asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the percentage of people voting in metropolitan district and county council elections since April 1973.

Information about votes cast at local government elections in 1980 to 1983 was not collected centrally, and it would involve disproportionate cost to provide from official sources the information requested for the year; 1973 to 1979. I refer the hon. Member to tables 12.01–12.04 of "British Electoral Facts 1832–1980" compiled and edited by F. W. S. Craig (Parliamentary Research Services), a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure that in-service training courses for immigration officers include specific race relations training.

The programme of training to which I referred in my reply to the hon. Member on 24 January — [Vol. 52, c. 472] — will be developed progressively to include all general in-service training courses for immigration officers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many women connected with protests at Greenham common military base have been convicted before stipendiary magistrates' benches at Newbury in the past two years; and how many have been acquitted;(2) how many women connected with protests at Greenham common military base have been convicted before lay magistrates' benches at Newbury in the past two years; and how many have been acquitted.

The information is not available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to discuss with the general secretary of the Prison Officers Association proposal to bring the salary scales of prison officers in line with that of police officers; and if he will make a statement.

None; nor have any such proposals been put to us.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the definitions of categories A, B, C and D prisoners, respectively.

The security categories for adult male prisoners are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the review of cases in which Dr. Clift gave forensic evidence began; on what date it was completed; how many forensic scientists were engaged on the review; for how long, and what was their status; and if any forensic scientists independent of the Home Office were employed.

The review began in early August 1981 and ended with the decisions announced in the reply which I gave on 26 January to a question by the right hon. Member. — [Vol. 52, c. 625–7.] The review was not confined to examining only scientific evidence; and as my earlier answer made clear, in deciding which cases to refer to the Court of Appeal I did not seek to reach conclusions on the validity of the evidence given by Dr. Clift. I was, however, greatly assisted by advice from the present controller of the Forensic Science Service and a senior principal scientific officer in the Forensic Science Service who has special responsibility for quality assurance. No forensic scientists from outside the Home Office were employed on the review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what further steps he has taken about referring to the Court of Appeal the 16 cases in which Dr. Clift gave forensic evidence and which he undertook to refer for appeal; if, with the agreement of the people concerned, he will publish their names and details of their cases; and if he will make a statement;(2) what were the dates of the original trials of the 16 cases in which Dr. Clift gave forensic evidence and which are to be referred to the Court of Appeal; and at which laboratories Dr. Clift was working on each of these dates.

The persons whose cases I propose to refer to the Court of Appeal are being so informed, when they can each be traced. It is open to them to draw public attention to their cases, and details will in any event become publicly available when cases are considered by the court. In the meantime, I do not propose to name the persons involved or to make public details from which they might be identified. The trials took place at various times between March 1968 and October 1975. During this period Dr. Clift served at the forensic science laboratories at Preston, Chorley and Harrogate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the Parliamentary Commissioner's view that the danger of improperly induced confessions had to be considered in cases where Dr. Clift gave forensic evidence, and that innocent persons could be led to plead guilty, he will as a first step review those of the 534 cases in which Dr. Clift gave evidence and the accused person pleaded guilty and is still in prison.

The Parliamentary Commissioner concludes in paragraph 55 of his report that it would not be practicable to evaluate in restrospect the extent to which evidence from Dr. Clift may have induced pleas of guilty. Taking this part of his report as a whole, therefore, I do not feel that it affords a basis for the suggestion made by the right hon. Gentleman.But if the examination by the Court of Appeal of the cases which I propose to refer to it should reveal any new consideration affecting these matters, I shall naturally then consider whether any further action is called for.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department at which laboratories records of Dr. Clift's forensic evidence were found during the review of his cases from 1967; how many records were found at each of the laboratories; and which laboratories were responsible for the gap in records between January 1970 and April 1971.

The records which it was necessary to find as a starting-point for the review were not of the evidence given by Dr. Clift, but merely of instances in which he had examined material. Further inquiries were then made with a view to establishing in which of these instances a case subsequently came to trial.Records dating back to 1967 were found for the forensic science laboratories at Preston, Chorley, Harrogate and Birmingham. The number from each laboratory was of no significance for the conduct of the review and could now be established only at disproportionate cost. During the period for which there is a gap in these records, Dr. Clift served at the laboratories at Preston and Chorley.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now order an investigation into every aspect of his Department's work which was criticised in the Parliamentary Commissioner's report about maladministration regarding Mr. John Preece; and if he will publish the findings of the investigation.

On the basis of the full and detailed investigation carried out by the Parliamentary Commissioner, I have taken the action described in my reply to a question by the right hon. Member on 26 January.—[Vol. 52, c. 625–7.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will institute changes in the procedures for investigating requests for criminal cases to be reopened so that they can be dealt with by senior officials quickly, effectively and publicly; if he will prohibit selective communication between his Department and others on these requests; and if he will ensure that authorized solicitors are given all the information they request, unless there is an established legitimate reason for withholding it.

The procedure which will be followed in examining suggestions of a miscarriage of justice is broadly set out in the Reply (Cmnd. 8856) to the Sixth Report of the Home Affairs Committee in the 1981–82 Session. It is often necessary (for example, in order to ascertain the information which was available to support the prosecution) for the Home Office to consult other Departments. Any requests by solicitors for information will be considered carefully and sympathetically.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the Parliamentary Commissioner's findings in the case of Mr. John Preece, he will order a full and independent inquiry into the Forensic Science Service; if he will take steps to make the Forensic Science Service independent of his Department; and if he will ensure that the expertise of the service is full and freely available to both prosecution and defence in court cases.

I have no plans to set up an inquiry into the Forensic Science Service, nor to make the service independent of my Department. The service is already independent in its scientific judgments, and there are arrangements for the examination of items put forward by the defence as well as the prosecution; no charge is made for such examinations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide figures for the past five years showing (a) the number of firemen who have been killed and (b) the number of firemen who were injured in the course of their duty.

The number of firemen killed and injured on duty is published annually in the report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire Services.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for the three most recent six-month periods for which figures are available (a) the total number of people admitted to the United Kingdom, (b) the number of people admitted for settlement and (c) the number of people admitted but not accepted for settlement (i) as visitors and (ii) in other categories for periods of less than six months, six months, and more than six months, respectively; if he will break these figures down to passport issuing countries to include (d) Australia, (e) Bangladesh, (f) Canada, (g) Cyprus, (h) Ghana, (i) Hong Kong, (j) India, (k) Iran, (l) Iraq, (m) Mauritius, (n) New Zealand, (o) Nigeria, (p) Pakistan, (q) Sri Lanka and (r) the United States of America; and if he will include categories of all Commonwealth nationals, all foreign nationals, all new Commonwealth and Pakistan nationals and Indian sub-continent nationals, respectively.

The readily available information is given in the table:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what publicity he intends to give to the recently approved Civil Defence Regulations 1983 and how he intends to advise the public that civil defence volunteers are now to be encouraged to offer their services to local authorities.

The Civil Defence (General Local Authority Functions) Regulations 1983 were sent to local authorities under cover of an unclassified circular. New public information and revised guidance to local authorities will be issued this year. Other opportunities will be taken to inform the public of the scope for voluntary effort in civil defence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to make corporal punishment available to the courts for offences involving robbery, mugging and theft.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will advise the level of funding to the British Tourist Authority in each year since 1979.

The following table shows the amounts provided by way of grant-in-aid to the British Tourist Authority in each financial year since 1979–80. The figure for 1983–84 is estimated:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what has been the value of textiles and clothing imported into the United Kingdom in each of the past five years, by country of origin;(2) what has been the value of textiles and clothing exported by the United Kingdom in each of the past five years, by country of destination.

The information that can be provided within acceptable limits of cost is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of BL's Acclaim motor car is comprised of local content; and what proportion is comprised of local parts.

The normal definition of local content is on an ex-works price basis. This includes EC bought-in components and materials, local labour and other overheads including depreciation, and manufacturing profit. Using this definition, I understand that the average local content across the Acclaim model range is currently 70 per cent. and that further substantial increases in local content are expected later this year. Within this figure, the proportion of locally sourced parts in the Acclaim is a commercially confidential matter, within the commercial responsibilities of BL.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the value of steel and steel products imported into the United Kingdom in each of the past five years, by country of origin.

The following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the value of steel and steel products exported by the United Kingdom in each of the past five years by country of destination.

The following is the information:

asked the Secretary of Trade and Industry what undertakings he has given, or proposes to give, to the European Economic Community Commission concerning further reductions in steel making or finishing capacity in the United Kingdom.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Industry to my hon. Friend the Member for Glanford and Scunthorpe (Mr. Hickmet) on 3 February.—[Vol. 53, c. 387.]

asked the Secretary of State for Government Trade and Industry if he will protest to the United States about the decision to widen the definition of "ornamented" garments subject to higher rates of import tariff than garments not so included; and if he will stress the detrimental effect of this decision for the United Kingdom clothing industry.

Yes. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is at present in the United States and will have an opportunity to raise this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, during the forthcoming negotiations for the renewal of the textile trade agreement between China and the European Community, he will resist Chinese demands for greatly increased access to the United Kingdom clothing market.

The European Community Council agreed in November 1983 that the Commission's negotiating mandate should be the same as that under which the MFA bilateral agreements were negotiated. The mandate provides for an upper limit on overall access for imports from low-cost suppliers of the most sensitive products and for curbs on the growth of quotas for other products.

asked the Secretary for Trade and Industry what has been the total amount of financial aid given to industry in the metropolitan borough of Rochdale to start new production and to support existing companies in each of the years since 1979.

Information is not collected in the form requested. However, under section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 the following offers have been made to companies in the metropolitan borough of Rochdale to help create new jobs or safeguard existing ones:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will implement the recommendation in paragraph 5.6 of the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development's report, "New Opportunities in Manufacturing", that his Department should take measures to make the marketing of its scheme for advanced manufacturing technology more effective;(2) if he will implement the recommendation in paragraph 5.25 of the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development's report, "New Opportunities in Manufacturing", that his Department should assist with the funding of the new Open University courses in advanced manufacturing technology;(3) if he will implement the recommendation in paragraph 5.14 of the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development's report, "New Opportunities in Manufacturing", that his Department should review the application of its support for innovation scheme for manufacturing equipment suppliers to provide greater incentives for inter-company collaboration;(4) if he will implement the recommendation in paragraph 5.15 of the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development's report, "New Opportunities in Manufacturing", that his Department should develop a scheme which would encourage companies to try out new applications for advanced manufacturing technology at reduced risk;(5) if he will implement the recommendation in paragraph 5.12 of the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development's report, "New Opportunities in Manufacturing", that his Department should be much more rigorous in the operation of the guidelines for procurement in order to provide better incentives for encouraging contractors to adopt appropriate manufacturing technology;(6) if he will implement the recommendation in paragraph 5.2 of the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development's report, "New Opportunities in Manufacturing", that his Department should review the existing schemes to provide encouragement for investment;(7) if he will implement the recommendation in paragraph 5.8 of the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development's report, "New Opportunities in Manufacturing", that his Department should sponsor courses and other means necessary for the training and retraining of the consultants it employs;(8) if he will implement the recommendation in paragraph 5.16 of the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development's report, "New Opportunities in Manufacturing", that his Department should examine the scope for providing grant aid for a credible scheme for voluntary certification of advanced manufacturing technology;(9) if he will implement the recommendation in paragraph 5.26 of the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development's report, "New Opportunities in Manufacturing", that his Department should examine the scope for expanding the scheme for fellowships in manufacturing management;(10) if he will implement the recommendation in paragraph 5.26 of the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development's report, "New Opportunities in Manufacturing", that his Department should take measures to develop the teaching company scheme;(11) if he will implement the recommendation in paragraph 5.19 of the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development's report, "New Opportunities in Manufacturing", that his Department should devise a scheme for research associations between Government research establishments and industry.

The Government recognise the importance of advanced manufacturing technology and is giving careful consideration to the report by the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development, including recommendations in paragraphs 5.2, 5.6, 5.8, 5.12, 5.14, 5.15, 5.16, 5.19, 5.25, and 5.26. The Government's response will be published in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether any research or experiments have been undertaken by his Department on the possible use of post offices for other additional public services.

In 1981 an interdepartmental working group, chaired by the Department of Industry examined the possibilities, including those put forward by the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters, for additional post and sub-post office counter business to offset business which was expected to be lost over a number of years as a result of proposed changes in methods of paying social security benefits.In 1982, following discussions with the Post Office, consents were issued under section 7 of the Post Office Act 1969 to permit work to be undertaken at Post Office counters for a number of public bodies including the National Bus Company and British Rail.More recently a working party was established, chaired by the Department of Trade and Industry and involving the Post Office and Government Departments, among other things to keep under review on a continuing basis the prospects for increased counter business from Government Departments, other public bodies and from within the Post office itself.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, in reaching his decision regarding Government support for the A320 Airbus, what account he is taking of the consequences of the time taken on the competitive position of the proposed aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

The Government are fully aware of the importance attached to protecting the competitive position of the A320 and the projected spring 1988 entry into service date. The time scale for the Government's decision on launch aid for the project does not prejudice these objectives.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will arrange to issue annual reports on provisions of telecommunications for the disabled; if he will see to it that the annual report gives details of provisions for the disabled as well as developments which are taking place for the disabled; and if he will make a statement.

Under the Telecommunications Bill, the Director General of Telecommunications will keep under review and collect information about telecommunications with a view to his becoming aware of matters in respect of which he has responsibilities. These include promoting the interests of disabled users of telecommunications. He will also be under a duty to include a general survey of developments in telecommunications in his annual report. However, the Government are prepared to consider amendments to the Bill imposing a requirement on the Director to report specifically on matters affecting the disabled.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations he had with the manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers of scented erasers before he introduced an order on 30 January banning the sale of certain such items.

I am not required under the Consumer Safety Act 1978 to carry out consultations before making a prohibition order under section 3(1)(a) and (2), and paragraph 5 of schedule 1 to that Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many young persons and children were injured, damaged or otherwise incapaitated by the possession of or contact with scented erasers in each of the past 10 years.

The available statistics do not separately identify injuries caused by scented erasers, although accidents involving such erasers have been reported.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has of the numbers and value of scented erasers imported in the most recent annual period for which figures are available; and if he has any information about the value of stocks of such erasers at the most recent date for which figures are available.

None: scented erasers are not separately identified in official statistics.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the loss experienced by traders holding stocks of scented erasers on the date he published the order banning the sale of such items.

I am not required under the Consumer Safety Act 1978 to make an assessment of loss to traders who supply products which are considered unsafe.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to exempt from the Scented Erasers (Safety) Order those scented erasers which do not have the shape or appearance of items of food or sweets.

No. The feature that distinguishes these erasers from other small everyday objects is their strong attractive smell; this alone could suffice to tempt a very young child to put one in its mouth and possibly choke as a result.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement outlining the specific risks of danger which led him to table the Scented Erasers (Safety) Order under paragraph 5 of schedule 1 to the Consumer Safety Act.

I made the order under the emergency procedure because I judged these scented erasers posed a risk of death by choking to very young children. There have been several recorded accidents involving such erasers.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what guidance he has given to trading standards officers on how they should assess the degree to which scented erasers smell of food or flowers, as they are required to do under the Scented Erasers (Safety) Order.

None; definitions in the order ale considered adequate for enforcement purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many trips abroad have been made by Ministers in his Department since May 1979; and what was the cost.

Between 4 May 1979 and 31 December 1983, 327 overseas visits were undertaken by Ministers of the Department of Trade and Industry (and its predecessors, the Departments of Industry and Trade) at a total cost of £533,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make a statement on Government launching aid for the Rolls-Royce V2500 consortium engine.

I have nothing to add at present to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to my hon. Friend the Member for Delyn (Mr. Raffan) on 3 February.—[Vol. 53, c. 387–8.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether there is any pipe-laying barge capacity in the United Kingdom owned and operated by British companies.

I have been asked to reply.There are no pipelay barges owned and operated by British companies.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether there is capacity in the United Kingdom for producing the broad range of special steels required for North sea development owned and operated by British companies; and if he will specify any areas of deficiency.

I have been asked to reply.United Kingdom industry is generally able to provide the broad range of steels required for North sea developments. There are no significant areas of deficiency. The Offshore Supplies Office maintains a regular dialogue with the industry to ensure it is aware of changing demands.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many civil servants in each year since 1981 have been promoted to the rank of assistant secretary at the ages of 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 years and above, respectively.

Information currently available is for 1981 and 1982 only. Promotions to Assistant Secretary are as follows:

asked the Prime Minister what representations she has received from Londoners favouring the Government's policy of abolishing the Greater London council.

I have received about 20 such representations.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

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asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

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asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 7 February.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.

asked the Prime Minister when she next plans to meet some or all of the leaders of the European Economic Community member states in order to try to solve difficulties currently facing the Community.

I expect to meet all my Community colleagues at the next meeting of the European Council in Brussels on 19–20 March. I held discussions with President Mitterrand on 23 January and with the Italian Prime Minister on 26–27 January and may have one or two other bilateral meetings with Community colleagues before the European Council.

asked the Prime Minister what discussions she has held with the authorities in the People's Republic of Hungary regarding possible progress in the negotiations at either the Committee on Disarmament in Geneva or the conference on mutual and balanced force reductions in Vienna; and what has been the outcome of those discussions.

I had wide-ranging discussions with the Hungarian leadership on arms control and disarmament. I stressed our determination to halt and reverse the arms build-up through balanced and verifiable international agreements.

asked the Prime Minister if she will estimate the number of teachers of English and mathematics who need to qualify each year from now until the year 2000 in order to ensure no shortages of such teachers in schools.

In setting targets for intakes to teacher training my right hon. Friends take account of likely demand in schools in the years immediately ahead for teachers of those and other subjects. But there are too many uncertainties to permit reliable forecasts of teacher demand by subject up to the year 2000.

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

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government will be represented at the fifteenth world congress of Rehabilitation International in Lisbon; and if she will make a statement.

Representation of Her Majesty's Government will be considered nearer the date of the congress.

asked the Prime Minister, pursuant to the answer from the Secretary of State for Energy to the hon. Member for Bedfordshire, North (Mr. Skeet) on 1 February concerning external financing limits for the electricity supply industry, if Her Majesty's Government will introduce legislation to establish on a statutory basis the agreed financial framework within which nationalised industries operate.

The statutory financial framework varies from industry to industry. The scope and content of this framework, and its consistency across industries, are kept under review, but we have no immediate plans to introduce amending legislation.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the preparations being made for the next European Economic Community summit in March.

The conduct of the negotiations leading to the European Council on 19–20 March is essentially a matter for the French presidency. A number of bilateral meetings have already taken place, including my own meeting with President Mitterrand on 23 January. I also met the Italian Prime Minister on 26–27 January. My right hon. and learned Friend met the Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany for talks on 6 February. The French Minister for European Affairs, M. Dumas, will be visiting London for talks on 8 February.In addition to these and other bilateral contacts, the negotiations will be carried forward at an informal meeting of EC Foreign Ministers on 18–19 February, at the Foreign Affairs Council on 20 February and in other relevant Councils.

asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government will consider amending sections 226 and 227 of the Taxes Act 1970 and section 63 and schedule 16 to the Social Security Act 1970 and regulations made thereunder to permit the payment of a transfer value from an exempt approved pension scheme to a retirement annuity value approved under the aforesaid section 226.

I shall bear my hon. Friend's suggestion in mind. But it would not be appropriate to make any such change until the inquiry into provision for retirement, currently being conducted by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services, has been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will introduce legislation to require the British Gas Corporation to connect to the mains gas supply all persons who live within three miles of the mains.

I have no such plans. Where there is no existing statutory duty to connect, new business should remain a commercial matter between the corporation and potential customers.