asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether it was with his authority that Lord Lewin has made statements about the sonar stalk by HMS Conqueror of the General Belgrano

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence to whom the Vulcan bombers recently disposed of by his Department were sold; what price was received for them; and whether they were still airworthy.

Surplus Vulcan aircraft were sold to spares recoverers and aircraft preservationists. To retain the commercial-in-confidence nature of sales, individual buyers and prices are not disclosed. Prices varied from aircraft to aircraft. In all, the Department sold 42 aircraft for a total of £69,574.Aircraft were not capable of flight at the time of release to the customer.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the plans for the rest of the garrison when the Royal Air Force move from Port Stanley airfield to the new airfield at Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands.

The new airfield is of key developmental importance for the Falkland Islands, as the Shackleton report made clear. When it is completed, we propose that the garrison should be concentrated at the Mount Pleasant site, which would then provide essential infrastructure and communications facilities together with improved standards of living and working accommodation for the troops. This concentration is in the interests of economy and will allow us to release the coastals and a number of other ships currently chartered for various purposes. PSA is seeking prices for the construction work. I shall make a further anouncement about the likely cost of the work when sufficient information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence by whom the 54 Brewster houses constructed in Port Stanley on the Falkland Islands are currently occupied in terms of military or official rank or position.

I have been asked to reply.Houses are allocated by the Falkland Islands Government Housing Committee.28 houses are currently occupied, I understand, as follows:Expatriate employees of the Falkland Islands Government—12

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will issue further guidance to service men as to their rights and opportunities in housing.

A new guide called "Housing—a guide for Servicemen and Servicewomen" is being published by the Ministry of Defence today. A total of 400,000 copies have been printed and will be distributed to every service man and service woman in each of the three services. The guide describes the various service and local authority schemes for helping those who want to buy their homes, how service men can best let their homes whilst overseas, the improvement grant system, and the possibilities for renting after they leave the services. The guide also sets out the various changes in housing legislation that the Government have made since 1979 specifically to help those in the services. I believe that the guide will be of material help to service men and it will be regularly updated.

asked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the arts, in respect of the members of what bodies the trustees of the National Maritime museum have given instructions for free admission to the museum to be accorded, additional to those referred to in his written answer on 10 April to the hon. Member for Warley, East, Official Report, column 162.

I understand that the trustees of the National Maritime museum have now extended the list of those admitted free of charge to include the following additional categories:disabled people in wheelchairs together with the person accompanying them;members of the National Art Collections Fund;members of the Society of Nautical Research;members of the Maritime Trust;members of the International Conference of Museums.

0asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will list the main policy achievements of the Management and Personnel Office since May 1979.

The Management and Personnel Office was set up in 1981, taking over the former Civil Service Department's responsibilities for the organisation, efficiency and personnel management of the Civil Service. We have made substantial progress in ensuring that those working in the service give the taxpayer better value for money. The main achievements are:—in association with Lord Rayner, and now Sir Robin Ibbs, over 150 Departmental scrutinies and nine multi-departmental reviews have been carried out, leading to agreement on specific efficiency improvements producing savings and extra income of £327 million per year;—the launch in 1982, jointly with the Treasury, of a major initiative in financial management. Progress in Departments was reported in the White Paper "Financial Management in Government Departments" (Cmnd. 9058); a further White Paper will be published this summer;—substantial progress with a personnel management action programme, launched last year, complementing other efficiency and management initiatives by defining more clearly line managers' responsibilities for personnel matters, and to ensure that individual performance is assessed against objectives and high achievement recognised;—that 48,000 different forms have been reviewed in the last two years, 9,000 of them abolished and over £4 million saved;—the issue of efficiency studies and management guidance on controlling costs of common services such as messengers, posts and telephones, stores and training, yielding savings of over £21 million a year;—the expansion and improvement of management training at the Civil Service college, particularly training in financial management and information technology;—improved efficiency in recruitment which has enabled the Civil Service Commission to meet increased demand and a higher volume of applications with a reduced number of staff (for example 417 applications per member of staff were dealt with in 1983, compared with 275 in 1978).

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 10 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 May.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.

asked the Prime Minister when the Argentine oiler auxiliary referred to in her letter of 4 April to the right hon. Member for Llanelli (Mr. Davis) was first detected by HMS Conqueror; and if she will make a statement.

30 April 1982.

asked the Prime Minister what is the annualised rate of inflation as based on the rise in prices over the past three months.

The annualised rate of inflation based on the rise in the retail price index over the three months to March 1984 was 2· per cent.

asked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit Liverpool.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister on what dates any briefing was given to the press by the relevant Government Departments on the Government reply to the first report of the Treasury and Civil Service Committee on the head of the Government accounting service.

The press was not given any briefing on the contents of the Government response before its publication on 3 May by the Treasury and Civil Service Committee. Press inquiries between 28 February, when the second report from the Treasury and Civil Service Committee was published, and 3 May were referred to the evidence given to the Select Committee and published on 28 February.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has decided on the percentage of the national milk productivity quota to keep back for hardship cases and on the method of allocation to hardship cases and their right of appeal.

Two and a half per cent. of the United Kingdom guaranteed quantity has been reserved for special cases. Discussions with the industry about hardship cases and appeal procedures are currently taking place urgently and the EC will discuss these matters again at its meeting on 10 May.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which European Economic Community countries are introducing aid schemes for dairy farmers as a result of the new milk production quotas.

Our information is that only the Federal Republic of Germany has announced firm plans to implement an aid scheme for dairy farmers under the provision of article 4 of Council regulation 857/84.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Council of Agriculture Ministers' meeting held on 7 and 8 May.

Together with my hon. Friend the Minister of State, I represented the United Kingdom at the meeting of the Council of Agriculture Ministers on 7–8 May.The Council discussed again access for New Zealand butter for 1984 and beyond. All member states except the Irish Republic were prepared to accept the Commission proposals for a five-year arrangement with fixed quantities on a gradually degressive basis. I emphasised the importance to New Zealand of a reasonable period of stability and made it clear that I was not prepared to endorse a compromise which fell short of what the New Zealand Government would find acceptable. The Commission will be having further negotiations with New Zealand and the Council will return to the issue in July. Meanwhile, access for New Zealand has been ensured by another two-month roll-over of the arrangement on the basis proposed by the Commission. The Council also decided to extend sheepmeat sensitive area arrangements for certain other non-member states.The Council had a wide ranging discussion on some aspects of the Commission's proposed new structures programme. My hon. Friend expressed great concern at the massive increase in the estimated cost of this new programme compared to the existing programme and emphasised the need for decisions on structures to take account of the financial resources available. He also emphasised the importance of making a clear commitment to the need to safeguard the environment when improving agricultural structures through this programme; that in our view there should be some quantifiable objective for income and profitability improvement in farm plans financed under the scheme; and our support for the principle that the structures policy must have regard to the need for restraint of production of commodities already in or likely to become in surplus.The Commissioner made a statement about the serious situation confronting the Community in the wine sector where the budget provision for 1984 has already been overspent. The Commission was not prepared to come forward with new proposals against this background. The Management Committee is to examine the reasons for the serious under-estimates of production. My hon. Friend expressed our great concern at the inaccuracies in data and in forecasting about which we had earlier warned and the substantial over-spending to which this was giving rise, and fully supported the need for an inquiry before any further policy decisions were taken.The Council adopted general rules on production aids for processed fruit and vegetables by qualified majority vote—with Italy and Greece voting against.There was agreement on the need to strengthen control measures on swine fever and the Council expressed the hope of having new arrangements in operation by 1 July.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the speed of removal of elm trees by Stockport metropolitan borough which are affected by Dutch elm disease; and how the rate of removal is affecting the spread of the disease to the elm trees which remain unaffected in the north of England.

The rate at which the metropolitan borough of Stockport has been felling diseased elm has been broadly keeping pace with the spread of disease there. The rate of removal of such trees in the borough is unlikely to have any discernable effect on the further spread of the disease in the north of England.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what is the position of farmhouse cheesemakers under the new milk quotas; what is the position of producer retailers under the new milk quotas.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how milk producer-retailers in England will be affected by the new arrangements in the dairy industry for milk quotas; and if he will make a statement.

Farmhouse cheesemakers and producer-retailers are subject to the supplementary levy arrangements. There remains some uncertainty about the allocation for direct sales which I have asked the Agriculture Commissioner to resolve urgently. At the same time we are considering urgently with the industry how they should be applied to district sales so that we can announce details as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he will give details of the cases where grant-aid has been paid to owners or occupiers of land in national parks to carry our activities recognised by national park authorities as damaging to the special interest of the site since 1970 by listing the name of the site, the amount of grant-aid, the nature of the damaging operation and the amount of land affected;(2)whether he will give details of the cases where grant-aid has been paid to owners or occupiers of sites of special scientific interest to carry out activities recognised by the Nature Conservancy Council as damaging to the special interest of the site since 1970 by listing the name of the site, the amount of grant-aid paid, the nature of the damaging operation and the amount of land affected.

It is a long standing Ministry policy not to give details of individual capital grant cases unless the farmer concerned consents. I regret, therefore, that I cannot add to the reply I gave my hon. Friend yesterday.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will consider introducing a scheme of assistance for British dairy farmers similar to the one currently being introduced by the Federal Republic of Germany.

In England and Wales special cases will be assisted from a reserve quota which has been established by setting aside 2½per cent. of the England and Wales share of the United Kingdom quota. Additional quota could be made available by the reallocation of unused quota. We shall be considering with the various interests what provision for quota reallocations would be suitable in our circumstances.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is in a position to make a statement about the introduction of legislation on pesticide safety.

The Government have decided to give statutory force as soon as practicable to arrangements for ensuring the safe and efficient use of pesticides: meanwhile the present arrangements will continue.

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

For details of progress made between May 1979 and May 1983 I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 28 April 1983 at columns 406–410. Progress made in implementing the Government's policies for Wales since May 1983 is summarised as follows.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether any consideration is given by his Department to the number of persons on the waiting list for rented council accommodation in each district council area when the annual financial allocations for housing for each district in Wales is determined.

As I told the hon. Member for Swansea, East (Mr. Anderson) on 25 April, in column 492, waiting lists are not compiled by authorities in Wales on a uniform basis. They do not therefore provide an accurate indication of relative housing need.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales why it took until 30 April for his Department to answer the letter dated 29 March from the hon. Member for Caernarfon, concerning the condition of houses at Nlaes Barcer, Caernarfon, in view of the fact that a similar reply had been sent to Arfon borough council on 19 April.

The reply to Arfon borough council was dealt with by officials in the normal way. After the Easter recess, I wrote to the hon. Member for Caernarfon enclosing a copy of that reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been held in police and court cells for each night since 6 April.

The number of prisoners held overnight in police and court cells since 6–9 April is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will take steps to require shotgun certificates to specify the number, make and serial numbers of shotguns concerned; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will take steps to ensure that owners of shotguns should be subject to the same controls as the owners of other firearms; and if he will make a statement.

Although the controls on shotguns are less stringent than those on rifles and pistols, they are still extensive. Under the Firearms Act 1968 the chief officer of police must satisfy himself on a number of issues before granting a shotgun certificate. The main test is the applicant's character: some people are prohibited under the Act from possessing firearms of any kind — for example because of previous convictions, and others may be granted a certificate only if the chief officer is satisfied that they can be allowed to possess a shotgun without danger to the public safety or the peace. The maximum penalty for possessing a shotgun without a certificate or for not complying with a condition on a certificate is six months' imprisonment and a fine of £1,000. For selling a shotgun to a person without a certificate it is three years' imprisonment and a fine.We have no plans at present to place shotguns on the same footing under the law as rifles and revolvers or to require shotgun certificates to specify the information suggested. There are also practical difficulties connected with the latter: shotguns do not have unique serial numbers.We recognise that this is an area of widespread public concern and we shall continue to keep the law on shotguns and other firearms under close review. The Home Secretary has also announced plans to lengthen to life imprisonment the maximum penalty for carrying firearms, including shotguns, in the furtherance of crime.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any explanation has been given by the Libyan Government or their spokesman for the existence at the Libyan people's bureau of any of the guns or ammunition found there.

The Libyan Government have reportedly alleged that the firearms and ammunition found at the former Libyan people's bureau were planted there by the police. This is, of course, untrue.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what ig the incidence of people being apprehended, arrested or put into custody on suspicion or charge of drunken behaviour, which subsequently proves to be a symptom of mental handicap, mental illness or physical handicap.

Details of the circumstances of most offences are not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The available information is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables" (Vol. 1, Tables S1.1(A)-(E)). These tables include figures for court sentences for drunkenness and drink-driving offences and show, in particular, the numbers of people made subject of hospital and guardianship orders.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Libyan nationals have been allowed to enter the United Kingdom since 17 April.

Approximately three hundred, up to 4 May 1984, most of whom were returning from short visits abroad, and possessed re-entry visas issued before 17 April.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Libyan nationals have left the United Kingdom since the start of the incident at the Libyan people's bureau on 17 April.

Approximately 370 up to 4 May 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Libyan nationals have been resident in the United Kingdom in each of the years since 1974.

A reliable estimate of the number of Libyan nationals resident in the United Kingdom is not available. The 1981 census of population showed that 6,004 persons born in Libya were resident in Great Britain in early April 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he intends to take to commemorate WPC Yvonne Fletcher.

I understand that, in response to public feeling, a charity entitled the Police Memorial Trust has been established to commemorate police officers killed in the course of duty, and that it is the trustees' intention to organise and pay for the erection of a memorial to WPC Yvonne Fletcher and other police officers, including those who were victims of the Harrods bombing. I warmly welcome this initiative.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number of British citizens who travelled to France on day trips without a passport in each of the past five years.

The Home Office does not have information on which to base reliable estimates of British citizens making trips to France on no-passport excursion cards over the last five years. I understand, however, that the General Council of British Shipping estimates that 1·5 million people took advantage of these cards last year, most using them for trips to France.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the types of equipment available to the Metropolitan Police for the purpose of controlling street riots.

The Commissioner informs me that, in addition to equipment held for normal policing purposes, the Metropolitan Police hold stocks of the following public order equipment:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have made visits abroad in the past five years to observe or discuss policing methods; and what countries were visited.

The information is not recorded centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is now able to estimate the total weekly cost of policing the current dispute in the mining industry.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are now employed on duties associated with the current dispute in the mining industry; and what police areas are involved.

The number of officers deployed in England and Wales continues to vary from day to day. In the week 2 to 8 May inclusive, a maximum of some 4,500 officers on any one day was provided by chief officers to other forces having to conduct major operations related to the dispute. In addition, large numbers of officers continued to be deployed locally. All police forces in England and Wales have been involved in the policing of events related to the dispute, either locally or in the provision of aid to other forces.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he proposes to take with a view to introducing legislation to put the criminal injuries compensation scheme on a statutory basis.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have appointed an interdepartmental working party with the following terms of reference:

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will publish in the Official Report figures to show the average number of minutes per sitting day spent on the floor of the House on Scottish business for the Sessions 1980–81, 1981–82 and 1982–83.

The figures are as follows: 36 minutes per sitting day for Session 1980–81, 21 minutes per sitting day for Session 1981–82, 13 minutes per sitting day for Session 1982–83. These figures do not include daily Adjournment debates, statements, private notice questions, applications for debates under Standing Order No. 10 and Scottish elements of Consolidated Fund and holiday Adjournment debates, as it is frequently impossible to put such business firmly into the category of Scottish business.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide figures on an annual basis for the grants provided from (a) national and (b) EEC funds for airport development in respect of each United Kingdom airport which has received such grant.

The figures for the last four years are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he is satisfied that when Associated British Ports becomes a totally private company British Transport Police will continue to operate at ports under their control and ownership.

It is for Associated British Ports, whose parent company is now entirely privately owned, to adminster the statutory powers and obligations in respect of policing that it inherited from the former British Transport Docks Board.The extent to which the British Transport Police continue to provide those policing services is for them and Associated British Ports to decide.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has yet received the five banks' report on the Channel tunnel.

I hope to receive the report shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish in the Official Report, details of how many vehicle excise licence offences were detected in the period 1980 to 1083; and how many prosecutions were instituted for such offences during the same period.

The following is the information available:

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the net marginal social benefits per pound shown by the Glaister model of public transport costs and subsidies for each of the metropolitan county councils; and if he will make a statement.

There is no single definitive set of results, since figures for individual authorities would depend on the assumptions made about unit costs and about the speed with which they could be reduced.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has now considered the resource control review of Her Majesty's Coastguard; and if he will make a statement.

I have to-day placed a copy of the review, incorporating my response, in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport on what date he expects to make publicly available the report commissioned by his Department about the Al through Hampstead garden suburb; and if he will make a statement.

Copies of the Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick report of 1975 will be available from my Department this Thursday, 10 May. I am also placing copies in the library of the House. My object in publishing this report is to remove once and for all misapprehensions about its contents and their relevance to proposals for Archway road. The case for new measures to handle traffic at Archway does not and never has rested on alternative new schemes to the north. It rests on the conditions that exist there now. By the time the report was completed, the assumptions on which the consultant's examination of a large number of major alternative new routes through the environmentally sensitive area of Hampstead garden suburb was based, were obsolete and unacceptable. My predecessors therefore did not publish it, bearing in mind that it might cause quite unnecessary alarm and misapprehension over a wide area.However, many years have now passed and I believe that risk is now much less. Given continuing speculation about its contents and the Department's intentions, I have concluded that on balance that public interest would now best be served by making the document available to those who wish to inspect it. But in doing so I must take whatever action is necessary to minimise the remaining possibility of blight. I therefore repeat that the traffic predictions given in the report are now completely out of date, being larger than it is now sensible to plan for. I also repeat that I have no intention whatever of undertaking any of the schemes analysed in the report.It is now clear that the four-lane sections of the Al between the north circular and Archway road will be able to cope with likely traffic for the forseeable future. However, I recognise the special interest of those who live on Falloden way itself, and in particular on the narrow three—lane stretch leading from Market place, in having the long—term uncertainty about this section of London's road network resolved. Some householders are currently negotiating with the Department to buy the freehold of a strip of their gardens bordering this section of road. It has been made clear to them that although no plans exist for this section of the road at present, this does not preclude widening of the road in future. The publication of the Scott Wilson report is bound to increase speculation about this and I have decided that it is desirable for any uncertainty to be disposed of.I am therefore inviting landscape and traffic consultants Derek Lovejoy and Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick to look urgently at this part of Falloden way, with a view to identifying the options for modest improvements to enable two lanes of traffic to flow in each direction as happens along the rest of the road. I have asked the consultants to identify possibilities which would not involve any significant incursion into front gardens or would only involve loss of some roadside parking, and in particular to seek not only to minimise impact on neighbouring property but if possible to improve the unpleasant conditions that at present exist for those living there. As soon as their proposals are available, I shall publish them for discussion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there have been any further signs that the economy is recovering from the recession since he introduced his Budget.

Yes. Latest estimates indicate a 200,000 increase in the employed labour force between March. and December 1983. The April CBI survey of industrial trends reported a more widespread improvement in orders and output than at any time in the last seven years.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received concerning the proposal to phase out the tax relief on British citizens temporarily absent from the United Kingdom.

I have recently had meetings with the General Council of British Shipping and the unions representing the seafarers and airline employees. Since Budget day, we have received some 400 letters on this subject, of which about three quarters relate to the position of seafarers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on his proposals to introduce value added tax on hot take-away food.

Many letters and some petitions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the Inland Revenue ruling that an employer's subsidy of a nursery place should be treated as a taxable benefit to the parent.

My right hon. Friend has received a total of 65 letters and other representations about the tax treatment of this benefit.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received since the Budget on the effect of value added tax on building alterations for disabled people and their charitable organisations.

Since the Budget, representations have been received from 14 organisations and 28 private individuals about the effect of VAT on building alterations for the disabled and their charitable organisations. Particular concern has been expressed that the measures I announced on 29 March in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. McQuarrie) did not go sufficiently far, in particular in not covering the installation of lifts. However. there is already provision for the zero-rating of specialised lifts for the disabled, both in their own houses or in buildings used by charities, caring for them. The relief covers chair lifts or stair lifts designed for use in connection with invalid wheelchairs and other lifts designed solely for use by handicapped persons. To go further would mean extending relief to general purpose lifts which may be used by anyone, and I do not consider this to be justified. The measures we have proposed will relieve from VAT the alterations which are most important in enabling the handicapped to live a normal life.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received about his Budget.

My right hon. Friend has received a large number of representations about the Budget proposals.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations he has received regarding the Budget proposals to charge value added tax on building alterations.

A considerable number.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the construction industry of value added tax on refurbishment of listed buildings.

There have been many representations about the effect of VAT on listed buildings. My hon. Friend's question uses the word 'refurbishment'; that word implies a major repair content which, of course, has always been liable to VAT. As I announced in Committee on the Finance Bill, the Government are considering the scope of an amendment to relieve structural alteration work to listed buildings.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the percentage change in United Kingdom unit labour costs over the last 12 months.

In the fourth quarter of 1983, whole economy unit labour costs are estimated to have been 2·5 per cent. higher than a year earlier. No figures for 1984 are available as yet.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what, on a full employment basis, is his target for the public sector borrowing requirement, expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product.

Our forecast for the public sector borrowing requirement is that it will be 2·25 per cent. of GDP in 1984–85. No confident figure could be given on a hypothetical "full employment" basis.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many recent representations he has received concerning the payment of value added tax by charities.

On 29 March, the House was informed that 86 representations had been received over the four previous months about VAT relief for charitable bodies. My Treasury colleagues and I have since received a further 51 representations on this subject.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has made any response to the Society of Civil and Public Servants following its allegations that manpower cuts have reduced the effectiveness of the Customs Service in preventing the importation of heroin and other dangerous drugs.

No. Although I am well aware of the allegations, I have not recieved any direct communication from the Society of Civil and Public Servants.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the planned frequency of future publication of long—term public expenditure and taxation assumptions, following the publication on last Budget day of the first Green Paper, Cmnd. 9189.

The Green Paper, Cmnd 9189, was published as a contribution to the current debate on public expenditure and taxation in the longer term and the assumptions referred to are an integral part of it. I have no present plans to update and publish such assumptions on a regular basis.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the trend of industrial productivity over the latest full year for which figures are available.

In the three months to February 1984 output per head in manufacturing industry was 6·6 per cent. higher than for the same period of three months a year earlier. In the same sector ouput per hour in the three months to February was 5·3 per cent. higher than for the same period of three months a year earlier.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on trends in the rate of inflation.

The rate of inflation reached 22 per cent. soon after this Government took office in 1979 and has been on a downward trend ever since. We expect retail price inflation to fall to around 4 per cent. by this time next year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what decisions he has reached on the representations made on the draft legislation on offshore and overseas fund.

We have given careful consideration to the representations that have been made since my statement of 22 February, and will be proposing a number of further amendments to the Bill. The main additional changes we intend to make are as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to lay a statutory instrument to withdraw the postponed accounting-system relating to value added tax on imported goods.

In early July.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the main policy achievements of his Department and the Paymaster General's office since May 1979.

My predecessor described the Government's economic achievements since 1979 in answer to a similar question in April 1983, in column 286, and the Paymaster General's office was also discussed in an answer published then, in column 317The Government have maintained, within the framework of the MTFS, policies necessary to secure a further reduction in inflation and to create the conditions for sustainable growth. Inflation last year was the lowest for 16 years, and output grew last year at 3 per cent., the highest in the European Community.The Budget contained proposals to abolish the national insurance surcharge and the investment income surcharge, for real increases in the basic income tax thresholds, and for a programme of tax reforms designed to remove distortions and improve the system of company taxation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of the continued criticism of the £1 coin, he will revise his plans to phase out: £1 notes.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer which economic indicators confirm his view of economic recovery.

GDP rose by 3 per cent. in 1983 arid is now at an allߝtime high and still rising. Industrial production rose by 4·5 per cent. in the year to the three months ending February 1984. Employment, too, is rising, with the employed labour force estimated to have increased by about 200,000 between March and December 1983.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the gross domestic product, at current market prices, per capita, expressed in terms of United States dollars, for each of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries in 1983 or in the latest available year.

The latest estimates covering all OECD countries, relate to 1982 and are given on page 86, table 21 of "OECD National Accounts Volume 1 Main Aggregates 1953–1982". A copy is available in the library. For some countries, provisional figures are available for 1983 and these are as follows.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the total revenue from road fund taxation of heavy freight vehicles in each of the years since 1974.

The revenue from vehicle excise duty on heavy goods vehicles over 30 cwt. unladen weight in each of the years since 1974 was as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he has yet considered the alternative proposals put forward by the British film industry following the abolition of capital allowances; and whether he will make a statement;(2) in view of the proposed changes in capital allowances, what type of alternative support he is considering for the maintenance and development of a flourishing British film industry.