asked the hon. Member for Wokingham (Sir W. van Straubenzee), as representing the Church Commissioners, if the Church Commissioners derive any income from salmon netting.

Yes, but only from one area, the mouth of the Tyne. The fishing rights are let to the Northumbrian water authority, so that the salmon fishing is properly controlled.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he will institute an inquiry into the operations of the James Drummond trust.

No. Recently I received a letter from Mr. Hector Drummond about this matter. Both I and my predecessor have considered the case previously following receipt of earlier correspondence from Mr. Drummond. The questions raised are of a civil rather than criminal nature and accordingly it would not be appropriate for me to intervene. A reply is being sent to Mr. Drummond to that effect and a copy of his complaint is being forwarded to the Law Society of Scotland since the matters raised appear to fall within its remit.

asked the Attorney-General, further to his reply to the right hon. and learned Member for Aberavon on 11 July, Official Report, c. 207, what initiatives the Government are taking to reduce the length of time between references to the European Court of Justice and its ruling; and if he will estimate how much of the time of the court is taken up dealing with industrial disputes concerning the staff of the European Community.

The United Kingdom has been actively supporting attempts to create a staff tribunal that would be likely to reduce substantially the number of staff cases coming before the court. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to secure the agreement of all member states. Nevertheless, there have been recent reforms made to the internal conciliation procedures within the Commission and it is to be hoped that this will have the desirable effect of reducing the number of staff cases coming before the court.

asked the Attorney-General how many civil actions in United Kingdom courts have been struck out or otherwise not proceeded with in each of the last five years on the grounds that the defendant had diplomatic immunity; and, of these, how many related to non-diplomatic activities such as business transactions carried out in the United Kingdom.

It is regretted that no separate statistics are collected for courts in England and Wares and Northern Ireland of civil actions struck out or otherwise not proceeded with for any reason.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that there will be sufficient places available on youth training schemes for young people in Knowsley.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the schemes for youth training approved so far in Knowsley; and how many places each one provides in either mode.

Twenty-two youth training schemes have so far been approved in Knowsley by the area manpower board. They will provide 477 mode A places and 1,046 mode B places. The schemes are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what recent representations he has received about the opening of jobcentres on Saturdays; and if he will make a statement.

Ministers in this Department have received several letters on the subject. I wrote recently to every hon. Member in whose constituency Saturday opening has been taking place about the progress of the experiment.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people in Barking who left school in 1982 are engaged on the various training schemes for the young unemployed at the present date.

About 100 1982 school leavers are currently on the youth opportunities programme in Barking. During 1983–84 it is anticipated that 1,300 1983 school leavers in Barking will enter the youth training scheme, some of them in adjacent boroughs, reflecting normal travel-to-work patterns in the area.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people in Barking who left school in 1982 are unemployed according to the latest statistics; and what percentage this figure is of the numbers leaving school in July 1982.

The information is not available. The unemployment statistics do not separately distinguish the numbers of young people who left school in 1982 and who are now unemployed.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many death certificates issued in 1981 and 1982 record death due to (a) asbestosis, (b) asbestosis and lung cancer and (c) mesothelioma.

Figures for 1982 are not yet available. The numbers of death certificates for 1981 which mention asbestosis, asbestosis and lung cancer and mesothelioma are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were in employment, full or part time in the greater London area in each of the months December 1982 to June 1983, inclusive.

In December 1982, the latest date for which the quarterly estimates are available, the total number of employees in employment in greater London was 3,409,000. The figure, which is provisional includes full and part-time employees.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the approximate number of 16 to 18-year-olds available for each existing job vacancy in the Coventry travel-to-work area;(2) what is the approximate number of 18 to 59-yearolds available for each existing job vacancy in the Coventry travel-to-work area.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 July 1983—[Vol. 46, c. 50]—to the hon. Member for St. Helens, South (Mr. Bermingham) in which I explained why the ratios requested are not available.The following table gives, for the age categories specified, the numbers of unemployed claimants from the April 1983 unemployment count, the latest date for which an analysis by age is available. It also gives the numbers of notified vacancies remaining unfilled at jobcentres and careers offices for the same month.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many new jobs have been created in the Coventry travel-to-work area in the last 12 months; and how many have been created in each standard industrial classification category;(2) how many jobs have been lost in the Coventry travel-to-work area in the past 12 months.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for St. Helens, South (Mr. Bermingham) on 18 July 1983. — [Vol. 46, c. 50–51.] Information about job gains and losses in local areas during the last 12 months is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the approximate number of persons removed from the unemployment register in the Coventry travel-to-work area since the introduction of the new system of compiling unemloyment figures.

By the date of the June unemployment count, approximately 1,500 men aged 60 and over in the Coventry travel-to-work area no longer had to sign on at an unemployment benefit office, following the Budget measures dealing with the payment of national insurance contribution credits and the higher rates of supplementary benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to encourage county councils to take up sponsored places under the community programme scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Since the community programme was launched last October, every effort has been made to encourage appropriate sponsors to mount projects. Local authorities are among these potential sponsors, although there are many other important organisations involved — including companies in the private sector.Meetings and discussions have taken place with both members and officials of county councils. By the end of June—33 had signed agreements to become community programme agents for a total of 11,744 places. Efforts are continuing to secure additional places in those areas where progress has been slow.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the final date for which the total number of places allocated in each county under the community programme have to be taken up; and what plans he has to reallocate places not taken up by individual authorities.

Our objective is to create the 130,000 jobs provided for under the community programme as quickly as possible. At the end of June 105,000 places had been approved and it is expected that the target for approved places will be reached in September. Some places have already been transferred from areas where progress has been slow and further action will be taken if it proves necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list for the counties of Avon, Devon, Dorset, Cornwall, Hampshire, Somerset and Wiltshire (a) the number of places available for sponsorship by each county under the community programme scheme and (b) the total number of places taken up to the latest date for which figures are available.

Places under the community programme have been allocated geographically, roughly according to the number of long-term unemployed people. Places have not been allocated to particular bodies. They are available to any, organisation that is able to become a sponsor.The numbers allocated and approved at 30 June in the counties mentioned in the question are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were (a)engaged directly in the manufacture of cycles and cycle accessories and (b) employed in the retailing of cycles and cycle accessories in 1982 in the United Kingdom.

The Department's employment statistics are analysed according to minimum list headings of the 1968 standard industrial classification. In June 1982, the provisional number of employees in employment in the manufacture of motor cycles, tricycles and pedal cycles—MLH 382—in the United Kingdom was 7,600.The classification does not separately distinguish the retailing part of the business.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make an official visit to Banff.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her public engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister is she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, including one with President Kyprianou of Cyprus. I also attended a service to mark the 150th anniversary of the death of William Wilberforce. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today, including one with Sir Joshua Hassan, Chief Minister of Gibraltar. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the performance of the nationalised industries within the energy sector.

There is room for improvement in the performance of all the nationalised industries. The objective of Government policies is to create the financial and commercial conditions in which such improvements can be achieved. We have, for example, already introduced an element of competition into the gas and electricity industries and we shall continue to look for ways to build upon recent increases in productivity in all the energy industries.

asked the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Fishburn.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make an official visit to Maesteg.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister when she next intends to meet the governor of the Bank of England.

I meet the governor from time to time in the course of my normal duties.

asked the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Lambeth.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the progress made in reforming the European Community since the Stuttgart summit.

I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by my right hon. and learned Friend, the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary on 20 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will now disband the Top Salaries Review Body.

No.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied that the new system for paying housing benefit has simplified the system and made matters easier for claimants.

I accept that the introduction of housing benefit has caused difficulties in some areas and for some claimants. In general, however, the new system is more efficient to administer and, for the vast majority of claimants, easier to understand.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list those advisory committees and other public bodies, for which Ministers are responsible, which have a member appointed to them to represent disabled people or which have members who are themselves disabled, and, separately, those which do not; and if she will list the names of those so appointed to bodies in the first category.

This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Prime Minister what representations she has received from the Liverpool Eight law centre concerning applicants for British citizenship who are in receipt of state benefits asking for a waiver for such claimants; what reply she has sent; and if she will make a statement.

I have received no such representations.

asked the Prime Minister what developments there have been in the policy of disposal of highly radioactive waste in rock formations since Cmnd. 8607 "Radioactive Waste Management" was laid before the House in July 1982.

The Government's policy on heat-generating radioactive wastes remains as set out in Cmnd. 8607. Disposal in rock formations is only one of several options between which a choice will eventually be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what state benefits are counted against student maintenance grants and allowances; and for what reasons.

To maintain the balance between the respective contributions of the students and his family and the taxpayer, all state benefits, other than those provided for in schedule 3 to the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations, are taken into account in the assessment of student maintenance grants and allowances.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the total number of (a) students at Scottish universities during the academic year 1982–83 and (b) full-time academic staff at each university, giving the student-staff ratio in each case.

Provisional totals of full-time students in October 1982 are as follows. Information on full-time staff or on student-staff ratios is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he proposes to increase the level of financial provision for school education in England.

Local authority current expenditure levels for 1984–85 have yet to be decided.

asked the Secretary of Stale for Education and Science what progress has been made in introducing the new certificate of pre-vocational education.

The Joint Board for Pre-Vocational Education, which will be responsible for this new qualification, has been established by the City and Guilds of London Institute and the Business and Technician Education Council at my invitation. It consists of members nominated by those two bodies and by the Royal Society of Arts and the GCE and CSE examining boards. The membership represents a wide range of experience from schools, further education colleges, local authorities and industry. The board has already begun its work on an interim basis: I hope to make an announcement about the chairmanship shortly.The joint board has confirmed interim arrangements under which the CPVE will be available to candidates in both schools and colleges starting courses this September. These arrangements are based on courses leading to CGLI, BTEC and RSA qualifications. It is intended that separate courses leading to the Certificate of Extended Education should continue to be available until September 1985 when the joint board plans to introduce the CPVE in a substantive form. The Department has accordingly written to the GCE and CSE boards approving a final extension of CEE schemes to include those starting in the school year 1984–85.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about proposals to merge the geological museum at South Kensington with the British museum (natural history).

In view of its plans progressively to transfer the staff of the Institute of Geological Sciences from London to the IGS's new heaquarters at Keyworth, the Natural Environment Research Council has been considering the future of the geological museum, which is part of the IGS. The council has concluded that the future of the geological museum could best be secured by transferring it to the control of the trustees of the British museum (natural history). The trustees of the British museum (natural history) would welcome such a merging of the two institutions. My right hon. Friend welcomes the proposal—which has the support of the ABRC and the Museums and Galleries Commission — subject to agreement being reached on the terms of the transfer including the financial provision to be made, the safeguards to be observed in relation to the preservation of the geological museum's collections and exhibits and, more generally, to its standing with the professional geological community, the protection of the legitimate interests of staff affected and the timing of the transfer. I understand that it is the intention of the parties to proceed with discussions and consultations immediately and I look forward to learning the outcome.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what reductions will be made in his Department's cash limits for 1983–84 following the statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of 7 July.

My right hon. Friend's statement required reductions, taking my cash limits as a whole, of 1 per cent. in the pay and central Government administrative elements and of 2 per cent. in the remainder. I have decided on the following reductions:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his estimate of the United Kingdom share of world trade in manufactures in the fourth quarter of 1982 on a current and on a 1975 weighted basis; and whether he will publish whatever evidence is available to him showing United Kingdom export performance in manufactures in 1983 to date compared with that of other leading industrial countries.

In the fourth quarter of 1982, the United Kingdom volume share of world trade in manufactures is estimated to have been 7·4 per cent. on a current-weighted basis and 8·7 per cent. on a 1975-weighted basis.The volume of United Kingdom exports of manufactures declined by 3½ per cent. in the first quarter of 1983 compared with the corresponding quarter of 1982; according to United Nations statistics, exports from North America were 6 per cent. down and from the European Community, including the United Kingdom, 1½ per cent. down.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what decisions he has taken and what action he intends to take following the director general of Fair Trading's report of 30 November 1982 on his review of the Opticians Act.

The Director General's review dealt particularly with the General Optical Council's rules on publicity, and the restrictions on unregistered sellers under the Opticians Act 1958. The Government are considering whether the new rules on publicity recently proposed by the general Optical Council are an adequate response to the director general's review. The director general's comments on the Act's restrictions on unregistered sellers raise public health issues. These are being considered by my hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Health.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the United Kingdom trading deficit in manufactures per head with the European Community for the latest five months for which comparable figures are available, compared with the European Community deficit per head in trade with Japan.

The European Community crude deficit per head on trade in manufactures with Japan was US$22 in the six months January to June 1982, the most recent period for which figures are readily available; corresponding figures for individual months are not available. In the same period the United Kingdom crude deficit per head on trade in manufactures with the other countries of the European Community was US$78. These figures represent a deficit of 15 per cent. of total United Kingdom-European Community trade, and a deficit of 54 per cent. of total European Community-Japan trade.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information is available to him about trends in the proportion of shopping done in multiple outlets and small shops, respectively.

The proportion of retail sales accounted for by multiple retailers rose steadily from 66 per cent. in 1976 to 69 per cent. in 1980, the most recent year for which figures are available. Recent monthly trends in retail sales for large and small shops are published in Business Monitor SDM 28.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what analysis of consumer preferences he has undertaken distinguishing between considerations of prices and convenience of local shops.

This Department does not undertake analyses of consumer preferences, as it has no need for this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if Her Majesty's Government will take steps to increase public understanding of the Telecommunications Bill.

My right hon. Friend is sending to all hon. Members a leaflet which explains our proposals for the future of telecommunications in the United Kingdom. This leaflet is also being sent to all those organisations which have taken an interest in the Telecommunications Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new Scottish companies were registered in the year up to April 1983.

In the year to 31 March 1983, 4,328 new companies were incorporated in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on progress towards privatising the work of Companies House.

I am still considering ways of improving the work of the CRO.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has received British Shipbuilders' annual report and accounts for 1982–83.

My right hon. Friend will tomorrow, in accordance with sections 17(9) and 18(6) of the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act 1977, lay before each House copies of British Shipbuilders' annual report and accounts for 1982–83.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cycles were sold in Great Britain in 1982; how many in 1982 were of British manufacture; and how many of the cycles of British manufacture were partly assembled from imported parts.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total value of sales of new cycles and cycle accessories in 1982.

The latest available information relates to 1980. It is estimated that consumer spending on new bicycles and cycle accessories in the United Kingdom in that year amounted to £109 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what was the total value of exports of new cycles and cycle accessories of British manufacture in 1982;(2) what was the total value of imports of new cycles and cycle accessories in the United Kingdom in 1982;(3) what was the total value of raw materials imported for the manufacture of cycle accessories in 1982.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the quantity and value of imported quartz crystal units and clock crystal oscillators for the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by country of origin.

Imports of assembled electric or electronic clock movements with piezo-electric quartz crystal regulating devices have been as follows:

asked the Lord Privy Seal if, in view of the fact that the present division between European Community and non-European Community matters of the time allocated to oral questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs consistently fails to reflect the relative proportion of questions tabled in each category, he will amend the order of questions so that the division of time reflects more accurately the balance in the relative number of questions, either by cutting the time for questions on European Community matters to 10 minutes or by providing 20 minutes for questions on European Community matters on alternate Foreign and Commonwealth Question Times.

By tradition the order of answering on the question roster is a matter for agreement through the usual channels. I am not sure that the proposals put forward by my hon. Friend would necessarily meet the general wish of the House, but I will certainly ensure that the relative number of questions in these two categories is closely monitored with a view to the possibility of raising this matter in any future discussions about the question roster.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what, taking into account his latest proposal, will be the difference between the pay of an hon. Member (a) from February 1974 and (b) from June 1983 to 31 December 1986, compared with the review body recommendations, expressed in pounds of current purchasing power and assuming a fall in the value of the pound between the present date and 31 December 1986.

The following table shows, for the years in which the Top Salaries Review Body made recommendations on the salaries of Members of Parliament, the salaries paid to hon. Members, the salaries recommended by the review body as appropriate and the difference between these salaries expressed in June 1983 prices:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will now respond to and accept the application for grant aid made recently to his Department by Welsh Housing Aid; and if he will make a statement.

The application by Welsh Housing Aid for grant aid under section 13 of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 was received on 11 July and is being considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many primary schools in Wales with fewer than 50 pupils were closed during 1982; how many such schools he anticipates will be closed during 1983; and whether he has any proposals for securing the future of village schools in Wales as an integral component of the local community.

Eight. Future levels of closure cannot be anticipated since these are dependent upon proposals initiated by local education authorities and others. The community use of schools is one of the many factors taken into account by my right hon. Friend in considering those closure proposals which are subject to his decision.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess what part of the recent recovery in manufacturing output was made possible by the fall in the exchange rate over the past 12 months.

It is not possible to quantify the effect of the exchange rate. Many factors have stimulated manufacturing output, not least lower inflation and interest rates together with improvements in efficiency and strengthening business confidence.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1970 and for 1983 to date (a) the repayment of Government debt in the hands of the banks and (b) the repayment of Government debt in the hands of the Bank of England.

No. Information on the first part of the question is not held centrally and on the second part could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current level of competitiveness of British industry; according to what index it is measured; and how it compares with that for May 1979.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. and learned Friend, the Chief Secretary, on 1 July 1983.—[Vol. 44, c. 180.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was, in each year since 1953, the level of United Kingdom investment overseas.

Details of the level of United Kingdom imvestment overseas, that is, the stock of assets at a given date, are published annually in table 11.1 of "United Kingdom Balance of Payments" — the Pink Book —which is available in the House Library.Details of the flows of such investment—that is, the net new investment in a given period—are given in table 8.2 of the same publication, updated in table 10 of the quarterly balance of payments articles in

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the United Kingdom's gross domestic product, and manufacturing output, to return to the levels of May 1979.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will send a Form 715 to Christopher Hurd of 10 Above Town, Dartmouth, since he is unable to obtain a copy locally.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the revenue forgone by the Exchequer in each of the last five years as a result of the immunity of diplomats in the United Kingdom from (i) income tax and (ii) customs duties arising from imports of personal possessions.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in accordance with the suggestion made by the first parliamentary counsel to the Select Committee on Procedure (Finance) in the last Session of Parliament, he will, in drafting financial resolutions for Bills, other than Bills to be brought in on such resolutions, identify the Bill to which the resolution relates by its short title instead of by reciting the whole or selected portions of the long title.

Yes. I shall arrange for this proposal to be put into practice from the end of the summer adjournment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, following the statement on social security up-rating by the Secretary of State for Social Services in June, whether he proposes any changes in the legislation under which benefits paid to the unemployed are brought into tax.

No. After the restoration next November of the 5 per cent. abatement of unemployment benefit, a small element of the additions to supplementary benefit will be taxable where these are in payment to a person who is a householder. This follows from the general approach, which we propose to maintain for the present, that benefits paid to the unemployed are brought into tax up to the standard rate of unemployment benefit—including the addition for an adult dependant where appropriate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the cost in terms of revenue forgone per annum of the tax reductions introduced since May 1979 and if he will list those reductions.

[pursuant to his reply, 25 July 1983, c. 311]: I refer my hon. Friend to estimates published in successive Financial Statements and Budget Reports—table 16 for 1979–80, table 2 for 1980–81, 1981–82 and 1982–83, and table 4.2 for 1983–84; and to part 4 of the autumn statement, 1982—as regards the reduction in national insurance surcharge from April 1983.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many visits are paid each year by taxpayers to the office of the Inspector of Taxes at North Shields; and if he will estimate the total additional miles which would be travelled if the offices were closed.

[pursuant to his reply, 25 July 1983]: There is no record of the number of visits made by taxpayers to the office at North Shields. In the event of closure the nearest office of the Inspector of Taxes would be in Newcastle, 10 miles away.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests for aid have been received in the last 12 months from the People's Republic of Kampuchea; and what has been Her Majesty's Government's response to these requests.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, from the time of the House of Lords decision in Khawaja and Khera on 10 February until the latest convenient date, how many people have been detected as illegal entrants, as compared with a similar period prior to the decision.

The number of persons detected as illegal entrants in the five months from 11 February 1983 until 10 July 1983 was 352; for the same period in 1982 the number was 515.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many experiments have been carried out in the last 10 years on animals with or without an anaesthetic in British laboratories; and if he will list the species of animals which will be required to be purpose-bred for vivisection in any new legislation.

Comparable information on the use of anaesthesia in experiments on living animals is available only from 1977 and is given in table 18 of "Statistics of experiments on living animals, Great Britain 1982" (Cmnd. 8986).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to strengthen the powers available to police officers in relation to itinerants who are wilfully trespassing on open land; and if he will make a statement.

Under the Caravan Sites Act 1968, there are already powers to remove caravans unlawfully stationed on land in a designated area which are backed by a power of arrest exercisable by a constable in uniform. The law on this matter is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. The police may at present also lawfully assist the rightful occupier of property to eject trespassers, although they are under no duty to do so unless there is the prospect of a breach of the peace. We are currently considering the need for changes in the criminal law relating to trespass in the context of trespass on residential premises and adjoining land and in the light of comments received on a consultation paper issued on 2 February.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received requesting a change in the law concerning trespass upon open land particularly with regard to interants and others who take up residence thereon without permission; if he is satisfied with the law as it presently stands; and if he will make a statement.

We have received this year 22 letters from hon. Members, organisations and members of the public about the law concerning trespass upon open land, of which four related particularly to gipsies taking up residence without permission. The rest were evenly divided over whether a change in the law on trespass on open land generally is desirable. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, who is responsible for the law relating to siting of gipsies' caravans, also receives representions from time to time. We are currently reviewing the criminal law relating to trespass on residential premises and we will announce our conclusions in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of time that elapses between the occurrence of an unlawful or unnatural death and the opening of an inquest into that death in England and Wales.

This information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. It is, however, understood that the great majority of inquests are opened within a few days of the death being reported to the coroner.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of men at present waiting in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh for interview for an entry visa to allow them to join their wives in the United Kingdom.

Of the 2,800 husbands and male fiancés in the Indian subcontinent awaiting a decision on their application for entry clearance to the United Kingdom at the end of March 1983, 550 were husbands. These figures include those who have been interviewed but whose application remains undetermined. Combined figures for husbands and male fiancés are published quarterly in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Control of immigration: statistics"—table 7 of the latest issue, No. 7/83.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens of the Republic of Ireland entered the United Kingdom to find work in each of the past five years; and what estimate he has of the number of jobs which have been taken up by such immigrants.

Information is not available in the form requested. However, I understand that the number of citizens of the Irish Republic who registered or reregistered in the United Kingdom under the national insurance scheme was 9,400 in 1979, 8,500 in 1980, 6,500 in 1981, 3,900 in 1982 and 4,800 in 1983; these figures may include the same person more than once. From replies to the sample labour force survey for 1981 it is estimated that there was then a total of some 259,000 Irish citizens in employment in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider raising the minimum age limit for jurors to 21 years and introducing a maximum age limit of 70 years.