asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list for each of the last 10 calendar years for the United Kingdom the total number of (a) registered companies at each year end, (b) new company incorporations and (c) dissolved companies removed from the register.

Company registration in Northern Ireland is under separate Northern Ireland legislation, which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The information given is in respect of England, Wales, and Scotland.

	(a)	(b)	(c)
1974	657,859	42,496	22,285
1975	669,930	45,678	33,607
1976	690,897	56,085	35,118
1977	705,998	55,214	40,113
1978	744,441	63,566	25,123
1979	785,688	66,472	25,225
1980	828,496	69,374	26,566
1981	871,391	72,416	29,521
1982	904,593	87,166	53,964
1983	956,411	96,188	44,370

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the average increase in telephone charges, including rentals, over the past five years and over the past 10 years, respectively; and by what amount this average exceeded or was less than the increase in the retail price index.

The information is as follows:

Period	March 1979 to March 1984 per cent.	March 1974 to March 1984 per cent.
Percentage increase in BT's total charges	55·4	214·9
Percentage increase in RPI	63·9	236·4
Equivalent annual average increase in BT charges	9·2	12·1
Equivalent annual average increase in RPI	10·4	12·8
Average annual extent to which all telephone charges rise slower than RPI	1·2	0·7

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements have been made for restraining the imports of textile and clothing products from Turkey.

As a result of concerns about the disruptive trend in Turkish imports, member states have requested safeguard action in accordance with the terms of the Community's association agreement with Turkey. Commission regulations 1258 and 1259/84 of 4 May set the following import quotas for the United Kingdom for the remainder of the year:

Category
Category 4 (T-shirts)	650,000 pieces
Category 83(certain outer garments)	60 tonnes
Category 6(trousers)	100,000 pieces
Category 13 (knickers and briefs)	1,100,000 pieces
Category 32 (woven pile fabric of tariff heading 58·04 69)	150 tonnes

The Commission has also agreed to the suspension of the issue of further import licences (until 15 July) for three products (Category 2—cotton cloth; Category 9—terry towelling; and Category 20 — bed linen). A decision about the resumption of licensing or the introduction of safeguard measures on these products will be taken in the light of actual import levels.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will give the total value of textile exports from the United Kingdom in each year since 1974; and what was the balance of trade deficit or surplus in each of these years;

(2) what was the total value of textile imports into the United Kingdom in each of the years since 1974.

[pursuant to his reply, 25 April 1984, c. 509]: My attention has been drawn to an error in the calculations on which the answer was based, necessitating the following corrections to the table of figures included therewith:

	Value £ million
Export (fob)	Crude Balance
1982
For "2,099"	For "+63"
Read "1,379"	Read "–657"
Source: For "Item 874.11", Read "Item 847.11".

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has sought assurances from British Telecom on cross-subsidisation of its manufacturing and supply activities.

[pursuant to the reply, 8 May 1984, c.310]: The licence that the Secretary of State will grant to British Telecom under the Telecommunications Act will contain conditions designed to ensure that British Telecom does not cross-subsidise its apparatus production or its apparatus supply businesses from profits gained from its network business. These conditions will be similar to those in the draft British Telecom licence, published in October 1983, amended and expanded as necessary in the light of comments received. BT's compliance with the conditions of its licence will be monitored and if necessary enforced by the Director General of Telecommunications.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had in the past six months with the Telecommunications Engineering and Manufacturing Association and individual manufacturers on British Telecom's purchasing policy and rights to manufacture.

[pursuant to the reply, 8 May 1984, c. 310]: I and officials of my Department are in frequent contact with the Telecommunications Engineering and Manufacturing Association and with individual manufacturers about the whole range of issues concerning telecommunications manufacturing and supply.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what mechanism exists for the structure plans of the various counties in Wales to be co-ordinated.

When preparing structure plans county planning authorities have to take into account expected development and other use of land in neighbouring areas where relevant and also current national and regional policies. Welsh structure plans are subject to my approval.

asked the Secretary of the State for Wales if he will require the Housing Corporation to pay to the Welsh Housing Association Council in 1984–85 that sum of grant-in-aid towards central administrative and training costs that is proportionately in line with such payments to be made by the Housing Corporation to the voluntary housing movement in England and Scotland.

No. The position in Wales is not directly comparable with that in England or Scotland. I make a proportionately higher contribution, through grant-in-aid, to Welsh Housing Association Council expenses and I understand that training facilities for Welsh associations are available through the National Federation of Housing Associations and group training schemes. In addition, I have made resources available to the Housing Corporation to finance additional promotional activities in Wales.

asked the Secretary of the State for Wales how long the waiting list is (a) for an appointment and (b) for admission for each consultant within the West Glamorgan health authority area; what is the area of specialism of each consultant; and to which hospital the consultant is attached.

Information on the numbers of patients waiting for appointments with individual consultants is not collected by our Department, but the right hon. Gentleman may be able to obtain this information by writing to the health authority.

asked the Secretary of the State for Wales if he will consider bringing forward the compulsory dipping order to commence on 1 July in the current year; and if he will make a statement.

No. The timing of this summer's compulsory dipping period was decided following discussions with farming and other interested organisations about the campaign to control and eliminate sheep scab from this country.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what his estimate is of the sum of money accruing to the Inland Revenue from the extra tax paid by employees on the employer's subsidy to workplace nurseries, including backdated tax;(2) how many letters he has received opposing the Inland Revenue's recent decision to treat employers' contributions to workplace nurseries as a taxable benefit.

The benefit that directors and certain employees (currently those earning at a rate of £8,500 a year or more) receive from most employer-subsidised nurseries has been liable to tax since 1948. Following recent publicity over one particular case, my right hon. Friend has received a total of 65 letters and other representations about the tax treatment of this benefit. I regret that a firm estimate of the tax yield from this benefit cannot be made.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons whose income consists entirely of the means-tested benefits, will be subjct to taxation following his announcement of increases in personal allowances.

I regret that information on which to base an estimate is not available, but the indications are that few people whose income for the full financial year consists entirely of means-tested benefits will be liable to tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will seek to amend section 118 of the Capital Gains Tax Act 1979 to include a petroleum licence interest for the purpose of enabling participators to obtain roll-over relief;(2) if he will take steps to amend capital gains tax legislation to facilitate farm-outs and disposals of interests in North sea licences; and if he will make a statement.

I am not aware of any evidence that capital gains tax changes are needed to facilitate farm-outs or disposals of interests in North Sea licences. The extension of rollover relief described by the hon. Member would moreover be unacceptably costly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the total reduction in the number of staff employed by HM Customs and Excise in each year since 1979.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 30 April 1984, Official Report, column 23 to the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, if he will list the provisional lists of schemes submitted to the Commisssion of the European Communities with a view to their being financed by the rebate to the United Kingdom.

No. Until the draft regulations are adopted by the council the Government cannot finalise the lists of projects, programmes and measures to be submitted to the Commission for its decisions on the allocation of the refunds from the 1983 Community budget.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Nottinghamshire about the photographing of persons stopped, arrested and released without charge since 1 March.

The chief constable tells me that it is the normal practice in his force in major policing operations for people who have been arrested to be photographed with the arresting officer at the time of the arrest. The photographs are taken for evidential purposes, should the arrests result in court proceedings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what use has been made in the Metropolitan police area of section 34 of the Civil Justices Act 1972 which enables a police constable to take a drunken offender to a treatment centre as an alternative to arrest; and how many such centres now operate within the Metropolitan police area.

None of the three centres at present approved under section 34 of the Criminal Justice Act 1972 is in the Metropolitan police district.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any proposals to improve the accuracy of electoral registers; and if he will make a statement.

Proposals for improving the accuracy of the electoral register were discussed in chapter 1 of the Government reply (Cmnd. 9140) to the Home Affairs Select Committee's Report on the Representation of the People Acts (HC 32), and in the associated consultation paper, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. We have now held four seminars with electoral registration officers from the London boroughs and metropolitan districts at which all aspects of the electoral registration process were discussed with particular attention to the problems faced in inner city areas. Work on the formulation of the code of best practice for the compilation of the electoral register recommended by the Select Committee is in hand. We intend to consult the political parties, local authority associations and EROs' representatives with a view to issuing the code in good time for the electoral registration canvass in autumn this year. The results will be evaluated by OPCS. In addition, we are considering, in the light of consultations on the White Paper, whether any amendments to the statutory provisions governing the registration of electors should be included in the forthcoming Representation of the People Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to be in a position to make a statement on the proposal for Government financial assistance for the fund for the replacement of animals in medical experiments.

Further information is awaited from the fund and, in the light of this, a decision will be reached, and a statement made, as soon as possible. I am most sympathetic to the proposal that the Government should assist FRAME in its valuable work.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many primates have been used in experiments in Great Britain during each of the past five years for which figures are available.

The information requested is given in table 14 of "Statistics of experiments on living animals, Great Britain, 1982" (Cmnd.8986).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have now been taken for vehicles exceeding the 38 ton weight limit.

The information requested is not separately available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in England and Wales were held in solitary confinement at the latest date for which figures are available; and how many prisoners held in solitary confinement in prisons in England and Wales are serving sentences passed by the courts in Northern Ireland.

No prisoners of England and Wales are kept in solitary confinement which is a form of punishment designed to deprive a prioner of all human contact.under prison rule 43, however, governors may remove prisoners from association with other prisoners in the interests of maintaining the good order and discipline of the establishment. On 31 January 1984, the latest date for which figures are available, 106 men and women were so segregated in prisons in England and Wales. These figures do not include prisoners removed from association at their own request.Additionally, prisoners who are to be charged with an offence against prison rules may be kept apart from other prisoners pending the disciplinary hearing, under prison rule 48(2). Figures for the number of prisoners held under this rule are not available.Prisoners who have been awarded cellular confinement as a punishment at a disciplinary hearing are also kept apart from other prisoners. Figures for the numbers held in cellular confinement at any one time are not available but the number of adjudication awards of cellular confinement made in 1982 in prisons and remand centres was 5,433.Figures for the number of prisoners in any of these categories who are serving sentences imposed by courts in Northern Ireland are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts whether Her Majesty's Government have any plans to increase the level of funding for the British Film Institute in the immediate future.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Carshalton on 11 April. The British Film Institute is to receive an additional £1 million in 1986–87 for the support of film activities at present assisted by the Greater London council and the metropolitan counties.Otherwise, the level of funding of the British Film Institute will be reviewed annually in the usual way.

asked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts what funding has been given to the British Film Institute in each of the years since 1974; and for what purpose these funds are intended.

The Government's grant-in-aid to the British Film Institute in each of the years since 1974 has been as follows:

Financial year	Amount £ million
1974–75	1·537
1975–76	1·862
1976–77	2·514
1977–78	3·480
1978–79	3·900
1979–80	4·724
1980–81	5·829
1981–82	6·520
1982–83	7·014
+ supplementaries	1·455
1983–84	7·243
1984–85	7·710

The funds are intended to aid the British Film Institute in carrying out its objectives which are to encourage the development of the art of film in Great Britain, to promote its use as a record of contemporary life and manners, to foster study and appreciation of it from these points of view, to foster study and appreciation of films for television and television programmes generally and to encourage the best use of television in Great Britain.

asked the Attorney General, if he will list the main policy achievements of his Department and the Lord Chancellor's Department since May 1979.

The various Acts of Parliament introduced by the Lord Chancellor since May 1979 appear in the schedule to this answer. The more important include the Contempt of Court Act 1981, the Supreme Court Act 1981 and the Civil Jurisdiction and Judgements Act 1982. In addition, the Lord Chancellor has promoted five Acts giving effect to important recommendations for law reform made by the Law Commission, and 37 consolidation Acts.Against the general background of a greatly increasing work load in the courts and tight constraints on public expenditure and Civil Service manpower, the Lord Chancellor has succeeded in reducing delays and increasing the despatch of cases by a combination of measures which include the following:

asked the Attorney-General if he is satisfied with the past, current and future arrangements to ensure compliance with section 22 of the Legal Aid Act 1974 as far as they affect his Department.

My Department has no functions in relation to section 22 of the Act except to the extent that my consent is required before proceedings can be brought for an offence under it. My attention has not been drawn to any problems in connection with the seeking of such consent.

asked the Attorney-General when the Rayner scrutiny of legal aid assessment will be published.

Copies of the report are available from the Lord Chancellor's Department. I will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he will list the main policy achievements of the Lord Advocate's Department since May 1979.

As the Government's chief legal adivsers as regards Scotland, the Lord Advocate and I have participated in many of the achievements mentioned by my colleagues, including the Secretary of State for Scotland.Achievements since May 1979 which I might list include:

asked the Prime Minister whether she gives any formal standing instructions to MI5 as to how it should carry out its operations.

The security service operates under the directive issued to its Director-General on 24 September 1952 by the then Home Secretary, Sir David Maxwell Fyfe. The directive was published in paragraph 238 of Lord Denning's report—September 1963, Cmnd 2152.

asked the Prime Minister on how many occasions she has rejected the advice of the advisory committee on business appointments, the Diamond committee; and whether she will make a statement.

On a very few occasions in the past five years I have taken the view that the public interest did not require me to insist upon a waiting period as long as that recommended by the advisory committee, and I have accordingly approved the application on the basis of a shorter waiting period.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what are the precise locations of high resolution television cameras overlooking roads within his responsibility similar to those being installed along the M25; if he will give details of plans to install such cameras; and what is their purpose;(2) how many high resolution television cameras are being installed along the M25; if he will list the parts of the road on which they are situated; and if he will make a statement as to their purpose.

A total of 62 monochrome cameras are being installed on the M25 motorway. Thirty-two are fixed

cameras within the Holmesdale and Bell common tunnels and 30 are cameras with limited pan, tilt and zoom facilities in the vicinity of Holmesdale, Bell common and Dartford tunnels and London (Heathrow) airport.The Department of Transport does not maintain a central register of the precise locations of television cameras overlooking trunk roads. However, monochrome cameras similar to those being installed on the M25 are being used on motorways in the Birmingham area, on the Severn bridge and on the metropolitan section of the M4. There are plans to install them in, and on the approaches to, the A1(M) Hatfield tunnel.These cameras allow immediate viewing of traffic flows, incidents and weather conditions. The information assists the police in setting warning signals, regulating and, if necessary, diverting traffic, and despatching emergency services by the quickest route.A small number of temporary cameras are used during major motorway maintenance works. Some cameras that form part of local authority urban traffic control schemes may overlook trunk roads.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport which individuals, or bodies, have submitted views to his Department on the relaxation of bus licensing.

Since my announcement on 14 February at column 115 a few organisations and individuals have submitted their views including the Bus and Coach Council, the PTE group, National Bus Company, and the Association of District Councils.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any British diplomats recently entering or leaving Nigeria have had their luggage searched; and if he will make a statement.

Rather than wait until the currency changeover in Nigeria was complete, one member of the diplomatic staff of our High Commission in Lagos agreed to a search of his baggage. We have made it clear to the Nigerian Government that we look to them to respect the provisions of the Vienna convention whereby the personal baggage of a diplomat shall be exempt from inspection unless there are serious grounds for presuming that it contains prohibited articles.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if household pets, the property of Foreign Office personnel, are transported at Government expense when such personnel are recalled or transferred.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) for how long the eastern Mediterranean relay station of the world service of the British Broadcasting Corporation has not been operating;

The British east Mediterranean relay station carries medium-wave transmissions of the Arabic service and world service to the near east and north Africa; also, short-wave transmissions in a number of languages to the middle east, the southern USSR and north and east Africa.The normal operation of the BEMRS has been affected because of industrial action taken by locally engaged Greek Cypriot staff in pursuance of a pay claim. So far, the medium-wave service remains unaffected. The shortwave service at BEMRS ceased operation on 11 April 1984, but some services have been replaced by transmissions from other BBC transmitting stations.We wish to see normal relay operations resumed as soon as possible. To this end, we are continuing negotiations through the good offices of the Cyprus Ministry of Labour Mediation Service, in an attempt to find an acceptable formula to settle the dispute in accordance with Her Majesty's Government's good local employer principle to pay wages and maintain conditions of service which are generally , equivalent to those obtaining in similar employment in the Republic of Cyprus.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any countries other than Libya have national delegations which the United Kingdom recognises for diplomatic purposes but whose principal members are not properly accredited diplomats.

No. The diplomatic missions of other countries represented in London are designated as high commissions or embassies as appropriate. The only members of staff enjoying diplomatic status are those notified to us in accordance with the provisions of the Vienna convention. This was also the case with the former Libyan people's bureau.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will introduce legislation providing for a 35-hour week with no loss of pay; and if he will make a statement.

No. Conditions of employment are a matter for the parties concerned. However, both employers and employees may certainly wish to bear in mind the effect of wage costs on jobs. If those in work take more pay per hour without greater productivity the goods and services they produce will be less competitive and imperil their jobs. Unit wage costs in manufacturing industry have recently been increasing in this country and decreasing in the USA, West Germany and Japan—our major competitors. If the profits earned by greater productivity are spent exclusively on increasing pay the opportunity for expansion and job creation will be lost.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how workers, who are organised in unions and professional bodies which are not affiliated to the Trades Union Congress are able to obtain representation to the International Labour Organisation;(2) whether the Government require that any person, nominated by Her Majesty's Government to participate in the delegation of workers to the International Labour Organisation, should belong to a union affiliated to the Trades Union Congress.

Representation by organisations of employers and workers at meetings of the International Labour Organisation is determined by article 3(5) of the ILO constitution which states that:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many establishments inspected by the Wages Inspectorate were found to have underpaid workers; and how many workers were involved in 1983 in the north-west (west) division.

In 1983, 865 establishments inspected in the north-west (west) division of the Wages Inspectorate were found to have underpaid 1,945 workers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest available figures for the number of (i) single parents and (ii) women with children on (a) a training opportunities course, and (b) a youth training scheme course.

The information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of women with children who attend a training opportunities course currently find employment at the end of the course.

The information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the figures for notified redundancies under section 100 of the Employment Protection Act 1975 in Scotland for the months of January and February 1983 and for March and April 1984.

The number of proposed redundancies in Scotland notified to my Department under section 100 of the Employment Protection Act 1975 in the months specified is as follows:

	Establishments	Employees
1983
January	119	9,722
February	126	7,034
1984
March	84	3,639
April	67	3,772

These figures are for redundancies involving 10 or more employees.Some notified redundancies do not in fact take place because of changes in circumstances during the advance warning period: there is no statutory requirement to notify subsequent withdrawals.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of trainees of (a) Asian origin, (b) West Indian origin and (c) whites are on youth training schemes mode A schemes, mode B1 schemes and mode B2 schemes nationally and in west Yorkshire.

Information is not available in the form requested. Between April 1983 and March 1984, the breakdown of entrants to the youth training scheme by ethnic origin and by training mode was as follows:

	Mode A per cent.	Mode B1 per cent.	Mode B2 per cent.
Entrants in Great Britain*
Asain	1·2	1·4	2·8
African/westIndian	2·1	3·2	4·1
White/European	95·5	92·8	90·6
other	1·2	2·6	2·5
Entrants in Yorkshire/Humberside*
Asain	1·1	2·4	3·3
African/west Indian	1·2	2·8	1·8
White/European	97·2	93·0	89·5
other	0·5	1·8	5·4
* Entrants figures exclude those for construction industry training board schemes, which are not classified by ethnic group.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average number of hours worked per week by teachers including time spent preparing and marking; what is the average number of periods (a) spent teaching each week and (b) free; and what is the average length of teachers' holidays.

The length of the timetabled school work is not prescribed, nor is detailed information on practice collected by the Department. A typical primary timetable might involve 25 hours, excluding midday and other breaks and after-school activities. A typical secondary week would be a little longer, perhaps 27 hours. The length and number of periods in those timetabled weeks will vary from school to school: information is not collected centrally. Primary school teachers (including head teachers) teach on average for some 90 per cent. of the timetabled week; for secondary the figure is about 80 per cent. Information is not immediately available on teachers' out-of-term activities but schools are required to open for a minimum of 190 days a year, giving a maximum of 14 weeks' holiday.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will estimate the additional cost in education expenditure of the 4·5 per cent. wage offer to teachers;(2) what would be the cost of a 7 per cent. pay rise for teachers.

A 4·5 per cent. increase in the basic salary of the school teachers now employed in the maintained sector would cost about £186 million a year; a 7 per cent. increase would cost about £289 million a year. Since local education authorities have already settled their budgets for 1984–85, the number of teachers who can be employed in the future will be affected by the level of this year's pay increase.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average salary of (a) a teacher aged 23 years with 12 months' service and (b) teachers with five, 10 and 15 years' service, respectively.

Estimates of average salaries of teachers either at a specific age or by length of teaching service for past periods could be given only at disproportionate cost. Average salaries including allowances of full-time teachers in maintained nurserys primary and secondary schools in England and Wales, based on salary rates effective from 1 April 1983, are estimated to be as follows:

	£
teachers aged under 25	6,500
teachers 25–29	7,300
teachers 30–34	8,900
teachers 35–39	9,700

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment of student travel awards has recently been presented to him by he National Union of Students; whether he is making any response; and if he will make a statement.

The president of the NUS wrote on 27 April informing me of the views expressed at the recent NUS ordinary conference. I will send the hon. Member a copy of my reply when it issues.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the names of organisations in receipt of grants for research purposes, the sums involved in each case and the purpose of the research in question in the most recent convenient number of years; and if he will make a statement.

This information is published annually by the Department in "List 1: Current Educational Research Projects supported by the Department of Education and Science". Copies of List 1 for the years 1980 to 1984 inclusive are in the Library.Ministers assess priorities for educational research by reference to the costs and to the extent to which the findings can be expected:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools have installed lifts in order to accommodate physically handicapped children; and how many have sought to do so but have been unable to secure the necessary funds.

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children in special schools suffer from each of the following disabilities: deafness, blindness, partial sight, epilepsy, physical handicap, and mental handicap.

There were 117,646-handicapped children receiving full-time education in maintained and non-maintained special schools in England in January 1983. The breakdown of this total into major type of handicap is:—

	Number
Deaf	2,723
Partially hearing	1,212
Blind	996
Partially sighted	1,674
Epileptic	1,447
Physically handicapped	11,132
Mentally handicapped	79,239
Other	19,223
TOTAL	117,646

A further 1,054 handicapped children received part-time education in maintained and non-maintained special schools but information about their disabilities is not collected.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what avenues for communications and co-operation have been established between employees in and institutions of special education and mainstream education.

As my right hon. Friend said in his speech to the National Council for Special Education at Bristol last year, contact and co-operation of this kind can most effectively be organised by the institutions themselves and the local education authorities. The Department does not require local education authorities to report on what steps they are taking, and does not collect information centrally about developments of this sort.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what estimate he makes of the extent of the use of National Health Service facilities for private patients for which no payment or an under-payment is made; and if he will undertake a national inquiry to establish accurately the extent or manner in which the National Health Service is not fully reimbursed for use of its premises, equipment and staff for purposes of treating private patients, especially in the light of the north Birmingham revelations;(2) if he is satisfied with the monitoring of use of National Health Service facilities for private patients on the question of full subsequent repayments; and what steps he proposes to take to improve this monitoring system in the light of its breakdown as indicated by the north Birmingham district health authority revelations;(3) if he will set up a public committee of inquiry into revelations from the north Birmingham district health authority that sums of around £100,000 have been appropriated by consultants working in the National Health Service at the Good Hope hospital as a result of private treatment of cancer patients with National Health Service facilities for which no payment was made to the National Health Service.

I regard it as important to ensure that the arrangements for managing private practice in the NHS are operating effectively. Comprehensive and detailed guidance on this subject, including the collection of charges, has been given to health authorities on several recent occasions and they have been asked to bring it to the attention of all staff involved in the reception, admission and treatment of private patients.I have now arranged for the Department's statutory auditors to examine the handling of private patients' charges in hospitals and I shall consider in the light of their findings whether action is needed.Alleged irregularities in the handling of private patients' charges at Good Hope hospital, Sutton Coldfield, are being investigated by the police, the Inland Revenue and my Department. The Director of Public Prosecutions is being kept informed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the instances since 1974 when the Government, in accordance with the remuneration agreement with pharmacists, has underpaid to compensate for previous over-payment.

We have never adjusted the remuneration of pharmacists. However pharmacists' remuneration is on a cost-plus basis and in calculating the reimbursement of costs for any given year, account is taken of actual payments made in prior years.In calculating costs, retail pharmacists are reimbursed the wholesale cost of drugs and appliances less an agreed graduated discount. This discount scale is adjusted from time to time to reflect increases and decreases in the amounts of discount which have been enjoyed by retail pharmacists.It has not been necessary in the period since 1974 to recover overpayments as such.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what measures he proposes to take to avoid the build-up in future of large over- or under-payments in the remuneration of pharmacists;(2) whether he has now started negotiations with the pharmaceutical services negotiating committee for a new contract for remunerating community pharmacists.

One of the Government's major aims in the forthcoming negotiations on the new contract will be to reduce the risk of excessive build-up of over- and under-payments due to pharmacists. We shall be making proposals intended to secure that objective. I am ready for negotiations to begin as soon as possible. I understand that the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee will be seeking endorsement to its proposals for a new contract at a conference of local pharmaceutical committees on June 10. I expect formal negotiations to begin shortly after that date.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the percentage of women workers employed in the (a) laundry, (b) catering and (c) cleaning services of the National Health Services.

The percentage of women workers employed in the laundry, catering and domestic services of the National Health Service is 80,77, and 95 per cent. respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many non-contributory invalidity pension recipients do not qualify for mobility allowance and attendance allowance.

No figures are available for mobility allowance, but it is estimated that around 25 per cent. of the 145,000 receiving non-contributory invalidity pension also receive attendance allowance.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of the 50,000 women who are presently entitled to housewives' non-contributory invalidity pension do not qualify for mobility allowance or attendance allowance.

Precise figures are not available but we estimate about a half.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of the 240,000 married women presently excluded from claiming housewives' noncontributory invalidity pension will be able to claim the new severe disablement allowance without having to pass the 80 per cent. disablement test as they will benefit from the passporting arrangements he has announced.

Precise figures are not available hut, based on the estimated proportion of those receiving housewives non-contributory invalidity pension who also receive attendance allowance or mobility allowance, it is estimated that about a half of the 20,000 married women expected to newly qualify for severe disablement allowance once the benefit is fully phased in will be able to do so by virtue of the passporting arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now seek to amend the Industrial Injuries Act 1948, with a view to increasing the 55p per week payments to widows of pneumoconiosis sufferers; and if he wil; make a statement.

We have no plans to reverse the consistent policy of all Governments over the last 17 years by increasing the 55p preference for industrial widows. The White Paper "Reform of the Industrial Injuries Scheme" (Cmnd. 8402) proposed that the preference should be abolished in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of one-parent families receiving supplementary benefit, where the parent is (a) on a training opportunities course and (b) on a youth training scheme course.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many supplementary benefit recipients are (a) on a training opportunities course and (b) on a youth training scheme course.

Information is not available in the form requested. However, from information obtained in a sample survey in December 1982 it is estimated that there were then about 3,000 supplementary benefit recipients who were also receiving a Government training allowance. It is not known how many supplementary benefit recipients are on youth training scheme courses but there will be relatively few because in most cases the YTS training allowance exceeds the supplementary benefit entitlement of a 16 or 17-year-old.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information is available to him as to the numbers of United Kingdom citizens requiring medical treatment while visiting other European Economic Community countries who have, and who have not, made advance arrangements for this contingency by completing form E111; what steps are taken to facilitate this procedure; and if he will make a statement.

As far as those in possession of form E111 are concerned I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him on 8 May.The Community's Social Security Regulations Numbers (EEC) 1408/71 and (EEC) 574/72, under which the reciprocal health care arrangements are made, provide that, where required, the certificate of entitlement (E111) should be produced at the time treatment is sought, to the insurance body of the member state concerned. However, there is also provision for the certificates exceptionally to be issued, and for medical expenses incurred to be reimbursed, retrospectively, in the case of a person who has not obtained an El11 in advance. In 1983 our Department processed 6,391 retrospective applications for reimbursement. The arrangements for obtaining reimbursement retrospectively are set out on page 10 of DHSS leaflet SA36, a copy of which is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is satisfied with access for disabled children integrated into mainstream schools to specialised services such as physiotherapy and speech therapy.

In assessing children's special educational needs, it is the duty of local education authorities to obtain medical advice from the district health authority and to specify any non-educational provision, including health care which the children need and which they are satisfied will be made by that authority. I understand that the recommendations for specialised health services are likely to increase as a result of multi-professional assessments carried out under the Education Act 1981. However, it is recognised that full implementation of the Act will be a gradual process and that progressive improvements and changes in provision will need to take place over a period of time.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what proportion of applicants during the period of trial of the postal declaration forms for civil legal aid in each of the following groups were assessed as financially ineligible for legal aid (a) those who declared their means on the postal forms and (b) those assessed at an interview;(2) what proportion of applicants in each of the following groups during the period of trial of the postal declaration forms for civil legal aid were assessed to pay nil contribution

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of applicants for civil legal aid request an interview in preference to completing the postal form.

This information is not available. From 2 April, when the postal declaration form was introduced, the number of interviews will be recorded as a proportion of the number of applications for legal aid.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of applicants for civil legal aid now attend an assessment office for an interview in relation to their means assessment.

The postal declaration form was introduced on 2 April and statistics are not yet available on the number of applicants interviewed since that date. All self employed applicants continue to be interviewed and they represent about 10 per cent. of the total.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many posts in his Department will be lost as a result of the introduction of the postal declaration form for civil legal aid assessment.

Since the introduction of postal declaration forms, for non self employed cases, the complement allocated nationally to legal aid work has been reduced by 18 posts in legal aid assessment offices and by 116 posts in other DHSS offices responsible for interviewing applicants.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consultations were carried out with legal aid assessment officers before the introduction of the postal declaration forms.

The staff of all 12 legal aid assessment offices were actively involved at the stages prior to the introduction of the forms in April.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if postal declaration forms for civil legal aid are dealt with by legal aid assessment officers only.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has decided to adopt the recommendations of the Rayner scrutiny on legal aid assessment.

The report is still under active consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the past, current and future arrangements to ensure compliance with section 22 of the Legal Aid Act 1974 as far as they affect his Department.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claims for repayment of money wrongly deducted from supplementary benefit on grounds of voluntary unemployment have been received by local officers of his Department in south Manchester as a result of the advertising campaign in March 1984; how many payments have resulted from these claims; and how many such payments had been made prior to the advertising campaign as a result of the check of current files and the publicity for dormant cases, respectively.

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

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is now in a position to announce the name of the new chairman of the Property Services Agency.

The new chief executive of the Property Services Agency is Mr. A. G. Manzie formerly a deputy-secretary in the Department of Trade and Industry, who took up his appointment on 1 May.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide for higher targets and grant-related assessments for services currently provided by the Greater London council, in the event of its abolition, on transfer to the London boroughs.

Yes. The boroughs' targets and GREs will need to be increased as a result of abolition.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a full list of London organisations who have responded to Cmnd. 9063; and if he will prepare a separate analysis of their responses.

No. It would be disproportionately costly to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what request he has received to meet the Association of British Chambers of Commerce to discuss aspects of Cmnd. 9063.

In submitting its comments on the White Paper, the association asked for a meeting which I intend to hold shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date his Department received a copy of the second report of Coopers and Lybrand on the costs involved in abolishing the metropolitan counties and the Greater London council.

On 22 February.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has had any meetings with any organisations that submitted a response to Cmnd. 9063 in order to discuss with them the issues raised in such responses.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements he proposes to make to meet the needs of those members of the staffs of the Greater London council and the metropolitan authorities who will be made redundant after the abolition of their employing authorities.

Chapter 4 of the White Paper "Streamlining the Cities", Cmnd. 9063 sets out our general approach. Before reaching final decisions we wish to discuss them with the unions who will be directly concerned. My right hon. Friend has recently renewed his longstanding invitation to staff representatives to discuss these matters. I hope they will quickly take up his invitation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met officials of the British Olympic Association to discuss the 1984 Olympics.

I last met officials of the British Olympic Association formally on 23 February; and saw the Chairman again earlier today to discuss yesterday's statement by the Soviet national olympic committee,

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will issue his consultation document on a general domestic rating revaluation, referred to in the White Paper "Rates" Cmnd. 9008.

My right hon. Friend expects to issue the consultation paper on a domestic rating revaluation shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local housing authorities are proposing to transfer surpluses from their housing revenue accounts to their general rate funds in 1984–85.

Based on 1984–85 budget returns received so far 89 local authorities are planning to make net transfers from their housing revenue accounts to their general rate funds.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about housing investment programme allocations for the Stockport and Tameside metropolitan borough council.

I have had a meeting with my hon. Friends the Members for Stockport (Mr. Favell), Cheadle (Mr. Normanton) and Hazel Grove (Mr. Arnold) about the allocation to Stockport metropolitan borough council. There have been no recent representations about the allocation to Tameside.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make additional resources available for the clearance and development of derelict land in the Northern region; and if he will make a statement.

The resources for derelict land reclamation in 1984–85 have already been fully allocated region by region.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate how many houses and flats in the ownership of local authorities have been unoccupied for a period of one year or longer.

The most recent figures for vacant dwellings in England are based on local authorities' housing investment programme submissions last year. These indicated that 22,700 dwellings owned by local authorities had been empty for one year or longer at 1 April 1983.My right hon. Friend views these figures with concern. The Department is therefore about to embark on meetings with the 30 local authorities most concerned to explore in depth the reasons, and to find ways of minimising, the problem in the future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the main policy achievements of his Department since May 1979.

I have today placed in the Library copies of a report which brings together accounts of the various measures taken by my Department between April 1983 and the start of May 1984. This report supplements the earlier document covering the period May 1979 to April 1983 which was provided pursuant to my predecessor's reply to my hon. Friend of 3 May 1983 at column 24.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list separately for each of the years 1981–82, 1982–83 and 1983–84 (a) the local authorities whose total expenditure did not exceed the grant-related expenditure assessment and (b) those not exceeding their spending target.

I have today placed in the Library lists of local authorities which, on the basis of the latest available information:

(1) did not exceed their grant related expenditure assessment (GRE) in 1981–82.

(2) after disregards did not exceed their spending target in 1981–82.

(3) did not exceed their GRE in 1982–83.

(4) after disregards did not exceed their target in 1982–83.

(5) did not exceed their GRE in 1983–84.

(6) after disregards did not exceed their target in 1983–84.

In 1981–82, targets were related to current expenditure at November 1980 prices, rather than total expenditure, and this has been taken into account in the analysis.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has yet replaced the Ministry of Housing and Local Government Circular 5/68, "The Use of Conditions in Planning Permissions"; if he will publish a synopsis of the revised circular in the Official Report, indicating what steps he proposes to take to ensure that local authorities abide by it; and if he will make a statement.

We have received a large number of helpful responses to our consultation letter on a draft replacement for circular 5/68. We are now considering those responses, and are discussing them as necessary with interested parties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether Her Majesty's Government will offer financial support to allow the paraplegic olympics to be held in the United Kingdom.

Government assistance to sport is provided through the Sports Council. The council has offered £20,000 towards the cost of the seventh wheelchair games which are to be held at Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire from 23 July to 4 August.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether any farmers or landowners on Halvergate marshes have agreed to receive payments of compensation under the Wildlife and Countryside Act to retain their land for marsh grazing.

The Nature Conservancy Council has an agreement with one landowner in the Halvergate area and three landowners in that area have indicated their willingness to make agreements with the Broads Authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many appeals were made to him under the Town and Country Planning Acts in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many appeals he upheld in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, South (Mr. Sumberg) on 7 March at c. 846. In 1983, 13,699 appeals were received by my Department and 11,221 were determined, of these 3,633 were allowed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions he awarded costs against the planning authority and the applicant, respectively, in planning appeals determined by him or his inspectors during the last 12 months for which figures are available.

During 1983 I made 51 awards of costs against local planning authorities and 18 awards against appellants. Some of the appeals concerned were determined before the beginning of 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will initiate an inquiry into the recent deaths of hospital staff who have died as a consequence of legionnaires disease.

No. The investigation undertaken by the Greater Glasgow health board has not demonstrated any need for an enquiry but the Health Board will continue to monitor the position.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to support farmers' organisations in representations to the European Commission on the import of soft fruit from third countries; when he anticipates consequential action by the Commission; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend with his agricultural colleagues has made representations to the European Commission requesting action on imports to the Community of semi-processed soft fruit pulp. The Commission are discussing prices of imports with the authorities of Poland which is the principle source of supply and it is anticipated that an agreement will shortly be reached that Community price levels will be respected. A similar agreement last year resulted in a significant reduction in imports of both raspberry and strawberry pulp.

asked the Secretay of State for Scotland what was the total cost of the agricultural building constructed for his Department on land then owned by his department at Stove, Sanday, Orkney, in or about 1980–81.

A new steading range was provided for the leasehold farm of No. 9 Stove, Sanday, Orkney in 1976–77 at a total cost of £66,000. This holding was sold to the sitting tenant with entry at 30 September 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has decided the amount of fee remission grant to allocate to schools participating in the assisted places scheme in respect of session 1984–85.

The allocations of fee remission grant for 1984–85 are shown in the table. As in 1983–84, 42 schools will participate.

School	£
Dollar Academy	55,000
Kilquhanity House	18,000
St. Leonards	32,000
Albyn School for Girls	13,000
Robert Gordon's College	57,000
Gordonstoun	50,000
St. Margaret's School for Girls, Aberdeen	13,000
Fort Augustus Abbey	75,000
Merchant Company Schools	600,000
Edinburgh Academy	57,000
Fettes	55,000
George Heriot's	237,000
Loretto	44,000
Merchiston Castle	85,000
Rudolf Steiner	57,000
St. Denis & Cranley	25,000
St. George's	13,000
St. Margaret's Convent	16,000
St. Margaret's (Newington)	62,000
Belmont House	7,000
Craigholme	28,000
Fernhill	30,000
Glasgow Academy	52,000
High School of Glasgow	65,000
Hutchesons' Grammar	115,000
Keil	80,000
Kelvinside Academy	85,000
West of Scotland School Company	305,000
Lomond	45,000
St. Aloysius College	133,000
Wellington	24,000
Convent of the Sacred Heart	35,000
High School of Dundee	185,000
Morrison's Academy	170,000
Rannoch	40,000
Strathallan	52,000
Glenalmond College	85,000
Total	3,100,,000

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the main policy achievements of his Department since May 1979.

A full description of our policy achievements in the field of defence is provided in the annual "Statement on the Defence Estimates". The 1984 statement will be published next Monday, 14 May. The principal individual achievements include the following:

(a) We have sustained our role within NATO and our contribution to both the conventional and nuclear forces of the Alliance, which has now preserved peace in Europe for 35 years.

(b) In concert with our Allies we have proceeded with the modernisation of the NATO's intermediate range nuclear forces, including the first deployments of cruise missiles in the United Kingdom, following the Soviet Union's failure to accept measures of arms control which would have made this unnecessary. We have also joined in Alliance decisions on shorter-range theatre nuclear forces that will lead to cuts of one-third in the number of nuclear warheads deployed by the Alliance in Europe.

(c) We have increased defence spending in real terms in every year for the last five years. By 1985–86 our defence spending will be 20 per cent. higher than in 1978–79, excluding Falklands additions.

(d) We have instituted programmes significantly to enhance the capabilities of our Armed Forces in each of the four principal roles we perform within the Alliance. We have decided upon the replacement of our Polaris strategic nuclear deterrent system with the Trident missile system in the 1990s. We are strengthening the United Kingdom's own defences through such improvements as the introduction of Nimrod AEW and the Tornado F2, enhanced mine countermeasure capabilities and the strengthening of ground forces. The combat effectiveness of BAOR has been increased by the reorganisation of 1(BR) Corps, and the introduction of such new equipments as the Challenger tank. The RAF's strike/attack capability has been enhanced by the formation of Tornado GR1 squadrons in the United Kingdom and in Germany. The resources we have devoted to the conventional navy (more in real terms was spent on the construction of new ships and their weapon systems in 1982–83 than in any of the previous 20 years) are reflected in both the Royal Navy's increasing capabilities and the shipbuilding programme, including new air-capable ships and the latest generation of ASW frigates.

(e) We have, through such measures as the creation of 5 Airborne Brigade and a new Joint Force Headquarters, and improvements to our air-lift and tanker capabilities, enhanced the ability of our forces with a primary role in NATO to act beyond the Alliance area.

(f) We have embarked upon a comprehensive programme to strengthen our reserve forces, including the expansion of the Territorial Army to 86,000 by the end of the decade and the creation of a Home Service Force.

(g) We have introduced a Management Information System for Ministers and top management (MINIS) and brought forward outline proposals which are now being developed for a reorganisation of defence management. The central aim is to maximise the output achieved from the Defence budget, and to concentrate resources to the greatest extent possible on the Armed Forces' front-line capabilities.

(h) We have restored and maintained the comparability of service men's pay with that of their civilian counterparts. We have reduced the United Kingdom-based civilian staff of the MOD by nearly 20 per cent. since 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what areas in Scotland are designated, for Royal Air Force training purposes, as low-flying areas; and which areas are designated ultra-low flying areas.

All areas of Scotland may be used for low-flying training, subject to the normal restrictions. Special tactical training, including some flying below the normal height limits, is carried out over the most sparsely populated areas of the United Kingdom, including, in Scotland, parts of the north-west and the borders areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any radioactive material and equipment is still deposited in South Australia in consequence of the nuclear weapons tests carried out by the United Kingdom Government.

Some radioactive material and equipment arising from the United Kingdom nuclear weapons tests remains in South Australia. The situation which applied at the time the Maralinga range was reliquished by agreement with the Australian Government in 1968 is recorded in the Pearce report, an edited version of which was published in Australia by the Department of National Development in May 1979. Approximately ½ kilogram of plutonium was repatriated in 1979 in a joint United Kingdom/Australian operation.