
3	8,765	8,889	- 124	8,918	8,465	+ 453
4	9,388	8,826	+ 562	9,357	8,269	+1,088
1982
Q1	9,307	8,886	+ 421	9,286	8,331	+ 955
2	9,480	9,681	- 201	9,477	8,992	+ 485
3	8,975	9,114	- 139	9,007	8,569	+ 438
4	9,554	9,402	+ 152	9,562	8,884	+ 678

The adjustment requested by the hon. Member can be made in several ways which would lead to different results.

Catalytic Gas Heaters

asked the Minister for Trade if he will use his powers under the Consumer Safety Act 1978 to prevent the importation and supply of catalytic gas heaters containing asbestos panels and replacement asbestos panels for such heaters.

My hon. Friend the Minister for Consumer Affairs issued a press notice recently about catalytic gas heaters with asbestos panels that could disintegrate with age and release asbestos fibres; though the risks to health were small he judged it necessary to warn the public. We understand the heaters most likely to be unsatisfactory have not now been imported for some time and retailers' stocks are exhausted. In a subsequent version and in replacement panels still on sale, the asbestos is held in place by a sandwich of other material and at present there is no evidence to justify a ban.

balance of payments and (iii) a balance of payments basis adjusted to take account of changes in the terms of trade each quarter as a percentage of 1975.

The information requested in (i) and (ii) is as follows:

Attorney-General

Legal Aid

asked the Attorney-General if Her Majesty's Government will seek to amend the legal aid regulations so that property acquired by a plaintiff is not taken into account in determining financial eligibility for legal aid in cases where the claim for damages relates to the death of the plaintiff's spouse.

There are no present plans to adopt the particular suggestion in the right hon. Gentleman's question. Greater priority is at present attached to raising the general capital limits which would assist among others the most directly in need of the class which the right hon. Gentleman seeks to assist.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

United Nations World Disarmament Campaign

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution the Government have made to the funds of the United Nations world disarmament campaign.

None. We are doing a great deal to circulate information in line with the objectives of the world disarmament campaign. We see no need for a further financial grant on top of our existing contribution to the United Nations budget.

Helen Smith (Inquiry)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the evidence provided by his Department to the west Yorkshire police inquiry into the death of Helen Smith.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office co-operated fully in the inquiries made by the west Yorkshire police on behalf of the coroner into the death of Helen Smith. Statements were taken, files made available, Foreign and Commonwealth Office witnesses gave evidence and documents were released at the inquest. Such evidence as the coroner decided was relevant has thus already been made public.

Education And Science

Higher Education

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the Robbins principle in higher education.

The Robbins principle is a desirable objective, but its continued attainment depends on the capacity of the economy to afford the cost. The proportion of qualified young people entering higher education in the past three years has been higher than for the previous decade. The numbers of students that can be accepted in future years consistent with the Government's expenditure plans are under discussion with the bodies concerned.

Museums, Galleries And Libraries

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, pursuant to the reply from the Under-Secretary of State for Wales to the hon. Member for Warley, East on 10 March, Official Report, c. 469, he will list (a) the museums, galleries and libraries in England the authorities of which are empowered to transfer objects vested in them to the authorities of the national museum of Wales and the national library of Wales 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 national museum of Wales and the national library of Wales:

British museum (Natural 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 national museum of Wales and the national library of Wales. 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 national museum of Wales and the national library of Wales.The remaining such institutions in Class X, listed as follows, have no specific statutory power to transfer objects to the national museum of Wales and the national library of Wales:

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.

Student Grants

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what the level of student grants would be now if they had kept up fully with the increase in the retail prices index since May 1979.

The level of the maintenance grant for (i) students living away from home in London and (ii) students living away from home other than in London based on the rates applicable in May 1979 and increased to take account of the change in the retail prices index are as follows:

	London £	Elsewhere £
May 1979	1,315	1,100
January 1983	1,984	1,660

Items In Lieu Of Tax

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether any items have been accepted recently by the Government in satisfiction of capital transfer tax.

Yes. A collection of Chinese ceramics and works of art, a painting by Eric Kennington and a collection of papers and portraits related to William Wordsworth, have been accepted in part satisfaction of capital transfer tax.The net cost, borne equally on the Votes of my Department and the Department of the Environment, was £50,112.50, £12,119 and £9,900, respectively.

Energy

Departmental Staff

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many employees there are in his Department; and how many work in the conservation division.

My Department's manpower ceiling for 1 April 1983 is 1,135 staff. There are at present 36 staff in the energy conservation division, and a further 12 posts in the information division are devoted full-time to energy conservation. In addition, my Department pays for 32 staff working on energy conservation at the energy technology support unit at Harwell, and five at the conservation support unit at the building research establishment, as well as 16 regional energy conservation officers located in regional offices of the Department of Industry and in the Welsh Office.

Wales

Housing (Structural Defects)

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will make a statement on structural defects in post-war prefabricated and industrialised system-built houses in the Principality.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement made by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Construction on 8 February 1983.—[Vol. 36, c. 893.] The investigation of prefabricated reinforced concrete houses now being undertaken by the Building Research Establishment includes tests on selected sites in Wales, and the Department is conducting a survey of Welsh local authorities to confirm the numbers, type and tenure of such houses in Wales.

Home Department

West Yorkshire (Crime Statistics)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the numbers of burglaries and cases of criminal damage notified to west Yorkshire metropolitan police force for each year since 1978, together with the detection rate for each category over the same period of time.

Information on the number of recorded offences of burglary and criminal damage in west Yorkshire is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—table 2·5 of the volume for 1981, Cmnd. 8668. Information for 1982 was published on 14 March 1983 in table 6 of Home Office "Statistical Bulletin No. 3/83". The corresponding clear-up rates for 1978–82 are given in the following table.

Clear-up rates for recorded offences of burglary and criminal damage
West Yorkshire	Percentages
Year	Burglary	Criminal damage*
1978	48	32
1979†	31	24
1980‡	40	28
1981‡	40	27
1982‡	42	27
* Excluding "other criminal damage" value £20 and under.
† Clear-up rates were lower in 1979 due to a change in the local recording procedure from 1 January 1979.
‡ Figures for 1980, 1981 and 1982 are not directly comparable with those for previous years because of changes made by new counting rules which were introduced at the beginning of 1980 to improve the consistency of recording.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report a table listing the number of cases reported to the west Yorkshire metropolitan police force for each category of crimes of violence against the person in each year since 1978, together with the detection rate for each category over the same period of time.

Detailed information on notifiable offences of violence against the person recorded by the police in west Yorkshire is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—table S.3.1. in supplementary tables 1981, Volume 3. Corresponding information for 1982—to be published in the volume for 1982—is given in table 1. The clear-up rates for the main types of offences of violence against the person are given in table 2.

Table 1. Notifiable offences of violence against the person recorded by the police
West Yorkshire, 1982
Offence	Number of offences
Homicide	30
Attempted murder	4
Threat or conspiracy to murder	42
Causing death by reckless driving	19
Wounding or other act endangering life	287
More serious offences	382
Other wounding, etc.	5,198
Assault	2
Procuring illegal abortion	1
Concealment of birth	2
Less serious offences	5,203
Total violence against the person	5,585

Table 2. Clear-up rates for notifiable offences of violence against the person recorded by the police
West Yorkshire			Percentages
Offence*	1978	1979†	1980	1981	1982
Homicide	93	81	88	123‡	97
Other more serious offences	86	75	88	86	74
Less serious offences	82	67	78	75	76
Total violence against the person	82	67	79	76	76
* The main types of offence only because recorded numbers of individual offences are small.
† Clear-up rates were lower in 1979 due to a change in the local recording procedure from 1 January 1979.
‡ Exceeds 100 per cent. as offences cleared up in the year may have been recorded in an earlier year.

Prisoners (Solitary Confinement)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of (a) men and (b)women held in solitary confinement in prisons in England and Wales on 1 March.

We do not accept that any prisoner in England and Wales is kept in solitary confinement.Under prison rule 43 governors may remove prisoners from association with other prisoners in the interests of maintaining the good order and discipline of the establishment. On 31 December 1982, the latest date for which figures are available, 94 men in prisons in England and Wales were segregated under rule 43 in the interests of good order and discipline. On 1 March 1983 two women were so segregated in female establishments in England and Wales. These figures do not include prisoners removed from association at their own request.In addition, prisoners who are to be charged with an offence against prison rules may be kept apart from other prisoners pending the disciplinary hearing, under prison rule 48(2); and prisoners who have been awarded cellular confinement as a punishment at a disciplinary hearing will be kept apart from other prisoners. No figures are kept of the numbers of prisoners on rule 48(2) or in cellular confinement at any particular time, but the number of adjudication awards of cellular confinement made in 1981 in male prisons and remand centres was 4,122, and in female prisons and remand centres it was 262.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the longest period of time a person at present in solitary confinement in a prison in England and Wales has been kept under these conditions.

We do not accept that any prisoner in England and Wales is kept in solitary confinement.On 10 March 1983 one prisoner had been removed from association under prison rule 43 in the interests of good order and discipline for 1,685 days.It is not known what is the longest time that a prisoner kept apart from other prisoners either under prison rule 48(2) or in cellular confinement as a punishment has been so held, but it is likely to be very considerably shorter than those under prison rule 43.

Prisoners (Correspondence)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to the answer given to the hon. Member for Battersea, South on 27 January 1983, Official Report, c. 489, if he will illustrate the way in which the examination and reading of prisoners' correspondence has (a) contributed to the security and good order of establishments and (b) satisfied other ordinary and reasonable requirements of prison administration.

Correspondence is read to the extent necessary to ensure that its contents do not contravene the restrictions set out in prison department standing order 5—a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Since these restrictions are drawn up to ensure the security and good order of establishments and the other ordinary and reasonable requirements of prison administration, this process contributes to the objectives described in the reply I gave to a question by the hon. Member on 27 January 1983.—[Vol. 35, c. 489.] In addition, the physical examination of correspondence involves checking that the envelope does not contain any illicit enclosures and thus is not being used to smuggle prohibited articles, which could compromise the security and good order of establishments.

Police (Complaints)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the policy adopted by the Metropolitan police in selecting officers to investigate complaints by members of the public against police officers; and whether an officer is debarred from investigating a complaint against another officer with whom he has worked within the previous six months.

Investigations into complaints made by members of the public against officers of the Metropolitan police are conducted by an officer of at least chief inspector rank. About three quarters of the complaints received are dealt with in the district concerned by a chief inspector appointed to the district complaints unit. More senior officers are appointed to investigate complaints involving officers above the rank of inspector. The most serious complaints are investigated by officers from the central complaints investigation bureau or, where the circumstances of a case appear to the commissioner to warrant it, by an officer from an outside force.In all complaints care is taken to ensure the impartiality of the investigating officer. A chief inspector appointed to a district complaints unit usually serves there for about 12 months and during the first six months in the unit he does not investigate complaints made against officers from the station to which he was formerly attached.

Prisons (Manufactured Goods)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a list of products currently manufactured or assembled by detainees in Her Majesty's prisons, indicating the name and address of the customer for each product.

The information requested is not readily available and my noble Friend will be writing to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the date of the current contract between Prindus on behalf of his Department and Duflex Ltd. for the production of aluminium ladders in prisons, giving the duration of the contract; and whether he intends to renew it.

The date of the present contract between Prindus and Duraflex Ltd. for the manufacture of aluminium ladders in prisons was 1 October 1981 for an initial period of three years. The possible renewal of the contract and the terms on which such a renewal would be acceptable will be considered in April 1984.

Jurors

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied that present legislation is adequate to prevent the bribing of juries.

Yes. The offences of perverting the course of justice and comtempt of court are generally adequate for this purpose.

Remanded Persons (Strangeways Prison)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inmates in Strangeways prison, Manchester, are on remand awaiting trial.

On 28 February 1983, the latest date for which information is readily available, there were 359 prisoners on remand awaiting trial at Her Majesty's prison, Manchester,.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the normal waiting period at Strangeways prison, Manchester for inmates on remand awaiting trial.

I regret that this information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr K K Abrol

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Lichfield and Tamworth of Thursday 20 January, whether he has now received further material from solicitors instructed by Mr. K. K. Abrol in respect of his reference of his case to the Court of Appeal under section 17 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968.

Yes. The matter is being examined.

Missing Persons

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (I) whether he is satisfied that the most modern computerised methods are in use throughout the United Kingdom for the tracing of missing persons;(2) whether he will institute an inquiry into current methods for the tracing of missing persons and to consider ways in which they may be improved.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 February 1983, c. 308]: According to the circumstance of the case, a number of voluntary bodies and Government Departments may be able to assist in the tracing of missing persons.The methods and equipment which police forces use to trace missing persons are for each chief officer of police to determine. This matter was fully considered by a working party of the Association of Chief Police Officers between 1973 and 1975. We understand from the Commissioner that the Metropolitan police missing persons bureau, to which forces may, but are not required to, notify persons reported as missing, currently operates a manually-based index but that a study is to be carried out to assess the feasibility of converting to a computer-based system. We have no plans to institute any more general inquiry into the methods used, which are the responsibility of the Departments and organisations concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many men, women, boys and girls, respectively, were reported missing in England, Wales and Scotland in each of the last 10 years for which records are available; and what were their age categories;(2) how many missing persons in each age category were traced in each of the last 10 years for which records are available; and after what average period;(3) what information he has as to how many men, women, boys and girls, respectively, were reported missing in the county and city of Leicester in each of the last 10 years for which records are available; and what were their age categories;(4) what information he has as to how many men, women, boys and girls, respectively, were reported missing in London and inner London in each of the last 10 years for which records are available; and what were their age categories.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 February 1983, c. 308]: Comprehensive statistics on missing persons are not collected centrally; thus information for Leicestershire or for Great Britain as a whole is available only at disproportionate cost.We understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the available information from the missing persons bureau in the Metropolitan police district is as given in the following tables. These figures are not a comprehensive record of persons from outside the Metropolitan police district missing and traced because other forces are not required to report to the missing persons bureau cases of missing juveniles or vulnerable adults and do not report to the bureau cases relating to non-vulnerable adults. No information is readily available on the length of search, apart from that implied by the final column of table 1.

Table 1
Persons recorded as missing from the Metropolitan police district—including those outstanding from previous years*¶
Metropolitan Police District							Number of persons*
Year	Fully recorded in the Missing Persons Bureau and locally											Recorded locally only‡ (estimated)
	Juveniles and vulnerable adults†								Non-vulnerable adults		Total fully recorded
	Male				Female				Male	Female
	Under 14	14–17	18+	Total	Under 14	14–17	18+	Total
1973	273	727	409	1,409	224	1,395	379	1,998	—	—	3,407	—
1974	321	798	413	1,532	237	1,513	388	2,138	—	—	3,670	—
1975	330	798	452	1,580	337	1,524	382	2,243	549	653	5,025	—
1976	317	788	391	1,496	292	1,560	401	2,253	811	956	5,516	17,000
1977	353	807	505	1,665	363	1,730	485	2,578	730	817	5,790	18,000
1978	288	903	579	1,770	263	1,749	611	2,623	785	936	6,114	19,000
1979	330	899	679	1,908	203	1,668	745	2,616	740	881	6,145	17,000
1980	315	1,097	791	2,203	258	1,794	847	2,899	536	630	6,268	21,000
1981	288	881	846	2,015	264	1,398	834	2,496	528	589	5,628	21,000
1982	393	1,390	1,120	2,903	280	1,846	998	3,124	342	356	6,725	21,000

Table 2
Persons recorded as missing from the Metropolitan police district and traced or identified*¶
Metropolitan Police District						Number of persons*
Year	Juveniles and vulnerable adults†								Non-vunerable adults		Grand total
	Male				Female				Male	Female
	Under 14	14–17	18+	Total	Under 14	14–17	18+	Total
1973	263	688	364	1,315	215	1,302	349	1,866	—	—	3,181
1974	297	711	347	1,355	215	1,392	338	1,945	—	—	3,300
1975	289	707	392	1,388	299	1,331	337	1,967	295	430	4,080
1976	260	684	326	1,270	259	1,367	346	1,972	591	711	4,544
1977	330	755	411	1,496	324	1,586	420	2,330	489	524	4,839
1978	257	839	462	1,558	232	1,596	524	2,352	529	630	5,069
1979	294	850	555	1,699	172	1,528	636	2,336	556	610	5,201
1980	255	999	622	1,876	184	1,593	701	2,478	386	444	5,184
1981	218	804	680	1,702	203	1,281	672	2,156	357	407	4,622
1982	258	1,249	889	2,396	165	1,542	748	2,455	254	256	5,361

Table 3
Juveniles and vulnerable adults* recorded as missing from outside the Metropolitan police district including overseas•—including those outstanding from previous years¶
United Kingdom other than MPD and overseas					Number of persons*
Year	Juveniles and vulnerable adults†								Grand Total
	Male				Female
	Under 14	14–17	18+	Total	Under 14	14–17	18+	Total
1973	26	116	415	557	29	327	267	623	1,180
1974	29	136	536	701	27	293	327	647	1,348
1975	29	119	529	677	23	240	297	560	1,237
1976	30	101	625	756	24	220	322	566	1,322
1977	100	248	775	1,123	51	413	436	900	2,023
1978	36	144	917	1,097	34	326	544	904	2,001
1979	37	167	980	1,184	23	265	542	830	2,014
1980	47	168	1,075	1,290	16	214	555	785	2,075
1981	45	169	1,175	1,389	19	169	595	783	2,172
1982	53	164	1,216	1,433	40	174	563	777	2,210

Table 4
Juveniles and vulnerable adults* recorded as missing from outside the Metropolitan police district including overseas• and traced or identified\|\|
United Kingdom other than MPD and overseas					Number of persons*
Year	Juveniles and vulnerable adults†								Grand Total
	Male				Female
	Under 14	14–17	18+	Total	Under 14	14–17	18+	Total
1973	14	81	137	232	21	239	127	387	619
1974	15	87	188	290	14	219	162	395	685
1975	13	80	175	268	10	173	134	317	585
1976	11	54	197	262	10	135	122	267	529
1977	75	180	260	515	32	283	212	527	1,042
1978	30	108	265	403	22	257	225	504	907
1979	19	126	254	399	11	219	204	434	833
1980	19	108	213	340	3	151	157	311	651
1981	22	130	237	389	5	140	167	312	701
1982	25	95	256	376	6	124	114	244	620
Footnotes for all tables:
* The same person may be reported missing more than once.
† "Vunerable adults" include the elderly, the sick and those whose manner of disappearance gave cause for special concern. Cases resolved within 48 hours are not normally fully recorded in the Missing Persons Bureau.
\|\| All persons traced or identified during the year irrespective of the year in which first reported missing.
¶ Persons recorded as missing at the end of the year plus those traced or identified during the year.
• Other forces are not required to report to the Missing Persons Bureau cases of missing juveniles or vulnerable adults and do not report to the bureau cases relating to non-vulnerable adults.

— Not available.

Scotland

Sheltered Housing

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the provision of sheltered housing for the elderly in Scotland.

The latest published information on the provision of sheltered housing for the elderly appears on page 26 of Scottish Housing Statistics No. 17, which is available in the Library.

	Year to 30 September
	1978	1979	1980	1981
Number of available staffed beds	59,026	58,501	58,208	58,028
Number per 1,000 population	11·40	11·32	11·30	11·27
Number of occupied beds	49,526	48,712	48,419	48,086
Number per 1,000 population	9·56	9·43	9·40	9·34
Throughput* of patients	748,984	735,446	774,246	792,572
* Throughput as given here is the total number of discharges, deaths and transfers out.

Notes

1. Information for the years 1978–80 is taken from table 6.3 (a) of Scottis Health Statistics.

2. Information is not yet available for the year to 30 September 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the number of geriatric beds per 1,000 of population aged over 70 years in each of the past four years.

The information requested is as follows:

Year to 30 September	Number of geriatric beds* per 1,000 population aged 70 and over
1978	20·6
1979	20·4
1980	20·7
1981	20·9

Hospitals (Statistics)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will publish the number of (a) available beds and (b) occupied beds, in total and per 1,000 of population in National Health Service hospitals in Scotland for each of the past four years;(2) if he will publish the throughput of patients in National Health Service hospitals in Scotland in each of the past four years.

The information requested is as follows:* Geriatric bed complement, includes geriatric assessment and geriatric long-stay beds in National Health Service hospitals.

Notes:

1. Information for the years 1978–80 is taken from table 6.2 (a) of Scottish Health Statistics.

2. Information is not yet available for the year to 30 September 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give (a) the provision for acute beds and (b) the average number of acute beds occupied in National Health Service hospitals in Scotland in each of the past four years.

The information requested is as follows:

Year to 30 September	Acute* bed complement	Average daily number of occupied acute beds
1978	20,079	14,434
1979	19,969	14,182
1980	19,825	14,322
1981	19,779	14,186
* Including regional, DGH and GP (acute) beds. More detailed information is given in Tables 6.2(a) and 6.3 (a) of Scottish Health Statistics for the years 1978–80.

Note: Information is not yet available for the year to 30 September 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the numbers of nurses per occupied bed in National Health Service hospitals in Scotland since 1978.

The information is as follows:

	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982
All hospital nursing staff at 30 September (wholetime equivalent)
Trained	21,927	22,161·5	23,183·6	24,742·2	26,030·2
In Training	11,202	11,759·7	12,337·3	12,787·7	12,466·0
Others	16,320	16,880·2	17,730·5	18,178·1	17,829·0
Total	49,449	50,801·4	53,251·4	55,708·0	56,325·2
Average daily occupied beds year ending 30 September	49,526	48,712	48,419	48,086	*
Nursing staff per occupied bed	1·0	1·0	1·1	1·2
* Not yet available.

Notes:

The 1982 staff numbers are provisional.

The reduction in the working week from 40 to 37½ hours during 1980–81 took effect in the figures from 1980.

Waiting Lists

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the waiting lists for National Health Service hospitals in Scotland in each of the past four years.

The information is as follows:—

As at 31 March	No. on Waiting Lists
1979	76,616
1980	69,904
1981	67,679
1982	*67,133
* (provisional).

	1978		1979		1980		1981
	A*	B†	A	B	A	B	A	B
Medical and Dental‡	5,769·1	130	5,934·6	124	5,952·7	130	5,971·0	133
Nursing	54,419·0	14	56,037·2	13	58,602·5	13	61,125·5	13
Scientific and Professions Supplementary to Medicine	3,422·0	219	3,708·2	198	3,858·4	201	4,016·0	197
Technical	4,102·0	183	4,188·4	176	4,217·0	184	4,324·6	183
Works	760·0	986	779·3	944	820·0	944	851·1	931
Administrative and Clerical	12,944·0	58	13,121·6	56	13,255·7	58	13,628·8	58
Ancillary	26,965·0	28	27,281·5	27	27,099·7	29	27,348·4	29
Tradesmen	2,667·0	281	2,702·8	272	2,795·4	in	2,831·6	280
Pharmacists and Opticians	439·0	1,706	442·9	1,661	447·0	1,732	465·6	1,702
Ambulancemen	1,512·0	495	1,587·0	464	1,646·0	470	1,645·0	482
Others¶	845·0	886	—	—	—	—	—	—
Notes:
* All manpower numbers (column A) are whole-time equivalents at 30 September each year and include employees in hospital and community

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department centrally collects information on the average length of time on the waiting list for psychogeriatric care in hospital in Scotland.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what information his Department has as to the numbers of people on waiting lists for psychogeriatric facilities in Scotland overall who are (a) resident in the community, (b) in acute wards or geriatric units and (c) in residential homes.

At 31 March 1982, the latest date for which central statistics are available, the waiting list for psychogeriatric facilities in Scotland totalled 800. Information about the location of the persons on the waiting lists is not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the waiting times for operations in each of the major specialties since 1978.

Average waiting times from 1978 to 1980, the latest year for which information is available, were as follows:

Surgical Specialty	Mean Wait* in Days
	1978	1979	1980
General	66	74	69
Orthopaedic	90	118	111
ENT	91	112	113
Ophthalmology	85	97	94
Urology	75	89	69
Neurosurgery	43	54	51
Cardiothoracic	68	77	69
Plastic	150	183	178
Dental	71	74	62
Paediatric	86	101	87
Gynaecology	56	68	56
* The time which patients admitted from the waiting list and discharged from hospital in that year awaited admission.

National Health Service Staff

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the figures for National Health Service manpower by category, and the ratios of staff to patients, by category in each of the past four years.

The latest information available is set out in the table below.

services and the Common Services Agency.

† Column B represents the ratio of hospital in-patients to each staff member (whole-time equivalent).

‡ Excluding general medical and dental practitioners.

║ These staff were reallocated to other groups from 1979.

National Health Service Expenditure

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish details of capital expenditure projects in the National Health Service since 1979 and expenditure that is planned for future years.

The costs of major capital building projects that have started construction since April 1979 are set out in the table below. The estimated costs in the next three years of major projects which have not yet started are:

	£ million
1983–84	12·8
1984–85	34·6
1985–86	37·0

In addition, allocations are made to health boards each year to spend on smaller capital projects under their own control. The amounts allocated have been:

Major Capital Building Programme
Projects started since April 1979
Health board and project	Estimated total cost	Actual expenditure to 31 March 1982	Estimated expenditure
			1982–83	1983–84	1984–85	1985–86	1986–87	After 31 March 1987
	£000	£000	£000	£000	£000	£000	£000	£000
Argyll and Clyde
Dunoon 30 bed geriatric unit	975	11	150	703	99	12	—	—
Borders
Peebles Hay Lodge	2,355	1,121	1,080	154	—	—	—	—
Eyemouth HC	373	138	229	6	—	—	—	—
Dumfries and Galloway
Moffat hospital—phase 2	372	—	41	248	83	—	—	—
Fife
Victoria hospital	4,849	2,972	1,623	254	—	—	—	—
West Fife DGN	954	—	208	630	116	—	—	—
Stratheden hospital	670	—	244	367	59	—	—	—
St. Andrews HC	629	411	208	10	—	—	—	—
Forth Valley
RSNH	2,643	633	1,859	151	—	—	—	—
Bellsdyke hospital-new kitchen	838	391	429	18	—	—	—	—
Sauchie hospital—geriatric unit	977	—	367	610	—	—	—	—
Bo'ness health centre	745	674	71	—	—	—	—	—
Grampian
Woodlands hospital	3,182	2,490	557	124	11	—	—	—
Greater Glasgow
Gartloch hospital	2,158	77	610	998	370	103	—	—
Bridgeton HC	1,715	1,187	455	73	—	—	—	—
Shettleston HC	1,288	41	475	475	260	37	—	—
Highland
Fort William (geriatric unit)	842	683	136	23	—	—	—	—
Craig Dunain hospital modernisation	15,843	22	498	1,083	2,230	3,301	2,400	6,309
Craig Dunain stores	282	204	70	8	—	—	—	—
Lanarkshire
Kirklands—phase 1	2,292	35	756	1,200	236	65	—	—
Blantyre HC	691	25	389	239	38	—	—	—
Motherwell HC	1,326	1,185	111	30	—	—	—	—
Lothian
Astley Ainslie-main scheme	1,917	1,595	283	39	—	—	—	—
Royal Victoria-phase HI	5,708	1,665	1,810	2,050	136	47	—	—
Herdmanflat	2,894	1,429	1,389	76	—	—	—	—

	£ million
1979–80	21·5
1980–81	24·0
1981–82	30·0
1982–83	30·0
1983–84*	32·0
* Provisional.

Boards have flexibility to transfer funds between their recurrent and locally managed capital expenditure programmes.

An additional special allocation of £6.5 million in 1983–84 has been made to enable boards to make a start on upgrading their stock in the light of the recent survey of the capital estate in Scotland.

The expenditure plans set out in Cmnd. 8789 envisage total capital expenditure on health services in the next three financial years of £111 million, £120 million and £130 million, respectively.

Health board and project	Estimated total cost	Actual expenditure to 31 March 1982	Estimated expenditure
			1982–83	1983–84	1984–85	1985–86	1986–87	After 31 March 1987
	£000	£000	£000	£000	£000	£000	£000	£000
Western general hospital—phase II	9,492	—	290	1,890	3,110	2,740	1,400	62
West Lothian DGH advance works	7,138	1,391	2,338	3,140	234	35	—	—
phase I	23,445	482	2,050	3,450	4,400	4,400	3,980	4,683
North Lothian college of nursing	1,365	—	215	1,150	—	—	—	—
Astley Ainslie—kitchen upgrading	691	162	415	98	16	—	—	—
Sterilising centre	1,253	249	775	229	—	—	—	—
Livingstone north HC	816	347	451	18	—	—	—	—
Livingston south HC	737	313	395	29	—	—	—	—
Wester Halles—phase I HC	706	49	442	199	16	—	—	—
Orkney
Eastbank hospital—laundry upgrading	111	84	27	—	—	—	—	—
New central stores	211	3	208	—	—	—	—	—
Shetland
Montfield hospital	2,506	—	221	1,504	637	140	4	—
Tayside
Murray Royal—phase II	1,269	11	591	620	47	—	—	—
Strathrnartine	882	798	84	—	—	—	—	—
Royal Dundee Liff	1,030	872	116	42	—	—	—	—
Aberfeldy cottage hospital—geriatric unit	613	247	275	91	—	—	—	—
Arbroath HC	919	472	402	45	—	—	—	—
Western Isles
Daliburgh hospital	140	—	66	74	—	—	—	—
Total	109,842	22,469	23,409	22,148	12,098	10,880	7,784	11,054

Nurses

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the provision of nurses for geriatric patients in the National Health Service hospitals in Scotland.

At 30 September 1982, 2,129·7 trained nurses and 2,822·5 nursing auxiliaries—whole time equivalents—were employed in geriatric hospitals and in long-stay units mainly for geriatric patients. Statistics of nurses in training at these hospitals are not available.Geriatric patients are nursed also in general and geriatric beds in general and teaching hospitals but the number of nurses involved cannot be separately identified.

Roads

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for the years 1980, 1981 and 1982 the number of kilometres of (a) trunk motorways, (b) other trunk roads, (c) local authority motorways, (d) other principal roads and (e) other roads in Scotland.

The following is the information:

	Kilometres as at 1 April
	1980	1981	1982
Trunk motorways*	209	212	212
Other trunk roads	2,923	2,925	2,909

	Kilometres as at 1 April
	1980	1981	1982
Local authority motorways*	22	22	24
Other principal roads	7,314	7,517	7,565
Other roads	38,892	39,247	38,986
* excluding slip roads.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the 10 contractors who have received the largest share of motorway and trunk road construction contracts in the past three years, giving for each contractor the total value of contracts received.

During the three years ended 28 February 1983, 83 contracts each costing over £100,000 were awarded to 40 contractors. The 10 contractors who received the largest total shares of these contracts were as follows:

	£ million
1. Balfour Beatty Ltd.	14·1
2. Tarmac Construction Ltd.	12·1
3. Fairclough Civil Engineering Ltd.	10·0
4. R. J. McLeod	6·8
5. French Kier Construction Ltd.	6·3
6. William Tawse Ltd.	5·1
7. Tractor Shovels (Contracts) Ltd.	5·0
8. Morrison Construction Ltd.	3·9
9. Norwest Holst Ltd.	3·8
10. John G. McGregor	3·2

Employment

Unemployment Statistics

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will bring up to date the information given in the reply dated 31 July 1981, Official Report, c. 707, to the hon. Member for Grimsby concerning unemployment and the fall in employment.

The following is the latest available information for the United Kingdom.

Unemployed claimants—seasonally adjusted and excluding school leavers*
	Total
May 1979	1,253,500
February 1983	3,000,300
Increase	1,746,800
* Figures of unemployment by industry are not available after May 1982.

Employees in employment—seasonally adjusted
	Total	of whom, those employed in manufacturing industries
June 1979	23,087,000	7,207,000
September 1982*	20,897,000	5,669,000
Decrease	2,190,000	1,538,000
December 1982*	—	5,571,000
Decrease from June 1979	—	1,636,000
* Provisional.

National Average Wage

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the most recently available figure for the national average wage.

The latest figures of average weekly earnings of full-time adult employees in Great Britain, relating to April 1982, have been published in table 5.6 of Employment Gazette for February 1983, a copy of which is available in the Library.

Average Incomes

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give figures to show the average income of those in employment in 1982; if he will express the average (a) as an arithmetic mean and (b) in terms of modal range; and if he will also give the figures for men and women separately.

The available information on income from employment is as follows:

Gross weekly earnings of full time adult employees whose pay was not affected by absence in April 1982
	Men	Women	All adults
	£	£	£
Arithmetic mean	154·5	99·0	136·5
Modal range(a)	110–120	100–110	100–110
Proportion of employees	9	9	8½

Source: New Earnings Survey 1982.

(a) The range—in units of £10—containing the largest number of employees

(b) Aged 21 and over.

(c) Aged 18 and over.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the value of average earnings, both male and female earnings combined, for each of the last 10 years.

Figures of average weekly earnings of all full-time adult employees, both males and females, are regularly published in table 5.6 of Employment Gazette, copies of which are available in the Library. The issue for February 1983 gives figures for 1975 to 1982 inclusive and the issue for October 1981 gives figures for 1973 and 1974.

Wages Councils

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will illustrate the total cost of maintaining the wages council machinery at the latest available date; and if he will break down the cost under the main headings of expenditure.

The available information is as follows:

	Cost 1981–82
	£
Office of Wages Councils:
(1) Meetings fees and expenses	102,300
(2) Printing and distribution of wages council orders, etc.	411,800
(3) Secretariat	246,000
Wages inspectorate	3,323,000

In addition, there are some other related general administrative costs which fall on the Departmental Vote that cannot be separately identified.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list changes to the wages council system since 1979; and whether the changes involve (a) an amalgamation or (b) an abolition; and if he will state the number of (i) male and (ii) female workers affected.

The information is as follows:

(1) The Pin, Hook and Eye and Snap Fastener Wages Council was abolished in October 1980.

(2) The Clothing Manufacturing Wages Council (Great Britain) was established in July 1981 by amalgamation of seven separate wages councils.

(3) The Aerated Waters Wages Council (Great Britain) was established in February 1983 to replace the two separate councils for England and Wales and for Scotland.

The approximate numbers of workers involved in these changes were:

(1) 900; (2) 300,000; (3) 15,000.

Information is not available to provide separate estimates for males and females.

Trades Unions (Membership)

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has as to (a) the total number of employees and (b) the number and percentage of employees who are members of trades unions, in each of the following industry groups: (i) agriculture, forestry and fishing; (ii) clothing, other than footwear, (iii) other manufacturing industries, (iv) distributive trades and (v) catering and hotels.

The latest information I have on the membership of trade unions by industry group is published in an article in the January 1983 issue of EmploymentGazette, page 26, and estimates of the number of employees by industry appear in the labour market data section of each issue—table 1.2.

Shipbuilding Industry (Trainees)

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many trainees taken on under the 1981–82 shipbuilding industry training board training award scheme have been issued with notices saying that their training will not continue beyond the end of March 1983; and if he will subdivide this total by the training school of the trainees.

Sixty-five trainees have received notices informing them that their training will not be continued beyond the end of March 1983. In all cases the original offer of training was limited to one year, but, exceptionally, public money was made available to provide an additional 26 weeks of training for those award holders who could not be placed in employment by the end of that period. The numbers of trainees completing their training in each centre during March 1983 are as follows:

	Number
Hebburn (Tyne & Wear) Training Centre	24
Birkenhead Training Centre	10
Strathclyde Training Centre	20
Inverclyde Training Centre	9
North Devon Technical College	2

Overseas Development

Inter American Development Bank

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what decisions have been taken by governors of the Inter American Development Bank to provide for its continued operations over the next four years; and what the United Kingdom's contribution towards this will be.

The board of governors of the bank have agreed to replenish its resources and to take accompanying steps which will allow its convertible lending to grow by nearly 14 per cent. a year from 1982 to the end of 1986. The bank's capital will be increased by about $15 billion, allowing a total planned lending programme in all currencies of just over $14 billion. New convertible contributions to the concessional fund for special operations will amount to just over $700 million, and the fund's lending will be further concentrated upon the poorest countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. These countries will also benefit from a new intermediate financing facility, provided by transfers from the reserves and reflows to the FSO. This facility will subsidise interest upon some £800 million of ordinary bank lending. The bank will give priority in its lending to agriculture and rural development, urban improvement, and energy, and will aim to ensure that 50 per cent. of its lending programme is oriented directly to benefiting low-income groups, primarily through projects which stress the creation of productive employment.Subject to parliamentary approval, for which a draft order will be laid before the House in due course, the United Kingdom will subscribe to its full allocation of 11,876 new shares with a value calculated by the bank at $143,265,324, of which 4½ per cent. will be paid-in: and will contribute $24,314,000 to the FSO divided, like that of other non-regional bank members, into a basic contribution of $10,595,000, related to its relative share in the bank's capital stock, and a supplemental contribution of $13,719,000, representing our part of a collective supplementary effort by the non-regional members.

Overseas Aid

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy not to give funds under the overseas aid programme to those Commonwealth countries which voted for the Argentine-sponsored resolution on the question of the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands; and if he will make a statement.

It is our policy to allocate aid funds after consideration of all relevant factors rather than on the basis of a single one.We noted with appreciation the decision of the clear majority of Commonwealth countries not to vote for the UN resolution in question.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the annual level of aid in each of the last five years to Botswana, Cyprus, Ghana, Grenada, India, Malaysia, Malta, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, respectively.

Gross expenditure on aid in each of the five years up to 1981, the last year for which figures are available, was as follows:

£000
	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981
Botswana	5,736	5,639	7,404	11,019	9,593
Cyprus	425	377	575	694	916
Ghana	2,810	4,459	11,215	15,580	7,544
Grenada	484	321	252	259	83
India	79,845	118,903	153,314	86,080	168,550
Malaysia	10,099	1,500	1,638	10,547	10,124
Malta	3,608	3,783	304	174	207
Nigeria	5,997	9,811	5,080	4,921	4,231
Tanzania	6,685	10,363	23,559	31,686	29,625
Uganda	474	1,134	2,212	2,875	3,753
Zambia	12,584	33,316	29,159	20,696	24,119
Zimbabwe	2,562	3,485	5,070	15,585	16,871

Prime Minister

Engagements

Q5.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q8.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q9.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q10.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q11.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q12.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q13.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 March.

Q14.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q15.

asked the Prime Minister if she will listher official engagements for 17 March.

Q16.

asked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements for 17 March.

Q17.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q18.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q19.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q20.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q21.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q22.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q23.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q24.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q25.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 March.

Q26.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q29.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 17 March.

Q30.

asked the Prime Minister what are her official duties for 17 March.

Q31.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q33.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q34.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 March.

Q35.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q36.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 March.

Q37.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 March.

Q38.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 March.

Q40. Mr. Hannam asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q41.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 March.

Q42.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q43.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q44.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q45.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q46.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q47.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q48.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q49.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official appointments for 17 March.

Q50.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 March.

Q51.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 March.

Q52.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q54.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

Q55.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 March.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today including one with the Spanish Foreign Minister and another with M. Thorn, President of the European Commission. This evening I am giving a reception for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

Rural Schools (Closures)

Q27.

asked the Prime Minister what consideration she has given to the problem of rural school closures.

We recognise the value of rural schools to their communities. This is reflected in the calculations underlying rate support grant to take account of the additional costs of provision in sparsely populated areas, in the advice of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science to local education authorities about falling school rolls, and in his detailed consideration of all closure proposals that fall to him to decide, which takes account in each case of local circumstances, the views of the local community, and the educational needs of the children concerned.

European Community (Budget Structure)

Q7.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the progress made by the Council of Ministers and the Commission in reforming the European Community budget structure.

The present round of discussions on reforming the Budget structure is still at an early stage. It is too soon to judge progress. I shall be raising these matters at the European Council.

Family Benefits

Q28.

asked the Prime Minister when Her Majesty's Government expect to be able to increase benefits to families with children, in real terms.

As my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his Budget statement on 15 March, both child benefit and one-parent benefit will be increased in real terms from November this year: child benefit from £5·85 to £6·50 per week and one-parent benefit from £3·65 to £4·05 per week. Increases in other benefits will be announced later this year.

Birmingham

Q32.

asked the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Birmingham.

I have at present no plans to do so.

Ayot St Peter

Q39.

asked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit Ayot St. Peter.

I have at present no plans to do so.

Sandhaven

Q53.

asked the Prime Minister if she will visit the village of Sandhaven in the Aberdeenshire, East constituency.

I have at present no plans to do so.

Parliamentary Elections (Pamphlet)

asked the Prime Minister if she will ensure the correction of the statement in Central Office of Information reference pamphlet No. 159 "Parliamentary Elections in Britain" that "the British Parliament dates from the thirteenth century." ISBN 011 7010391; page 2.

Future editions of the pamphlet will make it clear that there were separate parliaments in England and Scotland before 1707.

Health Service Budget

asked the Prime Minister whether she will make it her policy to ensure that real growth in the Health Service is equal to growth in the defence budget.

No. The Government have provided for real growth in the NHS and plan further growth in 1983–84. The budgets for different programmes have to be settled in the light of the finance available and the needs of the respective services. It would be quite absurd to create artificial links between the financing of wholly dissimilar programmes.

Radioactive Waste

asked the Prime Minister from what sources expert scientific advice is taken before low-level radioactive waste is dumped at sea.

Expert scientific advice related to the disposal by the United Kingdom of low-level radioactive waste at sea is provided by the fisheries radiobiological laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's directorate of fisheries research. In addition, the Government take full account of scientific advice and recommendations from the competent international bodies, notably the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Civil Service

Unified Grading

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what proposals are being put forward on unified grading in the Civil Service.

The Council of Civil Service Unions has been informed that the Government wish to pursue an extension of unified grading in the senior levels of the service. Detailed proposals initially covering the grading levels down to senior principal and equivalents are being prepared. These will be put to the unions shortly.

Administrative Forms

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what action has been taken to improve Government forms following the publication of the White Paper "Administrative Forms in Government", Cmnd. 8504, in February 1982.

A report summarising the progress which has been made has been submitted to the Prime Minister and Lord Privy Seal. This report will be published on Wednesday 23 March and a copy will be placed in the Library. It shows that 14,000 forms in national use have been reviewed so far. 3,600 have been abolished and 2,700 improved. Priority is being given to the more important forms that go to the general public or to industry and businesses.

National Finance

Government Funds (Payments To Organisations)

37.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will take steps to ensure that all organisations, including the British Broadcasting Corporation, which receive in any way Government funds are required to make available to him and to hon. Members details of the salaries, fees and expenses paid to their staffs.

No. Information on board members' pay is, however, available in the Management and Personnel Office publication "Public Bodies 1982" or in the published accounts of the bodies concerned.

Age Allowance

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest estimate of the cost to the Revenue of allowing women to receive the age allowance at 60 years.

If age allowance were extended to all women aged 60 or above, the additional cost would be about £80 million in a full year at 1982–83 levels of income, allowances and so on.

Industrial Performance

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his reply dated 10 December 1979, Official Report, c. 439, to a written question from the hon. Member for Grimsby concerning the money supply and output, whether the rate of growth of real output has increased as inflation has come under control.

After falling by just over 2 per cent. per year in 1980 and 1981, GDP is provisionally estimated to have grown by about 0·5 per cent. in 1982. Further improvement in growth, to a rate of increase in GDP of 2 per cent., is expected in 1983. Although too much should not be inferred from developments over such a short period, this is consistent with the rate of growth of real output improving as inflation has fallen. There are, of course, many factors that affect the growth of output in the short run.

Inland Revenue

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current period of delay before cheques received by the Inland Revenue are cashed; and what is his estimate of the value of such cheques at the latest convenient date.

Most cheques ar lodged with a bank within 24 hours of receipt. Normally encashment follows within two working days. On average about £170 million is received, in cheques, each day at Inland Revenue offices.

Television Advertising

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much Her Majesty's Government spent on television advertising in each of the last four years; and if, in view of the high level of charges made by the broadcasting companies, he will seek to renegotiate the terms of such contracts.

Central Office of Information expenditure on buying television advertising time during each of the last four years has been:

	£
1979–80	7,090,000
1980–81	6,079,000
1981–82	7,364,000
1982–83	*5,260,000
* Estimated

A special renegotiation of contracts is not required as the COI already achieves savings and discounts comparable to those of efficient commercial advertisers.

Exchange Controls

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether figures subsequent to the third quarter of 1982 are now available to show the total outflow of capital from the United Kingdom since exchange controls were lifted in 1979.

The most recent information available was published on 9 March in the CSO's press notice "United Kingdom Balance of Payments in the Fourth Quarter and Year 1982", a copy of which is in the Library of the House of Commons.

European Community (Budget)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the net French contribution to the European Community budget for each of the last four years.

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

Official Report (Postal Deliveries)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the dates of the invoices presented by the Post Office for deliveries of the Official Report covered by Spring Supplementary Estimates, Class XIII, Vote 22; and what were the tax points for value added tax of services and goods supplied in 1976 and subsequent years and the dates the value added tax was due and paid.

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

Family Income

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will express the tax-free income for (a) a single tax payer, (b) a married couple, (c) a married couple with one child, (d) a married couple with two children and (e) a married couple with four children as a percentage of (i) the supplementary benefit scale rate and, where appropriate, (ii) the eligibility level for the family income supplement for the November of each year since 1978.

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

Taxation And National Insurance Contributions

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will express as a percentage of earnings the change in tax and national insurance contributions for the period 1978–79 and 1982–83 for (a) a single taxpayer, (b) a married couple, (c) a married couple with one child, (d) a married couple with two children and (e) a married couple with four children earning (i) two thirds average earnings, (ii) average earnings, (iii) twice average earnings and (iv) five times average earnings; and if he will also give figures under the above headings including indirect taxation.

The figures are set out in the following table. The underlying assumptions are those given in the notes to the tables in the answer to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Cunningham).—[Vol. 32, c. 418–20.] The children in the one and two-children households are assumed to be under the age of 11 and, in

1. Change in Income Tax and NICS as a Percentage of Earnings, 1978–79 to 1982–83
	Single	Married Couple	Married Couple +1	Married Couple +2	Married Couple +4
Proportion of average earnings:
2/3	+2·7	+3·5	+3·5	+3·5	+4·3
1	+ 1·5	+2·1	+2·1	+2·1	+2·6
2	+0·9	+ 1·0	+ 1·0	+ 1·1	+ 1·4
5	-6·3	-5·9	-5·7	-5·5	-5·0

2. Change in Income Tax, NICS and Indirect Taxes as a Percentage of Earnings, 1978–79 to 1982–83
	Single	Married Couple	Married Couple +1	Married Couple +2	Married Couple +3
Proportion of average earnings:
2/3	+2·6	+ 1·7	+3·3	+3·3	+4·0
1	+ 1·0	+ 1·6	+2·1	+2·1	+2·5

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of taxpayers and the numbers earning sums between the lower exemption and the upper ceiling of the national insurance of graduated contributions and for the national insurance scheme for each year since graduated contributions became payable; and if he will present the latter data as a percentage of the former.

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

Public Expenditure

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will revise and extend table 1.14., public expenditure in cost terms by programme, in volume 1 of Cmnd. 8789, "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1983–84 to 1985–86", using the gross domestic product deflator assumptions given in the "Financial Statement and

Public Expenditure in cost terms by programme
£ million base year 1981–82
	1977–78	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85	1985–86
Defence	11,553	11,486	12,077	12,374	12,606	13,468	14,162	14,520	14,660
Overseas aid and other overseas services
Overseas aid	1,015	1,108	1,031	983	960	896	936	920	900
Net payments to EC institutions	918	1,151	1,098	245	153	542	337	380	420
Other overseas services	722	579	594	570	573	620	653	650	640
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry	1,467	1,246	1,318	1,491	1,372	1,667	1,554	1,390	1,380
Industry, energy, trade and employment	3,782	4,652	3,771	4,439	5,319	5,471	4,980	4,610	4,330
Transport	3,845	3,750	3,882	3,825	3,898	4,056	3,811	3,800	3,750
Housing	5,789	5,473	5,908	4,933	3,137	2,410	2,473	2,510	2,490
Other environmental services	3,311	3,458	3,537	3,576	3,244	3,208	3,157	3,090	3,040
Law, order and protective services	3,034	3,120	3,376	3,505	3,774	4,004	4,060	4,050	4,030
Education and science	11,922	11,883	11,709	12,065	11,828	11,802	11,126	10,840	10,670
Arts and libraries	506	521	529	528	520	541	499	490	480
Health and personal social services	11,081	11,378	11,648	12,576	12,751	12,971	12,941	12,910	12,850
Social security	23,572	25,187	25,415	25,963	28,510	30,349	30,468	30,180	30,310
Other public services	1,545	1,485	1,517	1,593	1,556	1,561	1,484	1,460	1,460
Common services	1,297	1,307	1,321	1,216	1,453	1,544	883	910	950
Scotland	5,478	5,644	5,821	5,893	5,772	5,853	5,655	5,530	5,430
Wales	2,166	2,263	2,343	2,356	2,243	2,223	2,239	2,190	2,180
Northern Ireland	3,076	3,275	3,209	3,215	3,218	3,335	3,372	3,380	3,370

the four-children household, two of the children are assumed to be under the age of 11, and two between the ages of 11 and 15.

Indirect tax payments cannot be reliably estimated for income levels above one and a half times average earnings.

Budget Report", and taking account of Budget measures and other changes as they affect the public expenditure planning totals for 1982–83 and 1983–84.

The table following shows cost terms figures resulting from inflating or deflating the cash outturn for past years and the cash provision for future years to a base of average 1981–82 prices, using the deflator for gross domestic product at market prices. For future years the general inflation assumptions used are as given in paragraph 2.16 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report, that is the GDP deflator averages 7 per cent. in 1982–83, 5½ per cent. in 1983–84 and 1984–85 and 5 per cent. in 1985–86.The programme detail shown in the table is based on the cash figures given in table 1.7 of Cmnd. 8789. A line at the bottom of the table shows the planning totals for 1982–83 and 1983–84 including the effects of Budget measures and other changes since Cmnd. 8789 was published.

	1977–78	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85	1985–86
Government lending to nationalised industries	-347	1,080	2,541	2,459	1,457	1,274	986	1,050	750
Local authority current expenditure not allocated to programmes (England)	—	—	—	—	—	—	801	390	200
Adjustments
Public corporations' net overseas and market borrowing	1,384	679	-630	-683	260	-1,014	-259	-370	-530
Special sales of assets	-928	—	-1,308	-394	79	-500	-650	-1,250	-400
Contingency reserve	—	—	—	—	—	250	1,300	—	—
Provisional reserve	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2,500	2,400
General allowance for shortfall	—	—	—	—	—	-900	-1,100	—	—
Planning Total*†	96,187	100,726	100,706	102,728	104,684	105,614	105,920	106,110	105,770
Planning Total—rounded*	96,200	100,700	100,700	102,700	104,700	105,600	105,900	106,100	105,800
Planning total including Budget measures and other changes	—	—	—	—	—	105,100	105,700	—	—
* Based on cash figures in Cmnd. 8789.
† Components may not add to totals due to rounding.

Social Services

Hospitals (Treatment)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are currently on waiting lists for admission to National Health Service hospitals; and how many of them are considered to be urgent.

On 31 March 1982, the latest date for which complete information is held centrally, the number of patients awaiting admission to National Health Service hospitals was 622,000 of whom 41,000 were reported as urgent. A provisional estimate of the number waiting on 30 September 1982 is 728,000, but it is not possible at this stage to estimate how many of these would be classified as urgent.

Maintenance Payments

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many men were taken to court by his Department for non-payment of maintenance in (a) 1980, (b) 1981 and (c) 1982.

The table indicates the total of civil actions and prosecutions by the Department in each of the years requested so far as it is available. Separate information is not held in respect of men and women, but the cases almost invariably involve action against men in connection with their liability to provide maintenance.

Year	Civil Proceedings (Supplementary Benefit Act 1976, Sections 18 and 19)	Criminal Prosecution (Supplementary Benefit Act 1976 Section 25)
1980	1420	759
1981	2361	593
1982	1859	*
* Not yet available.

Day Nurseries

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which local authorities have reduced the number of places in day nurseries since 1979; and what has been the percentage reduction in each case.

The information requested is given in the table:

Local Authority	Reduction in Day Nursery Places 1979–1982
	per cent.
Cleveland	31
Cumbria	3
Humberside	23
Doncaster	60
Calderdale	26
Kirklees	11
Wakefield	11
Cheshire	5
Bolton	21
Stockport	23
Trafford	41
Liverpool	* 2
Wirral	2
Hereford/Worcester	6
Coventry	7
Walsall	17
Nottinghamshire	34
Hertfordshire	8
Oxfordshire	12
Suffolk	6
Camden	2
Greenwich	5
Islington	3
Wandsworth	21
Westminster	19
Barking	7
Bexley	18
Ealing	5
Harrow	3
Merton	5
Newham	6
Redbridge	20
Richmond upon Thames	7
Sutton	24
Hampshire	13
Surrey	20
East Sussex	7
West Sussex	26
Avon	1
Devon	46
* 1979–1981.

Notes:

1. Comparisons are based on the number of places provided in local authority day nurseries together with the number of children placed and paid for by the local authority in non-local authority day nurseries.

2. Except where indicated, the figures reflect changes between 31 March 1979 and 31 March 1982.

3. Comparisons were not possible for local authorities South Tyneside, Kingston Upon Thames, and Dorset as information was not available or in question.

Population Statistics

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give figures for (a) the total population in the United Kingdom and (b) the percentage of the population not covered by a private health scheme for 1981 and 1982.

The information is as follows:

	1981	1982
Total Population (United Kingdom)	*56,290,000	†56,276,000
Percentage of population not covered by a private health scheme†	92·72	92·46
Notes
* Provisional Figure.
† Estimated figure.
‡ This is based on the number of persons covered by the schemes of the three main provident associations.

Occupational Cancer Risks

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will support a national cancer detective agency akin to the Committee on Safety of Medicines that will monitor workers' health records and investigate clues or suspicions of occupational cancer risks.

I have been asked to reply.I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. McCrindle) on 11 March.—[Vol. 38, c.

510.]

Sickness Pay Regulations

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in implementing the new statutory sickness pay regulations, the Government will consider making further concessions to small employers.

We have no plans to offer further concessions on statutory sick pay to small employers. Once the scheme is in operation we shall keep its operation under review, particularly its impact on small employers.

Road Accidents

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list, for the most recent year available, the costs to the community of road accidents in terms of medical and ambulance costs.

This information is not readily available. An estimate was made, however, of the hospital and ambulance costs of road accidents in 1978. These, including capital costs amounted to some £86 million and £7 million respectively at today's prices.

Asbestos And Cancer

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what conclusive or circumstantial links between asbestos and cancer are known to him; and what investigations his Department has made into these links.

Asbestos in air, in large quantities, is an established cause of cancer. The Health and Safety Executive are responsible for the enforcement of safety standards relating to occupational exposure to asbestos. The levels of non-occupational exposure in this country are so very low that no significant risk is likely. Research into this question falls mainly to the Medical Research Council, but the Department and the Welsh Office are supporting one study. Much evidence is published worldwide, and we keep this under scrutiny.

Social Security (Expenditure Savings)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the expenditure savings in the social security budget for 1983–84 as a result of changes made since 1979 in the same form as that used to give figures for 1982–83 on 28 January 1982, Official Report, c. 433 and 18 November 1982, Official Report,c.281–2.

As has been explained previously, the figures of savings referred to by the hon. member were intended to give a broad indication of the overall savings arising from the social security changes. The original estimates have not been recalculated in detail because of subsequent changes and their complex interactions. To revise all the data for estimates made some time ago for all the items involved, taking into account changes since then, would require considerable work, the cost of which could not be justified.

Prescription Charges

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether conditions requiring the prescription of chlorpromazine, droperidol, fluphenazine, haloperidol, pimozide, thioridazine, trifluoperazine, amitriptyline, clomipramine, dothiepin, imipramine, lithium carbonate, nomifensine, protriptyline and trimipramine have been considered for exemption from prescription charges; and if he will make a statement.

Some 70 per cent. of all prescription items are currently dispensed without charge. The exemption arrangements are based on exempting defined groups of patients and not, with the exception of contraceptive drugs and appliances, on the particular form of drug therapy involved. I have a great deal of sympathy for people suffering from those conditions—broadly, ones affecting the central nervous system—which might generally be treated with the drugs listed. However, such conditions are not included in the list of medical conditions which entitle a person to exemption and we have no proposals at present to widen the present arrangements.

Solvent Abuse

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if his Department is financing any local community schemes to combat solvent abuse.

No, but many local community groups are tackling solvent abuse without the need for funding from the Department and we have offered to fund small studies of service responses to the problem. Consideration will be given to what further Government initiatives may be needed in the light of replies to consultation letters which we have sent to statutory, voluntary professional and retailers' organisations concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many deaths in 1981 and 1982 can be attributed to solvent abuse.

Exact figures of deaths associated with solvent abuse are not available, but 45 such deaths are known to have occurred in the United Kingdom in 1981 and 47 in 1982, with eight further reports still under investigation.

National Insurance Contributions

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the revenue raised in national insurance contributions from (a) employees and (b) employees and employers in each year since 1948; and if he will present these two series of data as a percentage of the revenue raised in income tax.

The hon. Member will find the basic data he requires in Tables 7.5 and 7.6 of the Central Statistical Office publication "National Income and Expenditure 1982 edition" for the 11 years to 1981, and in the corresponding tables in the central Government part of earlier editions for the preceding years. The 1982 figures will be in the 1983 edition due to e published in September this year.

Retirement Pensions (Credit Transfers)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated saving in 1983–84 arising from giving retirement pensioners the option of four-weekly credit transfers in arrears.

About £500,000 in administrative costs.

Supplementary Benefit

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many unemployed families with children are receiving supplementary benefit; in how many of them the dependency addition for a wife is reduced because she has income of her own; and if he will estimate the number of unemployed families receving supplementary benefit where there are one or more children under five and the number in which the dependency addition for a wife is reduced because she has income of her own.

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

Place Of Safety Orders

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many place of safety orders have been taken out in England each year since 1978; and whether these figures include orders taken out other than by local authorities and orders in which the children concerned are not accommodated in local authority accommodation.

[pursuant to his reply, 10 March 1983, c. 482]: I regret that information regarding the number of place of safety orders taken out annually is not available centrally. The table gives the numbers of children in England reported by local authorities as having been removed to a place of safety in the year ended 31 March. The manner of their accommodation is not specified in the return.

	Number of Children (thousands)
1978	5·5
1979	5·8
1980	6·7
1981	6·2
1982	6·3

Transport

Costs And Taxation

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for 1983–84 the taxation revenue and public road cost figures in the same form as in c. 205 and 206 of the Official Report of 20 March 1981; if he will present a table showing the revenue, cost and revenue to cost ratios for the main categories of goods vehicles, giving the number of vehicles in each category; if he will break down the road cost figure into its constituent components; and if he will include an assessment of the likely position for the new 38-tonne vehicles to be permitted in May 1983.

The information is as follows Taxation revenue and public road costs for 1983–84 are shown in table 1. Taxation revenue, attributed costs, and revenue to cost ratios for selected categories of goods vehicles are shown in table 2.The average expenditure on highway provision, maintenance, administration and traffic policing in the three years ending 1983–84 is estimated to be:

	£m
New Construction	1330
Maintenance	1390
Administration	290
Traffic policing	230
	3,240

The difference between the £3,240 million estimated expenditure shown above and the £2,990 million shown in table 1 as "Costs attributed" arises from £250 million of expenditure attributed to pedestrians and motor cyclists.The estimated taxation revenue and attributed costs of the new 38-tonnes vehicles are shown in table 2.

Table 1
Taxation Revenue and Public Road Costs, 1983–84—United Kingdom
	Estimated Taxation Revenue							Revenue to Cost Ratios
Vehicle Category	Vehicle Numbers	VED	Fuel Tax	Total	Car Tax	Total (including car tax)	Costs attributed	Excluding car tax	Including car tax
	000's	£ million	£ million	£ million	£ million	£ million	£ million
Cars and taxis:
Non-business	16,361	1,020	3,030	4,050	440	4,490	1,310	3·1:1	3·4:1
Business	16,361	380	1,120	1,500	160	1,660	480	3·1:1	3·4:1
Buses and Coaches	74	5	150 *	155	—	155	120	1·3:1	1·3:1
Light Vans (not over 30 cwt. unladen	1,225	100	340	440	—	440	110	4·0:1	4·0:1
Goods vehicles (over 30 cwt unladen):
Not over 3·5 tonnes GVW	80	10	20	30	—	30	10	3·0:1	3·0:1
Over 3·5 tonnes GVW	434	360	610	970	—	970	960	1·0:1	1·0:1
All vehicles	18,174	1,875	5270	7145	600	7745	2,990	2·4:1	2·6:1
* Fuel tax rebate on stage services (£110m) not deducted.

Table 2
Taxation revenue, attributed costs, revenue to cost ratios and numbers of vehicles in selected categories of vehicle
	GVW (tonnes)		Taxation revenue	Attributed costs	Revenue to cost ratio	Number of licensed vehicles
	Over	Not over	£ per annum	£ per annum
Rigid vehicles
2 axles	3·5	5	410	170	2·4:1	15,000
	12	13	1,250	850	1·5:1	24,000
	16	17	2,010	2,020	1·0:1	72,000
3 axles	16	17	720	380	1·9:1	†
	24	25	2,940	2,960	1·0:1	24,000
4 axles	24	25	1,880	1,390	1·4:1	†
	30	31	5,090	5,140	1·0:1	15,000
Articulated vehicles
3 axles	12	13	1,140	490	2·3:1	†
	16	17	1,720	1,040	1·7:1	2,000
	24	25	3,190	2,920	1·1:1	3,000
4 axles	24	25	2,890	2,110	1·4:1	†
	32	32·5	5,850	6,730	0·9:1	75,000
5 axles—2 axle tractor with 3 axle trailer	32	32·5	5,160	5,390	1·0:1	†
	37	38	6,990	6,990	1·0:1	‡
3 axle tractor with 2 axle tractor	32	32·5	4,680	4,840	1·0:1	†
	37	38	6,810	6,810	1·0:1	‡
6 axles—3 axle tractor with 3 axle trailer	32	32·5	4,220	4,210	1·0:1	†
	37	38	5,400	5,400	1·0:1	‡
	All vehicles over 30 cwt unladen		1,000m	970m	1·0:1	514,000
* As at September, 1982.
† Less than 1,000 vehicles.
‡ Not permitted on the roads until 1 May 1983, hence the numbers are not known. Taxation revenue and attributed costs are estimated on an annual basis.

Road Maintenance (Survey)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has received the 1982 report of the national road maintenance condition survey; and if he will make a statement.

I have now received the 1982 report on the national road maintenance condition survey and I have placed copies in the House of Commons Library. The survey has been carried out each year since 1977 by the standing committee on highway maintenance. It covers all-purpose trunk roads and local roads in England and Wales, but not motorways.The report shows that overall the condition of trunk roads has remained stable since 1977. Although with motorways they represent only some 4 per cent. of the total network, together they carry nearly half the heavy goods traffic and nearly 70 per cent. of traffic from the heaviest lorries.For local roads the results are more varied. No class of road is in a significantly worse condition than in 1977, although since 1980 there has been a deterioration in urban and rural principal roads. The condition of certain other classes of local roads has remained fairly stable and that of urban unclassified roads has improved. Nevertheless, some trends are disappointing and indicate the need for further careful monitoring.

Defence

Service Officers (Foreign Government Employment)

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what penalties may be imposed on an officer of Her Majesty's forces who enters the service of a foreign Government without prior approval of the Defence Council, assuming that he continues to hold a commission or to draw retired pay.

To date, no such case has been considered. However, if a case were to arise, a decision would be made taking into account all the circumstances of the particular case.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many officers in Her Majesty's armed forces have been refused permission by the Defence Council to enter the service of a foreign Government since 1979; and if he will list the Governments concerned.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many officers in Her Majesty's armed forces have been given permission by the Defence Council to enter the service of a foreign Government since 1979; and if he will list the Governments concerned.

Since 1979, 178 commissioned officers no longer on the active list have been given permission to enter into civilian or military service with a foreign Government, 53 of whom have retained their commissions and are serving with countries which owe allegiance to the Crown, as follows:

Australia
Bahamas
Canada
Hong Kong
New Zealand

The remainder were instructed to resign their commissions before taking up service with the following foreign Governments:

Abu Dhabi
Bahrain
Botswana
Brunei
Kuwait
Netherlands
Nigeria
Oman
Qatar
Republic of Ireland
Saudi Arabia
South Africa
United Arab Emirates
United States of America
West Germany
Zimbabwe

Southern Thule

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the incident relating to flags in Thule and the latest position there.

On 20 June 1982 HMS Endurance removed Argentine personnel from Southern Thule and raised a Union flag. When HMS Hecate visited Thule on 19 December 1982 she found an Argentine flag flying at the base and the Union flag folded nearby. The Union flag was replaced and the Argentine one removed. We do not know when and how this exchange of flags took place, but we do not view the incident as a serious indication of Argentine intent to re-establish a presence on the dependencies. However, in view of the possibility that Argentina might seek to re-occupy the base on Southern Thule we have destroyed the buildings. The only structures now remaining are two beacons, a flagpole with a Union flag flying and a fully stocked refuge hut.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the reasons for the destruction of shelter on Thule.

The structures destroyed comprised a meteorological station set up illegally by Argentina in 1976. This was done to prevent Argentine re-occupation of the station. We have preserved shelter on Southern Thule in the form of a refuge hut, sealed against the snow and fully stocked with provisions.

Agriculture, Fisheries And Food

Hedgerows

17.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has had about the destruction of hedgerows during the past 12 months.

I have received a small number of representations on this subject from hon. Members and from members of the general public during the past 12 months.

Poultrymeat And Egg Industries

18.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to improve the profitability and secure the long-term future of the poultrymeat and egg industries; and if he will make a statement.

Profitability of poultry and egg producers will largely depend on achieving and maintaining a satisfactory balance between supply and demand, together with efficient marketing of the products concerned.

Intervention Stocks

19.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what percentage European Community intervention stocks, both publicly and privately stored, have changed over the past 12 months.

The information requested is set out in the following table:

Community stocks held in public intervention and assisted private storage
	Percentage change over last 12 months	1983 stocks*
Cereals	+116	37
Butter†	+234	82
Skimmed milk powder	+122	140
Beef†	+29	14
Olive oil	+20	70
Oilseeds	-77	1
Wine‡	+12	148
* In terms of total days' supply.
† Includes private storage stocks.
‡ Private storage stocks only.

For pigmeat, stocks contracted for assisted private storage as at 27 February 1983 were 19,000 tonnes; there were no such stocks 12 months ago.

Farm Wardens

20.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in the appointment and training of farm wardens.

The Government have established where farm wardens could be found. They would be appointed in an emergeny as soon as the Government judged it to be necessary and would provide the link between farmers and the Ministry. They would be trained immediately on appointment.

Farming Inputs (Surplus Control)

21.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the fact that it now requires many more gallons of milk to pay for basic farming inputs, he will reconsider the policy of controlling surpluses by price guarantee control.

In the 1983–84 price fixing negotiations we shall continue to press for price restraint, which we believe is essential if we are to curb the surplus production in the Community.

Food From Britain

22.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the Food from Britain organisation will be operating at full strength and effectiveness.

The Government have today published a commencement order which will bring Food from Britain into operation with effect from 23 March. A great deal of preparatory work has been done to ensure that Food from Britain is fully effective from the start.

Pig Industry

23.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he will now take to secure the profitability of the pig industry.

25.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take further steps to improve the competitive position of the United Kingdom pig and bacon industries.

26.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the state of the pig industry.

30.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the current profitability of the pig sector.

I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Cardigan (Mr. Howells) earlier today.

Animal Welfare

24.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list his powers in relation to animal welfare matters.

The Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968, Part I of which governs the welfare of livestock being commercially farmed, empowers the Agriculture Ministers in Great Britain in particular to make regulations and to issue codes of recommendations.The Agriculture Ministers have various powers relating to the welfare of animals under Sections 37 to 49 of the Animal Health Act 1981. These powers cover particularly the protection of animals from unnecessary suffering during transit and when exposed for sale, and the regulation of the export of live animals from Great Britain.The Ministers also have powers under the Slaughter of Poultry Act 1967 to make regulations on the humane treatment of poultry at slaughter and to approve slaughter methods and kinds of stunning instruments. There are also powers under the Slaughterhouses Act 1974, relating to England and Wales, to make regulations on various matters relating to the humane treatment of animals at the point of slaughter.The Acts mentioned also empower authorised officers of the Minister or of the local authority to enter relevant premises to check on compliance with the legislation.

Marginal Land Areas

27.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he now envisages the extension of less favoured area assistance to marginal land areas in England and Wales.

Negotiations with the Commission are continuing and I hope these areas will be designated soon.

Compound Feedstuffs (Ingredient Listing)

28.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will extend statutory ingredient listing for compound feeds purchased by farmers.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I have given to my hon. Friend the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Sir A. Costain).

Common Agricultural Policy (Price Proposals)

29.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many meetings of the Council of Agriculture Ministers he has attended at which the 1983 common agricultural policy price proposals have been discussed.

I have attended the three meetings of the Council of Ministers (Agriculture) at which the Commission's proposals for agricultural prices and related measures for 1983–84 have been discussed. These were on 17–18 January, 7–8 February and 14–15 March 1983.

Glasshouse Growers

31.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further help he can offer glasshouse growers to contain their costs of production.

The United Kingdom glasshouse industry is given substantial Government support, including the temporary adaptation aid on costs of glasshouse heating oil to the maximum permitted under European Commission guidelines. I am in close and continuing touch with growers on ways of helping them.

Common Fisheries Policy (Inspectors)

32.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has for training inspectors to monitor the workings of the common fisheries policy.

Our British sea fishery officers, who discharge the United Kingdom's responsibilities under the common fisheries policy in relation to conservation and control measures, undergo comprehensive training before taking up their duties. We have offered to provide this facility for the European Community Commission's inspectors when they are appointed.

Common Agriculture Fund

33.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the contribution in the current year by the United Kingdom to the European Community common agriculture fund.

We contribute to the cost of the European Community budget as a whole and not to the common agricultural policy separately. Information on our gross and net contribution is contained in pages 8–10 of volume 11 of the recent White Paper on the Government's expenditure plans (Cmnd. 8789).

Dog Licences

34.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he now has any proposals to increase the 37½p fee for dog licences.

The Government are considering this matter in the light of the report of the Committee of public Accounts, published in December 1982.

Poultry Industry

35.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the state of the poultry industry and in particular on the effects on the industry of imports from France.

The turkey industry enjoyed a good Christmas trade. Broilermeat and egg producers are suffering from an imbalance in the market in that domestic production is in excess of demand. There are signs that the situation should improve later this year. Imports from France have been small.

Tenancy Agreements

36.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has now reached a conclusion about the implementatation of the National Farmers Union and Country Landowners' Association tenancy agreement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Berwick and East Lothian (Mr. Home Robertson).

Manufactured Foods (Imports)

36.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what share of the United Kingdom market was taken up by imports of manufactured foods in 1973, 1979 and 1982.

The following is the latest information available:

Manufactured food and drink* imports as percentage of home demand
	per cent.
1973	19
1979	16
†1982	15
* Excluding wines and spirits.
† Twelve months ending September.

Farm Inputs (Costs)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will publish in tabular form in the Official Report the numbers of 18 kg lambs dressed carcase weight at average producer's prices in England required to buy the following basic hill farming inputs for the years 1973, 1979 and 1982: a shepherd's annual wage, 10 tonnes of hill ewe cobs, 10 tonnes of 15–15–21 fertiliser, 10 tonnes of hay at production price, 100 tonnes of lime, net of subsidy in 1973, 1,000 gallons of tractor fuel, a Ford 4000 series or equivalent tractor and the interest on a £10,000 overdraft;(2) if he will publish in tabular form in the

Official Report the number of 250 kg store-suckled calves at average English prices required to buy the basic hill farming inputs for the years 1973, 1979 and 1982: a cattleman's wage for the year, 10 tonnes of hill cow cobs, 10 tonnes of 15–15–21 fertiliser, 10 tonnes of hay at producer's price, 100 tonnes of lime net of subsidy in 1973, 1,000 gallons of tractor fuel, a Ford 4000 series tractor or equivalent, and the interest on a £10,000 overdraft;

(3) if he will publish in the Official Report in tabular form the number of tonnes of barley at averge producer's price in England required to buy the following basic farming inputs for the years 1973, 1979 and 1982: a tractorman's annual wage, 10 tonnes of 15–15–21 fertiliser, 1,000 gallons of tractor fuel, a Ford 4000 tractor or the equivalent, and the interest on a £10,000 overdraft.

(4) if he will publish in the Official Report in tabular form the number of gallons of milk at average English farmgate price required to buy the basic farming inputs for the years 1973, 1979 and 1982: a dairyman's annual wage, 10 tonnes of dairy cake, 10 tonnes of 15–15–21 fertiliser, 10 tonnes of hay at producer's price, 100 tonnes of lime net of subsidy in 1973, 1,000 gallons of tractor diesel fuel, a Ford 4000 series tractor or the equivalent, and the interest on a £10,000 overdraft.

Specific prices for England for most of the output and input items covered by these questions are either not available or could not be reliably ascertained without disproportionate expenditure of time and effort. Details of movements in United Kingdom price indices for both input and output items are contained in table 2 of the White paper "Annual Review of Agriculture 1983" (Cmnd. 8804). Absolute prices of commodities are shown in table 27.

Nutritional And Health Information

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will consider providing for the consumer more nutritional and health information about food.

I have been asked to reply.I refer the hon. Member to my hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor) on 28 June 1982.—[Vol. 26, c.

236.]

Aquaculture

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards recommendation 961 adopted by the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe on 25 January on aquaculture in Europe and the world.

I have taken note of recommendation 961. The Government have already made it clear that they wish to see the orderly development of a fish farming industry which is economically viable.Substantial funds have been allocated by successive Governments for the development of the fish farming industry and to combat fish disease. Within Europe the co-ordination of aquaculture research is achieved through the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and the European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission.

Green Pound

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much the green pound would need to be devalued to take account of recent changes in the exchange rate for the pound sterling.

To restore the green pound to parity with the market rate for sterling in the week ending 15 March would require a 3·4 per cent. devaluation.

Forest Land

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total area and value of forest lands sold, or in the process of being sold, under the terms of the Forestry Act 1981.

Unemployment Benefits—Standard Rate
Year Ended 31 March	Number of Dependent Children
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
1979	1,516	1,758	2,000	2,241	2,483	2,725	2,967
1980	1,687	1,956	2,225	2,494	2,763	3,032	3,301

From the passing of the Forestry Act 1981 until 21 February 1983, the Forestry Commission received £16·4 million from the sale of land and other real assets. The area involved included 7,848 hectares of forestry land and plantations.As at 21 February a further40,171 hectares of forestry land and plantations with an estimated value of £28.6 million were also in the process of being sold—thatis, they were either on the market or had been approved for sale and reserve prices had been fixed. Other real assets committed for sale at 21 February are expected to realise a further £4·1 million.

New Zealand Lamb (Imports)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the value of New Zealand lamb imports into the United Kingdom in 1980, 1981 and 1982 and to the latest available date in the current year; and if he will make a statement.

The following is the information requested.

United Kingdom Imports of Sheepmeat from New Zealand
	£ million
1980	167
1981	167
1982	244
*1983	19
* January 1983 only.

Source: United Kingdom Trade Statistics.

Northern Ireland

Family Income

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the annual gross income in Northern Ireland of a family consisting of a married man with (a) one child, (b) two children, (c) three children, (d) four children, (e) five children, W six children, and (g) seven children, who was receiving (i) unemployment benefit, (ii) supplementary benefit and (iii) long-term invalidity benefit in each of the most recent five years to the latest available date, including where appropriate the sums received in child benefit.

The following tables show the annual gross amounts payable in respect of the benefits shown to a married couple with the number of children indicated. In each table the amount of child benefit has been incorporated and all amounts have been rounded to the nearest pound.

Year Ended 31 March	Number of Dependent Children
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
1981	1,926	2,228	2,530	2,833	3,135	3,437	3,739
1982	2,110	2,424	2,737	3,051	3,364	3,678	3,992
1983	2,289	2,606	2,924	3,241	3,558	3,875	4,192

Note: It is assumed that no earnings related supplement was payable and that the wife was not employed or if employed had earnings of not more than the dependency benefit involved.

Supplementary Benefit—Ordinary Scale Rates
Year Ended 31 March	Number of Dependent Children
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
1979	1,769	2,033	2,298	2,562	2,888	3,284	3,680
1980	2,020	2,315	2,609	2,904	3,268	3,709	4,150
1981	2,504	2,849	3,194	3,539	4,000	4,516	5,032
1982	2,985	3,376	3,767	4,158	4,744	5,330	5,916
1983	3,359	3,786	4,213	4,640	5,282	5,925	6,567

Long Term Scale Rates
Year Ended 31 March	Number of Dependent Children
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
1979	2,049	2,313	2,577	2,842	3,168	3,564	3,960
1980	2,381	2,675	2,970	3,265	3,628	4,070	4,511
1981	2,935	3,280	3,625	3,970	4,431	4,947	5,462
1982	3,460	3,851	4,242	4,633	5,219	5,804	6,390
1983	3,877	4,304	4,731	5,158	5,801	6,443	7,086

Notes:

1. The gross totals include the following amounts for rent/rates per week:—

£5·60 for 1978/79

£6·70 for 1979/80

£9·40 for 1980/81

£12·65 for 1981/82

£15·45 for 1982/83

2. The assumed ages of the dependent children are 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15.

3. An age-related heating addition for children under five years was introduced from 12 November 1979 and the relevant amount is included in the figures.

Invalidity Benefit
Year Ended 31 March	Number of Dependent Children
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
1979	1,980	2,437	2,894	3,350	3.807	4,264	4,721
1980	2,269	2,791	3,312	3,834	4,355	4,877	5,398
1981	2,622	3,221	3,819	4,419	5,018	5,617	6,516
1982	2,889	3,540	4,192	4,843	5,494	6,146	6,797
1983	3,146	3,836	4,528	5,218	5,909	6,599	7,290

Notes:

1. These figures do not include Invalidity Allowance or Additional Component which are dependent on individual circumstances.

2. It is assumed that the wife is not in employment or if she is in employment her earnings were less than the statutory limit.

Prisoners (Solitary Confinement)

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the number of (a) men and (b) women held in solitary confinement in prisons in Northern Ireland on 1 March.

There are no prisoners compulsorily removed from association in the interests of good order and discipline under rule 25 of the Prison Rules (Northern Ireland) 1982. On 1 March four men, but no women, were held in cellular confinement as punishment awarded for breaches of prison rules. Another eight men were held in cells pending adjudication.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the longest period of time a person at present in solitary confinement in a prison in Northern Ireland has been kept under these conditions.

No prisoner is held compulsorily under the provisions of rule 25 of the Prison Rules (Northern Ireland) 1982. On 9 March the longest period in which a prisoner had been held in cellular confinement as a punishment for an offence against prison discipline was 18 days.

Plastic Bullets

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many baton rounds have teen fired in each Royal Ulster Constabulary division in Northern Ireland in each of the last 12 months by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve, respectively.

The available information is set out in the following table. Records are not kept in such a way

					1982						1983
Division	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Total
A	—	—	—	—	—	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	4
B	1	1	—	—	—	45	—	—	—	—	—	—	52
C	—	—	2	—	—	5	—	1	—	—	—	—	7
D	—	1	—	—	—	84	—	1	—	—	—	—	85
E	—	—	—	—	—	13	—	—	—	—	—	—	13
F	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0
G	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0
H	—	—	—	—	—	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	2
J	—	—	1	—	—	77	—	—	—	—	—	—	78
K	—	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5
L	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0
M	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0
N	4	11	9	—	—	29	4	—	1	—	1	—	59
O	24	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	24
P	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0
R	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0
	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Total	29	18	12	0	0	259	4	5	1	0	1	0	329

Terrorism (Murders)

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the following categories of persons have been murdered by terrorist violence in the period from 3 May 1979 to 1 September 1979 and from 1 September 1979 to date in: (a) each Royal Ulster Constabulary division, (b) the regular army, (c) the Ulster Defence Regiment: (i) full-time cadre and (ii) part-time cadre, (d) the Royal Ulster Constabulary, (e) the Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve, (f) prison officers and (g) civilians; and in each case how many were believed to have been murdered by republican terrorists.

The available information is as follows:

Deaths arising from the security situation
(a) RUC Division	3 May 1979–31 Aug 1979		Sept 1979– 10 March 1983
A	1		15
B	4		59
C	1		30
D	1		17
E	0		13
F	1		15
G	0		1
H	23		37
J	2		10
K	6		32
L	5		16
M	2		12
N	1		37
O	1		23
P	1		2
R	0		3
Total	49	(42)	322	(227)
(b) Regular Army	23	(23)	47	(47)
(c) Ulster Defence Regiment*	3	(3)	31	(31)

as to differentiate between rounds fired by members of the regular Royal Ulster Constabulary members of the Reserve, although in practice very few members of the full-time Reserve and no members of the part-time Reserve use riot guns.

(a) RUC Division	3 May 1979–31 Aug 1979		1 Sept 1979–10 March 1983
(d) RUC	5	(5)	28	(28)
(e) RUCR	3	(3)	21	(21)
(f) Prison Officers	0	(0)	9	(9)
(g) Civilians	15	(8)	186	(91)
Total	49	(42)	322	(227)
* The available records do not distinguish between full-time and part-time UDR members.

These figures give the number of deaths connected with the security situation during the relevant periods. It is not possible to say with certainty how many resulted from terrorist violence.

The figures in brackets indicate the deaths in which republican groups are likely to have been involved.

Environment

Land Registers

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how much land is registered on each land register;(2) what is the total amount of land disposed of, in the course of disposal and under disposal negotiations, respectively; and what proportion this represents of total land listed on the registers:(3) if he will indicate the percentage of land disposed of, in the course of disposal and under disposal negotiations as a proportion of the whole of each land register and as a proportion of the whole of the total of land on all registers;(4) if he will list the amounts of land disposed of, in the course of disposal, and under disposal negotiations on each land register;

(5) what is the total amount of land now registered on all land registers.

At 1 January the registers contained details of some 108,000 acres of unused and underused public land. At that time 4,070 acres, representing 3·8 per cent. of the total land registered, had been disposed of since registers were published and 1,848 acres, 1·7 per cent. of the total, had been removed from the registers because the land had been brought into use. Figures are not available for land in course of disposal or under negotiation, though it is estimated that a total of about a third is currently on the market.The land on each register, the acreage disposed of and that acreage as a percentage of the total for each register are given in the following table.

Land registers: Land recorded on registers at 1 January 1983 and land removed from registers by that date following disposal Northern Region
A: Local authority area	B: Acreage held on register	C: Acreage disposed of	D: C as a percentage of A
Hartlepool	560·4	8·2	1·5
Langbaurgh	798·0	—	—
Middlesbrough	1,029·6	96·3	9·4
Stockton-on-Tees	1,219·5	1·6	0·1
Cleveland	3,607·5	106·1	2·9
Allerdale	495·0	—	—
Barrow-in Furness	465·2	5·0	1·1
Carlisle	381·7	—	—
Copeland	462·5	—	—
Eden	203·7	—	—
South Lakeland	283·3	—	—
Cumbria	2,291·4	5·0	0·2
Chester-le-Street	60·4	—	—
Darlington	727·9	—	—
Derwentside	911·6	214·0	23·5
Durham	125·9	1·1	0·9
Easington	445·7	0·7	0·2
Sedgefield	324·5	—	—
Teesdale	42·0	—	—
Wear Valley	116·6	4·7	4·0
Durham	2,754·6	220·5	8·0
Alnwick	64·5	3·1	4·9
Berwick upon Tweed	28·8	—	—
Blyth Valley	305·6	—	—
Castle Morpeth	74·4	—	—
Tynedale	91·3	—	—
Wansbeck	305·3	4·6	1·5
Northumberland	950·4	7·7	0·8
Gateshead	1,116·6	46·0	4·1
Newcastle upon Tyne	480·2	26·0	5·3
North Tyneside	766·3	—	—
South Tyneside	482·5	—	—
Sunderland	1,820·1	50·6	3·8
Tyne and Wear	4,171·7	122·6	2·9

Yorkshire and Humberside Region
A: Local authority area	B: Acreage held on register	C: Acreage disposed of	D: C as a percentage of A
Beverley	426·3	—	—
Boothferry	386·3	10·0	2·6
Cleethorpes	111·4	—	—
Glanford	1,022·0	3·0	·3
Great Grimsby	197·2	—	—
Holderness	455·1	—	—
Kingston upon Hull	1,312·0	—	—
North Wolds	274·2	—	—
Scunthorpe	192·4	—	—
Humberside	4,376·9	13·0	·3
Craven	77·7	2·2	2·8
Hambleton	111·1	—	—
Harrogate	171·7	—	—
Richmondshire	71·3	14·7	20·6
Ryedale	302·7	—	—
Scarborough	111·9	—	—
Selby	134·9	—	—
York	144·4	—	—
North Yorkshire	1,125·7	16·9	1·5
Barnsley	927·5	—	—
Doncaster	1,358·4	3·0	·2
Rotherham	684·6	4·4	·6
Sheffield	672·9	47·9	7·1
South Yorkshire	3,643·4	55·3	1·5
Bradford	878·2	30·8	3·5
Calderdale	328·6	7·8	2·4
Kirklees	505·2	173·0	34·2
Leeds	1,961·0	156·6	8·0
Wakefield	866·5	10·8	1·2
West Yorkshire	4,539·5	379·0	8·3

North West Region
A: Local authority area	B: Acreage held on register	C: Acreage disposed of	D: C as a percentage of A
Chester	237·8	5·6	2·4
Congleton	58·4	—	—
Crewe and Nantwich	222·6	10·2	—
Ellesmere Port and Weston	257·5	—	—
Waltham	507·7	5·4	1·1
Macclesfield	606·8	4·5	0·7
Vale Royal	905·0	—	—
Warrington	2,740·7	—	—
Cheshire	5,536·5	25·7	0·5
Blackburn	688·6	—	—
Blackpool	327·8	4·0	1·2
Burnley	405·8	—	—
Chorley	181·2	—	—
Fylde	127·3	—	—
Hybdburn	316·9	—	—
Lancaster	330·1	—	—
Pendle	181·4	—	—
Preston	552·9	11·5	2·1
Ribble Valley	85·5	—	—
Rossendale	254·5	—	—
South Ribble	289·0	—	—
West Lancashire	626·7	—	—
Wyre	283·4	—	—
Lancashire	4,851·1	15·5	0·3

A: Local authority area	B: Acreage held on register	C: Acreage disposed of	D: C as a percentage of A
Bolton	1,171·1	—	—
Bury	535·0	1·0	0·2
Manchester	849·3	74·2	8·7
Oldham	422·4	11·9	2·8
Rochdale	717·1	1·2	0·2
Salford	602·7	61·3	10·2
Stockport	544·9	66·3	12·2
Tameside	588·7	7·0	1·2
Trafford	380·7	22·5	5·9
Wigan	1,159·6	5·5	0·5
Greater Manchester	6,371·5	250·9	3·6
Knowsley	219·8	75·2	34·2
Liverpool	1,280·0	89·4	7·0
St. Helens	281·9	45·7	16·2
Sefton	546·4	178·7	32·7
Wirral	380·7	68·9	18·1
Merseyside	2,708·8	457·9	16·9

East Midlands Region
A: Local authority area	B: Acreage held on register	C: Acreage disposed of	D: C as a percentage of A
Amber Valley	309·4	10·4	3·4
Bolsover	288·6	—	—
Chesterfield	393·8	10·0	2·6
Derby	337·4	34·5	10·2
Erewash	147·5	—	—
High Peak	309·4	3·8	1·2
North East Derbyshire	377·2	—	—
South Derbyshire	248·9	—	—
West Derbyshire	155·9	—	—
Derbyshire	2,558·1	58·7	2·3
Blaby	207·4	—	—
Charnwood	219·7	8·3	3·8
Hardborough	54·8	—	—
Hinckley and Bosworth	130·7	—	—
Leicester	458·3	40·8	8·9
Melton	81·4	—	—
North West Leicestershire	223·0	1·1	·5
Oadby and Wigston	36·2	—	—
Rutland	63·8	—	—
Leicestershire	1,475·3	50·2	3·4
Boston	149·8	—	—
East Lindsey	279·7	12·4	4·4
Lincoln	453·5	·4	·1
North Kesteven	93·1	—	—
South Holland	51·5	—	—
South Kesteven	244·1	3·0	1·2
West Lindsey	249·8	45·0	18·0
Lincolnshire	1,521·5	60·8	4·0
Corby	992·5	24·8	2·5
Daventry	446·8	2·0	·4
East Northamptonshire	250·2	1·6	·6
Kettering	186·8	—	—
Northampton	1,379·9	—	—
South Northamptonshire	201·4	4·0	2·0
Wellingborough	924·4	8·9	1·0
Northamptonshire	4,382·0	41·3	·9
Ashfield	715·1	—	—_
Bassetlaw	279·5	—	—
Broxtowe	104·0	—	—

A: Local authority area	B: Acreage held on register	C: Acreage disposed of	D: C as a percentage of A
Gedling	200·3	1·6	·8
Mansfield	313·1	—	—
Newark	259·4	8·0	3·1
Nottingham	615·0	13·9	2·3
Rushcliffe	269·0	—	—
Nottinghamshire	2,755·4	23·5	·9

West Midlands Region
A: Local authority area	B: Acreage held on register	C: Acreage disposed of	D: C as a percentage of A
Bromsgrove	102·2	—	—
Hereford	65·5	—	—
Leominster	29·5	—	—
Malvern Hills	125·1	8·1	6·5
Redditch	67·3	—	—
South Herefordshire	134·0	—	—
Worcester	119·9	—	—
Wychavon	198·8	—	—
Wyre Forest	313·6	—	—
Hereford and Worcestershire	1,155·9	8·1	·7
Bridgnorth	208·1	—	—
North Shropshire	98·6	1·0	1·0
Oswestry	59·7	3·7	6·2
Shrewsbury and Hatcham	164·6	2·5	1·5
South Shropshire	57·6	—	—
Wrekin	2,245·9	—	—
Salop	2,834·5	7·2	·3
Cannock Chase	612·3	—	—
East Staffordshire	285·1	—	—
Lichfield	21·0	—	—
Newcastle under Lyme	171·9	34·9	20·3
Stafford	1810	—	—
South Staffordshire	135·1	12·2	9·0
Staffordshire Moorlands	203·3	—	—
Stoke on Trent	591·3	186·5	31·5
Tamworth	120·2	—	—
Staffordshire	2,321·2	233·6	10·1
North Warwickshire	219·7	6·0	2·7
Nuneaton	252·1		—
Rugby	364·7	—
Stratford on Avon	171·4	—	—
Warwick	66·5	11·4	17·1
Warwickshire	1,074·4	17·4	1·6
Birmingham	532·0	123·8	23·3
Coventry	596·9	9·7	1·6
Dudley	498·0	41·3	8·3
Sandwell	378·2	17·8	4·7
Solihull	29·9	—	—
Walsall	320·5	26·8	8·4
Wolverhampton	453·4	—	—
West Midlands	2,808·9	219·4	7·8

East Anglia Region
A: Local authority area	B: Acreage held on register	C: Acreage disposed of	D: C as a percentage of A
Cambridge	85·7	—	—
East Cambridgeshire	140·6	—	—
Fenland	135·5	4·2	3·1
Huntingdon	6511	16·3	2·5
Peterborough	170·4	81·2	47·7
South Cambridgeshire	90·5	8·8	9·7
Cambridgeshire	1,273·8	110·5	8·7
Breckland	67·7	20·5	30·3
Broadland	85·8	2·1	2·4
Great Yarmouth	20·8	—	—
North Norfolk	191·9	—	—
Norwich	60·5	—	—
South Norfolk	106·8	—	—
West Norfolk	204·0	—	—
Norfolk	737·5	22·6	3·1
Bambergh	182·7	—	—
Forest Heath	139·7	—	—
Ipswich	96·4	13·1	13·6
Mid-Suffolk	84·4	—	—
St. Edmondsbury	370·3	—	—
Suffolk Coastal	203·8	—	—
Waveney	118·3	—	—
Suffolk	1,195·8	13·1	1·1

South East region
A: Local authority area	B: Acreage held on register	C: Acreage disposed of	D: C as a percentage of A
North Bedfordshire	244·6	47·2	19·3
Luton	271·2	—	—
Mid Bedfordshire	83·1	—	—
South Bedfordshire	221·1	12·1	5·5
Bedfordshire	820·0	59·3	7·2
Bracknell	75·4	4·0	5·3
Newbury	183·1	22·0	12·0
Reading	192·2	2·8	1·5
Slough	172·8	—	—
Windsor and Maidenhead	312·3	4·3	1·4
Wokingham	248·5	—	—
Berkshire	1,184·3	33·1	2·8
Alyesbury Vale	137·1	—	—
South Buckinghamshire	149·8	—	—
Chiltern	31·9	1·1	3·4
Milton Keynes	43·7	2·4	5·5
Wycombe	96·6	3·0	3·1
Buckinghamshire	459·1	6·5	1·4
Brighton	93·5	2·1	2·2
Eastbourne	159·7	8·0	5·0
Hastings	454·7	30·4	6·7
Hove	66·6	90	13·5
Lewes	175·4	—	—
Rother	463·2	—	—
Wealden	513·4	—	—
East Sussex	1,926·5	49·5	2·6
Basildon	687·3	8·6	1·3
Braintree	116·5	27·5	23·5
Brentwood	72·0	1·6	2·2
Castlepoint	—	—	—

A: Local authority area	B: Acreage held on register	C: Acreage disposed of	D. C as a percentage of A
Chelmsford	130·1	—	—
Colchester	309·7	—	—
Epping Forest	164·7	5·2	3·2
Harlow	130·9	1·2	·9
Maldon	79·8	—	—
Rochford	102·7	1·1	1·1
Southend-on-Sea	27·8	—	—
Tendring	89·0	—	—
Thurrock	131·1	2·8	2·1
Uttlesford	27·4	—	—
Essex	2,069·0	48·0	2·3
Basingstoke and Deane	513·1	—	—
East Hampshire	81·3	—	—
Eastleigh	127·7	—	—
Fare ham	326·2	6·8	2·1
Gosport	113·9	6·8	6·0
Hart	160·6	10·4	6·5
Havant	96·8	44·8	46·3
New Forest	387·3	7·1	1·8
Portsmouth	239·2	165·5	69·2
Rushmoor	38·4	2·0	5·2
Southampton	111·4	1·9	1·7
Test Valley	301·0	245·0	81·4
Winchester	191·0	1·5	·8
Hampshire	2,687·9	491·8	18·3
Broxbourne	44·6	7·3	16·4
Dacorum	487·6	—	—
East Hertfordshire	140·2	—	—
Hertsmere	106·7	—	—
North Hertfordshire	183·3	3·2	1·7
St. Albans	145·3	—	—
Stevenage	328·7	—	—
Three Rivers	38·4	—	—
Watford	62·4	—	—
Welwyn Hatfield	66·2	1·2	1·8
Hertfordshire	1,603·4	11·7	·7
Medina	121·0	—	—
South Wight	41·8	1·7	4·1
Isle of Wight	162·8	1·7	1·0
Ashford	525·7	42·4	8·1
Canterbury	183·9	14·1	7·7
Dartford	853·7	1·4	·2
Dover	275·6	3·5	1·3
Gillingham	185·0	—	—
Gravesham	91·0	17·0	18·7
Maidstone	474·3	6·8	1·4
Rochester-upon-Medway	145·0	16·0	11·0
Sevenoaks	162·8	135·5	83·2
Shepway	143·5	10·7	7·5
Swale	204·6	2·3	1·1
Thanet	230·0	1·0	·4
Tonbridge and Mailing	1,058·4	18·6	1·8
Tunbridge Wells	307·9	6·2	2·0
Kent	4,841·0	275·5	5·7
Charwell	158·6	9·0	5·7
Oxford	60·9	1·1	1·8
South Oxfordshire	102·6	29·7	28·9
Vale of White Horse	172·4	24·0	13·9
West Oxfordshire	20·8	2·3	11·1
Oxfordshire	515·3	66·1	12·8
Elmbridge	56·5	8·0	14·2
Epsom and Ewell	57·7	12·6	21·8
Guildford	189·7	14·1	7·4

A: Local authority area	B: Acreage held on register	C: Acreage disposed of	D: C as a percentage of A
Mole Valley	116·2	—	—
Reigate and Banstead	188·7	—	—
Runnymede	44·4	—	—
Spelthorne	96·2	2·4	2·5
Suney Heath	35·7	—	—
Tandridge	148·1	7·7	5·2
Waverley	185·8	10·4	5·6
Woking	79·5	11	1·4
Surrey	1,198·4	56·3	4·7
Adur	18·5	—	—
Arun	97·7	—	—
Chichester	84·2	1·7	2·0
Crawley	55·9	13·3	23·8
Horsham	400·2	—	—
Mid-Sussex	179·3	—	—
Worthing	60·3	—	—
West Sussex	896·1	15·0	1·7
City of London	1·0	—	—
Barking and Dagenham	380·6	—	—
Bamet	168·3	2·8	1·7
Bexley	149·9	—	—
Brent	97·7	—	—
Bromley	289·8	—	—
Camden	38·6	—	—
Croydon	353·9	—	—
Ealing	179·3	86·9	48·5
Enfield	282·8	1·9	·7
Greenwich	266·1	—	—
Hackney	50·3	—	—
Hammersmith and Fulham	83·4	—	—
Haringey	56·2	—	—
Harrow	102·9	5·1	5·0
Havering	332·8	—	—
Hillingdon	267·4	13·3	5·0
Hounslow	176·9	—	—
Islington	46·5	6·0	12·9
Kensington and Chelsea	44·1	—	—
Kingston-upon-Thames	38·4	2·5	6·5
Lambeth	59·0	—	—
Lewisham	163·8	—	—
Merton	54·3	—	—
Newham	688·6	12·2	1·8
Redbridge	101·9	3·6	3·5
Richmond	36·1	—	—
Southwark	296·7	16·3	5·5
Sutton	206·9	1·1	·5
Tower Hamlets	253·9	39·2	15·4
Waltham Forest	136·8	—	—
Wandsworth	60·2	15·2	25·2
Westminster	140	—	—
Greater London	5,479·1	206·1	3·8

South West Region
A: Local authority area	B: Acreage held on register	C: Acreage disposed of	D: C as a percentage of A
Bath	17·3	·8	4·6
Bristol	1,075·6	15·0	1·4
Kingswood	96·1	—	—
Porthavon	332·8	—	—
Wansdyke	50·0	1·0	1·7
Woodspring	931·0	37·3	4·0
Avon	2,512·8	54·1	2·2
Caradon	73·6	6·6	9·0
Carrick	124·3	—	—
Kerrier	98·5	1·0	1·0

A: Local authority area	B: Acreage held on register	C: Acreage disposed of	D: C as a percentage of A
North Cornwall	90·1	1·6	1·8
Penwith	111·4	—	—
Restormel	58·3	3·9	6·7
Cornwall	556·2	13·1	2·4
East Devon	229·4	3·4	1·5
Exeter	67·2	30·0	44·6
North Devon	203·5	—	—
Plymouth	615·3	—	—
South Hampshire	506·3	—	—
Teignbridge	89·2	2·4	2·7
Mid-Devon	90·9	—	—
Torbay	27·8	1·9	6·8
Torridge	127·8	—	—
West Devon	157·8	—	—
Devon	2,115·2	37·7	1·8
Bournemouth	120	—	—
Christchurch	28·2	21·8	77·3
North Dorset	107·3	60	5·6
Poole	290·2	7·2	2·5
Purbeck	94·0	3·7	3·9
West Dorset	113·5	3·1	2·7
Weymouth and Portland	103·5	—	—
Wimbome	283·8	7·8	2·7
Dorset	1,032·5	49·6	4·8
Cheltenham	51·4	—	—
Cotswold	128·4	—	—
Forest of Dean	129·0	2·8	1·6
Gloucester	391·4	—	—
Stroud	219·1	—	—
Tewkesbury	340·1	7·3	2·1
Gloucestershire	1,309·4	10·1	·8
Mendip	101·6	7·6	7·5
Sedgemoor	176·8	10·3	5·8
Taunton Deane	64·0	—	—
West Somerset	7·8	—	—
Yeovil	33·3	5·8	17·4
Somerset	383·5	23·7	6·2
Kennet	162·1	1·5	·9
North Wiltshire	165·3	4·9	3·0
Salisbury	276·2	—	—
Thamesdown	1,455·1	12·6	·9
West Wiltshire	177·8	—	—
Wiltshire	2,236·5	19·0	·8

Defective Housing

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the information on defective housing recently supplied by local authorities and local authority associations to the Building Research Establishment.

If the hon. Member is referring to the request by the establishment's defects prevention unit on 23 February for information from housing authorities about technical problems found in the existing public sector stock in the past year, I can tell him that this is a general inquiry and the responses received will not be in a form suitable for publication. However, information derived from those responses is likely to determine topics and priorities in the unit's series of defect action sheets.

If the hon. Member is referring to the specific subject of prefabricated reinforced concrete houses, BRE asked authorities on 25 February for information to supplement that which the Department had sought in a letter dated 18 February, a copy of which is in the Library. As I said in the House on 8 February, I intend to make the technical information from the investigation widely available.

Housing Improvement Grants

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the level of public funding provided for housing improvement grants in 1979, 1980,1981 and 1982, respectively.

Housing investment programme allocations are made in a single block. It is for authorities themselves to determine their own priorities for investment within the total resources available to them, including since 1 April 1981 their capital receipts. For 1982–83, however, an extra £79·5 million was made available to English local authorities following the last Budget specifically for expenditure on home improvement grants. Authorities were also told on 29 October 1982 that they could spend without limit on improvement grants this year. Additional allocations will be made retrospectively in the light of outturn. Actual expenditure by local authorities in England on home improvement grants is as follows:

	£ million
1979–80	120
1980–81	130
1981–82	197
*1982–83	267
* First three quarter only.

Rate Support Grant

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why the rate support grant block grant to Warwickshire for 1983–84 has been reduced by £200,000 compared to 1982–83.

The latest estimate of the block grant entitlement for Warwickshire is £62·365 million. That is £25,000 more than the latest estimate for 1982–83. Grant entitlements in both years are, however, still subject to change in the light of Warwickshire's outturn expenditure and changes in the variable items of grant.

Homes Insulation

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many homes have been insulated with Government and local authority assistance since 1978.

Numbers of dwellings insulated under the energy conservation programme and homes insulation scheme from 1979 to the third quarter 1982 appear in table 2.16 of "Housing and Construction Statistics" No. 11 and for 1978 in table 94 of "Housing and Construction Statistics 1971–1981". Information is not available on local authority dwellings insulated as part of general renovation work.

Hayes Bypass

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will call in plans for the proposed termination of the projected Hayes bypass at the White Hart roundabout, Northolt, before a final decision is made; and if he will make a statement.

The proposed Hayes bypass will be a metropolitan road and therefore the responsibility of the Greater London council. It will be for the local planning authorities concerned to determine the planning applications when they are made. My right hon. Friend sees no justification on the evidence currently before him for intervening in this matter. However, when the GLC' makes the necessary statutory orders these will have to be referred to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport for confirmation.

Derelict Land

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has given any further consideration to extending the amount of grant available to the private sector of 80 per cent. to 100 per cent. which is available to the public sector under the provisions of the Derelict Land Act 1982.

Not yet. The maximum rate payable to the private sector was increased from 50 to 80 per cent. last year. It would be premature to consider a further increase before there has been adequate time to test the response to the one already made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give, as percentages of the whole, the quantum of grants being taken up under the Derelict Land Tax Act 1982 of(a) public bodies and (b) private concerns.

I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as complete information becomes available for the current financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the private concerns applying for grants under the Derelict Land Act 1982, and give details of the schemes, areas of land involved and amounts of grants approved.

Details of approvals to date for reclamation schemes by private and public bodies other than local authorities for 1982–83 and 1983–84 under the relevant legislation are given in the following table. It would be inappropriate to provide information about unsuccessful applications.

1982–83 A. Under the Local Government Act 1966 as amended by the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980
Name of Applicant	Site location	Area (Hectares)	Grant approved £
Herman Smith Ltd.	New Road, Neterton, Dudley	1·4	55,000
W. A. Blackburn Ltd.	Grimley Tip, Longford Road, Coventry	10·5	118,487
Telford Development Corporation	Wrekin Station Road (East) Dudley	1·8	13,882
Southwark Environment Trust	(a) Caspian Street, Southwark	0·4	3,937
	(b) Delverton Street, Southwark	0·4	3,937
British Steel Corporation	Brick Kiln Chimney at Newfield	—	6,831
Smith & Walton Ltd.	Haltwhistle Junction, Haltwhistle	4·2	6,967
Wm. Hartley & Sons (Farnworth) Ltd.	Former Oak Mills, Worsley Road, Farnworth	0·1	675
Monde Developments Ltd.	Sankey Sugar Works Earlestown, Newton-le-Willows	1·1	48,601
J. & J. A. Porter Ltd.	Chimney at Greenbank Mill, Blackbum	—	2,950
Greenbank Eng. Group Ltd.	Chimney at Gate Street Works, Blackburn	—	1,300
Town & Country Management Services	Chimney at Weaste Trading Estate, Salford	—	10,050
Jarries R. Crompton & Bros. Ltd.	Chimney at Simpson Clough Mill, Heywood	—	1870
Samuel Taylor Son & Platt	Chimney at Studio Cards Ltd, Miller Street, Preston	—	6,392
B. Lancaster & Son	Chimney at Rhodes Mill, Middleton	—	2,450
Liquid Plastics Ltd.	Chimney at British Food Canning Factory, Brookholes View, Preston	—	5,265
Loveclough	Chimney at Loveclough, Rossendale	—	2,900
J. Bright & Bros. Ltd.	Chimney at Fieldhouse Mills, Rochdale	—	5,250
Worthington & Highcock Plant Sales Ltd.	Chimney at Junction Mill, Ashton	—	8,420
Laurel Mill Pet Supplies Ltd.	Chimney at Laurel Mill, Middleton	—	9,200
Greater Manchester Youth Association	Ashway Gap House, Greenfield, Oldham Phase 1	0·1	2,300
Hick Hargreaves & Co. Ltd.	Crook Street, Bolton	—	5,725
P. & S. Filtration Ltd.	Chimney and boiler house at Bamford Woollen Mills, Rochdale.	—	2,523
K. S. Ainsworth	Chimney at Bridge Mill, Edenfield	—	4,600
David Walton & Co. Ltd.	Ordsall Lane, Salford	0·6	4,375
Vantona Textiles Ltd.	Chimney at Phethean Street, Farnworth	—	1,230
Miss E. Jones	Scott Road, Droylesden	—	89
Bury Boot & Shoe Co. (1953) Ltd.	Chimney at Woodhill Works, Brandlesholme Road, Bury	—	4,250
Central Lancashire Development Corporation	Broadgate Railway Embankment, Preston, Phase 1	2·86	45,850
Wingrove & Rogers Ltd.	Chorleywood Road, Kirkby Industrial Estate, Liverpool	—	400
Vantona Group Ltd.	Lower & Back Mills, Rawtenstall	—	27,270
Warrington & Runcom Development Corporation	Howley 23, Warrington	0·3	22,050
Walshaw Buildings Ltd.	Chimney at Dunscar Bleach Works, Bolton	—	1,100
Reeves & Gill	Chimney at Friendship Mill, Burnley	—	2,725
Frank Glover & Co. Ltd.	Chimney at Spodden Mill, Facit	—	2,000
Norweb Electricity	Union Street, Oldham	1·1	1,398
Thameside Invalid Services Ltd.	Chimney at Lower Wharf Street, Ashton-under-Lyne	—	13,425

B. Under the Derelict Land Act 1982
Name of Applicant	Site location	Area (Hectares)	Grant approved £
J. A. Poulton Ltd.	Old Cement Works, Wouldham	2·29	6,571
H. C. H. Loye & Co. Ltd.	Furnace Road, Snedshill	0·72	3,085
Neasden Service Station Ltd.	5 Burnt Oak, Broadway	0·2	8,944
British Steel Corporation	Brick Kiln Chimney, Newfield	—	788
BICC Prescot Industries Ltd.	Prescot Works: Phase 1	0·5	46,911
	Phase 2	—	143,245
Mutual Mills Ltd.	Chimney at Mutual Mills, Heywood	—	6,400
Gordon Briggs	Chimney at Sunnybank Mill, Helmshore	—	3,140
Reckitt & Coleman PLC	Chimney at Backbarrow Ultramarine Works	—	3,882
Leyland Street George Ltd.	Chimney at Victoria Mill, Haslingden	—	20,432
Frank Owen	Chimney at Waterbarn Mill, Stacksteads	—	8,600
Duncan Transrail Ltd.	Duncan Street, Salford	2·42	6,160
Candair Engineering Co. Ltd.	Chimney and boiler house at Newton Moor Industrial Estate, Hyde	—	3,179
W. L. Corbett & Sons Ltd.	Chimney at Corbetts Mill, Leigh	—	4,080
J. Blake & Co. Ltd.	Prescot Street, Liverpool	—	87,292
Edward Tumbull & Co. Ltd.	Mill Chimney at Croftend, Ramsbottom	—	837
The Carborundum Co. Ltd.	Chimney at Carborundum Works, Manchester	—	5,492
Colouroll Ltd.	Chimney at Tullis Mill, Burnley	—	3,402
Cooper & Jackson	Chimney at Alderglen Mills, Rochdale	—	1,440
Predler Footwear Ltd.	Chimney at Olive Mill, Bacup	—	1,400
Colouroll Ltd.	Chimney at Waids House Mill, Nelson	—	4,800
Bill Fawley Construction Co. Ltd.	Gorsebank Road, Liverpool	0·4	2,089
Enbuild Ltd.	Prescot Road, Liverpool	2·4	16,884
Central Lancashire Development Corporation	Broadgate Railway Embankment, Phase 2	1·5	11,818

Name of Applicant	Site location	Area (Hectares)	Grant approved £
T. & M. Constructors	Mount Spring Works, Waterfoot	—	6,600
Gordon Briggs	Chimney at Alliance and Victoria Mill, Baxenden	—	4,668
Barratt Urban Renewal (Northern) Ltd.	Myrtle Gardens, Liverpool	2·2	157,280

A. Under the Local Government Act 1966 as amended by the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980

Name of Applicant

Site location

Area (Hectares)

Grant approved £

Greater Manchester Youth Association

Ashway Gap House, Greenfield, Oldham, Phase 2

—

3,201

B. Under the Derelict Land Act 1982
Name of Applicant	Site location	Area (Hectares)	Grant approved £
Gramwood Holdings Ltd.	Greenhill Lane, Riddings, Derbyshire	0·1	18,432
Quadrant Marine	Former Newham Refuse Tip, Truro	1·17	10,880
Fairview Estates Ltd.	Harts Lane, Barking	3·32	338,619
Newmart Investments Ltd.	Mill chimney at Welch Hill Mill, Leigh	—	788
Lancashire Saw Co. Ltd.	Imperial Mill, Gorse Street, Blackburn	—	11,800
Warrington & Runcorn Development Corporation	Phipps 2 Runways, Phase 1	18·5	34,025
Graham & Brown Ltd.	Mill chimney at Wright Hargreaves Mill	—	4,000
Prestwich Methodist Church	Prestwich Methodist Church	—	2,880
Haydock Saw Mill Ltd.	Haydock Saw Mill, Wigan	0·4	15,810
Langlendon Group	Kingsway Loop, Liverpool	1·8	110,727
BICC Prescot Industries Ltd.	Prescot Works, Phase 3	—	55,833
Syd Abrams Ltd.	Waterloo Road/Barrow Hill Road, Manchester	—	2,782
St. Phillips Church	Derbyshire Hill Road, St. Helens	—	1,072
P. J. Morris & Sons (England) Ltd.	Chancel Street, Liverpool	4·12	19,390
Northern Explosive Services Ltd.	Whitebirk Power Station	4·4	154,400
Ames Crosta Badcock Ltd.	Manchester Road and Victoria Road, Heywood	0·2	11,600
McLean Homes North West Ltd.	Glynne Street/Trentham Avenue, Famworth	1·01	18,896
Futura Rubber Co. Ltd.	Quarry Street Mill chimney, Stalybridge	—	1,387
T. C. McGawley & Sons	Disused tannery, Haverigg Millom	—	14,434

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the public authorities applying for grants under the Derelict Land Act 1982, and give details of the schemes, areas of land involved and amounts of grant approved;(2) what is the total number of grants applied for by public authorities and by private concerns since the Derelict Land Act 1982.

Complete information for all applications is not readily available in the form requested; and approvals are not yet complete for grant-aided schemes in 1983–84. However, as announced on 15 February—[Vol. 37, c. 161–74.]—new schemes valued at over £30 million which entail consequential investment in development by the private sector—category A schemes—have already been approved to start in 1983–84; details have been lodged in the Library.The total grant provision for all sectors in 1982–83 and 1983–84 under the normal programme is £45·7 million and £75 million including £1 million and £2 million respectively for private sector and nationalised industry schemes. In addition, a further £30 million has been made available as a supplementary local authority programme in the current financial year.

Asbestos

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is aware of any health hazards arising from the use of asbestos cement water mains.

My Department commissioned the Water Research centre to study asbestos in water supplies, with particular reference to the effect of use of asbestos cement water mains. A report on this work is expected to be published later this year. It was shown that asbestos cement pipes did not appreciably raise the asbestos fibre content of water, and the levels found were within the range which occurred naturally. In the United Kingdom the levels of asbestos in water supplies are significantly lower than those in most other countries where the problem has been studied. I am advised that ingestion of water with levels of asbestos such as those found in the United Kingdom present no risk to health.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in view of the potential risks to health involved, he will take steps to ensure that the asbestos waste from the several coal-power stations to be demolished in south Yorkshire is not dumped in the old Mexborough power station.

This is a matter for south Yorkshire county council. However, I understand that a planning application has been made for the use of some underground cells or cellars at the old Mexborough power station for the processing and disposal of asbestos waste. Waste disposal sites must also be licensed under the Control of Pollution Act 1974. The movement of asbestos including lagging from redundant power stations is subject to the Control of Pollution (Special Waste) Regulations 1980. In addition such operations are subject to the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Land Prices

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the average percentage increase in land prices in (a) inner city areas, (b) urban areas and (c) rural areas in the last five years.

Information in this degree of detail is not available. However, statistics published by the Government on the basis of Inland Revenue data indicate that between 1977 and 1982 prices for housing land in England and Wales rose on average by 167 per cent. while prices for farming land rose by 140 per cent. Information on the latter is also published in the Estates Gazette and Farmers' Weekly, and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyers and the Financial Times jointly publish information on short-term trends in industrial land values.

Building Repairs

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has of the number of local authority dwellings and other public buildings in the United Kingdom currently requiring repairs in excess of £7,000.

Results from the physical survey report of the English House Condition Survey 1981—a copy of which is in the Library—indicate that 50,000 dwellings rented from English local authorities or new towns required repairs estimated to cost £7,000 or more. Records are not held centrally for the repair costs of other public buildings. Statistics for repair costs elsewhere in the United Kingdom are the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Listed Buildings

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of listed buildings; what proportion are listed as grade I; and if he will estimate the percentage of all buildings which have listed status at the latest available date.

At 31 December 1982 there were 287,744 buildings in England listed as being of special architectural or historic interest, of which 5,418 or around 2 per cent. were listed as grade I. I have no detailed information on the percentage of all buildings which are listed, but the figure is likely to be less than 1 per cent.

Volume 39: debated on Thursday 17 March 1983

Written Answers To Questions

Manufactured Goods

Catalytic Gas Heaters

Attorney-General

Legal Aid

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

United Nations World Disarmament Campaign

Helen Smith (Inquiry)

Education And Science

Higher Education

Museums, Galleries And Libraries

Student Grants

Items In Lieu Of Tax

Energy

Departmental Staff

Wales

Housing (Structural Defects)

Home Department

West Yorkshire (Crime Statistics)

Prisoners (Solitary Confinement)

Prisoners (Correspondence)

Police (Complaints)

Prisons (Manufactured Goods)

Jurors

Remanded Persons (Strangeways Prison)

Mr K K Abrol

Missing Persons

Scotland

Sheltered Housing

Hospitals (Statistics)

Waiting Lists

National Health Service Staff

National Health Service Expenditure

Nurses

Roads

Employment

Unemployment Statistics

National Average Wage

Average Incomes

Wages Councils

Trades Unions (Membership)

Shipbuilding Industry (Trainees)

Overseas Development

Inter American Development Bank

Overseas Aid

Prime Minister

Engagements

Rural Schools (Closures)

European Community (Budget Structure)

Family Benefits

Birmingham

Ayot St Peter

Sandhaven

Parliamentary Elections (Pamphlet)

Health Service Budget

Radioactive Waste

Civil Service

Unified Grading

Administrative Forms

National Finance

Government Funds (Payments To Organisations)

Age Allowance

Industrial Performance

Inland Revenue

Television Advertising

Exchange Controls

European Community (Budget)

Official Report (Postal Deliveries)

Family Income

Taxation And National Insurance Contributions

Public Expenditure

Social Services

Hospitals (Treatment)

Maintenance Payments

Day Nurseries

Population Statistics

Occupational Cancer Risks

Sickness Pay Regulations