asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects construction to start on the first type 23 frigate.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Sir D. Price) on 29 March.—[Vol. 40, c. 176.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been committed already to long lead and other items for the type 23 frigate.

Further to my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Attercliffe (Mr. Duffy) —[Vol. 29, c. 475.]—on 28 October 1982, the value of commitments so far entered into is about £30 million.

asked the Prime Minister what is the projected Government expenditure on the Falklands in each of the next three years for both military and nonmilitary resources.

I refer the hon. Member to the figures my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence gave on 27 June for projected military expenditure. The £15 million grant for rehabilitation has been fully committed and expenditure will be completed by the end of the 1983–84 financial year. We have committed £31 million to development work in the Islands over a five to six-year period, but the phasing of expenditure has not yet been agreed with the Falkland Islands Government. To date more than £2·25 million has been paid under the war damage compensation scheme. Some claims have still to be finalised.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the state of trade between the United Kingdom and the Republic of South Africa; and if she will estimate the number of jobs in the United Kingdom which are dependent upon trade with South Africa.

South Africa is the United Kingdom's 12th largest export market. Visible exports in 1982 were worth £1,193 million, and imports £746 million. About 150,000 jobs are involved in trade with South Africa.

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

Details for the integrated health and personal social services in Northern Ireland are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in which six polling stations in Northern Ireland at the general election on 9 June the highest number of tendered ballot papers were submitted; and in which six polling stations the lowest number of tendered ballot papers were used.

The information requested is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what progress has been made towards introducing the proposed regulations and draft approved code of practice in "Protection of Hearing at Work" which was published by the Health and Safety Commission on 5 August 1981.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many children under the age of five years in Wales receive bilingual nursery education; and if he will make a statement.

This information is not held centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he now expects the second Welsh secondary school in West Glamorgan to be set up.

I accept that there is a clear need for a second bilingual secondary school in the county, and I have encouraged the authority to put forward fresh proposals as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in the Official Report those local authorities in Wales which have exceeded the Government's 1983–84 expenditure targets; if he will show for each authority by how much they have exceeded their targets; and if he will show the level of grant to be held back by the Government in each case.

This information is contained in tables 5·1, 5·2, 5·3 and 5·4 of appendix 5 to the "Welsh Rate Support Grant Supplementary Report 1983/84", a copy of which was laid before this House on 7 July 1983, and is available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many signs reading "Welcome to Wales" in English and in Welsh exist on the main trunk roads between England and Wales; and how long they have been in position.

This information is not readily available. I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total provision for funding of overseas development programmes in the current financial year; what are the major areas of emphasis in the current year's programme; and if he will make a statement.

The gross aid programme announced for 1983–84 was £1,130 million: this figure is, however, subject to the reductions in public expenditure announced by my right hon. Friend on 7 July. The main areas of emphasis are indicated in the public expenditure White Paper, Cmnd. 8789–II.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report those local authorities in Scotland which have exceeded the Government's 1983–84 expenditure targets; and if he will show for each authority by how much it has exceeded its target; and if he will show the level of grant to be held back by the Government in each case.

The arrangements for providing Exchequer support to, and for influencing the expenditure of, local authorities in Scotland differ from those in England and Wales. Expenditure targets are not issued and grant holdback is not related directly to the level of actual expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement (a) on his actions since his undertakings in the Scottish Grand Committee debate on Lord Hunter's report on the Ross murder inquiry on 7 December 1982 and (b) on the question of ex gratia compensation for Mr. Meehan.

During the debate in the Scottish Grand Committee on 7 December 1982 of Lord Hunter's report on his inquiry into the murder of Mrs. Rachel Ross at Ayr in July 1969 I told Members that Lord Hunter had made no recommendations in presenting his report to me. I had, however, drawn from his findings that there had been errors in the police investigations into the murder of Mrs. Ross. These have since been drawn to the attention of chief constables. The circular doing so made it clear that there had been many changes and improvements in police procedures, resources and equipment since 1969. None the less, each chief constable was asked to consider what lessons could be drawn from the report by his force; and these will be the subject of discussion during visits of inspection by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary.I then also undertook to consider representations about the compensation offered to Mr. Meehan in 1977 by my predecessor the right hon. Member for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Millan), although the question of compensation was not included in Lord Hunter's remit. Since Lord Hunter's remit did not extend to the making of any judgment on the guilt or innocence of Mr. Meehan or the decision to recommend the exercise of the royal prerogative of mercy in Mr. Meehan's case, the starting point for any consideration of compensation is the decision by my predecessor in May 1976 to recommend to Her Majesty that a free pardon should be granted, for the reasons he then gave, and the fact that subsequently the right hon. Gentleman decided to offer compensation to Mr. Meehan. I have noted that the adequacy of the offer—which was not accepted by Mr. Meehan — has attracted some adverse comment and that the right hon. Member for Glasgow, Govan himself feels that it should be reviewed. I have decided to withdraw that offer, and to seek a completely fresh assessment of a possible grant of ex gratia compensation. I am glad that Mr. D. A. O. Edward CMG, QC, has been good enough to undertake to advise me in this matter. The procedure to be followed will be — mutatis mutandis to meet the Scottish situation —that described to the House by the then Home Secretary on 29 July 1976 — [Vol. 916–2, c. 328–30.] The assessor's remit prepared by the Scottish Home and Health Department will refer, inter alia, to Lord Hunter's report — HC 444 — and the report of the Scottish Grand Committee debate on 7 December 1982, and to any representations which Mr. Meehan's solicitors wish the assessor to consider. Under the 1976 procedure the assessor will also afford to Mr. Meehan and his solicitors the opportunity of an interview, but he will not entertain representations from other sources.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many, and what percentage of candidates in the June 1983 general election lost their deposits; and what were their parties.

Information about candidates who lost their deposits in the 1983 general election is not yet available centrally but will be published in "Election Expenses" in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in the light of the recent escape of two prisoners on separate occasions within two weeks from Sudbury open prison, he will review the procedures and requirements for the allocation of prisoners serving life sentences to open prisons.

On assuming his new responsibilities, my right hon. and learned Friend is naturally reviewing the allocation policy for life sentence prisoners together with similar questions on the running of the prison system.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Billericay of 11 July, Official Report, c. 216, if he will list in the Official Report the 16 police authorities which have applied for increases in establishment; what increases have been applied for; if he will list the 10 applications already approved and the numbers approved in each case; whether he intends to approve increases for the other six forces; and if he will make a statement.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what requests he has received from the Commission for Racial Equality for additional funds during the last nine months; for what purposes the funds were required; and if he will make a statement.

In May 1983 the commission asked for £330,000 to be made available in the current financial year in addition to the approved grant-in-aid to cover two categories of expenditure. £130,000 was requested to enable the commission to fill vacant posts within its approved complement; and £200,000 was for grants to local community relations councils and other bodies, and for other discretionary expenditure. On 5 July the commission was informed that its request could not be met in full but that an additional £100,000 could be made available for expenditure in the second category only. This decision could not, of course, take into account any implications of the reduction in central Government cash limits announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 7 July.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans for further legislation or other measures in response to recommendations put forward by the Commission for Racial Equality in its annual report 1982; and if he will make a statement.

The report brings a number of important issues to the attention of the Government but does not contain any specific recommendations addressed to me. The commission doeś, however, refer to its statutory duty to review the operation of the Race Relations Act 1976 and, when it thinks it necessary, to submit proposals for amendments to that Act. The report indicates that the commission intends to submit such proposals to me after a period of public consultation about them. When it does so I will consider what the commission has to say most carefully before reaching my own conclusions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which countries which were allies of the United Kingdom during the second world war are not invited to attend and lay a wreath at the Cenotaph at the annual Remembrance day ceremony; if he will reconsider the policy of Her Majesty's Government on this matter so that all allies of the United Kingdom at that time may be invited to the ceremony; and if he will make a statement.

In its present form the annual service of remembrance is an occasion for the remembrance of those who gave their lives in the service of their country during both world wars and on other occasions. It has always been regarded as an essentially Commonwealth occasion but the form of service itself is not so limited. It has never been the practice to invite representatives from countries other than those which are currently members of the Commonwealth and I see no reason to change this practice.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will make a statement about the meeting of the European Communities Council of Energy Ministers on 12 July.

I represented the United Kingdom at this meeting. The meeting discussed the Commission's proposals on a number of matters, particularly the proposals to increase the use of solid fuels within the Community.No conclusions were reached and discussions will continue at a further meeting of the Council of Ministers in September.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what recent representations he has received on Government assistance towards a feasibility study into a Wash barrage and land reclamation scheme; and whether he will make a statement.

I have received no such representations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the future funding of the BBC external services.

I should draw my hon. Friend's attention to the answer given on 12 July to a question by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Hexham (Mr. Rippon). — [Vol. 45, c. 332.] The BBC external

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the statement by the United Nations special committee against apartheid that psychiatry is being misused in South Africa to suppress political dissent.

We, like many other Western countries, are not members of the special committee against apartheid and are not in a position to comment on the accuracy or otherwise of the committee's statements or publications. As we have made clear on many occasions, we strongly deplore the misuse, wherever it occurs, of detention and hospitalisation in psychiatric institutions and similar practices which violate human rights.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent refusal to representatives of the Hong Kong Government of visas by the Chinese Government.

The Chinese Government declined to grant a visa to the Hong Kong Government's director of information services, who was to have accompanied the governor in order to help with press arrangements. This is a matter for the Chinese authorities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the velocity of circulation of money in the United Kingdom compares with that of other industrial countries; and whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the change in the velocity of circulation in each case since 1973.

The information requested is contained in the following table:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the waste paper arising from Government use is recycled.

Ninety five per cent. of the waste paper collected under arrangements made by Her Majesty's Stationery Office is recycled.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the paper in use by Government Departments is recycled paper.

About 10 per cent. of the content of the paper bought by Her Majesty's Stationery Office from paper suppliers for Government Departments is derived from recycled fibre.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the movement of the £ sterling against the deutschmark and the Japanese yen in each quarter of the past three years.

In the second quarter of 1983 the £ sterling appreciated by 8·4 per cent. against the deutschmark, and by 3·7 per cent. against the Japanese yen. The information requested for earlier quarters can be derived from table 13·2 of "Financial Statistics", published by the Central Statistical Office.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the total value added of the public sector corporations as a proportion of United Kingdom value added since 1979.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 July 1983, c. 254]: The public corporation sector's share of total value added, measured as its proportionate contribution to the gross domestic product less subsidies, has been as follows since 1979:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether it is his intention to instruct the Inland Revenue to carry out a revaluation of the current rating lists.

The Government are currently considering this question. A White Paper containing the Government's proposals for the rating system w ill be published shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) why the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 has not yet been brought into force;(2) what progress has been made in establishing the criteria to be applied when reaching a decision as to whether a dispensation exempting a zoo from the provisions of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 should be made.

I refer the hon. Member to the replies that my hon. Friend gave to the former hon. Member for Edmonton on 13 May.—[Vol 42, c 523.]

asked the Secretary of Stale for the Environment what consultations have taken place with interested bodies on the establishment of a code of practice for zoo inspectors; and what has resulted from the consultations that took place early in 1982.

Guidance for inspectors, including a model inspectors' report form, will be included in the Secretary of State's standards, for which provision is made in section 9 of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981. Since the earlier discussions a revised draft of the standards has been prepared; it will be issued very shortly as a basis for formal consultations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider seeking to amend the Land Compensation Act 1973 to ensure that rateable value is not the sole criterion affecting permanent site caravan dwellers.

I am not aware of any problems arising from the application of the Act to caravan dwellers, but if my hon. Friend will care to supply further information I shall be glad to look into the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will state, for each of the five most recent financial years for which the requested information is available, what were the aggregate budgets of English local authorities as submitted to him; and what was the aggregate outturn expenditure of these authorities audited where available, and estimated where not;(2) when, following parliamentary approval on 20 January of the Rate Support Grant Supplementary Report (England) 1982–83, imposing grant holdback on certain local authorities, he intends to table a supplementary report abating or abolishing holdback for penalised authorities subsequently discovered not to have overspent;(3) if he will list the local authorities which, having suffered grant holdback as a result of the Rate Support Grant Supplementary Report (England) (No. 2) 1982, are now to have some or all of that holdback restored if Parliament approves the Rate Support Grant Supplementary Report (England) (No. 3) 1981–82; and if, for each of these local authorities, he will state

I shall answer these question shortly.

asked the Attorney-General how many cases are currently awaiting judgment by the Lands Tribunal.

On the 30 June 1983, 284 cases were ready to be heard and awaiting hearing.

asked the Attorney-General what is the average cost to public funds of each case judged by the Lands Tribunal; and what was the average award made in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

The average cost to public funds of each case determined by the Lands Tribunal is £552·88. This figures includes judicial and staff costs but does not include legal aid. The annual statistics relating to the Lands Tribunal do not record details of awards made by the tribunal which could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Attorney-General how long it takes on average for a case to be heard and a judgment delivered on an appeal to the Lands Tribunal relating to an assessment by the district valuer.

Subject to the state of readiness of the parties, and to any request for an expedited hearing, a case which is not otherwise disposed of is normally heard within nine months after proceedings before the tribunal are commenced.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what account he took when proposing changes in the system of car provision for war pensioners of the fact that the previous benefit was free from charge of tax.

The new war pensions mobility supplement, like the payments available under the present vehicle scheme, will be exempt from income tax.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government in relation to social security frauds for under £250 and prosecutions of those responsible.

The Government's policy, whatever the sum involved, is to stop the fraud, take steps to recover the money overpaid and consider whether, in all the circumstances of the case, legal proceedings would be appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the number of social security frauds under £250 each year.

We do not have sufficient information about the incidence of fraud to be able to make a realistic estimate. However, out of a total of 11,000 prosecutions for fraud against the DHSS in 1981–82 it is estimated that some 7,500 were in respect of amounts of less than £250.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of retirement pensioners receive supplementary benefit.

Approximately 18 per cent. of retirement pensioners were claiming supplementary benefit at February 1983, the latest date for which figures are available. In addition it is estimated that about a further 3 per cent. were dependent on supplementary benefit because they were married women whose requirements and resources were aggregated with those of their husband for supplementary benefit purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of all supplementary benefit is paid to those over retirement age.

An estimated 12 per cent. in 1983–84.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects the earnings rule for the elderly to be completely phased out.

As stated in our manifesto, we intend to abolish the retirement pensioners' earnings rule as soon as we can. How soon will depend on the availability of resources and competing priorities. Meanwhile the earnings limit will increase in November from £57 to £65.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether the services provided to claimants at his Department's Kirkby office are up to standard; and whether any steps are being taken to improve them;(2) why claimants at his Deparment's Kirkby office experience a delay of, on average, 32 working days before receiving a visitor.

The area of work in which the performance of the Department's office at Kirkby is seriously below standard is in the visiting of those claimants already receiving supplementary benefit who are seeking an increase in its amount. The number of such cases awaiting a visit is much higher than normal because of a recent take-up campaign by Merseyside county council. Nine reserve staff have temporarily been seconded to help clear the backlog of work, and the clearance time for visiting has been reduced from an average of 32 to 15 working days. Priority is given to new claimants for supplementary benefit, to whom a visit is normally made within a few days of claim.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether any research has been carried out by his Department which shows that the vast majority of pensioners do not want pensions and other social security benefits paid by monthly automatic transfers as indicated by him during the debate on the Address on 23 June, Official Report, c. 169.

Rather more than 8 million retirement pensioners are now paid weekly by pension order book, and about 1 million are paid at 4-weekly or longer intervals. All existing pensioners are being invited to switch to 4-weekly or 13-weekly payment by automated credit transfer, but so far only between 1 and 2 per cent. of those previously paid weekly by order book have opted for 4-weekly payment by credit transfer. The option of 4-weekly payment is also available to all new pensioners as they come to retirement, but about three quarters of those newly retiring continue to choose weekly payment by order book.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when a decision will be reached about the implementation of phase 2 of the Burton hospital's development plan.

I understand that the implementation of phase 2 of the Burton hospital's development plan will be considered by the West Midlands regional health authority at its meeting in September.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the waiting time at the central Middlesex hospital for outpatient appointments and admission for cases needing to occupy acute beds; and if he will set out the information divided according to the specialities concerned.

This information is not held centrally. The hon. Member may care to contact Brent health authority who may be able to give him the information he requires.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he intends to consult the Civil Aviation Authority before deciding when and on what terms to proceed with the privatisation of British Airways.

The Government frequently discuss with the CAA a wide range of civil aviation questions applying to the industry at large, and, where these have a bearing on the privatisation of British Airways, I shall of course take note of any views the authority expresses.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what share of British air freight was handled by Manchester international airport in each of the last 10 years.

According to Civil Aviation Authority statistics, the share of British air freight handled by Manchester international airport in each of the last 10 years was as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Transport on how many days during 1981, 1982 and so far in 1983 the three lanes of the M6 North and South have been fully open.

The Department does not keep records in a form which would provide this information. As parts of the M6 were built more than 20 years ago, much maintenance work is now required and involves frequent lane closures during the better weather; the major works are however being undertaken in a carefully phased programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what work was being done on the M1 north of Toddington on Friday 8 July that necessitated the coning of one lane of the motorway for some distance with no apparent activity on the part of road construction workers.

There were closures of the nearside lane of the southbound carriageway near Toddington on both Thursday 7 July and Friday 8 July. On 7 July, the closure from 10.30 am to 4.15 pm was to enable he police to search the central reservation as part of a murder hunt. On 8 July a length was coned off at 9 pm to enable remedial work on displaced catseyes to be carried out. The cones were removed at 4 am the following morning after the work had been completed. Similar work is being carried out on the adjacent northbound carriageway during the night of 15–16 July.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department served a notice on the South Hams district council ordering it to remove two road traffic signs situated on the grass verge of the A38 which read "Welcome to South Hams"; under what statutory authority the notice was served; upon whom the notice was served; and if he will publish it in the Official Report.

A notice under section 143 of the Highways Act 1980 was served on the South Hams district council on 26 May. The notice is as follows:DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT HIGHWAYS ACT 1980 NOTICE

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has received formal proposals for restructuring the engineering steels industry.

Yes. As the first stage of what is intended as a wider rationalisation of the industry, BSC, Guest Keen and Nettlefolds plc and Lonrho plc have today announced the formation of a joint company which has entered into a conditional agreement for the acquisition of Lonrho's 100 per cent. shareholding in Hadfields Ltd. Despite the recent closure of Round Oak and London works, substantial overcapacity remains in the engineering steels industry, and the companies envisage further closures.Government financial assistance towards this further restructuring will be subject to detailed appraisal in the usual way, and will be subject to the approval of the European Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) why, in view of its dependence on traditional industries such as glass, coal and chemicals, the St. Helens metropolitan district does not qualify for assisted area status;(2) pursuant to the answer of 5 July,

[pursuant to his reply, 11 July 1983, c. 228]: Successive Governments have designated assisted areas by reference to the circumstances in individual travel-to-work areas and this continues to be the case. The St. Helens metropolitan district covers the whole of the St. Helens TTWA, which has development area status, and small parts of the Liverpool (special development area), Wigan (development area) and Warrington (non-assisted) TTWAs. Whilst an over-dependence on traditional industries is a factor to be taken into consideration, there are other criteria for assessing whether an area should be assisted or upgraded. These include communications and obsolete infrastructure. My right hon. Friend is satisfied that on present evidence, particularly relative unemployment levels, the current AA gradings are appropriate to the circumstances of these TTWAs. The unemployment rate in the St. Helens TTWA in June was 16·4 per cent.