asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he intends to withdraw the ½p coin from circulation.

I have considered the evidence carefully and have decided that the ½p coin no longer fulfils a useful function in the currency. Moreover, it is now costing more to make than its face value. The Royal Mint will therefore cease to issue ½p coins from 29 March 1984.The ½p is currently worth less than the farthing when it was demonetised in 1960 and the old halfpenny when demonetised in 1969. The impact on the RPI of its withdrawal should be negligible.The ½p coin will remain legal tender for the time being. But I expect formal demonetisation to follow by the end of the year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the cost of mortgage interest relief to the Inland Revenue in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

The latest estimates are as follows:

Cost of income tax relief for mortgage interest
	£ million
1979–80	20
1980–81	30
*1981–82	30
*1982–83	35
*1983–84	†40
* Provisional.
† Includes the cost of relief in respect of mortgages previously under the option mortgage scheme.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the receipts from the European Community in the last year, how much was paid directly to Her Majesty's Government and how much was paid directly to other organisations and individuals in the United Kingdom.

It is estimated that for the year ending 31 December 1983 about £2,288·7 million was paid directly to Her Majesty's Government by the European Communities. Information on the total amount of payments made directly to other organisations and—or individuals is not provided by the Commission.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will provide information on the net income after income tax, national insurance contributions and child benefit at (a) actual prices and (b) equivalent 1983–84 prices of typical household units (i) single, (ii) a married couple, (iii) a married couple with two children and (iv) a married couple with four children, whose earnings from work are equivalent to the following points on the male earnings distribution: (a) lowest decile, (b) median, and (c) highest decile for each year since 1978–79.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the most recently available information he has as to the top income tax rates on (a) unearned and (b) earned income in all countries of the European Community, the United States of America, Canada and Japan; and whether he will also provide the latest available information on starting points and rates of income tax and social security contributions in European Economic Community countries.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, pursuant to his reply on 23 November 1983, Official Report, c. 170–72, about changes in the level of income tax and national insurance, he will now provide the information for the same family groups earning half average earnings.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, under the arrangements for Common Market rebates, any sums subsequently reclaimed by the Common Market can be claimed back from the Common Market on the grounds that such repayments increased the United Kingdom net contribution above the agreed levels.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the marginal rate of tax applicable to a family with an income of (a) £80 per week, and (b) £800 per week.

[pursuant to his reply, 31 January 1984, c. 165]: Assuming that the husband is the sole earner and that he has no allowances or reliefs other than the married man's allowance, the information for 1983–84 is as follows:

	(a)	(b)
Marginal rate (percentage) on an additional £ of:
Earned income	30	60
Unearned income	30	*75
* Assuming at least £7,100 of unearned income in 1983–84; otherwise the marginal rate would be 60 per cent.

asked the Attorney-General why the Moot hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, is not at present in use for sittings of the Crown court.

The Moot hall is owned by the Northumberland county council. Its lease to the Crown has expired and hence the building is not available for Crown court use. The Property Services Agency is currently negotiating with the council for the purchase of the Moot Hall for continued use as a courthouse.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will give further consideration to the suitability of the former Northumberland County hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, for sittings of the Crown court.

Studies undertaken by the Property Services Agency have revealed that it would be disproportionately expensive to develop the County Hall to meet the Crown court requirements.

asked the Attorney-General what plans he has for new accommodation for the Crown court in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Plans are in hand to replace the existing temporary buildings with a new courthouse containing 10 Crown court rooms plus one county court and ancillary accommodation on a central site. This should be completed by the end of the decade.

asked the Prime Minister what are Her Majesty's Government's powers in existing legislation to take away the right to belong to a trade union or prevent an employee in Government service from joining a trade union.

Section 23 of the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 provides that every employee has the right not to have action, short of dismissal, taken against him as an individual by his employer for the purpose of preventing or deterring him being or seeking to become a member of an independent trade union, or penalising him for doing so. Section 58 of that Act provides that the dismissal of an employee shall be unfair if the principal reason for the dismissal was that the employee was, or proposed to become, a member of an independent trade union. Those sections apply to the Crown. But section 138(4) enables a Minister to issue a certificate for the purpose of safeguarding national security and this has the effect of disapplying the provisions of the Act, including sections 23 and 58, to the specified Crown employment. Such a certificate has been issued in the case of GCHQ. Conditions of service in the Home Civil Service are regulated by Order in Council made under the royal prerogative. The current Order in Council is the Civil Service Order in Council 1982. This gives the Prime Minister, as Minister for the Civil Service, power to give instructions relating to the conditions of service of members of the Home Civil Service. It will be a condition of service that members of GCHQ should belong only to an approved staff association. Employees are being given the option of accepting the revised conditions or, if they wish to retain the statutory rights and their membership of existing unions, of requesting a transfer to another part of the Home Civil Service.

asked the Prime Minister why she rejected the offer by Signor Craxi to help resolve the Falklands crisis.

Details of my conversations with the Italian Prime Minister are confidential. We believe that the protecting powers are the right channel for our efforts to establish the more friendly bilateral relations with Argentina, which we would like. We regard this as the most realistic way ahead.

asked the Prime Minister if, pursuant to her reply to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr on 23 January, Official Report, c. 380, concerning reasons for increases in taxes, she will give details of the extra income tax and expenditure taxes raised as a result of the figures she gave; and what proportion these form of the increased tax burden since 1978–79.

For a man on average male earnings, the increase in income tax—less child benefit where appropriate—national insurance contributions and indirect taxes attributable to real earnings growth since 1978–79 is about £6 a week at 1983–84 prices. Depending on family circumstances, this represents about two-thirds to three-quarters of the corresponding total real increase.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library, as each becomes available to his Department, the reports compiled by all police forces on the number of people stopped and breathalysed over the Christmas period.

No. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to him on 23 January.—[Vol. 52, c. 398–99.] The statistical bulletin mentioned in that reply will be placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his answer of 21 December 1983, Official Report, c. 243–4, what guidance he has given to the police on the importance of assisting or paying attention to motorists whose vehicles have broken down when the vehicles are not impeding other traffic.

No specific guidance has been given to the police on assistance to motorists whose vehicles have broken down, as such assistance is an operational matter for chief officers of police. Home Office circular No. 74/1983 does, however, advise police on appropriate removal arrangements for broken down or damaged private vehicles.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are currently held on remand in prison and similar institutions in England and Wales; and how many of them were before the courts for the first time.

On 31 December 1983 there were 7,600 untried and convicted unsentenced prisoners in prison department establishments in England and Wales. Infonnation on their previous court appearances is not recorded centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of time spent in prison or similar institutions by prisoners on remand; and what was the maximum length of time in 1983.

Estimates of the average time spent in custody by all untried and convicted unsentenced prisoners are published annually in "Prison statistics, England and Wales"—table 2(g) of the issue for 1982, Cmnd. 9027. Corresponding estimates for 1983 are not yet available. For the latest readily available information on the longest periods on remand I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question by the hon. Member for Knowsley, North (Mr. Kilroy-Silk) on 21 December 1983.—[Vol. 51, c. 244.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, after serving approximately what proportion of their sentences, category A and category B prisoners, respectively, are normally reviewed for the purposes of decategorisation.

The decision to place a prisoner in category A is normally reviewed at intervals of 12 months. There is no set time scale for reviewing the classification of category B prisoners, but this is generally done after one third of the sentence, and annually thereafter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department at what prisons in England and Wales computer courses are available for category B prisoners.

There are no vocational training courses in computing in prisons catering for category B prisoners. But according to the latest available information evening class courses in computer literacy, for which all prisoners may apply, are provided at the following establishments where the population consists of, or includes, category B prisoners:

• Cardiff
• Frankland
• Grendon
• Hull
• Lincoln
• Liverpool
• Maidstone
• Swansea

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the progress of civil defence planning in the county of Tyne and Wear.

Civil defence planning in the county of Tyne and Wear does not yet meet the requirements of the Civil Defence (General Local Authority Functions) Regulations 1983 which came into force on 1 December 1983. Progress will be kept under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated cost of providing temporary buildings at Cannon row for the use of the Metropolitan police.

Provision of a temporary building to re-house personnel whose present accommodation adjoining Cannon row police station is to be demolished as part of the Richmond Yard development, cost £152,000. The building itself will be removed and re-used for other purposes when permanent accommodation becomes available in 1985 in the replacement Cannon row police station in the Curtis green building.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what response is being made by his Department to the letter from the Central Council of Probation Committees, signed jointly by the chairman of the Association of Chief Probation Officers, the chairman of the National Association of Probation Officers and the chairman of the Central Council of Probation Committees about the future working of the probation service under the arrangements set out in the Government White Paper, "Streamlining the Cities"; and if he will make a statement.

The letter will be carefully considered along with other replies received in response to the proposals in the White Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to initiate measures authorising the bingo industry to introduce a national bingo game subject to limits on local front of house advertising; what limits he proposes to fix; and if he will make a statement.

This will depend on the outcome of our continuing discussions with the bingo associations. A number of hon. Members have written about the question of advertising and I have offered to meet them to discuss this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) of those arrested at the Messenger group printers, Warrington, how many have been prosecuted and how many convicted at the latest available date;(2) if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Cheshire as to the number of persons arrested at the Messenger group premises, Warrington, up to the latest date; and if he will make a statement.

The chief constable tells me that 144 people, including two who were arrested twice on different occasions were arrested between 9 November and 1 December 1983 and that no one has been arrested since then. One hundred and forty-one of these were charged. By 27 January, 44 had been dealt with by the courts. Each of them was convicted of at least one offence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider providing for the issue of cyanide capsules or similar poison to the United Kingdom population as a contingency in the event of nuclear war; and if he will make a statement.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Cheshire police as to how many vehicles containing people intending to support the National Graphical Association picket were stopped by the police on 30 November (a) in the immediate vicinity of Winwick quay industrial site, (b) outside the immediate vicinity of Winwick quay industrial site; and of the latter number what proportion were on the westbound carriageway of the M62.

[pursuant to his reply, 6 December 1983, c.111]: The chief constable of Cheshire tells me that on the evening of 30 November so many vehicles had parked near Winwick quay that there was no room for more and a queue of vehicles stretched the length of the slip road to the site of the M62. There was a serious risk of the queue of stationary vehicles extending on to the motorway itself and causing a danger to traffic. To avoid this, at 11.45 pm the police closed the exit from the motorway to the slip road and diverted coaches to the nearby Burtonwood service area, where passengers were able either to alight or to continue their road journey by another route. This diversion was the only sense in which coaches were stopped by the police, although some, dangerously, stopped on the hard shoulder of the motorway. The chief constable has no information as to how many coaches which would otherwise have tried to use the exit to the slip road could not as a result of its closure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of sentence remaining to be served by the prisoners in Ranby prison; and what was the equivalent figure in 1973.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 January 1984, c. 327]: The only available information, which relates to the time to the earliest date of release, is given in the following table; some may be released on parole before their earliest date of release. The earliest year for which comparable information is available is 1981.

Population of Ranby prison on 30th November; by time to earliest date of release
Estimated number*
Time to earliest date or release	1981	1983
Up to 3 months	230	190
Over 3 up to 6 months	150	120
Over 6 up to 9 months	80	50
Over 9 up to 12 months	20	20

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in Ranby prison currently have a record of sex offences or assaults against the person, use of drugs, and absconding from custody; and what were the equivalent figures for 1973.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 January 1984, c. 327]: The information requested is not recorded centrally. The only readily available information relates to the offence for which the prisoner was sentenced, and the offence of absconding from custody is not separately identifiable. On 30 November 1983 about 80 prisoners in Ranby prison were serving sentences for offences of violence against the person, five for sexual offences and 10 for drug offences. Similar numbers were serving sentences there for such offences on 30 November 1981, the earliest year for which corresponding figures are available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners now in Ranby prison, Retford, Notts are not category C.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 January, 1984, c. 327]: According to the records held centrally, which are approximate, fewer than 10 of those held in Ranby prison on 30 November 1983 were not in category C.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of officials taken on within his Department, or from outside, since June 1983 to deal with (a) rates limitation and (b) abolition of the metropolitan counties, listing in each case the numbers and ranks of officials and the estimated cost per year of each group.

The following staff—full-time equivalents—have been assigned to this work since June 1983:

Grade	Abolition	Rate limitation
Under secretary	0·1	1·0
Assistant secretary	1·2	1·0
Principal	1·6	—
Higher executive officer (D)/e higher executive officers	2·9	1·0
Executive officer	1·2	0·5
Clerical assistant	0·2	—
Senior personal secretary	—	1·0
Personal Secretary	1·0	1·0
Typist	—	1·0
Total	8·2	6·5
Costs (including on-costs) per year at current prices	£229,000	£180,000

In addition, four staff—senior principal, HEO(D), clerical officer and personal secretary — have been allocated to work on the presentation of the range of policies affecting local government; and one member of the information directorate—a senior information officer — has been assigned to work with them. The cost, including on-costs, per year of the five staff is £115,000 at current prices.All of these posts are within my Department's overall manpower target. All the staff concerned have been redeployed from other duties with the exception of one executive officer, who was a new entrant to the Civil Service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce partial business de-rating to put business ratepayers on a par with domestic rate payers.

No. The Government believe that the right way to help businesses faced with high rates is to constrain local authority expenditure and, in the case of the most excessive high spenders, to limit their rates. This is what the Rates Bill aims to achieve.

	1981–82		1982–83		1983–84
	(a) £ million	(b) Percentage	(a) £ million	(b) Percentage	(a) £ million	(b) Percentage
Bournemouth	3·6	41·3	4·2	41·3	4·6	46·9
North Dorset	0·5	49·9	0·7	54·3	0·8	56·9
Eastbourne	1·8	31·0	2·1	38·1	2·4	41·1
Brighton	5·6	48·5	5·0	41·4	6·0	42·4
Torbay	2·7	52·7	2·8	42·7	3·1	44·3

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received from English local authorities relating to the 1984–85 rate support grant settlement; and if he will give a synopsis of the views expressed.

Since provisional targets for 1984–85 were announced on 1 August last, my right hon. Friend has received 56 representations from local authorities seeking changes to their expenditure guidance, and 88 representations from authorities asking that certain amounts or descriptions of expenditure should be disregarded under section 8(4) of the Local Government Finance Act 1982. A number of representations have been received covering other rate support grant matters, in particular the grant percentage, grant-related expenditure assessments and our proposals for grant abatement. DOE Ministers have received 16 deputations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total volume of local government spending in England on current and capital expenditure, expressed in constant prices for each year from 1979 to the latest date for which figures are available.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Burnley (Mr. Pike) on 27 January—[Vol. 52, c. 726–27]—when I provided information on local authority expenditure in cost terms. The capital expenditure figures shown there overstate the reduction in new capital investment, particularly in recent years, because they are net of local authorities' sale of council houses and surplus assets.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the rate support grant payable to (i) the borough of Bournemouth, (ii) North Dorset district council (iii) the borough of Eastbourne, (iv) the borough of Brighton and (v) the borough of Torbay in each of the last five years; and what proportion this represents in each year of the total rate-borne expenditure of each authority.

The table gives latest information for the last three years. The figures for each year are (a) block grant, (b) the proportion which (a) represents of total rate and grant-borne expenditure. Comparison cannot be made with earlier years because the rate support grant system changed in 1981–82. In addition to block grant, domestic rate relief grant is paid at a flat rate of 18·5p based upon the total domestic rateable value in each district.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish, for each class of local authority and for local authorities in total, the percentage increase in current expenditure, in cash, between (a) 1978–79 and 1983–84 and (b) 1981–82 and 1983–84.

The information is as follows:

	Percentage increase in net current expenditure
	1978–79 to 1983–84	1981–82 to 1983–84
Non metropolitan counties	79·8	15·7
Non metropolitan districts	70·2	19·2
Metropolitan counties	111·0	17·4
Metropolitan districts	74·0	13·0
GLC	185·0	75·9
ILEA	96·5	21·2
City of London	141·1	20·8
Inner London	96·1	23·4
Outer London	75·7	14·4
Isles of Scilly	95·1	27·7
All authorities (including Metropolitan Police)
(a) as reported	84·7	17·4
(b) on RSG basis	86·2	17·6

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the grant-related expenditure allocations for parish council precepts for local authorities in England, in total, in 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84 and 1984–85, and the total expenditure by parish councils in England in each year.

Grant-related expenditure allocations for parish councils precepts are not separately identified. Information on expenditure by parish councils is not collected by my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the percentage of local government relevant expenditure met by aggregate Exchequer grant (a) at the time of the rate support grant settlement, (b) at the time of local authorities' budget setting and (c) at outturn, where available, in each year since 1979–80.

Estimates of the percentage of local government relevant expenditure met by aggregate exchequer grant:

	Rate support grant per cent.	At budget* per cent.	At out-turn† per cent.
England and Wales
1979–80	61·0	58·0	60·0
1980–81	61·0	56·9	58·3
England
1981–82	59·1	54·8	54·8
1982–83	56·1	50·9	51·2
1983–84	52·8	‡49·9	n.a.
1984–85	51·9	n.a.	n.a.
* Local authority estimates of relevant expenditure and aggregate exchequer grants except 1983–84.
† Aggregate exchequer grant based on latest RSG report, relevant expenditure based on outturn date (1982–83 revised estimates)
‡ Aggregate exchequer grant from supplementary report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a breakdown of all the service components of grant-related expenditure allocations for each local authority for 1984–85.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, the Member for Bristol, West (Mr. Waldegrave) gave the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 16 January 1984.—[Vol. 52, c. 94-5.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a list of all those local authorities whose grant-related expenditure allocation is lower than their target, showing the percentage variation for each authority ranked.

A ranked list of the authorities whose grant related expenditure in 1984–85 is below their targets is given in the table, together with the percentage excess of target over GRE in each case.

	Excess of target over GRE per cent.
City of London	247·0
Langbaugh	87·8
Sedgefield	84·8
Thamesdown	81·1
Harlow	67·8
Middlesbrough	63·9
Crawley	61·8
Camden	60·2
Wear Valley	59·5
South Yorkshire	56·8
Tower Hamlets	54·9
Greenwich	54·2

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the reasons for the delay in commencing the development of the Anglican cathedral precinct in Liverpool.

The reasons for delay in starting development of the Anglican cathedral precinct were difficulties over acquisition of part of the site; changes in the extent of the site which meant that substantial additional design work was necessary and the time taken to grant detailed planning permission to the developer. Work began on site within 28 working days of the granting of planning permission.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, in regard to his response to Cmnd. 8877 entitled "Coal and the Environment", if he will list the undertakings he has already fulfilled and dates for those which have yet to be undertaken.

The Government's response to the report by the Commission on Energy and the Environment, "Coal and the Environment", was given in Cmnd. 8877. Action on the undertakings given in the relevant paragraphs of the White Paper is as follows.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the cost to local government for 1983–84 of additional duties placed on local government by Government legislation since 1979 excluding unified housing benefits.

The likely expenditure effects of new proposals affecting local government are not available centrally and would be too costly to obtain.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the working time of staff of the Property Services Agency at senior principal and above, and equivalent grades (a) will be taken up in the financial year 1983–84 and (b) would be taken up in the financial year 1984–85 by work in connection with the restructuring of the agency.

Within the PSA there are 240 staff at the levels referred to, of whom three are currently engaged full-time on work connected with the restructuring of the agency. Detailed information on the amount of time spent by other staff at these levels is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many staff of the Property Services Agency are now engaged full-time in working upon the proposals for a restructuring of the agency, showing headquarters and regional staff separately.

The information requested is as follows:

	Number
Headquarters	15
Non Headquarters	13
Total	28

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what total sum of money he expects to pay to private sector consultants in 1983–84 for work on the proposed restructuring of the Property Services Agency; whether these costs have been met out of the agency's normal allocation of funds for consultants' fees; and if he will name the firms involved in work on the restructuring proposals.

It is estimated that total fees for private sector consultants employed in PSA on restructuring work in 1983–84 will be some £325,000. Appropriate provision was made within the agency's overall allocation of resources for consultancy fees. The firms or individuals involved are:

• Messrs Deloitte Haskins and Sells.
• Optef Ltd.
• Mr. H. Cruickshank.
• Mr. N. Bowie.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he can yet give the housing investment programme submission and the actual housing capital allocation for 1984–85 for local authorities generally and for each individual local authority.

I have placed the information in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the number of non-metropolitan county councils which would suffer a block grant reduction, in cash, if they moved from their 1983–84 spending level to their 1984–85 target, showing (a) the cash loss in grant and (b) the grant loss as a rate poundage.

[pursuant to his reply, 31 January 1984, c. 145]: There are four non-metropolitan county councils which would receive less grant for spending at their 1984–85 target, than they would receive in 1984–85, after holdback, for spending at the level of their 1983–84 budget, adjusted for the lower rate of national income surcharge. They are listed together with the reductions in grant in cash and rate poundage terms.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, further to his answer of 22 December 1983, Official Report c. 431, about British military personnel in Kenya, what is the average period of time a member of the British forces serves in Kenya under the arrangements referred to in that answer.

The average tour length of British service personnel stationed in Kenya is between two and three years.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Leyton of 22 December 1983, Official Report, c. 431, about British military personnel in Kenya, what is the nature of the informal links between British and United States troops.

The informal consultation referred to takes place not between troops but through diplomatic channels. Details are confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether British troops based in Kenya may be used in conjunction with the United States rapid deployment forces based in that country.

No such proposals have been made.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many British military personnel have been stationed in Kenya in each year since 1974; and how many are anticipated ed to be stationed there in 1984.

The total numbers of British military personnel stationed in Kenya at 31 December in each of the years since 1974 is as follows. There are no present plans to make changes in 1984.

Year	Numbers
1974	42
1975	28
1976	14
1977	9
1978	9
1979	10
1980	9
1981	9
1982	13
1983	19

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why British military personnel were used to fly Kenyan military Aircraft during the independence day fly-past on 12 December 1982; and on what other occasions British military personnel have flown Kenyan military aircraft.

We have no record of any British military personne taking part in a fly-past in Kenya on 12 December 1982. Such personnel would normally only fly Kenyan military aircraft when acting in an instructional capacity.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the bases in the United Kingdom which are policed by the Ministry of Defence police and which are paid for by the United States Army.

The bases concerned are Royal Air Force Burtonwood, Royal Air Force Caerwent and Army depot Bramley.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will consider giving aid to Namibia, prior to its independence, to help build up its infrastructure in readiness for the transfer.

We are ready to consider development assistance to Namibia but cannot do so in the absence of an internationally acceptable settlement within the terms of Security Council Resolution 435. In the meantime our assistance is limited to training awards for individual Namibians to study in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the Government allocate for food aid to underdeveloped nations; whether he intends to raise the level of this allocation; and if he will make a statement.

In 1982 the United Kingdom provided £12 million worth of food aid bilaterally as part of the European Community's obligation under the 1980 food aid convention. In the present financial year there is provision of £24 million for food aid in our programme, part of which is to finance slippage from the previous financial year. Additionally, £3 million in cash was contributed to the world food programme in 1982 and £500,000 in the current financial year.I have no intention to raise the level of this allocation. Food aid has a useful role for famine relief in emergencies but only a small proportion of food aid is provided for this purpose. I have reservations about the relative effectiveness of other food aid, compared with other forms of development aid assistance, in helping developing countries to improve their food security.In addition to the food aid provided directly by the United Kingdom, there is a substantial programme of food aid carried out by the European Community each year, part of the cost of which is financed from the United Kingdom contribution to the Community's budget. In 1982 the Community spent £281 million on food aid, of which the United Kingdom share was £72 million. Final figures for 1983 are not yet available but the Community's budget for that year included £319 million for food aid, of which the United Kingdom share would be some £77 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the light of the announcement that a report on the privatisation of the Crown Agents is being prepared by a merchant bank, when a decision on their future is likely to be made; and if he will make a statement.

I confirm that a merchant bank—Morgan Grenfell—has been engaged by my right hon. Friend to advise him on the feasibility of privatising the Crown Agents. We expect to receive its report shortly. This will require careful consideration, along with other options for the future of the Crown Agents. We shall reach a decision as soon as we are in a position to do so.

asked the Lord Privy Seal (1) pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Irving) of 1 December 1983, Official Report, c. 567, in what circumstances duties of (a) staff of the House and (b) those occupying official residences, may require the provision of overnight accommodation;(2) what check is made, and by whom, to ascertain that persons using bedrooms in the Palace of Westminster are entitled to do so;(3) pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Irving) of 1 December 1983,

The location of bedrooms provided in the Palace of Westminster and the categories of person who may use them are as follows. Seven rooms are permanently allocated. Three are for the use of staff of the House and doorkeepers whose duties require their attendance when the House sits late. These may be booked, as appropriate, through the Clerk of Committees and the Principal Doorkeeper, who are responsible for checking the eligibility of staff at the time a booking is made. One bedroom is kept for use by the staff of all Departments and is booked through the Hall Keeper's Lodge. All bedrooms are extensively used. Washing and lavatory facilities are provided.

Location of room	No. of rooms	Used by
Library Corridor	1*	Lady Members Chairman of Ways and
Star Chamber Court	1*	Means First Deputy Chairman of
	1*	Ways and Means Second Deputy Chairman
	1*	of Ways and Means
Clock Tower	1	Clerk of Committees
	1*	Assistant Serjeant at Arms Deputy Assistant Serjeant at Arms
Upper Minister's Corridor	1*	Clerk on duty at the Table
Upper Committee Corridor	1*	Clerk Assistant Principal Clerk of the Table
Speaker's Court, North Block	2	Doorkeepers
	1	Staff of all Departments
* Permanently allocated.

Official Residences are provided for

House of Lords	House of Commons
The Black Rod	The Speaker
The Yeoman Usher	The Speaker's Secretary
The Lord Chancellor	The Serjeant at Arms
The Staff Superintendent	The Deputy Serjeant at Arms
The Resident Engineer	The Head Officer Keeper
	The Second Office Keeper

They contain the normal residential facilities on varying scales.A total of 66 beds is provided in the Palace of Westminster. Details of the cost of each residence and the annual cost of maintaining the bedrooms could be provided only at disproportionate cost.The cleaning of bedrooms within residences is the responsibility of those occupying the residence. Other bedrooms are cleaned by part-time cleaning staff of the Serjeant at Arms' Department. Maintenance of all bedrooms in the Palace of Westminster is the responsibility of the Property Services Agency.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the total number of right hon. and hon. Members now engaged on the different forms of Select Committees, giving the numbers from each political party.

The information is as follows:

	Number
Conservative	138
Labour	79
Liberal	8
Official Unionist Party	4
Social Democratic Party	2
Democratic Unionist Party	1
Plaid Cymru	1
	233

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many Select Committee reports have been submitted since June 1983; how many have been debated in the House; and what recommendations have been accepted.

Excluding the reports of the Committee of Selection, a total of 22 Select Committee reports have been made since June 1983, 12 from the European Legislation Committee, nine from the Public Accounts Committee and one from the House of Commons (Services) Committee. None of these reports has been debated as such, although a number of European documents which the European Legislation Committee had recommended for debate in the House were debated on 1 December 1983—common agricultural policy—and on 7 December 1983—common fisheries policy.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make it the practice to remove from coat-hangers provided in the Members' Cloakroom the names of persons elected to the House who have not taken their seat within six months of being elected.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what powers to negotiate and take industrial action it is proposed that the proposed staff associations at the Government communications headquarters will have; and whether they will be free to apply for affiliation to the Trades Union Congress.

Although the detailed arrangements for negotiation and consultation will have to be worked out in discussion with the new staff association, the aim will be to cover the same range of subjects as under existing arrangements. It is envisaged that the new system will be closely modelled on the present departmental Whitley pattern and that matters of pay, conditions of service and procedure will be included. Representatives of the staff association will be entitled to represent and advise individuals on request in personal cases.Industrial action would clearly be damaging in the special circumstances of GCHQ and would therefore have to be excluded.The approval of the director of GCHQ will not be given for affiliation by the new staff association to the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the certificates signed on 25 January under section 121(4) of the Employment Protection Act 1975 and section 138(4) of the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978.

I have already done so.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Russian merchant ships visit British ports per week; whether there is any restriction on how many miles radius of a port the crews are allowed to travel; and what check is made by United Kingdom port authorities on the Russian crews returning to their ships.

In 1983 there were over 1,200 visits by Soviet merchant ships to British ports. For reasons of cost weekly figures for visits of Soviet merchant ships are not kept.The regulations governing Soviet seamen in British ports are set out in the Anglo-Soviet treaty on merchant navigation, a copy of which is in the Library.Like British sailors in the Soviet Union, Soviet sailors are admitted without visas for temporary shore leave while their vessel is in port. In the United Kingdom there are no restrictions imposed on sailors of any nationality as to how widely they may travel during their temporary shore leave. In accordance with United Kingdom practice the master of a Soviet or any other ship is obliged to present a full crew list to the immigration authorities within 12 hours of arrival. There are no formal checks of crews returning to their ships.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, in the context of the Conference on Co-operation and Security in Europe, he will propose an agreement between the participating countries to reduce the sulphur content of fuel in ships.

The Helsinki final act commits signatories to co-operate in the field of the environment. It mentions the problem of pollution of the marine environment, especially in the Mediterranean. We have, however, no plans to propose an agreement to reduce the sulphur content of fuel in ships. Such an agreement would not in our view be practicable at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government will ensure that no public money is given to any foreign organisation that is carrying out a war of so-called national liberation, or one that uses terrorist methods in attempting to secure its political objectives.

We provide no public funds to organisations which use violence in pursuit of their political objectives. We condemn terrorism from whatever source both nationally and in international organisations of which the United Kingdom is a member.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contacts his Department have had with representatives of the South West Africa People's Organisation since 14 March 1983; and if he will make a statement.

I met Mr. David Meroro, national chairman of the South West Africa People's Organisation, in Luanda in November 1983. There are periodic contacts at official level with representatives of SWAPO in London and abroad. Such meetings are consistent with our policy of maintaining contact with the parties involved in Namibia.