Written Answers

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Written Answers To Questions

Thursday 17 November 1983

National Finance

Offshore And Overseas Funds (Taxation)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the details of his proposed legislation for taxing disposals of holdings in offshore and overseas funds; and whether, in addition to proposing legislation on investments in such funds, he intends to change the tax treatment of life assurance policies issued by non-resident life offices to United Kingdom residents.

I have authorised the Inland Revenue to issue today a statement giving the details of the new provisions for investments in offshore and overseas funds and of changes we intend to introduce in the tax rules for life assurance policies issued by non-resident life offices.The overall shape of the new provisions relating to the funds will be as follows:

(i) they will apply to disposals after 1 January 1984 of interests in funds held by investors resident or ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom;
(ii) they will apply to all funds not resident in the United Kingdom, irrespective of the type of investment they undertake — they will not be confined to specific types of fund such as money funds;
(iii) the new rules will not apply where it is established that a fund genuinely distributes all its income. For this purpose, funds will be able to obtain regular clearance as "distributors" from the Inland Revenue;
(iv) except for any gain accruing before 1 January 1984, the whole of the investor's gain on disposal will be taxed as income;
(v) as at present, the capital gains regime will apply to gains accruing before 1 January 1984: the new rules will not apply retrospectively to such gains.

As regards life assurance policies iss Lied by non-resident life offices to United Kingdom residents, there are a number of anomalies in the present rules. We propose to make the following changes in their tax treatment:

(i) policies issued in respect of insurances made after midnight tonight will not satisfy the qualifying conditions unless issued or administered in the course of United Kingdom branch business.
(ii) United Kingdom residents will be liable to income tax in full on their profits from non-qualifying policies issued after midnight tonight.

The provisions will also apply to existing policies in certain circumstances; but special measures will be taken to safeguard the bona fide expatriate business of non-resident life companies. Fuller details are given in the Inland Revenue statement.

It is proposed to legislate in the 1984 Finance Bill. Draft clauses will be published in due course.

Common Agricultural Policy

48.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if Her Majesty's Government will make it their policy that each European Community country is entitled to a limited gross financial receipt under the common agricultural policy.

No. The Government's policy is to seek agreement to a "safety-net" which would limit the net budgetary burdens of member states in accordance with their capacity to pay; and to an effective arrangement for control of agricultural and other expenditure. Further details of the Government's approach are given in the supplement to the October "Economic Progress Report".

Economic Forecast

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his forecasts of the effect of an expansion in demand on output and employment in the long run based on the Treasury model of the economy is affected by the nature of that expansion; and if he will publish in the Official Report a statement showing how this consideration might be expected to affect the results.

The long-run effect of an increase in demand from whatever source will depend primarily on the response of the supply side of the economy. Large-scale economic models such as the Treasury model have not so far been able to achieve an adequate representation of the supply side.

Duchy Of Cornwall

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the total receipts accruing to the Consolidated Fund from the net receipts of the Duchy of Cornwall in each of the last five years.

Payments into the Consolidated Fund by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales from the net revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall over each of the last five years are as follows:

	£
1978	128,191
1979	253,006
1980	275,222
1981	192,870
1982	198,781

Unearned Income

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what taxable annual unearned income would be required to yield a net income of £100,000, £200,000, £300,000, £400,000, £500,000 and £700,000, respectively, assuming the taxpayer is a married man with one dependent child and under 65 years of age.

The information is in the following table below, which assumes that no tax relief for allowance other than the married man's allowance is available. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £ thousand.

Net income after tax and child benefit	Gross investment income
£	£
100,000	361,000
200,000	761,000
300,000	1,161,000
400,000	1,561,000
500,000	1,961,000
700,000	2,761,000

Unemployment

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the growth in the economy that would be necessary to reduce unemployment by 1 million.

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

Public Expenditure

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update table 1.5 in Cmnd. 8789-I to take account of the decisions announced in his autumn statement.

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

Local Government Expenditure

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will give a breakdown by country, England, Scotland, and Wales, of the total of local authority excess of outturn 1982–83 over planned provision, detailed in his autumn statement;(2) what inflation assumptions he has made in determining the overall level of provision for local authorities, announced in his autumn statement;(3) what is the change in percentage terms in local authority public expenditure 1983–84 provision over 1982–83 outturn, in

(a) cash, (b) cost and (c) volume terms.

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

Energy

Annual Report (Departmental Work)

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish an annual report of his Department's work.

It is the Government's policy to make available as much information as possible. I refer the hon. Member to c. 1315 to 1317 of the Official Report for 20 June 1979.

Electricity Production

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has as to the percentage of total electricity which is provided by combined heat and power schemes in the following countries: Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

In 1982 the percentage of total electricity produced in combined heat and power plants in these countries was as follows:

	per cent.
Denmark	16·1
Italy	8·7
Netherlands	16·6
Sweden	4·9
United Kingdom^*	3·0
^* Estimate.

These figures are based on data from a number of sources and may not therefore be strictly comparable: they do, however, give a broad indication of the relative percentages.

Overseas Personnel

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether his Department maintains, or supports the maintenance of, any offices or personnel abroad.

My Department does not maintain any offices abroad. With regard to personnel, it maintains the post of United Kingdom permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, and his secretary. My Department also pays the salary of an officer seconded to the Commission of the European Communities in Brussels and of another on secondment to the Department of Resources and Energy in Canberra.

Home Department

Immigration Statistics

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of immigrants to the United Kingdom for the years 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982; and what is the forecast for 1983.

The numbers accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom, either on arrival or removal of the time limit on their stay from 1972 to 1982, were published in table 12 of "Control of Immigration: Statistics, United Kingdom 1982" — Cmnd. 8944. Quarterly figures are published in Home Office statistical bulletins, which are available in the Library of the House; those up to the second quarter of 1983 were published in issue No. 15/83 and those up to the third quarter of 1983 will be published later this month. It is not our practice to publish forecasts of acceptances for settlement, which are affected by many changing and unforeseeable factors.

Racial Intolerance

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what work is being done in the United Kingdom, the European Community and the United Nations on the issue of the reduction of intolerance between racial groups that have unfavourable stereotypes of each other.

A general objective of reducing intolerance by the promotion of respect and understanding between persons of different ethnic groups is either implicit or explicit in a wide range of activity both in this country and abroad, but I am not aware of any current work specifically related to the reduction of intolerance based upon unfavourable stereotypes.

Prostitution

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date he expects the final proposals of the criminal law revision committee on offences relating to prostitution to be published; and whether he will make a statement.

I cannot yet say precisely when the committee's final report will be published. I understand that the committee will be returning to this subject following completion of its general review of the law on sexual offences, and in the light of comments on its provisional recommendations contained in the working paper published last December.

Broadcasting Licences (Ethnic Minorities)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what applications he has received for

Applicant	Organisation	Locality	Ethnic minority
Mr. K. Amin	Optimal Trading Co. Ltd.	London	Iranian
Mr. A. Aziz	—	London	Hindi
Mr. M. S. Bachod	—	Southall	Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi
Dr. P. J. David and Mr. E. Money	—	Southall	Mainly Urdu, Punjabi and Gujerati
Mr. G. Georgiou	Radio Aphrodite	North London	Greek
Dr. V. Hines	National Federation of Self-help Organisations	Brixton	Afro-Caribbean
Mr. Khan M. J. A. Hug	—	London	Bengali initially
Councillor S. King	—	Southwark and adjacent districts	West Indian
Mr. L. Mair	—	London	West Indian
Maxwell and Gouldman, Solicitors, on behalf of clients	—	London	Urdu and Arabic
Mr. J. D. Profumo	—	Tower Hamlets	Bangladeshi
Mr. J. Rust	Sugumugu 80's	London	"Black Londoners"
Mr. I. H. Sheikh	APNA Radio	London	Ten language groups
Mr. Stone	Stone Co. Ltd.	Notting Hill	Not known
Mr. I. S. Uppal	Hounslow Community Relations Council	Hounslow	Mainly Asian

None of the applications was granted, because the policy of the Government is to entrust off-air broadcasting only to publicly accountable broadcasting authorities. The possibility of licensing community radio stations was considered in a preliminary way in the third report of the Home Office local radio working party, published in December 1980. Further consideration will be given to the possible development of community radio when information is available about the frequencies assigned to the United Kingdom following the VHF/Band II conference to he held in Geneva next year.

Speeding (Prosecutions)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions were instituted in England and Wales between 1 July 198.2 and 30 June 1983 in respect of offences of speeding.

Numbers of prosecutions and findings of guilt for speed limit offences are published annually in "Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales"—table 5 of Home Office statistical bulletin 21/83 and table 1 of supplementary tables. No figures for 1983 are yet available.

Leeds Prison

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how many hours a day the education block at Leeds prison is being used; what is the location of education classes at other times; and why the education block is not used more fully.

The education centre in Leeds prison is used for two hours a night, four nights a week. At other times education classes are held in the main cell areas. The broadcasting licences that will cater for ethnic minorities in the London area; from whom; and what has been the result of such applications.

In the past three years the Department has received 15 applications for community radio stations in London which would broadcast particularly to the ethnic minorities. Details are as follows:education centre is not used more fully because of the shortage of prison officers to supervise the movement and safeguard the security and control of prisoners between the cell areas and the education centre. This shortage results from the priority given to meeting the prison's heavy court commitments. A full review of the manpower needs of the prison has recently been conducted and the report of that review is now being considered.

Prisoners (Statistics)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in England and Wales are currently serving sentences of nine months or less; and what is his estimate of the reduction in the prison population that would be achieved by reducing the period of eligibility for parole to six months in custody.

The latest readily available information on prisoners serving sentences of nine months or less is given in the attached table. It is estimated that reducing the minimum qualifying period for parole from its current level to six months would reduce the prison population eventually by about 2,500 sentenced prisoners.

Population^ of prison department establishments in England and Wales on 30 September 1983 who were serving sentences of 9 months or less: by type of custody*
		†Number
	Imprisonment^*	7,300
	Youth custody	2,700
	Total	9,900
^* Rounded estimates; including fine defaulters excluding those serving detention centre orders.
† Figures rounded independently and so the components do not add to the total.

Foreign Visitors

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that the terms of undertakings offered by visitors to the United Kingdom or their sponsors are appropriate; and whether he will give written instructions to immigration officers to ensure that result.

My right hon. and learned Friend has arranged for the matter to be reviewed. Appropriate additions to the instructions to immigration officers will be issued in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information is available other than centrally about the number of occasions on which written undertakings have been obtained from passengers or their sponsors.

Written undertakings are recorded only in the personal files relating to the passengers concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will place in the Library a copy of the printed leaflet giving details of the procedure to be followed by visitors to the United Kingdom seeking extensions or variations of the leave or conditions imposed.

Yes. Copies of the leaflet—HO Form IS115—have now been placed in the Library.

Citizenship

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for citizenship are currently under consideration.

Seventy-one thousand and seventy-eight applications at the end of October.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average and the maximum time taken to process applications for citizenship.

The average time taken to process applications for citizenship depends upon the nature of the application. Where there is an entitlement to citizenship the average time is 13 months; and in the case of an application for grant of citizenship at discretion the average time is 21 months.There are no maximum times set for the completion of applications for citizenship, but 95 per cent. of entitlement applications are completed in less than 31 months and 95 per cent. of applications for grant of citizenship in less than three years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of his staff are engaged in the consideration and processing of applications for citizenship.

Two hundred and fifty, of whom about 12 are not engaged wholly in the consideration and processing of applications for citizenship.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for citizenship are delayed; and what are the minimum and the maximum periods of delay, respectively.

Applications for citizenship are dealt with in order of receipt and completion times vary considerably according to the nature of the case.

Radioactive Material, Whitehall

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the handling by the police of the radioactive material deposited in Whitehall on Saturday 12 November; what was the radioactive level of the material; where it was taken for analysis; and what precautions were used by the persons dealing with the material.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that on 12 November some people taking part in a demonstration emptied a dustbin of mud at the junction of Whitehall and Richmond terrace and claimed that it was highly radioactive. The police cordoned off the area and called for assistance from the chemical incident unit of the London fire brigade. As the unit was arriving, the police learnt that the demonstrators had brought the material with them some distance by train. The inference was that they would have been most unlikely to have exposed themselves to dangerous material. The police took the material in a plastic bag to Westminster hospital, and confirmed that it was not dangerous. Arrangements are being made to test the precise level of radioactivity of the material.

Stop And Search

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many stops and searches took place in 1982 in the Metropolitan police area; how many prosecutions followed; and how many resulted in convictions;(2) if he will break down by type of offence

(a) prosecutions and (b) convictions resulting from stops and searches in the Metropolitan police area in 1982;

(3) how many stops and searches took place in 1982 and 1983 in each Metropolitan police district; and how many led to prosecution.

[pursuant to his reply, 7 November 1983, c. 33–34]: I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the information now available relates to 1982 and is given in the attached table.The table shows the number of persons recorded as having been stopped in the exercise of statutory powers of stop and search in 1982; it also includes a small number of cases in which vehicles were stopped under the Road Traffic Acts. The number of arrests resulting from recorded stops is also shown. Recorded stops may result in a summons or some other action which does not include an arrest; the number of such cases is not available centrally. Statistics showing the number of occasions on which a search was conducted are not available. Details of the offences with which those subsequently arrested were charged and the numbers prosecuted or convicted are not collected centrally on a regular basis and such information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.The information in the table is drawn from records maintained at police stations for operational purposes. Officers are not required to make a record on each occasion that they stop members of the public to speak to them and the statistics therefore give only a partial account of police/public interactions of this kind. The decision as to what constitutes a stop may often depend on the subjective judgment to the officer and the members of the public concerned.

Persons stopped and the number of resultant arrests Metropolitan Police District, 1982
Police District	Number of persons stopped	^Number of resultant arrests*
A—(Part) Westminster	35,000	2,300
B—Kensington and Chelsea	38,600	3,900
C—(Part) Westminster	42,500	6,600
D—(Part) Westminster	32,200	2,400
E—Camden	32,100	2,600
F—Hammersmith	27,400	2,200
G—Hackney	20,400	2,000
H—Tower Hamlets	27,300	2,500
I—Heathrow, etc.	23,300	1,500
J—Waltham Forest, Redbridge, etc.	25,900	1,700
K—Havering, Barking and Newham	38,000	4,900
L—Lambeth	37,300	3,300
M—Southwark	42,200	2,800
N—Islington	26,400	3,000
P—Lewisham and Bromley	45,600	4,100
Q—Brent and Harrow	37,900	3,000
R—Greenwich and Bexley	30,600	2,800
S—Barnet and Hertsmere	39,100	2,100
T—Richmond-upon-Thames and Hounslow	31,900	2,100
V—Kingston-upon-Thames, Merton etc.	21,600	1,900
W—Wandsworth	31,500	2,500
X—Ealing and Hillingdon	33,400	2,700
Y—Haringey and Enfield	28,200	3,200
Z—Croydon and Sutton, etc.	37,400	4,000
TA—Thames Division	200	20
TOTAL MPD	787,000	70,100
^* Persons proceeded against by means of a charge, referral to juvenile bureau, a caution or in some other way; arrests followed by no formal action are not included.

Note: The figures are rounded because they are based on information recorded in station registers for operational purposes which is unsuitable for the preparation of statistical summaries.

Attorney-General

Lord Chief Justice

asked the Attorney-General if he will introduce legislation to divest the Lord Chief Justice of his responsibilities under specific deeds of trust; and if he will make a statement.

No.

Overseas Development

Gambia

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much British aid has been given to the Republic of Gambia in each of the past four years.

Following are the figures:—

£ million
	1979	1980	1981	1982
Technical co-operation	1·482	1·555	1·306	1·282
Financial aid	1·314	0·715	1·016	1·197
Totals	2·796	2·270	2·322	2·479

Trade And Industry

Steel

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the amount of Government subsidy per tonne of steel in (a) Belgium, (b) France, (c) West Germany and (d) the United Kingdom.

The information is not readily available in the form requested. However the following table, based on Commission sources, gives estimates of the total amount of subsidies notified by the member states referred to for the period 1980–85 under the steel aids decision (2320/81/ECSC). These estimates are expressed in per tonne of average annual capacity.

ECU per tonne
Country	Average Amount
Belgium	126·3
France	145·8
West Germany	67·0
United Kingdom	145·6

Notes:

(i) A figure for Government subsidies has been arrived at by taking an estimated grant equivalent of the aids notified to the EC Commission (but not necessarily paid) by Member States.

(ii) This figure has been divided by average annual capacity figures for 1980–85, calculated on the assumption that the Member States concerned respect the Commission's Decisions of 29 June 1983 on aids and restructuring.

Manufactured Goods

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1953 and the current year to date the ratio of United Kingdom exports of manufactures to the United States of America to imports of manufactures from the United States of America, the comparable figures for Germany and Japan, and the real exchange rate in each case based on relative export prices.

The figures are in the tables. Export unit value indices, given as a guide to relative export prices, are not readily available prior to 1961.

Table 1
Ratio of United Kingdom exports to imports of manufactures
Percentages
	Trade with
Year	F.R, of Germany	U.S.A.	Japan
1953	64	131	195
1954	78	119	130
1955	69	93	83
1956	72	153	212
1957	70	136	188
1958	82	162	154
1959	90	208	183
1960	80	88	163

	Trade with
Year	F.R. of Germany	U.S.A.	Japan
1961	82	85	198
1962	94	102	201
1963	92	98	150
1964	76	70	131
1965	87	94	101
1966	78	116	111
1967	71	96	119
1968	72	95	107
1969	79	86	142
1970	81	86	118
1971	72	114	81
1972	60	122	50
1973	50	110	53
1974	47	89	49
1975	57	87	40
1976	58	92	38
1977	58	90	37
1978	54	94	35
1979	52	85	33
1980	61	70	29
1981	60	76	23
1982	51	75	21
^*1983	43	78	18
^* January to September.

Source: Overseas Trade Statistics.

Table 2
Exports of manufactures
Unit value indices (national currencies) 1980=100
Year	U.K.	F.R. of Germany	Japan	U.S.A.
1961	19·8	61·3	55·8	33·4
1962	20·0	61·8	54·3	33·0
1963	20·4	61·1	53·3	32·9
1964	21·0	61·8	52·7	33·2
1965	21·6	63·6	52·0	34·3
1966	22·5	64·9	51·4	35·4
1967	23·0	64·7	53·1	36·3
1968	24·8	63·8	53·3	36·9
1969	25·4	64·8	55·3	38·8
1970	27·4	66·3	58·8	40·8
1971	28·7	67·7	60·2	41·8
1972	30·7	67·6	58·1	42·8

United Kingdom Trade March-September 1983
	Trade with:
	Other countries of the European Community		World excluding European Community
	Exports fob	Imports cif	Exports fob	Imports cif
	£ million^*	£ million^*	£ million^*	£ million^*
Manufactures† less precious stones‡	7,115	11,154	11,929	10,369
Total trade less crude oilob/ and precious stones‡	9,573	14,540	14,347	15,654
^* not seasonally adjusted
† Standard International Trade Classification Sections 5 to 8
‡ Standard International Trade Classification heading 667
ob/ Standard International Trade Classification heading 333

Source: United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics

Exports (Ecgd Subsidy)

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the total subsidy to United Kingdom exports by the Export Credits Guarantee Department in the current year; and if he will provide an analysis of this subsidy.

Year	U.K.	F.R. of Germany	Japan	U.S.A.
1973	33·9	70·7	62·3	46·0
1974	42·6	80·4	86·0	55·9
1975	52·4	86·8	88·2	65·4
1976	62·7	88·8	86·5	69·8
1977	74·1	90·5	86·2	73·5
1978	82·3	92·2	83·3	78·9
1979	89·7	94·8	91·2	91·4
1980	100·0	100·0	100·0	100·0
1981	107·4	105·6	102·9	112·4
1982	115·0	113·4	108·8	119·2

Source: IMF.

Aid To Industry

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the total cost of all forms of aid to industry, including the cost of enterprise zones, in each of the years 1978–79 to 1982–83; and what is the estimated cost in the current year.

The aid to industry provided by the Department of Trade and the Department of Industry, in each of the years 1978–79 to 1982–83 respectively has been £1,098 million, £2,205 million, £2,802 million, £2,906 million and £2,670 million. The estimated cost in the current year, 1983–84, is £1,879 million. The figures do not include the cost of enterprise zones which are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.

Imports And Exports

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for the six months ended September 1983 the amount of imports from and exports to (a) the European Community and (b) the rest of the world of (i) manufactures less precious stones and (ii) goods less crude oil and precious stones.

The information is as follows:

The public expenditure cost of interest support for exports in the last financial year was £538·7 million—£243·4 million in respect of exports financed in sterling, and £295·3 million in respect of those financed in foreign currencies.

In the first six months of the current financial year the cost is provisionally put at £169 million—£103 million for sterling and £66 million for foreign currency financed exports. Recent agreements under the international arrangements concerning guidelines for officially supported export credits — the consensus — and the fall in domestic interest rates, suggest this downward trend in expenditure should continue if the present course of interest rates is maintained.

Telephones (Waiting List)

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people are presently waiting for a telephone line in Northern Ireland; and how this compares with each of the last five years.

The total as at 30 September 1983 was 390. Comparable figures as at 31 March for the last five years were:

	Number
1979	15,292
1980	22,378
1981	13,088
1982	3,424
1983	343

Telephone Boxes

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many telephone boxes have been removed in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

The following is the information requested:

	Number
1978–79	55
1979–80	152
1980–81	50
1981–82	64
1982–83	41

While comparable information is not available for earlier years, it should be noted that in 1981–82 only one box was removed because of low takings and in 1982–83 none at all.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the annual loss to British Telecom in Northern Ireland of its telephone kiosk operation.

British Telecom's estimate for the year ended 31 March 1983 was £1·5 million.

Import Duty

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether he will publish in the Official Report a list of the four-digit headings in the standard industrial trading classification divisions 69 and 79 in which items will be subject to duty on importation of 10 per cent. or more in 1987;(2) whether he will publish in the

Official Report a list of the four-digit headings in the standard industrial trading classification divisions 75, 81, 82 and 83 which will be subject in whole or in part to a duty on impertation of 10 per cent. or more in 1987.

The information is not available in the form requested. However details of the tariff reductions agreed by the European Community in the Tokyo round of the general agreement on tariffs and trade are available in volume IV of the annex to the Geneva protocol to the general agreement on tariffs and trade. This sets out the rates of duty which will apply under each of the headings of the common customs tariff of the European Community in 1987.

Telecommunications Equipment (Approval)

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government are taking to ensure in the interests of fair competition that all suppliers of subscribers' apparatus, including British Telecommunications, have equal opportunities of access to procedures for the type approval of such apparatus.

Responsibility for the type appro' al of subscriber's apparatus is being transferred in stages to the independent approval authority, the British Approvals Board for Telecommunications. Where the BABT has been empowered to approve a particular category of subscriber's apparatus it is required, under the terms of its appointment, to treat all applications on an equal footing.Meanwhile, British Telecom retains its power of approval under section 16(2) of the British Telecommunications Act 1981 for the categories of apparatus for which the BABT has not yet assumed approval responsibility. Within BT, the approval power is exercised by the regulatory affairs directorate which is strictly separate from BT's competitive operations. BT and the Department of Trade and Industry have developed informal consultative procedures to ensure fair treatment in any cases where this might he in doubt.I have decided to place these informal procedures on a formal basis, and with effect from 1 December I am going to amend the general authorisation to approve subscriber's apparatus so that BT will no longer be empowered to approve by itself any apparatus that BT itself supplies. Approvals in such cases will in future be subject to consent by the Secretary of State who will first satisfy himself that, having regard to all the circumstances, they may be fairly given. I am giving particular attention to ensuring that these new arrangements do not slow up existing approval arrangements, nor interfere with the ability of any supplier, including BT, to obtain approval of innovative products.

Rolls-Royce (Funding)

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has made a decision regarding the funding of the Rolls-Royce RB211–535 E4 aero engine; and if he will make a statement.

The Government have completed a detailed review of Rolls-Royce's requirement for additional funding to assist with development of the more advanced version of their RB211–535 engine known as the RB211–535 E4. Details of Her Majesty's Government's support for the original RB211–535, now designated the RB211–535C, were given in a reply to a question from the then hon. Member for Derby, North on 3 April 1979.—[Vol. 965, c. 622–23.]As a result of this review the Government has decided to offer Rolls-Royce launch aid of £70 million for this project. £60 million will be sought in this year's Winter Supplementary Estimates, and a further £10 million in 1984–85. This launch aid will be repayable by a levy on sales of the engine.

Prime Minister

Engagements

Q6.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q7.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q8.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q9.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q10.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q11.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q13.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q14.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q15.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q16.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q17.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q18.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q20.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q21.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q22.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q23.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q24.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q25.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q26.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q27.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q29.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q31.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q33.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q34.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q36.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q37.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q37.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q39.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q40.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q41.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q42.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q43.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q44.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q45.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q46.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q47.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q48.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q49.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q50.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q51.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q52.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q53.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q54.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q55.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q56.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q57.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q58.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q59.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q60.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q61.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q62.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q63.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q64.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

Q65.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

Q66.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 November.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today, including one with President Kyprianou of Cyprus.

European Community

Q19.

asked the Prime Minister whether she is satisfied with progress being made in relation to the budgetary settlement within the European Community and associated questions.

Q35.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the progress made in European Community reforms under the mandate agreed at the Stuttgart summit on 18 June.

The Stuttgart mandate envisages that decisions will be taken at the Athens European Council and there is no reason to change that timetable.

High Commissioners And Ambassadors

Q28.

asked the Prime Minister if she will appoint a British subject of Indian origin as the next British high commissioner to India; and if she will adopt a similar policy with regard to the appointment of high commissioners in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, West Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa, and Her Majesty's ambassador in Pakistan.

Appointments of Her Majesty's representatives to these countries are made by Her Majesty the Queen on the recommendation of my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary. Those appointed will be the best people for the job irrespective of their racial origins.

Supplementary Benefit

Q30.

asked the Prime Minister how many people have been in receipt of supplementary benefit at the short-term rate for more than 12 months, 18 months and two years, respectively

At December 1982, the latest date for which information is available, 667,000 people had been in receipt of supplementary benefit at the short-term rate for 12 months or more, 444,000 for 18 months or more, and 311,000 for two years or more.

Kirkintilloch

Q32.

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

I have at present no plans to do so.

Students

asked the Prime Minister whether Her Majesty's Government plan to expand the number of students in higher and further education during the next 20 years.

The Government have provided for a significant increase in demand for further education in recent years and will continue to encourage young people to improve their education and training. In higher education the Government's expenditure plans should enable demand from young qualified applicants — and the Government intend that high standards should be maintained—to continue to be met. But the relevant age group will become smaller over the next decade so that the total number of students is likely to fall absolutely even if the proportion of the age group entering further and higher education continues to rise.

European Convention On Human Rights

asked the Prime Minister if she will introduce legislation to incorporate article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights into United Kingdom law.

No. I consider that the existing arrangements satisfy our obligation under article 6 of the convention.

asked the Prime Minister what other fully developed common policies, apart from the common agricultural policy, exist within the European Community.

The Community has developed a common commercial policy and a common fisheries policy. The treaty of the European Coal and Steel Community provides a framework of common rules governing production and trade in coal and steel. Progress is also being made in the development of Community policies in a number of areas, including completion of the internal market, transport, energy, industrial, regional and social policy, the environment and research and development.

Trunk Roads

asked the Prime Minister whether the same cost benefit criteria for deciding whether a new trunk road should be single or dual carriageway are employed in both Devon and Wales.

Both the Department of Transport and the Welsh Office use the same cost-benefit techniques. These form a major, but not the sole, part of the overall economic and environmental assessment of trunk road proposals and allow each case to be considered on its merits.

Council Of Europe

asked the Prime Minister what change has been made in the composition of the United Kingdom delegation to the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe.

I have appointed my noble Friend the Lord Newall a Substitute Member in place of my right hon. and noble Friend the Lord Duncan-Sandys.

Environment

Public Expenditure Programme

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will give details of his public expenditure programme for 1984–85.

My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced the main changes to the Government's public expenditure plans for 1984–85 and later years. The main changes affecting DOE programmes arise from the fact that local authorities in England have not held their current expenditure down to previous White Paper figures. Collectively their budgets for relevant current expenditure this year, 1983–84, indicate an overspend of £858 million. We have accordingly had to increase the provision for their current spending in 1984–85 by some £500 million above the level we had previously planned for that year. Even at that level the targets are very tough, and I have consulted local government on proposals for the other main elements of a rate support grant settlement designed to strengthen the pressures to meet these targets.The failure to curb current spending has inevitably meant that with great reluctance we have had to look for economies on the capital side to stay within the Government's overall public expenditure objectives. However, although the figures for local authority capital spending in England have been reduced from those in last year's White Paper—Cmnd. 8789—the gross amount actually available for capital spending in 1984–85 will still be close to this year's expected outturn. This has been made possible largely because of the continuing success of the Government's right to buy legislation, which means that the forecast inflow of housing capital receipts in 1984–85, mostly to local authorities, will be about £300 million higher than previously estimated.In order to help local authorities to make the best use of their capital allocations and to plan their spending more efficiently, the Government propose to introduce a system of year-end flexibility on the national cash limits relating to local authority capital expenditure. This will mean that where a cash limit is underspent in one year it will be possible to carry a proportion of the resources forward to the following year. For 1983–84 the maximum carry forward will be 2 per cent. of the net provision in 1983–84. This carry forward provision introduces a new principle into the management of local authority capital spending and the Government hope to be able to increase the figure of 2 per cent. in later years in the light of experience gained and the circumstance then prevailing. For 1984–85 this new carry forward provision enables us to increase the total available for allocation for all local authority services in England, by some £60 million, which can if necessary be added to the cash limits for 1984–85.I propose to introduce two other changes which would assist local authorities to make better use of capital resources. First, I shall be maintaining at 50 per cent. the prescribed proportion of non-housing capital receipts, that is the proportion available to authorities to supplement allocations at their own discretion, but I propose to consult the local authority associations through the Housing Consultative Council about changing the prescribed proportion for most housing receipts from 50 per cent. to 40 per cent.As this year, I shall use the remaining proportion of the forecast national level of receipts to enhance basic allocations and the change on housing would provide increased scope for directing resources towards the areas of housing need. I would be prepared to consider making extra resources available in certain cases to authorities whose programmes relied on full use of receipts and have been adversely affected by the changes in proportion over the past two years: my Department will be discussing details with the local authority associations.I also propose to extend the arrangements introduced this year to give authorities assurances about the level of their allocations for later years. Subject to similar conditions to those which applied last year authorites may plan on the assumption that their allocation for housing and the other services block for 1985–86 and 1986–87 will be at least 80 per cent. and 70 per cent. respectively or the 1984–85 figures, of which they will be notified shortly.The table at the end of this answer shows how I am proposing to distribute the overall provision for DOE programmes together with the additional accounts to be carried forward for allocations to local authority capital programmes.For housing, subject to the outcome of consultations with the local authority associations, the gross capital provision for 1984–85 together with the carry forward will be a little over this year's provision in cash terms. Because housing starts in the private sector are running 20 per cent. higher than in 1982, the overall level of housing activity should be well sustained by the public sector programme I am announcing. On home improvements, I see no reason why spending on grants should not match the 1982–83 outturn, which was by far the highest level then achieved and double the amount spent in 1981–82.For next year I shall be bringing the urban programme, derelict land reclamation and the urban development corporations within a single block for the first time. A single cash limit will be set for the capital elements of this, giving me greater freedom to switch resources from one service to another within the course of a year in order to put them to best use, subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Vote provision. Including the reinvestment or urban development corporation receipts and the benefit

of end-year flexibility, total expenditure permitted in the new urban block in 1984–85 will be £424 million, which represents a small increase on the provision for 1983–84. Total expenditure for the urban programme alone, including contributions from other Departments, will be £348 million—the same figure as last year. The external finance limit for the English water authorities will be set

Totals may not add due to rounding
£ million cash
	1983–84		1984–85
	Cmnd. 8789 Provision	Forecast Outturn^*	Notional allocation of provision in Cmnd. 8789	Revised Totals together with 2 per cent, carry forward
Total local authority relevant current expenditure in England (covering all Departments' services)	19,692	20,550	19,791	20,345
DOE—Housing (Local authorities, housing corporations and New Towns)
Capital:
Gross expenditure	3,245	3,460	3,420	‡3,274
Receipts	-1,402	-1,863	-1,300	-1,596
Net capital expenditure	1,843	1,597	2,120	‡1,678
Current expenditure†	949	1,034	870	847
Programme total: Net capital plus current expenditure	2,792	2,631	2,990	†2,525
DOE Other Environmental Services
Local Environmental Services, Capital:
Gross expenditure	624	596	636	║621
Receipts	-424	-358	-425	-425
Net expenditure	200	238	210	ob/196
Local Environmental Services current expenditure¶	2,202	2,441	2,250	2,259
Urban and derelict land block	405	406	450	●424
Royal Parks, ancient monuments etc.	76	70	80	88
Central and miscellaneous services, environmental research■	113	116	120	120
Environmental bodies development commission	80	79	83	89
English water authorities external finance limit^*	341	320	331	266
Water research, other water services	14	12	13	13
British Waterways Board—grant-in-aid	40	40	44	42
PSA (Office and general accommodation)#	-141	-141	-120	-91
^*Based on budgets and first quarter 1983–84 figures, where available.
†Subsidies and rate fund contributions.
‡Including carry-forward allowance of £29 million.
║Including carry-forward allowance of £7 million.
¶Including costs of rate collection and of the births, marriages and deaths registration service.
•Including carry-forward allowance of £5 million, and £7 million receipts available for reinvestment.
▀Excluding Ordnance Survey.
^*Including DOE and MAFF components.
#Negative provision reflects the fact that Department's repayments to PSA for office accommodation at market rental values exceeds PSA's actual

International Institute Of Applied Systems Analysis

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what support he has given to the United Kingdom's continuing participation in the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis in Vienna.

Her Majesty's Government are giving no financial support to the United Kingdom's continuing participation in the International Institute of Applied systems Analysis in Vienna. However, I understand that efforts are being made to continue support using private sector money. at £266 million for 1984–85. Within this provision it is expected that the real volume of capital investment should be maintained at about the same level as in 1982–83. and that average charges increases will be broadly in line with the RPI.An extra £25 million has been allocated to the PSA in 1984–85 mainly for the maintenance of the civil estate.

Greater London (Office Space)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the amount of office space which is currently unoccupied in Greater London.

Vacant office floorspace statistics are not maintained by my Department.

Local Authorities (Expenditure)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of total local authority current expenditure is a consequence of the statutory obligations placed upon local authorities by central Government legislation.

This information is not available, since expenditure incurred as a result of local authorities' statutory duties is not recorded separately.

International Conference Centre

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated cost of building the international conference centre at Broad Sanctuary; and if he will make a statement.

I told the House on 30 March 1983 — [Vol 40, c.172] — that the agreed value of the management contract for the centre at first quarter 1982 prices was £35·6 million. In real terms, the current estimate for this work, at £37·4 million, remains unchanged. The overall estimated cost of all work including telecommunications, security equipment and landscaping, which did not form part of the above contract, is £44 million at third quarter 1983 prices. This sum remains within agreed estimates and, as normal includes contingencies, but excludes furnishings.As announced by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for the Environment on 7 April 1982 — [Vol 21, c.

367]—the Government decided not to proceed with the offer of funding received from the Pearl Assurance Company and instead to use public sector funds to construct the centre. There has been no change in this position. Bovis Construction Limited was appointed in April 1982 as management contractor for the construction of the superstructure. The form of contract was specifically devised by the Property Services Agency and was not a standard Bovis management fee contract. The earlier contracts for the substructure of the centre—which includes the parliamentary telephone exchange—were completed as a separate project before Bovis began work.

Despite an early problem when Willment Brothers Limited, who held two of the sub-contracts, went into liquidation; I am satisfied the the project is on programme and is under effective control.

Battersea Power Station

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about withdrawing listed building status from Battersea power station; who has made such representations; and what has been the outcome.

I shall answer this question shortly.

Wales

Heather And Grass Burning

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will ensure that the code of guidance on heather and grass burning when published, is given the widest possible distribution amongst the farming community.

Yes. In addition to publishing a code of guidance, a leaflet in both English and Welsh will be freely available to those applying for a licence setting out the features of good burning practice.

Marginal Land

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will consider implementing for Wales an improved grant aid for marginal land of an interim nature.

The Government have already indicated that they will provide some additional financial assistance for farmers in the newly designated areas when the redefinition of the United Kingdom's less favoured areas has been agreed by the Council of Ministers. I have no proposals to anticipate this action.

Milk And Beef Production

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied that the milk industry's production and the beef premium's current stabilising effect will prevent a recession in both sectors during the coming six months.

Existing support arrangements which are currently subject to review, including the beef premium scheme will continue in force until April 1984. Although milk production has suffered from the effects of the weather this year, the June census recorded a further significant increase in the dairy herd.

Civil Servants (Travel Costs)

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the estimated annual cost of travel undertaken by civil servants employed by his Department (a) within the United Kingdom and (b) overseas.

The estimated Departmental costs of travel for 1983–84 are £735,000 within the United Kingdom and £18,000 overseas. It is not possible to separate costs for civil servants from those incurred by Ministers except at disproportionate cost.

Overseas Personnel

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether his Department maintains, or supports the maintenance of, any office or personnel abroad.

Not directly, but part of the grant in aid to the Welsh Development Agency is used to support the activities of a small number of WINvest personnel overseas engaged in promoting Wales as a location for industrial investment.

Elderly Persons

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average cost of caring for an elderly citizen in (a) geriatric hospital, (b) community hospital, (c) local authority Part 3 accommodation and (d) private hospitals and accommodation; and what are the numbers in each category.

Information on unit costs in hospitals and in the community is published annually in Welsh costing returns and in local authority social services planning statements, copies of which are in the Library. It is not possible to identify separate unit costs for particular age groups.

Civil Engineering

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many extra jobs in civil engineering have occurred in Wales in each of the quarters of the past year in Wales.

Comprehensive information in the form requested is not available.

Doctors (Deputising Services)

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what measure Her Majesty's Government have of excessive use of deputising services in primary medical care by family practitioners in the context of the family practitioner service in Wales.

No central records are held and it is for each family practitioner committee to monitor the usage of deputising services in its locality. Guidance on deputising arrangements was issued to FPCs in April 1978. Earlier this year FPCs were asked to undertaken a review of deputising services in their localities and their responses are now being considered.

Welsh Language

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received in favour of setting up a Welsh language education development body to co-ordinate education through the medium of that language in all parts of the Principality; and if he will make a statement.

Four and two petitions. A Welsh joint education committee working party is currently considering the full implications of setting up such a body and we will consider what action it would be appropriate to take in the light of any recommendations made which directly affect my right hon. Friend's statutory responsibilities for education in Wales.

Tourism (Promotion)

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with the extent to which the Wales Tourist Board is involved in planning and implementing the promotion of Wales overseas as a tourist destination.

I have been considering the way in which the Wales Tourist Board works with the British Tourist Authority in the promotion of Wales as a tourist destination as part of my continuing review of tourism policy in Wales following the publication of the board's strategy document earlier this year. Following meetings with the two bodies, I am pleased to announce new arrangements which have been agreed for strengthening Welsh involvement in the BTA's marketing programme.The Wales Tourist Board will be appointing a director of Overseas Marketing who will work in close co-operation with the British Tourist Authority. The director's primary responsibilities will be to co-ordinate activities in Wales aimed at developing tourist facilities to make them attractive to the overseas market and to identify, in collaboration with the British Tourist Authority, attractions and amenities which could be most productively promoted abroad.

The British Tourist Authority will be nominating an executive to act as Wales liaison officer.

The Wales Tourist Board and the British Tourist Authority jointly will be drawing up and reviewing annually a stategic overseas marketing plan for Wales which will form the basis of the BTA's annual marketing plan as it relates to Wales.

Arrangements will be made jointly by the Wales Tourist Board and the British Tourist Authority to encourage the support of the trade and of authorities with tourist interests for the promotion of Wales overseas and to involve them in the development of Welsh tourist facilities in order further to attract overseas visitors and in the formulation of specific market proposals.

These arrangements are a constructive step forward in reconciling the needs to promote Britain abroad as an entity while giving due weight to the importance of Wales as a tourist area and the importance to Wales of tourism.

Education And Science

Education Expenditure

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) in drawing up the latest public expenditure plans, what estimates were made for numbers of lecturers to be employed in further education;(2) in drawing up the latest public expenditure plans, what estimates were made of the education inflation rate; and, in particular, what allowances were made for increases in teachers' and lecturers' salary rates and levels of student grants in each of the years concerned;(3) in drawing up the latest public expenditure plans, what estimates were made of the numbers of pupils attending nursery schools or classes, primary schools or secondary schools, and for the numbers of students attending further and higher education colleges and universities and polytechnics;(4) in drawing up the latest public expenditure plans, what estimates were made for the amount of public expenditure on books in schools and colleges for each of the relevant years;(5) in drawing up the latest public expenditure plans, what estimates were made for the number of teachers to be employed in primary schools and secondary schools;(6) in drawing up the latest public expenditure plans, what estimates were made for the proportion of pupils over 16 years who would stay on in full-time education for each of the relevant years.

I am making a statement today about the Government's plans for expenditure on education in 1984–85. The Government's decisions about their plans for 1985–86 and 1986–87 will be embodied in the next public expenditure White Paper, which will be published in the new year.

Expenditure

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about expenditure on education and science in 1984–85.

As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his statement today, provision for education and science in 1984–85 will be increased by £175 million to £13,052 million from the figures in Cmnd. 8789, as adjusted for Budget changes and so on. Four fifths of the programme is local authority current expenditure which is increased by £177 million. Including the consequences of the 3 per cent. pay factor, there is a net reduction of £2 million in Vote expenditure.The level of services that can be afforded within this total will again depend on the success of local authorities and others in containing their costs, including the effect of pay and price increases in the current financial year.The policies outlined below are compatible with the latest forecast of price increases and with pay increases of 3 per cent. in 1984–85.If both local authority and other pay settlements are 3 per cent. the cash available will allow for policies broadly in line with those of Cmnd. 8789.LOCAL AUTHORITY EXPENDITURE ON EDUCATION, SCHOOL MEALS AND MILKIt is for local authorities themselves to determine the balance between services within the total relevant planned current expenditure for local authorities in England in 1984–85 of £20,300 million, taking into account Government policies and their statutory duties and responsibilities.£625 million has not been allocated to individual services in recognition of the fact that some local authorities will spend in 1984–85 more than the Government believe to be desirable and need more time to bring spending into line with the Government's plans.As with the total, it will be for local authorities to determine how this additional amount is spent but it would be reasonable to assume that each service will receive a share broadly consistent with the present pattern of expenditure.The total allocated to education in the Government's plans, which will form the basis for grant related expenditure assessments, is £9,796 million. The level of service that can be provided within this cash total will depend crucially on changes in costs between 1983–84 and 1984–85 and in particular on the level of pay settlements for local authority employees.The figure of £9,796 million includes £263 million for school meals and milk. Some local education authorities have made substantial reductions in net expenditure under this head. I look to all authorities to bring down net expenditure on school meals to the level envisaged in the Government's plans so that the resources available for education are used to best advantage.SCHOOLSThe plans assume a further decline in the number of school teachers employed as total school rolls continue to fall, but provided the cost of employing staff can be contained, the plans allow for a modest improvement in pupil-teacher ratios compared with January 1983. This would ease the task of providing a broad and balanced curriculum throughout a contracting secondary school system. The situation will vary between authorities depending on such factors as their present level of expenditure, their targets and their ability to redeploy teachers quickly in response to falling rolls.The Government are committed to improving the effectiveness of the teacher force and consider that there should be some expansion in the scheme of in-service training grants for school teachers which began this year under the Education Act 1962. The Department will therefore be inviting bids from local education authorities for grants to support expenditure up to a total cost of £11 million in the academic year 1984–85. The Department will consider in consultation with the local authority associations whether the priority areas within in-service training currently eligible for grant should be extended.If costs can be contained on the basis set out above and further savings are made through, for example, continued removal of surplus places and the continued achievement of greater efficiency in school cleaning and caretaking, the plans should enable the majority of authorities to make some improvement compared to 1981–82 levels in aggregate in the provision of new books and equipment and in the repair and maintenance of school buildings.NON-ADVANCED FURTHER EDUCATIONThe plans should enable authorities to respond to the growing demand for non-advanced further education provided that pay and other costs are contained and resources are efficiently managed. There are inevitable uncertainties because it is still too early to assess the full impact of the youth training scheme on student numbers. The plans assume some tightening of SSRs: if other non-teaching costs can be restrained it should be possible for the 1981–82 level of provision per student on books and equipment to be maintained in aggregate in the majority of authorities.The provision of various types of pre-vocational courses and the off-the-job element of the youth training scheme is a rapidly developing part of the work of further education colleges for which very few staff have received specific training. I intend therefore to amend the regulations under the Education Act 1962 to allow grants to be paid to cover the release costs of NAFE lecturers for in-service training. The plans envisage that grant will be paid on £3 million for this purpose in the financial year 1984–85.HIGHER EDUCATIONThe cash available has been set at a level consistent with the previously planned contraction of each sector and reflects the Government's 3 per cent. pay factor. The figures allow for a tuition fee of £500 for home full-time and sandwich course students on courses designated for mandatory awards. Both the UGC and the NAB have agreed to plan for student admissions in 1984–85 which, with admissions to direct grant institutions, are likely to satisfy the lower limit of demand as forecast by the "Report on Education No. 99".

Universities

Subject to parliamentary approval, the total or recurrent grant for universities in the UGC list for the 1984–85 academic year will be £1,265 million. To the extent that the academic year falls partly in the 1985–86 financial year the grant is subject to review in the usual way. It assumes a measure of increased economy in expenditure although provision has been made for some unavoidable cost increases.

The revised grant for the 1983–84 academic year will be £1,211 million. This takes account of revised pay assumptions for the period 1 April to 31 July 1984 and of the appropriate part of the net reduction in the universities' Vote which I announced in the House on 26 July

Equipment grant for the academic year 1984–85 will be £87.8 million, a cash increase of 5 percent. compared with 1983–84.

Advanced Further Education

Following consultation with the local authority associations, I have determined under regulations made under the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 the quantum of advanced further education (AFE) expenditure within the pre-determined pool in 1984–85 at £580·5 million. This provides for the implementation in 1984–85 of the academic plan for local authority higher education (LAHE) developed by the National Advisory Board (NAB), my decisions on which will be the subject of a separate statement after I have received advice from the NAB committee. The expenditure plans imply continuing reductions in full-time equivalent lecturer numbers and in unit costs.

Cash available for the grant-aided sector, including the voluntary colleges, will be £100 million, requiring as in other sectors increased efficiency in its expenditure.

Student Awards

There will be an increase in the previously planned level of spending on student grants in 1984–85 as a result of higher numbers of students in higher education. The main rates of grant will be increased by 4 per cent. in the autumn of 1984 and the parental contribution scale will be adjusted upwards in line with earnings in the past year. However, contributions from those in the middle and upper reaches of the scale will be increased and the minimum award, payable to those whose parents would otherwise be liable to meet the full cost of maintenance will be halved. Details of the new rates of grant and revised contributions scales, and of revised arrangements for meeting students' additional travelling costs, will be announced later.

CAPITAL EXPENDITURE

Provision for local authority capital expenditure on education at £269 million in 1984–85, takes account of the reduced need for new places in schools, developments in further education, and the expected level of capital receipts. The Department will be writing to local education authorities to inform them of the allocations within the education block.

The Science Budget

The science budget for 1984–85, from which the research councils receive their grants-in-aid, will be £549 million. This allows for the present level of funding to be broadly maintained after allowing for extra provision to assist with increased costs of international subscriptions.

DES Manpower

An extra £1 million will be provided to enable the Department's manpower to be increased, principally to add to the complement of Her Majesty's inspectorate.

Educational Initiatives (Loan Finance)

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what educational initiatives for which he has a responsibility are funded by loan finance in a similar way to the Open University schemes.

None.

Pickup Programme

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what criteria determine which schemes within the PICKUP programme should be provided grant and which schemes should be provided with a loan.

A limited amount of support in the form of grants is available, under the PICKUP programme, for relevant curriculum development and research. The former is administered by the further education unit and I shall write to my hon. Friend with full details of the criteria which it applies in considering proposals. Some educational research projects in the PICKUP field are also supported and may be commissioned directly by the Department. Each proposal is judged on its merits.A special arrangement has been made with the Open University whereby a loan has been provided for the development of courses specifically directed at the updating and retraining of those in industry. No other loans are made under the PICKUP programme.

Scotland

Prisoners (Disciplinary Charges)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what fresh guidance he is giving on the provision of legal or other representation to prisoners who face disciplinary charges in Scottish prisons in view of the recent High Court judgment in England and the action following on this by the Home Office.

While the recent High Court judgment does not extend to Scotland, I am giving urgent consideration to the action that should be taken in Scotland to ensure that in appropriate cases prisoners who face charges before disciplinary hearings by visiting committees in Scotland have access to representation. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as the details of the new arrangements have been finalised.

Wild Birds (Control)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many licences, and in what areas and locations, have been granted to permit the killing of herons; if the advice of the Nature Conservancy Council was sought in each case before a licence was issued; and whether that advice was ignored in any instance.

The Nature Conservancy Council advised that licences might be granted to freshwater fish farmers to kill herons where other deterrent techniques have proved unsuccessful. Licences have been granted to five fish farmers; one in each of Fife, Dumfries and Galloway, and Highland and two in Tayside. My right hon. Friend is not required to consult the Nature Conservancy Council about the issue of any particular licence.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the locations where licences to permit the control of cormorants have been issued; whether the alleged damage was investigated before the licences were issued; and whether the advice of the Nature Conservancy Council was sought over the granting of each licence.

The Nature Conservancy Council advised that applications to shoot cormorants for the protection of fisheries should be entertained only when they come from those individuals with a direct interest in the fisheries who gave information about the nature of the damage caused. They also advised that shooting should not be permitted in coastal waters or at inland breeding colonies. Thirty three licences have been issued to shoot cormorants—six in Dumfries and Galloway, two in the Borders; 13 in the Highlands, two in Grampian, seven in Tayside, and three in Strathclyde. Individual reports of damage are not investigated. My right hon. Friend is not required to consult the Nature Conservancy Council about the issue of any particular licence.

Overseas Personnel

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department maintains, or supports the maintenance of, any office or personnel abroad.

My Department, and the Scottish Development Agency, through Locate in Scotland are responsible for the operation, running and financing of an office in Brussels and four offices in the United States of America to promote the attraction of inward investment. A total of eight development executives and the necessary support staff are employed in these offices. In addition my Department pays salary costs of two members of staff on secondment to the European Commission.

Health Expenditure

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the actual spending on health expenditure in Scotland, per head of the latest population figures available.

Using estimated population as at June 1982 as a base, per capita expenditure in Scotland for the year to 31 March 1983 amounted to £314.

	Students living at home during study		Other students		All students
Payment	No. of payments	Per cent.	No. of payments	Per cent.	No. of payments	Per cent.
£
1 – 50	1,558	9	3,925	21	5,483	16
51 – 100	3,535	21	6,870	37	10,405	29
101 – 150	3,520	21	3,336	18	6,856	19
151 – 200	2,133	13	1,560	8	3,693	10
201 – 250	1,815	11	985	5	2,800	8
251 – 300	1,345	8	673	4	2,018	6
301 – 400	1,522	9	759	4	2,281	6
401 – 500	781	5	373	2	1,154	3
More than 500	370	2	218	1	588	2
	16,579		18,699		35,278

The highest amount paid to a single award-holder was £1,426 to a disabled student.

Ninewells Hospital, Dundee

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department will take measures, in conjunction with Tayside health board, to ensure that a maternity ward, temporarily closed at Ninewells hospital, Dundee, will be reopened in December without reservations; and if he will make a statement.

Labour Statistics

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, subsequent to the letter from the hon. Member for Eastwood (Mr. Stewart) to the hon. Member for Dundee, West on 15 August on the discontinuation of publication of unemployment data by standard industrial classification order, he will now take steps to collect information about the number of nurses currently unemployed.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes) on 27 October 1983.—[Vol, 47, c. 198.

Award Holders (Allowances)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, on the basis of the most recent figures available, what is the total payment made to Scottish Education Department award holders through the student travel allowance system; how many award holders receive additional payments via the travel allowance scheme; of the latter, how many, both as a percentage and an absolute figure, receive payments of between (a) £50 and £100, (b) £100 and £150, (c) £150 and £200, (d) £200 and £250, (e) £250 and £300, (f) £300 and £400 and (g) £400 and £500 and how many receive more than £500; what was the percentage breakdown between students residing in the parental home and those living away from home in each payment band; and what was the maximum amount paid to any one award holder.

For the academic session 1982–83, £5,263,288 was paid under the students allowances scheme to 35,278 students for travel expenses in excess of the £50 a year allowed for in calculating the maintenance award. The amounts of these payments were as follows:

The day-to-day management of health service facilities is a matter for the health board concerned. I am asking the chairman of Tayside health board to write to the hon. Member.

Midwives

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what information his Department has on the shortfall of midwives within Tayside health board and Ninewells hospital, Dundee, in particular.

Information on the staffing position at individual hospitals is not normally held centrally and is most readily obtained from the health board concerned. I am asking the chairman of Tayside health board to write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what information his Department has upon the number of newly-qualified midwives completing courses at nursing colleges in Dundee.

In the first nine months of 1983, 28 student midwives successfully completed training in Dundee.

Nhs (Management)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Renfrew, West and Inverclyde (Mrs. McCurley) on 10 November, Official Report, c. 233, what arrangements were made by health boards to consider his proposals for abolishing the district level of management before their chairmen gave their concurrence on 8 November.

Proposals for the abolition of districts by health boards were contained in the consultative document, "The Structure and Management of the NHS in Scotland" issued in December 1979. My right hon. Friend subsequently made a statement to the House on 28 July 1980—[Vol. 989 c. 1043]—reporting on the outcome of these consultations, in which he noted that three boards had decided to abolish districts, that seven had indicated their preference to retain them and that he intended to pursue the matter with the latter boards. On 12 March 1981—[Vol. 1000, c. 394–95]—my right hon. Friend indicated in a written answer his concern that wherever possible the district structure should be abolished.A circular was issued to health boards on 30 March 1981 formally asking them to reconsider their management arrangements. That circular specifically drew attention to my right hon. Friend's wish that boards should abolish their district level of management or reduce the number of their districts.The arrangements that the health boards made for considering these proposals were a matter for the individual boards to decide.

Salmon Fishing

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to introduce a Bill to amend the salmon fishing laws in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to introduce a Bill in the current parliamentary Session.My right hon. and noble Friend has arranged to meet representatives of the major salmon interests in the near future to discuss a number of issues relating to salmon legislation.

Marginal Land

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the implications of the marginal land package for Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

The Government will provide additional assistance to marginal land areas, including some small areas in Scotland, once the Community has approved the United Kingdom's application to give them less-favoured area status.I have decided that, in parallel with the marginal land package, I shall then introduce some enhancement of the rates of hill livestock compensatory allowances on hill sheep and on hill cows within the Highlands and Islands Development Board area, in recognition of the generally greater degree of natural handicap to livestock farming in that area.I shall announce the details in due course.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Grenada

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will assist British citizens in obtaining redress for any damage committed by the United States army in Grenada.

We understand that the United States Government have established a war claims office on Grenada to which those resident on the island should address their claims. We are seeking clarification from the United States Government on the procedures to be followed by claimants not normally resident in Grenada.

Hong Kong

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the reported statement of the Chinese Foreign Secretary Mr. Qi Huaiyuan on the future of Hong Kong, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside.

Mr. Qi Huaiyuan, press spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in Peking on 9 November that:

"Certain correspondents have asked whether China had changed its position on the question of a deadline for the Hong Kong talks. China's position has not changed. China will announce its policy and guidelines for Hong Kong not later than September 1984. We hope that before then agreement can be reached with the British side. But if no agreement is reached China will unilaterally announce its policy and guidelines."

Our talks with the Government of the People's Republic of China about the future of Hong Kong are taking place with the common aim of maintaining the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong. No overall timetable has been agreed. In our view, the important objective is to reach the right solution.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the most recent round of discussions on the future of Hong Kong.

The sixth round in the second, more detailed phase of the Sino-British talks on Hong Kong's future was held on 14 and 15 November in Peking. Both sides agreed that it was useful and constructive. The next round will be on 7 and 8 December, again in Peking.

Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received concerning the holding of the Inter-Parliamentary Union conference in Seoul; and if he will make a statement.

Only the hon. Gentleman has made representations on this subject. The Inter-Parliamentary Union is an association of legislatures and not Governments and where it decides to hold its meetings is not a matter for Her Majesty's Government.

Alice Hawkes

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any further information concerning Alice Hawkes, normally resident in the constituency of Vauxhall, since his answer of 7 November, Official Report, c. 31.

Mrs. Hawkes has now been in touch with our officials in Grenada. She is safe and well and has said she intends to return to the United Kingdom on 27 November.

Luxembourg Compromise

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current status of the Luxembourg compromise.

The status of the Luxembourg compromise remains what it has been since it was first adopted in January 1966. Five member states, including the United Kingdom, support the view that where a member state considers its very important interests to be involved, the discussion should be continued until unanimous agreement is reached. This position was formally recorded in the declarations for the minutes which those member states made on the occasion of the signing of the Genscher-Colombo solemn declaration on 19 June 1983. We therefore expect that the practice which the Community has followed, with the exception of the 18 May 1982 decisions on agricultural prices, will continue to operate in the future.

Lebanese Conference For National Reconciliation

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government will support the decisions of the Lebanese conference for national reconciliation and will take action with their European partners to secure their implementation.

We welcome the progress made at the first session of the Lebanese national reconciliation talks. We and our partners in the Ten will continue to do what we can to encourage further progress.

Israel-Lebanon Agreement

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will take action to persuade the Government of the United States of America to accept the abrogation of the Israel-Lebanon agreement of 17 May and its replacement by proposals acceptable to all parties within the region.

The decisions taken by the parties at the Geneva talks do not mention abrogation of the Israel-Lebanon agreement. We welcomed the agreement between Israel and Lebanon at the time in so far as it represented a commitment by Israel fully to withdraw her forces from Lebanon. But we would naturally not object to alternative arrangements which had the agreement of all parties and which led to the early and full withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon.

Defence

Catering Costs

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost per head per person supplied in the case of in-house catering in the Army and Royal Air Force, respectively, having regard to the total cost of maintaining such in-house facilities, including all overheads and indirect costs: and whether he is satisfied that a similar service could not be supplied at lower cost by private contractors.

It is not possible to break down the cost by service, but the full cost, including all overheads, of catering for officers and men in an average United Kingdom mess is estimated to have been £4.52 per head on average per day in 1982–83. Some use of private contractors in static non-operational messes is already being made and further extensions of this practice are being considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many persons are engaged in cooking and catering for the Army and the Royal Air Force, respectively; what are the numbers in each rank; what is the total cost of maintaining this establishment; and what proportion of the catering used by each service is supplied by these in-house facilities.

The information is as follows:

	Numbers
ARMY
(a) Officers
Brigadier	2
Colonel	4
Lt. Colonel	17
Major	41
Captain	88
Subaltern	16
Total	168
(b) Service personnel
WO1	75
WO2	207
S/Sergeant	120
Sergeant	639
Corporal	981
L/Corporal	1,537
Private	1,471
Total	5,050
(c) Civilians^*	3,264
ROYAL AIR FORCE
(a) Officers
Group Captain	2
Wing Commander	4
Squadron Leader	34
Flight Lieutenant	29
Flying Officer	37
Total	106

	Numbers
(b) Service personnel
Warrant Officer	126
Flight/Sergeant	170
Sergeant	438
Corporal	1,089
Senior Aircraftsman	2,372
Total	4,195
(c) Civilians^*	3,405
^ Excludes locally engaged civilians overseas, for whom figures are not readily available.*

The total staff costs of these facilities are about £137 million. In the Army about 99 per cent. of catering is supplied by in-house facilities while the figure for the RAF is about 96 per cent.

Transport Units

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many transport units are in service with the Army at the present time at home and abroad; what is the approximate cost of maintaining such a unit including all overhead and indirect costs, including vehicle maintenance and pension provision: and whether he is satisfied that a similar service could not be supplied at lower cost by private contractors using the same vehicles and back-up equipment.

There are 13 independent major units of regimental size—two in the United Kingdom and 11 overseas—and 28 minor independent units of squadron size or less — 24 in the United Kingdom and four overseas—in support of the Regular Army worldwide. A further 11 major units of regimental size are to be found in the Territorial Army, all based in the United Kingdom. In addition, most Army units have a limited number of their own vehicles which are integral to their particular function.The annual costs, at 1983 prices, of operating units of this kind, taking into account all overhead and indirect costs, differ from unit to unit depending upon the role and location; but typical examples are as follows:

	£ million
A Field Force Transport Regiment in United Kingdom	9·61
A Field Force Transport Regiment in BAOR	9·53
A Transport Squadron in the United Kingdom	1·39
A Transport Squadron in BAOR	2·76
A TA Transport Regiment	3·64

Some use is already made of the private sector, and studies are being made into greater use of the private sector for moving service freight in the United Kingdom.

Civil Servants (Travel Costs)

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated annual cost of travel undertaken by civil servants employed by his Department: (a) within the United Kingdom and (b) overseas.

The estimated costs in the financial year 1983–84 are £45 million on travel within the United Kingdom and £8 million on travel overseas. These figures include the associated subsistence costs.

Overseas Personnel

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what offices or personnel, other than units of the armed forces, his Department maintains, or supports the maintenance of, abroad.

The Ministry of Defence currently has a total of 2,880 United Kingdom-based civil servants serving abroad as at 1 January 1983. This figure includes 1,409 teachers who are employed in service schools worldwide. A breakdown of these figures by location is as follows. A disproportionate amount of time and effort would be involved in providing details of the precise locations of these staff within each country concerned.

	Numbers
Australia	17
Austria	1
Belgium	45
Brazil	2
Brunei	10
Canada	6
Chile	1
Cyprus	168
Denmark	3
Egypt	2
Falkland Islands	4
France	11
West Germany	1,904
Gibraltar	211
Greece	2
Hong Kong	137
India	2
Indonesia	1
Ireland	1
Israel	1
Italy	9
Japan	3
Jordan	2
Malaysia	1
Malta	1
Morocco	1
Nepal	1
Netherlands	20
Norway	4
Oman	2
Phillipines	1
Portugal	2
St. Helena	2
Saudi Arabia	18
Seychelles	1
Singapore	5
Spain	2
Sweden	2
Switzerland	1
Thailand	1
United States	100
Vanuatu	2
Royal Fleet Auxiliaries	171

Hms Ark Royal

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is satisfied that all dangerous substances were removed from HMS Ark Royal prior to the handing over to the shipbreakers.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 10 November 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what action he has taken to ensure that any written guarantees in relation to health and safety procedures given by the shipbreaking contractors for HMS Ark Royal have been adhered to.

The normal procedures were followed for the sale of HMS Ark Royal. It is the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive to ensure that shipbreaking contractors comply with health and safety regulations. As an additional precaution, the Health and Safety Executive will in future be consulted before invitations to tender are issued for shipbreaking work involving the removal of asbestos and will be advised when contracts are placed so that the work can be monitored by its inspectors as necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what contacts there have been between officers of his Department and officers of the Health and Safety Executive, officers of Wigtown district council and staff of any of the firms involved in breaking up HMS Ark Royal regarding dangers to workers and local residents from the shipbreaking at Cairnryan.

In the case of HMS Ark Royal the main shipbreaking contractor gave the required written undertaking to abide by asbestos regulations and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 when the contract was placed. As stated in response to an earlier question by the hon. Member, it is the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive to ensure that shipbreaking contractors comply with health and safety regulations.

Transport

British Rail

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what was the cost to public funds of the studies undertaken by the accountants Peat Marwick Mitchell into the operation of British Rail.

Three separate studies have been undertaken by Messrs. Peat Marwick Mitchell into different aspects of British Rail's activities at a total cost of £532,138·10, including VAT subject to audit.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in view of his statement of 14 November, Official Report, c. 594, that he had separated, in his consideration of the future role of British Railways, the issues of size of the network, fares and service standard levels and was concentrating on efficiency in running the railway, he will give specific examples of steps he has taken to promote such efficiency of running; and if he will make a statement.

The Government set the objectives for BR. It is for the Railways Board to manage the railways so as to carry them through. Consequently, it is for the board to take the action which it regards as necessary to meet those Government objectives. We will continue to support the board's measures to improve efficiency, and in particular will welcome proposals for investment which help to meet the objectives we have set.

Overseas Personnel

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department maintains, or supports the maintenance of, any office or personnel abroad.

There are two staff in Montreal as United Kingdom representatives at the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

M180–A15 (Redbourne)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the proposed timetable for the commencement of the construction of the M 180–A15 link south of Redbourne.

Humberside county council will be carrying out this scheme and, subject to the completion of the statutory procedures, it is planned to start construction in 1987–88.

A6(M)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide full details of the difference in cost between the original planned route of the A6(M) and the modified plan; and if he will make a statement.

As my hon. Friend knows, I am awaiting the results of a further study into the positioning of the proposed junction with the A523 near Brookside garden centre. We are also preparing detailed estimates of the cost of the bypass incorporating the other modifications which I announced in August. I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as these details are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport why there was no consultation with the Cheshire county council, Macclesfield borough council and the Poynton parish council before the announcement of the modified plans for the junction between the proposed A6(M) and the A323.

Because of a regrettable oversight. We apologised to the councils concerned and asked for their views as soon as the error came to our notice. As my hon. Friend knows, I decided to review the whole matter because of this oversight and I look forward to my meeting with my hon. Friend early next month.

Speed Limits

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to review maximum speed limits on public roads; and, in particular, on motorways; and if he will make a statement.

I have no evidence to suggest that the current national maximum speed limits should be changed, either for all-purpose roads or motorways. However, the results of a national speed survey which was commissioned during the summer will be available in a few months, when all the evidence collected will be considered very carefully.

Derailment, Northallerton (Report)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when the report on the diesel high speed train derailment at Northallerton in 1981 will be published; what steps have been taken to ensure that the same type of feature does not occur again; what is the number of incipient failures which has been detected; and how many other axle seizures have occurred without derailment taking place.

The report was published on 8 September 1983 and a copy is in the Library of the House. The steps that have been taken to reduce the chances of a recurrence are detailed in the report. Incipient failures detected during routine inspection and maintenance are not reported to the Department. Since the accident, which occurred in 1979, four axle seizures on high speed trains have been reported but none led to derailment; no further incident has been reported since January 1981, by which time certain modifications to the HST power cars designed to prevent recurrence were well advanced.

M1 Motorway

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the purpose of the television cameras attached to lamp-posts between junctions 13 and 14 of the M1.

These video cameras monitored traffic behaviour on the contraflow section so that any potential dangers could be identified and as far as possible eliminated, both here and at future similar road works

Heavy goods vehicles—recorded daily flows
	Hertfordshire Site			Derbyshire Site
	Saturday	Sunday	Weekday	Saturday	Sunday	Weekday
1980
June	3,056	2,165	15,771	1,743	927	9,055
July	2,964	1,891	15,708	1,625	796	8,201
August	2,479	1,766	12,630	1,598	963	8,285
1981
June	3,051	1,810	16,890	1,541	822	9,140
July	3,003	2,022	16,597	1,461	831	8,915
August	2,988	1,904	14,264	1,782	761	8,632
1982
June	3,334	2,045	16,634	1,780	943	9,700
July	3,541	2,266	16,567	1,388	904	9,205
August	2,874	1,890	15,173	1,642	915	9,418
1983
June	3,213	2,140	16,552	1,644	1,003	9,818
July	3,607	2,280	15,876	1,520	939	7,661
August	2,744	1,939	15,065	1,564	990	8,547

Severn Barrage (Road)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he has had regarding the construction of a new road along the proposed Severn barrage.

I am aware of these proposals for the long-term future. My immediate concern is to provide secure and ready passage over the existing crossing and to develop a strengthening programme, so that the Severn bridge can safely carry forecast loads.

Severn Bridge

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement following the first week of the new restrictions upon the Severn bridge; and whether he intends to suggest the adoption by motorists of alternative routes.

The restrictions imposed from midnight 31 October inevitably led to some serious delays. I regret them, but I am glad to say that a more flexible and sensitive regime is being introduced from midnight 17 November. This will be carefully monitored. I hope that it will not normally require proposals for using alternative routes. However, alternative routes are available and signed for use if need be.

sites. These particular works were completed on 5 November, traffic restored to both lanes and the cameras removed.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what are the numbers of heavy vehicles passing three selected points on the M1 for each of the last three months and for those same months one, two and three years ago.

My Department organises regular classified traffic counts of HGVs at only two sites on the M1 motorway, one in Hertfordshire and one in Derbyshire. The counts at both sites take place between 0600 and 2200 hours on one Saturday, Sunday and weekday every month—three days every month in all—so monthly figures are not available. The difference in traffic flow between weekdays and weekends is so marked that information is given separately for each day:

Employment

Workington

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young persons aged 16 to 18 years were unemployed in the Workington travel-to-work area during the last month for which statistics are available.

On 13 October the number of unemployed claimants aged 18 years and under in the Workington travel-to-work area was 805.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in the Workington travel-to-work area have been unemployed for (a) up to six months, (b) six months to 12 months, (c) 12 months to 18 months, (d) 18 months to two years and (e) over two years during the latest month for which statistics are available.

The following table gives the numbers of unemployed claimants in the Workington travel-to-work area who, on 13 October, had been unemployed for the lengths of time specified. The figures are affected by the 1983 Budget provisions which meant that some men aged 60 and over no longer had to sign on.

Duration in weeks	Number
Up to 26 weeks	2,147
Over 26 and up to 52 weeks	958
Over 52 and up to 78 weeks	730
Over 78 and up to 104 weeks	442
Over 104 weeks	1,106

Lanson Plastics

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps is he taking to assist those notified to his Department as being made redundant at Lanson Plastics in Welwyn Garden City.

The Manpower Services Commission will do all it can to help any workers who may become redundant to find new jobs, and all its advisory, placement and retraining services will be at their disposal.

Youth Training

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many youth training schemes have been terminated in (a) Stoke-on-Trent, (b) the west midlands and (c) the United Kingdom;(2) how many places on youth training schemes are still unfilled in

(a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b)the west midlands.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many school leavers aged 16 years are taking part in youth training schemes in Stoke-on-Trent and what percentage this is of the total number of Stoke-on-Trent school leavers in the current year.

By 10 November it is estimated that about 2,070 16-year-old leavers had entered the youth training scheme in Stoke-on-Trent, which accounted for about 60 per cent. of the total number of school leavers in Stoke-on-Trent in 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many school leavers aged 16 years are taking part in youth training schemes in the west midlands region, and what percentage this is of the total number of west midlands school leavers in the current year.

By the end of October, the latest date for which information is available, about 29,700 16-year-old school leavers had entered the youth training scheme in the west midlands. Information on the number of school leavers in the west midlands is not available at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total cost to the Exchequer of fees to managing agents of youth training schemes in (a) Stoke-on-Trent, (b) the west midlands and (c) the United Kingdom.

Information is not available in the precise form requested. As at the end of September, which is the latest date for which figures are available, some £22·6 million had been provided for fees to managing agents in Great Britain including £0·7 million in Stoke-on-Trent and £2·8 million in the west midlands.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total cost to the Exchequer of training allowances on youth training schemes in (a) Stoke-on-Trent, (b) the west midlands and (c) the United Kingdom.

Information is not available in the form requested. As at the end of September, which is the latest date for which figures are available, some £327 million had been provided in fees and grants to sponsors, including trainee allowances, in Great Britain, including £7·7 million in Stoke-on-Trent and £41·6 million in the west midlands.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total cost to the Exchequer of the administration of youth training schemes in (a) Stoke-on-Trent, (b) the west midlands and (c) the United Kingdom.

Information is not available in the form requested.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many managing agents of youth training schemes are (a) limited liability companies, (b) trade associations, (c) educational colleges and (d) others in (i) Stoke-on-Trent, (ii) the west midlands and (iii) the United Kingdom;(2) how many managing agents are administering youth training schemes in Stoke-on-Trent; and what is the total number of Stoke-on-Trent schemes;(3) how many managing agents are administering youth training schemes in the west midlands; and what is the total number of west midlands schemes;(4) how many managing agents are administering youth training schemes in the United Kingdom; and what is the total number of United Kingdom schemes.

Information is not currently available in the form requested. However, the Manpower Services Commission has recently undertaken a survey of schemes approved under the youth training scheme and an analysis including the types of managing agents or sponsors involved will be available in due course.

Cairnryan Shipbreaking Yard

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley on 10 November, Official Report, c. 217, what action has been taken as a result of the visits to the Cairnryan shipbreaking yard in 1983.

The action taken following the visits to the Cairnryan shipbreaking site in 1983 has included the serving of two prohibition notices and the submission of a report to the procurator fiscal. Eight letters have been sent to the employers at the site and six to their employees or their representatives.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether any approaches have been made by the environmental health department of Wigtown district council for help, information and advice in dealing with any aspect of health and safety at the Cairnryan shipbreaking yard; and what has been the result.

No specific approaches have been made to the Health and Safety Executive by Wigtown district council regarding information and advice about aspects of health and safety at the site, though there have been periodic discussions on a number of matters, including waste disposal, between the council and the executive.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will establish an inquiry into allegations of improper and unsafe handling of asbestos over a 10-year period at the shipbreaking yard at Cairnryan.

No. The concern of the Health and Safety Executive is to ensure that the employer and any contractors at the yard are now complying fully with their legal obligations.

Health And Safety Inspectors

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many inspectors are employed by the Health and Safety Executive in (a) Strathclyde region and (b) Scotland; and how many premises they are responsible for in each case.

I regret that I am unable to provide information in the precise form requested.Strathclyde is a part of the area covered by Scotland west area of the Health and Safety Executive which also includes Dumfries and Galloway and the Western Isles. 31 inspectors are employed in Scotland west area office, 26 of whom are factory inspectors and five agricultural inspectors, and all of these inspectors may spend a part of their time working in the Strathclyde region.There are 93 inspectors employed in Scotland by HSE who are responsible for approximately 93,800 premises. These consist of 51 factory inspectors, 14 specialist inspectors, 17 agricultural inspectors and 10 mines and quarries inspectors.It is not possible to detail the number of premises in either Strathclyde region or the Scotland west area except at disproportionate cost.

Disabled Persons

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to extend the eligibility rules for the youth training scheme to include disabled young people who have stayed in full-time education up to the age of 21 years.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe on 16 November 1983. — [Vol. 48, c. 482.]

Enterprise Allowance Scheme

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the enterprise allowance scheme and other special employment measures in 1984–85.

The enterprise allowance scheme, which helps unemployed people to set up their own businesses, was extended to the whole of Great Britain from August 1983 with 25,000 grants available in the period ending March 1984. The response to this extension has been encouraging, as have the results to date of the earlier pilot experiments. The Government are providing a further £37 million in 1984–85 to the Manpower Services Commission to extend the scheme until March 1985. This is intended to provide grants to a further 35,000 people on broadly the same basis as the current scheme. Any changes in the scheme's rules thought necessary in the light of operating experience will be announced later.We are also extending the voluntary projects programme, which provides a variety of opportunities which unemployed people can take up on a voluntary unpaid basis. Currently some 200 projects are operated under this scheme, and in 1984–85 an additional £2 million will be provided to enable applications to be received up to March 1985.We also propose to continue in 1984–85 the experimental job splitting scheme, under which grants are available to employers to offset additional costs incurred in splitting jobs to provide part-time opportunities for the unemployed.In addition, as already announced, the young workers scheme and the job release scheme will continue in 1984–85, as will the part-time job release scheme which started last month.The temporary short-time working compensation scheme will close for new applications at the end of March 1984.

Northern Ireland

Land Acquisition, Management And Disposal

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will make a statement about the Rayner scrutiny of land acquisition, management and disposal in Northern Ireland.

I have arranged for a copy of this report to be placed in the Library. This was a valuable study covering an area of Government activity to which considerable financial resources are being devoted and in which significant staff resources are involved. I endorse, in particular, the central theme of the scrutiny that all Departments should handle more effectively the assessment of the need for land, the acquisition and management of land, and the identification and disposal of surplus land. In carrying forward action, the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland will be the lead Department on policy on land in Northern Ireland. The professional lands officers will be brought together in a valuation and lands office located in the Department of Finance and Personnel which will provide professional advice to all Departments.

Fish (Illegal Catches)

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prosecutions have been brought by the Department of Agriculture against traders selling illegally caught wild fish in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Legal proceedings for the enforcement of statutory provisions with respect to salmon and inland fisheries is a matter for either the Fisheries Conservancy Board for Northern Ireland or the Foyle Fisheries Commission. Prosecutions brought against traders selling illegally caught wild fish by the Fisheries Conservancy Board and in the Northern Ireland sector of the Foyle area—the Londonderry area—are as follows:

Year	Fisheries Conservancy Board area	Londonderry area
1978	2	3
1979	—	—
1980	—	—
1981	1	1
1982	1	—

Tree Felling (Licences)

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many licences to fell trees in Northern Ireland have been refused in each of the last 10 years on the grounds that the timber is immature.

One, in 1975.

Maghaberry Prison

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what was the original estimated cost for the building of Maghaberry prison when the contract was put out to tender; what is the present estimated cost for the building; and how many inmates it will house when it is completed;(2) what was the original estimated cost for the building of Maghaberry prison; and when it is now expected that the prison will be completed;(3) what has caused the delay in the opening of the new Maghaberry prison.

The original estimated cost for the building of the male and female prisons at Maghaberry was £32 million at current prices. The main building programme has now been completed at a cost of just over £30 million, but further works remains to be done. There has been no undue delay in the work involved in this complex project. The prisons are expected to be open in late 1984 or early 1985. The male prison will have accommodation for some 450 prisoners and the female prison will hold 56.

Prisons

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total cost of operating prisons in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years for which information is available.

The cost of operating prisons—including borstals and young offenders centres — in Northern Ireland in the last five years was as follows:

Year	Cost (£'000)
1978–79	31,242
1979–80	38,367
1980–81	49,167
1981	51,888
1982	62,032

These figures—which relate to financial rather than calendar years up to 1981—are exclusive of receipts and do not include capital expenditure.

Prison Population

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how may people are presently being held in prisons in Northern Ireland; and how this compares with the figures in each year since 1966.

On 6 November, a total of 2,221 persons were being held in Northern Ireland prisons, of whom 413 were on remand or awaiting trial and 1,808 under sentence.The average daily prison population from 1966 to 1982 was as follows:

Year	Untried	Sentenced	Total
1966	22	422	444
1967	26	540	566
1968	28	586	614
1969	35	582	617
1970	61	755	816
1971	39	838	877
1972	147	745	892
1973	373	1,082	1,455
1974	498	1,451	1,949
1975	402	2,021	2,423
1976	664	1,866	2,530
1977	656	1,910	2,566
1978	603	2,210	2,813
1979	400	2,291	2,691
1980	344	1,969	2,313
1981	397	1,870	2,267
1982	415	1,822	2,237

The figures for the years 1971 to 1979 do not include persons interned or detained under emergency legislation, neither do any of the figures include borstal trainees or persons held in a young offenders centre.

Prisoners (Statistics)

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prisoners in Northern Ireland are serving life sentences.

Three hundred and sixty eight prisoners in Northern Ireland are currently serving life sentences. Another 65 persons are serving sentences of detention during the Secretary of State's pleasure, the mandatory sentence where a person is convicted of murder committed when he or she was under the age of 18.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prisoners who have served sentences for murder or attempted murder have been released from prison in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years; and how many such prisoners are expected to be released this year.

The number of persons released from prison who have served sentences for murder or attempted murder is as follows:

	1980	1981	1982	1983^*
Murder	1	2	6	1
Attempted Murder†	11	10	16	16
^* To 9 November Two prisoners convicted of murder and sentenced to be detained at the Secretary of State's pleasure are expected to be released on licence before the end of this year, and five more are expected to be released from fixed terms imposed for attempted murder.
† Figures for attempted murder relate to those having served fixed term sentences.

National Finance

Civil Service (Manpower)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what decisions the Government have taken about Civil Service manpower numbers after 1 April 1984.

In 1980 the Government announced their plans to reduce the Civil Service by 14 per cent. from 732,000 to 630,000 by 1 April 1984. That target should be achieved. The continued efficiency in the use of resources, including manpower, makes an important contribution to the control of public expenditure. Therefore, the Government have reviewed their manpower requirements for the years up to 1988, and have decided on new plans which are set out in the following table. The aim has been to improve the efficiency of the Civil Service and to match staff numbers closely to the necessary

	1 April 1984	1 April 1985	1 April 1986	1 April 1987	1 April 1988
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	11,493	11,450	11,400	11,340	11,260
Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce	623	610	590	566	560
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Inland Revenue	69,850	70,200	69,300	66,300	62,900
Customs and Excise	25,150	25,350	25,100	24,900	24,700
Department for National Savings	8,050	8,025	7,900	7,875	7,590
Her Majesty's Stationery Office	4,000	3,700	3,500	3,460	3,440
Treasury	3,820	3,570	3,535	3,500	3,455
Royal Mint	977	965	981	970	960
Central Office of Information	949	952	955	945	935
Registry of Friendly Societies	129	129	129	127	120
Government Actuary	64½	64½	64½	64½	64½
National Investment and Loans Office	52	52	52	52	52
Education and Science
Department of Education and Science	2,402	2,472	2,437	2,417	2,239
Employment
Department of Employment	31,048	30,238	29,995	29,211	28,505
Health and Safety Commission/Executive	3,742	3,662	3,652	3,644	3,644
Manpower Services Commission	22,229	21,677	21,297	21,297	21,297
Advisory, Concilliation and Arbitration Service	645	639	632	629	629
Energy
Department of Energy	1,110	1,106	1,085	1,062	1,033
Environment
Department of the Environment	6,695	6,615	6,515	6,435	6,370
Property Services Agency	27,502	26,986	26,347	25,693	25,296
Ordnance Survey	2,815	2,948	2,934	2,920	2,906
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office	9,437	9,373	9,214	9,109	9,026
Overseas Development Administration	1,793½	1,565	1,545	1,525	1,500
Home Office
Home Office	35,755	36,633	38,193	40,123	41,132
Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor's Department^*	10,125	10,195	10,195	10,170	10,000
Land Registry	6,725	6,845	6,910	6,910	6,950
Public Record Office	406	406	413	419	425
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Office	200	196	191	188	186
Scotland
Scottish Office	9,800	9,909	9,791	9,622	9,542
Scottish Courts Administration	879	879	879	879	879
General Register Office Scotland	283	266	268	278	274

functions of Departments. The figures show a continuing steady reduction in the size of the Civil Service to about 593,000 by 1988, a further fall of 6 per cent.

These manpower plans rest on the same assumptions about future policy and work load as the expenditure plans in my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer's autumn statement and the forthcoming public expenditure White Paper. They make allowance for productivity gains during the period, including those from computerisation. They also reflect plans for privatisation and hiving-off, and for contracting out services where this gives good value for money. The figures will be reviewed each year as part of the regular expenditure survey to take account of changing work load and other developments. A small contingency margin is included to give a measure of flexibility in planning. Subject to that, the presumption will be that the figures will be adhered to, or reduced further if changing circumstances make this possible.

	1 April 1984	1 April 1985	1 April 1986	1 April 1987	1 April 1988
Registers of Scotland	754	800	832	854	889
Scottish Record Office	132	128	125	122	118
Social Services
Department of Health and Social Security	90,709	90,000	89,500	88,850	87,850
Office of Population Censuses and Surveys	2,162	2,152	2,132	2,102	2,155
Trade and Industry
Department of Trade and Industry	12,759	12,754	12,754	12,754	12,754
Export Credits Guarantee Department	1,840	1,840	1,835	1,835	1,830
Office of Fair Trading	302	313	313	313	313
Transport
Department of Transport	14,206	14,514	14,699	14,497	14,160
Welsh Office
Welsh Office	2,195	2,206	2,206	2,206	2,206
Small Departments
Cabinet Office	518	518	518	518	518
Charity Commission	329	329	320	320	320
Crown Estate Office	114	116	117	118	119
Director of Public Prosecutions	237	242	241	240	240
Law Officers' Department	22	22	22	22	22
Lord Advocate's Department	22	22	22	22	22
Management and Personnel Office	1,198	1,188	1,178	1,168	1,158
Office of Arts and Libraries	45	45	45	45	45
Paymaster General's Office	870	873	912	938	967
Privy Council Office	33	33	33	33	33
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service	966	980	1,000	1,020	1,040
Treasury Solicitor's Department	460	456	452	447	442
Defence
Ministry of Defence	200,000	179,000	176,000	173,000	170,000
Contingency margin	1,360	2,000	4,000	6,500	7,500
Total	630,000	608,208	605,255	600,554	592,723

Agriculture, Fisheries And Food

Expenditure

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about planned expenditure for agriculture, fisheries and food in 1984 to 1985.

As announced in the statement of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer today, planned expenditure on agriculture, fisheries and food in 1984–85 will be £2,256 million. This is £437 million higher than previously planned. Of this sum, £422 million provides for additional expenditure by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce, mainly in respect of an expected increase in the level of intervention for butter and skimmed milk powder; the remaining £15 million is a net increase in planned expenditure by the three agricultural Departments. Certain increases are inescapable under present arrangements, mainly for market support under the CAP, although in this case most of the expenditure is either pre-funded by the Community or reimbursed when intervention stocks are sold. My colleagues and I have however been anxious to ensure that these programmes contribute to the Government's aim of constraining the growth of public expenditure.Against this background we have made a careful assessment of priorities in the light of changing circumstances. Amongst the changes to agricultural programmes we have set aside funds to meet commitments to the glasshouse industry and to the marginal land areas and we are taking the opportunity to make some changes in the capital grant schemes.I am pleased to announce that, despite the pressures on public expenditure we shall be maintaining unchanged in 1984 the present levels of hill livestock compensatory allowances. I also want to repeat our firm intention to provide additional assistance to the marginal land areas once the Community has approved our application to give them less favoured area status and intend to provide more details shortly.The capital grant schemes will be modified to give additional incentives to improve the use of energy in the glasshouse sector. We shall be reducing incentives elsewhere in order to simplify the schemes and make them more selective, while as far as possible preserving the enhancement of grant rates for less favoured areas relative to those in the lowlands. The changes involved will result in savings of about £30 million a year. Investment is, however, now expected to be higher than previously forecast so that in 1984–85 total expenditure on capital grants is expected to be about the same. Details of the changes will be given in orders I shall shortly be laying before Parliament.There will be other savings totalling over £11 million which include the winding up of the Land Settlement Association schemes, adjustments in provision for research and development, and other economies principally in administration. In addition savings of some £11 million will be made by my Department in assistance for arterial drainage and flood protection, partly through reducing the rate of grants by 5 percentage points. These savings will be mainly reflected in the external financing limit for water authorities.The planned total for 1984–85 provides for the continuance of assistance for meat export certification which was announced on 22 April 1983—[Vol. 41, c.

198–99]; for additional assistance to the United Kingdom pig processing industry under Regulation EEC 355/77; and an increase in aid available towards the cost of forming and developing new co-operative ventures.

Common Agricultural Policy

16.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much, in percentage terms, the cost of the common agricultural policy has increased during the past 10 years; and what proportion of the total gross domestic product of the Community was devoted to that cost in the first and second period of five years, respectively.

Community expenditure on the CAP has increased at an average annual rate of 14·7 per cent. during the period 1973 to 1982. The cost of the CAP represented 0·43 per cent. of total gross domestic products of the Community in the first five years of this period and 0·57 per cent. in the second five years.

18.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has made any further progress towards reform of the common agricultural policy; and if he will make a statement.

21.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on recent discussions which took place on the 1983 agricultural review in the Council of Ministers in Brussels.

26.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in the European Community discussions on the reform of the common agricultural policy; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and hon. Friends and I last discussed the Commission's proposals for adjustments to the common agricultural policy at the special Council meeting on 9 to 11 November. I hope that decisions will be taken at the Heads of Government meeting on 4 to 6 December.

Sheepmeat Regime

17.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the future of the sheepmeat regime within the European Community.

The Commission's report on its review of the regime was published earlier this month and has been referred by the Council of Ministers to a Council working group on sheepmeat for detailed technical examination.

39.

Howells asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the sheepmeat regime; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley).

Fisheries Council (Discussions)

19.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement about recent discussions in the Council of Ministers relating to the herring fishery, the sprat fishery, net sizes for white fish, and the minimum size for lobsters.

The decisions taken at the Fisheries Council on 4 October included an increase in the minimum mesh size for white fish in the North Sea to 90mm with effect from January 1, 1985, and the introduction of new Community provisions on the minimum size for lobsters. Total allowable catches, quotas and related provisions for herring and sprat fisheries for 1983 are still under consideration in the Council.

20.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made at meetings of the Fisheries Council on the determination of total allowable catches and quotas for the year.

Progress on the determination of total allowable catches and quotas for 1983 has been held up pending the settlement of current negotiations on North Sea herring. In general, fishing continues to be governed by the rolled-over TACs and quotas for 1982. However, as my right hon. Friend indicated in the reply he gave on 15 November to my hon. Friend the member for Scarborough (Sir M. Shaw), the council has agreed arrangements which will be of considerable benefit to United Kingdom fishermen, under which part of the rolled-over quota for herring may be taken in the northern and central North Sea instead of the southern North Sea. The Council will be meeting again on December 14.

Cereal Harvest

22.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the Government's present estimate for the current year's cereal harvest.

It is 21·2 million tonnes.

Falkland Islands (Livestock Shipments)

23.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will call for a report from the two veterinary surgeons who accompanied a shipment of 226 of livestock on board the Dina Khalaf on its 36-clay journey to the Falkland Islands.

I have already given some preliminary information on this voyage which was provided by the Crown Agents. The veterinarians will let the Ministry have a fuller report on their return.

Milk Producers (Profit Margins)

24.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the profit margins for milk producers have dropped during the last year.

We expect the profitability of milk production in the United Kingdom to be lower in 1983–84 than in 1982–83. This largely reflects the adverse weather in the spring and the summer which depressed milk yield per cow and increased feeding costs.

European Community (Regional Measures)

25.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has made representations to the European Community regarding the Commission's proposals for special measures for regions disadvantaged by structural or infrastructural handicaps.

The draft regulation on improving the efficiency of agricultural structures of which the measures referred to by the hon. Member form part, was submitted to the European Council of Ministers by the Commission only on 7 October. It is now being examined in detail by a Committee of member states' experts, but it is too early to say what the outcome will be, or whether representations on the proposal will be necessary.

Static Gill Nets

27.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the problems to British fishermen of the static gill nets used by Danish fishermen in the North sea.

The recent development of the Danish gill net fishery in the North sea has on occasion resulted in problems for British trawlermen. These are limited to short periods during the early summer months. We are reviewing the problem of conflicts of interest between static and mobile gear and will consider any suggestions for regulatory action which may emerge, but in this particular situation I would hope that the fishermen themselves, with the assistance of the sea fisheries inspectorate as necessary, will be able to resolve the problem as has happened in similar situations which have arisen elsewhere.

Cereal Substitutes (Livestock Sector)

28.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what effect the Commission's proposals for cereal substitutes will have on the livestock sector if implemented.

The Commission proposes that steps should be taken to stabilise the Community's imports of cereals substitutes, and of maize gluten feed and citrus pulp in particular. These materials are used by the livestock sector to the extent that, when, they are cheaper than alternative ingredients. Any restrictions on their availability are liable to have some adverse effect when relevant on feed costs.

Milk Co-Responsibility Levy

29.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to have further discussions with the Council of Ministers about the milk co-responsibility levy.

The Commission proposals on cutting dairy sector expenditure do not include any change to the co-responsibility levy. We will continue to make it clear that we are opposed to the application of the co-responsibility levy, which has not proved an effective way of tackling the milk surplus.

Straw And Stubble Burning

30.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress he is making in relation to problems caused by straw stubble burning; and if he will make a statement.

37.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in implementing the results of his Department's inquiry into straw burning; and if he will make a statement.

45.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on progess towards implementing the proposals he announced following his review of straw and stubble burning.

My officials have begun discussions with officials of the Home Office about ways of strengthening the model byelaw on which local authority byelaws on straw burning are based. They are also participating in the NFU's straw burning working party which is currently considering ways of strengthening the NFU code of practice.

43.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further proposals he has received from the National Farmers' Union to strengthen its code governing the burning of straw and stubble; and how this code will now be enforced.

My officials are in touch with officials of the NFU over the revision of their code of practice on straw and stubble burning. Issues of particular concern relate to the reduction of smoke and smuts nuisance, greater protection of trees and hedges and restriction of the area of straw to be burned at one time. The parallel strengthening of the model byelaw on straw and stubble burning will reninforce the effectiveness of the NFT code.

47.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made on the development of an alternative to burning as a means of disposing of straw or incorporating it into the land.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Mr. Bowden) earlier today.

Oils And Fats (Taxation)

31.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the tax on oils and fats proposed by the European Community Commission.

I refer to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry).

Home Produced Milk

32.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what initative he is taking to encourage the consumption of home produced milk.

We take every available opportunity to draw attention to the advantages of fresh pasteurised home-produced milk. We are also greatly encouraged by the activities of the National Dairy council which is financed by the industry and is responsible for promotion of milk. The Council has recently launched a major campaign, with a budget of £8·5 million in 1984, to encourage comsumption with particular emphasise on doorstep sales.

Hill Livestock Subsidies

33.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on this year's hill livestock subsidies.

We are pleased to announce that, despite the pressures on public expenditure we shall be maintaining unchanged in 1984 the present levels of hill livestock compensatory allowances. I also want to repeat our firm intention to provide additional assistance to the marginal land areas once the Community has approved our application to give them less favoured area status and intend to provide more details shortly.

Sterilised Milk

34.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of the total consumption of liquid milk in the United Kingdom sterilised milk constitutes.

Information provided by the Milk Marketing Boards indicates that sterilised milk accounted for about 5·3 per cent of total milk sales for liquid consumption in the United Kingdom in the year ended 31 March 1983.

Fishing Quotas

35.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects agreement to be reached on the current year's fishing quotas.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hughes).

Agricultural Land (Classification)

36.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider re-numbering the grading classification of agricultural land.

A review of the agricultural land classification system carried out during 1980 and 1981 revealed no strong consensus of opinion on a proposal to alter the nomenclature of the existing five-grade system. We have no plans to make any changes to the numbering of the grades in the foreseeable future.

European Community (Agricultural Support)

38.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give an estimate of the shortfall of funds for agricultural support within the European Community for 1983, excluding and including supplementary budget allocations.

The European Commission has taken various measures in order to keep spending in the EAGGF guarantee section in 1983 within the budget provision of 15,848 million ecu. This includes 1,761 million ecu which were added in the supplementary and amending budget No. 2 to reflect changed market conditions and the price-fixing decisions reached in May 1983 by the Council of Ministers.

Paramyxovirus I And Iii

40.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the cost of vaccinating a racing pigeon against paramyxovirus I and III.

I am advised that the cost of vaccinating pigeons against paramyxovirus I is about 40p per bird. No vaccine is licensed for use against paramyxovirus III which is not a notifiable disease.

Milk Production (Levy)

41.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the super levy on milk production proposed by the European Community Commission.

As part of its post-Stuttgart proposals for reform of the common agricultural policy the Commission has proposed a supplementary levy for deliveries to dairies in excess of the 1983 milk guarantee threshold, which is equal to 1981 levels of deliveries to dairies plus 1 per cent. We continue to believe that the best way to solve the milk problem is to act on price restraint to the guarantee threshold, and to make it clear that prices will be held back until the surplus is under proper control. The supplementary levy, as proposed by the Commission, would impose a considerable burden on producers who have expanded significantly since 1981 and would raise a number of serious problems about implementation and administration.

European Community (Fishing Inspectors)

42.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the full complement of fishing inspectors will be established in the European Community.

The European Commission has given an assurance that the full complement of the Community's fisheries inspectorate will be established around the turn of the year. As my hon. Friend knows, we have been regularly and strongly pressing for the early establishment of this inspectorate and we shall continue to keep up our pressure because we fully recognise the importance of it to the British fishing industry.

Marginal Land

44.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is holding tip agreement in the Council of Ministers for extending the Community's less favoured areas directive to United Kingdom marginal land.

The proposal to redefine the United Kingdom's less favoured areas to include more than one million hectares of marginal land is one of three similar proposals presently before the Council of Ministers. The other two concern Italy and the Netherlands. The Council has been unable to reach agreement on any of these three proposals so far because certain member states feel that it would be inappropriate as the directives concerned are due to expire at the end of this year, and are currently being reviewed. We have argued that the conditions for designation have been met in our proposals and so long as the existing provisions remain in force there can be no justification for withholding agreement in the Council. We shall continue to press strongly for early agreement.

Horticultural Industries (Mediterranean Package)

46.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what effect the recently agreed Mediterranean package will have on the United Kingdom horticultural industries.

United Kingdom growers will be affected mainly by the measures relating to producers' organisations and by the revised method of calculating reference prices which will raise them nearer to Community price levels. Of the 14 products to which reference prices apply, tomatoes, cucumbers, apples and pears are grown in the United Kingdom. In addition, four more products, including lettuce and endives, will be brought within the reference price system and compensation for withdrawal from the market will normally be limited to produce harvested in the marketing year in which it is withdrawn.

Social Services

Community Health Councils

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will increase the funding available to community health councils.

It is for regional health authorities to allocate funds to community health councils, as they consider appropriate in the light of local circumstances.

Mentally Ill Persons

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will set up mental health groups in each area health authority with a view to improving the arrangements for further involving primary medical care in the care of the mentally ill in the community.

Since April 1982 it has been for district health authorities, in conjunction with local authorities and voluntary organisations, to decide how best to provide the wide range of services required to meet the needs of mentally ill people in their community. We regard the contribution of the medical and other members of the primary care team as an important element of a comprehensive service, and we rely on joint care planning teams and comparable bodies to draw them in to the coherent strategy needed.

Nhs (Agency Nurses)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the 75 per cent. of National Health Service expenditure in the United Kingdom, which is spent on the wage bill, includes the cost of agency nurses; and if he will give the overall cost of agency nurses and other indirectly employed personnel and the overall cost of directly employed staff.

Figures for 1982–83 in respect of England will be available shortly when I will write to my hon. Friend including such comparable information as my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are able to supply.

Supplementary Benefit

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give figures showing the percentage of errors found in supplementary benefit payments checked by his Department, the average amount of such errors, the categories of payment accounting for the higher proportion of errors, the average error in these categories and the overall amount of (a) overpayments and (b) underpayments expressed as a percentage of total payments.

At September 1983, the latest date for which figures are available the regular check of a statistical sample of supplementary benefit payments recorded errors in 9·9 per cent. of them. Separate records are not maintained for the average amounts of errors, but a small-scale study of payments made during 1981 indicated that the average total underpayment or overpayment arising from errors was £15. The highest single category of errors is associated with heating additions, but details of the average amounts of these errors are not available. The 1981 study also indicated that the value of underpayments was marginally greater than that of overpayments and that each represented about 0·5 per cent. of the overall value of payments made.

Nhs (Financing)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the annual percentage increase which will be needed in Health Service financing to meet the extra geriatric needs of the next 10 years.

The OPCS provisional 1981-based projections imply an annual percentage increase in overall demand due to demographic changes, including those projected for the elderly, on the hospital and community health services of some 0·7 per cent. per year on average over the next 10 years. However I do not accept the implications that the only way in which the service can keep pace with increasing demand is by increasing spending by exactly the same proportion.

Rent And Rate Rebates

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what was the level of disregarded income for each spouse under the rent and rate rebate scheme in each year for 1971 to November 1983, inclusive;(2) what were the rent and rate rebate needs allowances levels for

(a) a couple, (b) a single person and (c) each dependent child in each year from 1971 to November 1983, inclusive.

The information requested is:

	Needs allowances^*			Level of disregarded earnings†
	couple	single person	each dependent child	principal earner	spouse
Year††	£	£	£	£	£
1972	14·75	10·50	2·75	—	2·50
1973 (April)	18·25	14·00	2·75	—	2·50
1973 (October)	20·75	15·50	3·00	—	2·50
1974 (September)	24·25	17·75	3·55	—	2·50
1975 (April)	26·75	19·35	4·05	—	2·50
1975 (November)	29·45	21·05	4·60	—	5·00
1976║	32·75	23·05	5·35	—	5·00
1977	36·25	25·25	6·10	—	5·00
1978	39·45	27·25	6·55	—	5·00
1979	45·55	31·05	7·70	5·00	5·00
1980	51·70	34·90	9·60	9·60	5·00
1981	55·60	37·35	10·35	15·25	5·00
1982	61·00	41·40	11·40	18·00	5·00
1983	63·50	43·05	11·90	17·45	5·00
^* The higher needs allowances for handicapped people are not shown. In April 1983 an addition of 75p was introduced for pensioner households.
† The table does not show other income disregards. Until 1979, the spouse's disregard applied to women only.
‡ The national rent rebate and rent allowance scheme came into operation in 1972 in England and Wales and 1973 in Scotland. The national rate rebate scheme using these needs allowances and disregards came into operation in 1974.
║ From 1976 onwards the new rates came into effect in November each year.

Cancer Deaths (Statistics)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, and to what extent, statistics on death through cancer are distorted by the demands of some relatives for a cause other than cancer to be registered on a death certificate.

A registered medical practitioner who has attended the deceased during his last illness is required by law to sign a certificate stating to the best of his knowledge and belief the cause of death. The Registrar General has no evidence to suggest that the statistics on cancer derived from these certificates are distorted in the way that the hon. Member suggests.

Health Authorities

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 4 November, Official Report, c. 492, he will list the numbers of persons in each catchment area for each district health authority.

Provisional estimates of the number of people resident in each district health authority on 30 June 1982 are given in OPCS Monitor PP1 83/4, a copy of which is in the Library. Central Government do not make estimates of catchment area populations.

Health Authorities (Funding)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the level of funding of the North-West Thames regional health authority and the East Hertfordshire district health authority for each year since 1979; and what percentage of the national total this represents.

The table sets out, for each year from 1979–80 to 1983–84 the revenue cash limit for North-West Thames regional health authority, and that cash limit as a percentage of the revenue cash limit for the 14 regional health authorities in England. Allocations to East Hertfordshire health authority are the responsibility of the North-West Thames regional health authority and my hon. Friend may wish to consult that authority for the information he requires.

	North West Thames Revenue Cash Limit	Percentage of National Total
	(£ million)	(England)
1979–80	415·7	8·6
1980–81	591·3	8·7
1981–82	631·4	8·5
1982–83	655·7	8·2
1983–84	659·3	7·9

Notes:

(1) Figures for 1982–83, and 1983–84 reflect adjustments announced in July 1982 and July 1983.

(2) Figures for 1982–83 reflect the establishment of the Hammersmith Special Health Authority. Figures for 1983–84 further reflect the changes in Regional boundaries following restructuring.

Hepatitis B Vaccination

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if his Department has assessed whether there is any danger of contracting acquired immune deficiency syndrome as a consequence of hepatitis B vaccination.

There is no evidence of such a danger. The vaccine is subject to stringent inactivation processes, and experience in use both in the United States of America and United Kingdom is so far reassuring.

Nhs (Costs)

asked the Secretary of Slate for Social Services if he will estimate the amount spent on (a) a single person, (b) a childless couple and (c) an average family by the National Health Service in each of the years 1978–79 to 1982–83; and what are the estimated amounts that will be spent in the current year.

NHS expenditure information on individuals according to maritial status or family composition is not collected. Average current expenditure by age group is available, and was as follows for the years between 1978–79 and 1981–82 (the latest year for which the information is at present available):

Estimated current expenditure per head (England)
(£ cash, to the nearest £5)
	Total (all ages)	All Births	0–4 years	5–15 years	16–64 years	65–74 years	75 years and over
1978–79
Hospital and community health services	95	525	100	40	55	185	445
Family practitioner services	30	35	35	20	25	35	70
Total	125	560	135	60	80	220	515
1979–80
Hospital and community health services	115	615	120	50	65	220	545
Family practitioner services	35	40	30	20	30	45	80
Total	150	655	150	70	95	265	625
1980–81
Hospital and community health services	145	790	145	60	80	285	705
Family practitioner services	40	50	40	30	40	55	100
Total	185	840	185	90	120	340	805
1981–82
Hospital and community health services	160	905	150	70	85	320	760
Family practitioner services	45	60	45	35	40	60	110
Total	205	965	195	105	125	380	870

Overseas Personnel

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his Department maintains, or supports the maintenance of, any offices or personnel abroad.

Yes. Currently the Department is maintaining the war pensions office at Dublin and the 25 personnel who work there. In addition, three officers maintained by the Department, are working within the EC organisation in Brussels. Information about National Health Service personnel abroad is not held currently.

Vaccine Damage Payment Act 1979

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he anticipates announcing any improvements to the Vaccine Damage Payment Act 1979.

We have no plans to do so.

Hospital Services (Private Contractors)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what safeguards he has laid down for the protection of patients and their safety when cleaning and laundry services are contracted out.

HC (83) 18 advises health authorities that they must be satisfied with the technical competence of any company invited to tender for cleaning and laundry services, and that continuing supervision of contracts by them is essential to ensure maintenance of standards. Specimen contracts, which set out strict terms and conditions, will be issued shortly to health authorities.

Health Expenditure

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the actual spending on health expenditure in each of the English health regions per head of the latest population figures available.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Norfolk, North (Mr. Howell) on 14 November 1983—[Vol. 48 c. 324.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the increase in real terms in the spending on hospitals and community health services in 1983–84; and what percentage of this will be represented by efficiency savings made by the regional health authorities from existing resources.

Nationally, health authorities' spending power is at about the same level as last year. In addition regional health authorities have been asked to achieve at least 0·5 per cent. growth in services through the more efficient use of resources.

Hypothermia

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce measures in the coming winter to lessen the incidence of hypothermia amongst people over the age of 75 years.

The Government are doing a great deal to help the least well-off pensioners to afford adequate heating; 90 per cent. of supplementary pensioners now receive a heating addition; at a total cost of £200 million this year. In particular, since 1980, automatic heating additions have been given for households on supplementary benefit with a member over 70 years of age.

It is emphasised in publicity campaigns and in training for practitioners that everyone should be aware of the need for elderly people generally to keep warm in winter.

Ophthalmology

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how long is the waiting list by health region for the treatment of torn and detached retinas;(2) what is the average length of delay by region in cases of impaired vision between

(a) seeing a general practitioner under the National Health Service and (b) seeing a consultant and undergoing surgery for a torn or detached retina.

I have no evidence of any significant delays for any patients in obtaining treatment in the National Health Service for torn or detached retinas.Only 16·5 per cent. of the patients treated in hospital in 1980 for retinal detachments and defects had been placed on a waiting list at all. All such patients would normally be admitted to hospital as an emergency, and in these circumstances time spent awaiting admission is not recorded. Information about the time it takes to see a consultant after being referred by a general practitioner is

Number of persons on in-patient waiting lists at 31 March 1983
	Urgent		Non-Urgent
District Health Authority	All cases	Cases on list for more than one month	All cases	Cases on list for more than one year	Total cases
Basildon and Thurrock	485	387	6,045	2,943	6,530
Mid Essex	190	37	3,074	624	3,264
North East Essex	203	47	2,996	574	3,199
West Essex	2	—	3,095	410	3,097
Southend	595	302	2,669	733	3,264
Barking, Havering, Brentwood	158	120	4,505	941	4,663
Hampstead	30	22	1,686	398	1,716
Bloomsbury	238	70	10,874	1,300	11,112
Islington	225	118	926	114	1,151
City and Hackney	1,058	776	3,799	747	4,857
Newham	181	140	1,819	251	2,000
Tower Hamlets	1,391	1,191	4,437	1,951	5,828
Enfield	29	7	2,789	821	2,818
Haringey	119	49	1,337	234	1,456
Redbridge	38	19	1,671	149	1,709
Waltham Forest	96	28	3,621	973	3,717

Health And Hospital Authorities (Appointments)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list all the regional health authority and district hospital authority members he has appointed since May 1979, together with their occupational background and political affiliations where known; and if he will give the same information regarding those whom they replaced.

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

Mobility Allowance

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people claim mobility allowance in the county of Leicestershire; and how many people in the county of Leicestershire have been refused mobility allowance in the last three years due to the fact that the qualifying medical conditions were not present before the claimant's 65th birthday.

not collected centrally, but I am advised that a patient with a torn or detached retina would normally be given priority for an appointment.

Family Income Supplement

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services for those offices covering the Workington travel-to-work area what is the total number of family income supplement claimants for the last month for which statistics are available.

I regret that I can add nothing funher to my reply to the hon. Member on 5 July 1983—[Vol. 45 c. 49.]

Hospital Waiting Lists

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients are on hospital waiting lists; and how long they have to wait for admittance in each of the North-East Thames region health districts.

Information available as at 31 March 1983, is as follows. Information on waiting time at district level is not available centrally.

This information is not available.

Allowances (Claims)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has yet received a report by Mr. P. R. Oglesby about the times taken to clear claims to mobility allowances and attendance allowances; what the report recommends; and what action he proposes on the recommendations.

The report contains 26 recommendations to speed up the clearance of claims. They include proposals for some reallocation of work between medical and lay officers of the Department; for greater use of the patient's own doctor in mobility allowance cases, and steps to enhance the effectiveness of examining medical officers in attendance allowance cases; for reforming other aspects of the adjudication of attendance allowance, including a new role for the attendance allowance board; and for resiting some of the work. These recommendations are being carefully considered, with a view to reaching conclusions as soon as possible.We have already acted on two of the recommendations aimed at achieving improvements under the present system. Arrears of work have been steadily reduced by a concentration of staff resources, both on the medical and lay sides, and the improvement continues. Staff complements of the units concerned at North Fylde central office are now adjusted quarterly taking account of projected growth in claims so as to avoid further arrears.I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the report, and gratefully acknowledge the part he played in initiating Mr. Oglesby's valuable study. Copies of the report have also been placed in the Library of the House, and sent to appropriate organisations with an indication that it would be helpful to have any comments by 14 December 1983.

National Insurance Contributions

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has yet completed his review of national insurance contributions for 1984–5.

I have completed the annual review under section 120 of the Social Security Act 1975 and I have today laid two draft orders which require the approval of both Houses, the Social Security (Contributions, Re-rating) Order 1983 providing for contribution rates and profits limits to take effect from 6 April 1984, and the Social Security (Treasury Supplement to Contributions) Order, which provides for a reduction in the Treasury supplement from 13 per cent. to 11 per cent. I have also laid the Social Security (Contributions) Amendment (No. 5) Regulations 1983, which set out new earnings limits for employees' and employers' contributions. A report by the government Actuary (Cmnd. 9092) which accompanies the orders and regulations explains their effect on the national insurance fund.

EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS

As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said in his statement earlier today, I do not propose to raise the rate of contribution for either employees or employers. In line with the requirements of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975, the lower earnings limit for class 1 contributions is to be increased to £34 a week, just below the new basic retirement pension rate, and the upper earnings limit is to be raised to £250 a week, which is about 7·3 times the new basic pension rate. These new earnings limits replace the existing ones of £32·50 and £235 a week respectively. The effects of these changes are as follows:

NOT CONTRACTED-OUT EMPLOYEES

Neither the employee nor his employer will have to pay a contribution if his earnings are less than £34 a week. For people earning between £34 and £235 (the old upper limit) there will be no increase for either the employee or the employer. For those with earnings between £235 and £250 (the new upper limit) the maximum increase will be £1·35 a week for the employee and £1·71 a week for the employer.

CONTRACTED-OUT EMPLOYEES

Contributions payable by contracted-out employees and their employers will rise slightly. Where earnings are less than £235 the increase will be very small, reflecting the fact that the increase in the lower earnings limit reduces the band of earnings on which the lower contracted-out rate is paid; the increase on earnings between £34 and £235 will be 4p for the employee and 6p for the employer. Additional contributions will be payable on earnings between £235 and £250 (the new upper limit): the maximum increase will be £1·07 for the employee and £1·17 for the employer.

THE SELF-EMPLOYED

The flat-rate class 2 contribution will be raised to £4·60. Strict application of the formula for calculating self-employed contributions which has operated since 1977 would have meant a class 2 rate of £4·80 but I have thought it right to continue a modest relief to the small business man while remaining within the broad framework of the formula. The rate of the class 4 contribution is not being increased and the annual limits of profits between which class 4 contributions are paid are being raised from £3,800 and £12,000 to £3,950 and £13,000, the latter figure being in line with the new upper earnings limit for employees.

The effect of these changes is that for self-employed people who only pay class 2 contributions there will be an annual increase of £10·40 but for those with profits between £3,950 and £12,000 the increase will be less—95p per year. For those with profits of or above £13,000, the new upper profits limit, the increase will be £63·95 a year.

CLASS 3 (VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS

The rate of class 3 contributions is to be raised from £4·30 to £4·50.

RATE OF TREASURY SUPPLEMENT

The Treasury supplement to the national insurance fund is being reduced from 13 per cent. to 11 per cent. This will help to restore the balance of expenditure between the consolidated fund and the national insurance fund. In recent years the consolidated fund has been meeting an increasing share of social security expenditure.

Housing Costs (Assistance)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any proposals for changes in assistance with housing costs.

I propose certain changes in the current arrangements for assistance with housing costs, details of which are as follows. They will take effect in April 1984. For housing benefit recipients they will be concentrated generally on the relatively better-off households and on those with non-dependants in work who will in future be expected to make a higher contribution towards housing costs. They also affect 18–20 year olds receiving supplementary benefit and living at home.The changes do not affect the 1984 uprating of housing benefits, which, like other benefits, will be uprated in the usual way. For benefits generally, the uprating in November 1984 will be based on price rises in the 12 months up to May of that year; this protection will apply not only to pensions and other linked long-term benefits, but also to other benefits — including unemployment benefit, supplementary benefit and child benefit. The changes will save about £180 million in public expenditure, in a full year, and about £50 million from rate rebates.

Details of changes

Housing benefit provides help with rent and/or rates to people on low incomes. Most people on supplementary benefit have their rent and rates met in full by housing benefit. Other recipients normally receive partial help. The scheme is administered by local authorities.

Tapers

For those not on supplementary benefit, housing benefit is worked out by comparing their income with the appropriate needs allowance. People with income equal to the needs allowance get 60 per cent. of their rent and/or rates met by housing benefit. People with income below the needs allowance get more than 60 per cent. People with income above the needs allowance get less than 60 per cent. The rates at which benefit changes to take account of income are known as tapers.

Only the tapers above the needs allowance—affecting the relatively better off claimants—are being altered. For each £1 of additional income their awards will be reduced by 31p for rent instead of 21p; for rates the reduction will be 9p instead of 7p.

Amounts to be deducted from housing benefit when non-dependants are in the household
(Figures in brackets are deductions under existing rules)
	Level of deduction
Types of non-dependant	Rent rebates/allowances	Rate rebates	Notes
	£	£
16–17 year olds on SB or Youth Training Schemes	— (—)	— (—)	No change
Others on SB, and pensioners	2·20(2·20)	0·90(0·90)	No change
16–17 year olds in work etc.	2·20 (—)	0–90 (—)	Deduction introduced
18–20 year olds in work etc.	6·15(3·95)	2·05(1·60)	Full adult rate applied (increase of £2·20 and £0·45)
Aged 21 to pension age, in work etc.	6·15(4·70)	2·05(1·85)	Deductions increased by £1·45 and £0·20

High rent scheme

Some authorities can provide extra help to claimants not on supplementary benefit if local average rents are above a national threshold. This was set at about 150 per cent. of average rents in 1972 but over the years has declined to the present levels of 120 per cent. of average LA rents and 115 per cent. of private rents. The thresholds will be increased to a more realisitic level of 130 per cent. of average rents, so that fewer authorities will qualify.

Minimum payments

No housing benefit is payable if entitlement is below a minimum level: currently 20p a week for help with rents and lop a week for help with rates. The current minima will be retained for people on supplementary benefit but increased to £1 and 50p respectively for other claimants.

Nhs (Expenditure Provision)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what public expenditure provision will be made for the National Health Service in 1984–85; and whether he will make a statement.

Planned public expenditure on the health and personal social services for 1984–85 is £15,414 million as announced earlier today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.We will be maintaining our planned total expenditure on the NHS in England at the level given in Cmnd. 8789 for 1984–85, an increase ofover£650 million on expected spending this year. Next year we are planning to increase hospital and community health services current public expenditure by some £400 million overthis year's level to£8·97 billion. NHS Capital expenditure is planned to increase by some £50 million to £0·76 billion and Family Practitioner Services' current expenditure by some £190 million to £2·86 billion. Centrally financed current spending in 1984–85 will be broadly as planned in Cmnd. 8789. These increased

Non-dependants

Deductions are made from housing benefit if there is an adult non-dependant—for example a grown up son or daughter — in the household. Similar deductions are made from supplementary benefit for owner occupiers receiving help with mortgage interest. This is to take account of the fact that the non-dependant is expected to contribute to the housing expenses of the household. At the same time, non-dependants aged 18 or more who are themselves on supplementary benefit get a standard amount in their benefit ("the non-householder's contribution", set at the rate of the non-dependent deductions for supplementary benefit claimants: currently £3.10) so that they can make a contribution.

The non-householder's contribution will be withdrawn from supplementary benefit claimants age 18–20. However the poorest families will be protected because the equivalent deduction from the householder's housing benefit or supplementary benefit will no longer be applied. A number of changes will also be made in the structure and rates of non-dependent deductions:

resources should provide scope for real growth in resources of over 1 percent. for the NHS on the basis of the Government's pay and price projections for next year.

Warpensioners(Departmentalcars)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will allow war pensioners who have a car on loan from his Department under the war pensioners vehicle scheme to buy that car if they opt to switch to the new war pensioners mobility supplement instead.

From 21 November the Department will no longer issue cars on loan to war pensioners. Instead, they will receive the new mobility supplement of £21·15 a week. Pensioners who already have a caron loan will be able to keep it until the end of its useful life, if they wish. Alternatively, they can switch, without further medical examination. to the new cash supplement at any time.When a pensioner with a car on loan opts to switch to the new supplement, he may purchase the car if he so wishes. The price of the car will be derived from the trade price.

The Department will be sending a letter explaining the position to all war pensioners who now have cars on loan. Similar arrangements have been made in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Forces Families (Invalidity Pension)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he intends to make regulations governing non-contributory invalidity pension for forces families overseas.

I am pleased to announce that the regulations governing awards of non-contributory invalidity pension are being amended in a way that will particularly benefit the wives and other dependants of servicemen stationed abroad.My right hon. Friend intends to lay amending regulations before the House on 18 November which will provide that in the case of servicemen and their wives a spell of continuous incapacity while abroad can count towards satisfaction of the NCIP test.Until now regulations have helped service men and their families to satisfy the basic residence conditions for NCIP but have not provided for the possibility that some of them may become ill or disabled while stationed overseas. Men and women in this situation have been treated in the same way as anyone else who has spent more than four weeks abroad. On returning to this country they have had to start from scratch in satisfying the rule that of the 196 days of continuous incapacity necessary to establish entitlement to NCIP at least 168 days must have been spent in Great Britain.The amending regulations which will come into force on 9 December will enable some men and women to qualify for NCIP as soon as they return to Britain while for others the usual waiting period will be considerably shortened.We are similarly replacing the rules for civilian seamen and aircrews and for people working on the continental shelf; but here the concession will apply only to the personnel concerned and not to their families. People whose claims for NCIP have been disallowed under the old rules since January 1979 should get in touch with their social security office.

Health Authorities (Resources)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the amounts of revenue and capital originally allocated from the North West Thames regional health authority to Barnet area health authority or Barnet district health authority in each of the last 10 years.

[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1983 c. 66]: The information is not routinely collected by the Department, but at my request the North-West Thames RHA has collated the following information about the latest revenue and capital allocations notified to Barnet AHA or Barnet health authority for each of the last 10 years:

	(£ million)
Year	Revenue	Capital
1974–75	17·7	—
1975–76	24·0	—
1976–77	27·5	—
1977–78	30·6	—
1978–79	33·5	1·3
1979–80	40·0	1·4
1980–81	52·9	2·5
1981–82	58·1	2·3
1982–83	59·7	1·8
1983–84	63·3	1·1

1. All figures include joint finance.

2. Capital allocations exclude any major schemes which are managed and funded directed by the RHA.

3. 1978–79 was the first year in which AHAs in the Region were given their own capital cash limit. Prior to that AHAs' capital expenditure was all accounted for in the RHA's own annual accounts.

4. The Capital cash limit includes a basic block allocation but can also fluctuate according to the number of specific scheme delegated for Area or District control.

Nhs (Manpower)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the total number of staff employed in the National Health Service each year since 1960; what has been the number of (i) administrative staff, (ii) hospital (medical) specialists, (iii) general practitioners, (iv) nursing staff and (v) ancillary workers employed each year since 1960; and what has been the percentage change in the numbers of each category of staff each year since 1960.

[pursuant to his reply, on 8 November, 1983, c. 81–82]: The tables give as many of the figures requested as are readily available centrally:

	General Medical^ Practitioners*	Change Per cent.
1 July 1960	18,643	+0·9
1 October 1961	18,905	+1·4
1 October 1962	19,031	+0·6
1 October 1963	19,065	+0·1
1 October 1964	18,978	-0·5
1 October 1965	18,784	-1·1
1 October 1966	18,612	-1·0
1 October 1967	18,617	0·0
1 October 1968	18,732	+0·6
1 October 1969	18,901	+0·9
1 October 1970	19,099	+1·0
1 October 1971	19,374	+1·4
1 October 1972	19,775	+2·0
1 October 1973	19,997	+1·1
1 October 1974	20,219	+1·1
1 October 1975	20,377	+0·7
1 October 1976	20,551	+0·8
1 October 1977	20,796	+1·1
1 October 1978	21,040	+1·1
1 October 1979	21,357	+1·5
1 October 1980	21,812	2·1
1 October 1981	22,304	+2·2
1 October 1982	22,786	+2·1
^* Unrestricted principals only.

NHS Staff at 30 September {Whole-time Equivalents) (Percentage change from previous year)
	Total employed staff^‡║*	Administrative and clerical	Hospital^ medical staff*	Nursing and Midwifery staff†	Ancillary staff
1961	466,000	46,000	NA	203,000	142,000
1963	NA	NA	17,000	NA	NA
1971	614,200	67,400	22,500	274,800	167,900
1972	639,000	71,400	23,700	292,400	167,700
	(4·1)	(4·2)	(5·0)	(6·4)	(-0·1)
1973	648,400	74,300	24,800	297,500	165,500
	(1·4)	(4·2)	(4·9)	(1·7)	(-1·6)
1974	660,000	79,600	25,600	303,700	163,300
	(1·8)	(7·1)	(3·2)	(2·1)	((-1·0)
1975	704,700	88,500	26,900	327,400	167,700
	(6·8)	(11·2)	(5·1)	(7·8)	(2·7)
1976	732,900	95,000	27,700	337,100	173,500
	(4·0)	(7·4)	(2·8)	(3·0)	(3·4)
1977	739,100	95,700	28,400	339,700	172,700
	(0·3)	(0·1)	(2·6)	(0·8)	(-0·5)
1978	750,400	96,900	29,300	346,700	172,100
	(1·5)	(1·3)	(3·2)	(2·1)	(-0·4)
1979	763,800	99,500	30,400	353,900	171,800
	(1·8)	(2·7)	(3·6)	(2·1)	(-0·2)
1980	781,900	101,800	31,400	365,300	171,900
	(2·4)	(2·2)	(3·5)	(3·2)	(+)
1981	813,200	105,200	32,100	357,700	172,100
	(4·0)	(3·4)	(2·3)	(6·1)	(0·1)
1982	820,400	105,400	32,600	393,900	170,500
	(0·9)	(0·1)	(1·4)	(1·6)	(-1·0)

Notes

^* Excludes locum medical staff.

† Excludes agency staff and cadets.

‡ Excludes staff of DEB and PPA.

║ General Medical Practitioners (details above) are not included in total NHS staff.

¶ Pre 1974 figures have been adjusted to take account of the reorganisation of the NHS in 1974.

Benefits

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average income from social security benefit, including board and lodging and any other allowances that can be claimed by the single homeless in London; and if he is satisfied that these benefits are being used for the purpose for which they are intended.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 November 1983, c. 255]: Supplementary benefit is currently payable to single people with no accommodation at the non-householder rate of £20·55 per week. With effect from 21 November, entitlement will be based on the aggregate of the meals allowances payable for people in board and lodging accommodation who are required to take meals out, and will thus increase to £27·30.Homeless people who find' board and lodging accommodation are entitled to benefit to cover the charge and any meals not provided, subject to a locally determined limit which reflects a reasonable charge for suitable accommodation in the area, and to an allowance for personal expenses.Separate figures for payments to people who were homeless before finding accommodation are not available, but the average weekly payment to unemployed claimants in hostels and lodging houses in the greater London area in December 1982, the latest date for which figures are available, was £51·77.If, exceptionally, a claimant is known to have misspent his benefit repeatedly, payments may be made direct to his landlord to cover his accommodation costs, which form the major component of his payment, or he may be given a voucher for food or accommodation. Although these provisions are difficult to apply to a mobile population like the single homeless, they do provide a measure of control for the most extreme cases.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the percentage increase in benefits to chronically sick and disabled persons since May 1979.

[pursuant to his reply, 15 November 1983, c. 442]: The percentage increase in the various benefits between November 1978 (the uprating prior to May 1979) and the November 1983 uprating is as follows:

	per cent.
Attendance allowance
higher rate	74·4
lower rate	74·5
Invalid care allowance	74·8
Mobility allowance	90·0
Non-contributory invalidity pension	74·8
Invalidity pension	67·2
Supplementary benefit
Short-term rate (single householder)	72·3
Long-term rate (single householder)	71·4
Heating addition	141·2
100 per cent, industrial disablement benefit	74·3
100 per cent, war disablement pension	74·3

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report in tabular form details of the improvements in various benefits to chronically sick and disabled persons since May 1979.

[pursuant to his reply, 15 November 1983, c. 442]: The information is as follows:

Attendance Allowance

1. August 1983. Allowance for children under 16 extended to cover first four weeks after admission to scheduled accommodation.

Industrial Injuries

2. May 1979—November 1983. Six extensions and additions to Schedule of prescribed diseases, including two extensions of cover for occupational deafness.

3. April 1983. Start of payment of industrial disablement benefit becomes payable on a common start date after 90 days from the accident or onset of the prescribed disease instead of at varying dates up to six months after the accident or onset of the prescribed disease.

Invalid Care Allowance

4. June 1981. Entitlement extended to non-relatives.

5. November 1982. Earnings disregard doubled, from £6 to £12 a week.

Invalidity Benefit

6. Therapeutic earnings limit increased from £11 to £20 a week between November 1978 and November 1982. In November 1983 it will rise by a further 12½ per cent. to £22·50.

Mobility Allowance

7. November 1979. 64–65 age group phased into the benefit in one stage instead of two as had been planned by the previous administration.

8. April 1982. Mobility allowance exempted from income tax.

Supplementary Benefit

9. November 1980. Long-term rate of supplementary benefit payable after one year instead of two.

10. November 1980. Introduction of disabled persons' heating addition—paid automatically to supplementary benefit claimants with mobility allowance, attendance allowance or similar benefits.

11. November 1980. 16–17 year-olds able to count periods during which they were receiving non-contributory invalidity pension towards the qualifying period for the long-term rate of supplementary benefit.

12. May 1983. Men over 60 able to qualify automatically for long-term rate of supplementary benefit.

13. November 1983. Recipients of incapacity benefits under 60 will be able to count time on those benefits towards qualifying period for long-term rate of supplementary benefit (that is ending the "invalidity trap").

War Pensions

14. November 1983. Introduction of mobility cash allowance (£21·15 a week tax free) for war pensioners with serious difficulty in walking wholly or mainly due to the effect of their pensionable disablement.

Volume 48: debated on Thursday 17 November 1983

Written Answers To Questions

National Finance

Offshore And Overseas Funds (Taxation)

Common Agricultural Policy

Economic Forecast

Duchy Of Cornwall

Unearned Income

Unemployment

Public Expenditure

Local Government Expenditure

Energy

Annual Report (Departmental Work)

Electricity Production

Overseas Personnel

Home Department

Immigration Statistics

Racial Intolerance

Prostitution

Broadcasting Licences (Ethnic Minorities)

Speeding (Prosecutions)

Leeds Prison

Prisoners (Statistics)

Foreign Visitors

Citizenship

Radioactive Material, Whitehall

Stop And Search

Attorney-General

Lord Chief Justice

Overseas Development

Gambia

Trade And Industry

Steel

Manufactured Goods

Exports (Ecgd Subsidy)

Aid To Industry

Imports And Exports

Telephones (Waiting List)

Telephone Boxes

Import Duty

Telecommunications Equipment (Approval)

Rolls-Royce (Funding)

Prime Minister

Engagements

European Community

High Commissioners And Ambassadors

Supplementary Benefit

Kirkintilloch

Students

European Convention On Human Rights

Trunk Roads

Council Of Europe

Environment

Public Expenditure Programme

International Institute Of Applied Systems Analysis

Greater London (Office Space)

Local Authorities (Expenditure)

International Conference Centre

Battersea Power Station

Wales

Heather And Grass Burning

Marginal Land

Milk And Beef Production

Civil Servants (Travel Costs)

Overseas Personnel

Elderly Persons

Civil Engineering

Doctors (Deputising Services)

Welsh Language

Tourism (Promotion)

Education And Science

Education Expenditure

Expenditure

Educational Initiatives (Loan Finance)

Pickup Programme

Scotland

Prisoners (Disciplinary Charges)

Wild Birds (Control)

Overseas Personnel