asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the total number of pre-payment (a) electricity and (b) gas meters installed in the homes of domestic users throughout the United Kingdom.

This is a matter for the industries concerned. I am asking the chairman of the Electricity Council and the British Gas Corporation to write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many gas meters were questioned by domestic consumers for their accuracy in 1980, 1981, 1982 and to the nearest available date in 1983.

The total numbers of disputed gas meters submitted to my Department for testing were as follows:

	Numbers
1980	6,124
1981	7,286
1982	8,472
*1983	13,537
* Up to 31 October 1983.

It is estimated that about 1 per cent. of these meters were non-domestic.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what will be the Government subsidy to the coal industry in the financial years to 31 March 1984 and 1985.

The NCB's deficit grant limit for 1983–84, as provided for in the Estimates, is £409 million for 1984–85, the Government expect to make Estimates provision for a limit of at least as much as this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what were the manpower levels in his Department in June 1983; and what are his plans for those levels in June 1984.

Staff in post at the nearest date for the quarterly manpower count was 1,088 at 1 July 1983. The manpower figures planned for 1984–85 are 1,110 at 1 April 1984 and 1,106 at 1 April 1985; no specific figure is planned for June 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) how many tonnes of coal have been imported from (a) China, (b) Morocco, (c) Sweden and (d) the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to the nearest available date in 1983;(2) what is the average value of a tonne of coal imported into the United Kingdom from

With respect to the first nine months of 1983 the information requested is as follows:

	Volume (000 tonnes)	Average value, cif (£ per tonne)
China	5	104
Morocco	12	86
Sweden	1	89
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics	16	78

Most of the coal imported from the countries listed was anthracite. The value of the coal was therefore high by the general standards of coal trade. The NCB produced one million tonnes of anthracite in the same period but has insufficient economically workable reserves to meet United Kingdom demand for anthracite in full.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many schemes have been approved and how much grant was payable under section 13 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 and section 7 of the Local Employment Act 1972 in the Corby development area within his Department's area of responsibility in each year since 1979–80.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what price for new industrial gas contracts he has taken into account in formulating his proposals on new financial targets for the British Gas Corporation.

The current freeze on industrial contract gas prices is due to end on 31 December 1983. Decisions about any extension to the freeze or any increase in prices are a matter for the British Gas Corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the current average revenue per therm for the domestic gas market.

The British Gas Corporation's latest annual report and accounts show that, in 1982–83, the average revenue per therm in the domestic gas market was 37·9 per therm.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many domestic gas consumers and how many firms are currently waiting to be connected.

This is a matter for the British Gas Corporation. I am asking the chairman to write to my right hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now give the details he promised in his statement of 17 November of the additional aid proposed for the glasshouse industry and the marginal land areas and the proposed changes to the capital grant schemes.

We have today laid statutory instruments before Parliament modifying the capital grant schemes to reflect new orders of priority and changing circumstances and to continue the process of simplification begun by my predecessor. With the exception of the agriculture and horticulture co-operation scheme—AHCS—the changes, which are detailed in the following schedule, will come into effect immediately and will apply under the agriculture and horticulture grant scheme—AHGS—to expenditure incurred after 30 November and under the agriculture and horticulture development scheme—AHDS—to new applications or to variations received under that scheme or the farm and horticulture development scheme—FHDS—after that date.To assist the glasshouse sector, we propose to increase the rate of grant under the AHGS from 22·5 per cent. to 37·5 per cent. for the replacement or improvement of existing heated glasshouses, including thermal insulation, and allow businesses to invest up to about £30,000 above the present six-year ceiling of about £100,000 where this extra investment is wholly incurred for eligible energy saving facilities. Under the AHDS the rate of grant for the replacement of existing heated glasshouses will be increased from 32·5 per cent. to 50 per cent., but there will be no change in the investment ceiling for individual businesses. These changes are in line with the Government's policy of encouraging economy in the use of energy and their specific commitment to help the glasshouse industry. Their value to the industry is estimated at some £2 million per year.We wish to provide greater incentive for hedge planting and improvement, the construction and rebuilding of stone walls and planting of shelter belts in recognition not only of their agricultural importance but of their value in enhancing the upland landscape. Consequently, the less favoured areas rate of grant on these items will be increased by 10 percentage points to 60 per cent. At the same time, grant aid for hedge removal, where this is carried out as an essential part of another improvement, will be discontinued. Grant aid towards hedge removal has, since 1976, been restricted to this one item, and continuation is no longer justified. Its withdrawal will eliminate from the capital grant schemes all forms of assistance towards the costs of removing hedges.

Schedule of Changes to Capital Grant Schemes
	Standard Rate	Less Favoured Areas Rate	Horticultural Business Rate
	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.
A. EEC Scheme
The replacement of or improvement to existing heated greenhouses (including the supply and installation of thermal insulation)	nil	nil	50 (32·5)
The provision, replacement or improvement of permanent hedges, walls (and associated gates)	32·5 (32·5)	60·0 (50·0)	32·5 (32·5)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will provide details of expenditure in 1982–83 and 1983–84 by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce and the agricultural departments on market regulation under the common agricultural policy.

Details of the outturn for 1982–83 and the latest forecast of outturn for 1983–84 are as follows:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give details of expenditure in 1982–83 and 1983–84 by the agricultural departments on agricultural grants and subsidies excluding market regulation under the common agricultural policy.

Details of the outturn for 1982–83 and the latest forecast of outturn for 1983–84 are as follows:

£ million
	Outturn 1982–83	Latest forecast of outturn 1983–84
Price guarantees
Wool	6·2	3·2
Potatoes	1·9	10·9
Total	8·1	14·1
Support for Capital and other improvements
Agriculture and Horticulture Development Scheme	100·3	94·0
Guidance Premiums	5·5	4·4
Farm Accounts	1·9	1·7
Farm Structure	0·6	0·5
Northern Ireland Agricultural Development Programme	11·2	7·3
Agriculture and Horticulature Grant Scheme	83·6	84·4
Co-operation Grants	2·4	4·1
Others	0·5	0·8
Total	206·0	197·2

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what decision he has reached on the future of the Humber laboratory, Hull.

I have considered carefully the views that have been put to me about the future of the Humber laboratory. I have concluded that it would be a more efficient use of resources if the work currently undertaken at that laboratory were transferred to the parent Torry research station, Aberdeen. Arrangements are therefore being put in hand for the Humber laboratory to be closed by 1 July 1984.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he proposes to amend the rules for capital gains tax roll-over relief so that, when joint owners of land who farm it in partnership partition that land, roll-over relief will be available in those cases where they continue farming in partnership as well as those cases where the original partnership is dissolved and a new partnership is formed by the individual former partner.

I have noted this suggestion. If my hon. Friend has a particular case in mind, perhaps he would write to me about it.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why copies of the Official Report for 18 November are no longer available in the Vote Office; and if he is arranging for a reprint of that day's edition.

The Vote Office received its normal supply of 750 copies of the Official Report for 18 November. In the interests of economy the Vote Office aims to avoid excessive holdings, and this quantity normally satisfies demand.A reprint of the

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the print run for the Official Report for Friday 18 November and for each of the preceding four Fridays.

The information is as follows:

• Friday 18 November = 5,280
• Friday 11 November = 5,290
• Friday 4 November = 5,280
• Friday 28 October = 5,280
• Friday 29 July = 5,280

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will zero-rate for value added tax purposes safety shoes on the same basis as safety boots are currently zero-rated.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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.

[pursuant to his reply, 17 November 1983, c. 509]: The figures are not given in the autumn statement. The following table sets out the position.

LA RSG-relevant current expenditure
	Planned Provision £ million	Estimated outturn £ million
England	18,000·0	19,231
Scotland	2,429·0	2,562
Wales	1,129·2	1,158
Total	21,558·2	22,951

asked the the Chancellor of the Exchequer what inflation assumptions he has made in determing the overall level of provision for local authorities, announced in his autumn statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 17 November 1983, c.509]: The economic background is set out in the autumn statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, 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.

[pursuant to his reply, 17 November 1983, c. 509]: Provision for local authority RSG-relevant current expenditure in 1983–84 represents a 3¼ per cent. increase in cash over 1982–83 estimated outturn, after taking account of the reduction in National Insurance Surcharge payments between the two years. Using the GDP deflator this represents a cost terms reduction of just under 2 per cent. Provision is no longer made in volume terms.

asked the Prime Minister how many Ministers who are hon. Members cancelled, curtailed or postponed official engagements on Friday 18 November; and if she will list them.

I have been asked to reply.The engagements undertaken by Ministers on 18 November would have taken account of the expectation that members of the Government would support the Government's view of the business that came before the House on that day.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is satisfied with the current rate of the supplementary grant paid to clinical students; and whether he will increase the level of the grant to take account of the lower amount of rent and rate rebate they receive compared with other students as a result of their higher annual income.

My right hon. Friend is well aware of the particular problems faced by clinical students and will keep their needs in mind when deciding the level of the supplementary grant in the academic year 1984–85, in the light of the resources available. The student grant provides an average amount in respect of board and lodging to all students: a student's entitlement to housing benefit depends upon the total resources available to him, including his grant, and will vary according to individual circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will introduce regulations to ensure that no local education authority shall implement a decision to terminate an award, or withhold payment due under an award, made in pursuance of the power accorded by regulation 16 of the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations 1983 before the authority has given the student concerned the opportunity to submit orally or in writing at the option of the student reasons why the decision should not be implemented.

No. It is in the nature of the provisions of regulation 16 that a student will always have an opportunity to say why he thinks his award should not be reduced or terminated.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will introduce regulations to ensure that a student adversely affected by a decision of a local education authority to terminate an award or withhold payment under an award made in pursuance of the power accorded by regulation 16 of the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations 1983 shall have a simple and inexpensive means of making an appeal against that decision.

No. It is already open to a student to ask the local education authority concerned to review its decision, to ask the Commissioner for Local Administration to intervene if he thinks there has been maladministration and to ask my right hon. Friend to intervene if he thinks the authority has acted unreasonably.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what provision has been made to enable universities to maintain the 1968 agreement and grant clincial academic salary increases in line with the increases given to National Health Service hospital doctors.

Recurrent grant to the universities for the academic years 1983–84 and 1984–85 provides a contribution to the extra cost of the pay settlement for university clinical staff, following the increases agreed for NHS doctors and dentists after the 13th report of the Review Body for Doctors and Dentists Pay.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consideration the Government have given to the level of funding for the universities in the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 November 1983, c.58]: The following figures of recurrent grant are given in financial years as the grant for the academic year 1986–87 depends partly on the next public expenditure survey:

	£ million
1984–85	1,249
1985–86	1,289
1986–87	1,320

The academic year grant for 1984–85 will be £1,265 million as my right hon. Friend announced on 17 November in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Mr. Thompson).The figures reflect in particular the view taken by the Government in this survey that universities must expect to operate with a high degree of economy and efficiency. The figures for the last two years will be subject to review in the normal way in the 1984 survey.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he is satisfied that his Department's highway budget will be fully utilised in the current year in accordance with present plans; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. Progress in 1983–84 has been excellent. Thanks to the good summer and acceleration of work, some eight major schemes are likely to be completed this year instead of next, as planned, and a further nine schemes due for completion in 1984–85 are ahead of schedule.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if the British Transport police are subject to the police complaints procedure.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport under what arrangements the British Transport polices are issued with guns.

A procedure exists under which a small number of British Transport police officers who have been trained by the Metropolitan police and who hold firearms certificates can, in strictly controlled and very limited circumstances, be issued with guns from the Metropolitan police armoury on the authority of a senior officer of the Metropolitan police.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department has entered into any negotiations with British Rail regarding contingency planning in respect of the Severn bridge to utilise the Severn tunnel to convey heavy lorries from a railhead near Bristol parkway and unloading at Severn tunnel junction.

No, although in 1982, my Department consulted British Rail about the potential rail capacity if customers chose to direct more of their traffic to rail. Special rolling stock would be needed to convey heavy lorries through the tunnel.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that the London dial-a-ride for disabled people unable to us London Transport will continue to be funded if the Greater London council is abolished.

I am very conscious of the special transport needs of disabled people in London. I shall be giving special consideration, after consultation with representatives of disabled people, to how those needs can most effectively be met in the future.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many sites in Wales are licensed for the disposal of radioactive wastes; what is the exact location of each of these sites; who owns them; when their current licences are due for renewal; and whether any of the sites that have been licensed are as yet unused.

There are no sites in Wales licensed for the disposal of radioactive wastes. Authorisations for the disposal of radioactive waste issued by the Welsh Office under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 relate only to the disposal of those wastes from specified premises. Authorisation under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 are not given unless the Radiochemical inspectorate is fully satisfied that the proposed method of disposal is safe and appropriate for the wastes in question.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he is satisfied with the provision and results of Welsh and foreign language teaching in Welsh secondary schools.

There is always room for improvement and the need to develop provision further in these areas was a theme of both the guidance document "Welsh in Schools" and the consultation document "Foreign Languages in the Schools Curriculum". The forthcoming circular on the school curriculum will ask local education authorities to review and report on policies developed in recent years.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the indices for unit values and volume in the annual supplement to the Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics are arithmetically linked in cases where there has been a change in the base year or whether the early years have been recalculated on the most recent weights.

The 1975 based series of unit value and volume index numbers contained in the 1983 annual supplement were calculated using the 1975 weights from 1973 onwards. Figures for earlier years were obtained by simple resealing.The 1980 base series currently in use were calculated using 1980 weights from 1978 onwards, figures prior to 1978 being the resealed 1975 series. Historic data on this basis will be published in the 1984 annual supplement in the spring of 1984. For base changes prior to 1975 the index numbers were normally recalculated only from the base year onwards.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table bringing up to date the figures shown in tables F2 and F5 of the January 1978 issue of the Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics.

Figures for the SITC(R) headings used in the January 1978 edition of the Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics are no longer compiled. Comparable figures based on SITC(R2) have been appended as tables D4–D7 to the unpublished index

Main Manufacturing Countries Exports: Individual Percentage Shares

Year

Total US$ million

United Kingdom

Federal Republic of Germany

Belgium/Luxembourg

France

Italy

Netherlands

Sweden

Switzerland

United States of America

Canada

Japan

SITC 5: Chemicals and Related Products

1976

56,259

9·7

22·3

7·2

10·8

5·1

10·7

1·6

5·7

17·7

2·6

6·7

1977

63,592

10·6

22·4

7·3

11·3

5·0

9·9

1·5

5·6

17·0

2·7

6·8

1978

77,109

10·5

21·8

7·4

11·5

4·8

9·6

1·5

6·2

17·5

2·7

6·5

1979

101,506

10·3

22·1

6·5

11·5

5·7

10·2

1·4

5·3

18·2

2·9

5·9

1980

113,983

10·8

21·3

6·5

11·6

4·8

9·9

1·4

5·0

19·7

3·1

5·8

1981

107,795

10·0

20·4

6·0

11·3

4·8

9·7

1·4

5·1

21·3

3·7

6·2

1982*

100,951

10·6

21·0

6·1

11·6

4·6

9·9

1·5

5·4

19·7

3·4

6·2

SITC 6: Manufactured Goods by Material

1976

112,307

9·3

18·5

10·2

10·1

7·5

5·4

4·1

2·5

10·0

5·8

16·8

1977

126,720

10·3

18·1

10·1

10·5

8·3

5·1

4·0

2·8

8·9

5·7

16·3

1978

153,822

10·6

18·6

10·3

10·4

9·0

5·2

3·9

3·1

8·2

5·6

15·1

1979

186,763

10·8

18·7

10·3

10·9

9·1

4·9

4·1

3·1

8·9

5·2

14·0

1980

218,295

10·9

18·0

10·1

10·9

8·5

4·6

3·9

3·1

10·3

5·5

14·3

1981

194,421

7·7

17·5

9·1

10·7

9·3

4·5

3·9

2·7

10·9

6·3

17·3

1982*

177,718

7·8

18·6

8·9

10·4

9·5

4·7

3·9

2·7

9·7

6·2

17·5

SITC 7: Machinery and Transport Equipment

1976

226,747

8·0

21·4

3·6

9·2

5·6

3·4

3·6

2·2

21·8

5·3

15·8

1977

257,761

8·4

21·9

3·5

9·2

5·9

3·2

3·3

2·2

19·8

5·2

17·4

1978

307,895

8·6

21·6

3·5

8·1

6·0

3·0

3·0

2·5

19·0

5·0

18·9

1979

353,344

8·9

21·8

3·7

9·9

6·2

3·1

3·2

2·4

19·6

4·6

16·5

1980

410,642

9·6

20·8

3·4

9·0

6·1

3·1

3·0

2·3

20·2

4·1

18·5

1981

419,828

7·8

18·7

2·9

8·0

5·8

2·6

2·8

2·0

22·3

4·7

22·3

1982*

404,366

7·8

20·4

2·9

7·8

5·6

2·7

2·8

2·1

21·5

5·4

21·1

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the United Kingdom share of world trade by volume in 1953, 1963, 1973 and each year from 1973 and his estimate of the United Kingdom share in each quarter of the current year.

Data for 1953 and 1963 are not readily available. The shares from 1973, based on 1980 prices, are as follows:

United Kingdom snare of MMC* Exports of Manufactures at 1980 Prices
	Percentages
1973	11·7
1974	11·2
1975	11·4
1976	11·0
1977	11·1
1978	10·4
1979	9·9
1980	9·7
1981	8·8
1982	9·1
1983 Q1	8·7
1983 Q2	8·4
* Main Manfacturing Countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table bringing up to date for 1976 and subsequent years and the latest quarter for which figures are available the information given in tables C20 to C26 of the January 1978 issue of the Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics.

This information is no longer available quarterly. Because of the revision of the standard international trade classification it is not possible to provide a consistent breakdown of section 7 throughout the period. The annual information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he monitors the effect on imports of reductions in tariffs agreed under the Tokyo round.

The White Paper "General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, The Multilateral Negotiations 1973–1979"—Cmnd. 7724 of 1979—estimated that the average trade weighted external tariff of the European Community would fall from 9·8 per cent. to 7·5 per cent. over the period of the Tokyo round. The trade weighting was carried out using 1976 trade volumes as a basis. No detailed monitoring has been carried out because of the difficulties of isolating the effects of the Tokyo round tariff reductions from the many other influences on trade patterns and volumes since then.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish in the Official Report the details of quota systems within the countries of the European Community for the production of tin plate.

The production of tin plate is not subject to the ECSC article 58 quota regime.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will take steps to ensure that the Alvey directorate includes a representative of the small firms sector.

The Alvey directorate includes many individuals on secondment from industry, largely at the expense of their firms, but they have been appointed for their particular expertise rather than as representatives of different sectors of industry. Individual small firms are already involved in the preparation of the detailed strategies and in a number of studies carried out on behalf of the directorate.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Council of Ministers meeting on the internal market which took place on Friday 25 November.

The meeting of the Council on 25 November, which I attended, made useful progress. Discussion concentrated on the outstanding priority areas identified by the two previous European Councils: the reduction of frontier formalities, agreement on a series of article 100 directives, which have been held up over the question of Community certification of products of third country origin, and the proposed new common commercial policy regulation.The Council agreed the frontier facilitation directive and adopted the temporary use regulation. The former will improve co-ordination between customs posts at adjacent frontiers and includes a number of other measures to reduce waiting times for goods vehicles at intra-Community frontiers. The latter will enable professional effects and, in certain circumstances, exhibition goods, to be imported temporarily into another member state without payment of taxes and without requiring any form of financial guarantee.In the context of the proposals for a single administrative document for customs formalities, agreement was reached on the amount of information that could be required in intra-Community trade. I also pressed for an early timetable for the adoption of a document which would bring practical benefits to business by reducing the amount of paperwork needed to conduct trade within the Community.Agreement in principle was reached on 15 of the article 100 directives hitherto blocked by the question of Community certification of products from third countries. The fifteen concerned are proposals for directives relating to seamless steel gas cylinders; seamless aluminium alloy gas cylinders; welded unalloyed steel gas cylinders; non-electric appliances for heating, cooking and hot water production; appliances using gaseous fuels for the instantaneous production of hot water; for the common provisions for lifting and mechanical handling appliances; electrically operated lifts; for the common provisions for construction plant and equipment; permissible sound levels for pneumatic concrete-breakers and picks, for current generators for welding; for current generators for power supply; for compressors; for tower cranes; and for lawn mowers; and to a directive relating to electro-medical equipment used in human or veterinary medicine.Adoption of these directives will need to proceed in parallel with agreement on the proposed common commercial policy regulation on which the Council had a brief exchange of views and on which decisions will have to be taken in due course.A large majority of member states were able to agree on a series of proposals for improving European standards making to facilitate trade within the Community. I hope that the outstanding issues on these proposals can be resolved quickly.I made clear the United Kingdom's concern that there should be progress in liberalising trade in services as well as making progress in parallel towards completely free trade in goods. Free trade in services such as insurance and air transport is an essential part of the completion of the Community's internal market.I hope and expect that further meetings of the Council on internal market matters will be held in the new year under the French Presidency of the Community, to resolve the outstanding issues and to carry forward work where the recent meetings of the Council have suggested fresh initiatives. I believe it to be essential that further progress be made within a reasonable time.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Council of European Community steel Ministers held in Brussels on 29 November.

The Council which my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Industry and I attended, reaffirmed its commitment to restructuring the European steel industry. It also recognised the need for further action to restore price stability on the European steel market. It agreed that officials should examine the Commission's proposals on mandatory minimum prices and monitoring of the market, in preparation for a further Council meeting on 14 December. I made it clear that there could be no lasting solution to the problems of the EC steel industry while excess European capacity persisted.The Council also agreed on a more rigorous mandate for the Commission to negotiate voluntary restraint arrangements with the EC's main steel supplying countries in 1984. It also agreed that the Commission should make a further effort to obtain adequate compensation in GATT for the United States measures on special steels, and to secure improvements to meet the concerns of EC exporters. The Council agreed that, if there is no satisfactory conclusion to these negotiations by 15 January 1984, the EC should take retaliatory action in GATT.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he plans to lay regulations amending from £30 to £50 the monetary amounts in the consumer credit advertisements and quotations regulations.

I have today laid the following statutory instrument:SI 1983/1721 Consumer Credit (Advertisements and Quotations) (Amendments No. 2) Regulations 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many sites in Northern Ireland have been licensed for the disposal of radioactive wastes; what is the exact location of each site; who owns them; when the current licences are due for renewal; and whether any of the sites that have been licensed are as yet unused.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the report of the Cowan review group which has been considering the needs of advanced further education in Londonderry.

The report is being published today and copies have been placed in the Library. The main recommendation is that, for an initial period of five years, there should be joint provision of courses by the North West college of technology and the proposed University of Ulster.I will give the report urgent consideration and I am consulting the Western Education and Library Board and the steering group planning the merger of the New University of Ulster and the Ulster polytechnic.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has considered the report of the efficiency audit of the Northern Ireland Electricity Service's activity commissioned by him and carried out by Beecom Management Consultants Ltd.; and if he will make a statement.

The report of the consultants was published on 22 September and copies were placed in the Library. The consultants' overall conclusion was that NIES' s activities were generally organised and performed effectively and economically within existing constraints. The report also contains a number of recommendations aimed at further improvement of the service's performance. The Northern Ireland Department of Ecomomic Development and NIES are together following up these recommendations with a view to agreeing medium-term strategic objectives for the service.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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.

[pursuant to the reply, 24 November 1983, c. 317]: The information as requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the following information is available in respect of non-statutory bodies.

Statutory power	Amount paid in 1982–83
	£
Housing (NI) Order 1981	29,155,157
Housing and Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (NI) 1946	120,854
Housing (NI) Order 1983	none
Road Traffic (NI) Order 1981	85,095
Wild Birds Protection Acts (NI) 1931–68	27,652
The Amenity Lands Act (NI) 1966	61,208
Social Need (Grants) Act (NI) 1970	none
Recreation and Youth Service (NI) Order 1973	1,122,873
Recreation and Youth Service (NI) Order 1973 as amended by the Recreation (NI) Order 1975	827,589
Community Relations (Amendment) (NI) Order 1975	152,072
Education and Libraries (NI) Order 1972 and the Education and Library Services, etc., Grants Regulations (NI) 1973	3,310,698
Agriculture Act (NI) 1949	205,902
Seed Potato (Improvement) Scheme (NI) 1982	133,000
Health and Personal Social Services (NI) Order 1972	1,439,700
Children and Young Persons Act (NI) 1968	315,559
Employment and Training Act (NI) 1950	15,772,013
Health and Safety at Work (NI) Order 1978	4,322
Industrial Relations (NI) Order 1976	35,000
Disabled Persons (Employment) Act (NI) 1945	390,900
Industrial Development (NI) Order 1982	50,405
Appropriation (NI) Order 1982 and the Appropriation (No. 2) (NI) Order 1982	907,482
Children and Young Persons Act (NI) 1968 and the Probation Act (NI) 1950	298,007