asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with present legislation regarding stray and killer dogs; and if he will make a statement.

The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 was strengthened by section 12 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 which requires dogs to be kept under close control in enclosed areas where there are sheep.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to reply to the report of the Committee on Welsh Affairs in the last Parliament on water in Wales.

After the summer recess.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland whether he is satisfied that the Crown Office has sufficient staff to take precognitions when necessary and to ensure expeditious trials in Scotland.

Generally, precognitions are taken by procurators fiscal, their deputes and precognition officers although from time to time members of the legal staff of Crown Office are instructed to carry out precognition work. My Department is hard pressed to cope with all the necessary precognition work. A modest increase this year has been authorised and it is hoped that the work will all be carried out competently. The situation is kept under constant review.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland what advice his Department has given to procurators fiscal with regard to prosecutions for caravan parking on Government land.

Procurators fiscal have been instructed by my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate to report all cases involving unauthorised camping by travelling people to the Crown Office. Each case is then considered by my noble and learned Friend personally and a decision is taken based on the merits of each case and having regard to all the circumstances including the availability of alternative sites.No distinction is made between Government land and any other land.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he is now prepared to reconsider his policy of non-harassment of travelling people.

There is no general policy of non-harassment of travelling people. In relation to unauthorised camping by travelling people the policy has been that such cases are to be reported 10 the Crown Office. Each case is then considered by my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate personally and a decision is taken based on the merits of each case and having regard to all the circumstances including the availability of alternative sites. In all other cases allegations of criminal conduct by travelling people are dealt with in the ordinary way by the procurator fiscal.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland how many people have been proceeded against under section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act in connection with incidents involving anti-blood sports protests.

Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980 contains no offence provisions, consequently no such prosecutions have arisen. This section empowers police to detain persons prior to charge, who are suspected of having committed an offence punishable by imprisonment, to enable further inquiries to be made. Figures are not available to show the precise types of offence for which persons are so detained.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland how many prosecutions for armed trespass have taken place in 1981 and 1982 respectively.

A person who, while armed, trespasses on land without reasonable excuse commits an offence in terms of section 20 of the Firearms Act 1968. No seperate statistics are kept for convictions under this section of the Firearms Act.However, I can advise my hon. Friend that within his own constituency, two unsuccessful prosecutions under section 20 of the Firearms Act occurred in 1982 and one case is still pending.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland when he intends to introduce legislation to deal with warrant sales.

The Scottish Law Commission is at present giving top priority to the preperation of a report on the law of diligence following the receipt of comments from interested bodies and individuals. The report will include recommendations on the topic of warrant sales and it would be wrong for the Government to propose legislation on this subject until they have the benefit of knowing what the commission recommend should be done. No definite date can yet be given for the publication of the report.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food where paramyxovirus 3 and paramyxovirus 1 outbreaks have been located; how many birds have been involved in each location; and how many birds have died or been destroyed in each location.

Paramyxovirus 1 has now been diagnosed in racing pigeons at four locations in Cornwall. Other possible outbreaks are under investigation both in that county and in a number of other locations. About 300 birds have been involved in those outbreaks which have been diagnosed in which a small number have died. A slaughter policy in relation to this disease is not being followed by the Government.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will in future place a list in the Library of areas where new outbreaks of paramyxovirus take place.

Well-established arrangements apply under which the Ministry publicises significant outbreaks of notifiable diseases when these occur. Additionally, I have decided as a temporary measure to place in the Library the information which the hon. Member has requested.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement as to the progress that has taken place in discussions with representatives of the French, Belgian, Dutch, German, Spanish and Portuguese Governments on the outbreak of paramyxo disease.

The state veterinary service maintains continuous contact with its colleagues in other countries on all disease control problems, both in the context of the standing veterinary committee of the European Commission and bilaterally. Our import controls in relation to all diseases, including paramyxovirus in racing pigeons are kept under constant review in the light of developments in other countries.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what date he received a reply from the Commission of the European Community following the Government's representations on the extension of less favoured areas; when the information previously requested by the European Community was sent to it; and when any meeting has subsequently taken place.

Receipt of the United Kingdom's proposals for extending our less favoured areas, which were formally submitted to the European Commission on 13 December, was acknowledged by the Commission on 7 February. Additional information sought by the Commission in that communication was supplied on 4 March. Since then there have been several meetings between officials, the last on 4 May, and further information has been supplied, most recently on 25 May, following which Commission officials gave an assurance that they had sufficient information to finalise the drafting of proposals to the Council of Ministers.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many launchers for cruise missiles will be deployed in the United Kingdom; how many cruise missiles will be deployed; and how many times each launcher can be used.

NATO's dual track decision of December 1979 provided for the deployment of 160 ground-launched cruise missiles in this country, carried on 40 vehicle launchers with each launcher carrying four missiles.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has had discussions with his counterparts in the United States of America about the possibility of taking out options on air-based and submarine-based cruise missiles.

It is not my right hon. Friend's practice to publicise the details of his discussions with his ministerial counterparts in other countries. The Government's plans for the future procurement of nuclear weapons are set out in the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1983"—Cmnd. 8951.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will announce a timetable for the deployment of cruise missiles.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his hon. Friend the Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on 1 July.—[Vol. 44, c. 175.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans for the replacement of helicopters in the Queen's Flight.

There are no plans to do so at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many jobs in Dartmouth royal naval college will be affected (a) among uniformed patrolmen or his Department's police, (b) in Marine service tasks and (c) in maintenance, preservation of general naval stores, estate management, rodent control, joinery, shipwright tasks, naval cataloguing/codification activity and grounds maintenance tasks, if the Government carry forward their proposals to privatise such services (i) at 5 per cent. and (ii) at 10 per cent. of the existing establishment; and if he will make a statement.

The measures referred to were included in a list of illustrative options for contract work as part of an exercise to assess how savings of 5 per cent. or 10 per cent. might be made within the Ministry of Defence as a whole if required. They are not peculiar to any particular establishment. No decisions have yet been taken. I am writing to my hon. Friend with details of the jobs that might be affected at the Britannia royal naval college, Dartmouth.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether he will list in the Official Report(a) the charges to rifle associations for the use of Army, Territorial Army and cadet ranges for each year since 1972, (b) the percentage change in each case and (c) what representations he has received on the latest uprating is such charges;(2) whether he will institute a sliding scale of charges for hire of Army, Territorial Army and cadet rifle ranges by rifle associations to take account of the size and facilities of the ranges;(3) how many rifle associations have failed to renew subscriptions for hiring Army rifle ranges, including Territorial Army and cadet ranges, since the last increase in charges

I shall answer shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many mature students were taking degree courses in English universities in the academic years 1982–83, 1981–82 and 1980–81.

In 1980–81 and 1981–82 the numbers of home and overseas mature entrants, de fined as those aged 21 or more on entry to higher education, to full-time undergraduate courses in universities in England were 9,646 and 9,040, respectively. Mature entrants to part-time courses in these years were 1,539 and 1,606, respectively. Comparable data for 1982–83 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to encourage the better use of school buildings to provide additional youth facilities.

The Government attach importance to securing the fullest possible use of school buildings by outside organisations, including the youth service, and this is encouraged on all suitable occasions.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is considering ways of integrating disabled children into ordinary schools where possible.

Section 2 of the Education Act 1981, which came into effect on 1 April 1983, requires that where certain conditions are fulfilled, children with special educational needs shall be educated in ordinary schools. In my reply to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 5 July—[Vol. 45, c. 71]—I gave details of departmental initiatives to improve provision for children with special educational needs in ordinary schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he takes account of reports by Her Majesty's inspectors in deciding upon the question of closure of village primary schools; and what weight is attached to such reports.

My right hon. Friend takes account of all relevant factors including, where pertinent, the report of any recent inspection of the schools concerned by Her Majesty's inspectors and conclusions from their published surveys. He considers all such proposals on their individual merits, attaching weight to each factor and the available evidence according to the circumstances of the case.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice is given by his Department to local education authorities on staffing policy in the light of Her Majesty's inspectors' reports on schools.

It is for the local education authority to determine its own staffing policy in the light of local needs, and of the resources available. If Her Majesty's inspectors reported, following a formal inspection, that the policy was giving rise to particularly favourable or unfavourable consequences in a school, the Department would look to the local education authority to pursue the matter—whether in spreading the good practice found or in rectifying deficiencies—and to inform my right hon. Friend of action taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will itemise the £32 million per year recurrent funding of the Inner London education authority referred to in the Under-Secretary of State's answer on 5 July, Official Report, c. 147.

The exact composition of the £32 million varied from year to year but in each case it was made up of the same four items. The breakdown for 1981–82 at 1979 prices is as follows:

	£ million
Grant paid under the urban programme	2·9
Grant to cover 90 per cent. of mandatory student awards paid by ILEA	22·1
Grant to cover the salaries of certain careers service staff dealing with unemployed young people	0·2
Grant towards the cost of certain staff engaged in the education of Commonwealth immigrants	7·4
Total	32·6

asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government will seek to discuss with other countries the formulation of an international programme of economic aid to Poland with suitable conditions attached concerning protection of human rights.

The Government's contribution to aid programmes to Poland, both nationally and internationally through the European Community, is well known. A proposal for further aid is now under consideration with our European partners. We will continue to do what we can for the people of Poland within the resources available and will likewise maintain our efforts to persuade the Polish authorities to re-establish civil liberties and the process of reform in Poland.

asked the Prime Minister if she will set up an interdepartmental body to co-ordinate the commercial exploitation of research work in universities and polytechnics without the intervention of the British technology group; and if she will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry will make a statement in due course on the future of the British technology group and on the arrangements for exploitation of research work in universities and polytechnics.

asked the Prime Minister if she will publish a breakdown of the 150,000 British jobs dependent on exports to South Africa referred to by her in Prime Minister's questions on 28 June, Official Report, c. 458.

The jobs concerned are mainly in mechanical and electrical engineering, vehicle components, chemicals and plastics.

asked the Prime Minister what funds are being made available to the Devon county council from European Community sources through Her Majesty's Government for road improvement schemes to facilitate movement during the tourist season; and to what other purposes.

Devon receives aid from the European regional development fund towards various types of infrastructure projects intended to promote the economic development, including tourism, of the assisted areas within the county.The county council received grant commitments for tourist road schemes of £723,800 in 1982 and a further £876,900 for industrial roads schemes.This year an application is being made to the Commission for a £750,000 grant for the A379 Exminster bypass.Among the road schemes which received ERDF grant last year are the Totnes inner relief road and the A38 Maradon interchange.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young persons aged 16 to 18 years were unemployed in the Stoke-on-Trent travel-to-work area during the last month for which statistics were available; and what were the comparable figures in the same month in 1982, 1981, 1980 and 1979.

The following table gives the numbers of young people aged 18 years and under registered as unemployed in the Stoke-on-Trent travel-to-work area at April each year from 1979 to 1982 and the corresponding figure for the unemployed claimants at April 1983, the latest available.

Registered unemployed	Numbers
April 1979	653
April 1980	1,578
April 1981	2,502
April 1982	3,534
Unemployed claimants
April 1983	3,550

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men and women have been unemployed for more than 12 months in the Stoke-on-Trent travel-to-work area; and what were the comparable figures in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982.

The following table gives the numbers of males and females registered as unemployed for over 52 weeks in the Stoke-on-Trent travel-to-work area at April each year from 1979 to 1982 and the corresponding figures for unemployed claimants at April 1983, the latest available.

Registered unemployed	Male	Female
April 1979	1,758	236
April 1980	1,917	313
April 1981	3,227	756
April 1982	7,202	2,032
Unemployed claimants
April 1983	8,887	2,424

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the latest unemployment figures.

The seasonally adjusted figures for June show a slight increase in unemployment over the previous month. Vacancies notified to jobcentres have, however, increased by 8,000 over the previous month.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are now unemployed in Wandsworth; and how many of these are under 21 years.

In June, there were 14,732 unemployed claimants in the area covered by the Balham, Clapham Junction and Tooting jobcentres, which corresponds closely to Wandsworth. This figure does not include 233 unemployed school leavers under 18 years of age registered at careers offices in the area who are not yet entitled to benefit. In April, the latest date for which an analysis by age is available, out of a total of 15,324 unemployed claimants in the area, 2,471 were under 20 years of age. Separate figures for those aged 20 years are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the Official Report all nationalised industries, whether statutory corporations, companies, or trading bodies of any sort, in which the Government now have any financial interest or for which they may make financial provision, in whole or part, for which he is the sponsoring Minister; and if he will list all subsidiaries or divisions of those industries which may carry on business under a different name from that of the parent nationalised industry.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what arrangements he has made for the appointment of a chairman of the Health and Safety Commission beyond 30 September.

I have today announced the appointment of Dr. John Cullen, until recently deputy chairman of Rohm and Haas (UK) Ltd., as chairman of the commission, initially for a period of three years from 1 October 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were sentenced to a prison term of less than three months in the most recent six-month period for which figures are available and for the same period 12 months earlier.

Information on the length of principal sentences of immediate imprisonment imposed by magistrates' courts for all types of offence for the years 1980 and 1981 is published in table 7.17 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1981" (Cmnd. 8668). Corresponding information for the Crown court is readily available only for males. A principal sentence of immediate imprisonment of three months or less was imposed by the Crown court on 3,000 males in 1980 and 3,800 in 1981. Information for 1982 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now reverse his decision to cut the pay of trainee probation officers beginning courses in September 1983; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend does not intend to reverse his predecessor's decision. We cannot accept that expenditure levels should be maintained when the special circumstances which justified the previous level of expenditure have ceased to apply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many animals were used in Great Britain for experiments involving tobacco and its substitutes in 1980, 1981 and 1982.

Information on experiments involving tobacco and its substitutes is published annually in "Statistics of experiments on living animals, Great Britain", tables 2, 3 and 11 of the issue for 1980 (Cmnd. 8301) and 1981 (Cmnd. 8657). Corresponding information about experiments commenced in 1982 is due to be published later this month.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends to ensure that the extra resources for the police are efficiently and effectively used.

Chief officers realise that they need to deploy resources efficiently and effectively. Her Majesty's inspectors of constabulary have been asked to pay particular attention to the way resources are used and to ensure that examples of good practice are widely disseminated. I shall not be prepared to approve increases in police establishments unless I am satisfied that existing strengths are being used to best advantage. My Department issues guidance on particular aspects of police work, with a view to improving both effectiveness in individual forces and, where appropriate, co-ordination nationally. Steps are being taken to improve police training at all levels. The support of the community in reducing opportunities for crime is crucial, if the police are to be able to use their resources, powers and training to best effect.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received in 1983 seeking tighter immigration control.

Since the beginning of 1983 we have received about 40 letters to this effect from right hon. and hon. Members, most of whom were writing on behalf of one of their constituents, and about 200 from members of the public.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of time between an application for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and the conclusion of the case (a) in cases settled by a single member of the board and (b) in cases for which a hearing before three board members has been requested; whether the length of time in (a) and (b) is increasing or decreasing; and by how much per year it has done so since the establishment of the board.

I regret that this information is not available. The board's statistics are based on the time taken for cases to be resolved and do not distinguish between those settled by a single member and those for which a hearing is requested. Average figures are not kept. The following table, however, indicates for each financial year since 1967–68—the earliest year for which statistics are available—the percentage of cases resolved within specified times.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the local authorities in the Yorkshire and Humberside region which have failed to cooperate with Her Majesty's Government in civil defence matters in the last two years.

There has been no failure to meet the requirements of the Civil Defence (Planning) Regulations 1974. The extent to which authorities have done more varies. Three of the county authorities, namely South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Humberside have so far followed a policy of minimum compliance.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to which local authorities in the Yorkshire and Humberside region employ nuclear officers or peace officers or equivalent staff.

I understand that Sheffield district council employs a peace officer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report the total cost to public funds of the Commission for Racial Equality in 1982–83; what proportion of these funds was disbursed on salaries, wages and expenses; and what was the total number of staff employed by the commission during that year.

The grant-in-aid paid to the Commission for Racial Equality in 1982–83 totalled £8·287 million. The provisional figure for total expenditure on the remuneration of the chairman and deputy chairman, fees for part-time commissioners, staff salaries, national insurance, pension contributions and travel and subsistence payments is £2·859 million—34·5 per cent. of the total grant-in-aid. The average number of staff employed by the commission in the last financial year was 214.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons convicted of murder and later found innocent have received compensation; and what were the sums involved.

In England and Wales since 1965 ex gratia payments have been made to four defendants whose convictions were quashed by the Court of Appeal, three of them following a reference by the Secretary of State. The sums involved were £25,000, £21,020, £18,000 and £9,950.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been convicted of murder and subsequently found innocent since the abolition of capital punishment; and how many were given a royal pardon.

Information is not immediately available in the Home Office concerning the number of cases in which the Court of Appeal, in the course of normal appeal procedures, has quashed a conviction for murder.No one convicted in England and Wales of murder since the abolition of capital punishment in 1965 has been granted a free pardon. Since 1965, the cases of seven persons convicted of murder have been referred to the Court of Appeal under section 17 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968. The court quashed the convictions of four of them and, in the case of another, substituted a verdict of manslaughter and imposed a sentence of seven years' imprisonment. In a case where the court had quashed the conviction of one man out of three jointly convicted, and considerable unease was felt about the convictions of the other two, the exercise of the royal prerogative of mercy was later recommended so as to remit the remainder of their sentences, and they were released.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the number of foreign heavy trucks failing safety checks in the midlands; and if he will make a statement.

None. The Department's enforcement officers, the police and local authority trading standards officers work together to ensure that United Kingdom road traffice law is complied with by British and foreign hauliers alike.The Northamptonshire police recently arranged a special enforcement check at the Crick lay-by, off the Ml. This resulted in numerous prosecutions of defaulting drivers. Many of them were, I understand, foreign but prosecutions are also anticipated against British drivers.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ask the proper authorities to arrange for the maintenance and cleaning of the Bridge street underpass and for its closure in the early hours when the House is not sitting to avoid nuisance.

I shall pass my hon. Friend's points on to the Greater London council and the Westminster city council who are both responsible for different parts of this underpass.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has received any further representations concerning the proposal to construct a container terminal at Falmouth; and if he will make a statement.

A total of 17 representations in support of the proposal have been received from hon. Members, organisations and individuals, and 25 against it. No further application under the Harbours Act 1964 has yet been received from the promoters.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he proposes to write off any British Airways losses in 1981–82 and 1982–83 on marginal routes or other losses: and whether he proposes to write off any losses for the current financial year.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 July 1983, c. 312]: British Airways has asked the Government for a reconstruction of its capital and debt structure. The Government have not yet made any commitment to a capital reconstruction, nor to the form or timing of any reconstruction.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what are Her Majesty's Government' s proposals for denationalisation of British Airways; and which will be achieved in (a) 1983–84 and (b) later years; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 July 1983, c. 311]: The Government intend to sell a controlling stake in British Airways to the private sector as soon as practicable. We have not yet committed ourselves to a firm date.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report all nationalised industries, whether statutory corporations, companies, or trading bodies of any sort, in which the Government now have any financial interest or for which they may make financial provision, in whole or part, for which he is the sponsoring Minister; and if he will list all subsidiaries or divisions of those industries which may carry on business under a different name from that of the parent nationalised industry.

Such bodies for which my right hon. Friend is responsible are the Commonwealth Development Corporation, the Crown Agents and the Crown Agents Holding and Realisation Board.The subsidiaries of the Commonwealth Development Corporation and the Crown Agents are listed in their annual accounts for the year 1982, copies of which are in the Library of the House. Since the year end the Crown Agents have participated, through a 51 per cent. shareholding, in the formation of Crown Agents Philatelic Corporation, incorporated in New Jersey, USA.The subsidiaries of the Crown Agents Holding and Realisation Board are:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Mr. Beith) of 6 July, Official Report, c. 91, if he will give a breakdown, by country of origin, of the refugees engaged in further and higher education funded under the Government's aid programme in each year since 1979 to the latest available date; and to what he attributes the decline in the total figures over the last five years.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, further to his reply dated 29 June, Official Report, c. 80, concerning European Community tariffs on manufactures exceeding 15 per cent. in 1987, whether he will publish in the Official Report details of imports from and exports to the European Community in 1982 and in the current year to date of manufactures in each category.

This information is not readily available and, in view of the large number of individual code numbers comprised in the tariff headings in question, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by how much he expects United Kingdom steel exports to the United States to be reduced as a result of the tariff and quotas announced by President Reagan on 5 July.

It is too early to say but the value of United Kingdom exports to the United States of the products concerned in 1982 was of the order of £11 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has yet completed its study of the costs of protectionism; and if he will make a statement.

No, this study has not yet been completed. The OECD secretariat, in consultation with member states, is currently compiling an inventory of relevant data. It is a very complex subject and the study is unlikely to be completed before 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he proposes to take in consequence of the recent findings of the Director General of Fair Trading about current practices of moneylenders; and if he will make a statement.

Many of these practices are criminal offences under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and other law and no further legislation is therefore required. I hope that wide publicity will be given to the director general's findings and that borrowers who may be affected will seek independent advice and help the enforcement authorities to bring offenders before the courts.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on the supply of holiday caravans on licensed sites in Northern Ireland is to be published; and if he will make a statement.

The report is published today.The commission found that no business enjoyed a scale monopoly in the supply of pitches, but a complex monopoly existed in favour of those businesses which combined dealing in caravans with operating caravan sites and sought to link the provision of sites with sales of caravan, by reserving pitches preferentially for caravan purchasers or by requiring caravan owners already occupying a pitch to obtain replacement caravans from them.The commission considered that while combining the two activities involved a degree of restriction it was an acceptable business strategy which might offer a useful option to consumers. It considered that measures to prevent businesses combining caravan sales with site operation would be difficult to enforce and were not justified. It concluded that the complex monopoly did not operate and might not be expected to operate against the public interest.The commission examined the practice of combined caravan dealer-site operators subsidising pitch rents from their sales of caravans. It did not think that it had significant effects on competition in the supply of pitches, and considered that it was attributable to legitimate business considerations rather than to the existence of a complex monopoly. It concluded that it did not operate and might not be expected to operate against the public interest.The commission also commented on the practice of requiring caravan owners who wished to give up their pitches and sell their caravans to sell them to the site operator or remove them. It accepted that site owners were justified in retaining the right to determine who occupied a pitch, but they recognised that the practice put caravan owners in a weak bargaining position and might force them to take an unfairly low price, and it seemed important to them that there should be some safeguard for caravan owners.The commission's conclusions were related to the present structure of the industry and it recognised that the practices which it examined could become more onerous to consumers if a scale monopoly developed, if the current conditions of complex monopoly operated more widely or if there was a general scarcity of pitches in relation to demand. However, it saw no reason to expect, as far as it could see, a scarcity of pitches such as to cause concern.The commission suggested that the problems in the industry were well adapted to solution through a voluntary code of practice on the lines of that drawn up by the national association in 1980. This could cover the sale of caravans on the owners ceasing to occupy a pitch, the purchase of replacement caravans, and information about trading practices. It also made a suggestion, which the Government are considering, that the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment and other planning authorities should have regard to the supply and demand for caravan pitches when considering applications for new or extended caravan parks.In the light of the commission' suggestion the Director General of Fair Trading intends to negotiate with the industry a code of practice for holiday caravans which would cover the United Kingdom as a whole and not just Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will take steps to allow universities themselves to exploit the inventions and expertise arising from their publicly funded research without the involvement of the British technology group;(2) if he will permit universities which carry out research on behalf of his Department to exploit such research for non-military purposes without the involvement of the British technology group.

My right hon. Friend will be making a statement about the future of the British technology group and the arrangements for exploitation of research, including in universities shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement concerning the recommendations of the advisory council on applied research and development in its report "Improving Research Links between Higher Education and Industry".

I have little to add to what my right hon. Friend Lord Cockfield said in another place on 4 July. The Government welcome the report on "Improving Research Links between Higher Education and Industry". Careful consideration will be given to the recommendations and full response will be made in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to seek the establishment of a national database available to the public of research and development capabilities within British universities and polytechnics.

Much of the information is already available in "Research in British Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges" produced by the British Library. The conversion of this to a comprehensive on-line database is not thought to be cost-effective at the present time. The Department will, however, continue to consider the case for creating selective data bases.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the trade balance of the United Kingdom motor industry is indicating a surplus or deficit so far as figures for 1983 are available.

[pursuant to the reply, 11 July 1983, c. 231]: Detailed figures normally published in Business Monitor MQ.10 — overseas trade analysed in terms of industries —are not yet available for 1983, owing to transitional problems resulting from the adoption of the 1980 edition of the standard industrial classification as the basis of the statistics, instead of the 1968 edition. On the more approximate basis indicated in the footnote below, the crude deficit in overseas trade—exports valued f.o.b. minus imports valued c.i.f. — in the first five months of the year was £1,177 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has as to what percentage of the total population owns cars in the United Kingdom, France, West Germany, Italy, the United States of America and Japan, respectively.

I have been asked to reply.The information is not available in the precise form requested. The following table gives the number of private cars and taxis per thousand population in each of those countries in 1981.

Cars and taxis per thousand population in 1981
	Number
United Kingdom (Great Britain only)	284
France	348
West Germany	385
Italy (1980)	309
United States of America	537
Japan	209

These figures are published annually in "Transport Statistics Great Britain." The next issue is due to be published in October this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the gross weekly earnings necessary for an unemployed 60-year-old married man to be £10 a week better off by working than when in receipt of the long-term supplementary benefit scale rate plus an estimated 20 per cent. to cover disregarded income, passport benefits, additional payments and so forth, assuming fares to work are £5·70 a week, and housing costs are either (a) rent £12·25, rates £4·50 and water rates £1·40, or (b) weekly mortgage interest £15, capital repayments £3, rates £8.00 and water rates £1·40.

On the assumptions listed as follows, the figures are (a) £131·95 and (b) £141·48. It is extremely unlikely that the value of disregarded income, passport benefits and so forth would amount to 20 per cent. of the long-term scale rate. If this component of the calculation is deleted the figures become (a) £114·44 and (b) £122·12.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the cost in the financial year 1983–84 to central and local government funds if all eligible people took up their full entitlement to the new housing benefit scheme for rent rebate and allowances and rate rebates; and what percentage of this amount is expected to be taken up.

Estimates of the total eligible population in 1983–84 are not available. However, as a broad guide to the magnitudes involved for standard housing benefit*, the proportion of those taking up their entitlement to rent rebates in the 1981 calendar year in England and Wales was 70 to 75 per cent., for rent allowances 60 to 65 per cent., and for rate rebates about 65 per cent. Estimated total benefit expenditure on these items in 1983–84 in Great Britain for standard cases is as follows:

	£ million
Rent rebates	720
Rent allowances	115
Rate rebates	500
* Standard cases are all housing benefit cases except those receiving supplementary benefit who are automatically eligible for 100 per cent. help with rent and rates, less deductions if appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in what proportion of cases, where pre-birth screening reveals a defect in the foetus, treatment is provided to ensure the survival of the child.

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many farmers in the United Kingdom are obtaining family income supplement.

I regret that this information is not available.Farmers are included for family income supplement statistical purposes within a wider group covering those employed in agriculture, horticulture and related occupations. There were 13,000 families in Great Britain within that group receiving family income supplement at the end of April 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many National Health Service general practitioners still practising are aged over 80 years and 90 years, respectively.

At 1 October 1982, in Great Britain, the number of unrestricted principals in general medical practice aged 80 years or over was 84. Of these one was aged 90 years.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take further steps to maintain the priority of planning services amongst area health authorities' preventive health measures.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to family planning services. The policies and priorities handbook "Care in Action", sent to chairmen and members of health authorities in 1981, emphasised the importance of family planning as an element in preventive health care. That remains the policy of the Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which of the recommendations of the health inspectors for improvement in respect of the kitchens at St. Thomas' hospital have now been followed.

This information is not available centrally and the hon. and learned Member may wish to approach West Lambeth health authority direct.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will institute periodical inspections of all kitchens in all hospitals in the United Kingdom so as to establish which are unhygienic.

Health authorities are already expected to invite local authority environmental health departments to visit, inspect and report on all areas within their premises where food is stored, processed or consumed. The detailed arrangements for inspections are matters to be resolved locally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients in hospitals in the United Kingdom have suffered from food poisoning as a result of unhygienic conditions in hospital kitchens.

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in how many hospitals in the United Kingdom staff kitchens are housed in buildings in need of modernisation.

The information requested is not held centrally. It would cost a disproportionate amount for this information to be obtained.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much he expects will be spent during the years 1983 and 1984, respectively, in modernising hospital kitchens in the United Kingdom for staff and for patients, respectively; and how such expenditure compares with that incurred during each of the past five years for which records are available.

The information requested cannot be separately identified from health authorities' summarised accounts. The amount that health authorities plan to spend on modernisation of hospital kitchens in 1983–84 will be a matter for them to determine within their overall capital allocations.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) in how many hospital kitchens in the United Kingdom cockroaches or mouse droppings, respectively, have been found by health inspectors during the past 12 months;(2) in how many hospitals in the United Kingdom food was found to have been badly stored during the past 12 months;(3) in how many hospital kitchens in the United Kingdom during the past 12 months it was found by health inspectors that kitchen equipment was dirty.

The management of NHS catering premises and the maintenance of standards is a matter for individual health authorities. Advice has been issued to health authorities on their links with local authority environmental health departments and arrangements for inspections. Details are not available centrally of such inspections, but in the past 12 months only the case at St. Thomas' hospital and one other case of inadequate hospital kitchen hygiene have come to the Department's notice.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will introduce a common basis for assessment for all types of benefit, including supplementary benefit and rate and rent rebates and allowances.

We recognise the advantages of having the rules for the different means-tested benefits so far as possible in line with each other. However, different benefits have different origins and purposes, and their rules must necessarily reflect this. A common basis of assessment for all benefits would not therefore be a practical proposition.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to arrange compensation for council house tenants who are in local housing authority areas where the shift to direct rent payments under the Housing Benefit Act resulted in the loss of two rent-free weeks.

No. Rent collection practices are a matter for individual local authorities and it was for them to decide what adjustments, if any, to make to avoid losses for their tenants. Further information on this matter is contained in circular letter HB82(3) which was issued to local authorities on 25 October 1982. A copy is available in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services on what criteria conditions are specified for automatic exemption from prescription charges.

The list of medical conditions which confer exemption from prescription charges was drawn up in 1968 in consultation with the general medical services committee. The criterion for inclusion was that it should be a permanent and clearly identifiable condition requiring prolonged and continuous medication, usually substitution therapy.Since the list was compiled, arguments have been advanced for the addition of various other conditions; taken in isolation, these are often persuasive. However, to include all such conditions would cost the National Health Service a great deal of money. We are not prepared, therefore, to extend the list.Exemption from charges is not restricted to sufferers from listed medical conditions. Such groups as the elderly and those on low income are also exempt. Overall some 70 per cent. of prescription items are dispensed without charge.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many National Health Service hospitals there are in England; how many are fully in use; how many are partially in use; and how many are under construction.

In 1981, the latest date for which information is available, 1,937 hospitals provided inpatient facilities.Information is not collected centrally oil the proportion of hospital facilities in use. For a number of reasons, including maintenance and refurbishment, not all hospitals are fully operational at any given time.Twenty-eight major hospital schemes, including some extensions to existing hospitals, are currently under construction. Many smaller schemes are also under way.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now instruct all hospitals in the United Kingdom to comply with Crown improvement and Crown prohibition notices, served upon them in substitution for those statutory notices which they would receive were they not protected by Crown immunity.

Existing guidance to health authorities in England makes it clear that they are expected where reasonably practicable to comply with the requirements of Crown improvement and Crown prohibition notices. The most recent guidance on this subject was issued in July last year. Should an authority not comply with the terms of a notice the matter would be taken up with the Department and the Health and Safety Executive. However, no case of refusal to comply has been brought to my attention.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many (a) maintenance and (b) administrative and clerical staff are employed by the National Health Service in England: and what are the comparable figures for 1974, 1976, 1980, 1981 and 1982.

The information requested is given in the following table. During the period immediately following the 1974 reorganisation it proved extremely difficult to obtain comprehensive and up-to-date information about numbers and types of staff in post in the NHS. The figures for 1974 presented exceptional difficulties, coming at a time before the staff were settled into their new responsibilities, and the accuracy of these figures is open to question.

NHS Staff (whole-time equivalents) as at 30 September; England
	1974	1976	1980	1981	1982
Maintenance	17,600	19,700	20,600	21,000	21,000
Administrative and Clerical*	82,800	98,500	105,400	108,800	108,800
* Exluding Ambulance Officers and Control Assistants.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much money was lost in each year since 1979 in the National Health Service in England through pilfering; and what percentage of total expenditure these figures represent.

Losses due specifically to pilferage are not identifiable centrally. Recorded losses due to theft, fraud, arson and so on during the last three years for which figures are available are as follows:

	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82
	£	£	£
Cash	42,474	72,986	62,448
Stores, etc	1,017,016	833,478	774,241
Total	1,059,490	906,464	836,689
	Percentage	Percentage	Percentage
Proportion of total NHS expenditure	0·014	0·010	0·008

These figures are derived from the accounts submitted to the Department by all NHS authorities in England except the Dental Estimates Board and the Prescription Pricing Authority; and published in the NHS summarised accounts.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many agency nurses are being employed by the National Health Service in England.

The latest information on agency nurses and midwives working in the National Health Service in England is for 30 September 1982 when there were about 3,000 in whole-time equivalent terms.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many (a) nurses and (b) doctors are undergoing training at present; and what is the Government's policy on further recruitment of nurses and doctors into the National Health Service.

As at 30 September 1982 there were 23,622 qualified doctors in NHS training grades in England, including locums and university staff with honorary NHS contracts; and in the academic year 1981–82 there were a further 17,129 students of pre-clinical and clinical medicine at medical schools in England.The figures supplied by the General Nursing Council for England and Wales show that the average number of nurse learners in training during the year ending 31 March 1983 was 78,590. This number relates to students and pupils at various stages of training and not solely to those who commenced training during the year.Health authorities are responsible for recruiting staff. Decisions on the appropriate levels of staffing must be based on local needs and priorities and the resources which can be devoted to those needs. However, since 1982 we have required RHA's to submit for ministerial agreement targets for all major staff groups at 31 March in the following year, and we are now setting new targets for 31 March 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he has taken following the recommendations of the report of the advisory council on the misuse of drugs, published in December 1982; and what new treatment services for drug dependants have been opened in each health authority area or are planned as a result of the extra funds he made available to health authorities, local authorities and voluntary bodies following the report's publication.

The report was distributed to health and local authorities, voluntary and professional bodies for their comments, which are now being considered. A medical conference as held in January to look at the part doctors can play in responding to the problem of drug misuse. The sum of £2 million is being made available to health and local authorities and voluntary bodies in 1983–84, and a similar sum in each of the following two years, to enable services for people with drug-related problems to be improved. The first applications under this scheme, in response to guidelines issued in April, are receiving consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people, by sex and age, have died as a result of solvent sniffing.

Exact figures of deaths associated with solvent abuse are not available, but it is known that 104 confirmed cases occurred in the United Kingdom between 1 January 1981 and 31 December 1982. An analysis by sex and age is as follows:

Solvent abuse deaths, 1981 and 1982—United Kingdom
Age at death	Total	Males	Females
Under 16	28	27	1
16–17	31	30	1
18–24	28	27	1
25 and over	17	15	2
Total	104	99	5

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will fund a project to discover an additive that will make solvents unattractive to glue sniffers; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. and learned Friend on 11 April 1983. —[Vol. 40, c. 356.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many unemployed people, by sex and age, have committed suicide for each year from 1970 to present; and, of these, in how many cases the coroner's report stated that unemployment was a factor.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is yet in a position to make a statement on the arrangements for the burial of still-born babies in the nine month period ended November 1982 on behalf of the mid-Essex district health authority and the Basildon and Thurrock district health authority.

No. I am asking the health authorities to write direct to my hon. Friend about their inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he proposes to take about demands by moneylenders, as reported by the Director General of Fair Trading, for the surrender to them of child benefit books as security for loans; and if he will make a statement.

It is an offence under section 23 of the Supplementary Benefit Act 1976 to hold a child benefit order book as a pledge or as security for a debt. Moneylenders holding order books in these circumstances are prosecuted.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish the social security policy inspectorate's report on its study of voluntary unemployment deductions which was referred to in the explanatory note prepared by his Department on the draft supplementary benefit amendment regulations issued by the social security advisory committee as part of its consultation process.

I have decided to publish this report. Copies were placed in the Library of the House last week and the report has also been sent to the social security advisory committee. Copies are available to the public—price £1·30— from the Department's leaflet unit at Canons park.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will exclude from penalty those authorities which exceed their current targets through the implementation of roofing and other concessionary grants.

I have received a number of representations from authorities under S.8(4) of the Local Government Finance Act 1982 for rate-borne expenditure on home improvement grants to be disregarded in assessing liability to grant abatement in 1983–84. My right hon. Friend will consider these, along with all other such representations, before he takes final decisions on grant abatement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, before presenting his proposals for metropolitan local government reform, he will consider reform of the shire county and district structure where anomalies have arisen.

We are satisfied that the county and district structure remains appropriate in the non-metropolitan areas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in setting April 1986 as the target date for the abolition of the county councils, he took into account the fact that county council elections are due in May 1985; and whether he will consider if an earlier date is feasible.

I am satisfied that 1 April 1986 is the earliest feasible date for the abolition of the GLC and the metropolitan county councils. We are considering the implications of this for the local elections which are due to be held in May 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will call a conference of Commonwealth sports Ministers to discuss the implications of the Gleneagles agreement on British and Commonwealth sportsmen.

No. The implications are well known and were clearly taken into account when the Commonwealth statement on apartheid in sport was agreed in 1977 and discussed again by Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will request the Sports Council to visit South Africa to ascertain whether the terms and conditions described by the Gleneagles agreement still exist.

The council undertook a fact finding mission only three years ago. It is clear that the Commonwealth statement on apartheid in sport remains a statement relevant to sporting conditions in South Africa and Commonwealth attitudes to them. I have no intention of asking the Sports Council to visit South Africa.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied that the conditions described in the Gleneagles agreement whereby selection of teams is made on the basis of race, colour or ethnic origin still exist in South Africa.

I am satisfied that the Commonwealth statement on apartheid in sport remains applicable to sporting conditions at all levels in South Africa and to the concern evident throughout the Commonwealth for genuine improvements in those conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the achievements to date of the operation of the Gleneagles agreement; and if he will make a statement.

Since the Commonwealth statement on apartheid in sport was agreed by Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1977 — reflecting the worldwide boycott already established by sport itself—there have been few sporting contacts of any significance with South Africa. During this period, it is generally recognised that the international sporting boycott has helped to maintain international multiracial sport and in particular events like the Commonwealth Games and the cricket World Cup. There have also been signs of some progress towards multiracial sport in South Africa, in some sports and at some levels.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from British sportsmen and sports bodies during the past 12 months calling for the abandonment of the Gleneagles agreement; and if he will make a statement.