asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 31 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 31 March.

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

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

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether she is at present having discussions with the Government of Cyprus in an effort to resolve the present deadlock in the intercommunal talks.

I plan to see President Kyprianou when he visits London on 17 May. I expect that, among other subjects, we will discuss the Cyprus problem and the efforts being made to resolve it through the intercommunal talks being conducted in Nicosia under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary General.

asked the Prime Minister when next she intends to meet leaders of the Trades Union Congress.

I have at present no plans for such a meeting.

asked the Prime Minister what consultation she has had with Dr. Garret FitzGerald since the Taoiseach's proposal of an All-Ireland Forum.

I met Dr. FitzGerald in the margins of the European Council on 22 March. The meeting was informal and introductory in character and covered a number of matters of concern and interest to us both.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on her response to the International Red Cross approach to allow bereaved Argentines to visit the Falkland Islands.

We have given this approach very careful consideration and are aware of the sensitivities involved. The civil commissioner in Port Stanley has also consulted the Falkland Islands elected councillors. We have concluded that it would not be right to prevent close relatives of those Argentines who died on the Falklands from making a visit to their graves provided that such a visit is organised and supervised by the International Committee of the Red Cross—ICRC—that it is purely humanitarian in nature, and that certain conditions are observed. We have asked the ICRC to make this clear in response to any inquiries and we are in discussion with it about the details of such a visit.At the same time, we repeat yet again the offer which has been made to the Argentine Government on several occasions to return to Argentina the bodies of its service men at present buried on the Falkland Islands. We hope this offer has been communicated to the next-of-kin.

asked the Prime Minister what representations she has received either from Uruguay or through the International Red Cross from the Uruguayan Government on the proposed visit to the Falklands of bereaved Argentines.

Both the Uruguayan Government and the International Committee of the Red Cross have been in touch with us on this subject through diplomatic channels. The details of the exchanges are confidential.

asked the Prime Minister whether Her Majesty's Government will be putting forward new proposals for world recovery at the Western leaders' summit at Williamsburg on 28 and 29 May and at the sixth United Nations conference on trade and development at Belgrade on 6 to 30 June.

At both the Williamsburg summit and the UNCTAD conference in Belgrade the United Kingdom will continue, in co-operation with its partners, to work for a broadly based and sustainable recovery in the world economy.

asked the Prime Minister what progress she has made in her investigation into the Argentine air force jet which left with military cargo from Stansted in Essex on 25 March 1982 and the aircraft which left Heathrow for Argentina with military spares on 29 March, following communication she received from the hon. Member for West Lothian after her reply of 14 March, Official Report, c. 24–5.

Inquiries have been made as suggested by the hon. Member, but no information on which to base further investigation has yet come to light.

asked the Prime Minister which Government Departments employ officials charged with monitoring and investigating international financial transactions conducted in the United Kingdom; and how many are employed in this field in each Department.

A number of Government Departments have some degree of responsibility for monitoring and investigating international financial transactions carried out in the United Kingdom. Among these are the Inland Revenue, Customs and Excise, the Department of Trade, the Export Credits Guarantee Department, the Central Statistical Office, Her Majesty's Treasury and, as an agent for the Treasury, the Bank of England. I am afraid that the numbers of officials involved in each Department could be determined only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Prime Minister if she will announce the composition of the United Kingdom delegation to the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe.

The parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe will be meeting in Strasbourg from 25 to 29 April. I have appointed 18 delegates from the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The delegation this year will consist of 10 Members of the Conservative party, seven Members of the Labour party and one Member of the Liberal party. I have also appointed a number of substitute delegates.The appointments of representatives and substitutes have been made on the basis of nominations by the Leaders of those parties concerned.The same delegation will be representing the United Kingdom Parliament at the assembly of the Western European Union.Representatives from the Government Benches will be as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is yet able to make a statement on whether ships and units which took part in the South Atlantic campaign will be able to include the campaign in their battle honours.

I am not yet in a position to make a definitive statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to name vessels of the Hunt class in service and building after the larger centres of population, particularly the larger seaside towns, in view of the need to maintain historic links with such centres of population following the scrapping of most of the frigates so named.

Names for Hunt class ships in service and building have already been selected, but I will bear this suggestion in mind when considering names for future warships.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will outline the proposed building works to provide accommodation and facilities for his Department's and civilian personnel on Ascension Island and the costs involved.

New system-built accommodation, including facilities for cooking, messing and laundry, is being constructed for service personnel stationed on or travelling through Ascension Island. Recreational facilities will also be provided. The cost of the contract for these facilities is approximately £16 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many widows of service men killed in the Falklands have withdrawn from the proposed visit to graves in and around the Falklands; and for what reasons.

Four. The reasons are private to them.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what arrangements have been made with British Airways for carrying the widows of service men killed in the Falklands to Montevideo;(2) what arrangements have been made with the owners of the Cunard Countess for the transport of widows of service men killed in the Falklands from Montevideo to the Falkland Islands.

Close relatives of those who were buried in the Falklands, or who were lost at sea in the fighting, will visit the islands. Transport will be by British Airways aircraft to Montevideo and thence by the cruise liner Cunard Countess.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the statement made in February to Mr. Christopher Young of Southam News by a spokesman from his Department, concerning the sinking of the General Belgrano, was made with his authority.

In the short time available I have not been able to trace any such statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions in the past 18 months Her Majesty's ships have passed through the Panama canal.

Six.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many residential rehabilitation hostels for drug dependants there are in Wales; where they are located; and how many places each has.

This information is not held centrally. However, the report of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on treatment and rehabilitation—appendix E, map 1—identified that in December 1981 there was one residential unit for drug-free recovery in Wales, an annex to Emlyn house, Newport. The report did not specify the number of places provided there.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out the total number of jobless in Wales, by county, in March 1983 and March 1979, respectively; and if he will make a statement.

I shall write to the hon. Member when the information is available and will place a copy of my reply in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will issue guidelines to local education authorities in Wales to ensure that education facilities for mentally handicapped children give due regard to the home language of such children.

I do not think it is necessary to issue such guidelines at present. If the hon. Member has a particular problem in mind, I will look into it if he will let me have the details.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the number of jobs created in the south Pembrokeshire area arising out of the development and processing of North sea oil.

No meaningful estimate is possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will introduce legislation requiring local authorities to consult the relevant communities, community councils and adjacent residents before granting planning approval and licences under the Control of Pollution Act 1974 for the dumping of domestic refuse; and if he will make a statement.

No. I am satisfed that the existing publicity requirements of the relevant legislation allow sufficient opportunity for interested third parties to comment on proposals of this sort.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total underspend on capital expenditure on roads in Wales for the financial year 1982–83; and if he will list this by county.

Present indications are that there will be no significant underspend on either central Government or local authorities' roads capital expenditure in 1982–83, but final figures will not be available for some time.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to improve the availability and use of the Welsh language in medical care in Wales in view of the shortage of Welsh-speaking medical staff; and if he will update the directive "The Health Service and the Welsh Language".

No. I am satisfied that health authorities in Wales recognise the importance of appointing staff who can communicate with patients in the Welsh language, where this is appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the increase in the number of men under the age of 50 years who died from heart disease in Wales in the last 20 years.

This information is not readily available. I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many deaths in Wales each year are attributed to heart disease.

Over the past five years, just over 12,400 deaths were attributed annually to heart disease.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many units for the treatment of heart disease there are in Wales; what areas they cover; and which unit covers the Bridgend-Ogmore area.

Heart disease is treated at district general hospitals throughout Wales. Patients from the Bridgend-Ogmore area would be served by the Bridgend general hospital. A specialised regional unit for cardiology and cardiac surgery is available at the university hospital of Wales, Cardiff.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of men of working age in Wales suffering from angina.

As angina is not a notifiable disease, this information is not collected.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Ogmore, Official Report, 28 March, c. 11, whether he will consider the Bridgend area for the establishment of an information technology centre.

I am informed that the Manpower Services Commission is considering such a proposal.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many prosecutions were taken in (a) 1981, and (b) 1982 against those individuals in Wales who burnt grass and heather outside the permitted period without the appropriate licence.

One in 1981 and none in 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress there has been since 8 December towards setting up a court of arbitration for delimitation of the continental shelf between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

A date for a further meeting between officials has not yet been fixed. I understand the new Irish Government are still considering the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in view of the breaches of human rights in E1 Salvador, he will reconsider the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the Government of that country; and if he will make a statement.

Our policy towards E1 Salvador is kept under continuous review in the light of regular reports received from our diplomatic representatives accredited there and of consultations with other countries which share our concern about events there.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government offered any assistance to Mr. Joshua Nkomo on his arrival in the United Kingdom; and whether any cost to public funds has resulted from his stay.

Her Majesty's Government offered no assistance to Mr. Nkomo on his arrival in the United Kingdom and there has been no cost to public funds resulting from his stay in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what powers the United Kingdom Government and the Falkland Islands council can invoke under existing legislation governing the Falkland Islands to restrict the export of funds.

There are no powers under United Kingdom legislation which can be used to restrict the export of funds from the Falkland Islands. As far as powers under Falkland Islands legislation are concerned, this is a matter on which I shall need to consult the Falkland Islands authorities and I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report the United Kingdom parliamentary delegation to the North Atlantic assembly.

The following represent the United Kingdom at the North Atlantic assembly:

• Sir Patrick Wall, MP (Leader)
• Mr. Robert Banks, MP
• Mr. Julian Critchley, MP
• Sir Victor Goodhew, MP
• Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith, MP
• Mr. Robert McCrindle, MP
• Sir Julian Ridsdale, MP
• Mr. Peter Viggers, MP
• Earl of Kimberley
• Baroness Airey of Abingdon
• Dr. David Clark, MP
• Mr. Patrick Duffy, MP
• Mr. Bruce George, MP
• Mr. Kenneth Marks, MP
• Mr. Peter Snape, MP
• Lord Lovell-Davies
• The right hon. Lord Mayhew
• Mr. John Cartwright, MP

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will ensure that the minimum weekly grant income for subsistence purposes of a student aged 18 years and over following a full-time course in education is at least the supplementary benefit rate of £20·55 per week and for students aged 16 and 17 years at least the supplementary benefit rate of £15·80 per week.

My right hon. Friend is only responsible for setting the level of mandatory awards. At present this is £1,225 a year—equivalent to about £32 a week for the 38 weeks it covers—for a student living at home, £1,595 a year—about £42 a week—for a student living away from home not in London and £1,900 a year—about £50 a week—for a student living away from home in London. These are all above the supplementary benefit rates quoted by the hon. Member.Discretionary awards are paid by many local education authorities to students, including some 16 to 17-year-olds, on courses which do not attract mandatory awards.Information on the level of such awards, which are determined by each local education authority, and on which my right hon. Friend has no power to intervene, is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what factors he takes into account when considering proposals by local education authorities to cease to maintain church schools; and whether he has regard to representations made by the affected church authorities.

Any statutory proposal to cease to maintain a school, whether county or voluntary, is examined on its individual merits in the light of the educational interests of the pupils concerned, the objections or other representations received including those from church authorities, the expenditure factors involved and all matters relevant to the case. Among these are my right hon. Friend's policies for education, which include sustaining a balance between the county and voluntary sectors appropriate to each area, having regard to factors such as parental choice.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if the Government have now reached a view on the remaining recommendations of the scrutiny of the Victoria and Albert and Science museums.

Yes, I am placing in the Library of the House a note of the Government's views.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply of 17 December 1982, Official Report, c. 272–273, when he expects Mr. G. F. Cockerill, CB to begin his review of the national youth bureau; and if he will make a statement.

The Department has today written to Mr. Cockerill giving him the following terms of reference:

In the light of the recommendations of the Review Group on the Youth Service, and in consultation with relevant Government Departments, the youth work field, and such organisations providing services to the field as seem appropriate, to advise the Secretary of State on changes necessary in:—

(a) the role of the National Youth Bureau (NYB), taking into account any overlap which may exist between its services and those of other bodies funded by Government;

(b) the accountability of the NYB in the fulfilment of its role;

(c) the internal management structure of the NYB;

(d) the administrative relationship between the NYB and the Council for Education and Training in Youth and Community Work.

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

[pursuant to his reply, 7 February 1983, c. 250]: Details of the GREs for education and all other services are being published by the Department of the Environment in its Technical Handbook of Grant-Related Expenditure Assessments for 1983–84. Copies of this document will be placed in the Library of the House straight after Easter.The total education GRE in 1983–84 is £10,016 million, compared with a total GRE for all services of £19,230 million. The latter figure does not include the sum of £904 million which has been included within relevant expenditure but not allocated among services; this sum recognises that some local authorities need more time to adjust their expenditure to the level which the Government believe desirable. It is for local authorities to decide how this allowance will be spent, but it would be reasonable to assume that actual spending on services will be broadly consistent with the present pattern of expenditure, taking account of authorities' statutory responsibilities and Government policies.The education components for each local education authority of the grant-related expenditure — GRE — assessments published in the Rate Support Grant Report (England) 1983–84 on 17 January 1983 are as follows. These figures include expenditure on all parts of the education service — including the youth service and student awards. They also include debt charges relating to capital expenditure prior to 1981–82 — and also later capital expenditure on advanced further education—and a portion of local authorities' administrative costs.While the figures represent the Government's best judgment on the basis of a total education GRE of £10,016 million of the expenditure that each local authority would—given its particular circumstances-need to incur in 1983–84 in order to provide a level of service comparable to that of other authorities, they are necessarily approximate. The figures have been aggregated with figures for other services to derive a total GRE for each authority which itself is the basis for the calculation of an unhypothecated block grant.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) qualified and (b) unqualified teachers are employed in the Falkland Islands.

Twenty-one qualified and two unqualified teachers are presently employed by the Falkland Islands Government. Up-to-date statistics are not available on the numbers and qualifications of other teachers resident in the various settlements.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when was the last time that any assessment of the degree of illiteracy was undertaken amongst the population of the Falkland Islands; and what was the result of the assessment.

I am not aware of any such assessment having been undertaken.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many children of school age there are whose normal place of residence is in the Falkland Islands; and in which educational establishments they are being educated.

A projection made in November 1982 of the 1983 figures indicated that there would be some 303 children of school age normally resident in the Falkland Islands; and that of these 112 would be at the senior school, 114 at the junior school, and 77 covered by the camp education system.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will give details of the fees paid by parents in the Falkland Islands for the education of their children.

The education of children resident in the Islands is provided free of charge by the Falkland Islands Government. Further education undertaken by children at the Thomas Peacocke school in Rye is funded from the bilateral aid programme. Fees paid by parents who choose to educate their children elsewhere are not a matter for Her Majesty's Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 24 March, Official Report, c. 469, what subjects were discussed at the meeting between the Minister for Overseas Development and the Tanzanian high commissioner on 21 March; and if he will make a statement.

The subjects discussed were British aid for the Songea-Makambako road and the health sector project; road maintenance; food production; and Tanzania's economic situation.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether he is being kept informed of the progress in land settlements on the sites in the Philippines which the Commonwealth Development Corporation hopes to develop with the National Development Company in La Paz and Loreto; and whether the Commonwealth Development Corporation rather than the National Development Company will be responsible for the evaluation, examination and payment of land claims on the proposed National Development Company-Commonwealth Development Corporation plantation;(2) whether it is a condition of Commonwealth Development Corporation investment in the Philippines that the Lost Command and similar forces are removed from the area of potential investments before any large sums of money are committed; and whether the presence of such forces is a factor borne in mind when the Commonwealth Development Corporation considers whether its commitment to such projects should be continued;(3) how much of the £6·4 million which the Commonwealth Development Corporation intends to invest in NGPI, Philippines, will be allocated to compensating the land claims of farmers who surrendered their land to the company between its inception and December 1982; and what information he has as to the proportion of the total costs incurred by NGPI and its partners in setting up the plantation at San Francisco, Agusan Del Dur, between its inception and December 1982 spent on compensating farmers who surrendered their land to the company during the same period;(4) whether, in view of the request of the Minister for Overseas Development to the Commonwealth Development Corporation to negotiate with its partners in the NGPI project in Agusan Del Sur, Philippines, terms to end land abuses on that plantation, he is satisfied that the land claims of all those who surrendered their land to NGPI have been properly investigated and that all claimants have been fairly compensated.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his plans for the Southern Africa development division of his Department.

The British development division in southern Africa will continue to carry out its present functions in relation to our aid programmes in the region. It did not prove feasible to move the division to Harare; it will therefore remain based in Lilongwe.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received, and from whom, about the alleged misuse of both United Kingdom bilateral and European Community food and other aid for Ethiopia and, in particular, about its diversion to the Soviet Union; when the reports were received; what representations he has made to the European Community about this; what other action he has taken; what further steps he will now take; and if he will make a statement.

Since I replied to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Edge Hill (Mr. Alton) on 28 February, reports alleging the misuse of food aid in Ethiopia have appeared in the press. Apart from this, since the end of January this year we have received representations from one Member of the House of Lords, one Member of the European Parliament, and one member of the public making or passing on similar allegations.All these were drawn to the Commission's attention by our representative to the Community, most recently on 28 March, and I understand that M. Pisani, the Commissioner for Development, has instructed the Commission Delegate in Addis Ababa to investigate them, with the help of local representatives of the Community's member states. I am asking our ambassador in Addis Ababa to co-operate with the Commission over this as far as possible. Meanwhile, I raised the reports with the Ethiopian ambassador when he called on me on 28 March; he assured me that they were unfounded.We are providing 27,000 tonnes of grain (worth approximately £3·3 million) to the world food programme to support projects in Ethiopia both directly and indirectly. We are also supplying emergency relief aid totalling £400,575 through certain British voluntary agencies and the UN Disaster Relief Organisation (UNDRO). I shall keep closely in touch with these bodies about their arrangements, but I have confidence in their experience in handling such operations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether, in respect of the Commonwealth Development Corporation project in San Francisco, he will request the Commonwealth Development Corporation to require its partners, NGPI and the National Development Council, to grant additional compensation to farmers who surrendered their land to NGPI between its inception and December 1982 for no money, or inadequate sums; and whether he will ensure that steps are taken to discover which farmers have legitmate, unsatisfied compensation claims;(2) if he will add to his reply to the hon. Member for West Stirlingshire, on 21 March,

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

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what aid is given by European Community countries other than the United Kingdom to their respective pig industries.

The responsibility for monitoring all aids given by member states rests with the European Commission, and it would not be appropriate for my Department to attempt to duplicate its work by maintaining a detailed inventory of such aids. We are, however, constantly on the alert for national aids to agriculture that appear to breach the treaty, and we remain fully prepared to refer substantiated cases to the Commission.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the pigmeat consumed in the United Kingdom is imported.

It is estimated that imports into the United Kingdom of pigmeat in 1982 amounted to 29 per cent. of total new supplies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what reply he has sent to the letter of 25 March from the leader of the Hull city council requesting an early decision on the application of grants under the urban development grant scheme for the development of the Hull marina.

The letter of 25 March from the leader of the Hull city council was received by my right hon. Friend's office on 28 March. My right hon. Friend will reply shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what grants have been made by his Departments in cash terms and in real terms to Lambeth council in 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83 and estimated for 1983–84, showing separately the rate support grant, the housing improvement grant and the inner city partnership grant for each year; and what is the total amount in cash and in real terms of the penalty holdback in the relevant years, including 1983–84, on the assumption that the council will decide on a total budget in this year of £108 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the United Kingdom response to the German proposals on seals made to the convention on international trade in endangered species; and what has been the advice offered to the Government by the Nature Conservancy Council.

The Government are considering the proposals. The Nature Conservancy Council has advised that they should be supported.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much of the £160 million housing investment programme allocation redistributed in December and January is to be used for the purchase of homes from the private sector; and what is the estimated number involved.

The estimates in the tables show the available information. Changes in the way grant was paid over the relevant period limit the ability to compare grant entitlements over a period of years. The information in the tables therefore requires careful interpretation in the light of the explanatory notes attached. Information for 1982–83 and 1983–84 is shown only in cash as information on pay and price changes is not yet available to compare them in real terms with previous years.

Such information as is readily available was set out in the table referred to in the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Construction to my hon. Friend the Member for Reading, North (Mr. Durant) on 25 January.—[Vol. 35, c. 409–416.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of the Semple Sweet report on the in-house and out-house costs of certain services of the Property Services Agency.

My right hon. Friend is still studying the report of the working group on design costs in PSA and has so far taken no decision on publication.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the value of the Exchequer subsidies and rate fund contributions, separately, to local authorities housing revenue account dwellings, on a per dwelling basis, for the years 1978–79 to 1982–83, and the estimate for 1983–84, plus the number of local authority housing revenue account dwellings on which these figures are based.

The information requested is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities have applied for the approval of enveloping schemes; and if he will list the authorities and the name of the area to be subject to the scheme.

Excluding enveloping schemes currently being carried out under the urban programme, the following authorities have submitted applications to carry out enveloping schemes in Housing Action Areas under their HIP programmes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many of the public sector house building starts and completions undertaken by (a) local authorities, (b) housing associations and (c) new towns were for (i) outright sales, (ii) shared ownership and (iii) rental in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982.

I will write shortly to the right hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many dwellings have been purchased, and at what cost, from private housebuilders for shared ownership sales since 1 April 1982 by (a) housing associations and (b) local authorities; and how many they estimate by 31 March.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many applications by tenants of the South Herefordshire district council to purchase their homes under the right-to-buy provisions of the 1980 Act are presently being processed;(2) how many applications by tenants of the Hereford city council to purchase their homes under the right-to-buy provisions of the 1980 Act are presently being processed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all housing action areas currently declared, by name of area, name of local authority, date of declaration and estimated completion and the number of dwellings in each area still requiring external repair and improvement action.

I shall write to the right hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the average time it has taken for the Hereford city council to process an application to purchase by a tenant under the right-to-buy provisions of the 1980 Act from the date of first application to the date of completion; and how this compares with the national average;(2) what is the average time it as taken for the South Herefordshire district council to process an application to purchase a home under the right-to-buy provisions of the 1980 Act from the date of first application to the date of completion; and how this compares with the national average.

I regret this information is not available in my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many houses have been purchased from the South Herefordshire district council under the right-to-buy provisions of the 1980 Act; what was the average price; what percentage this number represents of the number of dwellings owned by the South Herefordshire district council in 1979–80; and how these figures compare with the national average and the average for the West Midlands;(2) how many houses have been purchased from the Hereford city council under the right-to-buy provisions of the 1980 Act; what was the average price; what percentage this number represents of the number of dwellings owned by the Hereford city council in 1979–80; and how these figures compare with the national average and the average for the West Midlands.

The available information is as follows:

Hereford and South Herefordshire councils have reported, respectively, 322 and 175 admitted right-to-buy claims being dealt with at the end of December 1982. These figures exclude admitted claims which have subsequently been withdrawn or deferred, as well as those where the sale has been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment on what occasions since 1 September 1982 officials of his Department have met the chief executive of the London Dockland Development Corporation; what matters were discussed on each occasion; what reply was given to the chief executive when he sought an assurance that Her Majesty's Government would not favour the port of London authority entering into an agreement with the Greater London Council concerning continued water access to the royal docks system; and what is his policy towards maintaining water access to the royal docks as part of his plans for regenerating industry and employment in the dockland area of the London borough of Newham.

My officials have regular and frequent meetings with the chief executive and other LDDC officials, to discuss a wide rang of matters affecting the corporation and its function of regenerating and redeveloping London Docklands. No assurances were given by my officials on the attitude of Her Majesty's Government to any proposals for an agreement between the port of London authority and the Greater London Council concerning water access to the royal dock system. I shall be guided in my plans for regenerating industry and employment in the area, including the question of water access by the advice of the corporation, which has initiated a joint study with Newham borough council, the GLC and the port of London authority on the future of the royal docks.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the amount of funds received by each of those bodies, other than non-departmental public bodies and private companies, which receive grants from his Department as listed in his answers to the questions of the hon. Member for Rugby on 17 February and 14 March, Official Report, c. 227 to 231 and 34.

The information is as follows: