asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Merseyside on the number of stops and searches carried out in each district in the last year for which figures are available, the number that were recorded as being sentenced and the number that resulted in charges being made.

Information on the number of people stopped or searched by the police is not collected centrally. However, I understand that the chief constable of Merseyside, in his report to the Merseyside police committee for 1982, included information on the use in Merseyside of statutory powers to stop and search from April to December 1982. A copy of that report is in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been paid in fines to unclamp vehicles in the metropolis in the current year.

Up to 18 November, 22,124 wheel clamp release charges of £19·50 each have yielded a total of £431,418.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ascertain from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis the cost in the current year to public funds for clamping vehicles.

Yes. The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is being asked to provide up-to-date costings for the experimental wheel-clamping scheme. I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as these are available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria were used in the selection of licensees for cable television operation; and if he will make a statement.

The criteria were set out in the White Paper on the development of cable systems and services —Cmnd. 8866. That indicated that a limited number of licences—perhaps 10 or 12—would be issued for those proposals which appeared likely to offer the most positive contribution to the application of advanced technology and provided both a comprehensive range of programme services and the capability for interactive services. Although the areas were left to applicants to propose, licences would be issued only for areas covering an indentifiable and self-contained community of not more than about 100,000 homes, in order to minimise conflict with the future decisions of the cable authority. The applications were assessed in addition for their general conformity with the requirements of the White Paper and to ensure that the financial and management resources necessary to fulfil their promises would be available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects that the hearing of the appeal of the Laldenga family against the refusal of asylum in the United Kingdom will now begin.

I understand from the independent immigration appellate authorities — which are solely responsible for arranging appeal hearings — that the appeal of Mr. Laldenga and his family has been listed for hearing on 4 January 1984. Mr. Laldenga was informed of the date by the appellate authorities on 18 November. We understand, however, that Mr. Laldenga's representatives have requested an adjournment to a later date.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is now in a position to announce a full review of the parole system; and to whom he intends to issue guidelines.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 30 November to my hon. Friend the Member for Hampshire, East (Mr. Mates).—[Vol. 49, c. 513– 15.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what immediate aid in the shape of drugs he is giving Swaziland.

I have released £5,000 to Oxfam from disaster relief funds for the provision of drugs for those in need in Swaziland. I am also asking our high commissioner what else may be wanted, so that we can consider further help should it be needed.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what categories of British citizens would not be issued with an EC common format passport; and what would be the format of the passport issued to them.

When the new British passport in the European common format is introduced, it will be issued to those British citizens who are entitled to benefit from the European Community provisions relating to the free movement of persons. It has not yet been decided what format of passport will be issued to other British citizens.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether in the view of Her Majesty's Government a breach of the provisions of the Cyprus Treaty of Guarantee (Cmnd. 1253) within the terms of article IV of that treaty has occurred.

As my right hon. and learned Friend said on 15 November—[Vol. 48, c. 725–30]—recent events in Cyprus have been incompatible with the treaties of 1960 and we have called for consultations under article IV of the treaty of guarantee.

asked the the Secretary of State for Wales how many geriatric beds have been available in each of the health authorities in Wales in each of the last five years; and how many such beds are available for every 1,000 of the population over the age of (a) 65 years and (b) 75 years in each authority for each of those years.

The information is given in the following table:

Average daily available beds
As at 31 December
Health Authority	Number	Rate per 1,000 population 65+	Rate per 1,000 population 75+
1978
Clwyd	629	10·3	27·0
Dyfed*	570	10·6	29·1
Gwent	526	8·8	24·7
Gwynedd	403	10·1	25·8
Mid Glamorgan	786	10·8	31·3
Powys	259	14·6	39·2
South Glamorgan	450	8·0	21·1
West Glamorgan	450	8·0	22·7

Health Authority	Number	Rate per 1,000 population 65+	Rate per 1,000 population 75+
1979
Clwyd	617	10·0	26·4
Dyfed*	556	10·2	28·4
Gwent	557	9·2	25·3
Gwynedd	403	10·2	25·8
Mid Glamorgan	796	10·8	31·0
Powys	248	13·7	37·0
South Glamorgan	449	7·9	20·7
West Glamorgan	465	8·3	23·0

Health Authority	Number	Rate per 1,000 population 65*	Rate per 1,000 population 75*
1980
Clwyd	619	10·0	25·7
Dyfed*	546	9·8	27·2
Gwent	579	9·6	26·2
Gwynedd	402	10·1	25·3
Mid Glamorgan	813	10·8	30·4
Powys	235	13·1	35·6
South Glamorgan	447	7·8	20·0
West Glamorgan	465	8·2	22·4

Health Authority	Number	Rate per 1,000 population 65*	Rate per 1,000 population 75*
1981
Clyd	631	9·4	24·1
Dyfed*	540	9·6	26·0
Gwent	608	9·7	25·9
Gwynedd	401	9·0	22·5
Mid Glamorgan	827	11·0	30·5

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out for each local education authority (a) the number of candidates and (b) the passes at O and A-level in French, German and Welsh over the past there years.

Information for individual local authorities is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for.Wales when he proposes to announce the financial allocations for the National Health Service in Wales for the year 1984–85 consequent upon the Chancellor's autumn statement; and if he will make a statement.

Decisions have yet to be reached about the distribution of public expenditure in Wales in 1984–85.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many (i) administrative staff were employed in the National Health Service and (ii) people overall were employed in the National Health Service in Wales at the latest available date.

At 30 September 1983, the number of administrative and clerical staff expressed as whole-time equivalents was 6,481. The corresponding figure for all National Health Service staff is provisionally estimated to be 54,270.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many private hospitals and clinics were registered in Wales at the latest available date.

This information is not available in the form requested. There are currently five premises registered under the Nursing Homes Act 1975 which offer acute medical and surgical care.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has as to the number of staff employed in private hospitals and clinics in Wales at the latest available date.

This information is not available in the form requested. At 31 December 1982 there were 132 full-time and 89 part-time nursing staff in premises registered under the Nursing Homes Act 1975 which offer acute medical and surgical care. Detailed information on other categories of staff is not held centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many speech therapists are employed by each of the area health authorities in Wales; and what estimate he has made of the number of children in need of the services of speech therapists.

I refer the hon Gentleman to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Carmarthen(Dr. Thomas) on 16 November 1983.—[Vol 48, c. 462–64]Information on the number of children in need of the services of speech therapists is not held centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many hospitals in Wales have been closed since 1979

Nine

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many patients were treated in Wales in National Health Service hospitals in the years 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982.

The information is given in the following table:

	Inpatients discharges and deaths	Outpatients*
Year		New Outpatients	Total attendances
1979	349,695	962,109	2,602,622
1980	365,861	981,993	2,698,472
1981	375,173	1,000,066	2,777,242
1982	370,232	1,017,815	2,817,057
* Including accident and emergency patients.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the number of available hospital beds in the broad specialties of medical surgical obstetrics and geriatric care in 1978, 1979,1980,1981 and 1982.

The information is given in the following table:

ICD Nos.	Cause of death	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982
(a) Causes for which smoking is considered to be a significant factor:
162	Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung	1,618	1,742	1,677	1,633	1,723	1,787	1,766	1,757	1,829
410–414	Ischemic heart disease	10,107	10,222	10,182	10,109	10,408	9,764	9,706	9,611	9,847
490–492	Bronchitis and emphysema	1,607	1,567	1,535	1,335	1,544	1,417	1,279	1,107	1,057

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many long-stay hospitals there are in Wales.

At 31 December 1982, there were nine long-stay and 10 mainly long-stay hospitals in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what were the perinatal mortality figures in Wales for each of the years 1972 to 1982; and if he will make a statement.

Information on the number and rate of perinatal deaths is as follows:

Year	Number of stillbirths and deaths under one week	Rate*
1972	904	22·3
1973	817	21·4
1974	778	21·2
1975	678	19·7
1976	640	19·0
1977	575	17·9
1978	566	16·8
1979	569	15·6
1980	483	12·8
1981	508	14·1
1982	400	11·1
* Number of stillbirths and deaths under 1 week per 1,000 total live and stillbirths.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd, South-West (Mr. Harvey) on 1 December.—[Vol. 49, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many deaths (i) from heart disease and (ii) from diseases associated with smoking occurred in Wales in each of the years 1974 to 1982.

Cigarette smoking is a contributory factor in many deaths, including those where the primary cause is given as heart disease. The total numbers of deaths from selected causes for which this factor is considered to be significant are given in the following table:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement as to the destruction of well established crab beds by Belgian and Devon-based beam trawlers; and if he will take steps to protect crab pots belonging to south Devon shell fishermen in view of their recent loss of 330 crab pots.

I am aware that conflict between trawling and crab potting does occur in the waters off the south Devon coast, particularly around Start point which is a very intensive crabbing area. Arrangements have been drawn up by the Department's local fisheries inspectors which attempt to identify the areas of use between potters and trawlers, and so avoid conflict. These arrangements have worked well in the offshore area and I have no evidence that Belgian trawlers are currently causing any problems. However, I am aware that difficulties have arisen between local trawlers and trawlers, and so arisen between local trawlers and potters in the waters within six miles of the coast. I understand that a meeting has been arranged between both sides of the industry and the inspectorate early in the new year in order to overcome these difficulties. I have asked the inspectorate to report to me the outcome of this meeting so that I may consider whether any further steps can and should be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give his Department's estimates of

Location	Works in Progress	Programmed Completion Date	Expected Completion Date	Original Estimated Cost	Current Estimated Cost
Junction 14 Newport Pagnell Service Area	Installation of lighting columns	March 1984	February 1984	£327,810	£260,340
Junction 17–18	Preparatory work for strengthening contract in 1984	December 1983	December 1983	£355,700	£355,700

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will list in the Official Report all current road works on the M6 northbound from its junction with the M1 to junction 7 and southbound from junction 7 to the M1;

The information requested is as follows:

Maintenance Expenditure: England*
£ million in 1981 prices
	Motorways	Other Trunk Roads	Local Authority Roads
1975–76	—	63	583
1976–77	—	58	546
1977–78	30	58	525
1978–79	39	64	532
1979–80	36	53	544
1980–81	56	42	507
1981–82	74	58	525
* Excluding lighting and winter maintenance.
Comparable results for earlier years are not available.
Estimates of maintenance expenditure on motorways for 1975–76 and 1976–77 could be made available only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will list in the Official Report all current road works on the MI northbound and southbound between junctions 8 and 19; when these are expected to be completed; when they were due to be completed and at what cost against the original estimate.

The information requested is as follows:when these are expected to be completed; when they were due to be completed; and at what cost against the original estimate.

The information requested is as follows:

M6 Location	Works in Progress	Programmed Completion Date	Expected Completion	Original Estimated Cost	Current Estimated Cost
Junctions 5–6	Renewal of bearing plinths on Bromford Viaduct	March 1984	March 1984	£510,000	£510,000
5–6	Repairs to hard shoulder verge on northbound carriageway	December 1983	December 1983	£5,000	£5,000
6–7	Repairs to parapst rail on southbound carriageway	December 1983	December 1983	£6,000	£6,000

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he will reach a decision on the proposal to reconstitute the Aberdeen Pilotage Authority.

As my hon. Friend knows, I have written to him at some length on this matter. I hope to reach a conclusion before too long, but the issues are complex and may not be easy to resolve.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason traffic using the M1 northbound was required to leave the motorway at junction 5 on Monday 28 November from about 9.30 am causing a tailback almost to junction 4.

The two existing northbound lanes of the three-mile section of MI between junctions 5 and 6 were closed at 8.15 pm on Sunday 27 November to enable the adjacent new nearside lane and hardshoulder to be cleaned and final preparations made to bring all three lanes into use early the next day. Unfortunately, because of the breakdown on the contractor's three cleaning machines, including a standby, reopening had to be phased and was slightly delayed. The police also advised that, as a safety measure, northbound traffic on the motorway should be taken through junction 5 via the roundabout there, rather than along the main line of the motorway. I regret any inconvenience which this caused. The full reopening at 11.40 am marked the end of the main works of the M widening scheme and I am delighted that, as a result of the efforts of all concerned over the last three years, this much needed and difficult scheme has been completed on target.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in view of the objective set for British Rail of providing a better deal for travellers in and around London, he will approve any proposals emanating from the board for investment to replace existing electric multiple unit stock over 20 years old; and if he will make a statement.

I shall answer this question shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he is satisfied with the plans for signalling and track renewal in the British Railways Board's corporate plan, referred to in his statement of objectives of 24 October, Official Report, column 39.

It is part of the British Railways Board's management responsibility to judge what works

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average time taken to process a house improvement grant in the city of Liverpool; and what is the current backlog of applications.

On 10 November my Department was informed by Liverpool city council that it had a backlog of 7,000 home improvement grant cases and that the delay between grant application and approval was about 12 months. Administration of the home improvement grant system is, however, entirely a matter for individual local authorities. I therefore suggest that the hon. Member approaches the council direct for up-to-date information, and to establish what action it is taking to deal with the situation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if the National Joint Council for Engineering Construction has been consulted about the application of its national agreement, covering terms and conditions of employment, to the proposed new construction work at Aldermaston.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) which construction firms which have been invited to tender for major civil engineering work at Aldermaston in 1984 have been told by the Property Services Agency to disregard existing trades union agreed national agreements when preparing tenders;(2) what assessment he has made of the potential industrial relations consequences of the instructions given by the Property Services Agency to potential contractors to disregard trades union agreed national agreements relating to terms and conditions of employment when drawing up tenders.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce proposals to designate Ivybridge in south Devon a new town and establish a development corporation in view of its proposed expansion contained in the Devon structure plan.

No. The machinery of the New Towns Act is not appropriate to expansion of the kind envisaged for Ivybridge.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the mean average percentage rent increase determined by each rent assessment committee in 1979–80 and each subsequent year.

Available information on the results of appeals to rent assessment committees in England and Wales is as follows:

Mean percentage increases on rents fixed by rent officers
	1979	1980	1981	First half 1982
Northern	3·6	2·6	2·9	0·2
Yorkshire	7·3	8·7	11·6	3·4
East Midlands	-1·5	5·7	5·7	5·4
Eastern	4·3	6·0	10·5	3·2
Beds., Herts, and Cambs.	5·6	0·4	3·6	5·6
Thames Valley	6·3	5·5
Kent	-7·3	-6·9	-3·0	1·5
Surrey and Sussex	7·7	5·4
Greater London	9·8	10·1	10·1	8·1
Southern	8·6	11·7	7·7	5·6
Bristol	7·5	8·3	5·4	3·9
Devon and Cornwall	7·6	6·5	4·6	5·5
West Midlands	6·8	3·3	5·6	2·2
Merseyside and Cheshire	4·3	6·2	6·9	2·8
Greater Manchester and Lancs.	3·7	2·2	1·7	4·9
Wales	15·3	10·8	11·8	5·5
England and Wales	7·2	8·1	7·6	5·0

.asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the names and occupations of the members of the rent assessment committee responsible for adjudications in central London.

Rent assessment committees dealing with objections to registered rents in respect of properties in central London are drawn from the London rent assessment panel. A list giving the names and occupations of the 95 current members of that panel, and of all other rent assessment panels in England, is placed in the Library of the House. The latest list is dated 1 October 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with Cenargo Limited about the two breakdowns of its ship, the Merchant Providence, resulting in the late arrival of equipment at Port Stanley; and if he will make a statement.

None. Shipping arrangements are the responsibility of the contractor, the Laing-Mowlem-Amey Roadstone construction joint venture. The Merchant Providence is in position in the Falklands and will provide an offloading facility during the period of construction of the new Mount Pleasant airfield. The project is still on schedule to meet the completion dates referred to by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence in his statement of 27 June 1983. —[Vol. 44, c. 345.]

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many firms to date have located in the Belfast enterprise zone;(2) how many firms formerly located in the Belfast enterprise zone have closed down or moved elsewhere;(3) how many firms presently in the Belfast enterprise zone were previously located outside the zone but

Since its designation on 21 October 1981, 54 firms have located in the Belfast enterprise zone, including three which have moved within the zone in order to expand; three firms have since ceased trading and one has moved to accommodation elsewhere in Belfast. Of the 54 firms, 20 were previously located outside the zone—17 within Belfast and three outside; 31 were new to Northern Ireland. Information is not available in respect of companies already in the zone at designation.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total estimated employment in firms presently located in the Belfast enterprise zone.

The information is not readily available. In line with enterprise zone policy of reducing Government requests for statistical information, many companies are exempt from making employment returns.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many geriatric day hospital places are available in each of the health board areas in Northern Ireland; and how this compares with each of the last five years.

The information as requested is not at present collected centrally, but the approximate numbers of geriatric day hospital places in Northern Ireland available to each health and social services board in 1982 and 1983 were as follows:

Health and Social Services Board	1983	1982
Eastern	117	117
Northern	25	10
Southern	40	40
Western	35	35
NORTHERN IRELAND	217	202

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is now the daily traffic flow across the Craigavon bridge, Londonderry, the maximum hourly flow, and what are the daily and hourly maxima possible; how often those maxima are experienced; and when he now expects this bridge to be unable to handle the daily traffic flow.

The information is as follows:

• —daily traffic flow: 31,500 vehicles (September 1983);
• —maximum hourly flow: 2,935 vehicles (September 1983);
• —hourly capacity: 6,000 vehicles (144,000 daily);
• —the maximum hourly flow is on weekdays at peak hours;
• —it is not expected that the bridge will reach its capacity before this end of the century.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he is satisfied with the liaison arrangements of the Northern Ireland Eastern health and social services board to ensure that the officer in charge of a residential home for the elderly is being properly supported by senior social workers.

Social work staff at a senior level are available in all the districts and units of management of the Eastern health and social services board to provide support and advice for the officers in charge of residential homes for the elderly.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when was the last occasion when a resident of the Croft House residential home, Holywood, asked for a transfer to another home; and what was the result of the request.

On 9 September 1983 the officer in charge of Croft House, Holywood, made a written request on behalf of a resident for a transfer to Loch Cuan House, Newtownards. This was acknowledged by the principal social worker—residential and day care—of the unit of management on 23 September 1983 and the resident's name was placed on the waiting list at Loch Cuan House.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (I) how many strip searches were made of female prisoners in Her Majesty's prison, Armagh, in the months of October and November, respectively; if he

Public Expenditure in Cost Terms (1975–76 =100)
	1975–76	1976–77	1977–78	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83
1. Defence	100	102·3	99·3	98·8	104·1	106·2	109·0	116·8
2. Overseas aid and other services	100	124·4	164·9	175·8	169·3	111·4	105·3	129·3
3. Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Forestry	100	660	50·9	43·2	45·9	51·7	48·3	61·0
4. Industry, energy, trade and employment	100	90·6	57·5	71·9	57·5	67·4	81·1	82·5
5. Government lending to nationalised industries	100	23·1	-14·7	45·6	107·5	105·5	61·7	39·1
6. Transport	100	88·8	76·0	74·3	77·1	75·5	77·7	82·2
7. Housing	100	99·9	81·8	77·4	83·9	69·8	44·3	35·4
8. Other environmental services	100	85·9	77·2	80·8	82·7	83·0	76·1	80·3
9. Law, order and protective services	100	101·7	95·4	98·2	106·5	110·2	119·4	125·9
10. Education, science, arts and libraries	100	99·8	92·2	92·1	91·0	93·3	92·3	93·4
11. Health and personal social services	100	100·8	97·6	100·3	102·9	110·7	112·8	115·8
12. Social Security	100	103·3	108·9	116·5	117·8	119·7	132·8	141·5
13. Other public services	100	100·7	92·7	88·8	91·2	95·5	93·1	92·2
14. Common services	100	97·3	92·6	93·3	94·5	86·7	104·4	105·1
15. Scotland	100	97·7	90·8	93·4	96·7	97·3	96·2	96·1
16. Wales	100	100·5	91·1	95·7	99·3	99·0	95·2	96·1
17. Northern Ireland	100	99·2	97·4	103·5	101·6	101·5	102·4	106·4
Adjustments (public corporations net overseas and market borrowing, and special sales of assets)	100	241·9	49·1	73·2	-209·1	-115·9	36·8	-174·7
Planning Total	100	98·2	901	94·5	94·6	96·1	98·7	100·4

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was raised in excise duty from cigarette sales in 1982; and how this compares in real terms with 1973.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing public expenditure by main programme in real terms for each year from 1975 onwards, taking 1975 as the base year at 100.

The figures in cost terms—that is, cash adjusted for the effects of general inflation as measured by the gross domestic product deflator — 1975–76= 100, are shown in the following table.For 1983·84 and 1984·85, public expenditure planning totals in cost terms were given in table 2.2 of the autumn statement. Main programme breakdowns for these years are not yet available.

In 1982 net receipts of excise duly on cigarettes were £3,150 million.It is not possible to compare this in real terms with 1973 because duty was then charged on the tobacco leaf used in the manufacture of hand-rolling tobacco, pipe tobacco and cigars, as well as of cigarettes. Moreover, the tobacco duty rate was reduced on 1 April 1973, when VAT was introduced.However, in the financial year 1982–83 the real value of net receipts of tobacco products duty—nine-tenths of it being from cigarettes—was 5·5 per cent less than the total receipts from tobacco duty in 1973–74.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table in the Official Report giving his latest estimates for 1983–84 of the following information for a single man, a married man and a married man with two children taking in each case, a man on 75 per cent. of average earnings, 100 per cent. average earnings, 200

1983–84	75 per cent.		100 per cent.		200 per cent.		500 per cent.
Multiples of average earnings
	£ per week	Per cent. of gross earnings	£ per week	Per cent, of gross earnings	£ per week	Per cent. of gross earnings	£ per week	Per cent. of gross earnings
Single Person
Gross earnings	128·48		171·30		342·60		856·50
Income tax	28·25	22·0	41·09	24·0	95·23	27·8	365·32	42·7
NI contributions	11·56	90	15·42	9·0	21·15	6·2	21·15	2·5
Net earnings	88·67	69·0	114·79	67·0	226·22	66·0	470·03	54·9
Indirect taxes	22·38	17·4	28·19	16·5
Married Couple
Gross earnings	128·48		171·30		342·60		856·50
Income tax	22·42	17·5	35·26	20·6	87·46	25·5	353·67	41·3
NI contributions	11·56	9·0	15·42	9·0	21·15	6·2	21·15	2·5
Net earnings	94·50	73·6	120·62	70·4	233·99	68·3	481·68	56·2
Indirect taxes	23·47	18·3	29·36	17·1
Married couple plus two children
Gross earnings	128·48		171·30		342·60		856·50
Income tax	22·42	17·5	35·26	20·6	87·46	25·5	353·67	41·3
NI contributions	11·56	9·0	15·42	9·0	21·15	6·2	21·15	2·5
Child benefit	12·17	9·5	12·17	7·1	12·17	3·6	12·17	1·4
Net earnings	106·67	83·0	132·79	77·5	246·16	71·9	493·85	57·7
Indirect taxes	25·54	19·9	30·65	17·9

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish for tax years 1982–83 and 1983–84 the following information for (i) a single person, (ii) a married man without children, (iii) a married man with two children aged under 11, (iv) a married man with four children: (a) the tax threshold at current prices, (b) the tax threshold at 1949–50 prices (index 1949–50=100), (c) the tax threshold as a percentage of average manual earnings, (d) tax-free income at current prices, (e) tax-free income at 1949–50 prices (index 194950=100), (f) tax-free income as a percentage of average income, (g) break-even

Single person				Married man without children
Tax year	Threshold at current prices	Threshold at 1949–50 prices	Threshold as percentage of average manual earnings percentage	Threshold at current prices	Threshold at 1949–50 prices	Threshold as percentage of average manual earnings percentage
	£	Index 1949–50=100		£	Index 1949–50=100
1982–83	1,565	115·1	21·8	2,445	112·9	34·1
1983–84*	1,785	125·3	23·2	2,795	123·2	36·4
* Provisional.

The following table gives the information requested. Estimates of indirect tax payments are unreliable above 1·5 times average earnings and so are not shown for the two higher income categories. The average gross earnings figure of £171–30 in 1983–84 represents an assumed increase over 1982–83 of 7 per cent. in line with what was assumed by the Government Actuary in his recent report.point at current prices,

The information is shown in the following table. For purposes of illustration, between 1982–83 and 1983–84, earnings have been assumed to increase by 7 per cent. and retail prices by 5 per cent. Information on the definition of the items shown in the table is contained in the article "Tax Thresholds" in "Inland Revenue Statistics 1980". Later editions of that publication update the tables in the earlier article.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table in the Official Report which sets out for a two-child family on (a) half average earnings, (b) three quarters average earnings, (c) average earnings, (d) one and a half average earnings, (e) twice average earnings, the increase in net income per week to be derived from (i) a 1p cut in basic rate of income tax, (ii) an increase in personal allowance which incurred the same revenue loss to the Treasury as a 1p cut in basic rate income tax, and (iii) an increase in child benefit which incurred the same revenue loss to the Treasury as a 1p cut in the basic rate of income tax.

Information for 1984–85 consistent with the assumptions of the autumn statement is in the following table. In particular, income tax changes have been taken on top of indexation of allowances and thresholds by the illustrative 5 per cent. shown in table 4·1 of the autumn statement and earnings have been assumed to increase by 6·5 per cent. between 1983–84 and 1984–85. The changes in (ii) and (iii) have been calculated so as to

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table in the Official Report which sets out for 1982–83 and 1983–84 the percentage of income paid in income tax and national insurance contributions by (a) a single person, (b) a married couple without children, (c) a married couple with one child, (d) a married couple with two children, (e) a married couple with four children on the following income levels: (i) half average earnings, (ii) three quarters average earnings, (iii) average earnings, (iv) one and a half times average earnings, and (v) twice average earnings.

The following table shows income tax plus national insurance contributions — at the not contracted-out rate—as a percentage of earnings plus child benefit, where appropriate. Figures calculated in this way are not directly comparable with years when child tax allowances were available. For purposes of illustration, earnings have been assumed to increase by 7 per cent. between 1982–83 and 1983–84. The table assumes that no reliefs other than the appropriate personal allowance or available.be revenue neutral with (i) in a full year. In (ii) it is assumed that all the main personal allowances are increased by the same percentage; and savings in payments of supplementary benefit have been taken into account in (iii). Taxpayers are assumed to have no reliefs apart from the married man's allowance.

MARRIED COUPLE WITH TWO CHILDREN
Increase in net income (£ per week) 1984–85
Multiple of average earnings for males in all occupations (GB)
	½	¾	1	1½	2
(i)	0·35	0·80	1·26	2·17	2·96
(ii)	0·92	0·92	0·92	0·92	1·23
(iii)	3·90	3·90	3·90	3·90	3·90

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the organisations and individuals to which section 18 of the Bank Notes (Scotland) Act 1845 applies.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will indicate which heading of the schedule to the HMSO trading fund order the contract to print the ASH Scotland committee book, "The Scottish Epidemic", was accepted.

The printing was undertaken for the Scottish health education group under subparagraph (a) of the schedule to the order.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list, for the last six years for which figures are available, the total moneys paid under regional development grants; and what this represented per year per head of the population involved.

The following table shows the total moneys paid under regional development grants for each of the last six financial years. The population figures in column 3 relate to "employees in employment" in manufacturing industries — SIC Orders III–XIX (1968 edition)—in the assisted areas.

Great Britain
Financial year	Total RDG paid	Population*	RDG paid per head
	(£'000)	(Thousands)	(£)
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
1977–78	393,354	3,270	120·3
1978–79	416,979	3,183	131·0
1979–80	330,845	3,101	106·7
1980–81	490,524	2,793	175·6
1981–82	616,767	*2,793	220·8
1982–83	689,560	*2,793	246·9
* The latest "employees in employment" figures that are available for Great Britain are 1980. The 1980 figure has therefore also been used to calculate the "RDG paid per head" for 1981 and 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list for the last six years the money spent in Cornwall on regional development grants; and what this represents per head of the population.

Statistics of regional development grant payments are kept on the basis of employment office areas which do not always coincide with county boundaries. Furthermore, actual figures are available only for individual payments of over £25,000. The total grant paid, in column 2 of the following table, is therefore an estimate. The population figures in column 3 relate to "employees in employment" in manufacturing industries —SIC Orders III–XIX (1968 edition).

Cornwall
Financial year	Total RDG* paid	Population†	RDG paid per head
	(£'000)	(thousands)	(£)
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
1977–78	6,016	20·9	287·8
1978–79	4,303	21·3	202·0

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what comments his Department has had from the British Association of the Hard of Hearing on the draft British Telecom licence; if there is any action he will be taking; and if he will make a statement.

My Department received comments from the British Association of the Hard of Hearing—BAHOH—on the draft BT licence on 18 November and the association is meeting officials of the Department very shortly to discuss its comments.The Government are determined to ensure that disabled persons continue to be able to obtain telecommunications equipment adapted to their needs. We have included provisions in the Telecommunications Bill to achieve this, and the draft BT licence includes conditions designed specifically to safeguard the interests of disabled persons. The comments of BAHOH, together with others I receive, will be very carefully considered before I issue the final licence to British Telecommunications.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to protect British shipping from the effects of the Iran-Iraq war.

Since 1980 a patrol of two warships has been maintained in the Indian ocean, available if needed to come to the assistance of British shipping in the Gulf.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, further to his written reply dated 17 November, Official Report, c. 543, concerning the number and cost of transport units in support of the Army, whether he will publish a table in the Official Report showing for each class of unit in, respectively, the United Kingdom and overseas, the number of personnel per load-carrying vehicle, the average number of vehicle-miles run per load-carrying vehicle in 1982–83 and the average tonne or passenger miles per vehicle as the case may be.

Field force transport units are manned at a ratio of 1·6 Regular Army drivers per vehicle: the Territorial Army are scaled at two drivers per vehicle. The average driver-to-vehicle ratio in static units is 0·7 drivers per vehicle, reflecting the use of self-drive vehicles on a pool basis, where possible, in order to economise on manpower.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, further to the written reply of 17 November, Official Report, column 543, concerning the number and cost of transport units in support of the Army, whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing (a) the number and type of vehicles employed in each case, (b) the breakdown of costs to show the amount spent in each case broken down into pay, other emoluments,

Ser. and Class of Unit	Pay and Pensions Allowances etc	Accommodation and related costs	Vehicle Operating Costs less Manpower Costs	Other Overheads	Depreciation of Vehicles	Totals
	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m
1. A Field Force Transport Regiment in the United Kingdom	5·73	1·08	1·12	1·15	0·53	9·61
2. A Field Force Transport Regiment in BAOR	5·82	1·11	1·20	0·84	0·56	9·53
3. A Transport Squadron in the United Kingdom	0·66	0·12	0·27	0·13	0·21	1·39
4. A Transport Squadron in BAOR	1·72	0·32	0·31	0·23	0·15	2·76
5. A TA Transport Regiment	1·35	0·66	0·29	0·70	0·64	3·64

This table includes costs for the depreciation of vehicles based on current net replacement value. Details are not available on an historic or current cost accounting basis, and to obtain such information would involve disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, further to the reply of 17 November, Official Report, c. 543, concerning the number and cost of transport units in support of the Army, whether he will

Ser and Class of Unit	Majors and Above	Captains and Below	Warrant Officers	Senior NCOs	Junior NCOs and Drivers
1. A Field Force Transport Regiment in United Kingdom	8	26	9	57	569
2. A Field Force Transport Regiment in BAOR	6	29	10	66	623
3. A Transport Squadron in United Kingdom	1	2	1	4	31
4. A Transport Squadron in BAOR	1	7	1	16	188

The information requested is as follows: