asked the Prime Minister if she will define the operational significance that the detection of an oiler by HMS Conqueror on 30 April 1982 and the visual sighting of Belgrano by HMS Conqueror on 1 May 1982 still retained on the day of publication of Cmnd. 8758, "The Falklands Campaign, The Lessons".

Disclosure of these facts would have given the Argentine navy valuable information on the methods of operation of British submarines. They were therefore not revealed until it was considered prudent.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the organisations whose views were sought on the most recent changes in the rules governing the issue of parking badges for disabled drivers.

The organisations were:

• Association of County Councils.
• Association of District Councils.
• Association of Metropolitan Authorities.
• London Boroughs Associations.
• Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.
• Association of Chief Police Officers.
• Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland).
• Joint Committee on Mobility for the Disabled.
• Joint Committee on Mobility of Blind and Partially Sighted People.
• Scottish Council on Disability.
• Wales Council for the Disabled.
• Chest, Heart and Stroke Association.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the number of appeals to each local authority against refusal of an application for a disabled parking badge, since the introduction of the new rules.

I regret that this information is not held centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list, by local authority, the numbers of refusals of a disabled parking badge which have been referred to him.

Since the new regulations came into effect on 16 March 1983, the list is as follows:

County Councils	Refusals referred
Avon	8
Berkshire	2
Cambridgeshire	1
Cheshire	15
Cleveland	2

County Councils	Refusals referred
Cornwall	2
Devon	7
Dorset	1
East Sussex	13
Essex	6
Gloucestershire	11
Hampshire	8
Hertfordshire	1
Humberside	3
Isle of Wight	1
Kent	13
Lancashire	3
Leicestershire	1
Lincolnshire	16
Norfolk	1
Northamptonshire	1
Northumberland	1
North Yorkshire	1
Oxfordshire	6
Staffordshire	5
Suffolk	1
Surrey	1
West Sussex	10
Wiltshire	7
	148

Metropolitan District Councils	Refusals referred
Bury	1
Doncaster	2
Kirklees	1
Leeds	1
Newcastle upon Tyne	1
Oldham	2
Rochdale	1
Sandwell	1
South Tyneside	1
Stockport	2
Wakefield	1
Wirral	2
Wolverhampton	2
	18

London Borough Councils	Refusals referred
Barnet	1
Bexley	1
Bromley	1
camden	1
Harrow	1
Havering	2
Hillingdon	1
Hounslow	2
Kingston upon Thames	2
Newham	1
Richmond upon Thames	2
Tower Hamlets	1
Sutton	2
	18

Total number of refusals referred to the Secretary of State for Transport: 184.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate, in the light of the latest road casualty figures and in comparison with those for previous period, how many fatal accidents and how many serious injuries would have been avoided had the wearing of rear seat belts been compulsory.

[pursuant to her reply, 1 May 1984]: A detailed breakdown of the total figures for 1982 was given in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Thanet, South (Mr. Aitken), on 16 Janurry at column 60.

As no surveys of rear seat belt wearing rates have been undertaken, the efficacy of rear seat belts in saving injuries cannot be calculated. However, the relative proportion of fatal and serious injuries for seat belt wearers is about half that for non-wearers. This suggests considerable scope for savings if more seat belts are worn.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the performance indicators agreed with him by the British Railways Board, the British Airports Authority, British Airways, and the Civil Aviation Authority.

:The British Railways Board, British Airways and the British Airports Authority publish a wide range of performance indicators in their annual reports and accounts. The choice of indicators is a matter for the boards themselves and does not require ministerial agreement. I have recently encouraged the Civil Aviation Authority to give high priority to the development of meaningful performance indicators.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has formed of the likely cost of 15 per cent. value added tax on the cost of building extensions and refurbishments to buildings owned by his Department in each of the next five years.

I estimate the additional cost for those properties owned by my Department to be as follows:

	£
1984–85	13,000
1985–86	4,000
1986–87	16,000
1987–88	8,000
1988–89	10,000

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many complaints or representations he has received since 1979 of incidents where helicopters spraying crops with pesticide sprayed wide of the field or sprayed incorrect areas.

Details of complaints or representations received by my Department during the period in question are not readily available. I am advised that a central record is kept by the Civil Aviation Authority, which, together with the Health and Safety Executive, has responsibility for statutory action in cases of this kind.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received about the possible effect of pesticide spraying on foodstuffs used for human consumption.

I have received six general inquiries about pesticide residues in food during the last three months. Under the pesticides safety precautions scheme, clearance is not granted to any product whose use for the purpose and in the manner intended would create risks for consumers. Numerous monitoring surveys carried out and published by my Department since 1964 have indicated that residues in food have decreased steadily during that period, and that levels generally are well below internationally recognised safety limits. I am not aware of any serious case of harm, but the Government will remain vigilant in this area.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he will institute a review of the use of pesticides;(2) what representations he has received concerning the report on pesticides by Friends of the Earth; and whether he will investigate the allegations of threats posed to people and to wild life due to the use of pesticides on farms, alleged in that report.

[pursuant to her reply, 1 May 1984]: I am aware of the report by Friends of the Earth. The Government maintain a constant review of the use of pesticides. Among the measures taken, all reported cases of possible risk to human health are investigated by Her Majesty's Agricultural Inspectorate, and those involving wildlife are investigated through the wildlife incident investigation scheme.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce legislation controlling the development, production, sale and use of pesticides on farms; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will institute legal controls on (a) the production, (b) the sale, and (c) the use of pesticides.

[pursuant to her reply, 1 May 1984]: Pesticides have been controlled since 1957 under the pesticides safety precautions scheme. The scheme is non-statutory but has served the nation well. Its effectiveness is kept under continuous review and it would be given statutory support if necessary.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he intends to take to assist dairy farmers overcome their difficulties arising from the recent European Economic Community agreement on milk; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mr. Mills) on Thursday 26 April 1984 at column 581.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when higher rates of grant will be introduced for farmers in the new less-favoured areas; and what the notification arrangements will be.

We have laid statutory instruments before parliament modifying the capital grant schemes so as to enable farmers whose land lies within the recent extension to the less-favoured areas—LFAs—to obtain higher rates of grant on certain investments.With effect from today, claims received under the agriculture and horticulture grant scheme—AHGS—the farm and horticulture development scheme—FHDS— and the agriculture and horticulture development scheme—AHDS—will be paid at the higher rates subject to the relevant scheme conditions provided they apply to eligible work in the new LFAs on which expenditure was incurred after 28 February 1984. The eligible works are the same as those which have previously attracted the same higher rates in the original LFAs, except for roads, bridges and similar items which retain the standard rates. A wide variety of investments in the new LFAs including buildings, drainage and grassland improvements will now qualify for the higher rates.I have also made detailed arrangements for farmers to find out whether their land lies within the new LFAs. I am arranging for the names of the parishes inside the new LFAs to be publicised widely, particularly at local level, and I am inviting farmers whose land lies within these parishes to ask their local divisional office of the Ministry for a form on which to provide the information we need to check eligibility. This will include a plan of the farm, together with grid references and field numbers. On receipt of these details, officials will then check them against maps showing the new LFAs and will inform farmers which parts of their farms will qualify for the new benefits.As an adjunct to this notification procedure I am making available for inspection at divisional offices maps showing both the original and new LFAs. I intend to put similar maps, together with the list of parishes, in the Library of the House.These new statutory instruments have also provided an opportunity to make a number of minor changes to the capital grants schemes. These include the reintroduction of grant under the AHGS for waste disposal facilities for farms with more than 40 dairy cows, and an increase from £400 to £1,000 in the maximum penalty, in England, Scotland and Wales, for making a false statement. This latter change applies to the AHDS and FHDS.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to issue advice on the burning of heather and grass; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I have now published a detailed "Heather and Grass Burning Code" which is available free of charge from the Ministry's local offices in England and in Wales from local offices of the Welsh Office Agriculture Department. A summary leaflet is also available: this provides a practical guide to those carrying out burning in the field and will be issued with every application for a heather and grass burning licence. I am sure that both the code and the leaflet will prove a valuable source of advice and guidance for those involved in burning operations which, if properly carried out, can be of benefit to both agriculture and conservation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, of the stops of vehicles and persons which took place in Lambeth police division in 1983, how many stops were on suspicion of misuse of drugs and how many consequent arrests were for the misuse of drugs.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the available information for the Lambeth police district in 1983 shows 2,600 stops under section 23(2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and 700 resultant arrests for drugs or other offences following these stops. Figures are not collected centrally separating those arrests for misuse of drugs from those for other offences. The figures are rounded because they are based on information recorded in station registers for operational purposes which is unsuitable for the preparation of statistical summaries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Thames Valley police as to the number of occasions and the periods of time involved when the police have imposed exceptional parking restrictions on that part of the road near Greenham common adjacent to the main water supply used by the women protestors.

The chief constable tells me that since 4 April roadworks to improve the junction of the A339 and the access road to the main gate of RAF Greenham Common have been in progress. The roadworks are at a bend in the road, on the brow of a hill. In the interests of road safety, the police have prohibited vehicles from waiting or parking on 300 metres of the south side of the A339 opposite to the roadworks. A water standpipe is within the area of the prohibition, which will continue until the roadworks are completed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what views have been expressed to him by chief officers of police about the level of staffing of police drug squads; and if he will consider reviewing the establishment of each force in order that such squads may be reinforced.

The discussions which chief officers have had with my right hon. and learned Friend on this subject have not been directed to the question of extra staff to increase the size of their drug squads. It is for the police authorities to fix the authorised establishment of forces, subject to the approval of the Home Secretary. Chief officers are aware of our view that increases in the number of officers deployed on a particular activity will not of itself necessarily improve performance and that much can be done by way of establishing that the manpower resources already available are being deployed in the most effective and efficient way. Many chief officers are already taking steps to ensure that drugs squads are used to best effect by the development of a force strategy which makes greater use of beat officers to handle minor drugs offences and of the services of regional crime squads for trafficking offences. The Drugs Conference held last month by the Association of Chief Police Officers provided them with an opportunity to discuss how resources might best be deployed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how soon after the commencement of building work on the extension to Leeds prison he anticipates the demolition of houses in Elsworth street, Leeds 12, being required.

The houses in Elsworth street will have to be demolished no later than mid–1986 to allow the site to be made available to the contractor when the main contract starts in January 1987.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what timetable he has for the commencement of building work on the extension to Leeds prison.

Some preliminary work within the perimeter is in progress. Work outside the perimeter should begin in 1987.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will compensate his Department's tenants in Elsworth street, Leeds 12, on the basis of equivalent reinstatement when their homes are required for the purpose of extending Leeds prison.

The basis for compensation of the occupants of the houses in Elsworth street required for demolition will be that determined by the Land Compensation Act 1973. The Act provides for home loss payments and disturbance payments. It will fall to the district valuer to negotiate the amounts payable in each case at the right time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there are any precedents for his Department buying, letting and demolishing residential property prior to the extension of a prison.

The Department has on occasion bought freehold property for demolition in connection with a prison redevelopment scheme, but the Leeds extension is the first case of which we are aware where tenanted property has been acquired for this purpose. The procedures which we are adopting, including the arrangements for compensation, are in accordance with those followed in similar circumstances by Government Departments and other public bodies possessing compulsory purchase powers.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if any instruction has been issued to the British forces in Belize prohibiting rest and recreation in El Salvador.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if Her Majesty's Government have received any requests for the provision of British military advisers from El Salvador, Honduras or Costa Rica.

No requests have been made for British military advisers to visit or be seconded to any of these countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements are made by local authorities in Scotland for allowing individuals to have access to information held about them by housing departments which may affect their entitlement to housing; what guidance he has issued on this matter; whether he proposes to take any steps to encourage them to allow greater access to information held on automated and non-automated records; and whether he will make a statement.

Under section 27(3) of the Tenants' Right Etc. (Scotland) Act 1980 applicants for local authority housing are entitled on request to inspect any records of information furnished by them and kept by the local housing authority in connection with their application. There is no entitlement at present to see other information relating to applications and it is for the housing authorities themselves to decide to what extent such information needs to remain confidential. However, the Data Protection Bill will of course create a general entitlement to access by individuals to automated personal records held on them when it comes into operation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements are made for individuals in Scotland to check the accuracy of factual information about themselves relating to convictions, unsuccessful prosecutions and arrests held by the Criminal Records Office; what guidance he has issued on this matter; whether he proposes to take any steps to allow individuals to have greater access to such information held on automated and non-automated records; and whether he will make a statement.

It has long been the policy that information on records maintained by the Scottish criminal record office or by individual police forces should not be given to anyone, however responsible, unless there are weighty considerations of public interest which justify disclosure. Guidance issued by my Department in 1976 indicates certain circumstances in which disclosure would be appropriate.The records maintained by the SCRO are of convictions for recordable offences committed in Scotland or by Scottish residents in other parts of the United Kingdom and for less serious offences committed in Strathclyde. Details of cases which have not resulted in a conviction are not normally retained. The records will be computerised in 1985–86. When the Data Protection Bill currently before Parliament comes into force, it will provide a right of subject access to these conviction records.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what higher rates of grant will be introduced for farmers in the new less-favoured areas in Scotland; and what the notification arrangements will be.

The modifications to the capital grant schemes in the United Kingdom are being announced today by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food together with the notification arrangements to apply in England and Wales.In Scotland I have also made arrangements for notifying Scottish farmers whose holdings lie within the new less-favoured area. Letters will be issued today to all farmers in the Department's annual census, whose land is wholly or partly within the new area. The new benefits will be paid only on land classified as disadvantaged in accordance with the statutory instruments we laid before Parliament yesterday. The letters therefore invite occupiers to indicate whether they wish their holdings to be inspected by my Department for that purpose.Similar letters will also issue today to those farmers in the original less favoured areas whose land is not currently eligible for full LFA benefits but some of which, after inspection, may qualify for the new benefits. They also are being invited to indicate whether they wish to have their land inspected by my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of National Health Service consultant cardiologists, and the number of consultant physicians practising cardiology, currently in posts in Scotland.

As at 30 September 1983, there were 11 National Health Service consultant cardiologists in post in Scotland and three consultant cardiologists holding honorary NHS appointments. The numbers of consultant physicians practising cardiology is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied that there is an adequate supply of invalid wheelchairs available to the National Health Service in the Glasgow area.

Yes; but if the right hon. Gentleman has encountered any specific case of difficulty perhaps he will write to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the major trunk road construction projects in Scotland which have been started during 1983–84 and those which he expects to start in 1984–85.

The information is as follows:

Schemes with estimated cost over £1 million started since 1 April 1983
Al	Musselburgh and Tranent Bypass, Stage I
M74	Draffan to Millbank Stage I
A75	Collin Diversion
A75	Gatehouse of Fleet Bypass
A835	Maryburgh to Brahan
A9	Perth Western Bypass
A9	Killiecrankie-Calvine Stage II
(A92)	East Fife Regional Road Stage I
A927	Kingsway, Dundee Stage II
A929	Tealing to Tarbrax
A94	Laurencekirk Bypass
A94	Scotston to Candy

Schemes with estimated cost over £1 million expected to start by 31 March 1985
Al	Musselburgh and Tranent Bypass, Stage II
M74	Draffan to Millbank Stages II and III
A75	Creetown Bypass
A82	Camus Nan Clais to Hollybank (Loch Lomond)
A835	Contin River Bridge
A9	Dalreach to Burnside
(A92)	East Fife Regional Road Stage II
A94	Forfar Bypass
A96	Bucksburn to Tyrebagger
A972	Kingsway (Dundee) Stage III

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will propose an amendment to the terms of reference of the Select Committee on House of Commons (Services) to bring explicitly within them the matter of House and parliamentary papers.

No. I note the right hon. Member's concern but see no need for any change.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to meet representatives of councils newly constituted since the elections of 3 May.

I meet individual councils. or associations representing councils, according to whether particular issues need to be discussed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has completed his consultations about the means of escape from fire in houses in multiple occupation; what is the analysis of the replies he has received; how many of these favour extending the scope of the relevant order; what action he proposes to take; and if he will make a statement.

The consultations with outside organisations have been completed. The replies considered whether to extend the existing order, the likely effects, the criteria to be adopted and the resource implications. Of those who had comments of substance, seven expressed themselves in favour of extending the scope of the existing order although in most cases this was on the understanding that additional resources could be made available to local authorities. I will make a further statement as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many, and what type of management agreements are currently being negotiated by the Nature Conservancy Council for the protection of sites of special scientific interest under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

I am advised that approximately 150 management agreements are currently being negotiated by the Nature Conservancy Council. The great majority have arisen out of informal discussions with owners and occupiers of sites of special scientific interest during the renotification programme and contain both positive and negative elements designed to ensure conservation of what is of special interest while providing for compensation on the basis of profits forgone. A limited number of cases arise from objections by the Nature Conservancy Council to potentially damaging operations notified formally under section 28(5)(a) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to how much money (a) the Nature Conservancy Council, (b) the Countryside Commission and (c) National park authorities have each spent on proven loss management agreements reached under sections 30, 41 and 50 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

The Nature Conservancy Council has entered into 99 management agreements since the Wildlife and Countryside Act was passed at a cost of £322,105 in capital payments and £58,017 per annum in recurring payments. No payments have been made by the NCC under section 30 of the Act, which governs compensation where nature conservation orders have been made.The Countryside Commission is not empowered to enter into management agreements, but a special fund by the commission was made available in 1983–84 to assist the first year costs of agreements concluded by national park authorities. To date, no mandatory agreements arising from section 41 of the Act have been negotiated by the authorities concerned, but the commission made payments of £57,350 from this fund in respect of a total of six voluntary agreements reached under section 39 of the Act. The overall cost to the national park authorities was £77,167.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he received in February and March concerning the operation of the "profits lost" compensation management agreements under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

My right hon. Friend has received representations from various quarters during the period in question, and in February I met members of the Friends of the Earth to discuss this and other matters. The representations received are in general critical of the principle of compensating owners and occupiers of land for forgoing operations which would prejudice conservation objectives. We are continuing to keep under review the working of the Act including the terms of the financial guidelines which relate to payments in connection with management agreements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received in the last three months concerning the operation of section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Certain representations have been received, principally from the Nature Conservancy Council, the Friends of the Earth, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and the hon. Member for Wentworth (Mr. Hardy). These call for amendments to the section to prevent any damage occurring, during the three month period allowed under the Act for representations or objections, to proposed sites of special scientific interest. The Government are considering these proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the total cost of producing annual reports to local authorities; and how much manpower is involved in this work.

The information requested by the hon. Gentleman is not available in my Department and could not be readily obtained except at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy on the publication of annual reports by local authorities; and what representations have been made to him by local authorities on this matter.

The Government attach great importance to public reporting by local authorities as a means of informing electors, ratepayers and other interested groups about the affairs of their authorities. The way in which information is reported must take account of the needs of the public and should enable them to make informed judgments about the performance of authorities, either individually or in comparison with others. Part II of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 provides for the preparation of codes of practice on the publication of information by local authorities; that dealing with annual reports was published in February 1981. Of the authorities which have decided not to publish annual reports, only Wychavon district council has made written representations against publication.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities published their annual report (a) as a newspaper supplement, (b) as a glossy special production and (c) in any other format; and how many local authorities did not publish an annual report.

Of the 335 annual reports for 1982–83 received by my Department up to 30 April, 11 have been published as newspapers or newspaper supplements. The information requested about other methods of production is not readily available. The Department is aware so far of only four authorities which do not intend to publish a report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new starts there have been in non-housing construction in each of the years since 1974 in (a) the public sector and (b) the private sector.

The information on starts is not available. The values of non-housing construction new orders obtained by private contractors for Great Britain in 1980 prices are as follows:

Year	Public Sector £ million	Private Sector £ million
1974	4,375	4,760
1975	4,706	3,263
1976	4,879	3,756
1977	4,015	4,245
1978	3,881	4,725
1979	3,621	4,522
1980	3,248	4,165
1981	4,006	4,467
1982	3,688	4,216
1983 (provisional)	4,342	4,434

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the total glass production of the United Kingdom comes from recycled glass.

I understand from the Glass Manufacturers Federation that 8 per cent. of the total glass production of the United Kingdom comes from recycled glass.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many tons of glass are currently recycled annually through the bottle bank scheme.

I understand from the Glass Manufacturers Federation that in 1983 76,350 tonnes—74,850 tons—-of glass were recycled through the bottle bank scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the total number of collection points currently in use by the bottle bank schemes.

I understand from the Glass Manufacturers Federation that there are currently 1,840 bottle bank sites in use in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many bottle bank schemes are currently in operation.

I understand from the Glass Manufacturers Federation that there are currently 278 bottle bank schemes operating in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what Government support is currently available to encourage the setting up of bottle bank schemes.

It continues to be Government policy to encourage the setting up of bottle banks. This is done through liaison with local authorities and industry and appropriate publicity and advice.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new starts there have been in each year since 1974 of housing construction in the private sector.

The figures for England, including a provisional estimate for 1983, appear in table 2 of my Department's monthly housing statistics press notice No. 174 issued on 3 April. A copy is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when was the effective cut-off date for the Reema type of prefabricated reinforced concrete house.

My right hon. Friend has not yet decided the cut-off dates for the classes of buildings which he intends to designate under the provisions of the Housing Defects Bill. Clause 1(2)(b) of the Bill provides that the cut-off date means the date by which, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, it became generally known that the buildings in the designated class were defective by reason of their design or construction.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the co-operation given by Merseyside county council to Merseyside Development Corporation in promoting the success of the international garden festival in Liverpool.

Merseyside county council has made a number of useful contributions to the success of the international garden festival in co-operation with the Merseyside Development Corporation; and many of the council's projects have in turn received financial support from the Government through the urban programme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is prepared to disregard for penalty purposes the expenditure of the Merseyside county council in aid of the international garden festival in Liverpool.

I have received representations from Merseyside county council asking me to disregard expenditure in connection with the international garden festival in assessing liability to grant abatement. I shall consider this carefully before implementing grant abatement in the first supplementary report for 1984–85 this summer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the appointment of the current chairman of the British Waterways Board expires.

On 30 June 1984.

asked the. Secretary of State for the Environment if, in view of the cancellation of the Paraplegic Olympics at Illinois, Her Majesty's Government will take steps to facilitate the replacement of this event; and if he will make a statement.

Arrangements have been made for the transfer of the 7th Wheelchair Games to Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire. The Sports Council, a body sponsored by my Department, has offered £20,000 towards the cost of the event, which will be held from 23 July to 4 August.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries are represented diplomatically in London by diplomats of other countries; and if he will list in each case these countries.

They are Argentina by Brazil, and Libya by Saudi Arabia.His Excellency Dr. Claudius Thomas, CMG, High Commissioner for Saint Lucia since 22 February 1979, is also the High Commissioner for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (since 27 October 1979); for Antigua and Barbuda (since 1 November 1981); and for Saint Christopher and Nevis (since 19 September 1983).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report those United Kingdom embassies or diplomatic posts abroad which look after the interests of other countries and at what cost to United Kingdom funds in each case.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions he has requested the Chilean Government to explain the disappearance in Chile of Mr. William Beausire and other persons of British descent.

We remain in regular contact with the Chilean authorities. Our Ambassador has raised this question with the Foreign Minister on two occasions in the last month. We shall continue to press the Chilean authorities for a satisfactory explanation of these cases.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the continued violation of human rights in Chile.

We have left the Chilean authorities in no doubt about our concern at reports of continued violation of human rights in Chile. We also supported the statement issued by the Presidency on behalf of the Ten member states of the European Community on 9 April calling for the early restoration of civil liberties in Chile.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will outline the specific proposals he put to the Japanese authorities concerning the liberalisation of trade with that country.

I expressed to the Japanese Government our serious concern at Japan's growing structural trade surplus. I urged them to take further steps to increase imports of manufactured goods, and I indicated areas where more could be done. I drew particular attention to the scope for the import of such major items of capital equipment as the BAE 146 and Shorts SD 330/360 civil aircraft. I also stressed the importance we attach to making further progress on the rollback of protectionism in the OECD and GATT and the need for further liberalisation of the Japanese money and capital markets, on which a statement is expected from the Japanese Government later this month. Significant progress in this area would considerable enhance business opportunities for United Kingdom financial institutions and could help to encourage the yen to reflect the underlying competitiveness of the Japanese economy. I also emphasised that any measures introduced by the Japanese authorities should take account of the repeated and forceful representations made by the European Community and in particular of the Community's latest trade requests.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the report of the United Kingdom observers sent to the recent elections in El Salvador to be published; and what are its conclusions.

A copy of the report by Sir James Swaffield and Dr. David Browning was laid on the table of the House yesterday. The Report is being published today and copies have been placed in the Library and Vote Office.The report's findings are that a reasonably free and secure election was held; that the voter had real choice; that the armed forces remained strictly neutral; and that the results were apparently accurate and free of fraud. The report concludes that the majority of Salvadorian reject the extremes of Left and Right who employ violence and terrorism.We welcome this further step in the establishment of democracy in El Salvador, and look for similar developments in other countries of the region.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to prevent more effectively the smuggling of heroin into the United Kingdom.

Her Majesty's Customs and Excise has had considerable and increasing success in dealing with this traffic as can be seen from my answer on 12 April, at columns 347–48, to my hon. Friend the member for Crawley (Mr. Soames). The Customs will continue to seek ways of improving its effectiveness in this area.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is satisfied that the Italian Government have implemented their undertaking, announced in his recent Budget speech, to remove the discriminatory taxation against Scotch whisky.

I understand that the Italian Government have issued a decree law, number 72 of 17 April, which inter alia provides for:

(i) the immediate abolition of the "diritto erariale" (state tax) on a typical bottle of scotch of about 400 lire;

(ii) the immediate reduction from 38 per cent to 30 per cent in the VAT rate on imported spirits with a denomination of origin, including whisky; and

(iii) the VAT rate on imported spirits to be further reduced from 30 per cent to 20 per cent as from 1 January 1986.

The decree law is now effective, but it must be approved by the Italian Parliament within 60 days from its publication on 19 April, otherwise the measures fall. On the assumption that it is approved, however, these measures would implement the undertaking to which I referred in my Budget speech.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide information showing, in cash terms and in current prices, the amount of his Department's supplement allocated to the national insurance fund in 1984–85 and in each year since 1978–79 in total and as a proportion of (a) total Government receipts and (b) the overall fund, for each of these years.

The following table shows the information requested:

Treasury Supplement
	£ million cash	*£ million at 1984–85 prices	as a pertentage of central Government receipts	†as a pertentage of contribution income to the fund,
1978–79	1,976	3,548	3·5	18
1979–80	2,343	3,599	3·4	18
1980–81	2,848	3,689	3·5	18
1981–82	2,433	2,866	2·5	14–5
1982–83	2,591	2,866	2·4	13
1983–84	‡2,807	2,939	2·5	13
1984–85	‡2,523	2,523	2·1	11
* £ million revalued to 1984–85 prices using the GDP deflator.
† The Treasury supplement is determined as a percentage of gross national contribution income, (ignoring rebates on contributions in respect of those contracted out of the state earnings-related pension scheme and deductions in respect of statutory sick pay).
‡ Provisional figures based on estimates of contribution income provided by the Government Actuary.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total cost of the Official Report of (a) the House of Commons and (b) the House of Lords in 1983–84.

These costs are estimated at £7.7 million and £1.7 million respectively. They include all relevant HMSO expenditure, and the directly attributable editorial costs borne on the Votes of the two Houses.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total investment approved under the business expansion scheme in 1983–84; how many companies qualified for tax relief; what was the cost of such income tax relief; how many schemes involving farming were approved; what amount of investment was involved and what was the cost of tax relief; and how many schemes involving private hospitals were approved, what amount of investment was involved and what was the cost of tax relief.

Under the scheme, tax relief is given to individuals investing in qualifying companies. The companies in which they invest do not themselves get relief.It is not yet known what amounts were invested in 1983–84. Nor are details yet available of the numbers and type of companies involved, or the cost in income tax relief. Firm figures will not be available until investors actually claim their relief, and this may happen any time up to two years after the end of the tax year in which the investment is made.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what progress has been made in agreeing performance indicators for nationalised industries;(2) if he is satisfied with the arrangements for monitoring the performance of nationalised industries.

Arrangements for monitoring the performance of nationalised industries are now well established. They include medium term financial targets, performance aims, and annual external financing limits as well as periodic examinations by the MMC and other external consultants. The control framework applied to nationalised industries is intended to impose disciplines akin to those which are commonplace in the private sector. We believe that the best way to ensure continuing improvement in performance in the long-term is to expose the industries to the effects of market forces. Our privatisation policy is directed to this end.Performance aims are currently in place for over half the nationalised industries, and discussions are continuing in order to maintain and improve this coverage. The great majority also publish their own performance indicators in their annual reports and we continue to encourage the industries to make such information regularly available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the numbers of taxpayers affected by each of the clauses of the Finance (No. 2) Bill in order, and the estimated net revenue effect of each clause.

I regret that this question cannot be answered without the expenditure of disproportionate time and effort.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much additional revenue he estimates to receive on imported wines as a result of the withdrawal of the value added tax postponed accounting system on imports, arising because of the earlier payment of value added tax by the trader before the tax can be recovered from the consumer.

It is estimated that bringing forward the payment of VAT on imports of wine would increase net receipts in 1984–85 by the order of £10 million to £15 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the net contribution which the United Kingdom would require to make to the European Economic Community in 1984, 1985 and 1986, respectively, if the most recent proposals of Her Majesty's Government to the Council of Ministers were accepted by that body.

At the European Council, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said she could accept net reliefs to the United Kingdom of 1,000 mecu in respect of 1984, and thereafter a system which, when applied to 1983 figures, gave net relief of 1,250 mecu. The effects of these arrangements on our actual net contribution in 1984, 1985 and 1986 would depend on the parameters of this system, which have yet to be negotiated, and on economic developments.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the net contributions which the United Kingdom would require to make to the European Economic Community in 1984, 1985 and 1986 if no agreement is arrived at on the reform of the budget structure and no increase takes place in the resources available to the Community.

[pursuant to his reply, 1 May 1984]: The last public expenditure White Paper (Cmnd 9143, volume 2, page 13) gives estimates of the United Kingdom's net contribution to the Community budget over this period. These estimates assume that the 1 per cent. VAT ceiling is unchanged and that the United Kingdom continues to receive annual ad hoc refunds of two thirds of our net contribution to that part of the budget allocated between member states.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to review the procedures through which payments are made to claimants under his Department's single payments scheme.

My right hon. Friend announced to the House on 2 April at columns 652–60 a review of the supplementary benefit scheme led by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what financial contribution Her Majesty's Government are making to the World Health Organisation's action programme on essential drugs.

The Government make a contribution to the WHO which is not tied to any particular activity. The United Kingdom Government's assessed contribution for 1984 totals £7·5 million.In addition, the ODA is prepared to consider requests from developing countries in receipt of aid for assistance with the implementation of the action programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he has formed of the likely cost of 15 per cent. value added tax on the cost of building extensions and refurbishments of buildings owned by his Department in each of the next five years.

NHS land is vested in the Secretary of State for Social Services. The cost to health authorities in 1984–85 of 15 per cent. value added tax on the cost of building extensions and refurbishments of buildings is estimated at about £60 million, equivalent in a full year to between £70 million and £75 million. The cost in future years will depend on the level of NHS capital expenditure and the balance between the proportion of extensions and refurbishments and other capital expenditure. We are considering the implications of the change for our capital programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the reply he has sent to the organisation Life in response to its letter to him of 30 January about agency arrangements for abortion.

No. Although no especial secrecy attaches to this correspondence, I would not propose to publish my reply unless the organisation wished me to do so. It is for health authorities to decide whether to make such agency arrangements in the light of local circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to prevent the use of professional titles such as "psychologist" by unqualified practitioners; and if he will make a statement.

No. We have no evidence at present to suggest that this is necessary. I understand that the British Psychological Society has alternative measures in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what evidence he has that at some places at holiday time necessary medical and dental attention is not provided within the National Health Service or otherwise; and what arrangements are directed to be made.

We have no evidence to support this allegation so far as the National Health Service is concerned. Arrangments are made locally for emergency cover, but if a specific problem has come to my hon. Friend's attention I shall be happy to have inquiries made if he will write to me about it.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what finance Her Majesty's Government are providing to the Brook Advisory Centre in the current financial year; and for what purposes.

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Congleton (Mrs. Winterton) on 1 May.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish details in the Official Report of the special projects for combating drug abuse for which he has allocated £5 million for spending over the next three years.

I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend, the Member for Crawley (Mr. Soames) on 9 February at columns 756–60 and to my right hon. and learned Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short) on 30 April at columns 54–56.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements are being made to ensure that grants to new units set up to combat drug abuse will be monitored and the results analysed.

Bodies responsible for service-providing projects funded under the Department's drug misuse central funding initiative are issued with a guide

Table I
Hospitals Approved for Complete Closure from May 1979 to December 1983
Region and Area/District	Hospital	Number of Beds	Date Approved
Northern
Durham	Darlington Memorial Hospital, Hunden's Unit	125	July 1979
Cleveland	Overdene Maternity Home, Cleveland	22	February 1980
North Tyneside	Willington Quay Maternity Hospital	14	November 1981
Durham	Langley Park Smallpox Hospital	24	September 1982
South Cumbria	Westmoreland County	101	August 1983
South Cumbria	Kendal Green	79	August 1983
South Cumbria	Meathop	45	August 1983
Yorkshire
Humberside	Townend Maternity Hospital	17	August 1979
Leeds	Haigh Hospital, Leeds	34	May 1980
North Yorkshire	Fulford Maternity Hospital	87	January 1981
Wakefield	Newton Lodge Annexe	35	November 1981
Wakefield	Carr Gate Hospital	35	November 1981
Wakefield	Headlands Hospital, Pontefract	125	November 1981
Leeds Western	Leeds Maternity	123	February 1983
Leeds Western	Leeds Hospital for Women	86	February 1983
Dewsbury	Batley General	80	July 1983
Dewsbury	Mirfields Memorial	22	July 1983
Dewsbury	Dewsbury General	133	July 1983
Harrogate	Carbon Lodge Maternity Home	13	December 1983
Harrogate	Thistle Hill	43	September 1983
Trent
Derbyshire	Nightingale maternity Home	34	July 1979
Sheffield	Wales Court Hospital, Sheffield	79	December 1979
Nottinghamshire	Debdale Hall, Nottingham	37	March 1980
Nottinghamshire	Adbolton Hall, Nottingham	26	August 1980
Derbyshire	Smedley Memorial Hospital	27	February 1981
Sheffield	Thornbury Hospital	58	April 1981
Derbyshire	Parwich Hospital	47	May 1981
Nottinghamshire	Nottingham Women's Hospital	132	May 1981
Nottinghamshire	Firs Maternity Hospital	40	May 1981
Lincolnshire	Tuxford Hostel, Nottingham	16	August 1981
Sheffield	St. Joseph's Hospital Sheffield	90	September 1981
Sheffield	Hallwood Isolation Hospital	18	November 1981
North Lincolnshire	Alexandra Hospital, Woodhall Spa	28	January 1981
Leicestershire	Markfield Hospital	119	May 1982
North Lincolnshire	Foxby Hill Hospital, Gainsborough	20	July 1982
North Derbyshire	Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Royal Hospital	275	October 1982
North Derbyshire	Ashgate Maternity Home	22	January 1983
North Derbyshire	Morton	42	April 1983
South Derbyshire	Blakeley	30	March 1983
South Derbyshire	Draycott	37	March 1983
South Lincolnshire	Boston General	58	March 1983

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is delaying the issue of a departmental circular to regional health authorities which reflects his response to the recommendations published in 1982 by the Advisory Council on Drug Abuse.

The preparation of the circular is well advanced and it is expected to be issued this month.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the hospital closures between May 1979 and December 1983 giving in each case the number of beds involved, the date, the district and the region.

[pursuant to his reply, 13 April 1984, c. 412]: Information available centrally on complete hospital closures follows in table 1.Information available centrally on building schemes over £5 million completed during this period is in table 2.