Written Answers Toquestions
Wednesday 8 February 1984
Energy
Combined Heat And Power
asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he is now able to announce which areas are to be chosen for combined heat and power pilot projects.
A statement on combined heat and power will be made shortly.
Power Stations
asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the price received for each of the power stations closed and sold during the last five years.
This is a matter for the CEGB and I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.
Energy Conservation
asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what information he has about Government-sponsored financial aid available for energy conservation measures in private houses in each European Economic Community country including the United Kingdom;(2) what information he has about Government-sponsored financial assistance available to industry for energy conservation measures in each European Economic Community country including the United Kingdom.
The European Commission has produced a report giving details of energy conservation measures in all member states. This was deposited in the House and an explanatory memorandum submitted on 6 March l981. (EEC document No. 4582/81, updated by some information in EEC document No. 7982/82, on which an explanatory memorandum was submitted on 5 July 1982). The Commission is expected to be undertaking further reviews of member states' energy conservation programmes.
Coal Industry
asked the Secretary of State for Energy what pilot or research projects his Department is currently supporting in the following areas of alternative industrial uses for coal: (a) liquefaction, (b) gasification, (c) combined heat and power and (d) fluidised combustion.
My Department is currently supporting the following activities related to alternative industrial uses of coal:—
Electricity Supply Industry
asked the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bedfordshire, North on 1 February concerning external financing limits for the electricity supply industry, if he will list in the Official Report the components of the agreed financial framework within which nationalised industries operate which relate to the electricity supply industry.
The financial framework for the electricity supply industry is as described in Part III of Cmnd, 7131, the 1978 White Paper on the Nationalised Industries, and expanded by the Government's statement of 4 August 1980 and the Treasury's Memorandum to the Treasury and Civil Service Select Committee in 1981 (HC 348, Vol. II, July 1981). The main components of this framework currently relating to the Electricity Supply Industry are:
Financial Target
- 1·4 per cent. return on net assets on a current cost accounting basis over the two year period 1983–84 and 1984–85.
External Financing Limit
- £418 million for 1983–84
- £740 million for 1984–85
Performance Aim
- Reduction of 4·25 per cent. in controllable costs over the period 1983–84—1984–85.
In addition, the industry's capital investment programmes need to receive my right hon. Friend's approval.
asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what plans he has for further and substantial purchases of French electricity under long-term supply contracts with Electricité de France;(2) if he will give the actual volume of electricity imported from France
(a) in 1983, (b) upon completion of the additional underwater cables to France and (c) envisaged for 1990.
The existing 160 MW cross-Channel link was taken out of service in 1980, and so no electricity was imported from France in 1983. Once the new cross-Channel link—now under construction—is completed, trading between the CEGB and Electricité de France will take place within the framework of a broad commercial agreement already signed by the two utilities. A specific agreement relating to the use of the link for its first five years is now under discussion between the CEGB and Electricité de France.
Ncb (Deficit Grant)
asked the Secretary of State for Energy what payments of deficit grant will be made to the National Coal Board in respect of the current financial year; and if he will make a statement.
My hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury will be laying before Parliament supplementary estimates which include increased provision for deficit grant payments to the National Coal Board. The upper limit for such payments in respect of the current financial year will be raised from £408 million to £600 million.Prospective losses on this scale underline the seriousness of the board's financial position and the extent of the industry's dependence on the Government and the taxpayer.The deterioration in the board's position has occurred despite considerable progress made in reducing costs and excess output. Markets and market proceeds have declined and substantial additional provision has had to be made for subsidence damage. The revised deficit grant provision also takes account of the cost to the NCB of measures agreed by the Government to support the foundry coke market, to encourage coal stocking by the CEGB and industrial coal consumers, and to substitute, during the first six months of the year, for imports.There are still significant areas of uncertainty which could increase yet further the board's deficit in revenue account. For example, the chairman of the board has said that continuation of the overtime ban to the end of March could cost the Board £80 million on its profit and loss account this year, even though it has brought benefits to the Board in terms of its immediate cash-position. In that event, the Government would need to consider whether to seek Parliamentary approval for a further payment of deficit grant since, as the House knows, the NCB now has no reserves.
Advertisements (Costs)
asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is, for the last 12 months available, the amount spent by his Department on advertisements in (a) newspapers, (b) television and (c) radio on the Save-It campaign.
The amounts spent on all aspects of energy efficiency advertising in newspapers, on television and the radio in the last 12 months were:
| £ | |
| Press | 1,246,000 |
| Television | 259,000 |
| Radio | 2,000 |
Opencast Mining
asked the Secretary of State for Energy what steps have been taken to carry out the recommendations of the Commission on Energy and the Environment that responsibility for opencast planning be transferred to local authorities; what planning changes are envisaged in this proposal; and if he will make a statement.
I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to the question he has tabled for answer today by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. I shall make a full statement shortly.
asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many applications are before him for opencast mining in the Yorkshire area, specifying each application and name of site; whether these applications will be held in abeyance until the amendment of the Opencast Coal Act 1958 has been effected; and if he will make a statement.
None.
Home Department
Metropolitan Police (Divisional Reports)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make the divisional reports prepared by the divisions within No. 4 area of the Metropolitan police available for discussion and consultation by local councillors and hon. Members for the area covered by reports.
The 1983 plans were not drawn up in a form suitable for publication; but the police would be ready to give a presentation of strategies and objectives evolved from the planning process to consultative groups or, where a consultative group has not been formed, to the local authority.
Commissioner Of Police Of The Metropolis (Report)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the recommendations contained in the report of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on his proposed plans and priorities for the coming year; and if he will make a statement.
I am placing a summary of the commissioner's recent report to me, as police authority for the metropolis, in the Library of the House, and I have sent a copy to every right hon. and hon. Member for a constituency in the Metropoliton police district. I hope to meet Members soon to discuss the commissioner's proposals and that it will be possible to find time to give the House an opportunity for a debate before Easter.As Home Secretary, I attach particular importance to the prevention and detection of crime. To this end I have given, and shall continue to give, every encouragement to the police to improve their methods, to make the very best use of their resources and to harness the co-operation of the public in reducing crime. With my responsibilities for the police service as a whole it is my continuing concern to encourage the interchange of ideas and the spread of best practice, and to facilitate the maximum co-operation between forces.The commissioner and his officers are to be congratulated on the progress made by the Metropolitan police in the last year. An intensive programme of planning, involving officers at all levels, has resulted in a more purposeful use of manpower and other resources. Over 750 uniformed constables have been added to divisional strengths and almost 200 sergeants redeployed through the reduction of central departments, the rationalisation of crime squads, civilianisation and by other means. There has been a reduction of 27 per cent. in demands for manpower from other districts for events in central London. At the same time, the introduction of area intelligence and surveillance units has sharpened and focussed efforts to improve performance against street robbery and burglary. I am encouraged to see a reduction of 4 per cent. in 1983 in the number of notifiable offences recorded by the force; and an increase in clear-up rates for several groups of offences, including burglarly — up from 8 per cent. to 9 per cent.—and robbery and other violent theft—up from 10 per cent. to 13 per cent.—and sexual offences—up from 44 per cent. to 51 per cent. Arrests for offences of robbery and other violent theft are up by 14 per cent. and for sexual offences by 21 per cent. I am also glad that progress has been made in establishing a secure framework for public co-operation: consultative groups, crime prevention panels, and victim support schemes have been formed and neighbourhood watch and property marking introduced on a large scale.I have studied the commissioner's report carefully and have discussed with him his future programme of work to build on the essential foundations for a better service to the public which have been laid. He intends to
— maximise performance through the most effective use of manpower;
— minimise criminal opportunity through crime prevention, public contact, involvement and co-operation;
— enhance the detection of specified criminal offences—robbery, burglarly and autocrime—through analytical techniques, co-ordination and integration of effort, improvements in criminal intelligence, targeting and surveillance;
— imporve management and organisation to support his force strategy and to enhance the quality of service to the public.
I have told the commissioner that his proposals for the coming year are fully in accord with my strategy for fighting crime, and that I look forward to a full evalution of the measures which he is taking as soon as possible. As police authority I have emphasised to the commissioner my concern to see improvements in firearms training in the force, greater efforts to combat offences involving hard drugs and better relations at all levels with the ethnic minority communities. He has assured me of the importance which he, too, attaches to making progress in all these areas and I welcome the measures which he is taking to this end.
I have also considered with the commissioner his manpower needs. I have told him that the Metropolitan police will be allowed an additional 200 police officers in 1984–85 bringing the police establishment to 27,115. The commissioner accepts that there is still scope for the greater use of civilians to release police officers from adminstrative work. I have indicated to the commissioner that civilianisation should continue to have a high priority and am therefore raising the civilian staff ceiling from 13,456 to 13,750. In authorising these increases I have stressed to the commissioner the importance I attach to securing value for money in the use of all resources and to close consultation on the full resource implications of new proposals. I therefore welcome his continuing emphasis in his report to me on the need for the force to ensure that resources are used in the most effective way.
Departmental Advertising
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is, for the last 12 months available, the amount spent by his Department on advertisements (a) in newspapers, (b) on television and (c) on radio on television licence evasion.
During 1983, the costs of advertisements about television licence evasion in newspapers, television and radio were £88,000, £755,000 and £47,000, respectively.
Detention Centres
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now publish the results of his assessment of the effectiveness of short sharp shock regimes at detention centres.
We intend to publish the results as quickly as possible after the evaluation report has been completed.
Trade And Industry
Prices
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his estimate of the eventual effect on output prices of a 10 per cent. increase in input prices as shown in the wholesale price index, all other things being equal.
The relationship between movements in manufacturers' input prices and the prices of their output depends on many factors. These include prices charged by overseas competitors, whether the movements in input prices are expected to be permanent, the level of capacity utilisation in industry and demand for the goods produced. The effect of an increase in the input producer price index (formerly known as the wholesale price index) on the output producer price index cannot therefore be simply stated.
Research And Development Expenditure
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of his Department's research and development expenditure goes to private industry.
In 1980–81, the latest year for which outturn figures are available, 61 per cent, of gross research and development expenditure by the Department of Trade and Industry went to private industry.
Steel
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has received the final plans for the Phoenix II steel merger; and when he expects to make a statement.
Officials from this Department are discussing with the companies concerned outline proposals for restructuring the engineering steels sector. A statement will be made when final plans for Phoenix II have been agreed.
Nissan Motor Company
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much public funds in total will be given to Nissan if it sets up a car assembly plant in the United Kingdom.
I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 6 February to the right hon. Member for Swansea, West (Mr. Williams)—[Vol. 53, c. 427.]—which dealt with Government assistance for phase II of the Nissan project. Phase I, during which Nissan plans to assemble cars based on imported kits, has estimated capital costs of some £50 million. These will similarly attract regional development grant at 15 per cent. or 22 per cent. of eligible expenditure, depending on location. Selective financial assistance has not been offered in respect of phase I. Taking the estimated capital costs of phase I and phase II together of some £350 million, total Government assistance including SFA would therefore be up to some £88 million in a development area, or up to some £112 million in a special development area, depending on eligibility.
Soviet Union
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals he has to improve trade with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; and to which industries in the west midlands his efforts are directed.
The Government continue to support mutually advantageous trade with the Soviet Union, and British companies wishing to export there have my Department's full and active assistance. The British Soviet joint commission meets annually to review the scope for increased economic, industrial, scientific and technological cooperation between our two countries. In the course of the last session of the joint commission, which took place in London in May 1983, two new working groups were established to explore the scope for increased trade in the fields of agriculture, food processing and packaging and machinery and equipment. The latter group is initially considering the automotive sector, which is of particular relevance to industry in the West Midlands. The next session of the joint commission is due to take place in the Soviet Union in May 1984.
Regional Assistance (Wolverhampton)
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the number and value of offers of regional assistance made to firms in the Wolverhampton travel-to-work area for the last month for which statistics are available; and if he will give details of all Wolverhampton firms benefiting under the Industrial Development Act 1982.
I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Citizens Advice Bureaux
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the Lovelock report on the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux and how its recommendations will be followed up.
The report is being published as a Command Paper today.The team to review the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux under the chairmanship of Sir Douglas Lovelock started work in July 1983, and submitted its report, as requested, within six months. I am most grateful for the speed and efficiency with which it has carried out its task.The report contains over 20 recommendations, most of which are addressed to the National Association itself. All concerned will need to study these carefully, and full consultations will be necessary with the association, before decisions are taken on follow-up action. I will report to the House again when these consultations have been completed.
North Sea Development (United Kingdom Capacity)
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what vessels with heavy lift capacity suitable for North sea development there are in the United Kingdom owned by British capital.
I have been asked to reply.There are two British-owned heavy lift vessels in operation with capability to work on North Sea developments. These are the Tog Mor owned by Howard Doris Ltd. and the ITM Mariner owned by ITM (Offshore) Ltd.
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of drilling contractors operating in the North sea are of British origin and capital; and if the Government will take measures to encourage the growth of British investment.
I have been asked to reply.My Department does not record drilling contractors operating in the North Sea in terms of either origins or British capital investment. However, from the returns published in the Brown Book the United Kingdom share of the exploration and appraisal drilling sector is around 30 per cent. Through the Offshore Supplies Office the Government encourage the growth of British investment in the offshore drilling sector.
Prime Minister
Airline Competition Policy
asked the Prime Minister if the Civil Aviation Authority will be receiving submissions from various Government Departments regarding consultation on airline competition policy; and if she will publish in the Official Report the Departments which are expected to submit evidence to the Civil Aviation Authority; and if she will make a statement.
As part of its current review of airline competition policy the Civil Aviation Authority has invited comments from the Scottish Office, the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment and the Office of Fair Trading with all of which it has regular contacts on air transport matters. I expect all three to reply to the authority.
Science Park, Manchester
asked the Prime Minister what representations she has had with regard to the Manchester science park venture; what reply she is sending; and if she will make a statement.
I shall write to the right hon. Member.
Opencast Coal Sites
asked the Prime Minister when Her Majesty's Government intend to introduce legislation to amend the Opencast Coal Act 1958 to allow planning applications for opencast sites to be transferred to local authorities and authorisations from the Department of Energy to the Department of the Environment.
I refer the right hon. Member to the reply that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Bedfordshire, North (Mr. Skeet) on 31 January 1984.— [Vol. 88, c. 124.]
Departmental Staff
asked the Prime Minister if she will require all Government Departments to keep such formal analyses of their staff, by sex and grade, as will enable them to ensure that there is fair and open competition without discrimination on grounds of sex in each section and unit of each Department.
I shall let the hon. and learned Member have a reply as soon as possible.
National Finance
Revenue Papers (Sorting)
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress the Board of Inland Revenue is making in its proposals to privatise the sorting of individual revenue papers and tax files.
The Inland Revenue is carrying out a feasibility study to see whether it might be more cost effective to contract out the work of the sorting centre at Kew which handles all inter-office post. Tenders from reputable contractors are now being examined. The Department is also reviewing the working arrangements in the present centre to see whether, with improved efficiency, a case can be made for retaining the work within the Department.
Tax District Offices (Closure)
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the annual saving as a result of the proposed closure of tax district offices.
The main financial savings will be on office space, but because the accommodation rationalisation proposals for tax district and collection offices are interdependent separate figures are not available for district offices alone. The Department is completing a detailed review of accommodation requirements of tax district and collection offices in four of its 15 regions. This shows expected savings in these four regions of at least £2 million per annum initially, with the possibility of additional further savings of around the same amount in due course. It is not possible at this stage to make an accurate estimate of the savings in the other regions.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer which tax district offices are to be closed; and, in those cases, where the towns concerned will as a result no longer have a tax district located in them, what is the distance from the office to be closed to the nearest office to remain open.
There will be 141 closures in locations where other tax district offices will remain open, as follows:
There will be 24 closures in locations where no tax district offices will remain, as follows:London area (35), Luton, Leicester, Southend, Rochdale, Bury, Wigan, Bolton, Oldham, Crewe, Stoke (2), Manchester (5), Darlington, Gateshead, Newcastle (2), Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Hull, Grimsby, Southport, Chester, Birkenhead, St. Helens, Warrington, Liverpool (7), Blackburn, Blackpool, Preston, Chatham, Southampton, Portsmouth (2), Reading, Brighton, Yeovil, Taunton, Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol, Chesterfield, Lincoln, Doncaster, Leeds (3), Sheffield (3) Barnsley, Wakefield, Derby, Nottingham (3), Bradford (2), Halifax, Burton, Stafford, Walsall, Dudley, Wolverhampton (2), Coventry, Worcester, Birmingham (11), Newport (2), Cardiff, Pongypridd, Haverfordwest, Swansea, Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow (4), Hamilton, Ayr, Paisley, Edinburgh (2), Belfast (2).
| Location | Approximate distance (miles) to nearest office to remain open |
| Aberdare | 7 |
| Arbroath | 18 |
| Ardrossan | 8 |
| Kilmarnock | 7 |
| Blyth | 10 |
| Buxton | 12 |
| Cupar | 13 |
| Folkestone | 8 |
| Hartlepool | 9 |
| Hinckley | 5 |
| Dunfermline | 14 |
| Lanark | 14 |
| Llandudno | 5 |
| Matlock | 8 |
| Port Talbot | 6 |
| Rawtenstall | 7 |
| Retford | 11 |
| Selby | 14 |
| Shoreham | 5 |
| South Shields | 7 |
| North Shields | 8 |
| Ulverston | 8 |
| Wallasey | 4 |
| Weymouth | 8 |
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer which tax offices were considered for closure in towns with no other tax office but are in fact to remain open; and how far each is situated from the proposed nearest remaining tax office.
The following table shows the tax district offices considered for closure in towns with no other tax office but which are now to remain open, and the distance of each from the nearest remaining tax district office:
| Considered for closure | Nearest remaining office | Approximate distance (miles) |
| Alnwick | Morpeth | 19 |
| Bexhill | Hastings | 5 |
| Chorley | Preston | 9 |
| Dewsbury | Wakefield | 6 |
| Farnham | Guildford | 10 |
| Grantham | Newark | 15 |
| Grays | Basildon | 8 |
| Hawick | Galashiels | 18 |
| Hexham | Newcastle | 20 |
| Llanelli | Swansea | 12 |
| Motherwell | Hamilton | 3 |
| Northwich | Warrington | 12 |
| Nuneaton | Coventry | 9 |
| Pontypool | Newport | 9 |
| Wells | Frome | 17 |
| Whitehaven | Workington | 8 |
Tobacco And Cigarettes
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in the Official Report the price of cigarette, cigar and pipe tobacco in the European Economic Community and the level of duty imposed from information available to him; and how these figures compare with the United Kingdom.
I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received opposing any further increased taxation in the Budget on cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco; and if he will make a statement.
Representations in this sense have been received from the Tobacco Advisory Council, from the Tobacco Workers Union and from individual companies within the industry. These will be carefully considered with all other representations about the level of tobacco products duty.
Capital Taxes And Stamp Duty
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a breakdown of how the increased real revenue from capital taxes and stamp duty, referred to in his reply of 16 January, Official Report, c. 23, is made up.
The figures are:
| 1983–84 prices £ billion | |
| Capital taxes | -0·1 |
| Stamp duty | +0·4 |
Income And Taxation
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the size of the cut in the standard rate of income tax to the nearest 0·1p which would be required in 1983–84 and in 1984–85 to reduce the total tax payments; income tax, national insurance contributions, indirect taxes, less child benefit where appropriate, for those on three quarters, 100 and 150 per cent. of national average earnings for single people, married couples and married couples with two-child families in each case to the same sum of money in constant prices as in 1978–79;(2) if he will estimate the size of the cut in the standard rate of income tax to the nearest 0·lp now required to reduce the total tax payments: income tax, national insurance contributions, indirect taxes, less child benefit where applicable, for those on three quarters, 100 and 150 per cent. of national average earnings for single people, married couples and married couples with two-child families in each case to the same proportion of gross earnings as in 1978–79.
I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
Higher-Paid Employment (Allowances)
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current remuneration figure for higher-paid employment for the purposes of section 69 of the Finance Act 1976; when and by how much this limit has been increased under either these provisions or predecessor powers; what was the limit originally fixed; and by how much this figure would have increased to date if it had been index-linked.
The current figure of £8,500 has applied since 6 April 1979. The original figure under earlier legislation introduced in 1948 was £2,000. This was subsequently increased to £5,000 (from 6 April 1975) and to £7,500 (from 6 April 1978). If the original figure of £2,000 had been index-linked by reference to the retail price index its current level would be in the region of £21,500.
Investment Statistics
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will set out in tabular form by category of owner total investment in British companies expressed as a level of tangible assets plus gross financial assets at market value; and what percentage each category of owner is credited, breaking down, if possible, the category listed as nominees;(2) if he will set out in tabular form and by category of owner what beneficial shareholding each has by percentage of shares held in British companies compared with 1975, breaking down, if possible, the category listed as nominees.
I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
Tax Relief
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the costs in 1983–84 of (a) mortgage interest relief, (b) capital gains tax relief on only or main residence, (c) special rate of corporation tax for building societies, (d) exemptions applicable to capital transfer tax and (e) total exemptions applicable to capital gains tax.
I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
Income Tax
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out for each tax band the number and proportion of taxpayers whose highest rate of income tax falls within that band in each year from 1978–79.
I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider abolishing the married man's allowance and the wife's earned income allowance and replacing them with a single person's allowance for both parties in his forthcoming Budget statement.
[pursuant to his reply, 6 February 1984, c. 436]: I cannot anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget statement.
Taxation
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) to what extent the estimated yields from (a) capital transfer tax, (b) capital gains tax and (c) investment income surcharge set out in the financial statement and Budget report still reflect the anticipated revenue from these taxes in 1983–84; and if, where the most recent estimate differs from this estimate, he will state that estimate;(2) if he will set out the proportion of Government revenue derived from capital taxation as a proportion of Government revenue for the years 1981–82 to 1983–84; and if he will also give information in the same format for capital taxation as a proportion of total tax revenue.
I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
Age Allowance
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many retired women aged 60 to 65 years would qualify for the age allowance if it were extended; and what would be the cost of extending it to these women.
[pursuant to his reply, 6 February 1984, c. 43]: I assume -that my hon. Friend has in mind an extension of age allowance to single women and widows aged 60–64 receiving the national insurance retirement pension. There are about 425,000 such women. Extending the allowance to this group alone would cost about £20 million in a full year at 1983–84 levels of income. About 225,000 women would benefit.
Fraud Investigation
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax inspectors are allocated solely and exclusively to fraud investigations up to the current time; what was the equivalent figure in 1979; how many inspectors are attached to the special unit now; and what was the equivalent figure in 1979.
[pursuant to his reply, 6 February 1984, c. 436]: The number of tax inspectors allocated solely and exclusively to fraud investigations was 72 in both 1979 and 1983.By special unit I assume that the hon. Member has in mind the Inland Revenue special offices. The total number of inspectors attached to the special offices has increased from 52 in 1979 to 105 in 1983.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the powers of tax inspectors pursuing fraud investigations to search the home or office premises of someone suspected of tax evasion or fraud; and whether it is normal practice for investigators to do so, either under powers ascribed to them, or with the consent of the suspect.
[pursuant to his reply, 6 February 1984, c. 436]: The power of Inland Revenue officials to enter and search under warrant the premises of someone suspected of tax fraud is given by section 20C of the Taxes
| Table 2 | ||||
| Income Tax Threshold in National Currency | Threshold in £ Sterling | Rate of Income Tax Per cent. | Rate of Income Tax and Social Security Contributions Per cent. | |
| Single Person | ||||
| Belgium (Fr) | 145,770 | 1,800 | 19·3 (20·4) | 28 (29·2) |
| Denmark (Kr) | 21,050 | 1,470 | 13·7(39·1) | 18·2 (43·6) |
| France (F) | 44,175 | 3,650 | 28·8 | 37·3 |
| Germany (DM) | 7,470 | 1,900 | 18 | 35·4 |
| Greece (Dr) | 168,500 | 1,160 | 5·9 | 14·4 |
| Ireland (£Ir) | 2,400 | 1,875 | See note 6 | See note 6 |
| Italy (L) | 4,038,200 | 1,680 | 18 | 24·1 |
| Luxembourg (Lfr) | 217,975 | 2,690 | 12·6 | 23·2 |
| Netherlands (fl) | 13,080 | 2,935 | 16·3 | 37 |
| United Kingdom (£) | 1,785 | 1,785 | 30 | 39 |
Management Act 1970 and may be exercised only with the express approval of the Board of Inland Revenue and a warrant issued by a circuit judge. Since its enactment in 1976, that power has been used in 19 cases where there was reasonable ground for suspecting that evidence of serious tax fraud was to be found. As part of their (in-depth) investigations into a taxpayer's affairs and with his agreement, Inspectors occasionally visit the office premises, or, less commonly, the home, of a taxpayer to inspect documents and records. These practices were reviewed by Lord Keith's Committee on Enforcement Powers of the Revenue Departments (Cmnd. 8822).
Taxation Statistics
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.
[pursuant to his reply, 1 February 1984, c. 207–8]: The information requested is given in tables 1 and 2:
| Table 1 | ||||
| Maximum rates of income tax—earned (employment) income per cent. | Maximum rates of income tax—unearned income per cent. | |||
| Belgium | 72 | (76·3) | 72 | (76·3) |
| Denmark | 39·6 | (68·4) | 39·6 | (68·4) |
| France | 71·2 | 71·2 | ||
| Germany | 56 | 56 | ||
| Greece | 63·6 | 66·3 | ||
| Ireland | 65 | 65 | ||
| Italy | 65 | 65 | (70·67) | |
| Luxembourg | 62·7 | 62·7 | ||
| Netherlands | 72 | 72 | ||
| United Kingdom | 60 | 75 | ||
| USA | 50 | (55·5) | 50 | (55·5) |
| Canada | 34 | (50·7) | 34 | (50·7) |
| Japan | 71·25 | (88·35) | 75 | (93) |
Notes
Income Tax Threshold in National Currency
| Threshold in £ Sterling
| Rate of Income Tax Per cent.
| Rate of Income Tax and Social Security Contributions Per cent.
| |
Married Couple
| ||||
| Belgium (Fr) | 187,060 | 2,310 | 21·7 (23) | 30·2(31·5) |
| Denmark (Kr) | 42,105 | 2,945 | 13·7 (39·1) | 18·2 (43·6) |
| France (F) | 48,720 | 4,025 | 7·2 | 18·3 |
| Germany (DM) | 12,940 | 3,310 | 18 | 35·4 |
| Greece (Dr) | 227,100 | 1,565 | 7·6 | 15·9 |
| Ireland (£Ir) | 4,800 | 3,750 | See note 6 | See note 6 |
| Italy (L) | 5,474,520 | 2,280 | 18 | 24·1 |
| Luxembourg (Lfr) | 310,580 | 3,835 | 12·6 | 23·2 |
| Netherlands (fl) | 16,450 | 3,700 | 16·3 | 37 |
| United Kingdom (£) | 2,795 | 2,795 | 30 | 39 |
Married Couple with two Dependent Children
| ||||
(see note 7)
| ||||
| Belgium (Fr) | 287,285 | 3,510 | 22·05 (23·4) | 29·9(31·1) |
| Denmark (Kr) | 42,105 | 2,945 | 13·7 (39·1) | 18·2 (43·6) |
| France (F) | 70,930 | 5,860 | 7·2 | 18·3 |
| Germany (DM) | 14,120 | 3,575 | 18 | 35·4 |
| Greece (Dr) | 407,700 | 2,810 | 17·1 | 24·5 |
| Ireland (£Ir) | 4,800 | 3,750 | See note 6 | See note 6 |
| Italy (L) | 5,906,720 | 2,460 | 18 | 24·1 |
| Luxembourg (Lfr) | 482,590 | 5,960 | 12·6 | 23·2 |
| Netherlands (fl) | 16,450 | 3,700 | 16·3 | 37 |
| United Kingdom (£) | 2,795 | 2,795 | 30 | 39 |
Notes:
£
| |
| Belgium | 815 |
| Denmark | 315 |
| France | 460 |
| Germany | 445 |
| Greece | 150 |
| Ireland | 210 |
| Italy | 200 |
| Luxembourg | 570 |
| Netherlands | 600 |
| United Kingdom | 633 |
Note: Child benefit for the second and later children is means tested in Germany.
Betting Duty
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the number of convictions for evasion of betting duty in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.
[pursuant to his reply, 7 February 1984, c. 564]: The following information relates to prosecutions in Great Britain:
Financial Year
| Number of persons convicted
|
| 1974–75 | 151 |
| 1975–76 | 59 |
| 1976–77 | 118 |
| 1977–78 | 90 |
| 1978–79 | 71 |
| 1979–80 | 49 |
| 1980–81 | 43 |
| 1981–82 | 26 |
| 1982–83 | 48 |
| 1983–84 (Apr.-Dec.) | 30 |
In addition the Commissioners of Customs and Excise have compounded proceedings against nearly 800 other persons during this period.
Defence
Departmental Consultants
asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many consultants are currently working within his Department; what they are advising upon; and what is the total value of the consultancies for the current financial year.
There are currently 350 consultancies operating in the Ministry of Defence. They are advising on a range of management, technological and scientific matters. The total value of these consultancies in this financial year is approximately £4·3 million.
Royal Ordnance Factory (Leeds)
asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he will be in a position to issue to individual employees of the royal ordnance factory, Barnbow, Leeds, details of any changes in their terms of employment arising out of the proposed change of status of the royal ordnance factories.
The Ordnance Factories and Military Services Hill provides for the main terms and conditions of employment to transfer unchanged to the successor company in accordance with the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981. Work is proceeding to identify those conditions of service which will need to be modified because of the ROF's new status, and, after full consultation with the trades unions, these will be incorporated in the successor company's personnel rules. These will be made available to all employees as soon as the consultations with the trades unions have been finalised.
Departmental Advertising
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is, for the last 12 months available, the amount spent by his Department on advertisements in (a) newspapers, (b) television and (c) radio on recruitment to the armed forces.
The amounts spent by the Ministry of Defence, and by the Central Office of Information on our behalf, on advertising for recruitment to the armed forces for the year ended 31 December 1983 were approximately:
- Newspapers— £3,867,000
- Television— £3,700
- Radio— £18,000
Gibraltar Dockyard
asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will meet the Chief Minister of Gibraltar further to discuss the commercialisation of part of Her Majesty's dockyard in Gibraltar in the light of the recent general election held in that territory.
My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so. The outcome of the recent general election in Gibraltar has not affected the ongoing dockyard commercialisation programme which had been previously agreed.
Royal Navy Repair Work
asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is his intention to transfer submarine refits and other Royal Navy repair work to British Shipbuilders and private shipyards.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Gainsborough and Horncastle (Mr. Leigh) on 29 November 1983.—[Vol. 49, c. 481–82.] Our consideration of the scope for introducing competition into warship refitting including conventional submarines is continuing.
Scott Lithgow
asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will invite Scott Lithgow to tender for Ministry of Defence contracts for submarine refits, new build and repair work, in view of that company's record in this field.
So far as submarine refits and repair are concerned, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him earlier today. As for new build work, the hon. Gentleman will be aware from our correspondence that it remains our intention to order follow-on conventional submarines of the type 2400 class from the middle of the decade. Orders will be by competitive tender wherever possible.
Military Satellite
asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his plans to acquire a new British military satellite, and to provide a terminal on all major surface ships.
[pursuant to his answer, 24 January 1984, c. 460]: I very much regret that I did not provide the House with a complete reply. The answer should have been as follows:
Strategic and tactical communications will be provided by two Skynet 4 military satellites. These are being procured from the British Aerospace dynamics group in association with its principal subcontractor Marconi Space and Defence Systems Ltd. It is intended they will be launched into geostationary orbit the United States' space transportation system—the shuttle.
All operational major warships are to be fitted with military satellite communication terminals by the end of the decade.
The Arts
Grant Distribution
asked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts if Her Majesty's Government have had any representations from regional art groups regarding distribution of grants; if he is satisfied that the ratio of expenditure per head of population is equitable; and if he will make a statement.
A small number of regional arts groups have written to my noble Friend, and he has met representatives of regional arts associations. It is for the Arts Council to determine how its grant should be allocated; it does so on an assessment of the needs of arts bodies, and not on a per capita basis.
Anti-Government Propaganda
asked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts if he will introduce legislation to prohibit the display of anti-Government propaganda in public libraries and other similar establishments.
[pursuant to his reply, 3 February 1984, c. 392]: My noble Friend has no plans for legislation on this subject. He appreciates that displays in public libraries can occasionally give cause for concern, but he has power to direct authorities only when they are not fulfilling their legal obligations.
Museums
asked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts what representations he has received from the group for education in museums; what reply he has made; and if, as requested, he will be meeting representatives of the group in advance of its extraordinary general meeting on 14 March.
I have been asked to reply in my capacity as Under-Secretary of State for the Environment.We have received representations from the group on our White Paper "Streamlining the Cities" (Cmnd. 9063) and we shall consider them carefully, together with the many other representations received. I do not think that a meeting at this stage would serve a useful purpose, but we shall bear its request in mind.
Employment
Professional Executive Register
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if the professional executive register is now operating at a profit; what functions it performs which could not be undertaken by a commercial organisation; and whether it is his intention to privatise the operation.
At the Government's request, professional and executive recruitment was put on to a full cost recovery basis from 1 April 1983. Current indications are that the service will meet its self-financing objective for this financial year.Professional and executive recruitment's distinctive features are its nationwide coverage and a service provided primarily through a national jobs newspaper "Executive Post". There are no plans at present to change its current basis of operation, but its future will be kept under review in the light of its financial performance.
Occupational Cancers
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what information has been collected by the Health and Safety Executive on occupational cancers in the rubber, plastics and chemical industries; and if he will make a statement.
The Health and Safety Executive is undertaking a number of studies whose aim is to identify any occupational cancers, or other conditions, among groups of workers in the rubber, plastics and chemical industries. Reports have been produced on the causes of death of workers in the rubber industry and of those working with acrylonitrile and vinyl chloride monomer — VCM. Reports on studies of workers exposed to styrene and carbon black are being prepared for publication. Cancer registration studies have recently been set up for three groups of workers exposed to chemicals likely to contain impurities of the dioxin family.Certain occupational cancers are notified under Factories Act regulations or are prescribed as industrial diseases by the Department of Health and Social Security. Cases reported under these arrangements are kept under review. Some information is also published in the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys' decennial supplement on occupational mortality.The Carcinogenic Substances Regulations 1967 prohibit the use of certain carcinogenic compounds and control the use of others. The Health and Safety Executive is preparing draft regulations and draft approved codes of practice for the control of substances hazardous to health at work, including carcinogens, and hopes to issue a consultative document later this year.
Labour Statistics
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of people registered as unemployed in December 1983 in the United Kingdom and the number who were registered as unemployed in May 1979; and what percentage increase has occurred since May 1979.
In December 1983, the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom, seasonally adjusted and excluding school leavers, was 2,946,100. The corresponding estimate for May 1979 was 1,253,500. The increase between the two dates was 135 per cent.The comparison between May 1979 and December 1983 is affected by the 1983 Budget provisions, which meant that about 162,000 men aged 60 and over no longer have to sign on at an unemployment benefit office.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment in how many employment areas in the United Kingdom the unemployment rate is above 20 per cent.
On 12 January there were 57 travel-to-work areas in the United Kingdom whose unemployment rates were above 20 per cent.
Southern Derbyshire Health District (Inspections)
asked the Secretary of State for Employment when National Health Service premises in the southern Derbyshire health district last received a basic inspection from the Factory Inspectorate.
The last basic inspection of National Health Service premises in the southern Derbyshire health district was to the Ilkeston maternity home, Park avenue, Ilkeston, on 3 February 1983.
This completed a programme of basic inspection to National Health Service premises between 1977 and 1983.
A number of visits to investigate specific problems have been undertaken subsequently.
East Midlands
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many accidents have occurred in premises covered by the Factory Inspectorate in the east midlands region since 1979.
The geographical region of the east midlands is covered by two area offices of Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate. North midlands area office based at Nottingham, covers the counties of Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. East midlands area office, based at Northampton, covers the counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire.The figures for the number of accidents reported to each area are as follows:
| East Midlands Area | North Midlands Area | |
| 1979 | 9,100 | 12,346 |
| 1980 | 7,037 | 11,129 |
| 1981 | 11,573 | 16,850 |
| 1982 | 10,870 | 15,040 |
| 1983 | 4,381 | 7,315 |
| Total | 42,961 | 62,680 |
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many factory inspectors are presently employed to cover the east midlands region.
The geographical region of the east midlands is covered by two area offices of Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate. The north midlands area office based at Nottingham, covers the counties of Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. The east midlands area office, based at Northampton, covers the counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire.The number of factory inspectors currently employed in each area is as follows:
- North Midlands 24
- East Midlands 23
In addition, these inspectors can call upon the services of a number of specialist inspectors based at the field consultant group in Birmingham.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what number of premises in the east midlands region are subject to the supervision and inspection of the Factory Inspectorate.
The geographical region of the east midlands is covered by two area officers of Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate. The north midlands area office based at Nottingham, covers the counties of Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. The east midlands area office, based at Northampton, covers the counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire.The number of premises in each area subject to inspection by the Factory Inspectorate is as follows:
- Nord Midlands 15,249
- East Midlands 21,665
Banbury
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons were placed in employment by the jobcentres in the Banbury travel-to-work area for the last six months for which statistics are available.
Banbury jobcentre, which serves the Banbury travel-to-work area, placed 991 people into work in the six months ending 6 January 1984.There is likely to have been a substantial number of people who found jobs in the area other than through the jobcentre. Nationally, it is estimated that about a quarter of all engagements are made through jobcentres.
Youth Training Scheme
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to extend the rights of trainees on youth training schemes to give them the protection enjoyed by employees under section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act.
Regulations for this purpose, entitled the Health and Safety (Youth Training Scheme) Regulations 1983, were laid on 21 December 1983 and came into operation on 11 January 1984. They ensure that trainees on the youth training schems — who have always been covered by the Health and Safety at Work Act —are covered at the workplace by section 2 and other relevant provisions under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, as well as by all the other "relevant statutory provisions" continued in force by the 1974 Act.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many safety officers are employed by the Manpower Services Commission to supervise the youth training schemes; and if he will increase that figure.
Under the youth training scheme it is the responsibility of managing agents and sponsors to supervise individual schemes and ensure the health and safety of young people on them. The Manpower Services Commission does, however, employ 62 staff on health and safety duties which include work related to the youth training scheme. In addition, the commission is in the process of appointing nine regional safety consultants.
Young Workers Scheme
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the numbers on the young workers scheme at the latest available date; and of these how many were (a) 16 years old, (b) 17 years old, (c) male and (d) female.
It is estimated that 105,000 young workers in Great Britain were being supported by the young workers scheme at 31 December 1983. An analysisj of supported workers by age and sex cannot be obtained. However, it is estimated that of the young workers covered by the scheme in January 1983, a little over one quarter were aged 16. One half of those covered at that time were male.
School Leavers (Youth Training Scheme)
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many school leavers have refused to take up places on youth training schemes since July 1983.
I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Community Programme
asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many community programme places were supported in (a) Derby, (b) Leicester and (c) Sandwell in the most recent 12 months period; how many were planned in each of these areas for 12 months beginning 1 April 1984; and of all these how many were full-time and how many part-time;(2) how many community programme places were supported in
(a) Staffordshire and (b) Stoke on Trent in the most recent 12 months period; and of these how many were full-time and how many part-time;
(3) how many community programme places he plans to support in (a) Staffordshire and (b) Stoke on Trent in the 12 months beginning 1 April 1984; and of these how many will be full-time and how many part-time.
The table details the information available:
| Filled places at December 1983 | ||||
| Full-time | Part-time | Total | * | |
| Derby | 481 | 1,244 | 1,725 | 1,850 |
| Leics | 429 | 680 | 1,109 | 1,450 |
| Dudley-Sandwell† | 915 | 1,465 | 2,380 | 2,600 |
| Staffs | 1,010 | 1,955 | 2,965 | 2,400 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | 366 | 549 | 915 | 813 |
| * Current estimate of filled places from April 1984. | ||||
| † It is not possible to provide separate figures for Sandwell. | ||||
Manpower Services Commission (Programme Capacity)
asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether it is the policy of the Manpower Services Commission to regard programmes that achieve 80 per cent. capacity as being filled.
I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Transport
Commercial Vehicles (Speed Limits)
asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has yet decided on regulations to amend the speed limits for commercial vehicles; and if he will make a statement.
My right hon. Friend has today laid regulations amending the speed limits which apply specifically to goods vehicles, buses, and cars pulling trailers. These, if approved by Parliament, will come into effect in about two months' time. I am proceeding with other measures simultaneously to improve the safety of lorries and coaches and to reduce environmental nuisance from them.
Speed Limits. The main change is the setting of new limits for commercial vehicles using dual carriageways midway between existing limits for motorways and those
for all other roads. In the light of comments on caravan safety I have decided to keep the speed limit for cars towing trailers at 50 mph for all roads, but without the present weight ratio requirements. I have also decided that small vans built as versions of private cars should be subject in future to the same speed limits as apply to private cars.
Coaches will in future be subject to limits of 70 mph on motorways (as at present), 60 mph on dual carriageways (new limit) and 50 mph on other roads (as at present). I am satisfied that these are safe limits in normal conditions, but that action is needed to increase compliance with them. I have now agreed with the Bus and Coach Council that it will introduce a code of conduct by Easter. This will, amongst other things, extend the fitting of tachographs and monitoring of tachograph discs to all coaches using motorways and dual carriageway roads. We shall be watching the effect of this code through the summer months.
Lorries will in future be subject to limits of 60 mph on motorways (as at present) 50 mph on dual carriageways (new limit) and 40 mph on other roads (as at present). Lorries on fast roads in wet weather throw up considerable quantities of spray which is a danger and a nuisance to other road users. I am grateful to the British Standards Institution and to the organisations that have co-operated with it in preparing a new technical standard to cover the fitting of more effective mud guards and absorbent material to contain spray from heavy vehicles. The Department will shortly be circulating draft regulations to apply this standard to all new lorries, and to existing heavy trailers. These provisions will come into effect during 1985 and will reinforce the measures recently taken to improve the safety of lorries by requiring the fitting of sideguards and rear underrun bars. In the longer term there will be further improvements, including a substantial reduction in noise. On this the European Commission has now made proposals, which we are strongly supporting, to reduce by 4dB the permitted level from new vehicles by the end of this decade.
These changes carry forward my general policy of removing unnecessary restrictions on road transport, so as to keep down costs to industry and to the consumer, wherever this can be done without prejudice to road safety, and at the same time reducing risks and environmental nuisance to motorists and others who share our roads with these large vehicles.
"Snow Hill Rail Link"
asked the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for West Bromwich, East, Official Report, 26 January, c. 689, on what date the document "Snow Hill Rail Link" was submitted (a) to officials of his Department's regional office and (b) to his Department's central office; whether he is satisfied with the detail contained in that document; when he expects evaluation of the scheme to be completed; and if he will consult the appropriate district councils.
The document referred to was sent to the Department's regional office on 12 October last. After further discussion with officers of West Midlands county council, a copy was forwarded to my Department's head office, with covering commentary, on 20 December.
The document gives a broad description of the scheme, but is not a sufficiently detailed appraisal. The Department will shortly be writing to the county council with some further questions and in the light of the replies as early a decision as possible will be given.
Greenham Common
asked the Secretary of State for Transport why Her Majesty's Government have not taken steps to require the removal of campers and caravaners from such land at the perimeter of Greenham common base which his Department owns; and if he will now take steps to do so.
The campers have been allowed to remain on highway land at the junction of the A339 trunk road and the main access to RAF Greenham common so long as they did not endanger road safety. I intend shortly to improve this junction. The campers will have to vacate it to enable the roadworks to be carried out.
Road Accident Statistics
asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the figures in table X of "Road Accidents in Great Britain 1982" for all years from that immediately before the coming into force of the Road Safety Act 1967 to 1983.
All figures available to the Department from 196i to 1979 are published in TRRL leaflet No. 912, issue 2, a copy of which is available in the Library. Figures for the years 1979 to 1982 are found in table X of "Road Accidents in Great Britain 1982". Figures for 1983 will not be available until later in 1984.
Nationalised Industries (Privatisation)
asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether lie has made any estimate of the financial consequences of introducing private capital into the nationalised industries referred to in his answer to the hon. Member for Stirling (Mr. Forsyth) on 12 December, Official Report, c. 312.
No decisions have yet been taken on the precise timing and method of introducing private capital into the industries concerned. Detailed estimates of the financial consequences are therefore not possible.
Docks Assisted Areas (Grants)
asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether any docks outside assisted areas have received grants either from the European Economic Community or from Her Majesty's Government.
Since 1979, the following ports outside assisted areas in England have received grant from the Government:
- Felixstowe—under section 8 of the Railways Act 1974.
- London — under the Port of London (Financial Assistance) Act 1980 and the Ports (Financial Assistance) Act 1981.
- Hastings, Langstone, Lowestoft, Ramsgate, Sheringham and Whitstable—under section 2 of the Fisheries Act 1955.
asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will name the docks in the assisted areas that have received grants either from the EEC or the Government.
Since 1979, the attached list of ports in assisted areas in England have received grants for capital investment from the EC under the European regional development fund.
| Amble | Liverpool |
| Bideford | Penzance |
| Blyth | Plymouth |
| Eastham | Runcorn |
| Ellesmere Port | Salcombe |
| Falmouth | Scarborough |
| Fleetwood | Seaham |
| Garston | Sunderland |
| Goole | Tees |
| Grimsby | Tyne |
| Hartlepool | Whitby |
| Hull | Whitehaven |
| Immingham | Workington |
| Amble | Newbiggin |
| Bridlington | Newlyn |
| Brixham | North Shields |
| Fleetwood | North Sunderland |
| Grimsby | Padstow |
| Holy Island | Polperro |
| Hope Harbour | Port Isaac |
| Hull | Salcombe |
| Looe | Scarborough |
| Mevagissey | Silloth |
| Mousehole | Whitby |
Departmental Advertising
asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is, for the last 12 months available, the amount spent by his Department on advertisements in (a) newspapers, (b) television and (c) radio, on (i) seat belt wearing and (ii) drinking and driving.
In the last 12 months, expenditure on advertising for seat belt wearing was as follows:
| Television | Nil |
| Newspapers: | £213,000 |
| Radio: | Nil |
| Television: | £843,000 |
| Newspapers: | Nil |
| Radio: | Nil |
M1-A1 Link (Kettering)
asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has yet reached a decision on the standard of the M1-A1 link road east of Kettering.
Yes. I am pleased to say that subject to the public inquiry I have decided that the whole of the 45-mile M1-A1 link road in Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire will be built with dual carriageways throughout.
Roads
asked the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the level of expenditure on construction of trunk roads for each of the last 10 years at (a) actual and (b) real levels in each of the regional areas.
[pursuant to her reply, 6 February 1984, c. 452]: I regret that this information could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many major road schemes are currently under preparation, and what are their respective costs in each of the regional office areas;(2) if he will list the number of major road schemes under construction and their respective costs in each of the regional office areas.
[pursuant to her reply, 6 February 1984, c. 452]: Details of the motorway and trunk road programme for England are set out in the White Paper "Policy for Roads in England: 1983", Cmnd. 9059. A comprehensive list of major schemes in preparation and under construction is contained in annex B, and descriptions of major planned developments in each regional office area are contained in annex A.
asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of three-laned motorways are there in each of the regional areas.
[pursuant to her reply, 6 February 1984, c. 452]: I regret that the information sought could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of motorway are there in each of the regional areas.
[pursuant to her reply, 6 February 1984, c. 452]: At 1 February 1984 the lengths of motorway in each standard (economic planning) region to the nearest mile were as follows:
| Miles | |
| Northern | 95 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 192 |
| East Midlands | 114 |
| East Anglia | 14 |
| South West | 187 |
| West Midlands | 176 |
| North West | 294 |
| South East | 464 |
| —Greater London | 43 |
| —Rest of South East | 421 |
| England (Total) | 1,536 |
Motorway Construction
asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many staff are engaged in motorway schemes in each of the regional offices;(2) how many staff are engaged in trunk road schemes in each of the regional offices.
[pursuant to her reply, 7 February 1984, c. 573]: Staff in our regional offices are not generally employed exclusively on either motorway or all-purpose trunk road scheme work. But the staff effort in regional offices engaged during 1983–84 on planning, designing and overseeing construction of motorway and trunk road schemes in the present programme can be estimated, in man-years as follows:
| Numbers | |
| Northern | 20 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 66 |
Numbers
| |
| North Western | 72 |
| East and West Midlands | 152 |
| Eastern | 117 |
| South Eastern | 117 |
| Greater London | 37 |
| South Western | 87 |
asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of motorway are currently under construction in each of the regional areas.
[pursuant to her reply, 7 February 1984, c. 573]: Mileages in each of the Department of Transport's regional office areas are as follows:
| Miles | |
| Northern | 0 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 0 |
| North Western | 4·1 |
| East Midlands | 0 |
| West Midlands | 17·2 |
| Eastern | 10·5 |
| South Eastern | 38·2 |
| Greater London | 0 |
| South Western | 0 |
asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of motorway are currently being planned in each of the regional areas.
[pursuant to her reply, 7 February 1984, c. 573]: Mileages planned in each of the Department of Transport's regional office areas are as follows:
| Miles | |
| Northern | 0 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 0 |
| North Western | 25·1 |
| East and West Midlands | *60·8 |
| Eastern | 15·8 |
| South Eastern | 29·0 |
| Greater London | 0 |
| South Western | 0 |
asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of motorway have been opened in the last five years in each of the regional areas.
[pursuant to her reply, 7 February 1984, c. 573]: During the calendar years 1979–1983 inclusive, the following numbers of miles of motorway were opened in each of the Department of Transport's regional office areas:
| Miles | |
| Northern | 0 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 9·2 |
| North Western | 30·4 |
| East Midlands | 0 |
| West Midlands | *18·2 |
| Eastern | †39·4 |
| South Eastern | 58·8 |
| Greater London | 5·3 |
| South Western | 0 |
| * In addition 5·5 miles of motorway widenings were opened. | |
| † In addition 6·4 miles of motorway widenings were opened. | |
North Warwick Railway Line
asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will now estimate what proportion of the public service obligation grant is attributable to the north Warwick railway line.
[pursuant to his reply, 7 February 1984, c. 574]: The public service obligation grant is paid towards the cost of running British Rail's passenger services. as a whole. It is not attributed to individual routes or services.
Agriculture, Fisheries And Food
Council Of Ministers (Meeting)
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Council of Ministers meetings on 6 and 7 February in relation to the payment of the hill livestock compensatory allowances, and other capital grants which were suspended on 31 December 1983.
I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.
North Sea Cod
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to complete the talks on improving the EEC share of North sea cod under the existing agreement with Norway; and if he will make a statement.
I have nothing to add at this stage to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend on 30 January and to the statement my right hon. Friend made in the House on 1 February.—[Vol. 53, c. 96; Vol. 53, c. 276.]
North Sea (Closure)
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the
| Proportions from: | ||||
| No. of students (thousands) | Local and National Government Per cent. | Construction industry Per cent. | Other industries Per cent. | |
| 1979 | 58 | 14 | 56 | 30 |
| 1980 | 58 | 14 | 57 | 29 |
| 1981 | 51 | 13 | 52 | 35 |
| 1982 | 47 | 13 | 53 | 33 |
Devon
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the number of children attending primary aid secondary state schools together with the number of teachers and the pupil-teacher ratio for the county for Devon in the last 10 years up to and including the anticipated position in September 1984.
The number of pupils, and the number of teachers employed by the local education authority, in maintained primary and secondary schools in Devon, together with the corresponding pupil-teacher ratios in the last 10 years are:
proposed closure of the central sector of the North sea from mid-August to September; and if it is intended to apply the closure in 1984.
I have nothing at this stage to add to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend on 30 January. —[Vol. 53, c. 96.]
Education And Science
Liverpool (Schools Reorganisation)
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many objections have been received to the Liverpool secondary schools reorganisation plan; and if he will make a statement.
A total of 47 statutory and 51 other objections were submitted to Liverpool education authority and forwarded by it to my right hon. Friend on 2 February. In addition, over 1,000 letters opposing the proposals have been sent direct to the Department. My right hon. Friend will take full account of the arguments advanced in these documents when he decides the proposals.
Day Release Students (Building Courses)
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the approximate number of day release students taking building courses at technical colleges under day release schemes; and what proportion of these came from council direct labour building departments and from private contracting firms, respectively, during the years 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983.
Information about students released by local government direct labour building departments to attend further education establishments are not separately identified in the Department's statistics. The number of block and day release students undertaking building courses in England is available only for the years 1979 to 1982 and the details are as follows:
| January of each year | Number of pupils* | Number of teachers† | Implied pupil-teacher ratio |
| 1974 | 143,291 | 6,802 | 21·1 |
| 1975 | 144,782 | 6,842 | 21·2 |
| 1976 | 146,536 | 7,006 | 20·9 |
| 1977 | 147,919 | 7,194 | 20·6 |
| 1978 | 148,109 | 7,253 | 20·4 |
| 1979 | 147,895 | 7,343 | 20·1 |
| 1980 | 145,923 | 7,366 | 19·8 |
| 1981 | 143,020 | 7,267 | 19·7 |
| 1982 | 140,453 | 7,118 | 19·7 |
| 1983 | 136,804 | 7,179 | 19·1 |
| 1984 | Not available | — | — |
Notes:
* In maintained Primary and Secondary schools, counting each part-time pupil under five as 0·5.
† Employed by Devon Local education authority for maintained Primary and Secondary Schools, including the full-time equivalent of part-time teachers.
Graduate Qualification
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is satisfied with the number of part-time routes available for people holding HND or equivalent B/Tec qualifications in applied sciences or technology to reach graduate status; and if he will make a statement.
The number of students seeking to achieve graduate status by this route is relatively small. Regional advisory councils will look sympathetically on applications for approval of such courses where colleges can demonstrate sufficient local demand, but it would not be academically or financially acceptable to run courses for very small numbers of students.
| Leavers from maintained schools | ||||
| With 1 or more A-passes | With 1 or more higher grade O-level or CSE passes* | |||
| Oxfordshire Per cent. | England Per cent. | Oxfordshire Per cent. | England Per cent. | |
| 1976–77 | 12·0 | 12·7 | 53·5 | 48·7 |
| 1977–78 | 15·6 | 12·7 | 53·6 | 48·6 |
| 1978–79 | 16·5 | 12·6 | 53·3 | 49·3 |
| 1979–80 | 15·5 | 12·6 | 56·5 | 49·4 |
| 1980–81 | 18·3 | 13·5 | 55·5 | 49·9 |
| 1981–82 | 16·5 | 14·1 | 52·2 | 51·2 |
| * O level Grades A-C, CSE Grade 1. | ||||
Source: School Leavers Sample Survey.
Data on a comparable basis for other English education authorities are contained in "Statistics of School Leavers CSE and GCE" (formerly "Statistics of Education", Volume 2) a copy of which is available in the Library.
Wales
Listed Buildings
asked the Secretary of State for Wales what financial assistance he is able to make available for the reconstruction or repair of listed buildings damaged by fire.
Grants made in respect of works to listed buildings could be provided in cases of fire damage if the specific criteria governing such grant schemes were met. For example, grants could be made under the Historic Buildings and Ancient Monuments Act 1953 towards the cost of eligible works to buildings of outstanding architectural or historic interest, whether damaged by fire or not, if the normal criteria were met.
Ugc (Research Grants)
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he has given to the University Grants Committee about the criteria used in the allocation of research grants by it; and if he will make a statement.
Grants for specific pieces of research are the responsibility of the research councils. The University Grants Committee does not identify provision for research separately in its allocation of general recurrent grant, although other grants — for example for "new blood" posts—may be research-related. My right hon. Friend has asked the committee to consider whether there should be greater specificity of funding for research within recurrent grant as part of its current strategy review, the results of which the committee expects to submit to my right hon. Friend in the summer.
Oxfordshire
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report the percentage of school leavers in Oxfordshire with (a) O-level and (b) A-level passes for each year from 1977 to 1982 and the relative position of Oxfordshire to other English local education authorities in each of those years.
The information requested is as follows:
Youth Training Scheme
asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the estimated cost per place of the youth training scheme, type A, type B and type B2 schemes; and if he will make a statement.
The national average cost per occupied place per annum on the various programmes within the youth training scheme is some £1,950 on mode A, £3,600 on mode B1 and £2,185 on mode B2.
asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what are the principles by which he decides the allocation of type A, B1 and B2 youth training schemes; whether the decisive factor is a population or an unemployment level; and if he will make a statement;(2) what future plans he has for the youth training scheme B1 (community programme) schemes for the less academic entrants; and if he will make a statement.
The Government's aim is that the youth training scheme should be employer-based. Accordingly, although detailed plans for 1984–85 have not been finalised, the balance of provision will be predominantly employer led work based mode A schemes. However, mode B schemes will continue to play an important role in the youth training scheme provision, particularly in areas where there is a shortage of employer-led schemes. I am assured by the Manpower Services Commission that under its plans for mode A and mode B the needs of the less academic will be taken into account.
asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many type A, B1 and B2 youth training scheme places are filled in Wales;(2) what number of youth training scheme places are
(a) filled and (b) unfilled in Wales.
At the end of December 1983 16,373 places were occupied with a further 7,523 places available. Of those places occupied in December, 10,014 were in mode A, 4,547 were in mode B 1 and 1,812 were in mode B2.
Factory Space
asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what information he has as to how many square feet of
| Million Sq Ft | |||||||||
| Factory space available for letting | Factory space occupied | Factory space for which rent received | |||||||
| Date | WDA | DBRW | Cwmbran | WDA | DBRW | Cwmbran | WDA | DBRW | Cwmbran |
| 1 Janaury 1982 | 1·16 | 0·20 | 0·26 | 14·60 | 1·76 | 1·12 | 12·59 | 1·35 | 0·98 |
| 1 July 1982 | 2·65 | 0·25 | 0·12 | 14·70 | 1·71 | 1·26 | 12·62 | 1·36 | 1·05 |
| 1 Janaury 1983 | 3·12 | 0·26 | 0·14 | 15·10 | 1·69 | 1·25 | 12·97 | 1·32 | 1·05 |
| 1 July 1983 | 3·00 | 0·26 | 0·09 | 15·20 | 1·75 | 1·27 | 13·31 | 1·34 | 1·11 |
Northern Ireland
Londonderry District Council
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if it was with his authority that the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Patten) stated that the decision to change the name of the Londonderry district council was entirely his own and not that of the Secretary of State.
My hon. Friend was registering the point that the decision to change the name of the Londonderry district council was one with which he was closely associated personally because of his duties as regards the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland. In discharging his duties, my hon. Friend acts on my behalf.
Terrorism
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons wanted by the police in Northern Ireland for terrorist offences, including murder, are known to be in the Irish Republic; how many requests fir their extradition have been made; and if he will make a statement.
I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.
factory space made available by the Welsh Development Agency and other bodies were available for letting on 1 January and 1 July for the last two years for which figures are available;
(2) what information he has as to the total number of square feet of factory space made available by the Welsh Development Agency and other bodies for which rent was being received on 1 January and 1 July for the last two years for which figures are available;
(3) what information he has as to the total number of square feet of factory space made available by the Welsh Development Agency and other bodies which was in occupation on 1 January and 1 July for the last two years for which figures are available.
[pursuant to his reply, 30 January, c. 23.]: The information requested is readily available only in respect of factories provided by the Welsh Developmemt Agency, the Development Board for Rural Wales and Cwmbran development corporation. Similar details for local authority and private sector factories in Wales are not collected centrally. The relevant information for the three bodies is as follows:
Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs
Gchq, Cheltenham
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the numbers of subsidiary centres included in the ban on union membership at Government communications headquarters, giving the number of employees and the percentage of union membership at each.
The new conditions of service announced on 25 January apply to all GCHQ staff, whether they are serving at Cheltenham or elsewhere. It would not be in the national interest to give further details of the subsidiary centres which are affected or of the numbers of staff working at them.
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many civil servants at Government communications headquarters, Cheltenham, have accepted the recent offer of £1,000; and how many were already members of trade unions.
It is not the practice, for security reasons, to disclose the numbers of GCHQ staff. The number of those who have already opted to remain is substantial and the number who have opted to leave is minimal. There is no way of establishing the precise break-down between union members and others.
Gleneagles Agreement
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to conclude with other Western countries an agreement similar to the Gleneagles agreement limiting sporting contacts with countries whose human rights records are in breach of the Helsinki agreement.
No. The Commonwealth statement on apartheid in sport (the Gleneagles Agreement) is directed at a unique situation. South Africa is the only country where by law the granting of human rights is based specifically and exclusively on colour discrimination.
Stockholm Conference
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the Stockholm conference on confidence building measures.
In his statement on 24 January—[Vol. 52, c. 769] — my right hon. and learned Friend described the opening week of the Stockholm Conference and said that we and our Allies were tabling proposals on that day. On 25 January Romania also tabled proposals which we are studying. So far no other confidence and security-building measures have been formally proposed. Presentations in plenary sessions and more informal exchanges are continuing but negotiations as such have not yet begun.
Extradition Agreements
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) with which countries Her Majesty's Government are currently negotiating to establish extradition agreements;(2) what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government with regard to the establishment of extradition arrangements with other countries where they do not currently exist;(3) which countries have approached Her Majesty's Government since May 1979 with regard to the establishment of extradition treaties; and with what results.
We are willing to enter into a bilateral extradition arrangement where there is known to be a significant requirement and the legislative, judicial and penal practices of the two countries are broadly equivalent. Since May 1979 proposals for the conclusion of extradition treaties have been received from Morocco, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. Since, however, the conditions described were not fully met in respect of these countries, no treaties were concluded. The only country with which we are currently holding discussions with a view to concluding a new treaty is Spain.
| Name | Description | Country |
| Category I Sponsored Visitors | ||
| The Hon. Dr. D. O. Anyoti | Minister of Information and Broadcasting | Uganda |
Indonesian Service Men (Training)
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report the letter of 30 January to the hon. Member for Monklands, West from the hon. Member for Shoreham (Mr. Luce) on the training of Indonesian service men.
The text is as follows:
"In the exchange in the House on 25 January about human rights in Indonesia I undertook to look into your question about the training of Indonesian soldiers in this country.
I am informed that there are at present four Indonesian officers on courses in the United Kingdom. They consist of one Army officer, two Naval officers and one Air Force officer. Such training courses are quite normal in our relations with friendly countries and serve a useful incidental purpose in strengthening Anglo-Indonesian relations.
I do not think that such a limited provision of training need arouse any apprehensions on the part of Indonesia's neighbours".
Ec (Translation Services)
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise in the Council of Ministers the decision by the European Economic Commission not to provide translation services to the all-party disablement group of Europe; and if he will make a statement.
I understand that the group is made up of members of the European Parliament, and it therefore falls to the European Parliament, not the Commission, to decide what translation facilities to make available.
Gibraltar
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will meet the Chief Minister of Gibraltar to discuss the future economy of that territory.
My right hon. and learned Friend hopes to have an opportunity to meet the Chief Minister of Gibraltar before long and, as at previous meetings, to discuss with him a range of issues affecting the territory.
Civil Servants (Trade Union Membership)
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the ban on trade union membership applies to civil servants in Whitehall in receipt of sensitive information from Government communications headquarters; and if he will make a statement.
No.
Overseas Visitors
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will list the recipients of Central Office of Information grades I and II hospitality during 1983.
[pursuant to his reply, 18 January 1983, c. 224]: The list is as follows:
Name
| Description
| Country
|
| Mr. N. Epenu | Director of Information, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting | Uganda |
| Dr. B. Al Awadhi | Assistant Professor of International Law, Kuwait University | Kuwait |
| The Hon. S. Crabb MP | Minister of Transport, Victoria | Australia |
| Mr. K. C. Beazley | Labour MP for Swan, Western Australia | Australia |
| Mr. J. S. Dawkins | Labour MP for Fremantle, Western Australia | Australia |
| Members of the Federal Parliament | Australia | |
| Mr. D. M. Connolly | Liberal MP for Bradfield, New South Wales | Australia |
| Mr. P. M. Ruddock | Liberal MP for Dundas, New South Wales | Australia |
| Mr. R. F. Shipton | Liberal MP for Higgins, Victoria | Australia |
| Mr. P. White | Liberal MP for McPherson, Queensland | Australia |
| Mr. K. Kraisri | Director General of the Customs Department | Thailand |
| Mr. R. L. D'Hondt | General Secretary, Christian Workers' Union | Belgium |
| Mr. R. Allgoo | Director of Organisation, Mauritius Labour Congress | Mauritius |
| Mr. K. T. Dinnaram | Treasurer of Sugar Industry, Labourers' Union | Mauritius |
| Mr. S. C. A. Frichot | Chairman of Union of Primary School Teachers, Assistant Secretary of Federation of Civil Service Unions | Mauritius |
| Mr. S. Soodhun | Chairman of the United Workers' Federation | Mauritius |
| Hon. Senor V. Oller | Counsellor for Industry and Energy, Catalonia | Spain |
| Dr. T. Chorherr | Editor-in-Chief, "Die Presse", Vienna | Austria |
| Dr. K. Reidinger MVO | President of the Vienna Police | Austria |
| Mr. T. M Pekkanen | Managing Director, Central Association of Finnish Forest Industries | Finland |
| HE S. R. Al-Kilbani | Inspector-General of Police and Customs, Royal Oman Police Accompanied by Royal Oman Police Officials:— | Oman |
| Assistant Inspector General Cook | Special Branch | Oman |
| Commander Mahroon Al Ma'Ameri | Principal Immigration Officer | Oman |
| Chief Superintendent Suleiman Al 'Ruwahi | Force Traffic Officer | Oman |
| Chief Superintendent Muquaibil | Staff Officer to Assistant Inspector General (Personnel and Training) | Oman |
| Mr. M. P Phoofolo | Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Communications | Lesotho |
| Mr. Wang | Acting Governor, Liaoning Province | People's Republic of China |
| Mr. Yu | Director of Foreign Affairs Office and of the Import and Export Committee | People's Republic of Chine |
| Mr. Li | Vice Mayor of Shenyang City | People's Republic of China |
| Mr. Fang | Deputy Director of Machine-Building Bureau | People's Republic of China |
| Mr. Gao | Deputy Secretary-General of Foreign Affairs Office | People's Republic of China |
| Mr. D. Mitic | President of the Republic Committee for Transport and Communications of the Socialist Republic of Serbia | Yugoslavia |
| Mr. S. Domacinovic | President of the Republic Committee for Transport and Communications of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia-Hercegovina | Yugoslavia |
| Mrs. J. Zibert | President of the Republic Committee for Transport and Communications of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia | Yugoslavia |
| Dr. K. Tanaka | Deputy Director, Food Sanitation Division, Ministry of Health and Welfare (Food), Tokyo | Japan |
| Mr. H. Sakae | Supervisory Food Inspector, Hakata Quarantine Office Fukuoka Port | Japan |
| Miss E. Gridland | Editor "Kids Fashions" Magazine, New York | United States of America |
| Mr. R. Rincon | "Aral", Madrid | Spain |
| Mme. M. Bianchi | "Points de Vente", Paris | France |
| Mr. H. Weltje | "Levensmiddelen-Markt", Doetinchem | Netherlands |
| Mr. P. Laken | "Food Magazine", Nijmegen | Netherlands |
| Mr. G. Bennett | Managing Editor, "Showcase" Magazine, New York | United States of America |
| Miss T. Callahan | Editor, "Modern Brewery Age", Connecticut | United States of America |
| Mr. J. Forbes | Group Publisher, Lebhar-Friedman Publications, "Chain Store Age Supermarkets", New York | United States of America |
| Mr. E. Loeb | Publisher, "The Gourmet Retailer", Florida | United States of America |
| Ms. A. Rosepka | Associate Editor, "Beverage Media", New York | United States of America |
| M. J. Huntzinger | International Secretary of the French Socialist Party | France |
| HE Senhor Da Luz | Foreign Minister, Cape Verde | Guinea-Bissau |
| Senhora Da Luz | Guinea-Bissau | |
| HE Senhor Bettencourt | Cape Verde Ambassador at The Hague | Guinea-Bissau |
| Senhor A. Rocha | Director General for Co-operation | Guinea-Bissau |
| Senhor M. E. Lopes | Personal Assistant to The Minister | Guinea-Bissau |
| Sr. M. A Filippi | Chief Scientific and Technical Editor "O Estado de Sao Paulo" | Brazil |
| Dr. W. Fremuth | Head of the Austrian Electricity Authority | Austria |
| Dr. F. Oszuszky | Head of the Department of Alternative Energy | Austria |
| Dr. G. Neumann | Technical Director of Austro Kohle | Austria |
| Dr. W. Eruchbacher | Assistant to Dr. Fremuth | Austria |
| The hon. Mr. Ganoo Mla | Speaker of the Legislative Assembly | Mauritius |
| Dato' Nahar. SSDK DPMK KMN | Chief Minister of the State of Kedah | Malaysia |
| Dr. Afifuddin. KMN BCK | General Manager of Kedah Regional Development Authority | Malaysia |
| Mr. K. L. Nandan | Editor "Dinaman", New Delhi | India |
Name
| Description
| Country
|
| Mr. T. Tamaki | Director of the Department of Sewerage and Sewage Purification, City Bureau, Ministry of Construction, Tokyo | Japan |
| Dr. R. Sudo | Head of Freshwater Environmental Laboratory, National Institute for Environmental Studies | Japan |
| Mr. Y. Hoshino | Assistant Director of Research and Technology Developments Division, Japan Sewage Works Agency | Japan |
| Mr. P. Cavanagh | Editor, "Evening Standard", North Palmerston | New Zealand |
| Mr. K. Rodland | Editor, "Bergens Tidende" | Norway |
| Sr. I. Martins | Editor, Labour and Industrial Affairs, "O Estado de Sao Paulo" | Brazil |
| Sr. C. A. dos Santos | Editor, "Computerworld do Brasil", Sao Paulo | Brazil |
| Excmo. Sr. Medina | Chairman, Foreign Affairs Committee of the Spanish Congress of Deputies | Spain |
| Excmo. Sr. Guimon | Second Vice-Chairman | Spain |
| Excmo. Sr. Pagan | Second Vice-Chairman | Spain |
| Excmo. Sr. Oreja | Second Vice-Chairman | Spain |
| Excmo. Sr. Punset | Second Vice-Chairman | Spain |
| Excmo. Sr. Monforte | Second Vice-Chairman | Spain |
| The Hon. Dr. Ndlovu | Minister of Construction | Zimbabwe |
| Mr. J. H. Sobantu | Deputy Chief Electrical Engineer, Ministry of Construction | Zimbabwe |
| Mrs. K. Dircks | Deputy Editor, "Feinkost Revue", Frankfurt | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Mr. Andrianopoulos | New Democracy Deputy for Piraeus 'A' Constituency | Greece |
| Avvocato Urciuoli | President, and | Italy |
| Dottore Cosentino | Executive Director, Regional Industrial Federation, Apulia | Italy |
| NATO Journalists (10) | Various | |
| Senator The Hon. C. L. Rogers | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence and Home Affairs, Belmopan | Balize |
| Mr. M. J. Hulse OBE | Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence and Home Affairs | Belize |
| HE Dr. Thanat GCMG | Deputy Prime Minister, Bangkok | Thailand |
| Dr. J. M. Chacel | Director of Research, Getulio Vargas Foundation, Rio de Janeiro | Brazil |
| Mr. J. L. Gayetot | National Secretary, General Federation of Labour (FGTB), Brussels | Belgium |
| HE Shaikh Hasher Bin Juma Al-Maktoum | Director of Dubai Information Department | United Arab Emirates |
| Dipl. Ing. DDr. A. Gotz | Former Mayor of Graz, Former Leader of FPO Faction in the Styrian Landtag | Austria |
| Mme. L. Wurth-Polfer | Mayor of Luxembourg City | Luxembourg |
| M. H. Wurth | Private Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, External Trade and Economy | Luxembourg |
| Vice Admiral Klenberg + 3 colleagues | Chief of Naval Staff | Finland |
| Dr. A. T. Jaber | Under-Secretary, Ministry of Labour | Jordan |
| The Hon. D. F. Lane MLA | Minister for Transport | Australia |
| Mr. D. V. Mendoza | Commissioner for Railways, Brisbane, Queensland | Australia |
| Mr. S. O. Andersson | Chief Editor, Stockholms Tidningen | Sweden |
| Mrs. A-L. Wik-Thorsell | Assistant Chief Editor, Svenska Dagbladet | Sweden |
| Mr. B. Torbrink | News Editor, Goteborgs Posten | Sweden |
| Mr. H-I. Johnsson | London Correspondent, Dagens Nyheter | Sweden |
| Mr. R. F. McMullan | National Secretary, Australian Labour Party, Canberra | Australia |
| Ms. R. Joyce | Hon. Assistant Secretary of the Australian Capital Territory A.L.P. | Australia |
| The Hon. Mr. Justice Chandrachud | Chief Justice of India | India |
| Mr. E. Erichsen | Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Oslo | Norway |
| Dr. A. R. Lima | Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Fisheries in the Azores Government | Portugal |
| Mr. C. K. Kim | Assistant Minister, Minister of Transportation, Seoul | Korea |
| Mr P. J. Chung | Director-General, Transportation Bureau, Korean National Railways | Korea |
| Mr. S. U. Byeon | Director, Electronic Locomotive Division, Rolling Stock Bureau, Korean National Railways | Korea |
| Mr. A. A-M. Anani | Head of Archives and Studies Section, The Office of His Highness, The Amir of Qatar Doha | Qatar |
| Dr. O. Rachetti | Mayor of Montevideo | Uruguay |
| Dr. L. Muxi | Director, Institute of Municipal Studies | Uruguay |
| Mr. B. P. Gunaji | Secretary, Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bombay | India |
| Mr. A. I Julia | Director General, Regional Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Juba | Sudan |
| M. M. N'Dione | Director-General, Senegalese Broadcasting Organisation (ORTS), Dakar | Senegal |
| Mr. F. G. Mogae | Secretary to the Cabinet, Head of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary to the President, Gaborone | Botswana |
| M. G. Riviere | Head of International Relations Department ANVAR (French National Agency for Research Development), Paris | France |
| Mr. P. Bukman | Chairman of the Christian Democratic Appeal, The Hague | Netherlands |
Name
| Description
| Country
|
| Peruvian Government Representatives to the Simon Bolivar Bicentenary Celebrations in London | ||
| HE Dr. S. Mariategui | President of the Senate, Lima | Peru |
| Sra de Mariategui | Peru | |
| Archdeacon Ramoabi | Archdeacon, Johannesburg South, Johannesburg | South Africa |
| Mr. H. H. Dlamlenze | Headmaster, Vulamzibuko Higher Primary School, Soweto, and Secretary-General, African Teachers' Association of South Africa (ATASA) | South Africa |
| Mr. H. J. Petersen | Headmaster, Westbury Senior High School, Westbury (Johannesburg), and General Secretary, Transvaal Association of Teachers | South Africa |
| Mr. L. M. Taunyane | Headmaster, Kathelong Senior Secondary School, and Deputy Leader, Alexandra Liaison Committee, Alexandra | South Africa |
| Mr. W. H. Manning | General Manager, State Mining Company (STAMICO) Dar-Es-Salaam | Tanzania |
| Engineer Heshmat | Chairman of Egyptian Railways, Cairo | Egypt |
| Mr. G. G. Chidyausiku | Attorney General of Zimbabwe, Harare | Zimbabwe |
| Mr. J. O. Johansen | Editor-in-Chief, "Dagbladet", Oslo | Norway |
| Prof. H. P. K. Ursprung | President, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich | Switzerland |
| Dr. I. Shibuya | Managing Director, Fiji Heavy Industries | Japan |
| Dr. T. Sawada | Professor of Aeronautics, University of Osaka | Japan |
| Prof. A. Azuma | University of Tokyo | Japan |
| Mr. G. Palmer MP | Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Christchurch | New Zealand |
| Mrs. P. Foliaki | Businesswoman, Nuku 'alofa | Tonga |
| Mr. Kim | Executive Director, "Dong a Ilbo", Seoul | Korea |
| Mr. Kim | Manager, Promotion Department "Dong a Ilbo" | Korea |
| Senator Baume | Shadow Minister for Education and Youth Affairs, Canberra | Australia |
| Dr. Ahtweiler | Rector of the Academy of Paris and Chancellor of the Universities of Paris | France |
| Panamanian Government Representative to the Simon Bolivar Bicentenary Celebrations in London | ||
| HE Dr. Castro | Minister to the Presidency, Panama City | Panama |
| Mr. Wallis de Vries | Chairman of AVRO (Broadcasting Organisation), Hilversum | Netherlands |
| Mr. Mushahid | Editor, "The Muslim", Islamabad | Pakistan |
| The Hon, Mackellar | Liberal Member of Parliament for Warrington, New South Wales, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, Canberra | Australia |
| Senor C. Perez | Director "El Universo", Quito | Ecuador |
| Ecuadorian Government Representative to the Simon Bolivar Bicentenary Celebrations in London | ||
| HE Dr. Valdez | Under Secretary-General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Quito | Ecuador |
| Colombian Government Representative to the Simon Bolivar Bicentenary Celebrations in London: | ||
| HE Dr. Gomez | Vice President of Colombia | Colombia |
| Senora de Gomez | Colombia | |
| Bolivian Government Representative to the Simon Bolivar Bicentenary Celebrations in London | ||
| HE Dr. Siles | Former President of Bolivar | Bolivia |
| Senora de Siles | Bolivia | |
| Venezuelan Government Representative to the Simon Bolivar Bicentenary Celebrations in London | ||
| HE Dr. Valero | Minister of the Interior, Caracas | Venezuela |
| Senora de Valero | Venezuela | |
| Dr. Garcia Serrano | Director General of the Secretariat | Venezuela |
| Mr. E. J. Doman | Editor of the Cape Herald, Cape Town | South Africa |
| Mr. I. Goraieb | "Editor-in-Chief, "L'Orient-le Jour", Beirut | Lebanon |
| European Agricultural Journalists (10) | Various | |
| Monsieur N Josephe | President, Regional Council, Nord/Pas de Calais Region | France |
| Monsieur S. Peyre | Private Secretary | France |
| Mr. L. Larsen | International Secretary (AID), Norwegian Trade Union Congress | Norway |
| Mrs. S. Larsen | Organisation Secretary, Oslo, Labour Party and Freeland Journalist | Norway |
| Dr. M-C. Biadi-Llah | Member of Parliament, and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Defence, Co-operation and Occupied Territories Committee | Morocco |
| Mr. A. Stavropoulos | President of the Ktinotrofikis (Central Cattle Breeding Association), RepoftheAgriculturalCooperativesofPatras | Greece |
| Mr. G. Dris | Member of the Board of Pasegaes (Pan Hellenic Association of Cooperative Unions), President of the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Kerkyra (Corfu) | Greece |
| HE M. N. Andriamanerasoa | Minister of Agriculture | Madagascar |
| M. M. Robinson | Technical Counsellor and Private Secretary to the Minister | Madagascar |
| M. D. Randriamaniraka | Irrigation Engineer, Ministry of Agriculture | Madagascar |
| M. R. Ratsimandisa | Mechanical Engineer, Ministry of Agriculture | Madagascar |
Name
| Description
| Country
|
| The Hon. J. Singh | Member of Parliament for Rajasthan, Rajya Sabha India (Upper House), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), New Delhi | India |
| Herr F. Steinkuhler | Leader of the Stuttgart Region of the Metalworkers' Trade Union | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Rear-Admiral M. P. R. de Bakker | Secretary, Interministerial Commission for Marine Resources (SECRJM) | Brazil |
| Dr. A. Rocha-Campos | Professor, Institute of Geosciences, University of Sao Paulo | Brazil |
| Comm E. J. F. Neiva | Assistant Secretary, Brazilian Antartic Programme and Chief Scientist, 1st Brazilian Expedition to Antarctica | Brazil |
| HE Shaikh Thamer bin Mohammed Al-Thani accomapnied by | Vice-President, Supreme Council for Youth Welfare, Doha | Qatar |
| Shaik Mohammed bin Eid Al-Thani | Secretary-General, Supreme Council for Youth Welfare | Qatar |
| Mr. R. Bin Hussein Al-Naimi | Deputy Director of Qatari Olympic Committee | Qatar |
| Shaikh Saud bin Ali Al-Thani | Office Director | Qatar |
| Mr. M. F. Qasim | Director of Technical Affairs and Institutions | Qatar |
| Mr. A. M. Jussef | Director, Information and Public Relations | Qatar |
| Mr. A. I. Mohammed | Interpreter | Qatar |
| Mr. J. D. Mturi | Managing Director, Kenya Ports Authority, Mombasa | Kenya |
| Mr. P. Camay | Secretary-General, Council of Unions of South Africa | South Africa |
| HE Dr. E. A. Toure | Minister of Foreign Affairs | Guinea |
| M. A. N. Daw | Senior Official, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Conakry | Guinea |
| HE M. A. Sompare | Guinea Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, (based in Paris) | Guinea |
| Mr. J. V. Lunzer | Honorary Consul for Guinea (based in London) | Guinea |
| Maj-Gen. Goh Young Hee | Medical Controller, Ministry of National Defence, Seoul | Korea |
| Lt. Col. Rhee Dong Yoon | Korea | |
| Herr M. Kuendig | States Councillor for Canton Zug, Berne | Switzerland |
| Mr. L. Marshall | Political Editor, "The Argus", Cape Town | South Africa |
| Rear Admiral Hegazy | Chairman of Alexandria Port Authority | Egypt |
| Engineer M. Shoukry | Director of Technical Affairs, Container Department | Egypt |
| Mr. P. Xuereb | Chairman of the Investment Finance Bank | Malta |
| The Hon. T. C. Hynes | Assessor of Cook County, Illinois | United States |
| Mr. J. B. Sloan | Attorney, Political Adviser to Mr. Hynes, Chicago | United States |
| The Hon. N. F. Hartigan | Attorney General of Illinois, Chicago | United States |
| Dr. P. Mocumbi | Minister of Health, Maputo | Mozambique |
| Dr. J. C. Rocha | National Director of Health | Mozambique |
| Dr. F. Songane | Deputy Director of Maternity Unit, Central Hospital, Maputo | Mozambique |
| Deputy Chief E. Bell | Criminal Investigations Division, Atlanta, Bureau of Police Services, Atlanta, Georgia | United States |
| Tan Sri bin Aman | Chief Secretary to the Government of Malaysia, and Chairman, National Electricity Board, Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia |
| HE Mr. N. Ayaza | Governor of Istanbul Province | Turkey |
| HE Mr. Kizildagli | Deputy Governor of Istanbul | Turkey |
| Mr. K. Guzelsu | Head of Instanbul Master Plan for Development | Turkey |
| Mrs. H. Ernst | Project Director, General Directorate of Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration | Turkey |
| Dr. J. R. Hernandez | Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tegucigalpa | Honduras |
| Mr. Justice Grover | Chairman, Press Council of India, New Delhi | India |
| M. A. Moulin | Interviewer RTBF (Belgian Television), Brussels | Belgium |
| Mr. T. Okutubo | Foreign News Editor, "Daily Times", Lagos | Nigeria |
| HE Mr. M. Manescu | Vice President, Council of State of the Socialist Republic of Romania, Bucharest | Romania |
| Dr. N. Bujor | United Kingdom Desk Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Interpreter) | Romania |
| Mr. S. Gheorghe | Private Secretary | Romania |
| Prof. P. Jauho | Director General, State Technical Research Centre, Helsinki | Finland |
| Prof. D. Frei | Director of Swiss Institute of International Studies and Director of Political Science, Research Centre, Zurich | Switzerland |
| Dr. P. Tschopp | Professor of Political Economy, Geneva University | Switzerland |
| Mr. R. Boyce | Chief Education Officer, Bridgetown | Barbados |
| M. L. Ernoux | President of the Unions Professionelles Agricoles of Belgium (UPA) and Director of Credit Agricole, Brussels | Belgium |
| M. G. Gillet | President of the Alliance Agricole and Director of The Caisse Rurale | Belgium |
| Mr. A. B. S. Kilewo | Chairman and Managing Director, National Development | Belgium |
| Corporation, Dar es Salaam | Tanzania | |
| Prof. R. Herrera | Centre of International Studies, El Colegia de Mexico | Mexico |
| Prof. L. Schlemmer | Director and Professor of Applied Social Science Centre for Applied Social Sciences, University of Natal | South Africa |
| Mr. Hassan Nassor Moyo | Minister of Agriculture for Zanzibar | Tanzania |
| Mr. Abdulla Said Haji | Member of Zanzibar House of Representatives and Member | Tanzania |
| Mr. Adi I. Khatibu | of Tanzanian Parliament Director for Irrigation and Research, Zanzibar Ministry of | Tanzania |
| The Hon. Dr. Manneh, M.P. | Agriculture Minister of Economic Planning and Industrial Development, Banjul | Gambia |
Name
| Description
| Country
|
| Dr. A. Nsour | Director General, Income Tax Department, Amman | Jordan |
| Mr. C. D. Mavrellis | Minister of Communications and Works, Nicosia | Cyprus |
| Mr. D. Aphamis | Acting Director, Public Works Department | Cyprus |
| Mme. M. Cotta | Chairman of the French Broadcasting Authority, Paris | France |
| M. A. de Keghel | Diplomatic Counsellor to the Chairman of the French Broadcasting Authority | France |
| M. S. F. Hessel | Member of the French Broadcasting Authority | France |
| Mayors from Berlin (4) | Federal Republic of Germany | |
| Dr. O. Fehrenbach | Head of the New Media Division of the Stuttgart Newspaper Company | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Sr. J. Otero | Director, "El Dia", Montevideo | Uruguay |
| The Rt. Hon. Dr. Tomasi Puapua | Prime Minister | Tuvalu |
| + two aides | Tuvalu | |
| Professor R. Meyer | Dean, School of Engineering, Auckland University | New Zealand |
| Mrs. R. Kelly MP | Federal Australian Labour Party Member, Canberra | Australia |
| M. Le President Evin | Deputy, Loire Atlantique (Saint Nazaire) and President, Cultural, Family and Social Affairs Committee, National Assembly, Paris | France |
| Dr. Abecassis CDS | Mayor of Lisbon | Portugal |
| Dr. J. N. Ramos | Head, Sanitation Department, Lisbon City Council | Portugal |
| Herr A Schuh | Director of Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry, Munich | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Herr H. Alleze | Board Member, "BayWa" Agricultural Cooperative | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Herr H.-G. Heine | Economic Editor, "Suddeutsche Zeitung" | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Herr H. Schneider | Secretary-General of the Bavarian Farmers' Union | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Mr. B. Bjarnason | Political Editor, "Morgunbladid" Daily Newspaper, Reykjavik | Iceland |
| Defence Joumalists from Portugal and Spain (4) | Portugal and Spain | |
| Senor Perez de Arce | Editorial Page Writer, "El Mercurio", Santiago | Chile |
| Sr. M. Campo | Chief Sub-Editor "E1 Universal", Mexico City | Mexico |
| Sr. A. Ramos | Chief of national news assignments, "El Financero" | Mexico |
| Sr. F. Fe | Columnist, and Information Editor, "Proceso" | Mexico |
| Sr. V. Cazares | Diplomatic Reporter, "El Nacional" | Mexico |
| Mr. A. Khondakar | Commissioner, Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Dhaka | Bangladesh |
| Mr. M. Watanabe | Member of the Japanese Parliament, Member of the Liberal Democratic Party Executive Committee, Tokyo | Japan |
| Mr. I. Uchida | Private Secretary | Japan |
| Mr. F. Hrorikoshi | Private Secretary | Japan |
| Dr. C. Rabenoro | President of the Malagasy Academy, Antananarivo | Madagascar |
| Herr M. Wissmann MP | Christian Democrat Party (CDU), Bonn | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Herr H. Doss MP | (CDU) | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Dr. N. Lammert MP | (CDU) | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Herr H. Lattmann MP | (CDU) | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Herr E. Hinsken MP | Christian Social Party (CSU) | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Dr. V. Steinle | (CDU) | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Major-General Abdalla Mohamed Fadil | Minister of Industry, Mogadishu | Somalia |
| Mr. B. M. Syid | Commercial Director, Johar Sugar Factory | Somalia |
| Professor A. Du Toit | Senior Lecturer, University of Stellenbosh. Stllenbosch | South Africa |
| The Hon. Dr. G. de Marco | Deputy Leader of the Nationalist Party | Malta |
| Professor J. V. Simao | Ministry of Industry and Energy, Lisbon | Portugal |
| Dr. J. de Oliveira | Private Secretary | Portugal |
| General N. Chiari | Commandant, Guardia Di Finanza (Fiscal Police Force), Rome | Italy |
| Captain Daniele Caprini | Italy | |
| Mr. Y. Reale | Director of the Graduate School of Business Administration, Lyon | France |
| Monsieur A. Juppe | Deputy Mayor of Paris | France |
| Mr. I. Y. Rouzhev | Chairman of the Executive Committee of the District People's Council, Bourgas | Bulgaria |
| Mr. L. Wessels | Member of Parliament, National Party, Cape Town | South Africa |
| Excmo Senor Don Galeote | Chairman of Defence Committee of Congress and Co-ordinating Secretary for Public Relations of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Madrid | Spain |
| Senor Don J. Molins | Second Deputy Chairman of Defence Committee of Congress and Deputy for Barcelone of Catalan Nationalist Party(CiU) | Spain |
| Senor Don G. Elerriaga | Assistant Secretary General of Alianza Popular and Member of Congress for Castellan (AP) | Spain |
| Senor Don L. Mardones | Spokesman on foreign affairs for Centrist Group and Centre Democratic Union Member of Congress for Santa Cruz de Tenerife (UCD) | Spain |
| Sr. Don. Echeverria | Secretary of Basque Parliamentary Group and Basque Nationalist Party, Member of Congress for Guipuzcoa (PNV) | Spain |
| Sr. M. Fraile | Clerk of the Defence Committee of Congress | Spain |
Name
| Description
| Country
|
| Mr. M. Ikeuchi | Deputy Managing and Economic Editor "Nihon Keizai Shimbun", Tokyo | Japan |
| Mr. T. Kumagai | International News Editor "Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun" | Japan |
| Mr. K. Masao | Economic News Editor "Nihon Kogyo Shimbun" | Japan |
| Mr. P. H. Van Zeil | State Secretary (Minister) for Economic Affairs, The Hague | Netherlands |
| NATO Defence Journalists (9) | Various | |
| Miss C. Campbell MP | Liberal Member of Parliament for South West Nova (Nova Scotia), Ottawa | Canada |
| Mr. R. N. Edlin | Group Managing Editor, Fourth Estate Holdings, Wellington | New Zealand |
| Herr K. Kleebaum | Editor, Foreign Department, Westdeutsche Allegemeine Zeitung, Essen | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Herr J. Rindfleisch | Political Editor, Neue Ruhr Zeitung, Essen | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Herr G. Uhlemann | Foreign Affairs Editor, Rheinische Post, Dusseldorf | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Dr. M. Bar-Zohar | Member of the Knesset, Jerusalem | Israel |
| Mr. T. Vandeputte | Head of the Economic Affairs Division of the Belgium Business Federation, Vice President of the Central Economic Council, Brussels | Belgium |
| Dr. P. J. Welgemoed | Member of Parliament, National Party, Cape Town | South Africa |
| The Hon. E. O. Allimadi | Prime Minister of Uganda and Party (10) | Uganda |
| Mr. A. Zelicic | Economic Journalist, "Ekonomska Politika", ("Economic Policy"), Belgrade | Yugoslavia |
| Mr. Z. Logar | Economic Correspondent "Politika", Belgrade | Yugoslavia |
| Mr. F. Zilic | Editor-in-Chief "Privredni Vjesnik" ("Economic Herald"), Zagreb | Yugoslavia |
Name
| Description
| Country
|
Category II Sponsored Visitors
| ||
| Mr. I. Ahmed | International Editor, Portuguese Television, Channel 1, Lisbon | Portugal |
| Dr. T. Pangalos | Deputy Minister for Commerce | Greece |
| Dr. D. Dimitrakos | Chef de Cabinet to Dr. Pangalos | Greece |
| Prof. V. De Oliveira | President of the Planning Commission of the Northern Region, Oporto | Portugal |
| Excmo. Sr J. Solana | Minister of Culture | Spain |
| Mr. S. Sethuraman | Chief News Editor, "Press Trust of India", New Delhi | India |
| HE M. P. Nze | Minister of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation | Congo |
| M. Mahoungou | Political Adviser to the Minister | Congo |
| M. Makosso | Director of the European Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation | Congo |
| Parliamentary Delegation— | Accion Popular (7) | Peru |
| Mr. P. Dreyfus | Senior Editor, "Le Danphine Libere", Grenoble | France |
| Mr. P. O. Assmann | President, Cosipa Steel Co. Sao Paulo | Brazil |
| M. Y. Cornu | "Le Quotidien de Paris" | France |
| Mr. J-C Renaud | Economics Director, NATO | Belgium |
| Dr. M. Ferrari | Minister of Planning and External Relations | Seychelles |
| Engineer Femandes | Director General, Bureau of Health Installations and Equipment, Ministry of Social Affairs (Health) | Portugal |
| Dr. J. L. Salcedo | President of the Executive Committee for the Bicentenary of Simon Bolivar | Venezuela |
| Mr. M. Dangor | Former Deputy Leader of the Transvaal Labour Party, Johannesburg | South Africa |
| Mr. T. Melega | Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade | Hungary |
| Mr. A. M. Khan | Economics Editor and Advertising Manager, "Arab Oil" | Kuwait |
| Mr. R. Shaw | Supplement Correspondent, "Arab Oil" | Kuwait |
| Mr. S. G. Colaco | Supplements Editor, Kuwait Times | Kuwait |
| Dr. R. C. De Machete | President of the Commission for the Revision of the Administrative Code | Portugal |
| Dr. A. M. R. Montalvo | Member of the Commission for the Revision of the Administrative Code | Portugal |
| Mr. N. G. C. Vitorino | Member of the Commission for the Revision of the Administrative Code | Portugal |
| Dr. C. Serrate | Owner and Editor "Hoy", La Paz | Bolivia |
| Mr. M. J. Khan | Town Clerk and Chief Executive to the Council City of Lautoka | Fiji |
| Senor H. Millas | Chief Editor "Hoy Magazine" | Chile |
| Dr. H. van Bueren | Chairman, Advisory Council for Science Policy | Netherlands |
| Dr. C. M. Kleisen | Deputy Secretary of Advisory Council for Science Policy | Netherlands |
| Group from L'Ecole Nationale D'Administration (6) | France | |
| Senor O. Jaramillo | Director, "JyB—Escriba", Bogota | Colombia |
| Mr. A. Farago | Editor, Figyelo, Budapest | Hungary |
| Licenciado Beteta | Director General, Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) | Mexico |
| Senor A. Lajous | Co-ordinator of International Policy, (PEMEX) | Mexico |
| Senor C. Peralta | Head of PEMEX Europe | Mexico |
| Mr. F. G. Proenca | Secretary of State for Fishing | Guinea Bissau |
| Ing. L. Ler CSc | Minister of Finance, Prague | Czechoslovakia |
Name
| Description
| Country
|
| Ing. V. Brizek | Head of Department of Foreign Trade | Czechoslovakia |
| Ing. M. Novonty | Member of Minister's Private Office | Czechoslovakia |
| The Hon. Madame Justice Chibesakunda | Chairman of the Industrial Relations Court, Lusaka | Zambia |
| Mr. C. Ramaphosa | General Secretary, National Union of Mineworkers, Johannesburg | South Africa |
| Mr. R. O. Matlock | Director of the Department of Technical Services, East Cape Administration Board, Port Elizabeth | South Africa |
| Parliamentary Delegation from Ecuador (7) | Ecuador | |
| Senor C. Paz | News Director, Channel 5 TV (Panamericana), Lima | Peru |
| Mr. N. Miyamoto | Features Editor, "Sankei Shimbun", Tokyo | Japan |
| Khun Banyong | General Manager, Thai State Railways | Thailand |
| Khun. Hiran | Deputy General Manager (Administration) | Thailand |
| Khun Sriyoudh | Chief, Development Bureau | Thailand |
| Khun Taweesak | Chief, Investment Project and Budget Division, Accounting and Finance Department | Thailand |
| Colonel Brizida | Secretary of Informatics, Special Secretariat of Information, Brasilia | Brazil |
| Mr. A. T. Daba | Proprietor and General Manager, Ethiopia Book Centre, Addis Ababa | Ethiopia |
| Mr. J. Sundstein | Speaker of the Faroese Legislative Assembly, Leader of Folkeflokk (People's Party), The Faroes | Denmark |
| Mr. A. Dam | Leader of the Social Democratic Party | Denmark |
| Mr. A. Neilsen | Member of the Samband (Unionist) Party | Denmark |
| Mr. H. Kass | Member of Moderat Selvstyre (Moderate Home Rule Party) | Denmark |
| The Anglo-Soviet Round Table, Moscow (8) | Soviet Union | |
| Mr. G. Kundapur | News Editor, Press Trust of India, Bombay | India |
| Mr. H. K. Dua | Chief of Bureau, "Indian Express", New Delhi | India |
| Mr. T. J. Plummer | Chairman, Meat and Wool Section, Federated Farmers of New Zealand, Incorporated | New Zealand |
| Mr. O. T. Symmans | Executive Officer, Meat and Wool Section, Federated Farmers of New Zealand Incorporated | New Zealand |
| Mr. O. Olunlayo | Chairman, Madan Municipal Government. Ibaden | Nigeria |
| Chief A. R. Ojedele | Permanent Secretary, Ibaden Municipal Government | Nigeria |
| Senor M. Carvallo | Assistant Editor, "HOY" Magazine, Santiago | Chile |
| Mr. A. A. J. Dias | Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industries and Scientific Affairs, Colombo | Sri Lanka |
| Professor B. Rabbani | Leader, Jamiat-i-Islami, Afghanistan | Afghanistan (Based in Pakistan) |
| Dr. Nasri | Afghanistan (Based in Pakistan) | |
| Mr. M. Khalili | Afghanistan (Based in Pakistan) | |
| Dr. R. Bernardini | Head of Press Officer of the Association of Religious Health Institutions, Rome | Italy |
| Dr. M. Bernardini | Head of Press Office of Italian Hospital Doctors' Trade Union (SUMAI), Rome | Italy |
| Mr. A. Gemelli | Journalist/Writer-Editorial Co-ordinator of magazine "Social Security Today", Rome | Italy |
| Professor M. Pasquini | Professor in Medical Law, Bologna University, Bologna | Italy |
| Father U. Rizzo | President of the Association of Religious Health Institutions, Rome | Italy |
| Mr. S. T. Boya | Chairman, Daveyton Community Council, Daveyton | South Africa |
| The Harry Brittain Memorial Fellowship Scheme 1983—Commonwealth Press Union (9) | Various | |
| HE Monsieur T. Adjibade | Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Cotonou | Benin |
| Monsieur J. Adande | Director for Europe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Cooperation, Cotonou | Benin |
| Mr. N. S. Middleton | National Co-ordinator, Council of Unions of South Africa, Natal | South Africa |
| Mr. P. Skrzedziejewski | Film Editor, Committee on Radio and Television Affairs, Warsaw | Poland |
| General E. Mercado | Director, Institute of Geopolitical and Strategic Studies, Lima | Peru |
| Eng. A. A. H. Sokkar | Chairman, National Postal Organisation, Cairo | Egypt |
| Mr. L. T Lee | MP, Democratic Action Party (Opposition), Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia |
| Mr. J. F. Baker | Editor-in-Chief, "Publishers Weekly", New York | United States |
| Senorita M. Olivos | Editor, Women's Supplement "De Mujer a Mujer" "La Tercera de la Hora", Santiago | Chile |
| Sr. F. Willoughby | Columnist "La Tercera de la Hora", Santiago | Chile |
| Mr. N. Mohan | Editor and Publisher "Daily Jagran", Kanpur | India |
| Mrs. C. R. Kim | Minister of Health and Social Affairs, Seoul | Korea |
| Dr. S. W. Lee | Director General, Bureau of Medical Affairs, Seoul | Korea |
| Mr. S. Y. Chung | Chief Secretary to Minister of Health and Social Affairs, Seoul | Korea |
| M. A. Gintrand | Financial Adviser to the President of Avions Marcel Dassault, Paris | France |
| Mom. R. Chatu Mongol Sonakul | Deputy Director-General of Revenue Department and Chairman of National Fertiliser Corporation, Bangkok | Thailand |
| Dr. Sirin Nimmanahaeminda | Deputy Governor for Finance, Petroleum Authority of Thailand | Thailand |
Name
| Description
| Country
|
| Mr. P. T. Bowen | Commissioner for Maritime Affairs, Monrovia | Liberia |
| Mr. S. R. Gupta | Editor, "State Enterprise", New Delhi | India |
| Mr. D. Bursky | West Coast Managing Editor "Electronic Design" Magazine | United States |
| Licenciado A. Hegewisch | Executive Secretary, Mexican Foreign Investment Commission, Mexico City | Mexico |
| The Hon. Mrs. M. Belleh | Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Monrovia | Liberia |
| Brig. K. D. Whiting | Director, State Emergency Service, Queensland | Australia |
| Mr. D. Golubovic | Editor (Domestic & Foreign News), Belgrade | Yugoslavia |
| Miss V. Malisic | Journalist (Domestic & Foreign News), "Duga" | Yugoslavia |
| Khun B. Abhichata | Chief of Economic Planning, Department of Aviation, Ministry of Communications, Bangkok | Thailand |
| Group Captain T. Dhavee | Director, Inspection Division, Airport Authority of Thailand | Thailand |
| Dr. C. Surapol | Assistant Professor, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok | Thailand |
| Mr. J. L. Hunt, MP | Labour Member of Parliament for Grey Lynn, Shadow Minister for Broadcasting, and Senior Opposition Whip, Wellington | New Zealand |
| Mr. D. Zhou | Deputy Mayor of Shenzhen (Leader), Shenzhen | People's Republic of China |
| Mr. E. Zou | Secretary General of Shenzhen, Special Economic Zone (Deputy Leader), Shenzhen | People's Republic of China |
| Mr. K. Sun | General Manager of Shenzhen, Special Economic Zone | People's Republic of China |
| Mr. L. Zhang | Secretary of the General Office of Shenzhen, Municipal People's Government | People's Republic of China |
| Mr. Y. Lan | Interpreter | People's Republic of China |
| Miss Han Hee Joo | Section Chief, Radio Korea (English Service), Seoul | Korea |
| Mr. Kim Kun Ho | Culture and Science Editor, Korea Economic Daily, Seoul | Korea |
| Mr. D. B. S. Thapa | Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice, Kathmandu | Nepal |
| Mr. E. A. Bauman | Economics Editor, "The Daily Journal", Caracas | Venezuela |
| Mr. S. A-H. Al-Rashid | Director-General of Amman Development Corporation, Amman | Jordan |
| Mr. A. G. Mathew | News Editor, "Economic Times" Newspaper, Bombay | India |
| Ms. F. Martin, | Features Editor "Hotels and Restaurants International" Illinois | United States of America |
| Mr. A. G. Beadle | Deputy Chairman, Wellington | New Zealand |
| Mr. G. Elliott | General Manager, New Zealand Wheat Board | New Zealand |
| Mr. D. W. Ritchie | Senior Vice-President, Federated Farmers of New Zealand (Arable Section) | New Zealand |
| Ten Parliamentary Interns, plus Leaders | Ottawa, Ontario | Canada |
| Professor R. Jackson | Carleton University | Canada |
| Mrs. D. Jackson | Canada | |
| Mr. M. Lefens | Editor, "Meat Processing" and "Meat Processing International", Hinsdale, Illinois | United States of America |
| The Hon. Hapunda | Minister of Labour and Social Services, Lusaka | Zambia |
| Mr. J. M. Coupe | Agricultural Editor, "Wanganui Chronicle", Editor, Arable Farming Magazine | New Zealand |
| Mr. V. Dutt | Editor of Probe, New Delhi | India |
| Fine Gael Officials (9) | Republic of Ireland | |
| Mr. H. K. Shastry | Correspondent, Calcutta Bureau, Press Trust of India, Calcutta | India |
| Hon. M. V. Perera | Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Sport, Colombo | Sri Lanka |
| Mr. L. W. Madugalle | Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Sports | Sri Lanka |
| Professor Lohia | Chairman, Public Services Commission, Port Moresby | Papua New Guinea |
| Dr. A. U. Pietri | Politician and Writer, Caracas | Venezuela |
| Doctor Somboon | Associate Professor at the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University | Thailand |
| Dr. Dannenbring OBE | Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs, NATO, Brussels | Belgium |
| Dr. I. Hamouda | Chairman, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo | Egypt |
| Professor Hammad | Chairman, Nuclear Safety Commission, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority | Egypt |
| Dr. A. Sawyer | Chairman, National Constitution Commission, Monrovia | Liberia |
| Mr. P. Isaac | Information Technology Reporter "Wellington Daily" Dominion, Wellington | New Zealand |
| Hon. H. Templeton MP | Minister of Trade and Industry, Wellington | New Zealand |
| Sr. L. A. Banguero | Secretary for Political and Legal Affairs Workers Confederation of Colombia (CTC), Bogota | Colombia |
| Mr. K. Kataras | Managing Director, "Info-Publica", Athens | Greece |
| Mr. M. Gold | Mamaging Editor, News "Electronics Design" Magazine | United States of America. |
| Ms. L. Bricco | Editor, Kenya Farmer Magazine, Nairobi | Kenya |
| Mr. M. El Izabi | Deputy Editor-in-Chief, "Al Goumhouriya" | Egypt |
| Sr. D. A. Sotelo | First Assistant Clerk at the Table | Peru |
| Dr. C. A. Delgado | Reading Clerk and Chief of the Office of Relatorship and Agenda, Chamber of Deputies National Congress of Peru, Lima | Peru |
| His Excellency Mr. N. Wongman and | Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives | Thailand |
| Mrs. U. Wongman | Thailand | |
| Mr. J. Pua-Chuey | Member of Parliament and Private Secretary to the Minister | Thailand |
Name
| Description
| Country
|
| Dr. T. Thamrong-Nawasawat | Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives | Thailand |
| Dr. Somnuk Sriplung | Secretary General, Office of Agricultural Economics | Thailand |
| Khun B. Hirunburana | Director, Marketing Organisation for Farmers, Bangkok | Thailand |
| Khun S Sinthuvanik | Chief, Agriculture Trade Department, Marketing Organisation for Farmers | Thailand |
| Dr. G. Miranda | Executive President, Social Security System | Costa Rica |
| Senor J. E. Brenes | Chief Actuary and Director of Institutional Planning | Costa Rica |
| Ing H. V. Perez | Executive President, Scott Paper Co. | Costa Rica |
| Senor R. Thompson | Member of the Institute for Housing and Planning, San Jose | Costa Rica |
| Supt. A dos Santos | Chief of Traffic Police and Radio Patrols | Angola |
| Sgt. A. Waquiva | Chief of Police Radar Technical Department | Angola |
| Mr. K-B Kim | President, Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) | Korea |
| Mr. S-K Park | Vice-President, FKTU | Korea |
| Mr. J-S Phee | International Affairs Department, FKTU | Korea |
| Dr. B. Tim | Director General, Livestock Development Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Bangkok | Thailand |
| Senator O. Trelles | Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Defence and Internal Order | Peru |
| Senator G. Acurio | Chairman of the Joint Congressional Budget Committee | Pent |
| Senator Calmell del Solar | Chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Foods Committee | Peru |
| Mrs. R. Millar | Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing and National Insurance, Nassau | Bahamas |
| Mr. S. Kar | Editor, "Science and Culture" Journal, Calcutta | India |
| Mr. M. Y. L. Wong | Publisher and Editor "Financial Daily" | Hong Kong |
| Mr. K. Y. Chan | Senior Reporter "South China Morning Post" | Hong Kong |
| Mr. K-K. Ng | Sub-Editor, "Wai Kui Daily News" | Hong Kong |
| Mr. K. Narayanan | News Editor, "The Hindi", Madras | India |
| Mr. S. Tauia | Chief of Police | Tuvalu |
| Six delegations from the State Economic Commission Energy Bureau: | Peoples Republic of China | |
| Mr. Y. Wei | Deputy Director | Peoples Republic of China |
| Mr. X. Wang | Chief, Energy Conservation Division | Peoples Republic of China |
| Mme. J. Xu | Chief of Science and Technology Division | Peoples Republic of China |
| Mme. Y Zhao | Deputy Chief of Energy Conservation Division | Peoples Republic of China |
| Mr. D. Xin | Deputy Director, Energy Conservation Department, Energy Research Institute | Peoples Republic of China |
| Mr. Q. Dong | Programme Co-ordinator, Foreign Affairs Bureau, Peking | Peoples Republic of China |
| Professor R. V. C. Rao | Dean, School of Social Sciences and Head of the Department of Political Sciences, Hyderabad University | India |
| Mr. H. Andre, MP | Federal Member of Parliament, Progressive Conservative Party, Ottawa | Canada |
| Mr. S. Mookherjee | Chief Whip, Congress Legislative Party, West Bengal | India |
| Mr. E. Alexandre | (Leader of the Cattle Farming Group), Cattle Breeder, Member of the Managing Board of the National CattleFederation | France |
| Mr. P. Chevalier | Cattle Breeder, Member of the Managing Board of the National Cattle Federation | France |
| Mr. G. Barbin | Editor of the National Cattle Federation's News Sheet "La Circulaire de L'Elevage" and Agricultural Economist | France |
| Mr. J-L. Issaly | (Leader of the Sheep Farming Group), Sheep farmer, AssistantSecretary-General of the French Federation of SheepFarmers | France |
| Mr. M. M. Fages | Sheepfarmer, Member of the Conseil d'Administration National | France |
| Mr. P. Garrigues | Director of the French Federation of Sheep Farmers | France |
| Dr. O. Wulff, MdB, MP | President of the German Parliamentary Association, Bonn | Federal Republic of Germany |
| 13 members of the Yuen Long District Board, New Territories | Hong Kong | |
| Mr. K. N. M. Pillai | Assistant Editor, "Free Press Journal", Bombay | India |
| Madame F. Risler | Environmental Protection Group, L'Ecole Nationale D'Administration (ENA), accompanied by: | France |
| Monsieur B-P Galey | France | |
| Monsieur Pepy | France | |
| Mr. K. D. Sharma | Director of Hospital Services | Fiji |
| Ing. J. D. Duarte | Former President and Leader of the Christian Democratic Party | El Salvador |
| Sra de Duarte | El Salvador | |
| Group from L'Ecole Nationale D'Administration (8), Paris | France | |
| Dr. M. Abulafi | Member of the Board of Trustees, Association of Charitable Institutions, The Physically Handicapped Association, and the Islamic Homes of Mercy | Occupied Territories of the |
| Mr. T. Hamano | News Commentator, NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corp) Tokyo | Japan |
| President W. S. Kim | President, Korea Gas Safety Corporation, Seoul | Korea |
| Professor C. K. Kang | Head Researcher, Korea Gas Safety Corporation | Korea |
| Mr. D. Malosu | Deputy Director of Agriculture, Port Vila | Vanuatu |
| Monsieur A. de Decker | Deputé, Belgium Liberal Party | Belgium |
Name
| Description
| Country
|
| Madame J. R. de Decker | President of the National Union of Liberal and Intellectual Professions | Belgium |
| Senor L. Mir | Political Journalist, "Senhor" Weekly Magazine, Sao Paulo, "El Pais", Madrid | Brazil |
| Mr. B. Krishna Mohan MP | Dean, Faculty of Law, Andhra University, Andhra Pradesh | India |
| The Hon. C. G. Kahama | Minister for National Resources and Tourism, Dar Es Salaam | Tanzania |
| Mr. S. J. W. Moshi | Director of Tourism | Tanzania |
| Barun S. Rana | Adviser to the Ministry of Communications, Kathmandu | Nepal |
| Senor A. Sarubbi | Reporter, "Jornal City News de Campinas", Sao Paulo | Brazil |
| Col. O. Berlouis | Minister of Youth and Defence | Seychelles |
| Major R. Marie | Military Aide | Seychelles |
| Association of Economic Representatives in London Study Tour of the North West Region (25) | ||
| Mr. M. A. E-A. Tantawi | Joint Managing Editor, "Akhbar Al 'Youm", Cairo | Egypt |
| Senor A. Mariaca | Co-Editor, "Presencia", La Paz | Bolivia |
| HE Mr. G. Vlad | Minister of Petroleum, Bucharest | Romania |
| Mr. M. Leu | Director of Cooperation Department, Ministry of Petroleum | Romania |
| Mrs. E. Urrows | Freelance journalist, Ridgefield, Connecticut | United States |
| Mr. H. Urrows | Freelance journalist | United States |
| Mr. Choi | Administrator, Korean National Railroad, Seoul | Korea |
| Mr. Kim | Director General, Electrification Bureau, KNR | Korea |
| Mr. Ha | Director, Diesel Locomotive Division, KNR | Korea |
| NATO Observation Group from Reykjavik (7) | Iceland | |
| Mr. J. E. Agius | Head of Exporters Section, Federation of Industries, Valletta | Malta |
| Monsieur J-M Riche | Director/Editor-in-Chief "Air et Cosmos", Paris | France |
| Col. H. Andrianasolo | Director General, Malagasy State Mining Authority (OMNIS), Antananario | Madagascar |
| Mrs. E. Ferrier | Post Graduate | United States |
| Mr. P. M. S. Pradhan | Chief Editor, "Radio Nepal", Kathmandu | Nepal |
| Mr. N. Ram | Editor, "The Hindu", Madras | India |
| Senor R. Alarcon | Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Havana | Cuba |
| Dr. Phisit | Deputy Secretary General, National Economic and Social Development Board, Bangkok | Thailand |
| Mr. J. A. Bridson | Chief Engineer (Radar), Civil Aviation Division, Ministry of Transport, Wellington | New Zealand |
| Mr. V. K. Chopra | Secretary, Hind Samachar Group of Newspapers, Jullundur | India |
| Mr. S. Nand MP | JP, Suva | Fiji |
| Mr. J. Kumar | Current Affairs Producer, Fiji Broadcasting Commission | Fiji |
| Mr. R. Mathur | Editor, "Navbharat Times", New Delhi | India |
| Mr. S. EI-Shahid | Editor, "The Egyptian Gazette", Cairo | Egypt |
| HE M. Moumin Bandon Farah | Minister of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation | Djibouti |
| M. R. Farah | Head of Bilateral Relations Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Djibouti |
| M. I. O. Guelleh | Chef de Cabinet du President | Djibouti |
| HE M. A. I Abdi | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for Djibouti (resident in Paris) | Djibouti |
| Mr. S. Tikchev | Chairman, International Relations Committee for Television and Radio, Sofia | Bulgaria |
| Mr. P. Markov | Head of International Relations Committee for Television and Radio | Bulgaria |
| Mr. W. J. Burns | Editor, "Lawn and Garden Marketing", Chicago | United States of America |
| Mr. B. D. Smucker | Editor, "American Nurseryman" | United States of America |
| Delegation from the Operations Department of the China National Off-Shore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), Beijing (7) | Peoples' Republic of China | |
| Prof. D. Davidov | Deputy Chairman, Committee for Labour and Social Affairs, Sofia | Bulgaria |
| Mr. H. Kanamori | President, Japan Economic Research Centre (JERC), Tokyo | Japan |
| Mr. J. Bruton TD | Ministry for Industry and Energy, Dublin | Republic of Ireland |
| Mr. M. Scanlon | Assistant Secretary, Petrol and Mineral Exploration Division | Republic of Ireland |
| Mr. S. O'Muircheartaigh | Principal, Planning and Finance Division, Department of Industry and Energy | Republic of Ireland |
| Mr. V. Dagli | Editor, "Commerce", Bombay | India |
| Dr. M. M. Hanna | Professor of Structural Engineering, Ain Shams University, Cairo | Egypt |
| Group from the Sichuan Science and Technology Commission, Sichuan Province (5) | Peoples' Republic of China | |
| Mrs. E. Riad | Journalist, "Akher Saa" Magazine, Cairo | Egypt |
| Mr. E. Hernandez | Manager and Technical Adviser, Agro-Chemical Sales, Samudio and Asociados Ltda, Bogota | Colombia |
| Mr. Zhang | Head of Research Group, Institute for Environmental Protection, Tianjin | Peoples' Republic of China |
| Herr Senator Wronski | Senator for Labour and Municipal Enterprises, Berlin | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Herr M. Petscha | Labour Adviser | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Mr. K. Sahlgren | Executive Secretary, UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), Geneva accompanied by: | Switzerland |
| Dame Anne Warburton DCVO, CMG | United Kingdom Permanent Representative to the United Nations at Geneva | Switzerland |
Name
| Description
| Country
|
| Mr. B. Duke | ECE Secretary | Switzerland |
| Mr. D. Chaudhuri | Editor, "Urja" (Energy Journal), New Delhi | India |
| Lt. Gen. Anton | Chief of the Indonesian National Police, Jakarta | Indonesia |
| Maj. Gen Drs Yansen | Commanding General, Plainclothes Police Command | Indonesia |
| Brig. Gen. Drs Sidarto | Chief of Staff, Uniformed Police Command | Indonesia |
| Brig. Gen. Drs Soeharyono | Chief of the Foreign Affairs Division | Indonesia |
| Mr. R. S. Rajasingham | Inspector General of Police, Colombo | Sri Lanka |
| Commissioner Burroughs | Commissioner of Police, Port of Spain | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Inspector Moutouri | Trinidad and Tobago | |
| Dr. A. Ali | Minister for Education and Youth, Suva | Fiji |
| Mr. M. Samoura | Director of Telecommuncations, Ministry of Information and Telecommunications, Dakar | Senegal |
| HE Mr. M. Y. Al-Adasani | Speaker of the National Assembly of Kuwait | Kuwait |
| Mr. S. A Al-Hammad | Member of the National Assembly | Kuwait |
| Mr. E. M. Al-Shaheen | Member of the National Assembly | Kuwait |
| Mr. M. A. Al-Dabbous | Member of the National Assembly | Kuwait |
| Mr. A. F Al-Fulaij | Secretary-General of the National Assembly | Kuwait |
| Mr. H. A. W. Al-Tammar | Speaker in the Office of the Speaker of the National Assembly | Kuwait |
| Sra P. Vergara | Deputy Editor "La Segunda", Santiago | Chile |
| Mr. J. S. M. Sikhonze | Director of Posts and Telecommunications, Mbabane | Swaziland |
| Ms. E. Gordon | Developing and Processing and Photo-finishing Editor "Photo Weekly", New York City | United States |
| Senator N. Barrow | Minister of Information and Culture, Bridgetown | Barbados |
| Microbiological Disaster Delegation (State Science and Technological Commission) | Peoples' Republic of China | |
| JIN Zuxun | Director, Sichuan Grain Storage Research Institute, Mianying, Sichuan | Peoples' Republic of China |
| LI Kuang | Deputy Chief Engineer, Guangxi Provincial Grain and Oil Storage Research Laboratory, Nanning, Guangxi | Peoples' Republic of China |
| GAO Jian | Assistant Researcher, Food Science Research Institute, Beijing (Interpreter) | Peoples' Republic of China |
| YIN Weishen (Mrs.) | Associate Professor and Head of Microbiological Teaching Department, Zhengzhou Grain College, Henan | Peoples' Republic of China |
| HUANG Fanying | Head of Research Section, Guangdong Provincial Microbiological Research Institute | Peoples' Republic of China |
| Mr. H. Ingibergsson | Secretary General of the Progressive Party | Iceland |
| Mr. S. Kristinsson | Student of Business and Administration, University of Iceland | Iceland |
| Mr. O. B. Karason | Student of Business and Administration, University of Iceland, Member of Independence Party Youth Association | Iceland |
| Mr. L. Blondel | Law Student | Iceland |
| Mr. J. A Eggertsson | Customs Officer | Iceland |
| Mr. E. Sigurdsson | Medical Student | Iceland |
| Rev. R. M. S. Ng'ombe | Acting Director General, Zambia Broadcasting Services, Lusaka | Zambia |
| Mr. P. Michel | Journalist, "L'Express", Port Louis | Mauritius |
| Mr. N. Mmono | Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Communications, Gaborone | Botswana |
| Sra G. C. Hiltl | Television Producer and Journalist, Television Pampa, Rede Riograndense Emissoras Rio Grande do Sul, Sao Paulo | Brazil |
| Mrs. A. Donta | Travelling Correspondent, Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation, Athens | Greece |
| Miss E. Tikka | International Secretary, Finnish Centre Party, Helsinki | Finland |
| Dr. J. Aguiar | Political Adviser to President Eanes, Lisbon | Portugal |
| Mr. A. F. Materula | Secretary of State for Tourism | Mozambique |
| Mr. A. Y. Chan | Director of Finance, National Tourist Company | Mozambique |
| Mr. G. I. Welch | Executive Managing Director, National Tourist Company | Mozambique |
| Mr. S. Banerjee | Assistant Editor "Sunday" News Weekly, Calcutta | India |
| M. B. Brigouleix | Diplomatic Editor, "Le Monde", Paris | France |
| Dr. A. Hallouda | President, Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics, Cairo | Egypt |
| Brigadier M. Hussain | Senior Advisor to Ministry of Science and Technology | Pakistan |
| Ms. T. Nair | Special Correspondent, "Business Standard", New Delhi | India |
| Mr. D. G. Gupte | Financial Editor, "Times of India", Bombay | India |
| Portuguese Accession to the European Community Study Team (5 Groups) (16), Lisbon | Portugal | |
| China National Coal Development Corporation Delegation, Beijing (5) | People's Republic of China | |
| Professor H. Silva Martins | Co-ordinator of Purchasing Equipment Group, Lisbon | Portugal |
| Dr. M. E. Boal | Head, Study Division of Equipment for Schools Ministry of Education | Portugal |
| Mr. T. C. Srinivasa-Raghavan | Commercial Editor, "Financial Express" New Delhi | India |
| HE Mr. L. Do Nascimento | Member of Central Committee of MPLA-PT, Member of Commission of Defence and Security, Ministry of Planning, Luanda | Angola |
Name
| Description
| Country
|
| Dr. M. S. Pizarro | Vice Governor, The National Bank of Angola | Angola |
| HE Mr. L. De Almeida | Angolan Ambassador to France | Angola |
| Dr. L. S. Nascimento | Deputy Director of the Minister's Office | Angola |
| Mr. J. Filipe | Official of the Department of State Protocol | Angola |
| Mr. F. Miranda | Aide | Angola |
| Dr. F. Slabbert MP | Leader of the Opposition and the PFP, Member of Parliament for Claremont, Cape Town | South Africa |
| Dr. A. L. Boraine MP | PFP Member of Parlaiment for Pinelands, Cape Town | South Africa |
Environment
Defective System-Built Dwellings
10.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes introducing his Bill to enable grants to be paid to owners of defective system-built dwellings.
As soon as possible.
Consultative Council On Local Government Finance
12.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when is the next scheduled meeting of the Consultative Council on Local Government Finance.
No date has yet been fixed.
Block Grant
18.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities are estimated to receive no block grant in the current financial year.
Eight.
30.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much block grant was paid to the partnership and programme authorities and designated districts in 1981–82; and how much in 1981–82 prices is estimated for 1983–84 following the first supplementary report.
In cash terms for each year, £2,306 million and £2,322 million, respectively.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the block grant receipts of (a) Essex county council, (b) Kensington and Chelsea London borough council, (c) Merseyside metropolitan county council and (d) Manchester metropolitan district council at (i) budget stage and (ii) all supplementary reports in each year from 1981–82 to 1983–84.
The block grant entitlements at settlement and all of the supplementary reports for the years 1981–82 to 1983–84 are shown for Essex, Kensington and Chelsea, Merseyside and Manchester district council in the table.
| Block Grant Entitlements (£ millions) | ||||
| Essex | Ken. and Chelsea | Merseyside | Manchester | |
| 1981–82 | ||||
| Settlement | 159·9 | 14·8 | 72·4 | 110·0 |
Essex
| Ken. and Chelsea
| Merseyside
| Manchester
| |
| 1st Supplementary Report | 154·4 | 10·9 | 74·7 | 110·3 |
| 2nd Supplementary Report* | 154·5 | 10·9 | 69·6 | 108·2 |
| 3rd Supplementary Report* | 156·3 | 12·1 | 69·5 | 109·6 |
1982–83
| ||||
| Settlement | 151·8 | 18·9 | 73·0 | 103·8 |
| 1st Supplementary Report* | 151·1 | 13·8 | 69·8 | 99·9 |
1983–84
| ||||
| Settlement | 151·2 | 18·2 | 80·1 | 96·1 |
| 1st SupplementaryReport* | 154·1 | 18·9 | 68·0 | 96·6 |
* After holdback. | ||||
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the estimated total claim on block grant after holdback and clawback if all authorities had spent at their grant-related expenditure assessment in 1984–85.
If all authorities were to spend at their grant related expenditure assessment in 1984–85, the total amount of block grant distributed to local authorities in England, after holdback and close-ending, would be £7,551·9 million.
Rates Bill
20.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received in total from local authorities and others since the publication of the Rates Bill.
About 400.
21.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the average savings per household in the first year as a result of the proposals contained in the Rates Bill.
Capping the rates of the highest spenders will produce both economies in spending and more block grant for the authorities concerned; I have no doubt that the benefits for households in those authorities will be substantial.
52.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he has received from the English local authority associations regarding the Rates Bill.
I have received no advice regarding the Rates Bill from the English local authority associations since its publication. Detailed comments on the White Paper "Rates" (Cmnd. 9008), whose contents are reflected in the Bill, were provided by the Association of County Councils, the Association of Metropolitan Authorities, the Association of District Councils, and the National Association of Local Councils.
62.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report a breakdown of the grades of the additional staff required under the proposed selective powers in the Rates Bill.
It is too early to provide a detailed analysis by grade of the staff required to implement the selective rate limitation scheme.
Local Government Directorate
22.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many staff are currently employed in his Department's local government directorate.
Fifty seven.
Timber-Frame Houses
25.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many timber-frame houses have been erected in each year in Great Britain since 1974; and what percentage this represents of the total number of houses built in that period.
Information from the Timber Research and Development Association suggests that the number of timber-frame houses of all types built in the United Kingdom from 1974 to 1982 is 376,000. This represents some 15·6 per cent. of housing output in this period.
Local Authority Services
27.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on Government policy on competition for local authority services.
54.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will bring forward legislation to compel local authorities to put their services out to tender.
The policy of the Government is to encourage local authorities to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by private contractors to provide better services at lower cost. We are considering what measures could be taken to speed up progress.
Housing Association Developments (Norfolk)
28.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many housing association developments are planned for Norfolk over the next two years.
This information is not available. The Housing Corporation's regional allocations for 1984–85 have still to be finalised, and no decisions have yet been made about funding for 1985–86. Funding of housing association projects by local authorities through their housing investment programmes is a matter for individual local authorities.
Radioactivity (Sea Water)
29.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress of the investigation into the enhancement of radioactivity in sea water when it is converted into sea spray which is being conducted for his Department by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.
Research in Cumbria sponsored by my Department, in conjuction with UKAEA and BNFL, has shown that airborne sea spray carries back to land up to 0·01 per cent. of the radionuclides discharged into the sea from the Sellafield plant and has assessed the significance of this phenomenon. The conclusion is that the resulting environmental concentrations of these nuclides lead to an exposure of at most about 1 per cent. of the internationally recommended limits for the protection of the general public. Summaries of the research to date have appeared in the scientific press and in the progress reports on radioactive waste research which are published by my Department and deposited in the Library of the House.
Toxic Waste
31.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will review the regulations governing toxic waste.
The Control of Pollution (Special Waste) Regulations 1980 are already being reviewed by a committee, which includes representatives of local authorities, waste producers, the waste disposal industry and environmental interests. The committee is expected to report later this year.
National Federation Of Building Trades Employers
32.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met representatives of the National Federation of Building Trades Employers.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, with my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Construction, met the president of the NFBTE with other members of the group of eight on 13 December.
Water Authorities
33.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which water authorities currently hold their meetings in public.
The Welsh water authority has decided to hold its board meeting in public.
Privatisation
34.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any proposals for further privatisation within his Department.
Not at present, though I shall continue to look for further opportunities to transfer functions to the private sector where it makes good practical and economic sense to do so.
National Playbus Association
35.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what help his Department proposes to give in the fiscal year 1984–85 to the National Playbus Association.
My Department has not been asked to give any help in 1984–85, but any application would, of course, be carefully considered with other Departments concerned.
Local Government Reorganisation
36.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has now received in response to his White Paper, "Streamlining the Cities."
Around 1,500 separate representations. I have also received several petitions.
41.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many civil servants will be required to carry out central Government supervision of the budgets and manpower of the proposed joint boards in the metropolitan county and Greater London council areas if the proposals contained in Cmnd. 9063 are implemented.
This will depend on the way in which the controls proposed in the White Paper will operate; We shall consider this in the light of the responses to those proposals. However, staff requirements will be met from within departments' planned allocations.
43.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the principal opposition party represented in the Greater London council on his proposals for London contained in his White Paper, "Streamlining the Cities".
I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Battersea (Mr. Dubs) on 31 January.—[Vol. 53, c. 151.]
59.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will extend by three months the periods allowed for comments on the consultation papers regarding the Greater London council and metropolitan county councils.
No. But I will certainly take into account so far as possible any further views put to me after the end of the consultation periods.
63.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East on 16 January, Official Report, c. 87, if he will give a target date for production of estimates for the savings accruing from abolishing the metropolitan county councils and the Greater London council.
No. I have not yet considered the responses to the proposals; and I cannot predict when the district and borough councils will take final decisions on how they will carry out their new responsibilities.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a list of all organisations and individuals responding to his White Paper, Cmnd. 9063, and a copy of each submission made by the end of the consultation period on 31 January.
I am arranging to place in the Library a list of the local authorities and major national organisations that have made representations to my Department.I have no doubt that these bodies will be prepared to provide the Library with copies of their responses.
Flats (Right-To-Buy Provisions)
37.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received about the right-to-buy as it concerns flats.
I have received a variety of representations. I should be happy to consider any proposals my hon. Friend might wish to put to me in this context.
Acid Rain
38.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he proposes to introduce to reduce sulphur emissions into the atmosphere and hence the incidence of acid rain.
Some limited controls already exist to reduce sulphur emissions to the atmosphere, but the Government have no plans at present for further specific measures.
58.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive the Nature Conservancy Council's report on the effect of acid rain.
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave him on 23 November 1983.—[Vol. 49, c. 215.]
Planning Applications
39.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the present system for the handling of planning applications.
There has been a marked improvement overall in the time taken to handle planning applications in the past three years, but not all local authorities are equally efficient in their operation of the system. I am pressing the laggards to improve their performance.
Carisbrooke Castle (Coach Parking Charges)
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the reason for the increase in coach parking charges at Carisbrooke castle from 50p to £5.
The previous charge, which had not changed since 1980, was too low. The new charge represents only about lop a head for a full modern coach.
Derelict Land Grants
42.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends announcing derelict land grants under the 1984–85 derelict land programme.
I hope to announce this shortly.
Association Of Metropolitan Authorities
44.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next intends to meet the Association of Metropolitan Authorities; and what topics he intends to discuss.
No date has yet been fixed, but my right hon. Friend expects to meet the AMA at regular intervals to discuss a variety of subjects.
Barnacle And Brent Geese
45.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to amend the Wildlife and Countryside Act by extending the quarry list of birds that can be shot in season to include barnacle and brent geese.
I have no proposals to add the barnacle and brent geese to part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Act —the quarry list. The Nature Conservancy Council is keeping both species under review, but advises against adding either to the list at present.
Council Houses
46.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to give away council houses to long-standing tenants, 30 years and over in occupation; and if he will make a statement.
The Housing and Building Control Bill will increase the maximum right-to-buy discount from 50 per cent. to 60 per cent. for tenants of 30 or more years' standing. This change will significantly extend the opportunities for purchase among long-standing tenants. The Government have no present plans to introduce legislation on the lines suggested by my hon. Friend.
Green Belts
47.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish his revised circular on green belt land; and if it will be a draft or a final circular.
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Bromsgrove (Mr. Miller).
Prefabricated Concrete Houses
48.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will provide special funds to local authorities to undertake repair work on publicly-owned prefabricated reinforced concrete houses.
The present arrangements for housing subsidy take into account expenditure on redevelopment and capitalised repairs of the local authority's stock including dwellings of prefabricated reinforced concrete construction. In general, 75 per cent. of the loan charges on such expenditure count towards an authority's subsidy entitlement. This need for expenditure for this purpose is taken into account in deciding housing investment programme allocations.
Wildlife And Countryside Act
49.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to carry out a review of the working of part II of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
65.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set up a review of the effectiveness of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
It would be premature to launch any special review of the working of the Act which has been fully in force for less than a year. Its operation will nevertheless be kept under general review.
Non-Domestic Properties (Revaluation)
50.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to proceed with the revaluation of non-domestic properties; and whether he will include agricultural properties in any revaluation.
We are considering the effective date for the revaluation of non-domestic properties, and my right hon. Friend hopes to make an announcement before long. The revaluation will not cover agricultural land or buildings.
Environmental Pollution
51.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received on the Government's response to the ninth report of the Royal Commission on environmental pollution.
My Department has received about 30 letters on this subject. Taken together, these indicate that the Government's response has been generally welcomed.
Rate Support Grant
53.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes publishing a second supplementary rate support grant report for 1982–83.
This summer.
54.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will bring forward legislation to compel local authorities to put their services out to tender.
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Construction gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Hertfordshire, West (Mr. Jones).
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his written answer of 26 January, Official Report, c. 64, he will state the circumstances which made him decide on a figure of 24 per cent. in constraint (c) in paragraph 2 of annex D of the "Rate Support Grant Report (England) 1984–85."
I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 6 of the "Rate Support Grant Report (England) 1984–85."
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the targets which the Greater London council and Epping Forest district council would have had but for the constraint of paragraph 2(c) of annex D of the "Rate Support Grant Report (England) 1984–85."
The Greater London council would have had a target of £807·229 million and the Epping Forest district council a target of £5·464 million.
Council House Rents
55.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local housing authorities did not increase their rents in the current financial year.
One hundred and fifty-two local housing authorities in England—out of 367—reported no increases in council house rents for the current financial year. A further 14 authorities reported reductions in rents.
House Ownership
56.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria guide him in considering house ownership clauses stipulating local people only in structure plans which come before him for approval.
All structure plan policies are considered in the light of national, regional and local circumstances. However, it is not in general desirable to seek to control the disposal of private houses through planned restrictions. Planning control is concerned essentially with the use and development of land, and only in exceptional circumstances would it be legitimate to deprive a householder of his normal rights to sell or let his house to whoever he chooses.
Construction Programme
57.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next expects to meet representatives of the Group of Eight to discuss the construction programme.
My right hon. Friend expects to meet the group soon after the Budget.
Soccer Hooliganism
60.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he is taking to combat violence associated with international soccer matches involving British teams.
At a meeting of the informal working party—IWP—of Council of Europe Ministers with responsibility for sport in Paris in January 1983, I initiated a paper calling for concerted European action against violence associated with sport. My colleagues agreed that this was a European problem, not simply a British one. Subsequently a working group of the Council of Europe, chaired by one of my officials, was set up to draft recommendations on the topic.The following meeting of the IWP in Rotterdam in November 1983 discussed the recommendation drafted by the working group.The document referred to the need for co-operation and pre-match planning between public and football authorities; effective segregation of fans and control of ticket sales to achieve this; adequate policing; and appropriate sentencing of offenders, as well as many more technical matters. It endorsed the ground rules of the European Union of Football Association — UEFA —which was represented on the working party.The November meeting welcomed the draft recommendation and recommended formal adoption by the Council of Europe of the proposals, subject to any necessary drafting changes to accommodate national, legal and administrative conditions. My colleagues and I agreed immediately to seek to implement the proposals in our own countries, and for international matches. I have placed in the Library a copy of the declaration — MSL — GT 10(83)DR1—made at the meeting, which was closely based on a draft which I had prepared.The proposals of the recommendation have been followed in planning for the France
v. England soccer match in Paris on 29 February. Meetings have already been held between the English and French football
authorities and the French police, together with staff of the British embassy, and agreement reached on the points identified in the recommendation. I am writing to my French colleague asking her to ensure that the precautions laid down there are implemented. This procedure follows the pattern begun in 1981 in preparation for the World Cup, and general contact by my officials with relevant authorities in other countries is now well established.
South East (Planning And Development)
61.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on planning and development in the south east in the light of the forthcoming completion of the M25 motorway.
My right hon. Friend has now received a reply from Lord Sandford, chairman of the standing conference on London and south east regional planning, to his request for its views on a draft letter of guidance on the implications of the M25 for future development and land use policies in the region. When my right hon. Friend has considered these views he will finalise the guidance and then make a statement.
Information Directorate
64.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway) on 22 December 1983, and the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 16 January about informing the public about the Government's policies for local government, what was the annual cost to the taxpayer of the four officials referred to, the current annual budget available for them to spend, and the estimated budget for his Department's information directorate to spend on the same purpose.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham) on 1 February—[Vol. 53, c. 214.] My Department has no special budget for this purpose.
Sheffield And Liverpool City Councils
66.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to the increase in the net current expenditure of the Sheffield city council between 1978–79 and 1983–84 in setting that authority's target for 1984–85.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to the increase in the net current expenditure of the Liverpool city council between 1978–79 and 1983–84 in setting that authority's target for 1984–85.
Expenditure targets are framed on the basis of general principles applicable to all authorities, and not on the particular circumstances of individual authorities.The principles used to frame expenditure guidance for the 1984–85 financial year are set out in the "Rate Support Grant Report (England) 1984–85".
67.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the increase in percentage in the net current expenditure of the Liverpool city council, 1978–79 to 1983–84.
Liverpool city council's net current expenditure increased by 75·89 per cent. between 1978–79 and 1983–84.
Onshore Drilling
68.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in view of the significant amounts of oil on shore in the United Kingdom, his Department has issued any guidelines to oil companies for the safety and protection of local environments and their inhabitants with respect to onshore drilling operations.
No such guidelines have been issued. However, the drilling of oil wells cannot be commenced without the consent of the Secretary of State for Energy, and the conduct of operations is expected to conform to published codes of practice which set out safety procedures. Local planning authorities may also attach to the grant of planning permission any conditions which they consider necessary to protect the environment.
Tower Blocks (Service Charges)
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will obtain and publish illustrative figures showing the amount of service charge being charged in inner London under leases of flats in tower blocks which have been granted under part I of the Housing Act 1980.
Although my Department has a considerable amount of information about service charges or proposed service charges for flats being sold under the right-to-buy in inner London, it stems mostly from tenants' complaints. As such it is neither comprehensive nor representative. I am reluctant to ask the inner London authorities for more information since without a detailed description of each block of flats and the services being provided individual figures would have little significance. Flat owners can challenge their service charges in court under schedule 19 to the Housing Act 1980.
Inner City Partnership Area
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total sum of money spent through the inner city partnership programme to date in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne; and how much has been spent on projects specifically in the constituency of Newcastle upon Tyne, East.
Details of expenditure by the city of Newcastle upon Tyne under the partnership arrangements are as follows:
| 1979–80 £000s | 1980–81 £000s | 1981–82 £000s | 1982–83 £000s | *1983–84 £000s | |
| Newcastle West | 1,295 | 1,795 | 1,523 | 1,946 | 1,608 |
| North | 511 | 586 | 566 | 961 | 723 |
| City and General | 1,444 | 1,573 | 2,049 | 3,999 | 3,522 |
| East | 323 | 439 | 632 | 1,633 | 1,828 |
| Total | 3,573 | 4,393 | 4,770 | 8,539 | 7,680 |
| Per cent. | Per cent. | Per cent. | Per cent. | Per cent. | |
| East as a percentage of total | 9 | 10 | 13 | 19 | 24 |
| * Projected. | |||||
These are the geographical divisions used by the city council. "East" includes that part of the Newcastle upon Tyne, East constituency within the partnership area but excluding Sandyford ward. "City and General" includes schemes for the benefit of the partnership area as a whole.
In addition, Tyne and Wear county council undertakes partnership projects, but details of that expenditure broken down by the areas requested are not readily available.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total population living within the city of Newcastle upon Tyne inner city partnership area; and what portion of that total population resides within the constituency of Newcastle upon Tyne, East.
On the basis of 1981 census information, the total population living within the city of Newcastle upon Tyne inner city partnership area is 115,400. Of that population 48,400, or 42 per cent. reside within the constituency of Newcastle upon Tyne, East.
Buildings (Access For The Disabled)
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the progress being made by local authorities and governmental bodies to demonstrate clearly accessibility to all public buildings for the disabled; and if he has any plans to extend such schemes to private commercial premises.
Section 5 of the Disabled Persons Act 1981 requires those responsible for buildings to which the public have access to put up signs to help disabled people use the facilities provided for them. I have no reason to believe that this requirement is not generally complied with. It already extends to all buildings open to the public, whether they are in public, or private ownership.
Listed Buildings
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Ealing, North of 30 January, Official Report, c. 83, he also consulted the Anglican Church in Wales on ecclesiastical exemption from listed building control.
The representative body of the Church in Wales is a constituent member of the Churches main committee, which was involved in discussions leading to the issue of the consultation paper.Copies of the paper were sent on its day of issue to the representative body and other interested bodies and individuals in Wales by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Local Authorities (Expenditure)
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the percentage change in volume terms in the expenditure on each main service provided by local government between 1978–79 and 1983–84 in a form consistent with paragraph 1·27 of Cmnd. 9008.
Provisional estimates of the percentage change in the volume of current expenditure by local authorities in England, between 1978–79 outturn and 1983–84 budgets, are as follows:
| Per cent. | |
| Education | 0 |
| School meals and milk | -33 |
| Libraries etc. | +1 |
| Personal social services | + 12 |
| Police | +17 |
| Fire | +2 |
| Other Home Office services | +25 |
| Transport | +14 |
| Other rate fund services | +3 |
| Net current expenditure | +4 |
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the answer of 22 December to the hon. Member for Blackburn Official Report, c. 351, whether he will deposit in the Library his letter of 31 January and its attachments giving details of local authorities' capital and current expenditure since 1978–79.
Copies of this letter and the tables were placed in the Library on 1 February 1984.
Crown Court, Bodmin
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will review the analysis made by the Property Services Agency in 1972 and reconsidered in 1979 of the costs involved in moving the Crown court from Bodmin to Truro; and if he will make a statement.
My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor has consistently confirmed his decision to move the Crown courts from Bodmin to Truro, and in accordance with that decision the Property Services Agency has commissioned consultant architects to design new courts to meet the requirements at Truro.It would, therefore, be inappropriate to review the costs of retaining the courts at Bodmin.
Doncaster (Itinerant Sites)
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what quota of itinerant sites his Department has fixed for Doncaster metropolitan borough council before designation can be applied for.
My right hon. Friend does not fix quotas for site provision. Consideration of the designation of a district for the purposes of section 12 of the Caravan Sites Act 1968, as amended, is in most cases given on the basis of joint representations from the district and county authorities concerned, after appropriate consultation, that adequate provision has been made for the gipsies who reside in or resort to the area in question.
Local Authorities (Energy Saving)
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will advise all local authorities which still have a 1983–84 capital account under spend to consider placing contracts for new and replacement street lighting and housing estate lighting, in view of the consequential reductions to their revenue account expenditure due to energy saving.
It is for local authorities to determine their own priorities for capital expenditure within the total resources available to them. In doing so, they will no doubt bear in mind the advantages of achieving cost and energy savings among other factors.
Nissan Assembly Plant
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it the policy of Her Majesty's Government that if a Nissan assembly plant is built in the United Kingdom it will not be built on green belt land.
The draft circular on the memorandum on structure and local plans and green belts issued for consultation in August 1983 reaffirmed the Government's commitment to the development control advice set out in MHLG circular 42/55. Circular 42/55 establishes a general presumption against industrial and commercial development in the green belt.
Social Services
Nurses
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proposals are in hand to increase the pay of qualified and skilled nurses to encourage them to stay in patient care rather than move into administration.
It is for the review body on the remuneration of nursing and midwifery staff and professions allied to medicine to recommend appropriate pay levels for all nursing staff, including qualified nurses. The review body has been asked to make its first report on pay levels from 1 April 1984. The Government would welcome developments to improve the attractiveness of careers in patient care relative to careers in administration.
Mentally Handicapped Persons (Adult Training Centres)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of those employed as full-time staff in adult training centres for mentally handicapped people have a formal qualification for work with mentally handicapped people.
This information has not been collected centrally since 30 September 1978. At that date 38 per cent. of all staff in adult training centres possessed formal qualifications for working with mentally handicapped people, and a further 3 per cent. had a certificate of qualification from the central council for Education and Training in Social Work.
Consultant Rheumatologists
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many consultant rheumatologists are employed by each health authority in England; and how many vacant posts there were at the latest available date.
Consultants are employed directly only by regional health authorities and by those district health authorities designated as teaching authorities. Although their services will normally be made available to other DHAs, no information on this is held centrally. The table gives the number of consultant rheumatologists employed on 30 September 1982 within each region, and by each employing authority, in England. At the same date there were 14 posts without a permanent holder.
| Hospital medical consultants in the specialty of rheumatology in England | |
| Employing authority | Staff in post* |
| Total number of consultants' in post | 212 |
| Total number of consultants' contracts shown below | 255 |
| Northern RHA | 12 |
| Newcastle | 3 |
| Northern region | 15 |
| Yorkshire RHA | 6 |
| Leeds Western | 5 |
| Leeds Eastern | — |
| Yorkshire region | 11 |
| Trent RHA | 9 |
| Leicestershire | 4 |
| Nottingham | 2 |
| Sheffield | 3 |
| Trent region | 18 |
| East Anglian RHA | 9 |
| Cambridge | 4 |
| East Anglian region | 13 |
| North West Thames RHA | 19 |
| Paddington and North Kensington | 3 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 2 |
| Victoria | 4 |
| North West Thames region | 28 |
| North East Thames RHA | 22 |
| Hampstead | 3 |
| Bloornsbury | 9 |
| City and Hackney | 4 |
| Tower Hamlets | 4 |
| North East Thames region | 42 |
| South East Thames RHA | 16 |
| West Lambeth | 2 |
| Camberwell | 3 |
| Lewisham and North Southwark | 3 |
| South East Thames region | 24 |
| South West Thames RHA | 15 |
| Wands worth | — |
| South West Thames region | 15 |
| Wessex RHA | 18 |
| Southampton and South West Hants | 3 |
| Wessex region | 21 |
| Oxford RHA | 10 |
| Oxfordshire | 5 |
| Oxford region | 15 |
| South Western RHA | 7 |
| Bristol and Western | 1 |
| South Western region | 8 |
Employing authority
| Staff in post*
|
| West Midlands RHA | 7 |
| Central Birmingham | 1 |
| West Midlands region | 8 |
| Mersey RHA | 3 |
| Liverpool Central | 2 |
| Mersey region | 5 |
| North Western RHA | 16 |
| Central Manchester | 5 |
| South Manchester | 3 |
| Salford | 3 |
| North Western region | 27 |
| London postgraduate teaching hospitals | 5 |
* Some consultants hold contracts with more than one health authority. | |
Housing Benefit
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many and what proportion of households were eligible for housing benefit, or its equivalent, in 1975, 1979 and the latest date for which the figures are available, distinguishing between supplementary benefit and supplementary pension beneficiaries and other claimants.
The latest available estimate of the numbers receiving standard housing benefit is 3,910,000; of those receiving certificated benefit, 1,420,000 are pensioners and 1,610,000 are non-pensioners. Estimates of the number and proportion of households eligible for the equivalent of housing benefit in 1975 and 1979 are not available because of the difficulty of extracting information about people receiving help with housing costs through supplementary benefit. Estimates of households eligible for housing benefit since the introduction of the new scheme cannot be made until more recent family expenditure survey data become available.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will amend the housing benefit scheme to make eligible for benefit service charges payable under shared ownership leases and leases granted under part I of the Housing Act 1980.
Where a dwelling is part leased and part rented under a shared ownership scheme, a proportion of the service charge, equal to the proportion of the dwelling which is rented, is already eligible for benefit. We have no plans to extend the housing benefit scheme to cover service charges payable under a long lease, or that proportion of the charges attributable to the proportion of a dwelling occupied under a long lease.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will apply the same rules for the direct payment of rent to private landlords under the unified housing benefit scheme as apply in the public sector.
Existing regulations provide that a rent allowance may be paid direct to a housing association or housing trust if the claimant is at least 13 weeks in arrears with his rent. Draft regulations before Parliament provide for this arrangement to be extended to all private landlords, with effect from 1 April.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will refer to the Social Security Advisory Committee all changes in housing benefits regulations arising from his consideration of representations to him since 17 November 1983.
[pursuant to his reply, 6 February 1984, c. 502]: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced, we have now laid regulations, incorporating changes to our original proposals for reductions in housing benefit. The changes in these regulations were not referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee because they respond to recommendations made by the committee on the original proposals.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what new model assumptions to the effects of changes in housing benefit his Department has calculated in the context of the draft proposals for changes in housing benefit already announced or variations thereof; if he will place them in the Library; and if he will make a statement.
[pursuant to his reply, 6 February 1984, c. 502]: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services made on 6 February.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the November 1983 increases in the housing benefit needs allowances and retirement pensions required local authorities to recalculate standard housing benefit for retirement pensioners.
[pursuant to his reply, 6 February 1984, c. 502]: Yes.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will give an assurance that, in the event of any delay in the implementation of the housing benefit cuts, no such cuts shall take effect retrospectively.
[pursuant to his reply, 6 February 1984, c. 502]: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 6 February the proposed reductions in housing benefit have been modified and will now take place in two stages. This takes account of the need to allow local authorities time to implement the changes.
Mental Patients (Mail)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now make arrangements to collect centrally information about the inspection and withholding of mail to and from patients under the Mental Health Act 1983, and periodically make such information available.
We have at present no plans to do so. The Mental Health Act Commission, which was set up to monitor the provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983 relating to patients detained under the Act, is taking a particular interest in this area. During their routine visits to hospitals, members of the Commission are asking for information about withheld mail and the reasons for withholding it. We think that this kind of detailed local inquiry, which can be followed up on the spot, is a better way of monitoring these provisions than a statistical return.
Supplementary Benefit
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will provide a breakdown of the number of those in receipt of supplementary benefit in Glasgow in each of the past five years by the following classifications: (a) sick and disabled, (b) single-parent families, (c) registered unemployed, (d) unemployed on long-term scale rate, (e) pensioners and (f) others;(2) if he will publish in the
Official Report the percentage increase in supplementary benefit claims in (a) Glasgow and (b) Scotland in each of the past five years.
The number of cases in action in Glasgow in the required classifications, together with the percentage increase in supplementary benefit claims in Glasgow and Scotland in each of the past five years from December 1979 to December 1983 were as follows:
| Thousands | |||||
| 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | |
| GLASGOW | |||||
| Sick and disabled | 3·1 | 3·2 | 7·1 | 7·5 | 8·0 |
| Single parents | 8·9 | 9·2 | 10·5 | 12·0 | 13·4 |
| Registered unemployed | 25·0 | 31·9 | 45·4 | 51·8 | 54·2 |
| Unemployed on long-term scale rate | * | * | 0·9 | 1·4 | 2·9 |
| Pensioners | 38·2 | 37·7 | 36·2 | 37·3 | 35·7 |
| Others | 7·4 | 7·5 | 3·9 | 6·0 | 7·5 |
| Percentage increase | |||||
| Glasgow | 7 | 8 | 17 | 10 | 5 |
| Scotland | 7 | 9 | 20 | 14 | 5 |
Source: 100 per cent. count of cases in action.
Note: * Records not available.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the number of people in (a) Glasgow and (b) Scotland who have income levels (i) below supplementary benefit level, (ii) at supplementary benefit level and (iii) up to 40 per cent. above supplementary benefit level; and if he will also express these numbers as percentages of the populations of Glasgow and Scotland.
I regret that no separate information is available about Glasgow. Available data relating to Scotland are being analysed and we will provide the information requested as soon as we can.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how the income of families with two children on supplementary benefit compares with the average weekly expenditure, excluding housing, of two-child families in (a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom, in each of the past five years;(2) how the income of
(a) a single person and (b) a married couple on supplementary benefit compares with average male earnings in (i) Strathclyde and (ii) Scotland, in each of the past five years.
Information about the average income of families on supplementary benefit in each of the past five years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. It would need to take account not just of the supplementary benefit scale rates (which could be at the ordinary or the long-term rate, and, in the case of a family with children, would vary with the age of the children) but also the average amounts of additional requirements payable and of other income received. The information requested could not in any event be obtained for Strathclyde.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many supplementary benefit claimants in Glasgow and Scotland are dependent upon commercial boarding, whether in district council lodging houses, in private sector lodging houses or in bed and breakfast accommodation.
It is estimated that at December 1982, the latest date for which information is available, there were 8,000 supplementary benefit claimants in commercial board and lodging accommodation, other than residential care homes and nursing homes, in Scotland. Separate figures are not available for Glasgow.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what specific factors he takes into account when determining deductions to be made in supplementary benefit payments to claimants who receive higher school bursaries.
Under Regulations 11(4)(e) of the Supplementary Benefit (Resources) Regulations 1981, the first £7·50 of such bursaries, in the case of those attending school, and £9·50 in all other cases, is disregarded in
| Numbers and percentages of legal abortions at durations of gestation and totals by category of premises, statutory grounds and age of women Residents and Non Residents of England and Wales. 1980 | ||||||||||||
| Residents | Non-Residents | |||||||||||
| 20–23 weeks | 24 weeks and over | Total (all gestation) | 20–23 weeks | 24 weeks and over | Total (all gestation) | |||||||
| No. | per cent.2 | No. | per cent. | No. | per cent. | No. | per cent. | No. | per cent. | No. | per cent. | |
| Total | 1,853 | 1·44 | 381 | 0·30 | 128,927 | 100 | 1,187 | 3·71 | 232 | 0·73 | 31,976 | 100 |
| Category of premises | ||||||||||||
| NHS premises | 704 | 1·16 | 159 | 0·26 | 60,594 | 100 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Approved premises | 1,149 | 1·68 | 222 | 0·32 | 68,333 | 100 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Statutory grounds* | ||||||||||||
| 1 (with others) | 8 | 1·18 | 5 | 0·74 | 680 | 100 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| 2 | 1,444 | 1·31 | 280 | 0·25 | 110,294 | 100 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| 3 (with 2) | 137 | 0·85 | 30 | 0·19 | 16,046 | 100 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| 4 (with 2 and/or 3) | 263 | 13·84 | 62 | 3·26 | 1,900 | 100 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| 5 and 6 | 1 | 14·29 | 4 | 57·14 | 7 | 100 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Age of women | ||||||||||||
| Under 16 | 116 | 3·18 | 27 | 0·74 | 3,650 | 100 | 62 | 12·58 | 20 | 4·06 | 493 | 100 |
| 16–19 | 671 | 2·10 | 120 | 0·38 | 31,878 | 100 | 370 | 7·06 | 78 | 1·49 | 5,242 | 100 |
| 20–24 | 477 | 1·44 | 108 | 0·33 | 33,014 | 100 | 409 | 3·84 | 71 | 0·67 | 10,662 | 100 |
| 25–29 | 271 | 1·23 | 61 | 0·28 | 22,042 | 100 | 185 | 2·65 | 30 | 0·43 | 6,978 | 100 |
| 30–34 | 138 | 0·71 | 34 | 0·18 | 19,419 | 100 | 91 | 1·99 | 23 | 0·50 | 4,575 | 100 |
| 35–39 | 97 | 0·76 | 20 | 0·16 | 12,730 | 100 | 36 | 1·29 | 2 | 0·07 | 2,781 | 100 |
| 40–44 | 68 | 1·28 | 9 | 0·17 | 5,307 | 100 | 26 | 2·53 | 5 | 0·49 | 1,028 | 100 |
| 45 and over | 10 | 1·83 | 1 | 0·18 | 547 | 100 | 8 | 5·88 | 3 | 2·21 | 136 | 100 |
| Not state age | 5 | 1·47 | 1 | 0·29 | 340 | 100 | — | — | — | — | 81 | 100 |
| Numbers and percentages of legal abortions at durations of gestation and totals by category of premises, statutory grounds and age of women Residents and Non Residents of England and Wales. 1981 | ||||||||||||
| Residents | Non-Residents | |||||||||||
| 20–23 weeks | 24 weeks and over | Total (all gestation) | 20–25 weeks | 24 weeks and over | Total (all gestation) | |||||||
| No. | per cent. | No. | per cent. | No. | per cent. | No. | per cent. | No. | per cent. | No. | per cent. | |
| Total | 1,480 | 1·15 | 235 | 0·18 | 128,581 | 100 | 1,621 | 4·78 | 183 | 0·54 | 33,899 | 100 |
| Category of premises | ||||||||||||
| NHS premises | 517 | 0·85 | 77 | 0·13 | 61,103 | 100 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Approved premises | 963 | 1·43 | 158 | 0·23 | 67,478 | 100 | 1,621 | 4·78 | 183 | 0·54 | 33,899 | 100 |
| Statutory grounds* | ||||||||||||
| 1 (with others) | 11 | 1·46 | 5 | 0·66 | 752 | 100 | 1 | 2·63 | — | — | 38 | 100 |
| 2 | 1,129 | 1·04 | 164 | 0·15 | 108,100 | 100 | 1,589 | 5·10 | 175 | 0·56 | 31,150 | 100 |
| 3 (with/without 2) | 84 | 0·47 | 14 | 0·08 | 17,897 | 100 | 26 | 1·03 | 7 | 0·28 | 2,515 | 100 |
| 4 (with any except 1) | 253 | 13·92 | 52 | 2·86 | 1,818 | 100 | 5 | 2·55 | 1 | 0·51 | 196 | 100 |
assessing claimant's income. Any amount in excess of these sums is taken into account in full, and the benefit payment adjusted accordingly.
The disregards apply to both higher school bursaries and the equivalent discretionary awards payable in England and Wales. They are designed to recognise that a proportion of any such payment will be intended to meet educational needs for which supplementary benefit makes no provision, but at the same time to avoid the double provision for daily living expenses which a total disregard would entail.
Abortions
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many abortions were performed to residents and non-residents at 20 to 23 weeks gestation and 24 weeks and over gestation for the years 1980, 1981 and 1982; on what grounds these were performed; what ages the women were; how many were performed in the National Health Service; and how many were performed in approved places.
The available information is given in the following tables. For 1980, details of grounds for non-residents could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Residents
| Non-Residents
| |||||||||||
20–23 weeks
| 24 weeks and over
| Total (all gestation)
| 20–23 weeks
| 24 weeks and over
| Total (all gestation)
| |||||||
No.
| per cent.
| No.
| per cent.
| No.
| per cent.
| No.
| per cent.
| No.
| per cent.
| No.
| per cent.
| |
| 5 and 6 | 3 | 21·43 | — | — | 14 | 100 | — | — | — | — | — | 100 |
| Age of women | ||||||||||||
| Under 16 | 101 | 2·86 | 18 | 0·51 | 3,531 | 100 | 76 | 18·18 | 9 | 2·15 | 418 | 100 |
| 16–19 | 532 | 1·69 | 87 | 0·28 | 31,393 | 100 | 481 | 9·20 | 67 | 1·28 | 5,230 | 100 |
| 20–24 | 406 | 1·18 | 59 | 0·17 | 34,270 | 100 | 573 | 5·15 | 52 | 0·47 | 11,130 | 100 |
| 25–29 | 169 | 0·77 | 23 | 0·10 | 21,918 | 100 | 235 | 3·14 | 26 | 0·35 | 7,491 | 100 |
| 30–34 | 121 | 0·65 | 21 | 0·11 | 18,718 | 100 | 137 | 2·61 | 17 | 0·32 | 5,246 | 100 |
| 35–39 | 82 | 0·64 | 13 | 0·10 | 12,797 | 100 | 62 | 2·03 | 7 | 0·23 | 3,047 | 100 |
| 40–44 | 55 | 1·14 | 9 | 0·19 | 4,835 | 100 | 41 | 3·81 | 3 | 0·28 | 1,076 | 100 |
| 45 and over | 10 | 1·77 | 2 | 0·35 | 564 | 100 | 15 | 10·14 | 2 | 1·35 | 148 | 100 |
| Not stated age | 4 | 0·72 | 3 | 0·54 | 555 | 100 | 1 | 0·88 | — | — | 113 | 100 |
Numbers and percentages of legal abortions at durations of gestation and totals by category of premises, statutory grounds and age of women Residents and Non Residents of England and Wales. 1982
| ||||||||||||
Residents
| Non-Residents
| |||||||||||
20–23 weeks
| 24 weeks and over
| Total (all gestation)
| 20–23 weeks
| 24 weeks and over
| Total (all gestation)
| |||||||
No.
| per cent.
| No.
| per cent.
| No.
| per cent.
| No.
| per cent.
| No.
| per cent.
| No.
| per cent.
| |
| Total | 1,490 | 1·16 | 198 | 0·15 | 128,553 | 100 | 1,726 | 5·00 | 264 | 0·77 | 34,492 | 100 |
| Category of premises | ||||||||||||
| NHS premises | 484 | 0·78 | 54 | 0·09 | 62,409 | 100 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Approved premises | 1,006 | 1·52 | 144 | 0·22 | 66,144 | 100 | 1,726 | 5·00 | 264 | 0·77 | 34,492 | 100 |
| Statutory grounds* | ||||||||||||
| 1 (with other) | 10 | 1·53 | 2 | 0·31 | 655 | 100 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 100 |
| 2 | 1,119 | 1·02 | 149 | 0·14 | 110,216 | 100 | 1,675 | 5·17 | 259 | 0·80 | 32,370 | 100 |
| 3 (with/without 2) | 75 | 0·48 | 3 | 0·02 | 15,665 | 100 | 36 | 1·93 | 2 | 0·11 | 1,861 | 100 |
| 4 (with any except 1) | 284 | 14·16 | 41 | 2·04 | 2,006 | 100 | 15 | 6·22 | 2 | 0·83 | 241 | 100 |
| 5 and 6 | 2 | 18·18 | 3 | 27·27 | 11 | 100 | — | — | 1 | 100 | 1 | 100 |
| Age of women | ||||||||||||
| Under 16 | 108 | 2·80 | 12 | 0·31 | 3,852 | 100 | 99 | 20·16 | 15 | 3·05 | 491 | 100 |
| 16–19 | 523 | 1·67 | 76 | 0·24 | 31,349 | 100 | 549 | 10·27 | 91 | 1·70 | 5,345 | 100 |
| 20–24 | 412 | 1·18 | 56 | 0·16 | 35,024 | 100 | 547 | 5·04 | 82 | 0·76 | 10,853 | 100 |
| 25–29 | 170 | 0·77 | 20 | 0·09 | 22,154 | 100 | 258 | 3·39 | 40 | 0·53 | 7,602 | 100 |
| 30–34 | 97 | 0·55 | 15 | 0·09 | 17,593 | 100 | 147 | 2·76 | 19 | 0·36 | 5,328 | 100 |
| 35–39 | 107 | 0·81 | 11 | 0·08 | 13,202 | 100 | 70 | 2·00 | 8 | 0·23 | 3,504 | 100 |
| 40–44 | 56 | 1·22 | 5 | 0·11 | 4,579 | 100 | 37 | 3·15 | 7 | 0·60 | 1,174 | 100 |
| 45 and over | 8 | 1·53 | 3 | 0·57 | 522 | 100 | 14 | 9·46 | 1 | 0·68 | 148 | 100 |
| Not stated age | 9 | 3·24 | — | — | 278 | 100 | 5 | 10·64 | 1 | 2·13 | 47 | 100 |
Footnote
For 1980 gestation is calculated as the number of completed weeks between last menstrual period and date of operation. For 1981 and 1982 the notification form seeks a direct statement of gestation and the basis on which it is derived.
In 1980 3·2 per cent. of the total number of abortions donot have a stated gestation. In 1981 and 1982 these abortions account for less than one per cent. of the total. For all years these are included only in the 'Total' column.
* Grounds as listed in Schedule 2 of the Abortion Regulations 1968:—
Abortions to non-residents are assumed to have been performed in approved places.
Drugs (Price Regulation Scheme)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the prices currently agreed under the price regulation scheme for brand name drugs Lasix, Inderal, Tofranil, Mogadon, Valium, Indocid, Panadol, Trypitizol, Aldomet and Penbritin, together with the prices for their generic equivalents of frusemide, propanolol, imipramine, nitrazepam, diazepam, in-domethacin, paracetamol, amitriptyline, methyldopa and ampicillin.
The information requested is as follows:
| Preparation | Presentation/Strength | Pack size | Price £ | |
| mg | ||||
| Lasix | Tablets | 40 | 250 | 13·57 |
| Inderal | Tablets | 10 | 100 | 1·18 |
| Inderal | Tablets | 40 | 1,000 | 39·70 |
| Inderal | Tablets | 80 | 500 | 31·48 |
| Inderal | Tablets | 160 | 60 | 7·56 |
| Tofranil | Tablets | 10 | 100 | 1·65 |
| Tofranil | Tablets | 25 | 100 | 3·15 |
| Mogadon | Tablets | 5 | 500 | 12·02 |
| Valium | Tablets | 2 | 500 | 4·59 |
| Valium | Tablets | 5 | 500 | 6·81 |
| Valium | Tablets | 10 | 500 | 10·09 |
| Indocid | Capsules | 25 | 500 | 22·36 |
| Panadol | Tablets | 500 | 2,500 | 21·46 |
| Trypitizol | Tablets | 25 | 500 | 11·44 |
| Aldomet | Tablets | 250 | 500 | 27·23 |
| Aldomet | Tablets | 500 | 500 | 53·60 |
| Penbritin | Capsules | 250 | 100 | 7·93 |
| Penbritin | Capsules | 500 | 100 | 15·86 |
Preparation
| Presentation/Strength
| Pack size
| Price £
| |
mg
| ||||
| Frusemide | Tablets | 40 | 500 | 2·80 |
| Propranolol | Tablets | 10 | 500 | 1·76 |
| Propranolol | Tablets | 40 | 1,000 | 5·57 |
| Propranolol | Tablets | 80 | 500 | 4·21 |
| Propranolol | Tablets | 160 | 100 | 2·56 |
| Imipramine | Tablets | 10 | 250 | 1·40 |
| Imipramine | Tablets | 25 | 500 | 2·62 |
| Nitrazepam | Tablets | 5 | 500 | 2·20 |
| Diazepam | Tablets | 2 | 1,000 | 1·73 |
| Diazepam | Tablets | 5 | 1,000 | 2·02 |
| Diazepam | Tablets | 10 | 500 | 3·10 |
| Indomethacin | Capsules | 25 | 500 | 5·66 |
| Paracetamol | Tablets | 500 | 5,000 | 18·07 |
| Amitriptyline | Tablets | 25 | 500 | 3·40 |
| Methyldopa | Tablets | 250 | 1,000 | 19·71 |
| Methyldopa | Tablets | 500 | 500 | 21·14 |
| Ampicillin | Capsules | 250 | 100 | 2·56 |
| Ampicillin | Capsules | 500 | 100 | 6·73 |
The prices for proprietary preparations are the manufacturers' recommended list prices, while the prices for generic items are those used for reimbursing pharmacists and dispensing doctors who dispense NHS prescriptions.
Acheson Report
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what additional funds will be given to Kings district health authority in consequence of the recommendations of the Acheson report.
The additional funds for Camberwell health authority (formerly Kings district of Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham area health authority) are as Follows:—
Old Persons' Nursing Homes
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will bring forward measures better to prevent and detect fraud by owners and managers of old people's and nursing homes, who fail to hand over to the claimant money paid by his Department for residents in their homes.
Where a social security claimant is unable to deal with his own affairs, arrangements are made for another person to deal with the benefit claim. Where the claimant is living in a residential home and a relative or friend cannot be appointed, a responsible person at the home may be asked to act and is made aware of the duties involved. Such appointments may be revoked whenever benefit not administered in a satisfactory manner, whether or not fraud is suspected. As a result of provisions for the registration of homes in the Health and Social Services and Social Security Adjudications Act 1983, a working party instituted by the Centre for Policy on Ageing is at present drawing up a code of practice for registered voluntary and privately-run residential care homes. One topic under consideration by the working party is the arrangements for the financial affairs of residents in these homes.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many proprietors or managers of old people's homes registered under the Health and Social Services and Social Security Adjudications Act 1983 or preceding legislation have been prosecuted in each of the last five years for offences related to fraud perpetrated against either his Department or claimants resident in the home.
This information is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much his Department has spent on social security payments to owners of private old people's and nursing homes in each county for each of the last five years.
Social Security benefits are payable to individual residents rather than owners of homes.The benefit payable to those who are unable to meet the home's charge by other means, is supplementary benefit. Information on the total amount of supplementary benefit paid in such cases is not available in the form requested, but I shall let the hon. Member have such details as are available on the number of residents in private and voluntary homes in receipt of supplementary benefit to meet their charges, and the average amounts of benefit in payment for the period from 1979, as soon as possible.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list by counties in England, social security payments and any other national financial support to private old people's and nursing homes for 1979 and subsequent years.
I shall let the hon. Member have such information as is available as soon as possible.
European Community (Medical Expenses)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what forms are required by a person wishing to reclaim medical expenses incurred in other Common Market countries; and what steps have to be taken to obtain them.
Those persons resident in an EC member state who are entitled to immediately necessary medical treatment in another member State, on the same basis as other residents of that member State, are defined in EC Social Security Regulations 1408/71 and 574/72. Under these regulations, form E111 is the document normally required to confirm that a resident of another member State is entitled to immediately necessary treatment in accordance with the Regulation; other forms cover treatment given in other circumstances. In the United Kingdom a form E111 valid for up to three months, may be obtained on application to any DHSS local office; a form valid for up to one year, for use by frequent travellers, may be obtained from DHSS Overseas Branch (OGBI), Newcastle-Upon-Tyne NE98 1YX. Applications should be made on form CM 1, included at the back of DHSS leaflet SA30, obtainable from DHSS local offices, the Automobile Association and some travel agents.
Listed Buildings
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list those hospitals from which he has received representations during the last four years concerning their difficulties in maintaining their listed buildings.
The Department has no record of receiving such representations.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list those hospitals which are having difficulties funding the maintenance of their listed buildings, giving the details of the buildings and the cause of the difficulties.
Such information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Doctors' Deputising Services
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider introducing a reduced rate of remuneration for general practitioners whose out-of-hours calls are carried out by a recognised deputising service.
Current levels of remuneration are as recommended by the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration which decided in 1982 to recommend no relative changes to out-of-hours remuneration on account of the use of deputising services but to take account of such use in its overall assessment of general practitioners' work load.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the annual savings to the National Health Service of a reduction of one third in the fee paid to general practitioners when a member of a partnership personally answers and deals with out-of-hours calls.
We would not expect any savings. As fees and allowances payable to general practitioners are designed to produce a certain level of average net remuneration, reduced payments of one fee would normally be offset by increased payments of others.
Pensions (Women)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now take steps to abolish the women's half-test introduced under section 21(5) of the National Insurance Act 1946 and perpetuated for those women who reached pensionable age before 6 April 1979 by schedule 1 to the Social Security Act 1979, and ensure that such women get full pension entitlement.
No.
Unemployment Review (Greenock)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his Department's Greenock office will be included in the experimental unemployment review of people aged 18 to 25 years.
In my reply to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 3 February—[Vol. 53, c. 406]—I listed all the offices which will be involved in this experiment. Greenock is not involved.
Artificial Limb Service
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now publish in the Official Report the full list of the members of his investigation into the artificial limb service; if he will outline the terms of reference; and if he will make a statement.
I refer the hon. Member to my replies of 25 November 1983 and 16 January 1984 to my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Sir H. Rossi) —[Vol. 49, c. 348 and Vol. 52, c. 127–8].
Invalid Care Allowance
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now extend invalid care allowance benefits to married and cohabiting women.
I refer the hon. and learned Member to my reply to the right hon. Member for Brent, East (Mr. Freeson) of 27 October—[Vol. 47, c. 171].
Mastectomy Operations
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what investigations his Department has made of new medical techniques aimed at avoiding the need for mastectomy operations; and if he will make a statement.
Studies of treatment of breast cancer are regarded as biomedical research and the Department looks to the Medical Research Council, the main Government-funded body carrying out such work under a grant-in-aid from the Department of Education and Science, to meet its needs in this field.The Department has emphasised to the MRC its view of the importance of maintaining a strong fundamental research effort with the aim of improving the prognosis for breast cancer and as part of that effort, the Council has funded trials to compare the conservative management of breast cancer with conventional surgical treatment and these are still in progress. I am also aware of trials being carried out in teaching hospitals and elsewhere on the initiative of the medical profession and no doubt the results of these when available will help clinicians to decide on the most acceptable form of effective treatment for the future.
Departmental Advertising
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is, for the last 12 months available, the amount spent by his Department on advertisements in (a) newspapers, (b) television and (c) radio on the health hazards of smoking.
I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is, for the last 12 months available, the amount spent by his Department on advertising in (a) newspapers, (b) television and (c) radio about the availability of social security benefits.
The amount spent by the Department advertising social security benefits in 1983–84 is estimated to bi; (a) in newspapers £156,000, (b) on television £376,000 and (c) on radio £16,000. These campaigns included one-parent benefit and statutory sick pay.In addition over £1 million was spent on posters and leaflets explaining various social security benefits and there was considerable publicity by Regional Information Officers in local media. Detailed information is also given at the back of individual child benefit, retirement pension and other benefit order books.
Pensions
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of the working population he estimates are covered by (a) non-contributory pension schemes and (b) contributory schemes; and how many are index -linked to the retail price index in both contributions and pensions.
Based on figures obtained from the 1982 general household survey, 7·5 per cent. of employees belonged to non-contributory schemes and 42·5 per cent. to contributory occupational pension schemes. Statistics held centrally show no schemes that are index-linked to the retail price index in both contributions and pensions.
Hospital Treatment (Statistics)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing, in respect of the most recent annual period, the number of cases in which persons of all ages received hospital treatment in consequence of their throats or digestive tracts being blocked or otherwise impaired by each of the following foreign bodies: (a) bones, (b) money, (c) toys, (d) meat and poultry, (e) nails or screws, (f) fish, (g) marbles, (h) seeds, (i) fruit, (j) jewellery, (k) splinters, (l) pins, (m) sweets, (n) ballbearings, (o) bread, (p) pens, (q) pencils, (r) glass, (s) metal, (t) decorations, (v) false teeth, (w) buttons, (x) bolts, (y) bags, and (z) scented erasers and other items, respectively.
An estimated 2,330 inpatient discharges (including deaths) from NHS hospitals in England and Wales during 1981 were of patients suffering from the effect of foreign bodies in their throats and upper respiratory tracts. A further 3,770 discharges were due to foreign bodies in the digestive tract. Information on the nature of these foreign bodies is not available centrally.
Bulk Prescribing
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services; if he will now accede to the request made to him by the Pharmaceutical Society to call a meeting of pharmacists and doctors to discuss the problem of prescribing in bulk and its effect on elderly people in residential homes.
In regard to residential homes for the elderly, we already issue positive and detailed guidance; on the safeguards which should be observed in administering medicines to residents, whether those medicines have been prescribed in bulk or for named individuals. We expect local authorities to ensure the operation of these arrangements. We look to the pharmaceutical and medical professions in the first place for consideration of any professional issues which may be involved in bulk prescribing and will give serious consideration to any agreed proposal which may emerge from their discussions. At this stage, I see no reason for the Government to call the meetings at which such discussions can take place.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the Royal College of Physicians' report on medication for the elderly, he will take further action to prevent elderly people in residential homes being given potent medicines not prescribed for them individually as a result of prescribing in bulk.
The report of the Royal College of Physicians, "Medication for the Elderly" is a welcome additional warning. The Department's memorandum of guidance on arrangements for health care in residential homes for elderly people already provides detailed guidance for care staff on the use of medicines. This includes a clear direction that drugs must not be administered to residents for whom they have not been prescribed.
Resettlement Units
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has made a decision on the future of the 22 resettlement units, excluding Camberwell; and if he will make a statement.
No. The future of resettlement units is still under consideration.
Weather Centres
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the weather centres in the United Kingdom which are used to calculate temperatures when help for heating costs in extremely severe weather is being assessed; and what were (a) the lowest temperatures recorded at each centre in January and (b) the lowest temperatures which had to be achieved at each centre before the trigger levels for extremely severe weather payments to be made were reached.
I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
Cigarettes
asked the Secretary of State (1) if, in discussions with the tobacco industry on what is to succeed the voluntary agreement on cigarette modification, he will call for the re-classification of existing tar groupings as recommended by the third report of the Independent Scientific Committee on Smoking and Health; and if he will make a statement;(2) if, in discussions with the tobacco industry, he will insist on the early substantial reduction in the amount of carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke, as recommended by the third report of the Independent Scientific Committee on Smoking and Health.
[pursuant to his reply, 1 February 1984, c. 263]: Discussions with the Tobacco Advisory Council on product modification are currently in progress.
The discussions will take into account the recommendations of the Independent Scientific Committee's report. We will report their outcome to the House in due course.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will require figures showing the carbon monoxide yield of the brand to be printed on cigarette packets.
[pursuant to his reply, 1 February 1984, c. 263]: Not at present. We consider that the information on carbon monoxide yields of cigarettes already published in the Health Department's notices is sufficient, but we shall, however, keep the situation under review.
Scotland
Labour Statistics
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the numbers of registered unemployed in (a) Glasgow and (b) Scotland who (i) have been unemployed for one year or longer, (ii) have been unemployed for two years or longer and (iii) have been unemployed for three years or longer.
The information obtained from the most recent analysis of duration of unemployment is set out in the table:
| Number of people claiming unemployment benefit at 13 October 1983 | ||
| Glasgow travel-to-work area | Scotland | |
| Unemployed for | ||
| More than 52 weeks | 17,784 | 59,533 |
| More than 104 weeks | 9,969 | 29,587 |
| More than 156 weeks | 13,833 | 35,199 |
Note: The Glasgow travel-to-work area comprises the employment office areas within Glasgow city together with the Barrhead, Clydebank, Cumbernauld, East Kilbride, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch jobcentre area.
"Coal And The Environment"
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in regard to the Government response to Cmnd. 8877 entitled "Coal and the Environment", if he will list those undertakings for which his Department is responsible which have already been fulfilled and dates for those which yet have to be undertaken.
Action on the undertakings within my right hon. Friend's area of responsibility given in the noted paragraphs of Cmnd. 8877 is as follows:
Paragraph 29:
The valuation of National Coal Board property in Scotland will be reviewed along with all other property for the 1985 revaluation.
Paragraphs 39 and 40:
River purification boards and islands councils have been consulted and the replies received are now being analysed. The phased implementation of part II of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 dealing with discharges into water courses has begun.
Paragraph 55:
The NCB's rights under the Town and Country Planning (General Development) (Scotland) Order 1981 are being considered as part of a more general review of the provisions relating to minerals in the order which is at present in hand.
Paragraphs 71 and 77:
Responsibility for Authorising opencast mining will be transferred to planning authorities in Scotland under transitional arrangements to be introduced later this year.
Right To Buy
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consider legislation to prohibit the sale of any house originally built specifically for occupation by ex-service men.
No.
Highlands And Islands Development Board
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for each year since its creation the businesses in which the Highlands and Islands Development Board has an interest which have ceased trading and the loss of public funds incurred in each case.
The Highlands and Islands Development Board has been asked to assemble this information and my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.
Transport Needs (South-West Scotland)
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he plans any action on the recommendations of the report of the Scottish Association for Public Transport entitled "The Trunk Transport Needs of South West Scotland and Northern Ireland".
We have not received a copy of this report.
Mentally Handicapped Persons
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will report on progress towards increased flexibility in use of support finance to help the mentally handicapped;(2) if he plans changes in the funds available for support finance for the mentally handicapped.
Support finance is available to assist a wide range of social work projects, and within the total funds available there is no specific allocation for the mentally handicapped. It is the responsibility of health boards, as part of their joint planning with local authorities, to decide which projects they wish to assist.We are reviewing the arrangements for the support finance scheme, including its possible extension to housing and education as well as social work. Meanwhile, the scheme will continue in its present form, and we are at present considering how much to make available in 1984–85.
Housing Redevelopment (Midlothian)
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what assistance his Department is giving in furthering housing redevelopment in the Midlothian district council area; and if he will list the areas and circumstances of his involvement.
I am not directly involved with particular projects but the council's provisional allocation for capital expenditure in 1984–85 on its non-housing revenue account block takes account of proposed expenditure on former National Coal Board houses in Newtongrange and Gorebridge. In addition the Housing Corporation has under consideration proposals for the rehabilitation of 119 houses in the Newtongrange—No. 1—housing action area. Negotiations on the acquisition of the properties are proceeding.
Workers Educational Association
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide a table showing the amount of financial provision made to the Workers Educational Association in Scotland from central Government funds in each of the last 10 years.
The information requested is as follows:
| Recurrent grants £ | Capital grants £ | |
| 1974–75 | 29,870 | 1,000 |
| 1975–76 | 44,710 | 800 |
| 1976–77 | 47,130 | — |
| 1977–78 | 64,812 | — |
| 1978–79 | 80,390 | — |
| 1979–80 | 82,012 | 9,254 |
| 1980–81 | 103,234 | 546 |
| 1981–82 | 124,800 | — |
| 1982–83 | 133,550 | — |
| 1983–84 | 140,227 | — |
Storm Damage
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what short-term assistance he will make available to industries other than the agriculture industry to help repair the losses incurred due to the recent severe weather.
I have no proposals to make assistance, available.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will co-ordinate the response offered by the public utilities to consumers affected by severe weather.
My hon. Friend is no doubt referring to the disruption to services which occurred during the recent blizzards in Scotland. The immediate response in such circumstances is a matter for the utility whose service to consumers is interrupted. Where local co-ordination becomes necessary to assist their efforts or alleviate distress, it is best undertaken by the local authority. The appropriate role of the Scottish Office is to provide any more general co-ordination or assistance that may be required.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department will draw up a plan for use by local authorities which sets out in detail the emergency aid which can be made available to assist people in rural areas who suffer hardship and loss of services following severe weather.
Comprehensive guidance on dealing with natural emergencies, including the effects of severe weather, was given to local authorities in Scottish Home and Health Department circular No. ES(Scot)7/1976, a copy of which is in the Library. It indicated features which local authorities should include in their planning. Since the steps needed to deal with an emergency depend very much on its nature and the circumstances at the time, I do not think that more detailed central guidance would be practicable.
Peterhead Prison
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has yet received the report from the governor on the riot which took place on 10 January 1984 at Peterhead prison; and if it is his intention to publish it or place a copy in the Library.
The report has been received and is being studied. As it deals inter alia with questions related to prison security, it will not be published or placed in the Library. As I promised in my reply to his questions on 19 January—[Vol. 52, c. 307]—I shall write to my hon. Friend when my study of the governor's report has been completed.
Mackerel Fishing (Quotas)
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will investigate the circumstances in which two Scottish fishing vessels each landed 300 tonnes of mackerel at a port in the Faroes; and if these landings were recorded by the fisheries officers as being within the quotas for these vessels.
One vessel has recently landed mackerel at a port in the Faroes, having obtained the necessary clearance as to quotas from the Sea Fisheries Inspectorate.Officials of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries are making inquiries to ascertain whether there have been other landings.