asked the Minister for Trade why he has offered the Citizens Advice Bureaux a grant of £3 million for a six-month period in place of the £6 million for a full year which was the position in 1982.

asked the Minister for Trade what were the reasons for his decision to withhold 50 per cent. of the £6 million grant in aid applied for by the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux in 1983–84; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Minister for Trade if he will specify the complaints about citizens advice bureaux which have led him to reconsider the funding of the organisation

I have nothing to add to my statement to the House on 12 April on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to the reply of 25 February, Official Report, c. 547, if, in order to monitor and assess the effectiveness of education and publicity expenditure aimed at countering discrimination against disabled people, he will take steps to identify the elements of such expenditure by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

This Department has no separately indentifiable programme of education and publicity to counter discrimination against the disabled. Such activity is invariably integral to other policy initiatives and it is impossible to isolate expenditure related only to that specific purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what quantities of coke were imported from Japan for British Steel Corporation blast furnaces in Great Britain in 1982 and so far this year; and what is the current price per tonne cif unloaded.

Details of the BSC's contracts for supplies are a commercial matter for the management of the corporation. I suggest that the hon. Member contact the BSC direct.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the total sum of public money given to (a) Kraft United Kingdom and (b) the Kirkby Kraft plant in each of the last five years.

I regret that it is not possible to provide the information in the form requested except at disproportionate cost. However, I can state that no significant amounts of selective financial assistance have been granted to Kraft Foods Ltd.; just over £½ million has been paid in regional development grants in amounts over £25,000.

asked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to introduce further measures for the benefit of pensioners.

Our plans to uprate pensions and other benefits in November will be announced in June. We shall continue our efforts to bring down the rate of inflation still further. This will protect the value of pensioners' savings which have suffered so much from past inflation.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will pay an official visit to Jerusalem to meet representatives of the Government of Israel.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 14 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 14 April.

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.

asked the Prime Minister when Her Majesty's Government expect to decide whether to place an order with British Aerospace for the 748 Coastguarder for fishery protection work.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is at present studying a technical evaluation of a number of aircraft, including the British Aerospace 748 Coastguarder, for fishery protection work and will shortly be entering into discussion with the other interested Departments. No final decisions can be expected for several months.

asked the Prime Minister if, in the interests of strengthening the North Atlantic Alliance, her Majesty's Government will initiate discussions between the European Economic Community Foreign, Trade and Agriculture Ministers and the United States of America to seek to resolve present trade difficulties over agricultural products.

The European Community and the United States of America are both aware of the urgent need to resolve their differences over agricultural trade. Discussions have taken place at political and official level in Brussels and Washington over the last four months. These talks, which are still continuing, have so far been encouraging. Her Majesty's Government has played an active role in pressing for restraint by both sides.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will press for an increase in the size of the European Community regional and social funds.

Yes. We have made it clear on a number of occasions that we believe that expenditure under the regional fund and social fund should increase both in real terms and as a share of total Community spending.

asked the Prime Minister if she will visit the London borough of Newham to discuss with members of the local borough council, the churches, rotary, chamber of commerce and other voluntary organisations the problems confronting the borough generally and the sick, aged and unemployed in particular.

I have no immediate plans to visit Newham. If there are matters of special concern to the hon. Member no doubt he will bring them to the attention of the Ministers responsible.

asked the Prime Minister what was the total paid out in rent and rate rebates and rent allowances and any other forms of rent and rate relief in the years 1980–81 and 1981–82 for the whole of the United Kingdom.

Direct assistance to householders for housing costs in the United Kingdom is estimated as follows:

asked the Prime Minister if she will list those members of the Government who reside for a substantial part of the year outside the United Kingdom.

None.

asked the Prime Minister if she will take steps to monitor and assess the effectiveness of education and publicity by Government departments as a means by which discrimination against disabled people may be countered; and if she will make a statement.

It would be impossible to isolate the effect of education and publicity by Government Departments from that of other organisations, many of which are supported financially by Government grants.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet reached any conclusions as a result of his reconsideration of clause 10 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Bill in the light of the representations made to him; and if he will make a statement.

The purpose of the Police and Criminal Evidence Bill is to modernise the law governing the investigation of crime and to promote the ability of the police to bring to justice those responsible for crime. In furtherance of these objectives, clause 10 of the Bill, which follows the recommendations of the Royal Commission on criminal procedure, and provides for stringent safeguards, is intended to enable the police when investigating serious crime to obtain access to evidence of such crime for use in criminal proceedings in cases where considerations of confidentiality make it difficult for those holding such evidence to release it. As was made clear in the proceedings of the Standing Committee, it has never been the Government's intention, nor is it the effect of the clause, that the police should be empowered to obtain material which would not itself be admissable in evidence in subsequent criminal proceedings, by reason, for example, of the rule against hearsay evidence.However, I have taken very seriously and sympathetically the anxieties expressed by members of the medical and other caring professions and their voluntary counterparts that the provisions of the clause would, however unintentionally, adversely affect their confidential relationships with those who seek their help; and I promised to look at the clause again in this light.To reassure those who are concerned and to remove any uncertainty I have decided to bring forward amendments to provide that confidential personal records relating to the work of the medical and other caring professions and their voluntary counterparts and other voluntary counselling agencies shall be altogether exempt from the provisions of the clause.The application of clauses 9 and 10 to material held by journalists has also been the subject of representations. My hon. and learned Friend will be meeting representatives of the profession very shortly, and will discuss with them changes which I have it in mind to propose to meet the concern of journalists.Articles, including documents, held on a confidential basis, other than the personal records which I have mentioned, will remain within the scope of the clause, but I shall propose the introduction of further safeguards on their production.I also think that it would be desirable to take the opportunity presented by the Bill to extend so far as is reasonably practicable the protection of the procedure contained in clause 10 to documents held on a confidential basis—for example, by legal or financial advisers — which are at present, under the existing and less stringent statutory provisions, liable to seizure as a result of the execution of a magistrate's search warrant. I intend, therefore, to bring forward an amendment which will achieve this.In this form clause 10 of the Bill, while improving the ability of the police to obtain evidence of serious crime, will introduce safeguards against intrusion upon personal confidences which will be considerably stronger than those recommended by the Royal Commission on criminal procedure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many security personnel were employed by his Department on escorting and detaining immigrants last year; and what was the cost to public funds.

The Home Office does not directly employ security personnel for this purpose. Under a contract with the Home Office, however, Securicor Ltd. provides staff to man the immigration service detention arrangements, under the direction of the immigration service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the recent effort made by the Metropolitan police in their attempts to clear the streets of Kings Cross of prostitutes and their pimps.

We understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that he is satisfied that since the establishment earlier this year of a police unit to deal with prostitution and associated crime in the Kings Cross area the level of prostitution has been reduced. A number of arrests for living off immoral earnings and for brothel keeping have been made. The unit is continuing in operation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will encourage police forces to make more use of television when asking members of the public to supply information in criminal cases.

It is for individual chief officers of police to consider how best to obtain information from members of the public about criminal offences.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the growing number of robberies involving security firms and in the light of the robbery at Clerkenwell on 4 April, he will now introduce legislation requiring all security firms to be registered or licensed and to prohibit any such firms employing persons who have had a criminal record and any such person to be in any way involved in such firms.

No. We are not persuaded that such legislation would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date Mrs. Nusrat Bhutto of Pakistan requested permission to visit the United Kingdom; when permission was given and on what basis; and how many other Pakistani citizens were granted and refused permission for entry on the same terms or at the same date.

Mrs. Nusrat Bhutto arrived at Heathrow on 18 March and on that day was given leave to enter as a visitor for six months. The other information requested is not collected on a daily basis, but the numbers of citizens of Pakistan given leave to enter as visitors and refused leave to enter are published annually in Command Papers "Control of Immigration Statistics: United Kingdom".

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will seek powers to grant to every victim of assault and criminal activity the opportunity of making a public statement in court, before sentencing, of what the victim feels the magistrate or judge should impose on the persons found guilty of any crimes, before sentence is promulgated;(2) whether he will seek powers to enable persons who are victims of robberies and attacks to be consulted by the judge if so requested as to the sentences which should be meted out to those found guilty of criminal activities.

No. My right hon. Friend considers that present procedures enable the courts to take full account of all the relevant consideratons before passing sentence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, on completion of their sentences recently imposed at the Old Bailey, he will arrange for the deportation of Parvin Ghadim, Gunter Gerhard, Miss Ghadim and Irat Nahid.

A decision will be taken when all the relevant information has been obtained and considered, including the views of the court, which did not recommend deportation. No such decision can be made while an appeal may be brought against conviction or sentence, or while an appeal is pending.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks are made to ensure that animals used for research are not subject to severe and enduring pain during tests being made on them.

It is a condition of every licence issued under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 that animals not fully anaesthetised shall not be allowed to experience severe pain that is likely to endure, whether or not the purpose of the experiment has been achieved. Licences under the Act are granted only to applicants who can be trusted to observe its provisions and, where appropriate, licensees are supervised by senior staff. Members of the Cruelty to Animals Inspectorate make direct checks in the course of their regular, mostly unannounced, visits to places registered under the Act for the performance of experiments. In 1981 they made 6,743 such visits. We are satisfied that these safeguards appear to work successfully in securing observance of the pain condition.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many charges were brought in 1982 in respect of cruelty to animals; and how the figure compares with that for 1972.

The number of persons proceeded against in magistrates courts for cruelty to animals is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales". For 1981, in supplementary tables, Vol. 1, table S1.1(A) — offence classification 108. Information published for years before 1979 is on a different basis and cannot be directly compared with that for later years. However, it is estimated that in 1972 about 690 persons were proceeded against for cruelty to animals compared with about 1,050 in 1981. Information for 1982 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many charges were brought in 1982 in respect of cruelty to children; and how the figure compares with that for 1972.

The number of persons proceeded against for cruelty to, or neglect of, a child, mainly under section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales". For 1981 in supplementary tables, Vol. 1, table S 1.1(A) — offence classifications 11 and 109. More serious offences involving the wounding of children cannot be identified separately as they are included within other offence categories. Information published for years before 1979 is on a different basis and cannot be compared directly with that for later years. However, it is estimated that in 1972 about 120 persons were proceeded against for cruelty to children compared with about 110 in 1981. Information for 1982 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras, South on 31 March, Official Report, c. 277–78, when he expects to be able to issue reliable figures on gun issues within the Metropolitan police;(2) pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras, South on 31 March,

The results of the joint study being carried out by Home Office officials and police, to which I referred in my reply to the hon. Member on 31 March —[Vol. 40, c. 277]—will be reflected in the returns for future years. Figures for 1982 are not reliable because they are based on information collected during the course of that year which cannot be changed in retrospect and which reflect variations in the interpretation of what should and should not be recorded. For this reason, any further analysis of these figures would be nugatory. The guidelines for the police on the issue and use of firearms to which my right hon. Friend referred in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Dudley, West (Mr. Backburn) on 31 March set out comparable criteria for the issue of firearms both within the Metropolitan police and for other forces in England and Wales. We have no reason to believe that any district of the Metropolitan police issues firearms except where there is reason to suppose that a police officer may have to face a person who is armed or otherwise so dangerous that he could not safely be restrained without the use of firearms; for protection purposes; or for the destruction of animals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the numbers and grade of each civil servant in his Department dealing (a) exclusively and (b) partly with the discharge of his functions as police authority for the metropolis.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question by the hon. member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Cunningham) on 11 November 1982.—[Vol. 31, c. 219–20.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what powers, and for what reason, an immigration officer from Hull took possession on 5 April of the passport of Mr. M S G, a foreign national, now residing in the Goole parliamentary constituency.

Mr. M S G was refused leave to enter the United Kingdom on 22 September 1982. He was granted temporary permission pending consideration of representations made on his behalf. These representations were rejected on 28 March, and on 5 April an immigration officer requested the return of the passport in order that arrangements could be made for its renewal and Mr. M S G's removal from the United Kingdom. Mr. M S G was provided with a certified photocopy of the document for identification purposes. Mr. M S G's removal has now been deferred pending consideratio of further representations from the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to publish a revised edition of the draft codes of practice on the treatment, questioning and identification of persons suspected of crime, published last November.

I have placed in the Library and in the Vote Office copies of a revised edition of the draft codes which I would be empowered to issue under the Police and Criminal Evidence Bill. The revised edition takes account of the views expressed within and outside Parliament on the draft codes whose publication I announced on 18 November last year.I am grateful to all those private individuals and bodies who have considered and commented on the draft codes. The comments received have helped us to improve them.I shall, of course, continue to keep the drafts under review in the light of the views expressed during the progress of the Police and Criminal Evidence Bill. Before exercising the powers conferred on me to issue codes of practice I would in addition undertake further consultations.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the actual times allowed, or taken by civil servants to wash prior to their leaving their employment; and whether any have had such time deducted from their normal working time during the past few months.

Information is not held centrally on the actual times allowed or taken by civil servants to wash up prior to their leaving their employment. The precise arrangements for starting and finishing work are a matter for decision following local negotiations and having regard for the needs of the Service.Arrangements vary from the formal practice of allowing time in the interests of health and safety,

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of persons receiving basic state pension who pay income tax; and what revenue is raised from this source.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the change in the tax and price index in the past 12 months.

The tax and price index for February 1982 was 162.4 based on January 1978=100. In February 1983 it stood at 171·6, an increase of 5·7 per cent. over the 12 months.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the numbers of families with children living under the tax threshold for each of the past 20 years.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 March 1983, c. 66]: I regret that information is not available on which to base estimates for each of the past 20 years A rough estimate, however, is possible for the year of the 1971 census, when about one and a half million families with dependent children did not pay income tax.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals are under consideration within the European Community for a shared contribution by the Community to assist in the social, economic and political development of the central American countries.

Certain central American countries receive assistance under regular European Community aid programmes. Several countries also benefit from the special aid programme for central America agreed in November 1982. Any consideration of further assistance would have to take account of available resources and other priorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all dependent territories of the United Kingdom indicating where appropriate those which are themselves dependencies of other dependent territories.

The remaining British dependent territories are as follows:

• Anguilla
• Bermuda
• British Antarctic Territory
• British Virgin Islands
• Cayman Islands
• Falkland Islands
• Falkland Islands Dependencies
• Gibraltar
• Hong Kong
• Montserrat
• Pitcairn Group of Islands
• St. Helena and Dependencies (Ascension and Tristan da Cunha are dependencies of St. Helena)
• Turks and Caicos Islands.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will give from international sources a list of those countries which do not permit British citizens to have dual nationality.

The information sought by the hon. Member is not available in consolidated form. Although our posts overseas keep us informed about the nationality laws of their host countries, we could not justify the research necessary to produce a definitive list of countries which do not permit dual nationality.There are various forms of restrictions on dual nationality. Where it is necessary for Her Majesty's Government to establish the precise position of British nationals under the nationality law of another country, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office seek specific information from the authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will extend the deployment of the British contingent with the multinational force in Lebanon beyond May.

In response to a request from the Lebanese Government, we have decided to extend the period of our deployment for up to three months after the present deployment ends on 7 May.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, out of the revenue base allocation of £44,410,000 to the Hounslow and Spelthorne district health authority, what amount relates to the element in respect of St. John's hospital, Twickenham, and Teddington memorial hospital.

We allocate resources to regional health authorities following the principles laid down by the resource allocation working party and not in relation to each specific hospital or service. The RHA in turn is responsible for the allocation of resources to DHAs within the region using a formula basis. In setting district allocations, regions should also take account of existing health provision and local priorities and plans. Allocations are therefore made as a general payment for the totality of the services of an authority and they should be determined at local level if possible. However, the actual running costs in 1981–82 for St. John's hospital were £477,289 and for Teddington memorial hospital £770,785.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what funds he made available in 1981 for facilities for drug dependents.

It is the responsibility of health and social services authorities to provide such services for drug dependents as may be necessary in the light of perceived local needs, but, in addition, central funds totalling £213,850 were made available by the Department in 1981–82 to assist voluntary organisations providing services for drug dependents.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the level of services available for drug dependents.

I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby (Mr. Pawsey) on 1 December 1982 — [Vol. 33, c. 215–161] —regarding the action we are taking to improve services.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the total number of (a) men, (b) women, and (c) children currently awaiting (i) investigatory operations and (ii) open heart surgery in each regional health authority at the latest available date;

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total number of (a) men, (b) women, and (c) children who are (i) currently receiving kidney dialysis and (ii) awaiting renal surgery in each regional health authority.

The following table shows the number of patients in each region being treated by all forms of renal dialysis on 31 December 1981, the most recent date for which information is available.

The latest available information on the numbers of patients awaiting admission to the specialty of general surgery and to all surgical specialties is given in the following table. Information on the sex and age of the patients and the type of operation awaited is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the reply of 25 February, Official Report, c. 565, if, in order to monitor and assess the effectiveness of education and publicity expenditure aimed at countering discrimination against disabled people, he will take steps to identify the elements of such expenditure made by his Department either directly or through other statutory authorities and voluntary organisations concerned with the disabled; and if he will make a statement.

It is not possible to isolate such expenditure from that on other aspects of disability.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why he has refused to appoint John Hoggart as a supplementary benefit appeal tribunal member.

I understand that Mr. John Hoggart is director of the Liverpool welfare rights advice centre. In the Government's view, it is not appropriate for a person holding such a position to be appointed to a supplementary benefit appeal tribunal, whose duty is to be, and be seen to be, impartial. In the same way, we would not think it appropriate to appoint DHSS officials to such tribunals.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to remove the anomally whereby carers lose invalid care allowance when their dependent has lost attendance allowance through aggregating more than 28 days respite care in a national Health Service establishment; and if he will make a statement.

I cannot agree that an anomaly exists as the hon. Member suggests. Entitlement to invalid care allowance is dependent upon the provision of care for someone receiving attendance allowance. Where the payment of attendance allowance is interrupted because the claimant is being cared for in a National Health Service establishment, the person receiving invalid care allowance is not providing care so it is only reasonable that the payment of invalid care allowance be interrupted, too. The 28-day rule is a concession to enable both allowances to continue for a short while, even though the care is being provided during that time at the NHS establishment. I have no proposals for altering the rules about the way in which the 28 days are calculated.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has now abandoned any proposal to try to collect records of the ethnic origin of applicants for supplementary benefit.

We have not made any proposal to collect such data in respect of supplementary benefit claimants. The collection of data on the ethnic origin of unemployed people is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his reply to the hon. Member for North, Norfolk of 11 April which refers to excessive losses of goods from hospitals, if he will estimate the costs to health authorities of such losses in the last financial year; how the losses compare with similar losses in the previous financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Details of health authorities' losses are included in their annual financial accounts. As stated in my reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short) on 28 March 1983—[Vol, 40, c. 42]—losses from theft, fraud and arson for the financial year 1981–82 totalled £774,240. For the financial year 1980–81 the amount totalled £833,478. Figures for 1982–83 will be available in August 1983. Any estimate would be entirely conjectural.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people per year do not qualify for death grant.

About 8,000 deaths per year do not qualify for the death grant because the deceased was over retirement age in 1948. In addition, the grant is not paid in respect of some 22,000 deaths per year, but it is not possible to apportion that figure to cases in which the grant is not payable because the contribution conditions are not met and cases in which the grant is not claimed for other reasons.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what information he has as to the level of payments made to medical students undertaking paid research in National Health Service hospitals or outside organisations;(2) whether he will order an investigation into the number of National Health Service beds which have recently been used by medical students paid by commercial organisations for the furtherance of private research.

I am not aware of this practice. Perhaps the hon. Member would care to write to me with specific details of the cases he has in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he will publish in the Official Report his reply to the 14 specific allegations of medical students doing the work of hospital doctors submitted to him in a document from the British Medical Association's junior doctors' negotiator, Dr. Aubrey Bristow;(2) whether he will order an investigation into the extent to which medical students are doing the work of qualified doctors in National Health Service hospitals.

Under long-standing arrangements agreed with the medical profession and the universities, final year medical students under close supervision may assist in hospitals when a house officer is on leave. I have received a very brief report from the representatives of junior doctors outlining nine cases of alleged abuse of those arrangements. The allegations are vague and provide insufficient information on which to base a worthwhile investigation. I have asked the BMA to provide more specific details so that the allegations can be investigated.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what funds he made available for services for drug dependents in 1981.

It is the responsibility of health and social service authorities to provide such services for drug dependents as may be necessary in the light of perceived local needs. In 1981 the Welsh Office gave over £10,000 to the drug advisory service run by the South Wales Association for the Prevention of Addiction.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the number of drug dependents in Wales.

Accurate information on the number of drug dependents in Wales is not available. It is known, however, that 75 persons were admitted to mental illness hospitals in Wales in 1981 under the diagnostic group "drug dependence" and a total of 86 narcotic drug addicts in Wales were known to the Home Office, by notification, at 31 December 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the reply of 25 February, Official Report, c. 552, if, in order to monitor and assess the effectiveness of education and publicity expenditure aimed at countering discrimination against disabled people, he will take steps to identify the elements of such expenditure in Wales by his Department in financial support to statutory authorities and voluntary organisations concerned with the disabled; and if he will make a statement.

It is not possible to isolate such expenditure from that on other aspects of disability.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest figures for the output of manufacturing industry in Wales; how this compares with the figures for the same months of 1974 and 1975; and if he will make a statement.

The level of manufacturing output, as measured by the Welsh index of industrial production— 1975 = 100—was estimated to have stood at 93·6 for the fourth quarter 1982. On the same bases, the indices for the corresponding quarters of 1974 and 1975 were 107·8 and 99·7, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many types of youth training schemes there are in Wales; how many young people are engaged upon youth training schemes at present categorised (a) by age group and (b) by sex; and if he will make a statement.

The youth training scheme started on 4 April and I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that detailed information about it will not be available until the end of May. The MSC's plans envisage some 25,000 YTS places in Wales this year, of which it is expected that around 15,000 will be employer sponsored. The scheme guarantees the offer of a place for all minimum age school leavers including those who left school this easter.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the number of pig farmers in Wales.

The number of agricultural holdings with pigs totalled 2,196 in June 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many pre-school playgroups there are in each of the counties of Wales; and if he will make a statement.

The information is given in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many council houses have been sold in the county of Clwyd and in Wales since 1979.

The information is given in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what grades of furnace coke are produced by the National Coal Board; and whether there are any areas of deficiency in domestic capability.

Questions concerning the quality and availability from the National Coal Board of particular solid fuels are a matter for the board. I have asked the chairman of the board to write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received concerning the reduction of the level of rail services.

Since the beginning of this year we have received three letters primarily on this subject, including the hon. Member's letter of 10 March forwarding representations from the Mossley Hill lines action committee about the line between Liverpool Lime street and Allerton. The levels of service on this line are the responsibility of the British Railways Board and Merseyside passenger transport authority. I shall be writing to the hon. Member shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in view of the traffic congestion in Uxbridge and Hillingdon resulting from the closure of the slip-road giving access to the M40 (westbound) at the new Denham roundabout, he will take immediate steps to reopen this slip-road; and if he will make a statement.

I shall answer this question shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the expenditure referred to in his reply of 25 February, Official Report, c. 561, which is directed to the promotion of the integration of disabled people in the community; if he will set out the expenditure incurred in the last 12 months on studies in relation to the needs of disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

It is not possible to list all the expenditure directed to helping the disabled or studying their needs which is not specifically identified within my programmes and includes expenditure by non-departmental bodies. However, some £10·5 million was made available in grants for adaptations and improvements for disabled people in 1982, and, under the Rating (Disabled Persons) Act 1978, 82,000 domestic applicants received rate relief of approximately £6 million and about 6,000 institutes received relief of £33 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will update to the end of December 1982 the table of local authority council house sales referred to in the answer given to the hon. Member for Reading, North (Mr. Durant) on 25 January, Official Report, Vol. 35, c. 409.

I have today placed in the Library the latest version of the table to which my hon. Friend refers, giving information reported by each local authority in England on the progress of council house sales to the end of December 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table of local government (a) current and (b) capital expenditure in each year from1978 to 1983–84 in cost terms consistent with table 1–14 of Cmnd. 8789-I.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 March 1983, c. 94]: The information requested is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what funds he made available in 1981 for facilities for drug dependents.

The provision of facilities for drug dependents is primarily a matter for health boards and local authorities and it is not possible to say how much of the Exchequer funds made available to them is devoted to this purpose. Support under the urban aid programme approved in September 1982 amounted to 75 per cent. of capital expenditure of £27,751 and running cost of £53,733 a year for three years for a project in Glasgow to rehabilitate drug and solvent abusers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the number of drug dependents in Scotland.

Information on which an estimate of the number of drug dependents in Scotland could be based is not held centrally. The only data available are the number of first admissions to mental hospitals and units with a principal diagnosis of drug dependence. In 1980, the latest year for which figures are available, there were 96 such admissions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes to take on the Scottish Law Commission's report on the law of incest in Scotland.

I received the Law Commission's report at the end of 1981, and have received a number of comments upon it. The Government have, however, no immediate plans for legislation on this subject, on which many Members have deeply held convictions which might more appropriately be considered in the context of a private Member's Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the reply of 1 March, Official Report, c. 127, if, in order to monitor and assess the effectiveness of education and publicity expenditure aimed at countering discrimination against disabled people, he will take steps to identify the elements of such expenditure in financial assistance provided by his Department to voluntary bodies concerned with services for disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

No. I refer the right hon. Gentleman to my reply of 1 March to his earlier question—[Vol. 38, c. 127.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the number of pig farmers in Scotland.

At the June 1982 agricultural census there were 1,287 farmers keeping pigs.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what were, for the latest convenient period of 12 months, the proportions of patients admitted to hospital in Scotland under section 31 of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960 whose detentions under that section extended to seven days, 14 days, 21 days and more than 21 days, respectively.

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was, for the latest convenient period of 12 months, the number of patients admitted to mental handicap hospitals in Scotland under the provisions, respectively, of section 24 — detention in pursuance of application for admission — section 31 — emergency admission from community — and sections 31 and 32 — emergency admission of patients already in hospital—of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960.

The number of patients admitted to mental handicap hospitals in Scotland during 1980 — latest period of 12 months available—under sections 24 and 31 of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960 were 27 and nine, respectively. Information is not collected centrally on section 32.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was, for the latest convenient period of 12 months, the number of patients admitted to mental illness hospitals and psychiatric units in Scotland under the provisions, respectively, of section 24—detention in pursuance of applications for admission — section 31 — emergency admission from community—and sections 31 and 32—emergency admission of patients already in hospital—of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960.

The number of patients admitted to mental illness hospitals and psychiatric units in Scotland during 1980 — latest period of 12 months available—under sections 24 and 31 of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960 were 180 and 1954, respectively. Information is not collected centrally on section 32.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was, for the latest convenient period of 12 months, the number of patients under the age of 65 years admitted to mental illness hospitals and psychiatric units in Scotland and the number of those who were compulsory admissions.

The number of patients under the age of 65 years admitted during 1980—latest year available — to mental illness hospitals and psychiatric units in Scotland was 19,492; of these 2,096 were compulsory admissions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was, at the latest convenient date, the number of patients under the age of 65 years and over the age of 65 years, respectively, detained under statutory powers in mental illness hospitals and psychiatric units, and mental handicap hospitals, in Scotland, respectively.

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the value of grants paid in each of the last five years to regional councils in Scotland under the capital grants scheme for community and voluntary projects; and what was the allocation between regions and island areas in those years.

[pursuant to his reply, 2 March 1983; c. 171]: The grants paid in the four years prior to 1981–82 are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are currently unemployed in the construction industry in Northern Ireland.

At 10 March 1983, there were 23,142 unemployed claimants in Northern Ireland whose last employment was in the construction industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any additional financial assistance has been made available to the Northern Ireland engineering industry training board as recommended in its 1981–82 report for a programme of training in new technology.

Financial assistance to the engineering industry training board for grants to firms within the board's scope for training in new technology amounted in 1982–83 to £192,332—an increase of 52 per cent. over the 1981–82 figure.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the security situation.

I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about his discussions with the Governors of the British Broadcasting Corporation about the "Panorama" programme entitled "Britain's Wasteland".

I have written to the chairman of the baord of governors of the BBC to express my concern about this programme and its failure to take proper account of the more positive aspects of the Northern Ireland economy. I have made clear the disquiet the programme has caused among all those seeking to promote the welfare of Northern Ireland. I shall be considering what further action to take in the light of the response.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent by the Government each year since 1975 for the promotion of tourism in Northern Ireland.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many unemployed persons in Northern Ireland were receiving neither unemployment nor supplementary benefit at the latest available date; and how this compares with May 1979.

This information is not available.However, when the basis of the unemployment count was changed in October 1982 there were 5,400 registrants at employment offices who were not claiming either unemployment or supplementary benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new jobs have been created in Northern Ireland by investment by firms based in the United States of America in each year since 1974.

The information is not available in the exact form requested. During the years in question, however, the Department of Commerce and more lately the Industrial Development Board agreed to provide financial assistance to a number of companies of United States parentage in respect of projects designed to generate employment in Northern Ireland. The number of jobs promoted in each year has been as follows: