asked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts whether he has any information on the level of Government subsidy for the arts, excluding libraries, per capita in (a) Sweden, (b) West Germany, (c) France, (d) Italy, (e) Denmark, (f) Holland and (g) Norway in the last three years.

I refer the hon. Member to table 1.30 of "Facts About the Arts" published by the Policy Studies Institute in September 1983, with assistance from the Office of Arts and Libraries.

asked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts whether he has any information on the level of public subsidy, by both local and national Government, of the arts, excluding libraries, per capita in (a) Paris, (b) Rome, (c) Stockholm, (d) Oslo, (e)Copenhagen,(f)Brussels,(g)Cologne, (h) Munich and (i) Bonn; and how this compares with figures for London.

The information is not held centrally.

asked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts what information the Minister for the Arts sought on the level of public subsidy for the Stuttgart Ballet Company when considering the level of assistance for English dance companies.

None.

asked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts whether the Minister for the Arts has sought information on the level of public subsidy for the Comédie Francaise when considering the level of funding of the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

No.

asked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts what information the Minister for the Arts sought on the amount the metropolitan counties spend on maintaining theatres for use by touring companies when considering the level of the Arts Council grant.

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

asked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts whether he has any information on the level of public subsidy for the Berlin philharmonic orchestra; and how this compares with the Hallé orchestra, the city of Birmingham symphony orchestra and the individual symphony orchestras funded by the London orchestral concert board.

Up-to-date information is not available.

asked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts what information was supplied to him by the Arts Council regarding the accumulated deficit of its client companies in the course of his discussions with the council regarding the level of his grant to them for the purpose of paying some of those deficits.

The Arts Council provided my noble Friend with a statement of its estimated grant requirements for its client bodies, which took account of the financial position of individual bodies including those in deficit.

asked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts what information he has had from the Arts Council as to how many of its current clients are in deficit; what is the total amount involved; and whether provision will be made in the 1984 Arts Council budget to clear those dificits.

The number of clients in deficit varies from month to month. In any case, the Arts Council is not the sole funding agency of the bodies concerned. The council estimates that the total deficit may be of the order of £7 million for Great Britain; this includes the deficits of the Royal Opera House and Royal Shakespeare Company, about which my noble Friend hopes to make a statement next week.The allocation to the Arts Council for 1984–85 will take into account these and other considerations.

asked the Under-Secretary of Slate answering in respect of the Arts how many submissions he has received in favour of the Government's proposal as set out in the consultative paper on the Arts.

Formal submissions are awaited from the majority of the arts bodies affected, and from the local authorities, as well as from the Arts Council and the Museums and Galleries Commission. To date, no submission has been unreservedly in favour, but many have made constructive alternative suggestions as regards the future of particular arts bodies and institutions after the abolition of the Greater London and metropolitan county councils in 1986.

asked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts what area and buildings he includes in the South Bank arts complex to which reference is made in the Government's consultative paper in the arts.

These are identified in paragraph 9 of the consultative paper.

asked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts if he will make a statement about the recent meeting of the Minister for the Arts with the Friends of Kenwood.

Lord Moyne and Mr. George Levy, on behalf of the Friends of the Iveagh Bequest, Kenwood, met my noble Friend the Minister for the Arts on 23 November. They put the case for establishing Kenwood under an independent board of trustees after the abolition of the Greater London council in 1986. My noble Friend listened carefully to their representations and undertook to take no decisions about the future of the museum without giving them the opportunity to discuss the matter further.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report the amount spent by the European Economic Community on information and publicity in each of the past 10 years, and the share of the cost attributable to the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom contributes, via the own resources system, to the whole Community budget and revenue is not hypothecated to specific expenditure programmes.The following table shows the Commission's expenditure on publishing and information between 1973 and 1982. The largest element of this expenditure is the cost of publishing the

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the forecast revenue for 1983–84 compared with actual revenue received for 1982–83 for fuel duty on petrol sales, derv sales, vehicle excise duties on cars and taxis, vehicle excise duty on buses and coaches, vehicle exise duty on light vans, vehicle excise duty on goods vehicles, value added tax on vehicles and vehicle fuel sales, and car tax for cars and motor cycles, respectively.

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

asked the Prime Minister what percentage of Government public contracts were awarded to small and medium sized firms in the financial year 1982–83.

Departments do not keep records of the size of firms which win Government contracts, and it would be difficult and expensive to do so. Moreover, statistics relating to main contractors would not reveal the extent to which small and medium sized firms carry out Government business as subcontractors.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for each year since 1978–79 the total number of appointments of all kinds it fell within his power to make, whether or not such appointments actually fell to be made in the year in question.

The following figures show the number of appointments to non-departmental public bodies which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State had the power to make between 1979 and 1983, taken at 1 April of each year, though many of them did not fall to be made in the period in question:

	Numbers
1979	2,542
1980	2,608
1981	2,594
1982	2,482
1983	2,478

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what additions have been made to the jurisdiction of the Commissioners for Complaints; and whether they affect the responsibilities of the Northern Ireland Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration.

Schedule 1 to the Commissioner for Complaints Act (Northern Ireland) 1969 was amended by a statutory rule — S.R. 1983 No. 235 made on 10 August 1983, coming into operation on 1 December 1983, to bring the following additional bodies within the jurisdiction of the Commissioner for Complaints.

The Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland

The Arts Council for Northern Ireland

The Fisheries Conservancy Board for Northern Ireland

The Labour Relations Agency

The Livestock Marketing Commission for Northern Ireland

The Local Enterprise Development Unit

The Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Committee

The Northern Ireland Training Executive

The Trustees of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum

The Trustees of the Ulster Museum

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table showing, for each year since 1975 to the latest available date and for those years ahead for which he can project (a) the number of 16 and 17-year-olds in the population and (b) those 16 and 17-year-olds, expressed as a number and as a percentage of (a), who were (i) in employment, (ii) unemployed, (iii) on Government training schemes, (iv) at school and (v) in further or higher education.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the implications for Northern Ireland of the White Paper on regional industrial policy.

The White Paper is concerned with arrangements for regional industrial policy in Great Britain. Northern Ireland has a different system of assistance which is attuned to the special needs of the Province. However, many of the issues addressed in the White Paper are relevant to Northern Ireland and my officials are currently reviewing the arrangements for the analogous forms of assistance in Northern Ireland, and will be consulting representative bodies where appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of patients in beds designated for

Residents in homes for the elderly*
	Total number of places in homes for the elderly		Total number of residents in homes for the elderly		Percentage of residents aged:
					75 and over		85 and over
	Local Authority	Voluntary and Private	Local Authority	Voluntary and Private	Local Authority	Voluntary and Private	Local Authority	Voluntary and Private
Clwyd	1,011	1,131	1,001	846	84·22	84·40	37·46	40·54
Dyfed	1,207	95	1,161	88	74·59	87·50	36·09	55·68
Gwent	1,047	109	1,019	60	77·53	65·00	37·39	20·00
Gwynedd	853	360	840	250	80·60	88·00	34·52	41·20
Mid Glamorgan	1,311	135	1,271	96	75·14	94·79	29·66	51·04
Powys	418	88	385	89	80·78	52·81	36·10	19·10
South Glamorgan	976	511	933	464	84·57	90·30	38·05	45·69
West Glamorgan	909	155	891	133	79·01	87·97	33·00	42·86
* At 31 March 1982.
Beds are not designated for use by persons of a particular age group and therefore the concept of age-specific occupancy rates is not meaningful.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report for each of the past five years and for each local authority in Wales: (a) the proportion of the social services department expenditure that is spent on the mentally handicapped, (b) the number of mentally-handicapped adults per 100,000 geriatric patients were occupied by people over the age of 75 years; and what percentage of other beds (a) in district general hospitals, (b) in community hospitals and (c) in psychiatric hospitals were occupied by patients over the age of 75 years for each of the health authorities in Wales on the latest date for which figures are available.

Information on age-specific bed occupancy can be obtained only from a detailed inpatient census; such a census was carried out in psychiatric hospitals and units on 5 April 1983, and the following table is derived from that source. No comparable information is available for district general hospitals or community hospitals.

Percentage of beds in psychiatric hospitals and units occupied by patients aged 75 and over*
	Per cent.
Clwyd	16·1
East Dyfed	27·1
Gwent	30·7
Mid Glamorgan	26·6
Powys	21·1
South Glamorgan	29·1
West Glamorgan	33·9
WALES	26·4
* As at 5 April 1983. There are no mental illness hospitals or units in Pembroke and Gwynedd.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of residents in homes for the elderly are (a) over the age of 75 years and (b) ever the age of 85 years; and what was the average occupancy for such places in each of the counties in Wales on the latest date for which figures are available.

The information is given in the following table:population receiving day care in adult training centres, and

Information about expenditure on the mentally handicapped by social services department is published annually by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy in "Personal Social Services Statistics", a copy of which is in the Library. Information on the number of adults receiving day care in adult training centres is as follows:

Adults regularly attending adult training centres
Rate per 100,000 population
Local Authority	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983
Clwyd	93·69	94·78	95·21	95·87	102·92
Dyfed	86·77	89·37	92·55	89·38	90·55
Gwent	99·32	113·56	120·58	138·38	141·98
Gwynedd	80·83	81·31	72·34	75·18	77·19
Mid Glamorgan	93·32	91·53	95·98	106·14	109·59
Powys	94·34	114·84	114·31	124·89	126·70
South Glamorgan	66·65	57·09	63·33	73·77	80·81
West Glamorgan	84·22	86·74	81·74	81·69	86·02

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the pay and allowances of a Chinese laundryman in the Royal Navy; and what is the chain of command for laundries in the service.

Hong Kong Chinese providing laundry and other services in Her Majesty's ships do not receive pay and allowances from public funds. Commanding officers make contracts for these services with approved Chinese contractors and nominate officers to supervise the Chinese laundrymen whilst on board their ships. Payment is made by members of the ships' companies who use the service at an agreed tariff. Captain-in-Charge Hong Kong has overall responsibility for these contract services.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, further to his reply of 2 December, Official Report, c. 646–8, concerning the number and cost of transport units in support of the Army, if he will publish in the Official Report the number of motor cycles and light vehicles in each case.

The details of the numbers of particular types of vehicles in army transport units is classified.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why the pay and allowances, and so on, of personnel in the Territorial Army and Volunteer Reserve transport regiments is some 12 times higher than in the Regular unit.

It is not.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why the pay and allowances per head in Army transport units in the United Kingdom is higher than in the British Army of the Rhine.

The pay of service men and civilians in army transport units is the same whether they are based in the United Kingdom or in Germany. The allowances paid in Germany are the normal allowances payable to those serving in BAOR.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will ensure that funding to the polytechnics is maintained at a standard which allows them to be places of scholarship at a level comparable with universities.

The advanced further education quantum for 1984–85 which my right hon. Friend announced in the House on 17 November will, provided there is greater economy and improvements in efficiency, allow standards in polytechnics and other local authority higher education institutions to be maintained.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to compile statistics of the group of children with minor disabilities who may be fully integrated into ordinary schools and may not have statements under the Education Act 1981 but who may need additional assistance on leaving school; and if he will make a statement.

Under arrangements already made by the Department, the future collection of statistical data will be restricted to those pupils with statements and to those pupils who, under the transitional arrangements for the Education Act 1981, are deemed to have special educational needs because they were receiving, or were about to receive, special educational treatment immediately before the Act came into force. This information will be of direct assistance to my right hon. Friend in the exercise of his responsibilities towards this group of children. Information about children without statements requiring special educational provision which can be provided in ordinary schools will not be collected centrally but, as recommended in paragraph 4·78 of the report of the committee of inquiry into the education of handicapped children and young people, local education authorities will need to devise their own framework for recording such information so as to ensure that the necessary staff and other resources are made available to meet the needs of children in this group.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement concerning the current examination of teacher training with regard to the children with special educational needs and the Education Act 1981 being conducted by the Advisory Committee on the Supply and Education of Teachers; and if he will give details of the terms of reference of the committee and its work to date.

My right hon. Friend has invited the advisory committee on the supply and education of teachers to undertake a review with the following terms of reference:

"To consider existing provision for the training of teachers of pupils in special schools and units, the content related to special educational needs within general teacher training courses, and any implications for further education; and to report, making recommendations".

The teacher training sub-committee of ACSET has established a working group to undertake this review with the aim that ACSET should report by Easter 1984. The working group has held two meetings so far.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply to the right hon. Member for Brent, East on 4 November, Official Report c. 470, what percentage of the 140,917 handicapped pupils receiving special educational treatment in England in January 1983 are receiving education in (a) ordinary schools and (b) special schools.

I should like to take this opportunity to correct the figure given in my earlier reply to the right hon. Member. The corrected figure is 145,155, and the percentages are as follows:

	Percentage
Pupils in special schools	84
Pupils in ordinary maintained schools	11
Pupils in independent schools	5

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the School Curriculum Committee will consider any matter relating to health education.

It will be for the school curriculum development committee to determine its own priorities in accordance with its remit and any guidance or requests which its paymasters — DES and the local authority associations—may put to it. I cannot say whether those priorities will include any matters relating to health education.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has now received any correspondence on behalf of the Churches jointly following his letter of 30 September to the Roman Catholic bishop of Portsmouth in which he stated that there can be no commitment to any particular share of the public sector initial teacher training suitable for the colleges intake supported by any particular denomination; and what reply he has sent.

My right hon. Friend has received a letter dated 18 November from the chairman of the central joint education policy committee of the Anglican, Roman Catholic and Free Churches, commenting on his letters of 30 September to the Bishops of Salford and Portsmouth. In his reply of 14 December my right hon. Friend accepted that the denominational colleges had historically had a significant share in the public sector teacher training system and that decisions about their future contribution should taken account of this but explained that it was not open to him, any more than it had been possible for his predecessors, to offer overriding and immutable commitments for the future. His reply reaffirmed the Government's support for voluntary schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give details of the new priorities drawn up by the Agricultural and Food Research Council for its future research work following the reduction of its income by £7 million over the next three years; and whether these priorities have his approval.

The Agricultural and Food Research Council published its corporate plan 1984–88 on 15 December. A copy is in the Library. This is the council's first corporate plan and it has been drawn up after wide consultations involving the universities, industry and the agriculture Departments. The council intends to update it regularly. The decisions on the priorities, which are implicit in the plan, are for the council itself; my right hon. Friend has no locus in approving them. I welcome the council's decision to publish the plan.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the ratio of exports to imports of cars from the European Economic Community in October 1983.

This information may be readily derived from the figures for trade in passenger motor cars in tables III and VI of the United Kingdom "Overseas Trade Statistics" for the month in question (SITC/R2 Group 781 refers).

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the board reviewing the activities of citizens advice bureaux will be in a position to report.

The team reviewing the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux under the chairmanship of Sir Douglas Lovelock expects to report by the end of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he intends issuing a new White Paper on restrictive trade practices following the Government's 1979 Green Paper, Cmnd. 7512, on this subject; and if he will make a statement of his policy on monopolies and mergers.

Cmnd. 7512 concluded that the restrictive trade practices legislation had been generally effective and had served the country well. I have no plans at present to issue a White Paper on the subject. I am currently reviewing our policy on monopolies and mergers.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, following the White Paper on regional industrial development, Cmnd. 9111, it will be possible to divert resources to support particular industries on a nationwide basis.

Support for particular industries on a nationwide basis would involve choosing which industries to support, and that implies centralised planning and picking winners. The Government will not divert resources from regional industry policy, for which there is a social case, for a sectoral policy of this kind.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the meeting of European Community steel ministers held on 14 December.

The Steel Council, at which I represented the United Kingdom, discussed Commission proposals for short term action to restore price stability on the European steel market. Progress was made on a possible package of measures, including the establishment of mandatory minimum prices for certain products; the introduction of a system of deposits for producers of those products, intended to improve the enforcement of the price and quota rules; and closer monitoring of the steel market, to facilitate detection of abuses of the rules. The Council will meet again on 22 December to continue its discussion of these proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Consumer Affairs Council of Ministers on 12 December.

I attended the first specialist Council on consumer affairs in Brussels on 12 December. It was a useful meeting. There was some general discussion on the respective roles of member states and the Community in protecting the consumer. In addition the Council considered four specific topics; draft directives on misleading advertising, product liability and doorstep selling and a draft decision setting out the arrangements for an early warning system in relation to dangerous consumer products.On misleading advertising there was a useful exchange of views and some progress was made. During the discussions I reaffirmed the Government's position that the proposed directive should not prejudice our existing arrangements for the control of misleading advertising, and in particular our successful system of self-regulation.As regards the draft directive on doorstep selling, some of the difficulties in the way of reaching agreement were resolved and it was agreed that work should continue towards removing the remaining obstacles to the adoption of the directive.The discussion of the draft directive on product liability centred on the important question of the extent to which the proposed directive should provide for financial limits to liability. Limited progress was made on this point and the discussions will continue later.I am glad to report that the Council was able to resolve the outstanding points of difficulty on the proposed Council decision concerning the introduction of a Community arrangement to exchange information on dangerous consumer products. It should prove possible to implement these arrangements during the first half of next year and this will, I am sure, prove to be a valuable measure in protecting consumers.There is likely to be another consumer affairs Council during the first half of 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give the current figures for concentration ratios by standard industrial classification similar to those included in the 1978, White Paper, Command 7178, "A Review of Monopolies and Mergers Policy".

[pursuant to the reply, 15 December 1983]: The main figures for concentration ratios by standard industrial classification were those for 1972 (the most recent year then available) set out in table 2 of the 1978 Green Paper Cmnd. 7198, "A Review of Monopolies and Mergers Policy." The most recent figures available on the same basis as those at table 2 are for 1979, as follows.

Five firm employment concentration ratios 1979
Industrial Order	No. of Industries in each Order	Weighted average percentage of employment in the five largest firms in each Industry
Mining and quarrying	2	41
Food, drink and tobacco	12	53
Coal and petroleum products	1	43
Chemical and allied industries	13	57
Metal manufacture	5	58
Mechanical engineering	17	33
Instrument engineering	3	36
Electrical engineering	9	58
Shipbuilding and marine engineering	1	76
Vehicles	5	69
Other metal goods	7	45
Textiles	8	34
Leather and fur	2	20
Clothing and footwear	7	24
Bricks pottery etc.	6	45
Timber, furniture etc.	4	15
Paper, printing etc.	6	25
Other manufacturing	6	47
Total manufacturing and extractive	114	48

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now review the origin marking and labelling legislation in respect of clothing in order to reflect a minimum percentage of United Kingdom fabric and manufacture.

[pursuant to the reply, 15 December 1983]: It would be premature to consider the case for a change of this kind, which would present serious

(£ million)
	Youth Opportunities Programme
	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	Youth Training Scheme 1983–84
Grants to sponsors including trainees allowances	56·9	113·5	198·9	373·2	512·7	*852·3
Administration†	7·6	10·2	14·3	23·3	29·3	61·5

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to the reply of 21 November, Official Report, c. 56, if he will give the increases in terms of both amount and percentages, in that part of the youth training scheme allowance intended to meet normal travel costs for each year since the £25 allowance began; and if he will compare these with increases in general travelling costs which form part of the national cost of living index. practical problems, pending a ruling from the European Court on the compatibility of the origin marking order as it stands with European Community law.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department has yet received a request asking for Government support for increased investment in the future in the mechanical construction engineering industry covered by the national agreement of the engineering construction industry; what factors he will take into consideration when deciding on such Government support; and if he will make a statement.

I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the youth training schemes providing places for young people living in the Ladywood constituency.

The information is not available in the precise form requested.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the annual figures for expenditure on (a) the youth opportunities programme and (b) the youth training scheme since the schemes began, giving the total figures and the amounts spent on payments to young people, payments to employers and on administration, respectively.

The information is not available in the precise form requested. Expenditure on the youth opportunities programme between 1978–79 and 1982–83 and planned expenditure on the youth training scheme in 1983–84 is given in the table:

Under the youth training scheme travel costs in excess of £4 are reimbursed to trainees. This has been the position since the inception of the youth opportunities programme in 1978.Between January 1982, when the £25 allowance was first introduced, and September 1983 the transport and vehicles component of the retail prices index increased by 12·9 per cent.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Employment how many young people have had reductions in benefit implemented because of their reluctance to participate in the youth training scheme; to what level that reduction has taken place; and on what date he decided to reject the recommendation of the Manpower Services Commission's youth task group report of April 1982 that a cardinal principle of the scheme should be that participation would be voluntary.

Participation in the youth training scheme is voluntary. However, as my right hon. Friend's statement to the House on 21 June 1982 [Official Report, Vol. 26, c. 21–23]—made clear, those who unreasonably refuse a suitable training place will, like adults, have their benefit reduced. Information on the number of reported refusals and premature terminations is not available at present.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Employment if he will list those industries or work places where, through trade union negotiation, trainees on the youth training scheme are receiveing more than the stipulated £25 a week allowance; and in each case, if he will give the amount being received.

I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the provision of in-service training for specialist careers officers; and if he is satisfied with the arrangements which allow these officers to work in post for several months before receiving training courses.

The provision of in-service training for specialist careers officers is the responsibility of the local education authorities which employ them. I am satisfied that the recognised initial training for careers officers provides adequate basic knowledge for dealing with young people with special needs. My Department encourages those who later specialise in this work to receive further appropriate training. But a decision as to

	April 1978	April 1979	April 1980	April 1981	April 1982	April 1983
(1) Allowances under Youth Opportunities Programme £ per week	19·50	20·55	23·50	23·50	25·00	25·00
(2) Average earnings of full-time males aged under 18* £ per week	35·60	40·30	48·30	54·50	59·80	61·00
(3) Minimum wage rate for 16 year old apprentice in engineering £ per week	†24·22	†25·50	†32·85	37·50	39·45	41·33
(4) Average earnings of full-time manual males excluding overtime and bonuses* £ per week	57·70	65·20	79·80	90·50	98·90	105·90
(5) Retail price index—January 1974= 100 Items (1) to (4) adjusted for changes in retail prices to April 1983‡—	194·60	214·20	260·80	292·20	319·70	332·50
(1)	33·33	31·89	29·96	26·74	26·00	25·00
(2)	60·80	62·50	61·60	62·00	63·40	61·00
(3)	41·39	39·58	41·88	42·68	41·01	41·33
(4)	98·60	101·20	101·70	103·00	102·90	105·90
Item (1) as percentage of item (4)	33·80	31·50	29·40	26·00	25·30	23·60
Item (2) as percentage of item (4)	61·70	61·80	60·50	60·20	60·50	57·60
Item (3) as percentage of item (4)	42·00	39·10	41·20	41·40	39·90	39·00

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what provision the Manpower Services Commission is making for the training in new technology of those in, as well as those out of work, in the London borough of Brent and London generally.

The Government are currently providing support for over 1,850 adults to train in computing and new technology skills in London. In addition, 280 places are available for young people to train in new technology skills at London's eight information technology centres, including 30 places in Brent.Although separate figures are not available for London, we are also providing support under a number of national schemes designed to train people in new technology skills. Eight projects under our open tech programme are located in London.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report, for each year since 1978, expressed at 1983 prices (a) the allowance paid on the youth opportunities programme and the youth training scheme, (b) the level of young workers' wages generally, (c) the average rate paid to a 16-year-old apprentice in engineering, (d) average earnings for manual workers, excluding overtime and bonuses, (e)(a) as a percentage of (d), (f) (b) as a percentage of (d) and (g) (c) as a percentage of (d).

The table sets out the available information on allowances, rates and average earnings in cash terms and adjusted for the change in retail prices, in respect of each April between 1978 and 1983.Changes in average earnings will reflect changes in the composition of employment in terms of occupations and grades and do not necessarily reflect corresponding changes in earnings for comparable jobs. This should be borne in mind when comparing rates of pay for particular jobs with aggregate average earnings.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing, for each year since 1975 to the latest available date and for those years ahead for which he can project, those 16 and 17-year-olds, expressed as a number and as a percentage of the total, who were (a) in employment, (b) unemployed, (c) on Government training schemes, (d) at school and (e) in further or higher education.

The available estimates, produced by the Department of Education and Science, relate to England and Wales and are published in its "Digest of Statistics, England 1983 (Tables 13 and 14)" and in an earlier Statistical Bulletin 2/83 "Educational and Economic Activity of Young People aged 16 to 19 years in England and Wales from 1973–74 to 1981–82". Copies of these publications are in the Library.Comparable Government forecasts for later years are not made.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he anticipates making a decision on the request from the Falkland Islands for the permanent establishment of fishery protection areas; and if he will make a statement.

A decision will be taken when current consideration of this matter has been completed. Details will be made available at the appropriate time.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the projects for which loans were sought from the Inter-American Development Bank by El Salvador and Nicaragua during the last five years; what was the outcome; and how the Government instructed its representative at the preliminary European Caucus to vote on each of these loan applications.

During the period in question the following projects were submitted to the Bank's executive board for consideration:El Salvador

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the amounts spent by his Department on publicity showing the breakdown of expenditure on television, newspapers and posters, respectively, for 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and estimated figures for 1984.

The total expenditure by Department on publicity for years 1978–79 to 1984–85 is as follows:

	£
1978–79	4,226,950
1979–80	5,616,900
1980–81	5,347,750
1981–82	5,099,400
1982–83	4,311,250
1983–84	*5,835,400
1984–85	†4,770,000

Breakdown by media is as follows:

		£
Television
	1978–79	2,380,000
	1979–80	4,141,000
	1980–81	3,502,000
	1981–82	3,615,000
	1982–83	2,319,000
	1983–84	*4,654,000
Press
	1978–79	112,000
	1979–80	105,000
	1980–81	129,000
	1981–82	410,000
	1982–83	816,000
	1983–84	*268,000
Posters
	1978–79	228,000
	1979–80	321,000
	1980–81	212,000
	1981–82	621,000
	1982–83	429,000
	1983–84	*186,000
Other media
	1978–79	1,506,950
	1979–80	1,049,900
	1980–81	1,504,750
	1981–82	453,400
	1982–83	747,250
	1983–84	*727,400
* Estimate.
† Provision.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will instruct contractors carrying out repairs on the M1 and M6 which involve lane closures to give earlier notice by sign of which lane or lanes are closed, rather than simply work and distance signs, at distances up to five miles ahead to enable traffic to pull out of affected lanes so avoiding tailbacks.

No. I regret that it is not practical to expect drivers to vacate traffic lanes at distances of up to five miles from the works. I am writing to the hon. Member with further details.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will request contractors carrying out repairs which involve carriageway closures on the M1 and M6 to remove cones where it is safe to do so when work is suspended during the Christmas and new year holiday and at other times when suspension of work exceeds four hours.

During the Christmas and new year holiday—24 December to 2 January—no lane closures are planned on the M1. On the M6 limited, single lane closures are planned between 31 December and 2 January to enable safety barrier repairs to be carried out in the central reserve at junction 2 and between junctions 14 and 15. Unplanned closures on both motorways may of course be needed if accidents or other emergencies should occur.At other times, wherever feasible, cones are removed during short suspensions of work lasting more than a day. It is not usually practicable to remove and replace cones during shorter suspensions.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received from individuals and organisations regarding the future provision of a railway station at Welham Green.

I have no record of such representations having been received by my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in implementing the agreement published in Cmnd. 9038, on the European Economic Community project for concerted action in the field of shore-based marine navigation aid systems.

The concerted action research project was approved by the Council to commence on 1 January 1983, but due to the need to define the work programmes more closely and to set up the necessary management structure its start date was set back to 1 May 1983, from when the project will run for three years.The work has been divided into five sub-programmes and the United Kingdom is playing a prominent part in the two of these which are most important to our interests. A British firm won the contract to provide management services to assist the project leader in the Commission. It is expected that the schedule as drawn up will be maintained.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will indicate when the Bromham bypass on the A428 will be undertaken; and if he will make a statement.

In the decision letter of 17 November 1983 conveying their provisional view that the bypass should be built, my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Transport afforded a further opportunity for comment because of new traffic information that could conceivably affect the case for the bypass. A number of comments have been received and these are being considered. Without prejudice to this consideration, supplementary draft orders have been published to lower the level of the bypass as proposed by the Better Bromham Bypass campaign. Subject to the outcome of our consideration of the comments, and the outcome of the remaining statutory procedures, construction could start next summer.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will indicate when the town of Bedford will be bypassed by a satisfactory route; what are the reasons for the current dely; and if he will make a statement.

We do not expect construction of an A428 bypass of Bedford to start before 1989. Our consultants are at present identifying alternative routes. Because of public expenditure constraints we shall be consulting the general public about the most suitable alternatives next autumn rather than in the summer as we had hoped.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when the detailed plans of the Okehampton bypass were started.

At the beginning of October 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the trunk road contracts let by his Department since 1 July 1983, showing the estimated cost given in Cmnd. 9059 and the estimated cost when the contract was let at constant prices.

The information requested at constant November 1982 prices for schemes listed in Cmnd. 9059 is:

Route and Scheme Title	Estimated Cost: Command 9059	Estimated Cost: Contract let
M25—Swanley-Sevenoaks	42·7	45·3
M42—Tamworth (Kingsbury)	23·8	19·1
M42—Tamworth (Polesworth South)	19·5	12·2
A39—Marshgate Diversion	2·1	1·9
A45—Ipswich BP (Western Section)	20·8	17·2

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what are the projected night-time traffic loads on the various sections of the M25 yet to be opened.

The estimated figures are as follows:

Section	No. of vehicles between 10pm and 6 am
Swanley-Sevenoaks, Kent	3,000–4,000
Swanley Links, Kent
Leatherhead-Reigate, Surrey	2,500–3,500
Leatherhead Interchange, Surrey
Wisley-Leatherhead, Surrey
Airport Spur to M4, Surrey/Buckinghamshire	4,500·5,500
M4–M40, Buckinghamshire	4,000–5,000
M40 Interchange, Buckinghamshire
M40-Maple Cross, Buckinghamshire/Hertfordshire
Micklefield Green-South Mimms (A405–M1), Hertfordshire	3,000–4,000
Micklefield Green-South Mimms (M1–A1(M)), Hertfordshire	2,000–3,500
A19–M11, Hertfordshire/Essex	3,000–4,000

The above figures assume that all sections of M25 are in full use and represent average daily flows for a "neutral" month in 1987. Flows will be somewhat higher during the summer months and lower during winter; similarly vehicle usage tends to be greater at weekends than during the week —Monday to Friday.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what latest evaluation his Department has made of the total number of students who will be in state tertiary places of education in each year from 1983 to 1993 inclusive.

With regard to advanced further education, I refer my hon. Friend to SED statistical bulletin No. 7/JI/1983, a copy of which is in the Library. Comparable longer-term projections are not available for non-advanced further education, but I estimate that there will be about 56,500 full-time equivalent students in each year up to 1986–87.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what latest evaluation his Department has made of the total number of pupils who will be in state primary and secondary places of education, respectively, in each year from 1989 to 1993.

Projected school rolls, at September each year, for the period 1989 to 1993 are given in the table:

Projected pupil numbers in education authority primary and secondary schools in Scotland
Session	Primary schools	Secondary schools
1989–90	433,000	289,000
1990–91	440,000	280,000
1991–92	447,000	278,000
1992–93	454,000	279,000
1993–94	462,000	282,000

The figures exclude pupils attending education authority special schools and nursery schools.More detailed figures will be given in a Scottish Education Department statistical bulletin which it is planned to publish shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those Scottish sites authorised for the disposal of radioactive waste in the past year under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960; from which specified premises; for which specified wastes; and if he will list the owners of the sites.

[pursuant to his reply, 5 December 1983., c. 150]: Two sites, one in Aberdeen and one in Stirling District, both owned by the local authorities concerned have, within the last 12 months, been included among the sites which I consider suitable for the controlled burial of certain low activity radioactivity wastes. Disposal of wastes to these sites has been authorised from two universities and four research institutes. The wastes authorised for disposal have included minor quantities of Carbon 14 and Tritium and of the radioactive isotopes of the elements sulphur phosphorus, iodine, potassium, sodium and chlorine.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, for each of the metropolitan county areas, what percentage of present metropolitan county counil expenditure would, under the proposals contained in Cmnd. 9063 (a) be controlled by joint boards, (b) be controlled by joint committees, (c) require some other form of explicit co-operation between the metropolitan districts and (d) require no significant degree of cooperation between the metropolitan districts.

The percentage of rate fund net revenue expenditure in each of the metropolitan counties which would, under the proposals contained in Cmnd. 9063, be controlled by joint boards is shown in the table. It will be for the metropolitan districts to develop suitable arrangements for the other services for which they will assume responsibility, and I am therefore unable to supply figures for the other categories requested.

	Percentage of expenditure to be controlled by joint boards
Greater Manchester	62·5
Merseyside	67·0
South Yorkshire	62·8
Tyne and Wear	47·2
West Midlands	55·3
West Yorkshire	61·8

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to include in the legislation abolishing the Greater London Council and the metropolitan counties provisions preventing the making of redundancy payments to employees who are re-employed in the local government service within a specified period of time.

The proposals in our White Paper, "Streamlining the Cities" Cmnd. 9063, do not include any measure of the kind suggested by the hon. Member; but my right hon. Friend will consider any points put to him during the consultation period.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the average rise in fair rents determined by the rent officers in England and Wales for 1981–82, 1982–83 and to date in 1983–84; and whether he has issued any guidance in any of these years to rent officers as to the considerations they should take into account in determining such rises.

Figures for the mean percentage changes in rent for regulated unfurnished tenancies on re-registration by rent officers within three to four years of

I Brent: Census Year Estimates (Thousands)
	Population*	Dwellings†	Households†		Housholds lacking exclusive use of the amenities recorded†
1961	294·7	83·0	97·7	37·1	Hot and cold water, fixed bath and any WC
1966	290·0	78·9	96·5	35·4	Hot water, bath and inside WC
1971	280·1	89·7	98·2	26·5	Hot water, bath and inside WC
1981	254·2	92·1	93·4	7·2	Bath and inside WC

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many sewer collapses or failures there are in England and Wales each year; whether there are indications that these are increasing with the age of the systems; and if it is yet necessary to prepare a programme of replacement and renewal rather than of ad hoc repairs.

In 1981, 3,228 sewer failures in England and Wales were reported to the Water Research Centre, of which 2,177 were collapses. Seventy three per cent. of failures concerned pipes of 9in. —225mm.— diameter or less. The survey data suggested that the frequency of failure would increase with age, but in the 1982 survey only 1,689 collapses were reported. There is insufficient data to establish the trend.The water authorities' investment programmes include provisions for replacement and renewal of sewers and in 1982–83 £216 million was spent on capital account on sewerage. The WRC is expected to publish shortly a sewerage rehabilitation manual of guidance to assist water authorities in assessing sewerage problems and deciding the most economic approach to remedial work.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the change in (a) the population, (b) the number of dwellings and (c) the number of households in the London borough of Brent in each of the five years since 1960;(2) how many dwellings in the London borough of Brent were either unfit, lacked at least one basic amenity, or were in serious disrepair, in each five years from 1960.

Figures for the London borough of Brent, which was constituted on 1 April 1965, are not available in the form requested. Available data are as attached.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council, which body it is proposed will become responsible for organising the following London-wide arts and entertainment events: the Easter parade, the May festivals, the South Bank weekend, the Greater London horse show and Thamesday.

We shall consider this in the light of our consultations on "Streamlining the Cities", Cmnd. 9063.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he hopes to appoint a chairman of the British Waterways Board in succession to Sir Frank Price.

I have invited Mr. Leslie Young, CBE to succeed Sir Frank Price as chairman of the British Waterways Board from 1 July 1984. His appointment will be for five years. Mr. Young will become a member of the Board from 1 January. Sir Frank Price, who has been chairman of the British Waterways Board since July 1968, has agreed to remain as chairman for a further period of six months until 30 June, and for this I am most grateful.I have also asked Mr. Young to continue as chairman of the Merseyside development corporation until 31 October 1984. I shall make a further announcement in due course about his successor as chairman of the Merseyside development corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of the use of police officers to look after prisoners in police and court cells in the latest available period.

The charge to the Prison Department for keeping prisoners in police and court cells in the Metropolitan Police district during October 1983 is provisionally assessed at £842,000. This, however, also covered costs incurred in earlier months. Information covering other police forces is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners held on remand in custody for (a) three to six months, (b) six to nine months, (c) nine to 12 months, (d) one year to 18 months, (e) 18 months to two years and (f) over two years were subsequently (i) acquitted or (ii) given non-custodial sentences in the most recent period for which figures are available.

The latest available information, which is as complete as we can provide, relates to those initially remanded in custody in 1981 and is given in the following table.

Persons received into prison department establishments in England and Wales on initial remand in custody in 1981 and known to have received a non-custodial sentence or not to have been found guilty: by length of time between initial remand in custody and outcome of proceedings
Estimates number*
Length of time between† initial remand in custody and outcome of proceedings	Found not guilty	Not proceeded against	Given a non-custodial penalty
Up to 3 months	1,020	60	17,560
Over 3 up to 6 months	400	10	2,320
Over 6 up to nine months	180	10	670
Over 9 up to 12 months	110	—	240
Over 12 up to 18 months	60	—	120
Over 18 months up to 2 years	—	—	10
Total	1,770	90	20,920
* Including any time which may have been spent on bail after the initial remand in custody
† Rounded estimates; the components do not always add to the totals because they have been independently

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide details, by country, of the number of visitors refused admission to the United Kingdom as a proportion of applicants from that country for each of the past 10 years.

This reply also includes information for 1983 pursuant to my reply to the hon. Member for Eccles on 1 December.-[Vol 49, c. 975.]In the following tables the number of people refused leave to enter the United Kingdom is given as a proportion of the number admitted or refused. Separate information is not available on the numbers refused who were seeking admission as visitors nor on EC countries or Gibraltar. Information on the numbers admitted to the United

Foreign nationals (excluding European Community) refused leave to enter the United Kingdom as a proportion of the number admitted or refused
per cent.
Nationals of	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	*1983
Algeria	..	..	..	1·7	2·6	4·2	4·8	4·9	3·4	2·4	2·4
Argentina	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·2	0·2	0·2	0·1	0·1	0·1	1·5	1·0
Austria	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	†
Brazil	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·2	0·2	0·2	0·1	0·1
Bulgaria	..	..	..	..	..	0·4	0·1	0·2	0·1	0·1	0·2
Chile	0·2	0·3	0·4	0·4	0·6	0·5	0·5	0·6	0·5	0·4	0·7
China	2·8	1·1	0·4	0·1	0·2	0·1	0·4	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·2
Colombia	0·6	0·6	1·4	1·3	1·4	1·2	1·3	1·2	1·0	0·8	0·8
Cuba	2·2	1·5	1·2	0·4	0·2	0·2	0·6	0·4	0·2	0·4	1·0
Czechoslovakia	0·1	0·2	0·1	0·1	0·2	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·2	0·1
Egypt	0·5	0·4	0·3	0·3	0·3	0·4	0·3	0·3	0·2	0·1	0·1
Ethiopia	..	..	..	..	..	0·6	0·7	0·9	0·2	0·6	0·2
Finland	†	0·1	0·1	†	†	†	†	0·1	†	†	†
G.D.R.	..	3·8	4·7	4·0	3·8	3·4	0·9	0·1	†	0·3	0·2
Hungary	0·2	0·1	0·2	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	†	0·1	0·1
Indonesia	0·3	0·3	0·2	0·2	0·3	0·2	0·3	0·2	0·1	0·2	0·1
Iran	0·3	0·2	0·1	0·1	0·2	0·4	2·1	3·4	1·0	0·8	0·6
Iraq	0·5	0·3	0·7	0·1	0·1	0·2	0·2	0·2	0·1	0·3	0·3
Israel	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·2	0·2	0·3	0·3	0·2	0·1	0·1
Japan	†	0·1	0·1	†	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	†	†	†
Jordan	..	..	..	..	..	0·3	0·2	0·2	0·2	0·1	0·1
Lebanon	..	..	..	..	..	0·2	0·3	0·2	0·2	0·2	0·2
Libya	..	..	..	..	..	0·2	0·3	0·5	0·2	0·2	0·1
Mexico	01	†	†	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1
Morocco	..	..	..	1·6	1·9	2·3	2·9	3·1	3·1	2·2	2·7
Norway	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
Pakistan	1·8	1·8	1·5	1·4	1·1	1·2	1·3	1·2	1·0	1·0	1·0
Peru	0·1	0·1	0·2	0·3	0·5	0·5	0·9	0·7	0·6	0·4	0·5
Philippines	..	..	..	0·4	0·3	0·6	0·6	0·4	0·3	0·4	0·3
Poland	0·3	0·4	0·6	0·4	0·5	0·4	0·2	0·2	0·3	0·5	0·2
Portugal	0·2	0·2	0·5	0·6	0·5	0·5	0·5	0·4	0·3	0·2	0·2
Rumania	0·4	0·4	0·3	0·3	0·1	0·4	0·3	0·4	0·4	0·3	0·7
Saudi Arabia	..	..	..	..	..	0·2	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·2	0·2
Somalia	..	..	..	..	..	0·8	0·7	0·6	0·3	0·5	0·1
South Africa	0·1	†	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1
Spain	0·3	0·2	0·2	0·2	0·2	0·2	0·2	0·2	0·2	0·1	0·1
Sudan	..	..	..	..	..	0·3	0·3	0·3	0·2	0·2	0·2
Sweden	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
Switzerland	0·1	0·1	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
Syria	..	..	..	..	..	0·3	0·3	0·2	0·2	0·3	0·2
Thailand	..	..	..	..	..	0·2	0·1	0·2	0·2	0·1	0·4
Tunisia	..	..	..	1·2	1·3	2·4	2·3	2·6	2·4	1·5	1·4
Turkey	1·1	0·9	1·1	0·9	0·8	1·7	2·0	1·8	0·9	1·0	0·9
United States of America	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics	0·2	0·1	0·2	0·1	0·2	0·1	0·1	0·2	0·6	0·8	4·6
Uruguay	..	..	..	..	..	0·3	0·2	0·2	0·2	0·2	0·3
Venezuela	0·2	0·2	0·2	0·2	0·2	0·3	0·3	0·3	0·2	0·1	0·2
Yugoslavia	0·7	0·4	0·4	0·4	0·3	0·2	0·3	0·4	0·3	0·3	0·4
Other foreign countries	0·7	0·6	0·7	0·4	0·3	0·3	0·3	0·3	0·3	0·2	0·2
Stateless	..	..	..	0·9	0·8	0·8	0·7	0·7	0·7	0·9	1·1
TOTAL	0·13	0·14	0·17	0·16	0·15	0·18	0·26	0·23	0·16	0·15	0·13
* January to September.
.. Not available separately—included in other foreign.
† Less than 0·1 per cent.

Commonwealth citizens refused leave to enter the United Kingdom as a proportion of the number admitted or refused
per cent.
Country or territory issuing passport	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	*1983
Australia	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
Bangladesh	2·9	2·6	2·6	2·4	1·5	1·2	1·1	0·8	0·7	0·8	1·3
Barbados	0·1	0·1	0·1	†	†	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	0·1	†
Canada	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
Cyprus	1·3	1·6	1·8	1·3	1·1	1·1	1·1	0·8	0·5	0·4	0·4
Ghana	1·2	3·0	1·6	1·5	1·5	1·8	1·9	2·3	3·3	3·7	3·2