asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the percentage change in real terms in expenditure on education since May 1979.

Between the academic years 1978–79 and 1982–83, a period over which the school population fell by about 10 per cent. expenditure on education in England, including universities in Great Britain, is estimated to have fallen by about one percentage point in 1981–82 cost terms.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many representations he has received from parents in recent months about the alleged failure of schools in their area to implement the provisions of the Education Act 1944 regarding religious instruction and a daily collective act of worship; and what guidance he gives to parents in reply.

Since the beginning of this year my right hon. Friend has received no representations on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the final cost of each completed advanced gas cooled reactor station in 1983 prices; and what is the latest estimate, on the same basis, of advanced gas cooled reactor stations under construction.

I am advised by the CEGB that the final cost of the AGR power station at Hinkley Point B, which was commissioned in 1978, is equivalent to £760 million at 1 April 1983 prices. Three further first generation AGR stations are presently under construction. The latest cost estimate, converted to 1 April 1983 prices, are as follows:

	£million
Dungeness B	1,550
Hartlepool	1,230
Heysham I	1,150

One second generation AGR power station, Heysham II, is under construction. The sanctioned cost as set out in the evidence to the Sizewell B inquiry was £1,506 million at 31 March 1982 prices, equivalent to £1,596 million at 1 April 1983 prices. The CEGB currently considers that it will complete the project within this estimate. All cost estimates exclude initial fuel costs.Power stations in Scotland are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will increase his grant-aid support to private energy generating projects.

I have no plans for new grant-aid schemes for private energy generating projects. In some circumstances aid may be available from the energy conservation demonstration project scheme, the coal firing scheme, or the European Economic Community demonstration scheme for energy saving projects. My Department is always glad to learn of prospective proposals for assistance.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will discuss in the European Energy Ministers' meeting initiatives to encourage research into energy conservation demonstration projects.

I expect energy demonstration projects to be on the agenda for the next meeting of the European Energy Ministers' meeting on the 21 April. The outcome of this meeting will be reported in the usual way.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what liaison there is between Her Majesty's Government and Governments of other countries about research into wave power.

There is liaison with other Governments on research into wave power through the International Energy Agency. My Department has participated in a joint MA project with agencies in Japan, Ireland, Canada and the United States. Details are given in the 1980–81 annual report on IEA energy research, development and demonstration published by the OECD, Paris. I am placing a copy of this in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will provide additional resources to Lanchester polytechnic for research into wave power

My Department is prepared to support further research work on wave energy at Lanchester (Coventry) polytechnic, subject to agreement on a specific programme of work and overall budgetary constraints.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, further to the reply of 11 March, Official Report, c. 520–21, to the hon. Member for Rugby on energy projects and European Community refunds, if he will give details of the proposed further support for research and development energy projects referred to; and whether any of these is concerned with the development of devices designed to produce energy from waves.

Support of 107 million ecu (£64 million) in 1983 is in prospect for energy demonstration projects under new regulations for that year agreed by the Foreign Affairs Council on 14 March. It is expected that the new regulations will be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities around the end of April. On 28 March the Commission invited proposals for demonstration projects in energy saving; liquefaction and gasification of solid fuels; solar energy; biomass and energy from waste; geothermal energy; wind energy; and substitution of hydrocarbons with solid fuels. On this occasion wave power was not included. Wave power is contained in the scope of the new regulations, and may be included in a later invitation. Extension of these regulations to 1984–87 will be considered by the Energy Council later this month.The Community will also consider a further energy research and development programme, the detailed content of which is still under discussion.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish figures in the Official Report to show the amounts received in the financial year 1982–83 from offshore licensing revenue by (a) the Isle of Man and (b) Northern Ireland.

The amounts paid to the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland respectively during financial year 1982–83 were £1,683,991 and £38,801,207.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if the new chairman designate of the National Coal Board will be entitled to concessionary coal.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish the transcript of evidence given to the inquiry into the affairs of the National Coal Board carried out by Michael Kerr, QC, in 1970.

The evidence was given to Michael Kerr, QC, on an "in confidence" basis and it would be inappropriate to publish the evidence generally.

asked the Lord President of the Council what steps are being taken to assess hon. Members' needs in the field of information technology and automated office equipment.

The Select Committee on House of Commons (Services) at its meeting on 16 March approved a proposal for a consultancy study of Members' needs in the field of information technology. The contract has since been awarded to the Economist Intelligence Unit Ltd. and it is intended that the consultants will report to the Computer Sub-Committee in June. The consultants' research will be based on interviews with those Members and their staff who have agreed to participate. The interviews will take place in the period between the Easter and Whitsun Recesses.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the tidal surge warnings now provided by the Meteorological Office for the west and east coasts can be extended to include the south coast.

Whereas East coast surges can be monitored by the storm tide warning service from the north of Scotland progressively down the North sea, making it possible to produce warnings of up to 12 hours, surges reach the south and west coastlines with very little warning and for them it is not possible to produce reliable forecasts.The STWS does provide some information to water authorities along these two coasts, but it lacks the precision and reliability of that for the east coast. Work is, however, in progress to find improved ways of forecasting surges along the south and west coasts.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce measures to increase assistance to growers to help them change from oil to solid fuel in heating glasshouses.

Substantial assistance is already available to glasshouse growers to help them to change to solid fuel heating systems. Grants of up to 25 per cent. of the costs of conversion to coal-firing are available under the Department of Industry's coal-firing scheme, which has recently been extended to 31 December 1983. In addition, loans on favourable terms of up to 50 per cent. of conversion costs may be obtained. Grants for conversion to any type of solid fuel heating system are available under my Department's capital grant schemes at rates ranging from 15 percent. to 32½ per cent., depending on the kind of facility and scheme of assistance involved.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much farm workers' wages rose on average in 1982.

The wages and employment enquiry indicates that in 1982 the average weekly earnings of regular whole-time hired men in agriculture in England and Wales were higher than in 1981 by £9·58, or nearly 10 per cent.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will list all the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights since May 1979 which have been critical of established practices in the United Kingdom, where he or his representatives have appeared before the court to contest the action on behalf of Her Majesty's Government.

Since May 1979 the following judgments of the European Court of Human Rights have been given in which the Court has found the United Kingdom to be in breach of provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights:

The case of Young, James and Webster—breach of Article 11 (freedom of association) arising out of the operation of the closed shop in relation to the applicants.

Campbell and Cosans v. United Kingdom—breach of Article 2 of Protocol No. 1 (right to respect for religious and philosophical convictions in the provision of education) in relation to the refusal to allow the applicants to insist on their children being exempt from corporal punishment.

Dudgeon v. United Kingdom—breach of Article 8 (respect for private life) in relation to the prohibition in Northern Ireland of homosexual conduct carried out in private between consenting adults.

X v. United Kingdom—breach of Article 5(4) (review procedure for lawfulness of detention) in relation to the detention of a mental health patient.

Silver and others v. United Kingdom—breach of Articles 6(1) (right to a hearing in the determination of civil rights). 8 (right to respect for correspondence) and 13 (right to an effective remedy) in relation to the stopping or delaying of certain letters written by prisoners.

In all these cases the court did not find the United Kingdom to be in breach in respect of other matters complained of by the applicants. Findings by the court are made in the context of the particular facts of the cases before it, rather than on assertions of established practices.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is now in a position to make a statement about the acceleration of the programme of closure of the 405-line television transmitters as recommended by the Merriman review, Cmnd. 8666.

After careful consideration I have decided to accept this recommendation and to close down the 405-line services by the end of 1984. The phase II engineering programme designed to bring UHF 625-line TV services to communities of over 500 people will be largely, though not wholly, complete by that date, but the additional programme to help smaller communities will for contractual reasons be slower and more expensive than was hoped. Self-help schemes, however, have also made a useful contribution, and thus the maximum possible figure I gave on 20 May 1980 announcing the timetable for closure of the 405-line services of 90,000 people outside UHF coverage by the end of 1984 remains unchanged. This figure should reduce to 60,000 to 70,000 by the end of 1986. The number of viewers unserved by UHF who will be receiving usable 405-line signals by the end of 1984 cannot be precisely identified but must be smaller than the figure of 90,000 because some of these will never have been able to receive 405-line transmissions, and because 405-line receivers will be at least 20 years old by that time. I recognise that by bringing forward the closure date as recommended in the Merriman report there will be a hiatus before alternative provision for some 405-line viewers is available, while some others will be denied a service earlier than had been foreseen. As the report recognises, however, there is no alternative but to make these bands available for land mobile services at the earliest possible date if the urgent requirements of these services are to be met.There is some risk, as mobile services are introduced into band I and III, that they may cause interference to cable systems which use these frequencies to distribute 625-line services, but we think that these systems can be protected by suitable screening.

(Leith) asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to amend the law so that political parties are obliged to declare their source of income for electioneering activities in the period immediately prior to the notice of an election.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 March.—[Vol. 39, c. 371.] The return of a candidate's election expenses includes expenses incurred before the notice of election is published.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the comments made by the Recorder of London, Judge James Miskin QC, on Monday 28 March calling for a revision of the varieties of sentence available in a case such as that of a man of 20 years who had indecently assaulted a 10-yearold girl, he will take steps to alter the sentences available in such circumstances.

At present, by virtue of section 3 of the Criminal Justice Act 1961 a court wishing to impose a custodial sentence of more than six months but less than three years on a young adult offender (one aged 1.7 and under 21) must, with certain limited exceptions, pass a sentence of borstal training. On 24 May, when part I of the Criminal Justice Act 1982 comes into effect, this section will be repealed. Courts will then be able to pass sentences of youth custody on young adult offenders up to the maximum period of imprisonment which would be applicable to an adult (in the case of indecent assault on a female aged under 13, this is five years). The wole of the law on sexual offences, including penalties, is under review by the criminal law revision committee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for reducing overcrowding at Her Majesty's prison, Walton; and if he will make a statement.

The overcrowding at Her Majesty 'sur prison, Liverpool reflects the continuing pressure on the prison system generally. Conditions in the establishment will improve with the eventual completion of the phased programme of refurbishment currently being undertaken, which entails taking a wing at a time out of commission. In the meantime relief will be provided as additional places become available elsewhere through the prison building programme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning overcrowding at Walton prison.

An inmate of Her Majesty's prison, Liverpool recently submitted a petition in which he complained of the unsatisfactory conditions brought about by overcrowding at the establishment. In addition we have received a number of representations about overcrowding in the prison system as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will enable inmates at Her Majesty's prison, Preston, to be more fully employed in the prison workshops.

Every effort is made to keep inmates at Her Majesty's prison, Preston fully employed, but the workshops there cannot operate at full capacity because a general shortage of prison service staff means that officers often have to be diverted from supervising work to other duties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the costs of policing the Colin Roach demonstrations in Hackney on 12 February and 12 March; and what were the numbers of police employed on these occasions.

We understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that he estimates that the cost of police overtime incurred was approximately £10,200 on 12 February and £6,500 on 12 March. The numbers of police, including those held in reserve, employed to police the demonstrations and related events on the two days were 605 and 574 respectively.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make an official visit to St. Fergus in the Aberdeenshire, East constituency.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister what representations she has received concerning Her Majesty's Government's policy on admitting refugees to the United Kingdom.

I have received representations which allege that the United Kingdom is being less than generous towards refugees, particularly from Eastern Europe. I refute this. We not only satisfy the obligations of the United Nations refugee convention, we also allow many applicants for asylum to remain here when they do not fully meet the requirements of that convention. In other cases we consider applications for exceptional treatment outside the immigration rules.We do not, however, regard an individual's dissatisfaction with political and economic conditions in his own country as by itself justifying admission to the United Kingdom.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her official engagements for 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her official duties for Tuesday 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 12 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 April.

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. This evening I hope to attend a dinner given by Her Majesty the Queen at Windsor.

asked the Prime Minister in how many areas unemployment is at or above 30 per cent.

At 10 March, five out of the 393 travel-to-work areas in the United Kingdom had an unemployment rate of 30 per cent. or more, four of them in Northern Ireland.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will make it Government policy to ensure that transcripts of public inquiries concerning subjects of national importance should be available to participants free of charge.

It is already the practice for a number of copies of such transcripts to be made available locally to enable anyone who wishes to do so to consult them free of charge. I consider that it is normally reasonable to expect those requiring their own copies to pay for them, although special arrangements may occasionally by justified.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make it the policy of Her Majesty's Government that before making appointments of chairmen and members of Government boards Ministers should, in the interest of good labour relationships, discuss with the representatives of the trades unions within the industry for which the appointments are to be made the potential list of applicants and their qualifications, to seek the views of the trade unions, before making a final decision on such appointments.

No.

asked the Prime Minister if she will arrange for the Property Services Agency of the Department of the Environment to take over responsibility for the maintenance of the penal estate.

No.

asked the Prime Minister if she has plans to pay an official visit to Liverpool.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will take steps to locate and release the evidence submitted by the late Alan Grimshaw to the Royal Commission on standards of conduct in public life.

The papers of the Royal Commission on Standards of Conduct in Public Life are subject to the provisions of the Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967 and are held in the Public Record Office. It would not be appropriate to release the late Mr. Grimshaw's evidence, which was taken in confidence, at this early date.

Year of Advance	Name of Company	Register Number	Type of Property	Valuation of Property still under Mortgage*	Balance Outstanding in February 1983
				£	£
1972	Citybrae Properties Ltd.	1031136	Private dwelling houses	115,000	83,340
1972	Villagate Properties Ltd.†	1031124	Private dwelling houses	221,000	64,383
1981	Jovine Estate Holdings Ltd.	1188334	Private dwelling houses	133,250	74,000
1982	Villagate Properties Ltd.	1031124	Private dwelling houses	366,000	280,235
* Valuation at time of advance, adjusted for properties subsequently released from mortgage charge.
† The property was subsequently transferred, subject to mortgage, to Jovine Estate Holdings Ltd.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many mortgagors have mortgage advances of (i) £25,000 or below, (ii) between £25,000 and £30,000 and (iii) above £30,000, analysed by region and between standard and higher rate taxpayers.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what are the Government's plans for Civil Service participation in the youth training scheme; and whether he will make a statement.

The following orgnisations are considering offering places under the youth training scheme:

• Royal Mint
• MOD Civilian Establishments (inluding Royal Dockyards, Royal Ordnance Factories and Procurement Executive).
• Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO).
• Ordnance Survey.
• Export Credit Guarantee Department.
• Ministry of Agriculture, Commodities Division.
• Off Shore Supplies Office, Glasgow.
• Forestry Commission.
• Customs and Excise (particularly at Southend).
• Some office/common services areas (including computers).
• Government research activities.
• MSC.
• Museums and Galleries.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, following the answer to the hon. Member for Ipswich on 2 March, Official Report, c. 166, he will give full details of the advances that make up the £502,000 balance outstanding to the Britannia building society.

The society has provided the following information, with the consent of the borrower, in respect of the four advances. They were to three companies, not four as stated in the earlier reply: I apologise to the hon. Member for this mistake.The society has also told me that it would be willing 1:0 provide the hon. Member with further information about these transactions and the properties concerned, if he would care to approach it.

I take it the hon. Member has in mind outstanding mortgages, and I regret that detailed information is not available. An analysis by size and region, but not by marginal rate of tax or income level, of recent new loans advanced by building societies only could be provided by the Department of the Environment on the basis of the sample inquiry which it conducts jointly with the Building Societies Association.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of criticism from value added tax tribunals, he will review the practice of Customs and Excise of charging value added tax on a basis contrary to that set out in statements of practice issued to taxpayers when such statements are found to be legally incorrect; and if he will make a statement.

In the exercise of their responsibility for the care and management of the tax, the Commissioners of Customs and Excise publish a large range of public notices, leaflets and so on which contain their guidance for VAT registered traders on how the Commissioners interpret the law on VAT machinery, procedures and liability. This guidance is amended when necessary, consequent on legislative change, judgments delivered in litigation, or administrative review.In recent cases on special aspects of the tax, individual VAT tribunals in reaching decisions on particular circumstances before them have criticised two reliefs published and operated by the Commissioners as being unduly generous interpretations of the law. In the circumstances of both cases and bearing in mind the fact that in neither was the legitimacy of the relief fully argued before the tribunals, the Commissioners have since concluded that they continue to have adequate legal justification for maintaining their previous attitude to these reliefs.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the amount of the total revenue in the present financial year from income tax that arises from tax levied at the standard rate, and the amount that arises from tax levied at higher rates; and if he will make similar estimates for 1983–84.

Estimates of the total receipts of income tax are £30,220 million in 1982–83 and £31,400 million in 1983–84. The available breakdown by basic and higher rates relates to the tax due on the estimated income base of the year rather than to the tax received in the year. In percentages it is as follows:

	1982–83	1983–84
	per cent.	per cent.
Basic rate tax	90	90½
Higher rate tax*	10	9½
Of which:
Excess over basic rate;	4½	4
Basic rate element	5½	5½
* Including investment income surcharge; which accounts for some 3¾ per cent. of total income tax due in both years.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in which European Community countries value added tax is levied on sales of ice cream and in which countries this is not the case; and if he will make a statement.

Available information is that all European Community countries charge VAT on sales of ice cream, except for Greece which has not yet introduced the tax. In the United Kingdom ice cream is charged VAT at the standard rate of 15 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from Mrs. Nicole Davoud of the Multiple Sclerosis Society about unemployed disabled people who suffer from partial incapacity; what reply he is sending; if there is any action he is taking; and if he will make a statement.

I have recently received a letter from Mrs. Nicole Davoud on behalf of the Multiple Sclerosis Society about the situation of unemployed disabled people who suffer from partial incapacity and are thus only able to work on a part time basis. I have replied that this is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Social Services, who is currently reviewing the position. Any proposals that may be put forward will, of course, have to be considered in the light of the resources available at the time.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe on 7 April 1982, Official Report, c. 376–78, he will list the purposes for which the contingencies fund was used, and the amount allocated for each purpose, in 1982–83; what is the level of the contingencies fund for the financial year 1983–84; what commitments have already been set against it; and whether there has been any change of policy in connection with the use of the fund since his answer of 7 April 1982.

The purposes for which the fund has been used, the amounts used, and the limit on the capital of the fund at any one time in 1982–83 are given in the following table. Under the Contingencies Fund Act 1974 the capital of the Contingencies Fund must not at any time exceed an amount equal to 2 per cent. of the authorised Supply expenditure for the previous financial year. Gross advances from the fund during the year as a whole were greater than the capital limit. This is because sums repaid to the fund may be re-used. The limit on the capital of the fund at any one time in 1983–84 is £1,654 million.Advances outstanding on 5 April 1983 were £339·8 million, of this £338·7 million was in respect of expenditure in 1982–83 and £1·1 million in respect of 1983–84. For 1982–83, £241·2 million was in respect of advances to finance departmental working balances over the turn of the financial year, £85 million was for expenditure in excess of voted provision in 1982–83 for which Parliament will be asked to approve an excess vote in due course, £12 million was in respect of expenditure expected to be balanced in receipts in the final accounts for the year, and £500,000 was for stamp duties remitted in respect of public Departments and so on and other expenses which will be repaid from the Vote for repayments to the Contingencies Fund presented annually as a summer Supplementary Estimate.The amount for 1983–84 was almost entirely for an advance of the Victoria and Albert museum's annual purchase grant, with £15,000 for a new service (control of the disease hydatidosis) announced to the House on 24 March.—[Vol. 39, c. 468.]Further commitments for new services have also been announced, but no advances have yet been made. These commitments are for payments in connection with petroleum production licenses, announced to the House on 31 March—[Vol. 40, c. 266]—and for Peace through Nato, announced today.There has been no change in policy in connection with the use of the Contingencies Fund since 7 April 1982.

	£million*
Limit on the capital of the Fund at any one time during 1982–83	1,526
The purposes for which the Fund has been used in 1982–83 are as follows:
1. In anticipation of votes of Parliament
(a)to meet expenditure in excess of the amount granted in the Vote on Account	240
(b)to meet expenditure during the Vote on Account period on new services for which provision has been made in the original Estimate	13
(c)to meet expenditure on unforeseen new services	95
(d)to meet expenditure in excess of the provision on those subheads which may not be financed from savings on other subheads†	—36
(e)to meet further expenditure on existing services when the cash provision on the Vote is exhausted!	1,074
(f)to meet expenditure to be financed ultimately from receipts pending the accrual of those receipts	12
(g)to finance working balances over the turn of the financial year	247
(h)to meet stamp duties remitted in respect of public departments etc., and other expenses	1
2. In anticipation of revenue (if repayments and other expenditure on a particular day exceed receipts) Customs and Excise	1,377
Inland Revenue	395
Total	3,454
* Provisional
† The definitions of categories (d) and (e) to some extent overlap and, where this has occurred, advances have been attributed to the more relevant category.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, as indicated in paragraph 45 of the consultative document of 7 May 1982, he intends to extend the petroleum revenue tax charge on asset-related receipts proposed in the Finance Bill to (a) owners of assets so far dedicated to foreign fields, or (b) companies which might be set up in future to transport or treat other people's oil.

Receipts in the first class should be taxed provided that taxation by more than one country is avoided or relieved. Now that the nature of our charging proposals can be seen in the published legislation, the Inland Revenue will be having early discussions with the Norwegian tax authorities. In the light of those discussions, I shall decide what further action is needed. I have decided, after careful study of the representations made, not to extend the PRT charge to the second class.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the net individual income effect on taxpayers earnings (a) two thirds average earnings (b) average earnings (c) twice, (d) three (e) four (f) five and (g) 10 times average earnings according to whether the taxpayer is (i) single, (ii) married and (iii) married with one, two, three, four or more children of his Budget proposal to change the Customs and Excise duty on tobacco;(2) if he will list the net individual income effect on taxpayers earning

[pursuant to his replies, 28 March 1983, c. 65]: Estimates are given below of the average effects on household expenditures of the proposed 1983–84 specific duty rates compared with 1982–83 rates. Consequential increases in VAT and ad valorem cigarette duty are included in these estimates. These averages include both non-smoking and teetotal households.These estimates are derived from family expenditure survey data adjusted for known under-reporting of expenditure on these items. However, the data do not yield reliable estimates above about one and a half times average earnings, so estimates are not provided for higher earnings levels, nor for the other household types specified as these could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

	Pence per week (1983–84 prices and income levels)
	Single	Married	Married + two children
2/3 Average earnings
Tobacco	9	19½	20
Alcoholic drinks	9½	10½	10
Average earnings
Tobacco	7½	16	16½
Alcoholic drinks	13	14	12½

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider the establishment of a free port zone in the town of Fraserburgh, in view of the high level of male unemployment in that area.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 April 1983, c. 333]: The Government are currently considering the criteria by which applicants for free port designation will be judged. These criteria will be announced shortly for the guidance of potential operators. All bids for free port facilities received subsequently will be fully and carefully considered. But the overriding consideration must be the commercial viability of free port locations.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the airports in the Uniled Kingdom where Customs and Excise officers provide customs clearance facilities to passengers on prior notice.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 April 1983, c. 333]: Customs passenger clearance facilities are provided on prior notice at the following airports:

• Blackpool
• Cambridge
• Coventry
• Gloucester/Cheltenham (Staverton)
• Humberside
• Inverness (Dalcross)
• Kirkwall
• Shoreham and
• Valley

At the following airports prior notice for clearnace facilities is required on some occasions, for example, weekends and/or public holidays:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those airports in the United Kingdom where Customs officers provide a 24-hour service.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 April 1983, c. 333]: A 24-hour customs service is provided throughout the year at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, Luton, Glasgow and Prestwick airports. A similar service is also provided at Birmingham, East Midlands and Newcastle airports during the summer season.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what circumstances concessionary customs facilities are provided at ports and airports in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 April 1983, c. 333]: Customs facilities are provided at ports and airports to meet established trade needs provided that official manpower can be efficiently and economically employed. Ad hoc facilities at aerodromes are also allowed exceptionally on humanitarian or national interest grounds.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to seek to amend the Equal Pay Act following the judgment by the European Court of Justice; and if he will make a statement.

We propose to introduce an order to amend the Equal Pay Act in the light of the European Court judgment later this Parliamentary session. The Order will be made under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972. A draft order was published for consultation purposes on 16 February and we are at present considering the responses received.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will increase the size of the Manpower Services Commission's staff who supervise the various youth training schemes that it operates.

I am confident that the Manpower Services Commission has sufficient staff to operate the youth training scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of employment vacancies registered in the London borough of Wandsworth on 31 March.

At 4 March—the latest available count—there were 290 notified vacancies remaining unfilled at jobcentres and 18 at careers offices in the area covered by the Balham, Clapham junction and Tooting jobcentres, which corresponds closely to the London borough of Wandsworth.Vacancies notified to jobcentres are estimated to be about one-third of all vacancies in the country as a whole. The number of vacancies remaining unfilled at a particular date takes no account of the flow of vacancies being notified, filled or withdrawn which would reflect activity more closely. For example, during the 12-month period to December 1982 the number of people placed in jobs by the Balham, Clapham junction and Tooting jobcentres was 6,178. It is estimated that the public employment service accounts for about one in four of all placings.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest number of unemployed in the United Kingdom; and what has been the increase in numbers and in percentage terms in unemployment since May 1979.

At 10 March there were 3,025,600 unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom, an increase of 1,772,100 or 141 per cent. since May 1979. The figures exclude school leavers and are seasonally adjusted.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures for unemployment, both regionally and nationally; and if he will make a statement.

At 10 March, the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom was 3,172,390. The comparable regional figures were published in the unemployment press notice issued by my Department on 31 March; a copy is in the House of Commons Library.I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Scotland Exchange (Mr. Parry).

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the present number of unemployed men, women and school leavers in each travel-to-work area of the United Kingdom indicating which are registered as temporary, and those who have registered as unemployed for one, two, three or four years, respectively, without having had a job in the meantime; and if he will make a statement.

I am writing to the hon. Member, giving the numbers at March 1983 of unemployed males, females and school leavers under 18 years of age for each travel-to-work area in the United Kingdom, and I am arranging for a copy of the tables to be placed in the Library. The additional information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number and percentage of unemployed who have not registered since October 1982.

Current monthly estimates are not made for the numbers of non-claimants on the old basis of registrations. Such people will be included in the overall estimates of the non-claimant unemployed which will be available from surveys from time to time.A special count of non-claimant school leavers registered at careers offices will take place in June, July and August when their numbers are particuarly large.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will report on preparations for the new youth training scheme.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friends the Members for Nelson and Colne (Mr. Lee) and Saffron Walden (Mr. Haselhurst).

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest available figure for longterm unemployment in Liverpool.

At 13 January, the latest date for which a duration analysis of the unemployed was made, there were 7,751 claimants in the Liverpool Jobcentre area who had been unemployed for more than 52 weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he last met representatives of private sector employment agencies to discuss the employment situation; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend and I have frequent contact with representatives of the private sector employment agencies to discuss matters of mutual interest.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects Government policies to result in an increase in employment.

To provide sustainable employment, British industry must sell more goods and services at home and abroad. Government policy is to maintain conditions in which this can happen, by keeping down inflation, and by encouraging efficiency and enterprise.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest unemployment figures for the Leeds travel-to-work area.

At 10 March there were 41,998 unemployed claimants in the Leeds travel-to-work area.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average annual increase or decrease in real wages for the United Kingdom from 1979 to the latest available date.

Between 1979 and 1982 the average earnings index for the whole economy increased at an annual rate of 14·2 per cent. Over the same period, the retail prices index rose at an annual rate of 12·8 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to enable the community enterprise programme to set up projects for the internal painting of ecclesiastical edifices without regard to any objections from the British Decorators Association.

It is a condition of funding under the community programme, which has replaced the community enterprise programme, that temporary work projects do not put jobs in permanent employment at risk by substituting for work which would normally be carried out by private contractors. In considering projects the Manpower Services Commission must therefore have full regard to the views of employer organisations such as the British Decorators Association and trades unions to ensure that public funds are not used to undermine existing employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many premises in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively, were registered with the factory inspectorate nationally and in south Yorkshire and Humberside.

Over the last five years the number of premises registered with the factory inspectorate as the enforcing authority nationally was:

	Number
1978	301,000
1979	310,000
1980	309,000
1981	550,000
1982	500,000

The number of premises with the south Yorkshire and Humberside area where the factory inspectorate was known to be the enforcing authority was:

	Number
1978	12,400
1979	12,300
1980	12,200
1981	11,300
1982	11,600

The variation in the national figures for 1981 and 1982 results from changes in the method of compiling the register.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are currently employed under the terms of the job sharing scheme.

By 8 April, 199 applications for grants under the job splitting scheme had been approved creating 398 part-time jobs.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are covered by pay agreements involving an element of profit sharing; and how this compares with similar estimates for 1978.

In each of the two most recent years for which figures are available—1980–81 and 1981–82—about 250,000 employees have been allocated shares under profit sharing schemes approved for the purposes of tax relief under the Finance Act 1978. Over 100,000 employees are now benefiting from approved savings-related share option schemes for which tax relief was introduced in 1980. The Government do not keep records of the total number of employees participating in

Young people leaving compulsory education in OECD countries in most recent years Distribution among full-time education labour force and other activities
Percentages
Country	Year	Full-time education			Labour force		Outside labour force	Not known	Total (4+5+6+7+8)
		Secondary General(a)	Secondary Vocational (b)	Total (2+3)	Apprenticeship (c)	Other
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Australia (e)	1975	ֵ	ֵ	60	(P)ֵ	29	(d)ֵ	(d)ֵ	100
Austria (e)	1976	15	24	39	54	7	(d)ֵ	(d)ֵ	100
Denmark (f)	1976	69	1	70	ֵ	ֵ	ֵ	ֵ	100
Finland (e)	1977	43	20	63	1	25	ֵ	11	100
France (e)	1975	34	36	70	8	22	(d)ֵ	(d)ֵ	100
Germany (g)	1977			31	64	4	1	(h)ֵ	100
Greece	1974	70	10	80	3	17	(d)ֵ	(d)ֵ	100
Ireland (f)	1976	50	14	64	4	26	5	(h)ֵ	100
Japan (m)	1977	61	32	93	—(n)	3	(o)4	—	100
Netherlands (3)	1968–69	ֵ	ֵ	82	5	6	7	(h)ֵ	100
Norway	1975	45	31	76	5	19	(d)ֵ	—	100
Portugal	1975	ֵ	ֵ	69	3	20	ֵ	8	100
Sweden	1974	(j)37	(k)30	l68	(d)ֵ	28	4	(h)ֵ	100
Switzerland (e)	1975	ֵ	ֵ	17	55	28	(d)ֵ	(d)ֵ	100
United Kingdom	1974	ֵ	ֵ	21	18	51	10	(h)ֵ	100
England and Wales	1976	ֵ	ֵ	23	ֵ	ֵ	ֵ	ֵ

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in age groups the number and percentage of those unemployed for one year or more and for two years or more in (a) the Consett area and (b) the Northern region.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many youngsters were participating in apprenticeship schemes in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries at the latest available date; and what percentage of the total number eligible in each country these figures represent.

Information is not available in the precise form requested; nor is the data available to update the information given to the hon. Member in March 1981. The following is the latest information available from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development:

The following is the information for unemployed claimants at January 1983, the latest date for which an analysis by age and duration of unemployment is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the length of time for which the recruiting campaign has been undertaken for persons to join the nuclear installations inspectorate.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 April 1983]: Recruitment of nuclear installations inspectors has taken place annually since 1976. The Civil Service Commission held the most recent competition in June 1982 and the final appointments from this are currently in hand. Arrangements are well advanced for the 1983 competition and the closing date for applications is 29 April. Arrangements will be made for a second competition later this year if there are vacancies unfilled from the present competition.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the present manpower of the British Steel Corporation; and what are the figures of manpower each year since 1977.

Finished steel products: united Kingdom consumption (million tonnes)
	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982 Jan.-Sept
Total consumption of which)*	18·4	17·5	15·4	15·8	15·3	15·6	15·2	12·6	12·1	9·4
Sheet	3·9	3·5	2·9	3·5	3·2	3·5	3·3	2·6	2·8	2·1

At the end of February 1983, the total manpower of the British Steel Corporation was 84,200. Comparable figures for the end of March in the last six years were:

	Number
1982	103,700
1981	120,900
1980	166,400
1979	186,000
1978	196,900
1977	207,900

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what has been the consumption of steel products in Great Britain in each year over the last 10 years; and if he has any information as to the most significant changes in products in demand.

The available information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what percentage of the United States market for steel in 1982 was supplied by the European Community; and what percentage of this was supplied from the United Kingdom.

Information currently available, from the United States Iron and Steel Institute, shows that, in 1982, EC countries supplied 7½ per cent. of the United States market for steel mill products; ½ per cent. was supplied by the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the production capacity of the steel industry in Great Britain at the latest date and in each year since 1977; and how much steel was actually produced in each year since 1977.

The information is as follows:

Steel industry in Great Britain
million tonnes
	Crude Steel Capacity	Crude Steel Production
1977	28·9	20·5
1978	27·9	20·4
1979	28·9	21·5
1980	28·0	†11·3
1981	25·5	15·6
1982	*25·2	13·8
Sources: Capacity—ECSC. Production—IISI.
* Estimated.
† Crude steel production was reduced by the effect of the steel dispute.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will take steps to allow public access to the records of the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation, at least in so far as the arrangements for the takeover of Bonser Engineering Ltd. by Dowty Mining Ltd. are concerned.

The records concerned contain commercial information relating to the activities of several companies which was provided on a confidential basis to the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation. I therefore regret that I cannot yet make these records public.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will make it their policy to support a negotiated solution in El Salvador between the Government forces and the FDR-FMLN resistance movement.

I refer the right hon. Member to paragraph 37 of Cmnd. 8819.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance Her Majesty's Government propose to give towards the organisation Peace Through NATO in the financial year 1983–84.

Provision has been made in the Main Supply Estimates for a grant in aid of £68,000 in Class II, vote 1, Overseas Representation: Diplomatic, Consular and other Foreign and Commonwealth Services. Pending parliamentary approval, any necessary expenditure will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the recent visits by Ministers in his Department to the United States of America.

Since I last answered questions on this topic on 25 November, my hon. Friend the Member for Chelsea (Mr. Scott) and my noble Friend the Earl of Gowrie have both visited the United States in order to promote understanding of Northern Ireland issues there and to encourage Americans not to contribute to organisations which support terrorism in Northern Ireland. My hon. Friend visited San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York in December and my noble Friend visited Washington and New York last month. Both Ministers gave media interviews and met leading opinion-formers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on his attitude towards local needs' policies in statutory plans.