asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current weekly cost to the prison department of keeping a prisoner in police custody in London and the south-east of England.

The average cost per prisoner per night in the Metropolitan Police District is about £97. I regret that comparable information in relation to other police forces is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in each year since 1979, how many fiancées and wives were refused permission to enter, or to stay permanently in, the United Kingdom on the grounds of their husband's or fiancé's inability to maintain them before marriage financially or to accommodate them satisfactorily; and how many such refusals were made by British diplomatic posts and how many at ports of entry.

The information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the outcome of his Department's discussions with the National Association of Licensed Bingo and Social Clubs in connection with its proposals for a new joint game; what time scale will be set for implementation of the new procedures; and at what level the new maximum prize will be set.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question by my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Burton (Mr. Lawrence) on 29 June—[Vol. 44, c. 85.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will tabulate such information as he has for all the EC countries, the United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Austria, Sweden and Switzerland, as to the arrangements which are made to enable registered electors to vote at general or federal elections, who find it more convenient to vote early, by proxy or by post.

The information available is as follows:

Country	Postal Voting	Proxy Voting
Belgium	Not available	Available for sick and disabled who cannot get to polling station and those abroad on professional business, such as diplomatic staff and members of armed forces.
Denmark	Available for those abroad on diplomatic service or on sea duty.	Not available
France	Not available	Available for civil servants, sailors and certain members of the armed forces who are out of the country on polling day, and for French citizens resident abroad.
Federal Republic of Germany	Available for those who cannot vote in person and certain German civil servants and members of the armed forces abroad.	Available for illiterate electors and those who cannot mark the paper through disability may be assisted by another person.
Republic of Ireland	Available for members of the armed forces.	Available for blind, illiterate and disabled voters who are physically present at the polling station.
Italy	Not available	Not available
Luxembourg	Not available	Not available
Netherlands	Not available	Available for Dutch citizens who work in public service overseas.
United Kingdom	Available for those who for reasons of occupation, physical incapacity, religious observance or a move to another electoral area cannot vote in person.	Available for Crown servants, members of the Armed Forces, employees of the British Council working overseas; their spouses: and for those whose occupation takes them out of the country on polling day.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the Government to sign the Council of Europe convention on the transfer of sentenced persons; and when it will come into effect.

My right hon. and learned Friend hopes to make an announcement shortly. The convention will come into force three months after it has been ratified by three member states of the Council of Europe.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (1) how many persons sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and subsequently paroled are known to have committed a second murder;(2) how many persons serving life imprisonment for murder have committed a second murder in prison.

In England and Wales, since 1946, when the present record system was instituted, four persons released on licence from a sentence of life imprisoment for murder were subsequently convicted of further offences of murder while at liberty; two persons serving sentences of life imprisonment for murder were convicted of further offences of murder committed in prison; in addition, one person released on licence from a sentence of imprisonment for murder was subsequently convicted of an offence of murder committed while serving a sentence of imprisonment in Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any statistics as to the number of persons who have been bailed after being charged with murder.

We will reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been convicted of armed robbery in each of the last three years; and what was the average sentence imposed.

Information collected centrally on court proceedings does not separately distinguish offences of armed robbery from other offences of robbery. Information on all those offenders sentenced for robbery can be found in table 7.13 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1981" — Cmnd. 8668 — table 2.2 of the

Persons discharged* in 1980–82 from custodial sentences† for robbery, by length and time spent under sentence‡
Estimated number||
	Time spent under sentence‡
Length of sentence	Up to 6 months	Over 6 months up to 12 months	Over 12 months up to 18 months	Over 18 months up to 4 years	Over 4 years	Total
Up to 6 months	300	—	—	—	—	300
Over 6 months up to 18 months	270	470	40	—	—	790
Over 18 months up to 4 years	10	320	1,120	700	—	2,160
Over 4 years up to 10 years	—	—	50	600	110	760
Over 10 years	—	—	—	10	80	90
Total	580	800	1,210	1,310	190	4,090
* On completion of sentence or release on licence.
† Imprisonment or detention under section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.
† Excluding any time spent on remand in custody.
║Figures rounded independently and components may therefore not add up to totals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he proposes to take with regard to Lord Scarman's recommendations concerning lay visitors to police stations.

My predecessor welcomed Lord Scarman's recommendation that there should be random checks by independent persons on the detention of suspects at police stations as a constructive and positive suggestion for bringing the police and the community closer together, and set in hand consultations with the local authority associations and police representative bodies. These consultations revealed broad agreement about both the benefits which lay visiting schemes might confer and the practical basis on which they could operate. The police made it clear that they would be willing to co-operate in arrangements which, while not hampering their work, might help to dispel suspicions about their treatment of suspects held in their custody.Agreement has now been reached with the Association of County Councils, the Association of Metropolitan

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been released from prison in the last three years who had been convicted of armed robbery; how long each had served in prison; and what was the sentence imposed on each.

The information available relates to all offences of robbery and is given in the following table; corresponding information is not available separately for those convicted of armed robbery.Authorities and the Association of Chief Police Officers that pilot schemes should be established in six police force areas; and with their agreement and co-operation the Home Office is issuing guidelines for the establishment and conduct of lay visiting arrangements. The police forces in whose areas lay visiting has either already or will be introduced are: Greater Manchester, West Midlands, South Yorkshire, Humberside, Cheshire and Leicestershire. I am placing a copy of the guidelines in the Library.In addition, I have, after local consultation, authorised the establishment, also on a pilot basis, of a lay visiting scheme in L district of the Metropolitan police force. I am placing a copy of the scheme in the Library. It will be brought into effect as soon as I have appointed a panel of lay visitors, and I shall be considering the names of persons suggested by the community —police police consultative group for Lambeth and others. I also propose, with the full support of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, to establish similar pilot schemes in other districts of the force.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many refugees engaged in further and higher education have been funded under the Government's aid programme in each year from 1979 to the latest available date.

The figures are as follows:

Year	Number
1979	923
1980	679
1981	470
1982	297
1983 to date	142

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on the Commonwealth Development Corporation loan to NGPI, Agusan del Sur, Philippines; if, in the light of incidents involving the Lost Command, he is satisfied that there is a safe working environment free from harassment at NGPI; and if he will freeze any further funds for the project until a full investigation of violations of human and trades union rights is conducted.

Good progress has been made with the development of the project. The company's undertaking that by 30 June at the latest the security force composed of members of the Lost Command would be replaced by a new force raised and trained by NDC and under the control of NGPI was in fact implemented on 16 May.The Commonwealth Development Corporation has instituted detailed procedures for monitoring the security position on the estate and the maintenance of a safe and equitable working environment free from harassment. That monitoring includes the investigation of matters such as allegations of violations of human and trades union rights on the estate. I am aware of allegations of incidents in the area which took place before the new security force took up its duties and which have been brought to CDC's attention by the Catholic Institute for International Relations and others. I have asked CDC to keep me in close touch with the situation. As the hon. Gentleman is aware, CDC is able to withhold disbursement under its loan agreement with NGPI, which was signed in April, should it be satisfied that any such violations occur.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total level of aid committed to Zimbabwe since April 1980; how much of this has been disbursed so far and for what purposes; and if he will make a statement.

The total level is £113 million, of which about £53 million has so far been spent. This has been paying for land resettlement, the training of Zimbabweans, reconstruction in the rural areas, British manpower and equipment needed for development, and electrification of the railways.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his reply dated 29 July 1980, Official Report, c. 683, concerning the effect of North sea oil on manufacturing industry, how the average rate of growth since 1980 compares with experience between 1973 and 1979.

According to the estimates published by the CSO on 29 June, total gross domestic product, using the average measure, grew at an annual rate of a little over 1 per cent. between 1973 and 1979. In the first quarter of this year, total GDP was almost 1 per cent. higher than the average for 1980.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the percentage change in the rate of inflation for each of the last five years for which figures are available.

The following figures show the percentage change between the average retail prices index for each of the years requested and the previous year:

	per cent.
1978	8·3
1979	13·4
1980	18·0
1981	11·9
1982	8·6

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue has accrued to the Exchequer from capital transfer tax in each of the last five years; and what has been the cost of administration of capital transfer tax.

The receipt of capital transfer tax and estate duty for the years concerned and the estimated cost of administering capital transfer tax and estate duty together are shown in the following table. The cost of administering capital transfer tax alone is not available.

Year	Capital Transfer Tax receipt	Estate Duty receipt	Estimated cost
	£ million	£ million	£ million
1978–79	322·8	46·2	12·9
1979–80	400·8	32·1	14·5
1980–81	424·5	27·3	16·9
1981–82	479·7	17·5	15·7
1982–83 (estimate)	465·0	10·0	17·0

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the latest figures for expenditure in 1982–83 on public services of all categories including defence, incurred in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively.

Full figures for outturn on public expenditure in 1982–83 are not yet available. An analysis of public expenditure identified to each of the four countries of the United Kingdom is carried out each year and published in the Official Report. The most recent analysis covering the years 1977–78 to 1981–82 was given in reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Garscadden (Mr. Dewar) on 1 February 1983. Expenditure on defence, overseas aid and other overseas services is not attributed to countries; it is incurred on behalf of the United Kingdom as a whole.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the cost in salaries and overheads, including premises, of the collection of corporation tax in the financial year 1982–83.

An estimate for 1982–83 is not yet available, but on the basis of the overall movement in Inland Revenue costs in 1982–83, it is expected to be around £45 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the estimated cost to public funds of the recent general election; and if he will make a statement.

The estimated cost of the recent general election is about £23 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what job categories the Inland Revenue has, as a matter of policy, sought to reclassify since 1979 as giving rise to income from employment rather than self-employment;(2) what is the estimated number of taxpayers, in each fiscal years since 1979–80, who have been reclassified by the Inland Revenue as being in employment as opposed to self-employed;(3) if he will take steps to clarify the distinction, for income tax purposes, between employment and self-employment.

I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate how much would have to be added to the standard rate of income tax to compensate for (a) the abolition of all rates and (b) the abolition of domestic rates only.

[pursuant to his reply, 30 June 1983, c. 127]: An increase of 14p in the basic rate of income tax would, at 1983–84 levels of income, yield an equivalent amount of revenue to the yield of rates, net of rate rebates. The corresponding figure for domestic rates alone would be 6p. These figures do not take into account any changes in the yields of other taxes which might result if such a switch in taxation were made and should therefore be regarded as purely illustrative.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of a wage earner's gross pay has been taken by rates in each of the last five years for which figures are available for (a) someone on average earnings, (b) someone on half average earnings and (c) someone on three times average earnings.

[pursuant to the reply, 30 June 1983, c. 127]: The following figures are derived from family expenditure survey data, and give estimated average rates payments, net of rebates, for non-pensioner households in England and Wales in the ranges of income of (a) ½ to ¾ times (b) around average and (c) over twice average male earnings.

	percentage of gross pay
	(a)	(b)	(c)
1980–81	3·5	2·5	1·4
1981–82	4·0	2·9	1·6
1982–83	4·1	3·0	1·6
1983–84	4·3	3·0	1·7

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will announce a date for bringing invalidity benefit into tax.

[pursuant to his reply, 4 July 1983, c. 24]: No date is fixed for this at present.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer who are the members of the tax consultative committee; and what are its terms of reference.

[pursuant to his reply, 4 July 1983, c. 22]: The tax consultative committee is an informal body which meets from time to time, under the chairmanship of a Treasury Minister, to discuss various problems in the direct tax field. It has no formal terms of reference, but acts as a sounding board on technical tax matters of current interest. Membership of the committee consists of, on the one hand, senior officials from the Inland Revenue and Treasury and, on the other, people knowledgeable about tax from the point of view of individuals, industry, commerce and the law. These "outside" members attend in a personal capacity because they are experts in their respective fields, not as representatives of a particular institution. The committee's discussions are confidential.

asked the Scretary of State for Wales what efforts he has made to develop the microelectronics industry in Wales over the past four years; and with what result.

We have consistently attached the highest priority to the development of advanced technology industries including microelectronics in Wales. In conjunction with other interested bodies, the Welsh office has sought to create the conditions and infrastructure which are conducive to this. Arrangements for encouraging investment from overseas have been strengthened and the new organisation WINvest will energetically seek to accelerate the inflow of microelectronics and other advanced technology companies to Wales. Financial assistance for individual projects has been made available under sections 7 and 8 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 and under the Science and Technology Act 1965. The establishment over the last four years of a number of new microelectronics companies in Wales and the expansion of several such indigenous companies demonstrates that these policies are succeeding.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many council-owned houses in each relevant local authority were empty on the most recent convenient date.

The information is given in the following table:

	Vacant local authority dwellings at 31 March 1982
Alyn and Deeside	17
Colwyn	11
Delyn	65
Glyndwr	55
Rhuddlan	—
Wrexham Maelor	419
Carmarthen	7
Ceredigion	30
Dinefwr	12
Llanelli	39
Preseli	33
South Pembrokeshire	31
Blaenau Gwent	32
Islwyn	101
Monmouth	81
Newport	250
Torfaen	83
Aberconwy	7
Arfon	77
Dwyfor	3
Meirionnydd	21
Ynys Mon	56
Cynon Valley	129
Merthyr Tydfil	85
Ogwr	150
Rhondda	278
Rhymney Valley	45
Taff-Ely	45
Brecknock	—
Montgomery	49
Radnor	—
Cardiff	931
Vale of Glamorgan	107
Man	215
Lliw Valley	23
Neath	59
Swansea	112
WALES TOTAL	3,658

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with the present state of the sheep industry in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

The Welsh sheep industry is receiving substantial benefits from the EC sheepmeat regime, and the breeding flock has been increasing by 2 to 3 per cent. a year.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total number of persons employed by community industry in Wales, Clwyd, the Alyn-Deeside travel-to-work area and the Wrexham travel-to-work area; and what was the monthly increase in community industry posts to the last month for which statistics are available.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that on 9 June 1983, 1,032 persons were employed by community industry in Wales. No schemes are currently running in the Shotton and Wrexham travel-to-work areas or in Clwyd. Information in respect of the latter part of the question is not immediately available and I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many people, male and female, were placed in employment by the Shotton jobcentre in the month of May or the last month for which statistics are available; and how many males and females were unemployed in that month.

In June 1983, 59 people were placed in employment by the Shotton jobcentre. Separate figures for males and females are not available. On 9 June 1983, 2,089 males and 852 females were claimants at the Shotton unemployment benefit office.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of unemployed males and unemployed females have been out of work in (a) the Deeside and (b) the Wrexham travel-to-work areas for one year, two years and three years, respectively.

The latest information relates to April 1983 and the proportions are as follows:

	Shotton TTWA		Wrexham TTWA
	Males Per cent.	Females Per cent.	Males Per cent.	Females Per cent.
Unemployed over one year	49·8	27·3	46·3	30·2
Unemployed over 2 years	26·8	10·6	27·1	13·5
Unemployed over 3 years	11·7	5·0	12·3	7·2

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total number of persons unemployed, the percentage rate of unemployment and total numbers of vacancies for (a) Deeside, (b) the Wrexham travel-to-work area, (c) Clwyd and (d) Wales as a whole; and if he will make a statement.

The information is as follows:

	Claimants unemployed on 9 June 1983		Vacancies unfilled on 3 June 1983
	Total	Rate	Employment Offices	Careers Offices
		Per cent.
Shotton TTWA	8,061	17·2	250	2
Wrexham TTWA	7,729	17·1	450	7
Clwyd	22,173	16·8	1,197	22
Wales	162,160	15·4	7,987	270

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many steering location inquiries have been received for the county of Clwyd and the Deeside travel-to-work area by his Department in the last 12 months; and what, in the same period of time, was the total number of inquiries for Wales as a whole.

In the last 12 months, 100 inquiries have been dealt with in respect of Clwyd resulting in 62 visits by prospective investors in the county. The Deeside travel-to-work area received 73 enquiries and 35 visits. The all-Wales figures for the same period were 409 inquiries and 256 visits. These figures include inquiries and visits handled by WINvest since its establishment on 1 April 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the numbers of jobs in the pipeline for the next five years in Wales and Clwyd.

The most recent estimate remains that of 15,000 manufacturing jobs in the pipeline for Wales, of which 3,500 are in Clwyd. This estimate relates only to manufacturing jobs which are expected over the next three to four years from projects for which offers of selective financial assistance have been accepted or which have been allocated Government-financed factory space.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many jobs in the Alyn and Deeside travel-to-work area were being supported by the temporary short-time working scheme.

Twenty-eight jobs are currently being supported by the temporary short-time working compensation scheme in the Shotton travel-to-work area.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many redundancies have been declared in the county of Clwyd and Deeside travel-to-work area since May 1979; and if he will make a statement.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that between January 1981 and May 1983, 7,193 notified redundancies occurred in Clwyd including 3,750 in the Shotton travel-to-work area. Information at the local level for the period prior to January 1981 is not available on a comprehensive basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total of young people who have registered at careers offices in each of the travel-to-work areas in Cumbria in the last month for which statistics are available.

Since the figures are rather detailed, I have written to the hon. Member and placed a copy of my reply in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report so much information as he has as to the amount spent per head on training in each member country of the European Community in each year since 1979.

Information about expenditure on education and training in the European Community is given in the Eurostat bulletin on education and training, copies of which are available in the Library. As the information is quite detailed, I am writing to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he monitors the pay and conditions of homeworkers.

This Department is currently engaged in a programme of research on homeworkers which includes study of their pay and conditions. Some preliminary results have been published and final reports are expected to be ready later this year. In addition, the wages inspectorate carries out checks on the pay of homeworkers in the wages council trades as part of its inspection programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the most recent figures for the level of unemployment in each travel-to-work area in Essex, Hertfordshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Yorkshire, and Tyne and Wear.

The following table gives, for 9 June, the numbers of unemployed claimants and the percentage rates of unemployment in the travel-to-work areas which are either wholly or mainly within the boundaries of the counties specified.

	Number	Percentage rate
Essex
*Braintree	3,676	10·4
*Chelmsford	4,602	6·6
Clacton-on-Sea	2,858	15·8
Colchester	6,521	11·0
*Harlow (includes Bishops Stortford, Herts)	6,555	9·0

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will produce monthly or quarterly figures on a consistent basis for adults wholly unemployed, excluding school leavers, seasonally adjusted from 1977 onwards; and if he will make a statement.

A series of monthly seasonally adjusted unemployment figures, excluding school leavers, from mid 1978, with the recent Budget effects clearly indicated, can be found in table 2.1 of the June 1983 issue of Employment Gazette, a copy of which is available in the Library. A longer series, back to January 1971, is published in the corresponding table of the January 1983 issue.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were unemployed, expressed (a) numerically and (b) as a percentage in the United Kingdom in April and May 1983, respectively; and what were the corresponding figures for males and females.

The figures were published in table 2.1 of the labour market data section of the June issue of Employment Gazette, a copy of which is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many companies have so far shown interest in the youth training scheme.

The information is not available in the precise form requested. However, the response from companies has been very encouraging, and many thousands have shown interest in participating in the scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has taken any initiatives to secure the safety of residents adjacent to redundant power stations which contain asbestos and which are likely in the foreseeble future to be demolished; and if he will make a statement.

The demolition of power stations is subject to the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Factories Act 1961 which are administered and enforced by the Health and Safety Executive. Hazards arising to workpeople from the presence of asbestos dust during demolition work are controlled by the Asbestos Regulations 1969 and guidance on precautions to be taken is contained in an approved code of practice which applies to any work with asbestos insulation. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act includes provision for the protection of other persons, including the public, who may be affected by risks arising from work activities.Her Majesty's inspectors of factories are responsible for enforcement of this legislation in connection with the demolition of power stations and inspect the work as a matter of priority, assisted as necessary by hygiene specialists, to monitor compliance with the legislation and guidance and, where necessary, to measure levels of asbestos dust in air. The inspectors liaise with local organisations, including local authorities. I understand from the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that the commission will be considering what further action is necessary in the light of the reports of the working groups which it set up last year on aspects of exposure to asbestos and on controls and of the recent directives which have been agreed in Europe, subject to parliamentary reserve.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the factory inspectorate is engaged concerning the hazards of asbestos; how many of the factory inspectorate are directly engaged full time in monitoring asbestos hazards in factories, power stations and adjacent communities; and if he will make a statement.

I am informed by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that any one of the inspectors of factories in the Health and Safety Executive's field force may be engaged in the inspection of work activities where hazards may arise from asbestos. Inspectors have the support of specialist occupational hygienists in the enforcement of controls.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment by what annual average percentage average gross earnings in the United Kingdom increased between June 1979 and June 1983.

The latest available information relates to average gross earnings of employees in Great Britain, measured by the average earnings index, which shows an increase between June 1979 and April 1983, on a seasonally adjusted basis, at an annual average rate of 12·8 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his estimate of the effect on the average gross value added in manufacturing in the latest available year of removing from the calculation the plants in the lowest quarter.

I regret that the information requested is not available and could not be obtained without significant computer programming and processing.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the percentage increase in the value of the pound sterling against the deutschmark since the end of March; and if he will estimate the effect this will have on the production of chemicals in the United Kingdom.

The pound sterling increased against the deutschmark by 7·5 per cent. between the week ending 1 April 1983 and the week ending 24 June. It is not possible to assess the effect this will have on the production of chemicals in the United Kingdom in isolation from the effect of other exchange rate changes over the same period and over other periods.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the United Kingdom trade deficit in manufactures, less precious stones, in the first four months of 1983 at an annual rate; and if he will assess how much of this was due to (a) the increase in the rate of exchange, (b) free trade with other European Community countries and (c) other causes.

The figures requested are set out in the table below. It is not possible to assess the effects of the factors listed without making assumptions about what the alternatives were.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the state of trade between the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe.

British exports fob to Zimbabwe in 1982 amounted to £95 million, and imports from Zimbabwe cif amounted to £63 million. Zimbabwe is an important market for the United Kingdom and the Government look forward to the continuing development of our trade relations with that country.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the development of the United Kingdom's crude trade balance in textiles and clothing during the period of the European Community's five-year bilateral textile agreements 1978 to 1982; and how this development differed as between low-cost suppliers liable to restraint and unrestricted suppliers.

I will reply to the right hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he intends to publish the report by the Director General of Fair Trading for 1982.

The ninth annual report by the Director General of Fair Trading is being published today. It covers the period 1 January 1982 to 31 December 1982. Copies of the report have been laid before Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to review regional policy; and if he has any proposals to correct social and economic imbalance among the regions.

Officials are currently undertaking a review of regional economic policy. We asked them to examine the working of current policies and identify ways in which they might be made more effective, and a first report was submitted last year. When officials have completed the further work we have commissioned, we will then wish to consider carefully whether any changes should be made. A statement will be made in due course.The Government remain firmly committed to an effective regional policy which will promote industrial and economic development in those areas of the country most in need of employment opportunities.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will ensure widespread consultation about the conclusions reached in Her Majesty's Government's review of the tourist industry and in particular with local authorities whose areas contain airports;(2) if he will initiate discussions with the north of England regional consortium about his proposals for the future of the tourist industry;(3) whether he will make a statement on the progress of the Government's review of the tourist industry and on the relative priorities to be given to the tourist needs of London and other regions.

The review of tourism policy provided an opportunity for widespread consultations with interested authorities and organisations. Many presented their views including the north of England regional consortium, the Greater Manchester council and Manchester city council. It is not my intention to hold further consultations, as that stage of the review has been completed, but I shall be studying the evidence received carefully before reaching any conclusions on the future structure and emphasis of Government support to tourism. I hope to make an announcement before the summer recess.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will seek to meet the north of England regional consortium to discuss the future of the tourist industry.

I will reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has as to the level of subsidy given by each coal-producing country in the European Community for each tonne of coal produced.

Any valid comparison between support for coal in Community countries should first consider the level of long-term commitment being made in terms of investment expenditure, where the United Kingdom leads by a substantial margin on the 1982 Commission figures:

	£ million
United Kingdom	698
Federal Republic of Germany	264
France	38
Belgium	26

Other member states put a greater share of their support for the coal industry into operating subsidies, aimed simply at balancing losses and without long-term investment benefits. The 1982 figures published by the European Commission are as follows:

	£/tonne	£ million
United Kingdom (financial year 1982–83)	3·2	402
Federal Republic of Germany	4·5	423
France	17·2	310
Belgium	17·7	112

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many redundant power stations there are in the United Kingdom; what is the estimated tonnage of asbestos materials which on average is likely to be contained in the boilers, piping chimneys and so on of such stations; how much blue asbestos is likely to be on such sites; and if he will make a statement.

The regulation of health and safety aspects is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment. I am asking the CEGB to write to the hon. Member to give him the information that it has available.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the aims of Her Majesty's Government's national airports strategy.

The overall aim of the Government's airports policy is to encourage the provision of additional airports capacity when it can be justified by the growth in demand and where the increase in traffic arises. The main elements of that policy remain as set out in the statement by the then Secretary of State for Trade on 13 May 1981.—[Vol. 4, c. 273–75.]

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what are the most recent forecasts by Her Majesty's Government of air travel demand as it affects Heathrow and Gatwick airports; and what was the actual and estimated future level of demand in December 1979.

My Department does not publish air traffic forecasts for individual airports. Since December 1979, the Government have published three sets of long-term forecasts for the United Kingdom and for the London area airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton). The resulting ranges can be summarised as follows:

Millions of Passengers
	Base Year	1985		1990		1995		2000
		Low	High	Low	High	Low	High	Low	High
1. Report of the Air Traffic Forecasting Working Party, Department of Trade, December 1979
UK Total	52·2 (1978)	77·4	86·4	97·7	115·8	116·1	143·5	129·1	167·3
London Area	36·8 (1978)	55·0	60·9	69·4	81·2	82·5	100·2	91·7	116·3
2. Report of the Air Traffic Forecasting Working Party, Department of Trade, September 1981
UK Total	56·6 (1979)	63·7	72·8	74·5	99·7	84·1	126·2	95·3	156·4
London Area	39·2 (1979)	44·5	50·9	52·6	70·3	59·7	89·3	67·9	110·9
3. Air Traffic Forecasts for the United Kingdom, Department of Trade, May 1983
UK Total	59·0(1981)	—	—	75·3	96·8	82·9	121·6	90·5	147·9
London area	39·6(1981)	—	—	50·8	64·2	56·5	81·0	62·1	89·5

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in view of the importance to the tourist industry, he will take steps to stimulate direct air services to and from overseas to regional airports.

Air service agreements with other European countries already provide over 1,500 routes on which air services may operate between regional airports in the United Kingdom and airports elsewhere in Europe. The Government are prepared to seek rights on other routes if airline operators judge that sufficient public demand exists. The inter-regional air service directive which was provisionally adopted by the Council of Ministers earlier this month will further reduce the formalities for airlines wishing to operate such services.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a list of all existing air service agreements with foreign countries which designate Manchester and other regional airports as an approved destination for the operation of international services.

The information requested is as follows:

Bilateral air service agreements with the following countries provide for them to designate airlines to operate scheduled services to certain regional airports in the United Kingdom including Manchester.

• Austria
• Belgium
• Denamark
• France
• Federal Republic of Germany
• Ireland
• Italy
• Malta
• Morocco
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• USA
• Yugoslavia
• Zambia

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for stimulating direct air services to and from overseas to regional airports.

There is already considerable scope for airlines to operate scheduled services from regional airports if they believe that there is sufficient public demand. Our bilateral air services agreements with other countries already provide for scheduled services on some 1,500 different international routes from regional airports in the United Kingdom. Many of these are not taken up by operators. I will consider seeking rights for British airlines to serve any other route for which they obtain a licence from the Civil Aviation Authority. I will also consider requests from overseas Governments to allow their airlines to serve other routes. In all cases I shall, of course, bear in mind the need to achieve an acceptable overall balance of advantage in our civil aviation relations with the country concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether, in the light of the stated policy of successive Governments to promote the regional airports and direct regional air services, he will make a statement on why Government Departments have advised Singapore International Airlines in discussions that an application for a direct service to Manchester would not be supported by the Government unless a compensating service reduction was made in respect of London.

Singapore International Airlines operates its service to London as a result of the United Kingdom-Singapore air services agreement. This requires the capacity to be related to the demand for carriage on the route. The United Kingdom believes that the capacity mounted by SIA is already excessive in relation to the provisions of the air services agreement for this route. A service between Singapore and Manchester will not increase the total traffic between Britain and Singapore. It would not therefore justify an increase in the total capacity operated by SIA to the United Kingdom. The Government would, however, welcome an SIA service to Manchester provided SIA made a corresponding reduction in the frequency of its London services.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will publish comparable information relating to landing charges at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester airports, respectively; and what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the level of such charges.

I am placing in the Library of the House a copy of the 1983 handbook of the Aerodrome Owners Association which contains details of charges imposed at these and other major airports in the United Kingdom. Airport charges vary in accordance with the weight of an aircraft, the number of passengers carried, the time of the year or day the aircraft flies, and the services and facilities offered at individual airports. Comparisons are therefore difficult since charges will vary quite significantly according to the circumstances of a particular flight. It remains the Government's policy that the setting of airport charges is primarily a matter for the airport owners concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a list of all existing air service agreements with foreign countries which designate Manchester airport as an approved destination for the operation of international services.

The information requested is as follows:

Bilateral air services agreements with the following countries provide for them to designate airlines to operate scheduled services to Manchester.

Australia	Netherlands
Austria	New Zealand
Belgium	Norway
Brazil	Poland
Denmark	Spain
France	Sweden
Federal Republic of Germany	Switzerland
Ireland	United States of America
Italy	Yugoslavia
Malta	Zambia
Morocco

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the estimated current rate of vehicle licence duty evasion; and what action he intends to take to reduce it.

The most recent survey in 1977–78 suggested that the level of evasion could be between 7 and 9 per cent.My Department's enforcement effort has been re-organised and further measures to help step up the drive against evasion are in hand. I intend to press ahead with a programme of intensive local campaigns run in cooperation with the police. These have proved effective in dealing with evaders and encouraging voluntary licensing.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what roadworks involving land closures on the M1-M6 motorway between London and Cheshire are planned to be undertaken; on what dates they are scheduled to begin; and when they are expected to be completed;(2) what roadworks involving land closures on the M1-M6 motorway between London and Cheshire are presently being undertaken; and when they are expected to be completed.

There are 14 sites between junction 1 on the M1 in London and junction 21a on the M6 in Cheshire where major roadworks involving lane closures are either in progress or planned to start during 1983–84. The location of those sites, together with starting and finishing dates, are set out on the following list—all are maintenance works, except where otherwise indicated.

Location	Start	Finish
M1: Junctions 5–8 (widening)	October 1980	November 1983
Junctions 8–10	November 1983	December 1983
Junctions 11–12	July 1983	October 1983
Junctions 14–15	May 1983	August 1983
Junctions 15–16	April 1983	November 1983
Junctions 16–17	June 1983	July 1983
Junctions 17–18	July 1983	August 1983
M6: Junction 2	June 1983	November 1983
Junctions 3–4	February 1984	March 1984
Junctions 5–6	June 1983	October 1983
Junction 10-Hilton Park	July 1983	November 1983
Hilton Park-Junction 11	November 1983	December 1983
Junctions 19–20a	March 1983	July 1983
Thelwall Viaduct	October 1983	December 1983

There are also minor maintenance works which involve lane closures, but usually only for a short time.These motorways will continue to require carefully-phased maintenance works throughout the 1980s.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what proceeds were realised from the sale of shares in Associated British Ports Holdings plc.

Gross receipts from the sale of shares totalled some £48 million, and, after deduction of the costs of the sale, net receipts totalled about £46 million. Parliamentary approval is being sought in the Summer Supplementary Estimates for the Vote for the sale of shares in Associated British Ports to be continued in 1983–84, when it will be Class VI Vote 5 with a cash limit of £300,000, to meet remnant expenses arising from the sale. Pending that approval, any necessary expenditure will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will estimate the percentage of United Kingdom citizens in the Republic of Zimbabwe who (a) have become British citizens under the British Nationality Act 1981 and (b) have the right of abode in the United Kingdom; and if he will estimate the number of Commonwealth citizens in the Republic of Zimbabwe who have the right of abode in the United Kingdom.

It is estimated that more than 90 per cent. of former citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies in the Republic of Zimbabwe became British citizens. All British citizens have the right of abode in the United Kingdom. We are not in a position to estimate the number of Commonwealth citizens in Zimbabwe or how many of them have the right of abode in the United Kingdom, but I would expect the latter to be very few.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on relations between the United Kingdom and Israel; and what recent meetings have taken place between the Governments of the two countries.

Relations between Britain and Israel remain close. Further improvements would be welcome to Her Majesty's Government. We have welcomed the Israel-Lebanon Agreement and hope that this will lead to the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon. The reconsideration by the Israeli Government of their rejection of President Reagan's plan for a Middle East settlement which Her Majesty's Government support would further improve our relations.My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science visited Israel from 13 to 20 March. Talks at political director level were held in London on 3 and 4 February. There are frequent contacts at official level.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any progress has been made during the last 12 months with regard to the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Albania.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any bilateral agreements have been made between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Chile during the last 12 months; what areas have been covered by any such agreements; and if he will make a statement.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current state of relations between the United Kingdom and Chile; and what recent disussions have taken place between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Chile.

Our relations with Chile are satisfactory. The most recent discussions between Her Majesty's Government and the Chilean Government took place when my hon. Friend the Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) as Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, held discussions with Chilean Ministers when he visited Chile in April.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the final appeal from the World Assembly for Peace and Life Against Nuclear War, which took place in Prague recently, sent to him by the hon. Member for Dundee, West; and if he will make a statement.

The recent Prague assembly was the latest in a succession of 13 similar congresses held since 1940 under the auspices of the World Peace Council, which is a disguised instrument of Soviet foreign policy. In our view, the Soviet Union and its allies should spend less time on such appeals and more on the serious business of negotiating balanced arms reductions at Geneva, where they have not matched the West's far-reaching proposal for nuclear arms control. We will not be deflected by this appeal which, whatever its superficial merits, is essentially declaratory and propagandist in intent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people have been able to move under the national mobility scheme.

In 1982–83, there were 6,235 moves under the scheme outside London and a further 7,562 under the related schemes within London.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average time taken by (a) local planning authorities to determine applications and (b) his Department to determine planning appeals.

The proportion of planning applications decided by local authorities within eight weeks has risen from 60 per cent. in early 1980 to 72 per cent. at the end of 1982. This is a significant and welcome achievement.The median time for deciding all planning appeals was 19 weeks in 1982, compared with 20 weeks in 1981 and 27 weeks in 1980. For inspectors' written representations cases—three quarters of all appeals—the median time was 17 weeks in 1982 compared with 18 weeks in 1981 and 26 weeks in 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many planning authorities are still determining less than 50 per cent. of their planning applications in the statutory eight-week period.

In the last quarter of 1982, 24 authorities decided fewer than 50 per cent. of their planning applications within eight weeks compared with 43 authorities in the first quarter of that year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now undertake to continue the Aycliffe development corporation beyond 1985.

No, but we have undertaken to review the target wind-up date before the end of this financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the number of applications made under the new do-it-yourself shared-ownership scheme.

The total number of sales approved by the Housing Corporation between 24 January, when the scheme was launched, and the end of May is 416. However, the Housing Corporation estimates that about 5,500 applicants have been accepted by participating housing associations for do-it-yourself shared-ownership in the first two months of this financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to increase the housing investment programme allocation for Blackburn.

No, but Blackburn is free to increase its allocation on account both of capital receipts generated in the financial year and of accumulated receipts, whether housing or non-housing, brought forward from previous years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Minister with special responsibility for sport will make an official visit to South Africa to ascertain whether the conditions as described in the Commonwealth declaration on sport 1977 — the Gleneagles agreement—exist.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will initiate discussions with Ministers in charge of sport in other Commonwealth countries with a view to obtaining a firmer application of the principles contained in the Gleneagles agreement regarding sporting contact with South Africa.