asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether any changes will be made to the cash limits of the Manpower Services Commission.

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the total grant-in-aid of the Manpower Services Commission will be

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the European Community Council of Labour and Social Affairs Ministers held in Luxembourg on 2 June.

I represented the United Kingdom at this Council. The Council reached agreement on the review of the social fund and the Asbestos (Worker Protection) Directive — the latter being the subject of a separate reply today to my hon. Friend. Discussions also covered youth employment and safety and health at work; discussion of the Commission memorandum on working time was postponed.It is satisfactory that the Council was able to agree on basic texts for a revised European social fund which give appropriate recognition both to the acute needs of young people and to the particular problems of areas suffering from high unemployment and industrial decline.There was an initial exchange of views on the Commission's communication concerning the promotion of employment for young people, and the permanent representatives committee was invited to continue examination of the communication with a view to preparing for discussion at a future meeting of the Council. Subject to the views of the European Parliament, the Council agreed the resolution on the second programme of action on safety and health protection at work.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the European Community joint council of Education and Social Affairs Ministers held in Luxembourg on 3 June.

My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Employment—then the Under-Secretary —represented the United Kingdom at this Council. The Council agreed a resolution on vocational training which provides for a guarantee of training or work experience to minimum age school leavers. The United Kingdom is putting this guarantee into effect through the new youth training scheme. The Government welcomed the successful conclusion to the Council's work on this resolution which is entirely compatible with United Kingdom policy.In considering the resolution and a report on a separate but related programme of education pilot projects on transition from school to work, the joint council concentrated on the needs of young people progressing from education to working life and on inter-relationships between the education and training systems. The joint council also noted oral statements from the Commission about future policy in youth exchanges and the progress of work on the forecasting and assessment in science and technology programme (FAST I).

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the proposals for European Community directives on Asbestos (Worker Protection) and Asbestos (Marketing and Use).

Since 1980, Her Majesty's Government have been negotiating and pressing for early agreement on proposals for directives to protect workers from excessive exposure to asbestos, and to restrict the marketing and use of asbestos products. The draft directives, which had been debated by both Houses in 1981, were on 20 April 1983 recommended by the Select Committee on European Legislation for further consideration by a Standing Committee of this House, but they had not been so considered by 13 May when Parliament was dissolved. At the meeting of the Council of Labour and Social Affairs Ministers in Luxembourg on 2 June, at which I represented the United Kingdom, a conclusion was reached on the Asbestos (Worker Protection) directive. My agreement was subject to a parliamentary reserve.The Asbestos (Marketing and Use) directive was agreed, also subject to parliamentary reserve, at the Internal Market Council on 21 June at which my right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade represented the United Kingdom. The agreements reached are largely in line with the recommendations of the Health and Safety Commission's advisory committee on asbestos, but where the United Kingdom currently operates more stringent standards these will be maintained.The worker protection directive has two key provisions. It requires that the exposure of workers at their place of work must be reduced to as low a level as is reasonbly practicable, and in any event below certain maximum exposure limits—0·5 fibres per millilitre for crocidolite —blue asbestos—and 1·0 f/ml for all other types of asbestos. It also provides for an action level, set at an exposure of 0·25 f/ml, at which the major protective measures would come into operation. The figures for the action level and the maximum exposure limit will be subject to review by the Council before 1 January 1990.The marketing and use directive prohibits the marketing and use of crocidolite and products containing it, except that member states may exempt certain specified products. The Government intend to introduce a general prohibition on the import of crocidolite and products containing it into the United Kingdom. The directive also sets out detailed provisions for the labelling of all asbestos products.The achievement by the Community of a large measure of harmonised control in this crucial area has been well worth the considerable efforts devoted to it over three years of discussions. The Government considered that our interest in early adoption of the directives justified provisional agreement before the Select Committee's recommendation could be complied with. As soon as possible I shall be writing more fully to the Chairman of the Select Committees.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about own resources payments to the European Commission in June.

The Commission has, in accordance with article 10(2) of Council regulation 2891/77, requested that member states advance by one month the payments of "own resources", other than VAT resources, normally due on 20 June and 20 July. These are in respect of agricultural levies and customs duties collected in April and May respectively.All other member states complied with the first request, but the dissolution of Parliament prevented the United Kingdom from doing so. The Government have assented to the request that the United Kingdom should, with its partners, meet the second request. In view of the urgency of the situation, a repayable advance of £112,830,000 was made to the Commission out of the Contingencies Fund on 20 June in respect of agricultural levies and customs duties collected by the Government on their behalf in May. Payments directly charged to the Consolidated Fund under section 2(3) of the European Communities Act will be reduced by the amount of the advance.A supplementary estimate will be presented shortly to Parliament to enable the Contingencies Fund to be repaid.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if there have been any developments regarding departmental responsibility for the Government's remaining shareholding in Britoil plc; and if he will make a statement.

The prospectus for the sale of shares in Britoil stated that it was the Government's intention that after the offer for sale its remaining holding of ordinary shares and the special share should be held by the Treasury Solicitor on behalf of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury. These shares were formally transferred from the Secretary of State for Energy to the Treasury Solicitor on 27 May.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is in a position to announce details of the design variants of the £1 coin.

Yes. Her Majesty made a proclamation on 22 June 1983 under the Coinage Act 1971 giving details of four such coins.The obverse on each coin will feature the Machin portrait of Her Majesty.The reverse designs, which are the work of Mr. Leslie Durbin CBE, MVO, Hon. LL.D (Cambridge), will be changed annually starting with the design to be issued in 1984 for Scotland. This will feature the thistle with a coronet and the edge inscription will be "Nemo Me Impune Lacessit". For England the design will feature an oak tree with a coronet and the edge inscription will be "Decus Et Tutamen". For Wales the design features the leek with a coronet and the edge inscription will be "Pleidiol Wyf I'm Gwlad". For Northern Ireland the design will feature flax flowers with a coronet and the edge inscription will be the same as that for England.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he proposes to take on the measures dropped from the Finance Bill on the dissolution of the last Parliament.

I am today tabling resolutions to pave the way for a short Bill to restore changes in income tax and capital transfer tax rates and reliefs and the corporation tax small profits rate limits which were proposed in my predecessor's Budget but were dropped from the original Finance Bill on the insistence of the Opposition. The Bill will also contain a small number of other essential provisions. The Inland Revenue is publishing today a press release giving further details.Since I hope that the House will complete its consideration of the Bill before the summer recess, I do not propose to include in it all the provisions contained in the original Finance Bill which were not enacted before the general election. I shall of course be considering carefully which should be included in next year's Finance Bill. I propose, therefore, where appropriate, to publish draft clauses, or revised draft clauses, so that next year's Finance Bill can be prepared with the benefit of the fullest possible consultation.The provisions relating to oil assets (reliefs for expenditure and charge of receipts) will be contained in an oil taxation Bill to be introduced in the autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the meeting of the European Community Education Ministers on 2 June.

I represented the Government at a meeting of European Community Education Ministers in Luxembourg on 2 June 1983.The Ministers adopted a resolution on new technologies in education which will provide for an exchange of information and experience in members states. They agreed a report about student mobility in the Community and the factors which influence it and agreed that support should continue for the Community's joint programmes of study between institutions of higher education in different member states.In addition, Ministers had a useful exchange of views on the problems of teacher unemployment; and they also agreed a policy statement to the European Parliament on education co-operation. The resolution and other texts have not yet been considered by the Scrutiny Committee. However, I considered that I should agree them subject to a parliamentary reserve.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what was the immediate effect of the reduction in the petroleum term prices announced by the British National Oil Corporation on 30 March 1983 on the proceeds from the sale of oil taken as royalty in kind.

The reduction in the BNOC term price, effective from 1 February 1983, has resulted in refunds being due to those customers who purchased royalty oil from BNOC after that date and paid for it at the previous term price. The total of such refunds is expected to be £9 million. A token Supplementary Estimate to Class IV, Vote 21 will be presented shortly for parliamentary approval. Pending such approval expenditure is being met by a repayable advance from the Contingencies Fund.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the meeting of the European Community Steel Council on 21 June.

I attended the Steel Council in Luxembourg on 21 June, with my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Industry. The central issue before the Council was the question of prolongation of the mandatory quota arrangements under ECSC article 58 after the current decision expires on 30 June. The Council agreed that in order to maintain market stability the quotas should be prolonged for a month, until 31 July, while further discussions take place at Government and industry level on the Commission's proposals. The Council will reconvene on 25 July. 1 said that a precondition for our agreement to a comprehensive prolongation would be categorical commitments from member states regarding capacity cuts. I also made it clear that we would be looking for a reallocation of quotas under any comprehensive prolongation to reflect restructuring that has already been carried out.Before the Council, my hon. Friend and I met Vice President Davignon and Commissioner Andriessen to discuss restructuring and state aids. They confirmed their commitment to obtain a reduction in EC steel-making capacity of 30 million tonnes by 1985. They contended that the achievement of this target will require a further effort from all member states. I left them in no doubt that the United Kingdom had already made the major contribution, and that it was now the turn of others to match this. I also said that Commission approval of the proposed investment by BSC at Port Talbot was a priority for the Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's report on the efficiency and costs of the National Coal Board will be published.

The report is published today. The commission has examined the efficiency and costs of the National Coal Board and produced a comprehensive analysis which makes a valuable contribution to informed public understanding of the industry.The commission has studied in detail a number of the board's functions relating to the development, production and supply of coal, including operating costs, the system. of internal cost control, purchasing policies, the methods of controlling stocks of stores and materials, the planning and appraisal of new investment, and the management, supervision and control of investment projects.In addition, the commission recommends that areas and other major formations should be operated as far as possible as business units subject to more fully adopted financial as well as production targets and with a greater awareness of the cost of capital. This would require change in the board's management accounting system.The commission says in its report that the effects of its recommendations are likely to be limited unless the NCB's fundamental problems of over-capacity and high costs pits are tackled. The commission does not attempt to specify how much needs to be done or over what time period. It is for the board to face the problem and take the necessary action.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy will be considering the commission's recommendations and will make a statement in due course on the action taken or planned to follow-up the commission's valuable work.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Council meeting on internal market questions held in Luxembourg on 21 June.

The meeting of the Council, held on 21 June and which I attended, was the fourth to be devoted to questions of the internal market of the European Community.There was further discussion of the questions of the proposed new common commercial policy regulation and of the proposal for Community certification of products of third country origin. A number of issues were clarified; substantial differences remain between the positions of member states.It did not prove possible on this occasion to reach final agreement on the Commission proposals to improve the infrastructure for innovation and technology transfer within the Community nor on the proposed directive on proprietary medicinal products. The latter proposal promises a small but useful step to facilitate intra-Community trade in those products.The next meeting of the Council on internal market matters is to be held in September. I expect that a further programme of work for liberalisation of trade in goods and services within the Community will be discussed then.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Fisheries Council meeting on 20 June; and if he will make a statement.

Together with my hon. Friend the Minister of State in my Department and the Minister of State at the Scottish Office I represented the United Kingdom at the meeting of the Council of Fisheries Ministers on 20 June, 1983.The Commission presented a number of revised proposals to the Council immediately before the meeting and it was therefore possible for Ministers to give only preliminary comments at that stage.I nevertheless took the opportunity to emphasise the needs of the United Kingdom fleet for adequate quotas, notably of herring, mackerel and cod, and to press for improvements in the technical conservation rules. There was general recognition that in the more normal conditions that will apply next year, it will be essential for the Commission to make its proposals and the Council to settle total allowable catches and quotas very much earlier than has been possible this year.The Council will resume discussion of the proposals early in July.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the outcome of the Council of Environment Ministers meeting on 16 June.

I led the United Kingdom delegation at this meeting at which a wide range of environmental issues was discussed.I am pleased to report that agreement was reached on a directive to assist the control of discharges of cadmium to the aquatic environment on terms which fully safeguard the United Kingdom's policy of making use of quality objectives for environmental protection in this area.The Council agreed that it was willing to seek the greatest possible reduction in the level of lead in petrol on the understanding that this might extend to its complete elimination. The Commission was asked to report by April 1984. The United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark placed on record their own determination to move as rapidly as possible to unleaded petrol.The Council also agreed that urgent action, in the form of a legally binding Community instrument for adoption by the end of the year, was necessary to strengthen controls over the transfrontier shipment of hazardous waste.There was extensive discussion of a proposed directive on the environmental effects of certain public and private projects but the Council was unable to resolve some outstanding issues. The proposal was remitted for further examination.The Council discussed a proposed directive on beverage containers but deferred decisions on it until after the opinion of the European Parliament had been obtained.The Council considered a proposed regulation providing for financial support for action by the Community on the environment. This was remitted for an early report from officials on how best to resolve outstanding problems, including consideration of its budgetary implications.The Council emphasised its concern over air pollution problems in Europe and welcomed in principle the Commission's proposal for a directive requiring member states to give prior authorisation to industrial plants likely to give rise to harmful emissions to the atmosphere. It discussed some points of principle which will need to be taken into account in subsequent examination.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to implement the Water Act 1983.

Orders will be made to implement on 1 October 1983 the changes in water authority membership and the dissolution of the National Water Council and the Water Space Amenity Commission. A second draft of guidelines on arrangements to represent the interests of consumers has now been issued and other provisions of the Act will be implemented as soon as possible. A circular setting out the arrangements in more detail will be issued next week.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council meeting of 21 and 22 June.

My right hon. and learned Friend represented the United Kingdom in Luxembourg at the last Foreign Affairs Council of the German Presidency. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development and I were also present.There was an informal discussion over lunch of how to follow up the European Council conclusions on the future financing of the Community. The European Council had agreed that special meetings of the Council should be held and Foreign Ministers agreed to hold the first of these meetings on 8 July in Brussels.The Council adopted a regulation which will provide assistance worth 100 million ecu—about £58 million—to infrastructure investment projects contributing to urban renewal in the Belfast area. Ministers also continued their discussions on a new regional development fund regulation. This was referred back to the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) for further consideration.The terms of a new financial protocol to the EC/Cyprus association agreement were agreed. This will provide Cyprus with 28 million ecu— about £16 million— in loans from the European Investment Bank and with a further 16 million ecu— about £9 million— in special loans and grants from the Community budget. There was no agreement on the terms of a similar protocol to the EC/Malta association agreement and this too has been referred to COREPER for further discussion.There was a preliminary exchange of views on the Commission's draft mandate for the renegotiation of the Lomé convention. A full discussion will take place at the July meeting of the Council. The progress at UNCTAD VI, presently meeting in Belgrade, was reviewed by the Council who then asked COREPER to consider at its meeting today the outstanding points in the Community's position. A Commission proposal to impose definitive anti-dumping duties on certain types of magnesite from China and North Korea was also referred back for further technical consideration.Ministers considered the latest proposals for the 1983 Community food aid programme and these were adopted. They include 1,043,369 tonnes of cereals, some of which may at a later stage be replaced by other forms of aid, and also 150,000 tonnes of milk powder.A session of the negotiating conference with Spain was also held. Agreement was concluded on the taxation chapter of the accession negotiations, the provisions for tobacco taxation and the Spanish tobacco monopoly having been agreed. The Community also presented declarations on fisheries and external relations to the Spaniards.Foreign Ministers of the Ten discussed the question of the "disappeared" in Argentina. They agreed that the Ten would make a further approach to the Argentine authorities to seek a satisfactory explanation of the fate of the missing persons.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any changes have occurred in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office cash limits for 1983–84.

Subsequent to the revisions to the 1983–84 cash limits resulting from the reduction in national insurance surcharge and the establishment of an occupational health nursing service, which were announced in the House on 12 May, the cash limit for Class II, Vote I, Overseas Representation, Consular and other Foreign and Commonwealth Services will be increased by £4,850,000 from £328,659,000 to £333,509,000. This increase is to provide for extra expenditure on overseas students as announced to the House on 8 February. Similarly, the cash limit for Class II, Vote 4, the British Council, will be increased by £150,000 from £40,233,000 to £40,383,000 to allow for increased assistance to overseas students. These increases will be charged to the contingency reserve and will not therefore add to the planning total of public expenditure.The increases are subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates.