asked the Secretary of State for Energy how much revenue has gone to the Government from the gas and electricity industries for each of the last five years at constant prices.

The British Gas Corporation has incurred the following liabilities for tax and gas levy in the last five years:

£ million
	Taxation	Gas levy
1978–79	236	—
1979–80	217	—
1980–81	167	95
1981–82	128	264
1982–83	132	331

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the percentage increase in gas and electricity prices in each year since 1979; and how these compare with the rate of inflation.

The percentage increases in domestic gas and electricity prices indices, along with those in the RPI, were as follows:

	Gas per cent.	Electricity per cent.	RPI per cent.
1979–80	16·6	27·2	17·9
1980–81	26·1	20·2	11·9
1981–82	24·7	9·8	8·6
Q1 to Q3 1983	—	—	3·4

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what regulations he has approved governing the use of firearms by the Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary.

The Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary's s chief constable's standing orders (firearms), approved by the Secretary of State for Energy

Vote	Section or Subhead and statutory power	Amount £000's
Class IV, 3	B1 Offshore supplies interest relief grants Industrial Development Act 1982, Section 8	24,058

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether the Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary has adopted the complaints procedure set out in the Police Act 1960.

The Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary adopts the complaints procedure set out under that Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what provision the Government will make to compensate companies for the stocks they will be required to hold if the Petroleum Stocks (Amendment) Order is implemented.

Since 1975 the responsibility for financing obligatory stocks has rested with the companies concerned. I have no plans to change this.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has had discussions with the chairmen of the gas and electricity industries regarding the introduction of discounts for consumers who pay bills promptly.

This is a matter for the commercial judgment of the industries and I am asking the chairmen of the Electricity Council and British Gas Corporation to write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will indicate the amount of rates or sums paid in lieu of rates by the operators of the Drigg nuclear waste facilities in Cumbria.

British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. will pay £12,206 in rates in 1983–84 on the Drigg nuclear waste facility in Cumbria. The rateable value of the site is £6,800 and rates are paid at 179·5p to the pound.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the statutory powers under which he is authorised to make payments of any kind to non-Government bodies, including individuals, the total amount paid under each such statutory power in 1982–83 and the number of staff involved in making such payments.

A full reply could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The main payments made under statutory powers to non-Government bodies in 1982–83 were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many domestic consumers of (a) electricity and (b) gas had their supply cut off in the United Kingdom in 1980, 1981, 1982 and to the nearest available date in 1983.

I have asked the chairmen of the British Gas Corporation and the Electricity Council to provide the information direct to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether there is progress to report on the introduction of the youth training scheme into the Civil Service.

I am happy to be able to tell the House that agreement has now been reached with the Council of Civil Service Unions on a framework agreement for the introduction of the youth training scheme into the Civil Service. The steps necessary to implement the agreement are now being put in hand.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals are being considered to alter the regulations relating to lights fitted to new motor vehicles; why these proposals are being considered; and if he will make a statement.

We are considering introducing regulations to require dim-dip lighting devices to be fitted to all new motor vehicles. My statement on 17 November 1982—[Vol. 32, c. 196]—explained the working and the purpose of these devices.The Department has also recently circulated for comment new draft regulations to consolidate and simplify all the existing vehicle lighting requirements. Initial reaction has largely been very favourable and we hope to be able to announce the introduction of the regulations early next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider reviewing the exhaust emission standards for vehicles powered by diesel fuel; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. The current international standard for exhaust emissions from new diesel engined vehicles needs to be reviewed and work on this will commence early next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria he uses in deciding the appointment of traffic commissioners.

Three traffic commissioners are appointed for each traffic area, a full-time salaried chairman and two part-time unpaid commissioners. Candidates for appointment as chairman are normally expected to be at least 50 years of age and must have had managerial and responsible administrative or other relevant experience in transport, preferably road transport, the courts or in administrative tribunals.The part-time commissioners are appointed for a period of three years, one from a panel nominated by county councils, or regional and island councils in Scotland, the other from a panel nominated by district councils, including London boroughs and the Common council of the City of London. It is not necessary for a nominee to be a council member. It is preferable that nominees for first appointment should be 65 years of age or under, and that all nominees should be able to complete their period of appointment before reaching the age of 70 years. The panels are also used for the selection of deputy commissioners, who serve when a Commissioner is unavailable on a particular occasion, and appointments of commissioners are usually made from panel members with practical experience as deputies.Candidates for all commissioners' posts are normally considered ineligible for consideration if they have a financial interest in a transport undertaking, are employees or operators of passenger transport undertakings, are officials of trade unions specifically representing employees of public passenger transport undertakings or are members of transport users' consultative committees. Membership of a council committee with responsibility for transport matters is not a bar to appointment.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the statutory powers under which he is authorised to make payments of any kind to non-Government bodies, including individuals, the total amount paid under each statutory power in 1982–83 and the number of staff involved in making such payments.

I regret that the information requested would be disproportionately costly to provide. However, a good deal of information about the payments made by my Department to non-Government bodies is published in the Supply Estimates 1982–83 (Class VI, Votes 1 to 5) and the relevant Appropriation Accounts.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the average number of accidents per motorway mile in each of the last three years for which figures are available where the top surface is (a) tarmacadam and (b) concrete (i) in all conditions and (ii) in wet conditions; and if he will make a statement.

I shall answer this question shortly.

asked the Attorney-General if he will list the statutory powers under which the Law Officers' Department is authorised to make payments of any kind to non-Government bodies, including individuals, the total amount paid under each such statutory power in 1982–83 and the number of staff involved in making such payments.

The Law Officers' Department has no statutory powers to make payments of any kind to non-Government bodies, including individuals.

asked the Attorney-General if he will introduce legislation to end the solicitors monopoly in conveyancing; and whether he will make a statement.

The Government are considering the respective recommendations of the Royal Commissions on Legal Services in England and Scotland.

asked the Attorney-General what is his assessment of the effect of the new practice instructions on the accuracy of the national register of property.

The Chief Land Registrar is confident that the new practice instructions will not have any adverse effect on the accuracy of the register.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make up any reduction in the budget of the Humberside police as a result of decisions of Humberside county council; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will set up an inquiry into the adequacy of policing in Humberside following the budget reductions proposed by the Humberside county council.

The statutory responsibility for securing the maintenance of an adequate and efficient police force for an area rests with the police authority. Fifty per cent. of the expenditure of each authority is met by the Home Office under the Police (Grant) Order 1966 and it would not be right for me to increase that proportion for a particular force. I look to Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary to keep me informed of the effects of the budget levels fixed by the Humberside police authority on the efficiency of the force.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will revise the manpower ceilings for police forces.

Police force establishments are kept under review by chief officers, police authorities and Her Majesty's Inspectors of Constabulary. Police authorities are responsible for fixing the authorised establishment of force, subject to my right hon. and learned Friend's approval. For information about the present position of applications received from police authorities for increases in their police establishments in the current financial year and the number of additional posts approved, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Bruinvels) on 26 October.—[Vol. 47, c. 98.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of police stations in each of the police authority areas where the experimental tape-recording of interviews with suspects is to be undertaken will be included in the experiment.

The tape recording field trials will take place in four provincial force divisions or subdivisions, and in two districts of the Metropolitan police. The numbers of police stations involved in the field trials, and the total numbers of stations in the respective force areas are as follows. The figures representing the total number of stations in a force area include those which are manned for only part of the day, and those in which interviews with suspects do not normally take place.

Force	Police stations in the field trials	Total number of police stations in the force
Metropolitan	2	190
Merseyside	6	58

	£	Statutory authority
Broadcasting Complaints Commission	148,549	Broadcasting Act 1981
BULLDOG supported work scheme	392,000	Appropriation Act
Commission for Racial Equality	8,287,362	Race Relations Act 1976
Equal Opportunities Commission	3,046,000	Sex Discrimination Act 1975
Gaming Board	1,185,214	Gaming Act 1968
International Social Service of Great Britain	160,612	Immigration Act 1971
National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders	487,000	Criminal Courts Act 1973
Parole Board	240,476	Criminal Justice Act 1967
Police Complaints Board	590,163	Police Act 1976
UK Immigrants Advisory Service	721,000	Immigration Act 1971
After-care hostel grants including day activity centres	3,699,193	Criminal Courts Act 1973
Grants to national marriage guidance organisations	1,110,000	Appropriation Act
Grants to voluntary organisations administered by Voluntary Services Unit	7,835,702	Appropriation Act
Grants to refugee organisations	1,122,715	Appropriation Act

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on the White Paper "Scientific Procedures on Living Animals", from whom; and if he will make a statement.

In response to our invitation for comments on the White Paper we have received 21 letters from universities and teaching hospitals, 19 from scientific or professional socieities, 19 from companies or trade organisations, 12 from national animal welfare organisations or anti-vivisection societies and 10 from other bodies. We have also received 200 letters from hon. Members and about 1,500 from members of the public. The responses reveal a welcome endorsement of the Government's general proposals and confirm our belief that new legislation should be introduced as soon as the parliamentary timetable permits.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his present guidelines to the police on the institution of inquiries following the publication of letters in the press which disclose no evidence of crime or criminal intent; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the statutory powers under which he is authorised to make payments of any kind to non-Government bodies, including individuals, the total amount paid under each such statutory power in 1982–83 and the number of staff involved in making such payments.

The information requested could be supplied only at disproportionate cost. The major payments made to non-governmental bodies in 1982–83 were:

It is for the chief officers to determine the conduct of particular inquiries in all the circumstances of each individual case.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons, identified as families and single persons, have been repatriated to which countries by name under section 29 of the Immigration Act 1971 in each year since the Act came into effect.

I shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will call for a report from the chief constable of the west midlands and publish in the Official Report a table showing for each police district in the west midlands police area the number of stops and searches made by (a) uniformed officers, (b) plain clothes officers and (c) mixed squads during the hours of daylight and darkness in the last 12-month period for which figures are available and the corresponding periods one, two and three years previously; and how many such stops and searches led to charges, prosecutions, convictions and acquittals.

Information on the number of people stopped or searched by the police in the west midlands police force area is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to amend the Pet Animals Act 1951 to allow the sale of tropical fish in covered, indoor markets.

We have no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women who have been arrested for various offences on peace protests have elected to be imprisoned rather than bound over to keep the peace or fined for each year from 1981 to date.

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Director General of Fair Trading will set up an inquiry into the effects of credit card trading on smaller petrol retailers in rural areas.

As the Monopolies and Mergers Commission suggested in its report on credit card franchise services, the Director General has been keeping the supply of credit cards under review, including charges levied on smaller traders by the credit card companies. If he considered that a further investigation was called for, either of the market as a whole or of a particular feature of it, he could make a further reference to the Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing United Kingdom shipbuilding capacity and the numbers employed in shipbuilding and ship repair in 1953, 1963, 1973 and 1983.

United Kingdom's crude balance of trade in manufactures*
£ million
Trade with	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	†1983
Federal Republic of Germany	-96	-167	-307	-624	-900	-149	-1,030	-1,334	-1,868	-2,523	-2,001	-2,152	-3,321	-3,770
France	+58	+45	+2	-89	-106	-157	-119	-280	-535	-727	-439	-594	-537	-804
Italy	+24	-1	-36	-70	-110	-186	-190	376	-667	-796	-368	-497	-835	-820
Netherlands	+84	+87	+55	+11	-43	+10	+47	+294	+162	+84	+184	-191	-430	-556
Belgium/Luxembourg	+92	+70	+29	-8	-2	-34	-60	-125	-177	-403	-168	-379	-529	-355
Denmark	+98	+78	+59	+78	+96	+129	+234	+264	+179	+147	+114	-5	-1	-35
Ireland	+163	+159	+166	+218	+245	+265	+347	+476	+735	+954	+793	+690	+547	+328
Greece	+40	+59	+55	+69	+70	+84	+104	+171	+141	+184	+140	+136	+137	+140
United States of America	-118	+108	+183	+114	-181	-230	-184	-261	-176	-541	-1,422	-1,107	-1,278	-979
Japan	+19	-32	-141	-196	-269	-379	-464	-641	-800	-960	-1,185	-1,657	-2,045	-2,002
* Standard International Trade Classification Sections 5 to 8.
† January to September.

Shipbuilding capacity in United Kingdom shipyards is a difficult concept to measure as it depends upon the manning levels of physical facilities and on labour productivity. In the short term, the level of completions may be considered indicative of current capacity, but in the longer term the index of production for shipbuilding and ship repair is considered a more suitable measure. The available figures together with the information sought on employment are as follows:

	Index of production for shipbuilding and ship repair 1980=100	Employment in shipbuilding and ship repair† 000's, mid year
1953	*	224
1963	*	157
1973	122	159
1983	‡113	120
* Not available
†Source: Department of Employment.
‡ Average for the first 8 months of 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will issue a revised annual supplement to the monthly review of external trade statistics for 1983 to carry the 1980-based figures back to 1963.

The 1984 edition of the annual supplement to the monthly review of external trade statistics will be published in the spring. In the meantime, a manuscript version of the 1983 issue containing the 1980-based figures has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the balance of trade in manufactures each year since 1970 and 1983 to date between the United Kingdom and each European Community country plus the United States of America and Japan at current prices and at 1983 prices.

Data at 1983 prices are not available. The information at current prices is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish a table showing the export-import ratio for manufactures for the United Kingdom's trade with each European Community country, and with the United States and Japan for each year since 1970.

Ratio of United Kingdom exports to imports of manufactures* percentages
	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983†
Federal Republic of Germany	81	72	60	50	47	57	58	58	54	52	61	60	51	43
France	125	115	100	86	88	86	92	85	78	76	85	81	84	73
Italy	114	100	86	81	79	70	77	68	57	59	80	73	64	58
Netherlands	135	134	117	102	95	101	104	123	111	105	110	91	82	73
Belgium/Luxembourg	159	140	111	98	100	95	94	90	88	79	91	80	77	80
Denmark	231	181	148	148	150	168	203	196	154	136	128	99	100	92
Ireland	227	199	196	194	178	177	171	174	203	209	180	167	146	133
Greece	589	2,160	1,799	921	628	793	636	713	488	521	383	334	329	404
United States of America	86	114	122	110	89	87	92	90	94	85	70	76	75	78
Japan	118	81	50	53	49	40	38	37	35	33	29	23	21	18
* Standard International Trade Classification Sections 5 to 8.
† January to September.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the change in the index of competitiveness each year since 1953 based on relative export prices.

The information for 1963 and subsequent years is in the table. Data for earlier years are not readily available.

United Kingdom Relative Export Prices*
Year	Index 1980 = 100
1963	82·6
1964	82·7
1965	84·7
1966	86·8
1967	85·6
1968	80·5
1969	79·9
1970	80·9
1971	82·6
1972	82·7
1973	76·1
1974	74·6
1975	77·9
1976	75·5
1977	79·7
1978	84·5
1979	90·4
1980	100·0
1981	98·1
1982	92·5
* Defined as the unit value index of United Kingdom exports of manufactures divided by a weighted average of the unit value indices of competitors exports of manufactures, both expressed in a common currency.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for the 1975 and 1980 trade weights a comparison of the change in unit values on the lines of the table on page 115 of the September 1979 issue of Economic Trends.

The information is as follows:

Tables comparing the 1980 and the 1975 based series were included in an article "Rebasing the visible trade figures" on page 233 of British Business, 23 September 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the United Kingdom's balance of trade with Portugal for each year since 1978–79.

The information is as follows:

(£ million)
Year	Crude balance (Exports valued fob minus imports valued cif)
1979	-32·7
1980	+56·3
1981	+34·7
1982	+50·7

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the statutory powers under which he is authorised to make payments of any kind to non-Government bodies, including individuals, the total amount paid under each such statutory power in 1982–83 and the number of staff involved in making such payments.

The information is as follows:

• Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1947
• Industrial Organisation and Development Act 1947
• Electricity Act 1947 as amended
• Transport Act 1962 as amended
• Science and Technology Act 1965
• Post Office Act 1969
• Development of Tourism Act 1969
• Gas Act 1972 as amended
• Iron and Steel Act 1975
• Industrial Common Ownership Act 1976
• The Post Office (Banking Services) Act 1976
• Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act 1977
• Competition Act 1980
• Industrial Development Act 1983
• British Telecom Act 1981
• Appropriation Acts

The total amounts paid out under each of these statutory powers and the number of staff involved in making payments could not be provided without disproportionate cost; but all payments made in 1982–83 are set out in Appropriation Accounts.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish, for each of the last five years, the value of exports of arm and leg shackles, gang chains and similar devices, broken down by country of destination.

This information is not available. The articles in question are not separately identified in the statistics of overseas trade.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the providers of telecommunications services will be able to negotiate bulk tariffs with the licenced operators of telecommunications systems under clause 8 of the Telecommunications Bill.

Yes. They will be able to do so, but such tariffs will have to be published under the provisions of clause 8(1)(d) of the Telecommunications Bill. In accordance with this clause, condition 16 of the BT draft licence, which was published on 25 October, requires BT to publish the charges, terms and conditions, or the method adopted for their determination, applying to the services it provides under the licence. It is intended to include a similarly worded condition in all licences to be granted to those persons to be designated as public telecommunications operators.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements on 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 November.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend is attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in New Delhi.

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

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister what criteria Her Majesty's Government took into account when fixing the salary of the head of the Audit Commission; and what account was taken of the salaries payable to other senior public sector officials such as the head of the Civil Service and the Comptroller and Auditor General.

I have been asked to reply.The salary of the Controller of the Audit Commisssion was determined in the light of the nature and scale of the commission's responsibilities and the need to appoint a candidate of appropriate capabilities and experience to a new post of such importance. The salaries payable to other senior public sector officials were naturally a factor taken into account; but they were not the only factor. The controller has to make his own pension arrangements out of his salary.

asked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to seek to meet members of the leadership of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

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

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.

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

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government will introduce legislation to prohibit the sale of exact replicas of medals such as the Victoria Cross and the George Cross.

I have been asked to reply.I do not believe that such legislation is necessary. The Army and Air Force Acts 1955 make it an offence to wear medals to which the individual is not entitled to or to wear replicas so as to deceive.

asked the Prime Minister if she will refer to the Security Commission the activities of an individual whose name has been given to her by the hon. Member for Hartlepool; and if she will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence told the House on 9 February 1983, Commodore Gerhardt attended three training courses at the royal naval engineering college and other naval establishments between 1956 and 1964. During the final stages of that training, he would have had access to classified information. The assessment of this matter that has been undertaken confirms that any classified information he gained so long ago would be unlikely to have much value today. There is no reason to believe that he has had access to any additional classified information from British sources since that time, and my right hon. Friend does not consider that a reference to the Security Commission would be justified.

asked the Prime Minister what remains to be done to bring about fully developed common policies within the European Community on the internal market, transport, energy, industrial, regional and social policy, the environment and research and development; and what time scale is involved.

I have been asked to reply.The United Kingdom's priorities for the future development of Community policies in fields other than agriculture were set out in a paper that my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs tabled at the September Special Council. A full summary was placed in the Library of the House. We shall be working for progress in all areas at the Athens European Council in December, where we hope that concrete decisions will be taken.

asked the Prime Minister what representations she has recently received from the Chinese University of Hong Kong Students' Union concerning democracy in Hong Kong: what reply she sent; and if she will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend received by hand on 8 October a letter dated 5 October from the executive committees of the student union of the Chinese university of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong university students' union, the Hong Kong polytechnic students' union and the United Kingdom federation of Hong Kong students. My right hon. Friend's private secretary replied on her behalf on 19 October.

asked the Prime Minister what discussions are taking place with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; and which Departments are involved.

I have been asked to reply.In the course of 1983, discussions at ministerial and official level with the Soviet Union have included political, cultural, arms control, trade, scientific, energy and transport questions. We envisage such discussions continuing. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Departments of Trade and Industry, Energy and Transport are involved.

asked the Prime Minister if she will publish in the Official Report details of the total spending on research by the Cabinet Office for each year since 1974, together with the latest year for which figures are available, expressed at constant prices, and specify what proportion was expended with the relevant research council on the customer-contractor principle, what proportion was expanded directly and what proportion was placed in the private sector.

I have been asked to reply.There has been no expenditure on research by the Cabinet Office since 1974.

asked the Lord Privy Seal (1) if he will list the statutory powers under which he is authorised to make payments of any kind to non-Government bodies, the total amount paid under each such statutory power in 1982–83 and the number of staff involved in making such payments;(2) if he will list the statutory powers under which the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is authorised to make payments of any kind to non-Government bodies, including individuals, the total amount paid under each such statutory power in 1982–83 and the number of staff involved in making such payments.

None.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the respective numbers of the various daily national newspapers placed in the Members' Tea Room.

The number of copies of national newspapers placed in the Members' Tea Room is as follows:

	Number
Daily Express	3
Daily Mail	3
Daily Mirror	2
Daily Star	5
Daily Telegraph	5
Financial Times	2
The Guardian	5
Morning Advertiser	2
Morning Star	2
Sporting Life	2
The Sun	3
The Times	7

In addition, copies of a number of provincial and some foreign daily newspapers are also placed in the Members' Tea Room.

asked the Secretary of Wales how many school leavers in each of the travel-to-work areas in Wales have found employment other than through the various training schemes for school leavers; if he will express the figures as a percentage of the school leavers involved; and how such figures compare with the United Kingdom average.

Detailed information on all school leavers in Wales is not available in the form requested. However, of the 16-year-olds who left school in Wales this year and whose present situation was known to the careers service, just over 5,000 or 24 per cent. found employment outside the youth training scheme at 18 October 1983. Comparable figures are not available on a national basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 7 July, Official Report, c. 176–177, what progress he is making regarding the collection of information concerning the amounts spent by local authorities under section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972.

Information is currently being collected in respect of 1982–83. I hope to be in receipt of completed returns from all local authorities within the next few weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will consider ways of improving the liaison between bodies representing the disabled and local health authorities and local authority social service departments; and if he will make a statement.

Schedule 5 to the Health and Social Services and Social Adjudications Act 1983 places a duty upon the Secretary of State to secure voluntary organisation representation on the joint consultative committees formed between local authorities and health authorities. It is expected that this provision will be brought into force during 1984. Local authorities and district health authorities have already been asked to give further consideration to the inclusion of voluntary sector representatives on the joint care planning teams established to plan services for individual client groups.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether the full facilities of the artificial limb and appliance centre for the southern part of Wales are available other than at Cardiff; and what representations he has received concerning their availability.

Such facilities are available at the artificial limb and appliance centre at Morriston hospital, Swansea. There have been no recent representations about the availability of such facilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will study the report of the investigation into the admissions system at a Mid-Glamorgan health authority district general hospital; and if he will consider recommending that a similar system be generally adhered to throughout Wales.

I have studied the report. Its recommendations on admissions are appropriate for the whole of Wales, are already generally practised and are being commended to all authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the statutory powers under which he is authorised to make payments of any kind to non-Government bodies, including individuals, the total amount paid under each such statutory power in 1982–83 and the number of staff involved in making such payments.

I regret that this information could be suppliedonly at disproportionate cost. However, my hon. Friend will find some particulars of statutory powers, and amounts paid, in the Appropriation Accounts for 1982–83 which were recently ordered by Parliament to be published. The appropriate Votes for Welsh Office expenditure are as follows:

• CLASS XVI
• Vote 1—Tourism, Roads, etc Wales
• Vote 2—Agricultural Support, Wales
• Vote 3—Selective Assistance to Industry in Wales
• Vote 4—Manpower Services Commission, Wales
• Vote 5—Agricultural Services, etc Wales
• Vote 6—Housing, Wales
• Vote 7—Other Services: Welsh Office
• Vote 8—Environmental and Other Services, Wales

• CLASS XVIII
• Vote 2—Rate Support Grants to Local Revenues, Wales
• Vote 4—National Parks Supplementary Grants, Wales
• Vote 7—Rate Rebate Grants etc to Local Revenues, Wales
• Vote 20—Transport Supplementary Grants, Wales

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many neonatal intensive care cots are available in each area health authority in Wales.

I refer the hon. Lady to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Gower (Mr. Wardell) on 26 January 1983.—[Vol. 35, c. 433–34.]

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many community midwives are employed in each area health authority in Wales.

The information is as follows:

Health Authority	Number of Community Midwives Employed*
Clwyd	17
East Dyfed	—
Gwent	48
Gwynedd	—
Mid Glamorgan	55
Powys	—
South Glamorgan	49
West Glamorgan	43
Pembrokeshire	—
* Whole-time equivalents as at 30.9.81.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will organise the work of his Department so as to publish the rate support grant report for 1985–86 not later than one week before the House rises for the Christmas adjournment 1984.

It is not possible to give a firm commitment for a particular publication date 12 months in advance. It remains my intention to publish all rate support grant reports at the earliest opportunity.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide a breakdown of the housing public expenditure programme for 1984–85.

Following discussions with the local authority associations in the Housing Consultative Council on 21 November and with the chairman of the Housing Corporation, I am able to announce final decisions on housing capital and current expenditure for 1984–85.Total provision for housing capital expenditure in 1984–85, including forecast housing capital receipts next year of £1,596 million, and a sum carried forward as a result of introducing end-year flexibility on the local authority capital cash limit, is £3,274 million. I have decided to allocate those resources as follows:

	£ million
Local authorities	2,522
Housing corporation	687
New towns	60
Homeloan	5

The gross provision for local authorities includes £35 million for insulation grants under the homes insulation scheme and for the administrative costs of that scheme. I am today announcing, in answer to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Mr. Pawsey), details of a proposed extension of the homes insulation scheme. The effects of that have been taken into account in making provision for expenditure of £35 million under the scheme.Capital resources next year for the Housing Corporation include net provision for £617 million plus estimated capital receipts of £70 million. This will maintain provision for a substantial level of investment by the corporation.The new towns' share of resources again reflects the fact that the publicly-rented programme in the new towns has virtually ended. The remaining investment is concentrated on providing sites for private development, on shared ownership and on repair and improvement of dwellings prior to transfer to local authorities.The provision of £2,522 million for local authorities incorporates carry-forward as a result of introducing end-year flexibility on the cash limit in the terms announced on 17 November. It also includes forecast capital receipts of £1,465 million. Details of those forecast receipts and of the underlying assumptions were given yesterday in reply to the hon. Member for Pontefract and Castleford (Mr. Lofthouse).I have decided, following consultations with the local authority associations, to change the prescribed proportion for most housing capital receipts from 50 per cent. to 40 per cent. from 1 April 1984. I shall lay before the House in due course revised Local Government (Prescribed Expenditure) Regulations to give effect to that change. The change will allow an extra £130 million to be added to the amount available for housing investment programme allocations which are distributed in accordance with housing need. The HIP total for 1984–85 is £1,853 million compared with £1,801 million in 1983–84. Authorities will, in addition, be able to reinvest their capital receipts, albeit at the reduced prescribed proportion. On the basis of our forecasts, authorities will be able to undertake at least an extra £666 million of investment in this way in 1984–85. I recognise that, since the change will apply also to accumulated capital receipts, it might disrupt the investment plans of some authorities whose 1984–85 programmes relied on full use of their capital receipts at the existing prescribed proportion. I have therefore made arrangements to hold back £50 million from the available allocation total to provide for supplementary allocations to authorities which find themselves in such circumstances. Any part of the £50 million not used for this purpose will be distributed more generally to other authorities. I shall aim to make these supplementary allocations before the beginning of the financial year.The initial housing investment programme allocation total for 1984–85 is therefore £1,803 million. I have discussed with the local authority associations the method of distributing that total between individual authorities. Each authority is today being informed of its own allocation. Authorities are also being informed of the procedure and the criteria for making supplementary allocations following the reduction on the prescribed proportion of housing capital receipts. I have placed copies of the letter to authorities and of the schedule of initial allocations in the Library and the Vote Office. I have also placed in the Library details of the method by which those allocations were determined.For future years, as I made clear in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockport (Mr. Favell) on 17 November—[Vol. 48: c. 525–27]—I have assured authorities that they may plan their forward housing programmes on the basis that their allocations for 1985–86 and 1986–87 will be at least 80 per cent. and 70 per cent. respectively of those being notified to them today for 1984–85. In the same way as for the assurance given last year for the 1984–85 allocation, authorities will be required to show that they can justify the need for that level of expenditure. The assurances for 1985–86 and for 1986–87 are based on the assumptions that average rents in both years will rise in line with prices and that total housing capital receipts will be at least £1,300 million. I am not at this stage extending the same assurance to the GLC, although I shall consult the London boroughs about whether it should subsequently be extened to that council as regards its responsibilities for the transferred stock for 1985–86. This assurance provides authorities with a three-year capital programme. I believe it will be invaluable as an aid to the forward planning essential for investment.