asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set out the principal achievements of Her Majesty's Government within his Department's responsibilities since May 1979.

Since May 1979 the proportion of children commencing education before the age of five has increased, and the proportion staying on beyond 16 has also increased.The percentage of 3 and 4-year-olds receiving nursery education has increased since 1979 to this year from 18 to 22 per cent. The increase in all children under five receiving education is from 37 to 40 per cent.Over the same period the proportion of 16-year-olds staying on into full-time education has increased from 41 to 48 per cent. and the proportion of all 16 to 18-year-olds in full-time education has improved from 28 to 31 per cent.For full-time higher education, the percentage of 11-year-olds going into full-time higher education, education requiring a minimum entrance of two A-level passes, has increased from 12·1 per cent. in 1979 to 13·5 per cent. in the present academic year. Not only is 13·4 per cent. the highest ever proportion of 18-year-olds going into higher education, but it is the highest total figure because this 18-year-old age group born in 1964, the peak birth year, is a very large age group.Spending on education per child per year in schools has increased in real terms, and now stands at record levels. Pupil-teacher ratios are at their best ever levels. This Government have also promoted improvement in the performance of the system by:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list for each education authority the capital allocations for 1983–84 expressing the figures in absolute terms and in pounds per head of local population.

The information requested is given in the table following.

England
	£000s	£'s per head
Greater London
LEA
Barking	2,928	20·3
Barnet	1,538	5·4
Bexley	1,633	7·9
Brent	1,180	4·8
Bromley	841	2·9
Croydon	800	2·5
Ealing	693	2·4
Enfield	311	1·2
Haringey	1,597	7·5
Harrow	305	1·6
Havering	299	1·3
Hillingdon	896	3·9
Hounslow	2,611	12·7
Kingston-upon-Thames	2,270	17·2
Merton	408	2·6
Newham	2,034	9·6
Redbridge	872	4·1
Richmond-upon-Thames	557	3·5
Sutton	266	1·6
Waltham Forest	1,624	7·6
ILEA	9,683	4·1
Metropolitan Districts
West Midlands
Birmingham	5,220	5·2
Coventry	3,478	10·6
Dudley	3,950	13·3
Sandwell	1,436	4·8
Solihull	356	1·8
Walsall	1,340	5·2
Wolverhampton	2,269	9·0
Merseyside
Knowsley	665	3·9
Liverpool	3,768	7·7
St· Helens	2,384	12·8
Sefton	578	2·0
Wirral	2,403	7·1

asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is making any proposals to secure access to the European Community for third country agricultural products not available in the European Community.

Most agricultural commodities not produced within the Community are subject to nil or relatively low tariffs with, in many instances, preferential rates of tariff for imports from developing countries. In a few instances—for example, long-grain rice—imports are subject to highly protective levies, and I have made strong representations to the European Commission for improved terms of access.

asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will issue the revised codes of recommendations for the welfare of cattle and pigs.

Distribution of the printed codes to all the keepers of the relevant species is to begin next week.I urge all livestock keepers to abide by the provisions of the codes, which embody the Government's advice based on scientific evidence and sound practice for the welfare of farm animals.Copies of the codes will be placed in the library.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest unemployment figures and percentage rates for men and women, respectively, in the Caernarvon and Pwllheli-Porthmadog areas; and how these compare to the corresponding figures for April 1979.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the rate of increase between January 1980 and January 1983 in the number of persons registered as unemployed for more than 52 weeks for each county in Wales, ranked from highest to lowest.

The percentage increase in the number of registrants unemployed for over 52 weeks between January 1980 and October 1982 is as follows:

	Percentage
West Glamorgan	266·8
Powys	246·2
Mid Glamorgan	209·5
Gwent	206·1
Dyfed	202·8
Clwyd	197·0
South Glamorgan	147·7
Gwynedd	128·2

Comparable figures are not available beyond October 1982, but since that date in the period up to January 1983 percentage increases in the number of claimants unemployed for over 52 weeks have been as follows:

	Percentage
Powys	19·2
South Glamorgan	13·1
Mid Glamorgan	9·8
Dyfed	9·3
Gwynedd	8·9
West Glamorgan	7·9
Clwyd	7·9
Gwent	6·0

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many households were receiving supplementary benefits in Northern Ireland in 1981–82; and what was the total cost.

The information is not available in the form requested. However, on 9 December 1981, 98,610 heads of households in Northern Ireland were receiving supplementary benefit. The estimated total cost for 1981–82 was £39 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the estimated value of unclaimed social security benefits in Northern Ireland in 1981–82 and 1982–83.

The information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total paid out in unemployment benefits in Northern Ireland in 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82 and 1982–83.

The amounts of unemployment benefit paid in Northern Ireland in the years in question were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on supplementary heating allowances in Northern Ireland since the scheme was started.

The information is not available in the form requested. However, the notional value of supplementary benefit heating additions allowed in Northern Ireland between November 1980 when the current scheme started and November 1982, the latest date for which information is available, was £23·3 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what financial allocations have been made to each of the area health boards in Northern Ireland.

The financial allocations to the health and social services boards for 1983–84 are as follows:

	£
Northern	100,362,000
Southern	91,517,000
Eastern	300,322,000
Western	86,786,000

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what will be the total cost of the new tower block at Belfast city hospital.

The total estimated capital cost of the new Belfast city hospital, including fees and equipment, is £64·3 million, at March 1983 prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the capital expenditure on each of the hospitals under the Eastern health and social services board in Northern Ireland for the years 1981–82 and 1982–83; and what is the projected capital expenditure for 1983–84.

The information requested is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what services, if any, in the National Health Service in Northern Ireland have been contracted out to private firms since 1979; and what have been the estimated savings as a result.

All major capital works are contracted out and the design services associated with these works are, in the main, provided by private consultants. A high proportion of minor capital works, design services and maintenance contracts are similarly contracted out.Health and personal social services support services are normally provided by health and social services boards. However, services such as laundry work, window cleaning, transport and security are contracted out in varying degrees when in-house capacity is exceeded by demand or where it is considered more appropriate to use commercial firms for such purposes.Information is not available about estimated savings achieved as a result of contracting out.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many inpatients and outpatients were treated in National Health Service hospitals in Northern Ireland in 1981–82 and 1978–79.

Statistical information is kept on a calendar year basis. The number of patients admitted to Health Service hospitals and the number of new outpatients referred to Health Service hospitals in 1978 and 1981 were as follows:

	Inpatients	Outpatients
1978	243,080	634,598
1981	264,292	694,558

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many geriatric patients were treated in National Health Service hospitals in Northern Ireland in the years 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively.

Information is not available in the form requested. However, the following table shows the number of patients treated and discharged—including deaths—from geriatric units in the years in question. It also shows the numbers of attendances at day hospitals attached to geriatric units and at geriatric outpatient clinics.

Year	Number of discharges and deaths from geriatric units	Number of attendances at day hospitals attached to geriatric units	Number of attendances at geriatric out-patient clinics
1979	4,586	N/A	1,546
1980	4,994	N/A	1,725
1981	4,861	26,676	4,302
1982	N/A	N/A	N/A
Notes:
The figure relate to the total number of discharges or attendances and not to individuals.
N/A=Not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) ancillary workers were employed in National Health Service hospitals in Northern Ireland in 1981–82, 1978–79 and at the latest possible date.

Details, including as appropriate whole-time equivalents, are as follows. It is not possible to identify the numbers of ancillary workers employed specifically in hospitals; the figures for this group relate to numbers employed in the health and personal social services as a whole.

	Doctors*	Nurses†	Ancillaries
1978	‡1,273	║14,335	¶
1979	1,334	14,809	║14,902
1981	1,407	16,621	15,522
1982	1,453	17,005	15,579
* Excludes general medical practitioners employed in the hospital practitioner grade or holding other part-time hospital appointments.
† Includes staff of the Northern Ireland Council for Nurses and Midwives.
‡ As at 30 September in each year given.
║ As at 31 December in each year given.
¶ Not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many ancillary workers in the National Health Service in Northern Ireland are currently paid less than £60 per week, between £61 and £80 per week and between £81 and £100 per week

The number of ancillary workers in the integrated health and personal social services in Northern Ireland who are currently paid on basic rates within the bands stated are as follows:

£	Number
Under 60	8
61–80	26,612
81–100	1,743

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will set out the principal achievements of Her Majesty's Government within his Department's responsibilities since May 1979.

The elimination of terrorist violence and public disorder in Northern Ireland has been one of the Government's principal objectives since coming to office and there has been substantial progress in recent years in deterring violence, bringing terrorists to justice and reducing the number of street disturbances. The Government have provided for increases in the strength and resources of the Royal Ulster Constabulary.The Northern Ireland Act 1982 enables the elected representatives of the people of Northern Ireland to exercise greater influence over the affairs of the Province and provides a framework within which powers can be devolved to the Northern Ireland assembly on a basis acceptable to both sides of the community. Pending devolution of powers, the Northern Ireland assembly, which was elected in October 1982, and its committees, scrutinise, and report on, the operation of direct rule. The assembly is actively engaged in this task.The aim of the Government's economic strategy in Northern Ireland has been to create conditions conducive to increasing output and jobs. Public expenditure, per capita, overall continues to be substantially higher than for comparable programmes in Great Britain. Investment incentives remain the most generous in the United Kingdom; the Industrial Development Board has been established: electricity tariffs have been subsidised so that they do not exceed the highest in England and Wales; enterprise zones have been created in Belfast and Londonderry; a youth training programme was introduced a year ahead of the rest of the United Kingdom; and special financial aid has been provided for agriculture.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the unemployment rates at each of the social security offices in the Belfast travel-to-work area at the latest available date.

Unemployment rates are not available for social security office areas. However, at 10 March the numbers claiming benefit at these offices were as follows:

	Numbers
BELFAST
Corporation Street	6,555
Falls Road	10,154
Holywood Road	4,431
Knockbreda	3,103
Newtownabbey	4,159
Shaftesbury Square	3,385
Shankill	4,349
BANGOR	2,696
CARRICKFERGUS	2,335
LARNE	1,978
LISBURN	3,960
NEWTOWNARDS	2,709

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has yet taken a decision on whether to publish the report of Messrs. Semple and Sweet on the Property Services Agency.

No. This is still under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the future of the Glasgow area office of the Property Services Agency in view of its importance in the west of Scotland.

My right hon. Friend has decided to proceed with the development of proposals for restructuring the Property Services Agency on the basis of a reduction from three to two tiers in the agency's regional structure and the separation of defence and civil work into two organisations. Further work is now in hand to assess the detailed implications, but no decisions have yet been taken about the future of individual offices.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has of the progress made by water authorities in providing meters to private householders since the answer of 23 March, Official Report, c. 862; and if he will give an estimate of the capital cost to the consumer of the installation of a meter.

All water authorities give their domestic consumers the option of a metered supply; and so do all water companies, except one which plans to introduce the option later this year. Information on provision of water meters is collected annually and at the last estimate — April 1982 — some 71,000 domestic consumers had a metered supply.Capital cost to consumers will vary according to the details of each undertaker's domestic metering scheme; but the main factor is whether the meter can be installed inside the property or not. As a broad guide, it will cost between £30 to £60 for an internal installation—but may be less if the consumer undertakes the work himself—and between £80 to £150 for an external installation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will take further action to reduce the number of council houses which have been empty for a long period.

A small minority of authorities have significant numbers of houses and flats which have been vacant for more than a year. It is a matter of concern that authorities HIP returns last year showed that on 1 April 1982 there were some 19,000 council dwellings which had been vacant for more than a year. This is despite the fact that councils have a range of options open to them for bringing empty properties back into use whether by sales or by long-term or short-term lettings, and despite the underspend on housing of some £400 million in 1981–82 and a likely major underspend again in 1982–83. In the HIP returns for 1984–85 which have just been issued, councils are being asked to indicate their specific intentions, with expenditure bids, for bringing any dwellings that have been vacant for more than a year back into use. It is also being made clear that in determining the 1984–85 HIP allocations, particular account will be taken of bids to bring long-term vacant dwellings back into use whether by means of sale or for rent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Government support the proposal to include hair seals in appendix II of the convention on international trade in endangered species by 1986.

Subject to evidence presented at the conference now taking place in Botswana, the United Kingdom will support the proposal to list immediately on appendix II all hair seals not already listed on appendix I.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Government support the proposal to include Baird's beaked whales, Bryde's whales and all species of great whales in appendix I of the convention on international trade in endangered species by 1984.

Unless new evidence is produced at the conference in Botswana, only the proposal to list Bryde's whale appears to meet the internationally agreed criteria for appendix I listing.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the principal achievements of Her Majesty's Government within his Department's responsibilities since May 1979.

A full description of the Government's achievements in the field of defence is provided in the Annual Statements on the Defence Estimates. The principal individual achievements are as follows:

a. Her Majesty's forces recaptured the Falkland Islands following their occupation by Argentina for 11 weeks during 1982.

b. we have increased defence spending in every year in real terms since taking office. We are committed to meet in full the NATO target of real increases in defence spending of 3 per cent. per year up to 1985–86, with Falklands costs in addition.

c. In our election manifesto of 1979 we promised to restore the pay of servicemen to full comparability with their civilian counterparts. We acted at once and we have maintained the comparability since. The total annual outflow of manpower has been reduced to the lowest post-war level.

d. We also promised to maintain the efficiency of our reserve forces. Since July 1979 six Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment squadrons have been formed. In 1980 we announced the introduction of the individual reinforcement plan to speed the mobilisation of the Regular Army and the Royal Marines Reserves. On 3 March 1982 we announced the decision to form a home service force and the first stage of plans for the expansion of the Territorial Army to 86,000. The strengths of all the volunteer reserves have improved markedly under this Government.

e. We have authorised the full development and production of many major equipment programmes, including the Challenger main battle tank and the Harrier GR5 aircraft. We have placed orders for 27 warships.

f. We are providing two extra squadrons of Phantom aircraft for the air defence of the United Kingdom and we are also arming Hawk aircraft with air-to-air missiles.

g. We announced our decision in July 1980 to replace our existing Polaris strategic nuclear deterrent force in the 1990s with the Trident missile system. In December 1979, in consultation with our NATO allies, we agreed to a programme for the modernisation of the alliances intermediate range nuclear forces, including deployment of cruise missiles in the United Kingdom, unless the Soviet Union could be persuaded through arms control negotiations to remove this class of weapon.

h. Since we took office the United Kingdom-based staff of the MOD—including the royal ordnance factories—have been reduced by nearly 39,000 from a strength in 1979 of 247,000. We are well placed to achieve the target of 200,000 United Kingdom based staff set for 1 April 1984. In addition, savings of 4,200 locally engaged civilian staff have also been achieved.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the number, full-time equivalents, of experienced regular members of Her Majesty's forces who will be required to operate his plans for one year training of 16-year-old volunteers.

Participants in the armed services youth training scheme will train and work alongside other service men and women. It is therefore not practicable to estimate the numbers of service personnel who will be involved in operating the scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of the refit of the North Sea Ferries ship Norland following the conclusion of her service with Her Majesty's forces.

The cost of refitting the Norland after her services with Her Majesty's forces is commercially confidential between Her Majesty's Government, the ship owners and the repairers.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many accidental deaths and serious injuries, requiring full and formal investigations, occurred in the services during the five years 1978 to 1982 inclusive.

The information requested is not readily available, and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if a transcript or record of proceedings was taken of the military inquiry into the accident involving Martin Ketterick; and, if so, if he will place it in the Library.

It has been the policy of successive Governments not to release such reports since to do so would undermine the effectiveness of the inquiry system.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any tours of service in the Falkland Islands will be on accompanied terms.

Yes. Experience in the garrison has shown that it would be a definite advantage to have certain key personnel serve longer than the normal unaccompanied roulement tour of four months in the islands. The new British commander, Major General Spacie, will spend up to 15 months in the islands, and will be accompanied. We have identified a small number of further officer and other rank posts which will also be accompanied, as soon as suitable accommodation on the Falklands becomes available.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many lives, how many serious injuries and how many minor injuries, respectively, he estimates would be saved each year in the United Kingdom if passengers in the rear seats of motor cars wore seat belts.

Rear seat casualties amount to some 300 killed, 4,000 seriously injured and 17,000 slightly injured each year. The efficacy of rear seat belts is less clear than for front seat belts, but no doubt a significant proportion of such casualties could be saved. At present the wearing rate amongst casualties is only 3 to 5 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of drivers and of front seat passengers he estimates wore seat belts before this became compulsory; and what percentage he estimates are now wearing them.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the 1983 wearing rates up to March given in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Sir David Price) on Wednesday 27 April 1983. — [Vol. 41, c. 369–70.] During 1982 the wearing rates were mostly around 36 to 38 per cent. for drivers and 37 to 40 per cent. for passengers, gradually rising to around 42 per cent. and 46 per cent., respectively, in December, no doubt in anticipation of the regulations taking effect.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the current position regarding the Calder Valley motorway link to the proposed Airedale trunk road.

I have no plans for such a link. The Calder Valley motorway to the east of Burnley is a local authority road.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the tax treatment of capital and income bonds; and whether he will make a statement.

I have had this matter under review for some time now.The device commonly described as a "capital and income bond" is essentially an arrangement by which, in effect, profits arising on investments in non-qualifying single premium life assurance policies are shifted artificially to a qualifying policy, so that the proceeds on maturity may be taken tax-free. If these profits remained in the non-qualifying policies, income tax on the gains would be chargeable at the higher and additional rates.In recent months it has become clear that there has been serious, and growing, exploitation of this device. In order to safeguard the Exchequer from a potentially substantial loss of tax, the Government intend to propose legislation, in the form of a new clause in Committee of the current Finance Bill, to apply with effect from midnight tonight. The effect of the proposed measures will be to deny qualifying status to any policy taken out after today which is connected with another policy, or policies, if any of the policies will provide unrealistic benefits. As regards qualifying policies taken out on or before today, their status will be unaffected by this legislation unless, after today, further capital is in any way injected into the bond.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many prosecutions there have been for tax evasion in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years; and what was the total sum involved in each year.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will bring up to date the information given in his reply dated 16 November 1979 to a written question from the hon. Member for Grimsby concerning increases in gross national product in the United Kingdom and other countries, Official Report, 16 November, c. 811–812.

The latest estimates of annual changes in gross domestic product at constant market prices on consistent international definitions in the period 1967 to 1981 for the United States of America, Japan, France, the German Federal Republic, Italy and the United Kingdom are given on page 34 of the Eurostat publication "National Accounts ESA—Aggregates 1960–1981." A copy of this publication is available in the Library.For the years before 1960, the figures remain as given in the reply referred to. There have, however, been some revisions between 1960 and 1966 and the latest figures for this period are shown in the following table:

Gross domestic product at constant market prices
Percentage change on previous year
	United States	Japan	France	German Federal Republic	Italy	United Kingdom
1960	+2·1	+13·1	+7·2	+8·9	+6·3	+4·7
1961	+2·6	+14·6	+5·5	+5·2	+8·2	+3·3
1962	+5·5	+7·1	+6·7	+4·5	+6·2	+1·0
1963	+4·0	+10·5	+5·3	+3·2	+5·6	+3·9
1964	+5·3	+13·2	+6·5	+6·7	+2·8	+5·2
1965	+6·0	+5·1	+4·8	+5·5	+3·3	+2·3
1966	+5·8	+10·6	+5·2	+2·7	+6·0	+2·0

Figures of either gross domestic product or gross national product are also available for 1982, but these figures are based on national definitions and therefore are not entirely comparable with each other or with the figures given in the Eurostat publication. Changes based on these national figures are given in the following table:

Gross domestic product at constant market prices
Percentage change between 1981 and 1982
	Percentage
United States*	-1·8
Japan*	+2·5
France	+1·5
German Federal Republic*	-1·1
Italy	+0·7
United Kingdom	+1·4
* Gross national product at constant market prices.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will bring up to date the figures given in his reply dated 19 July 1982, Official Report, c. 39–41, to the hon. Member for Grimsby, concerning output and productivity; and if he will include figures for prices and wages.

Figures of output and output per person employed for the whole economy and manufacturing industries from which updated percentage changes on the previous year can be derived, together with the unemployment rate, output prices in manufacturing industry and average earnings, are published regularly in the Monthly Digest of Statistics, in Economic Trends and its Annual Supplement, and in the Employment Gazette.The updated figures for the whole economy less production industries are shown in the following table:

United Kingdom
	Whole economy less production industries
	Percentage change on previous year
	Output	Output per person employed
1973	+4·2	+1·6
1974	—	-1·0
1975	+0·6	-1·4
1976	+1·4	+0·8
1977	+1·6	+1·2
1978	+3·0	+1·8
1979	+2·1	+0·1
1980	+0·1	-0·9
1981	-0·5	*+0·4
1982	+0·8	*+2·1
* Provisional.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will bring up to date the information given in the reply of 27 November 1979, Official Report, c. 621, concerning output and wage costs in manufacturing industry; and if he will include the percentage annual increase in prices.

Figures from which this updating can be derived are published regularly in the Monthly Digest of Statistics, in Economic Trends and its Annual Supplement, and in the Employment Gazette. The series for wage and salary costs per unit of output in manufacturing industry has been improved since the information given in the reply of 27 November 1979. An article describing the improvement appeared in the Employment Gazette—June 1982. The monthly and annual publications referred to also contain data on prices from which the percentage changes requested can be derived.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what have been the numbers unemployed in (a) Glasgow and (b) Scotland on a monthly basis from March 1970 to March 1983.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for (a) Glasgow and (b) Scotland (i) the number of telephone installations and (ii) the

Telephone installations and rental payments under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons (Scotland) Act 1972
	1977–78	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82
Glasgow
Number of Telephones Installed	50	73	129	77	63
Number of Rentals Paid	114	95	122	526	147
Scotland
Number of Telephones Installed	656	864	817	674	363
Number of Rentals Paid	1,915	1,975	2,179	2,993	1,913

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people have been employed (a) on a full-time basis and (b) on a part-time basis by the Boundary Commission for Scotland during the period of the recent parliamentary boundaries review.

Throughout the period of the recent review of parliamentary constituencies, which began in February 1978, one person was employed full-time and four part-time on work for the Boundary Commission for Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many objectors gave evidence at hearings arranged by the Boundary Commission for Scotland during its recent parliamentary boundaries review.

Those who gave evidence or made statements at the 12 local inquiries held in Scotland included some 280 objectors to the commission's proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average number per constituency of written and oral objections lodged with the Boundary Commission for Scotland following the publication of its initial proposals in the recent parliamentary boundaries review.

Year	Salaries*	Other administrative costs†	Local inquiries‡	Total
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)
1978–79||	8,259	4,525	—	12,784
1979–80	9,453	43	—	9,496
1980–81	13,689	12,504	—	26,193
1981–82	15,330	21,883	12,214	49,427
1982–83	19,479	31,216	3,640	54,335
	66,210	70,171	15,854	152,235
* The members of the commission are unpaid but are reimbursed travelling and subsistence expenses which are included in col (3). The salary costs are those of the staff for the proportion of their time spent on boundary commission work which increased as the review progressed.
† These costs relate mainly to the cost of press advertisements announcing the commission's proposals and the holding of local inquiries.
‡ These costs comprise the fees and expenses of the assistant commissioners who held local inquiries and of the shorthand writers, and the hiring of halls.
|| The figures in 1978–79 include costs incurred in reporting in 1978 on the European Parliament constituencies.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the relevant criteria against which an

The information requested is as follows:

The Boundary Commission for Scotland received approximately 1,500 written objections, including petitions, during its recent review of parliamentary constituencies. This gives an average of nearly 21 per constituency.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many appeal hearings were held by commissioners or assistant commissioners on behalf of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Scotland prior to publishing its recent reports.

Twelve local inquiries were held by assistant commissioners on behalf of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what costs have been incurred since the previous boundaries revision by the Boundary Commission for Scotland in preparing its recent parliamentary boundaries reports in respect of (a) salaries and fees, (b) other administrative costs and (c) appeals including legal fees.

For the period from 1978–79, when the recent review began, the information requested is as follows:application by a third country-based company wishing to set a manufacturing facility in a Scottish development area is judged; and what guarantees of permanence are sought.

I assume my hon. Friend's question concerns the criteria against which applications for discretionary assistance under section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 are judged in such circumstances.These criteria apply equally to applications from overseas and indigenous companies. In appraising such applications, we examine financial and commercial viability; the market for the product and the production process to be used; the likely long-term employment and industrial effect of the project; the nature and extent of the private sector financial contribution and the need for discretionary assistance in order to secure the benefits arising from the project. In deciding whether or not to offer assistance in a particular case, I am able to draw on the advice of the Scottish Industrial Development Advisory Board.Permanence cannot be guaranteed in any commercial situation, but in considering applications close attention is paid to the potential long-term viability of the operation and the related employment. Payments of selective assistance are made only against evidence of satisfactory progress in the project.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with third country-based manufacturing companies engaged in the manufacture of polyethylene film products which might wish to take advantage of Scotland's development area status to set up a manufacturing facility in Scotland to make polyethylene film products; and what is the state of these discussions.

Discussions with individual companies are treated as commercially confidential, but I can confirm that my Department has had disucssions recently with one overseas company engaged in the manufacture of polyethylene products. It is conducting a

Prisoners* in prison department establishments on 28 February 1983: by category of prisoner and country of birth
Category of prisoner	Country of birth
	United Kingdom	Commonwealth	Other†	Not recorded‡	Total
Untried	700	200	100	4,700‡	5,700
Convicted unsentenced	400	30	20	1,400‡	1,800
Sentenced	31,900	1,800	1,600	1,400	37,000
Total	33,0000	2,000	1,700	7,500‡	44,300
* Figures rounded independently and may not therefore add to total
† Including the Republic of Ireland and Pakistan
‡ The information for remand prisoners is more incomplete because the country of birth is not usually recorded before the completion of court proceedings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which areas will be participating in the field trials of tape recording police interviews with suspects; and if he will make a statement.

I welcome this opportunity to make a further statement about the progress being made towards the establishment of the field trials.Chief officers of the following police forces have agreed that their forces should participate in the field trials:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to bring the Scottish system of rating into line with the English system in so far as they relate to racecourses.

I am considering as a matter of urgency a number of possibilities whereby the burden of rates on Scottish racecourses might be alleviated. Among these is the suggestion that the basis of valuation used for Scottish racecourses should be aligned with that used in England.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Falkland Islanders have applied for entry into the United Kingdom over the latest convenient six months.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question by him on 31 March.—[Vol. 40, c. 275.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign prisoners were (a) serving sentences and (b) awaiting trial in prisons in England and Wales at the most recent available date.

Information on the nationality of prisoners is not collected centrally. The only readily available information is given in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the fact that the letter from the Under-Secretary of State to the right hon. Member for Doncaster concerning television licences and the case of a constituent, dated 21 April, was not delivered until 26 April, and in order to reduce the delay in the delivery of urgently awaited replies, if he will cease the use of second class post and either use first class or arrange for such letters to be delivered via the internal mailing system of the House of Commons.

In the interests of economy letters to hon. Members are normally sent by second class post. Where there is reason to believe that a reply is urgently required, first class post or special messenger delivery is used. I am, however, asking my office to review these arrangements to see whether any improvements can be effected.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate the circumstances in which the photograph of Mr. Ian Brady, a prisoner in Parkhurst prison, which appeared in the Daily Star on 22 April, was taken; and if he will make a statement.

As the circumstances surrounding the publication of this photograph are the subject of a police investigation, it would be inappropriate for me to comment at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the loss of life in Nuneaton on 26 April, if he will expedite his decision on measures to control the risks of double glazing in case of fire.

I am obtaining a full report on this tragic fire and will write to the hon. Member when I have received and considered it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish details of the assessment his Department has made of fire risks associated with double glazing windows; and whether he will make a statement.

The information available from central sources does not suggest that fixed double glazing has been a material factor in causing casualties from fire, but we shall obtain as quickly as possible further details of recent fires in which this type of glazing is said to have been implicated and review our policy in the light of the information received. In the meantime, I have nothing to add to the statement I made on 21 April in reply to a question from the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner).—[Vol. 41, c. 149.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the latest available information on the use of partly suspended sentences.

In the four months October 1982 to January 1983 about 11 per cent. of adults received into prison department establishments in England and Wales with a sentence of immediate imprisonment in the range six months to two years had part of their sentences suspended. The part suspended was on average more than half of the sentence imposed. If this form of sentence continued to be used in this way, and if all these sentences replaced sentences of immediate imprisonment of the same total length then they would eventually reduce the prison population by about 600. More detailed information will be included in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales" for 1982. Information on the use of the sentence by the courts will be included in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales" for 1982. Both publications will be issued in the second half of 1983.

asked the Minister for Trade if he is yet able to consider introducing further legislation on the financial obligations of limited liability company directors when their companies move into liquidation.

This matter was among those considered by the insolvency law review committee and the Government have accepted the general principles underlying that committee's report. Urgent consideration is being given to the programme of legislation which would be needed to provide a modern body of insolvency law. I cannot say when that will be introduced.

asked the Minister for Trade (1) what is the present level of tariff which will become applicable to the imports of polyethylene film products under the present general system of preference; and what he expects will be the level of tariff for 1984;(2) what is the present quota of imports of polyethylene film products into the European Community under the present general system of preference for 1983; and what he expects it will be for 1984;(3) if he is satisfied that a general system of preference relating to the import into the European Community of polyethylene film products from third countries is the most effective way of dealing with the Community market in polyethylene film products; if he will list the countries to which the present arrangements apply; whether he will press in the Council of Ministers for extension of the coverage to include other countries; and if he will name these countries.

The European Community's generalised scheme of preferences—GSP—provides for duty-free entry, subject to limits in some cases, for manufactured goods imported from all developing countries, except Taiwan, and there are no plans to extend it to any other countries. Limits are set only for sensitive products in the interests of Community industries. Only one polyethylene film product is regarded as sensitive. The 1983 GSP polyethylene bags, sachets and similar articles —tariff heading 39.07.53—have a Community ceiling of £3·08 million for each GSP beneficiary. If this level is reached and causes economic difficulties, a member state may request the reimposition of normal duty—13 per cent. — against that beneficiary. The arrangements for 1984 will be decided by the Community during its annual review of the GSP which starts in September.

asked the Minister for Trade whether he will take immediate steps to refer the proposed takeover of Sothebys to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

My right hon. and noble Friend will announce his decision as soon as practicable.

asked the Minister for Trade whether he will ensure that applications for export licences for works of art of supreme historic importance to the United Kingdom such as the portrait of Captain Cook by John Webber are circulated to all interested national or provincial public museums and galleries before the licenses are issued; and if he will make a statement.

Applications for licences to export works of art and so on which have been in this country for more than 50 years are referred to my Department's expert advisers for advice on the national importance of the item concerned. I am reminding them of the need to consult other public institutions likely to be interested.

asked the Minister for Trade whether he has yet received the report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on the takeover bid of Linfood Co. for the Fitch Lovell concern; what action he proposes to take; and whether he will make a statement.

My right hon. and noble Friend has received the commission's report, which will be published as soon as possible.

asked the Minister for Trade what quantities of footwear were imported via the European Community in each of the past five years where the country of origin was stated to be China.

[pursuant to his reply, 25 April 1983, c. 231]: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply to him of 15 March 1983.—[Vol. 39, c. 81–82.] No further import licences have been issued this year. Moreover, the European Commission has authorised the United Kingdom not to apply Community treatment to footwear of tariff heading 64·01 and 64.02 of Chinese origin for the rest of this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if there has been any improvement in the

Mental Handicap Hospitals and Units
England
Reported number* of whole-time equipment staff at 30 September
	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981
Consultant Psychiatrists†	142	146	159	167	167	172	177	170	174	181
Qualified Nurses‡ (Registered and Enrolled)	9,234	9,393	9,472	9,932	10,507	10,702	11,007	10,955	11,478	11,798
Other Nurses‡	10,267	10,803	11,553	13,291	13,227	13,813	14,252	14,566	15,923	17,413
Clinical Psychologists	80	83	96	102	111	122	136	142	164	173
Speech Therapists	25	20	22	23	31	32	38	45	44	59
Qualified Physiotherapists	56	57	72	78	91	103	108	125	136	142
Qualified Occupational Therapists	85	91	78	98	105	113	121	135	141	149
* Not all hospitals and units have supplied every item for every year and the numbers are thought to understate the true totals by between 1 and 5 per cent, in most cases.
† Consultants in mental illness, mental illness children and adolescents, and mental handicap.
‡ The increase in numbers of nurses (whole-time equivalents) between 1979 and 1981 is due partly to a reduction in standards working hours.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) where it is proposed that drug addicts in the Bedford-Kempston area should receive medical treatment; and if he will estimate the cost of this service on an annual basis;(2) whether there are adequate facilities for coping with drug addicts in Bedford; and whether he proposes to establish special facilities either there or in the vicinity of the town.

The provision of services for drug addicts in Bedford is a matter for the North Bedfordshire health authority and the North West Thames regional health authority which have responsibility for uptake of whooping cough vaccination following his campaign in September 1982; and if he will make a statement.

Information received from health authorities so far indicates an increase to 53 per cent. in uptake of completed courses of whooping cough vaccination among infants in 1982–7 percentage points above the level reached in 1981.Since the end of 1978, uptake of protection for these children has risen by 22 percentage points.I am very pleased by these figures and my Department will be working to ensure that the improvement they represent is sustained and that as many children as possible are protected against this disease in future.