asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is yet able to say when the new safety controls on imported drugs will be brought into operation.

As from today, we will be able to ensure that all medicines imported and placed on the market in this country have to satisfy the same high standards of safety and effectiveness as those that are manufactured here. A new statutory instrument tightens the provisions which were allowing substantial quantities of imported drugs from all over the world to be imported exempt from our product licensing. New licensing arrangements for EC manufactured drugs will ensure that nothing from other EC member states is marketed in the United Kingdom unless it is either identical to or has no differences in therapeutic effect from a produce licensed here, and has been manufactured by the same manufacturer or group of manufacturers. The new scheme will also make it easier for us to control the handling, labelling and packaging of all medicines sold in this country.The recent growth in importing of drugs has caused understandable public and professional concern over the safety of some drugs being dispensed by some chemists. There is no evidence that any patient has ever suffered harm, but we have acted urgently to eliminate any avoidable risk. Since December, we have been going through the process of consultation that the law requires. We can now assure everyone that the integrity of our strict licensing system for medicines is restored.There remains the difficulty that a minority of chemists are making unintended profits from their contracts by buying cheaper imports from the continent when currency fluctuations and differing Government price controls make them attractive. This practice does not cost the taxpayer or the National Health Service any more than we intended to pay. However, it does cause damage to pharmaceutical companies manufacturing in Britain. We are considering urgently with everyone concerned how we can modify the system to make fairer arrangements for the taxpayer, the chemist and British-based industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many pensioners in (a) Yorkshire and Humberside, (b) West Yorkshire, (c) the Kirklees metropolitan district council area and (d) the Huddersfield area are financially totally reliant on the state retirement pension and other state benefits that may accrue as a result.

I regret that information is not available in the form requested. However, it is estimated from data obtained from the family expenditure survey that in 1981 there were approximately 140,000 persons over pension age living in private households in Yorkshire and Humberside who were totally reliant on the state retirement pension and other social security benefits as their only source of income. Corresponding figures for West Yorkshire, Kirklees metropolitan district and the Huddersfield area are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the number of families receiving family income supplement in Wales at the latest available date; and what proportion these are of the total number eligible.

I attach details of the number of family income supplement (FIS) recipients at December 1983, the latest available date.

	Great Britain	Wales
One-parent families	81,000	3,000
Two-parent families	120,000	8,000
Total	201,000	*12,000
* The sum of the components does not equal the total due to rounding.

I regret that it is not possible to make a reliable estimate for Wales of those who may be entitled to FIS but have not made a claim. The latest estimate for Great Britain indicates that about half those eligible take up their entitlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many staff at local and national level are dealing with estate rate heating additions; and how many applications for the rate have been waiting (a) up to three months, (b) three to six months or (c) longer.

The arrangements in local offices for giving initial consideration to whether particular estates should be designated as qualifying for estate rate heating additions vary from office to office, and no estimate can be made of the number of staff involved. At headquarters, a total of four staff spend varying proportions of their time considering submissions for designation from local offices. No information is available about the time taken by local offices to make the necessary inquiries before submitting the case to headquarters. There are currently 130 cases at headquarters on which a final decision has not yet been taken. Forty nine of these cases were first referred to headquarters more than three months ago and three of these more than six months ago; in most of these cases a decision on designation has had to be delayed pending receipt of further information; for example, from fuel boards or housing authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which estates on Merseyside are covered by certificates for estate rate heating additions; and which further properties are being considered.

One estate in Merseyside (Towerhill, Kirkby) was designated as disproportionately expensive to heat on 30 November 1982. No other estates in Merseyside have been designated and no other estates are currently being considered for designation centrally. Tenants in many local authority estates in the area pay fixed charges for their heating with their rent: estate rate heating additions do not apply to such estates as separate supplementary benefit and housing benefit provisions apply.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many young people in (a) Kirklees, (b) the Huddersfield area and (c) West Yorkshire, have had their benefit cut as a result of coming off the youth training scheme prematurely or because they refused a place when offered.

Information about young people whose supplementary benefit has been reduced because they have refused places on the youth training scheme or left them prematurely is available only for the period from December 1983 to April 1984. The figures requested are as follows:

	Refused places	Left prematurely
Kirklees	23	78
Huddersfield	11	54
West Yorkshire	40	269

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many doctors who have retired and received redundancy or retirement payments, early or otherwise, are now working part-time in the National Health Service.

Thirty-nine doctors who were prematurely retired as a result of the main 1982 restructuring have since been re-employed in the NHS. I understand that 19 of these have already left that employment or will shortly do so and I have asked regional chairmen to terminate the employment of a further 12 unless a special case can be made for their retention. Further inquiries are proceeding on three and I have agreed that the other five who are employed part-time on clinical duties can be retained.No information is available about the re-employment of doctors who have retired from the NHS in other circumstances, or who had been made redundant.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the average earnings of all persons classified as nurses working in the National Health Service and the average number of hours worked per year by (a) all nurses, (b) full-time nurses and (c) part-time nurses.

	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982
Industrial death benefit awards
Asbestosis	75	55	75	84	60	74	78	65	70
Diffuse mesothelioma	41	78	94	109	109	131	133	175	179
Industrial disablement benefit awards
Asbestosis	119	142	169	145	132	135	150	153	185
Diffuse mesothelioma	25	47	53	63	49	65	74	99	126

The following estimates relate to NHS nursing staff, midwives and health visitors:

	Average hours worked per annum	Average gross earnings per annum £
All staff	1,700	5,360
Full-time staff	1,970	6,250
Part-time staff	1,210	3,800

Hours worked include paid absences: earnings exclude London weighting. The figures are based on returns from nine regions in England for the period April to June 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons took early retirement in Mersey regional health authority as a result of the 1982 restructuring; what was the total cost of compensation; and how many of those who retired are now back at work with the regional health authority.

By 31 March 1984, 65 officers had been prematurely retired in Mersey region as a result of the 1982 restructuring. The actual cost of compensation in respect of individual regions is not known, but the amount attributed to the region in respect of premature retirements occurring in 1983–84 and previous years on the basis of the average national costs was £174,000.None of these officers is currently re-employed in the NHS.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the number of death and industrial disease benefit claims made in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for the following diseases, and in each case, the number of claims accepted for each year from 1974 to 1982, inclusive: (a) asbestosis, (b) mesothelioma of the pleura, (c) mesothelioma of the peritoneum and (d) respiratory tract cancers in the presence of proven asbestos exposure.

Information in the form requested is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The following table shows the number of awards of industrial death benefit for (a) asbestosis as at 31 December 1982 and (b) diffuse mesothelioma of the pleura or peritoneum as at 31 March 1984, relating to deaths between 1974 and 1982 for the United Kingdom as a whole. Awards of industrial disablement for these diseases are also shown.

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 offices of his Department in Doncaster as a result of the advertising campaign in March; and how many 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.

One payment in respect of money wrongly deducted from supplementary benefits on grounds of voluntary unemployment has been made by the Department's Doncaster, East local office to a former claimant following the advertising campaign in March. No payments of this kind were made by Doncaster, West office. The number of unsuccessful inquiries made is not recorded. Three and 30 payments respectively resulted from the check of current files by Doncaster, East and Doncaster, West offices. One payment was made to a former claimant by Doncaster, West office following earlier publicity.

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 offices in the St. Helens, North parliamentary constituency as a result of the advertising campaign in March; how many payments have resulted from those 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.

One payment in respect of money wrongly deducted from supplementary benefits on grounds of voluntary unemployment has been made by the Department's St. Helens local office to a former claimant following the advertising campaign in March. No payments of this kind were made by Warrington office. The number of unsuccessful inquiries made is not recorded. Seven and 63 payments respectively resulted from the check of current files by St. Helens and Warrington local offices. One payment was made by each of these offices to former claimants following the earlier publicity.

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 offices of his Department in the Carmarthen constituency as a result of the advertising campaign in March; how many payments have resulted from these claims; and how many such payments had been made prior to the advertising campaign as the result of the checks on current files and the publicity for dormant cases, respectively.

No payments in respect of money wrongly deducted from supplementary benefits on grounds of voluntary unemployment have been made by the Department's local offices in the Carmarthen constituency to former claimants following the advertising campaign in March or the earlier publicity. The number of unsuccessful inquiries made is not recorded. Three payments resulted from the check of current files by Carmarthen local office.

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 offices of his Department in Dundee as a result of the advertising campaign in March; 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.

One payment in respect of money wrongly deducted from supplementary benefits on grounds of voluntary unemployment has been made by the Department's Dundee, East local office to a former claimant following the advertising campaign in March. No payments of this kind were made by Dundee, West office. the number of unsucessful inquiries made is not recorded. Five and one payments respectively resulted from the check of current files by Dundee, East and Dundee, West local offices. None was made to former claimants following the earlier publicity.

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 offices of his Department in Haringey, London as a result of the advertising campaign in March; 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.

One payment in respect of money wrongly deducted from supplementary benefits on grounds of voluntary unemployment has been made by the Department's Wood Green local office to a former claimant following the advertising campaign in March. No payments of this kind were made by other Haringey offices. The number of unsuccessful inquiries made is not recorded. Fifty-six, 82, six and nil payments respectively resulted from the check of current files by Tottenham, Finsbury Park, Highgate and Wood Green local offices. None was made to former claimants following the earlier publicity.

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 offices of his Department in Perry Barr, Birmingham, as a result of the advertising campaign in March; 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.

Ten payments in respect of money wrongly deducted from supplementary benefits on grounds of voluntary unemployment have been made by the Department's Perry Barr local office to former claimants following the advertising campaign in March. the number of unsuccessful inquiries made is not recorded. Thirty-seven payments resulted from the check of current files. None were made to former claimants following earlier publicity.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why his Department has accepted the World Health Organisation's decision that yellow fever vaccinations should be treated differently from other types of vaccination.

The instability of certain yellow fever vaccines makes it necessary for them to be stored and administered under strict control. It is therefore appropriate for yellow fever vaccinations to be treated differently from other types of vaccination where the vaccines used do not have the same characteristics.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why his Department has accepted the World Health Organisation's rule that a certificate of vaccination for yellow fever is only valid if issued by a centre designated by the appropriate national health authority.

The possession of a certificate of vaccination against yellow fever is an essential requirement for entry into 16 countries where yellow fever is endemic. It would cause inconvenience to British travellers seeking to visit those countries if certificates issued here did not satisfy the internationally agreed standards prescribed in international health regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the contract for the new Telford hospital will be signed.

Subject to receipt of a satisfactory one, the West Midlands RHA intends to accept a tender for the new Telford hospital building scheme on 7 August 1984. Formal signing of the contract will follow shortly afterwards.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the total cost of child benefit for each year since November 1978; and if he will state how much of this arises from increases in benefit beyond the increase in real terms over the period in question.

The total cost of child benefit in the relevant financial years was as follows:

	£ million
1979–80	2,787
1980–81	2,944
1981–82	3,372
1982–83	3,660
1983–84	4,011

Child benefit was uprated at the beginning of 1979–80, and was next increased in real terms in November 1983. The cost in 1983–84 of this real increase was slightly less than £35 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made with regard to the provision of renal services, including central funding, following his discussion with the chairmen of regional health authorities in January 1984.

We have asked regional health authorities to submit proposed targets by the end of May for developing the services in their regions. To assist in this task we have allocated £1 million from central funds in 1984–85 to be used for initiatives in this field.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will list the number of nurses in National Health Service accommodation in each district health authority, distinguishing between (a) first year students, (b) other students and (c) other nurses and between accommodation which is (i) off hospital site, (ii) free standing but on hospital site and (iii) on site not free standing;(2) how many nurses receive the 40 per cent. rental abatement on National Health Service accommodation that is substandard;(3) how many staff living in National Health Service accommodation are students or are under 22 years old.

We do not collect the information requested centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will update the 1964 guidelines on the quality of nurses' accommodation to include guidance on electrical wiring and improved security.

We are in the process of revising the design guidance on residential accommodation for staff and electrical wiring and security are being considered in that review.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) on what date National Health Service staff accommodation charges will reach economic rent levels for (a) students and those under 22 years old and (b) other staff;(2) what levels of increases in nurses' accommodation charges he is seeking in the current year; and whether they will be linked to

Lodging charges for nursing and midwifery staff are set in accordance with an agreement reached in 1981 by the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council. The agreement between management and staff sides provided that economic charges reflecting the cost of providing the accommodation should be phased in over four years for qualified staff and over two years for students, pupils and other nursing staff aged under 22. The students, pupils and younger staff all have the economic charge automatically abated by 40 per cent. Once phasing is completed, all charges will rise in accordance with increases in the costs of providing the accommodation. The recommendations of the review body will not bear on these charges.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total income from National Health Service lodging charges in 1982–83 and 1983–84; and what is the estimated income for 1984–85.

Annual accounts for 1982–83 submitted to the Department by NHS authorities in England show total income from lodging charges as £29·4 million.A figure for 1983–84 will not be available until the autumn. An estimate for that financial year or for 1984–85 would be purely speculative.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the progress of the three social security reviews covering housing benefit, benefits for children and young persons and supplementary benefit.

I am now able to announce the appointment of members to the housing benefit, benefits for children and young people and supplementary benefit reviews. The review members will be:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what effects the resource allocation working party policies have had on the Wessex health region in each of the last five years.

[pursuant to his reply, 8 May 1984, c. 365]: The percentage growth in revenue spending both in economic cost terms and in growth in services in the Wessex region compared with all the regional health authorities over the last five years is shown in the table:

Percentage Growth in Revenue Spending
	Growth in economic cost—expenditure compared with general inflation (GDP* deflator)		Growth in services—expenditure compared with NHS inflation
	Wessex	All RHAs	Wessex	All RHAs
1979–80	3·9	3·3	0·6	0·2
1980–81	8·5	8·9	0·6	0·8
1981–82	1·3	0·8	2·9	2·4
1982–83	0·7	-0·2	1·1	0·2
1983–84	0·9	0·4	1·3	0·8
Cumulative growth	16·0	13·6	6·7	4·5
* Gross Domestic Product

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many deaths under anaesthetic occurred in dentists' surgeries in each of the last full two years for which figures are available; if he will list the dentists involved in each case; what action has been taken by himself or National Health Service institutions against the dentists concerned; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 May 1984, c. 498–99]: Three deaths occurred in 1982 and four deaths in 1983 following the administration of general anaesthetic in dentists' surgeries. It would not be proper to reveal the names of the dental surgeons and anaesthetists involved since information on these cases is collected on a strictly confidential basis for statistical purposes only. I can, however, say that, in relation to the deaths which occurred in 1982, the anaesthetics were administered by a consultant anaesthetist, a general medical practitioner and in one case a general dental practitioner operating single-handedly. In 1983 the anaesthetics were administered in three cases by consultant anaesthetists and in one instance by a general dental practitioner operating single-handedly.I understand that none of 1982 deaths was referred to the General Dental Council but the conduct of the dentist in 1983 was considered by the council with the result that his name has been erased from the dentists' register.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport in how many rescue incidents Her Majesty's Coastguard has been involved in each year since 1970; and what was the total cost each year at current prices and 1982 prices.

The numbers of rescue incidents in which Her Majesty's Coastguard have been involved, including those where action was taken on distress reports without positive result, are as follows:

Year	Number of incidents
1970	2,919
1971	3,518
1972	4,460
1973	4,811
1974	5,572
1975	4,628
1976	4,361
1977	4,030
1978	3,740
1979	3,724
1980	3,914
1981	3,941
1982	4,187
1983	*4,970
* Provisional

The total cost of providing the Coastguard service in 1982–83 was estimated by the 1982 resource control review team to be about £14·5 million, of which £8·5 million represented the cost of co-ordinating search and rescue activities. Figures for the earlier years are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to publish his decision and consequent changes arising out of the Rayner review of Her Majesty's Coastguard; and if he will make a statement.

As I told my hon. Friend the Member for Dorset, West (Mr. Spicer), on 10 May, at column 432, my decisions on the recommendations in the final report of the 1982 resource control review of Her Majesty's Coastguard are set out in the report and action statement which I have placed in the Library. Many of the decisions have already been implemented, and I would expect most of the remainder to take full effect within the next 12 months.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport in what role auxiliary coastguards are used in Her Majesty's Coastguard search and rescue centres; and whether they carry out the duties of full-time coastguard officers.

Members of the Coastguard Auxiliary Service perform some of the duties of regular Coastguard officers at maritime rescue co-ordination centres and sub-centres, including radio watch-keeping under the supervision of regular staff. A full account of the range of duties that fall to auxiliaries is set out in chapter 5, paragraphs 5.1.4 and 5.2 of the report of the 1982 resource control review: a copy is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what were the established staff levels of the Coastguard Service for each year since 1970; and what level was recommended by the 1980 staff inspection report.

The approved establishment of Her Majesty's Coastguard, including non-industrial administrative suport, has been as follows:

Year	No. of Staff
1970	518
1971	518
1972	530
1973	555
1974	560
1975	589
1976	619
1977	630
1978	639
1979	610
1980	597
1981	597
1982	597
1983	597
1984	590

There was no staff inspection report in 1980; but that undertaken in 1979 recommended 671 posts, including 30 additional posts required during the phased rundown—now completed — of constantly manned stations. The reduction this year reflects the recent merging of the Tees and Tyne maritime rescue sub-centres.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many accidents have occured on motorways (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in Warwickshire where a contraflow system was in operation during the past three years; how many vehicles and how many people were involved in these accidents in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) Warwickshire; what is the principle cause; and what action is proposed to reduce the number of such accidents;(2) if there is now a requirement for the type of road surface to be recorded in accident statistics.

Details of the information recorded on accident reports is given on pages 25 to 27 of Road Accidents Great Britain 1982, a copy of which is in the Library.The presence of an active contraflow system, the cause of the accident, and the age of the road surface are not recorded. I regret, therefore, that the information specifically requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the progress of the bearing replacements at Bromford viaduct on the M6 motorway.

I regret that the contract was not completed by the end of March as originally provided.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with domestic airlines regarding the proposal to levy a charge of £15 per passenger flying into Heathrow.

None, yet. The possibility of levying a supplementary charge on some passengers using domestic services at Heathrow has been mentioned in some recent newspaper stories. It is one of a number of ways of restraining demand for the use of that airport when the fourth terminal opens. I plan to issue shortly a consultation document inviting the views of airlines and other interested parties on a range of options of which a levy is one; and their responses will be carefully considered before any final decisions are taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the proposal by his Department to levy a charge of £15 per passenger on domestic airlines flying into Heathrow; whether the proposal applied to other United Kingdom airports; what income such a scheme would generate; and what calculation he has made of its effect on the profit or loss of each of the United Kingdom domestic airlines affected.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave to his earlier question today. No detailed work has yet been carried out on the level at which such a supplementary charge would have to be set in order to reduce demand for access to Heathrow or on the implications of the charge for domestic airlines.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he will state the number of prosecutions for drug pushing in Scotland in each of the last five years.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland how many prosecutions for drug-related offences took place in Grampian region during the last 12 months.

Drug "pushing" is not a precise term, but a breakdown of relevant statistics is available in the form of a table. In Grampian police area in 1983, a total of 221 drug-related cases were reported for prosecution.

Persons proceeded against
	1979	1980	1981	1982	*1983
Unlawful production	—	4	1	2	—
Unlawful supply	13	18	26	40	—
Possession with intent to supply unlawfully	36	36	45	87	—
Unlawful import	10	14	28	22	—
Unlawful export	1	—	7	6	—
* Figures not yet available.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland what instructions his office has issued to procurators fiscal with regard to prosecutions for deer poaching.

My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate and his predecessors in office have from time to time issued instructions to procurators fiscal regarding deer poaching as appear to be necessary. Said instructions have, in the main, been restricted to advising procurators fiscal of the relevant aspects of legislation relating to deer poaching.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he is satisfied with the evidence provided by police and radar speed guns in Scotland.

Provided the usual checks are carried out by police officers, and the equipment is operated properly, I am not aware of any general difficulty being experienced in relation to the evidence in these type of cases.

asked the Prime Minister what cases commenced since 1979 concerning the illegal export of arms or equipment to South Africa still remain to be resolved by Her Majesty's Government or by the courts.

One case which so far involves several people remains to be resolved.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list the five companies involved in the Customs' compounding proceedings in 1980, concerning the illegal export of arms to South Africa.

It is not the commissioners' practice to reveal details of compounded settlements.

asked the Prime Minister (1) what applications Her Majesty's Government have received for public funds in connection with the setting up of the Information Industries Association; and if she will make a statement;(2) which Government Departments have had any involvement in the setting up of the Information Industries Association; and if she will make a statement.

In its report "Making a Business of Information" the Information Technology Advisory Panel (ITAP) saw the need for an umbrella representative trade body, which it called the Information Industries Association (IIA). I anticipate that the Government's response to ITAP's report will be made public shortly. A meeting of existing trade groupings with an interest in this area met recently in the Cabinet Office to discuss forming themselves into an IIA: officials from the Cabinet Office, DTI, Office of Arts and Libraries and the British Library were present. Whilst the Government welcome these moves, it is, as ITAP recognised, for the private sector rather than for the Government to take the initiative. No applications for funds to set up an organisation of the kind envisaged have been received.

asked the Prime Minister how many people were employed in non-departmental public bodies in each of the last 10 years to the latest convenient date.

The information for the five years to 1 April 1983 is as follows:

1 April	Staff Numbers
1979	217,000
1980	219,864
1981	214,601
1982	205,464
1983	200,871

Information for the earlier years is not held centrally and could not be collected without disproportionate cost.The figures relate to bodies which carry out executive, regulatory and similar operational functions, and which employ staff on their own account. Advisory bodies and tribunals normally receive staffing support from their sponsor Departments, and the numbers are not recorded centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis with regard to incidents of public disorder which occurred at Charing Cross underground station on Monday 7 May; what were the numbers and the ethnic breakdown of the persons involved; what injuries were sustained and by whom; and if he will make a statement on the substance of the report.

The commissioner tells me that at about 3.30 pm on Monday 7 May a group of about 30 white youths arrived at Charing Cross underground station and ran into a group of about 20 black youths. A fight broke out and British Transport police officers and Metropolitan police officers were called to the scene. When the police arrived, the youths ran away. One black youth was arrested for the possession of an offensive weapon. A girl who had received a slight injury to her head declined medical assistance.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to invite comment and discussion from interested parties and responsible bodies on the proposed changes to the memorandum for guidance of the police on the administration of the Firearms Act 1968 before the revised memorandum is (a) completed and (b) published.

We will consult the British Shooting Sports Council and the two associations of chief police officers once a draft of the revised memorandum of guidance has been prepared.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost to date of providing policemen at Greenham common.

I understand that the Thames Valley police authority estimates the cost of policing Greenham common since December 1982 to be just over £4 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to the country of origin of the weapon used in the murder of woman police constable Yvonne Fletcher; and whether the gun was purchased through a dealer in the United Kingdom.

The police believe that the weapon was probably a British-made sub-machine gun. But they have insufficient evidence to identify the individual weapon used, and without that they cannot establish how it was acquired.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost to his Department over the last full year for which figures are available of paying travel and hotel bills for the wives and families of inmates in Her Majesty's prisons to visit them; and how this compares with figures for the previous four years.

Payments to claimants under this scheme are made by the Department of Health and Social Security, which is then reimbursed by the Home Office. Final figures for the financial year 1983–84 are not yet available. Payments made by the Home Office to the Department of Health and Social Security for the financial years 1978–79 to 1982–83 were as follows:

	£
1978–79	305,127
1979–80	314,315
1980–81	402,395
1981–82	318,234
1982–83	617,025

As a result of a delay in billing in 1981–82, repayment of about £130,000 relating to expenditure incurred by the Department of Health and Social Security in that financial year was carried over to 1982–83.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what discussions he has had with representatives of the hotel industry regarding the new licence arrangements on television in hotels (a) before and (b) after the announcement of the decision;(2) what revenue he expects to be generated by the new television licence arrangements for hotels;(3) how many television sets he expects to fall for the first time within the new arrangements for charging a licence fee on television sets in hotels;(4) what increase in staff he expects to be necessary to monitor the new arrangements for charging a licence fee on television sets in hotels and for collecting the fees; and what the cost will be.

Before the decision was taken I had two meetings with the British Hotels Restaurants and Caterers Association, and the British Federation of Hotels, Guest Houses and Self-Catering Associations and the national tourist boards were also consulted. Our proposals took account of their views.The main purpose of the proposals is to remove a longstanding disparity between the law, which requires hotels to pay multiple fees, and the way hotels have been licensed in practice. We estimate that the changes might provide additional revenue of about £2 million per year. This figure is based on estimates of the average numbers of hotels within different size groups, and is only approximate, since we do not know exactly how many television sets are installed. No extra staff are expected to be required for enforcement, but a small number (of Post Office staff) may be necessary to deal with the issue and renewal of hotel licences.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what books the D notice committee has considered during the last five years; and what was the outcome of its deliberations.

Eighteen books have come to the notice of the Defence, Press and Broadcasting Committee during the last five years. Of these, 13 were considered to need D notice comment in some degree.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what D notices were issued during the years 1982, 1983 and 1984, respectively.

The then existing D notices were reviewed by the Defence, Press and Broadcasting Committee and issued in revised form in January 1982. No new D notices have been issued since that date.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many times the D notice committee has met during the last two years.

Six.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether book publishers are represented on the D notice committee.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 May 1984, c. 488]: No. The Publishers' Association was approached in 1982 by the Defence, Press and Broadcasting Committee but did not wish to join the committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent recent Russian manoeuvres in the north Atlantic have been carried out by infringing the territorial waters of other nations.

I am not aware of any such infringement.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the experience of the Defence Standards Authority in recruiting suitable technical staff since its move to Glasgow.

Some difficulty has been experienced in recruiting suitable candidates for the P and TO III grade. Efforts are continuing, both internally and through advertisement in the local press, to fill the small number of vacancies outstanding.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has received from the Defence Standards Authority of additional travelling and other operational problems resulting from the dispersal to Glasgow.

Since its move to Glasgow in August 1983 the Directorate of Standardisation has quickly settled in and, despite the expected initial loss of efficiency, was soon operating effectively.The move necessarily increased the travel commitments of staff particularly of those whose duties require them to attend regular meetings in the London area. However, transport links between London and Glasgow are very good and, although travelling time and costs have increased from £6,000 to £80,000 per annum, this has not measurably reduced the operational effectiveness of the directorate.Some difficulty has been experienced in filling some vacancies, particularly in the electric/electronic field, but similar difficulty was encountered in London. The quality of the new staff is generally high.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many vacancies for technical staff remain unfilled at the Army Cataloguing Authority at the most recent convenient date; and how many further vacancies are likely to occur as a result of retirement before 30 June 1986.

On 1 April there were 23 vacancies for professional and technical staff in the Army Cataloguing Authority. Of the existing technical staff, some 52 will reach the retirement age before 30 June 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he has for training technical staff recruited in the Glasgow area to fill vacancies at the Army Cataloguing Authority; and what is the estimated cost involved.

Technical staff will be expected to train initially at the existing establishments. This will involve on present indications an average overbearing of 25 posts over the next two years. The cost of this, and a small advance training team to be located in Glasgow, amounts to some £500,000 per annum.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the availability of suitable technical staff in the Glasgow area to fill vacancies at the Army Cataloguing Authority after its proposed dispersal to Glasgow.

The assessment of the availability of the suitable technical staff in the Glasgow area is clouded by the national shortage of engineers. However, some of the 136 technical posts will be filled by recruitment both from within the ACA and from other parts of Government service, with the residual members being found from local recruitment.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated additional annual operating cost of the Army Cataloguing Authority resulting from its proposed move to Glasgow.

The estimated additional cost of operating the Army Cataloguing Authority in Glasgow is currently assessed at some £1 million per annum.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of visits made by Army Cataloguing Authority staff to service establishments, Government offices and private contractors each year are (a) in the midlands and (b) in southern England.

The proportion of ACA staff visits to (a) midlands and (b) southern England are estimated as 16 and 82 per cent. respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his assessment of the number of extra technical staff needed by the Army Cataloguing Authority to make good the extra travelling time resulting from the proposed move to Glasgow.

The additional staff required by the Army Cataloguing Authority to make good the extra travelling time resulting from the proposed move to Glasgow is 14, all of whom are professional and technical staff.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to safeguard the position of former Chatham dockyard staff who transferred to the Army Cataloguing Authority at Woolwich and Kidbrooke and who are now required to move to Glasgow.

No special steps are being taken to safeguard the position of the former Chatham dockyard staff. It is our intention that, where possible, only volunteers will be sent on dispersal to Glasgow; but there may be some staff who, because of the nature of their tasks, will be required to transfer with their job. Former staff of Chatham dockyard will, however, be given especially sympathetic consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many mobile staff employed by the Army Cataloguing Authority have so far volunteered to move to Glasgow; and how many more will be required to make the move.

Of an expected total of 136 mobile staff needed in Glasgow, 13 volunteers to move with the ACA have so far come forward. As the Ministry has already stated, we will continue to look for suitable volunteers not only from among existing ACA staff, but also from other parts of the MOD and other Government Departments, as well as in the Glasgow area itself. If these efforts fail to provide the numbers needed, then individuals may be required to transfer in accordance with their terms of employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he will be making public his proposals for development at the Clyde submarine base in connection with Trident.

A notice of proposed development, together with an associated environmental impact assessment, has been given to the Dumbarton district council today, and copies of these documents have been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to privatise the British Waterways Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Some 70 per cent. of the British Waterways Board's expenditure is financed by Exchequer grant, so there is little possibility of privatising it as a whole. The board already contracts out all significant engineering projects and some aspects of its freight activities, but we have asked it to look for opportunities to increase private participation in its affairs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the current performance of the Crown suppliers in tendering abroad; and if he will make a statement.

The Crown suppliers main task is to supply furniture and equipment to public sector organisations including central Government Departments in the United Kingdom. When appropriate, they can also offer to supply public sector organisations overseas, and I am happy to support this activity, since it can result in lower costs all round and benefit United Kingdom industry.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the rent income per dwelling in 1984–85 which has been assumed by his Department in the calculation of the current grant related expenditure for housing revenue account in each of the London boroughs; and what is the information in respect of grant-related expenditure assessments for 1983–84.

No direct assumption is made about rents charged in the grant year. Housing GREs are calculated from a base year account, currently that for 1980–81. The base year account is constructed on the assumption that authorities charged regional average rents in 1980–81. The base account as a whole is then projected forward to the grant year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what figure for the cost per dwelling of management and maintenance has been assumed in the calculation of grant-related expenditure for rate fund contributions to housing revenue account for each year from 1981–82 to 1984–85 inclusive in each of the London boroughs.

No direct assumption is made about management and maintenance expenditure in the grant year. Housing GREs are calculated from a base year account, currently that for 1980–81. The base year account is calculated on the assumption that spending on management and maintenance was at the average level per dwelling for the three years 1978–79, 1979–80 and 1980–81. (In 1981–82 GREs were instead based on the level of spending in the base year alone.) The base account as a whole is then projected forward to the grant year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the regional average rent or rents of council houses in London in 1980–81 which are used by his Department as a basis for calculating the 67 grant-related expenditure indicators of national deficits on housing revenue accounts.

For each economic planning region, an average rent has been calculated for each of 33 categories of council dwellings for 1980–81. The categories are:

	(a) before 1945	(b) from 1945 to 1964	(c) after 1964
1 bedroom houses built	"	"	"
1 bedroom flats built	"	"	"
1 bedroom bungalows built	"	"	"
2 bedroom houses built	"	"	"
2 bedroom flats built	"	"	"
2 bedroom bungalows built	"	"	"
3 bedroom houses built	"	"	"
3 bedroom flats built	"	"	"
3 bedroom bungalows built	"	"	"
4 bedroom dwellings built	"	"	"
Acquired, purchased temporary and other dwelling built	"	"	"

For each authority, a composite average rent has been calculated, based on the proportion of each category in its own dwelling stock.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost of installing the new electricity equipment referred to in his answer to the hon. Member for Bolton, North-East, Official Report, 9 May, column 881.

The final accounts have yet to be settled, but the total is expected to be about £95,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to reply to the letter sent by the Merseyside Trade Union and Unemployed Resources Centre on 21 January concerning the abolition of county councils; and if he will make a statement.

The centre's letter was acknowledged and its views taken into account. A full reply to the centre's letters of 21 January and 2 May has now been sent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to protect the environment of areas in south-east Dorset against encroachment by development on land not thus designated and against breaches of the south-east Dorset structure plan; and if he will make a statement.

It is for the local planning authorities, in the first instance, to have regard to the policies in the south east Dorset structure plan when considering applications for development in the area. Where proposed development appears materially in conflict with the plan, the application must be referred to the Secretary of State. However, he will call in for his determination only those applications which involve issues of more than local significance. It is entirely appropriate that purely local planning issues should be determined by the responsible elected authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many hon. Members have made representations about the difficulties experienced by (a) the owners of prefabricated reinforced concrete houses built before 1960 which originated in the private sector and (b) the owners of Unity houses which originated in the private sector.

I have received representations from five hon. Members, including my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Sir I. Gilmour). Two of these representations were on behalf of owners of Unity houses.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultation took place with the Building Regulations Advisory Committee on the proposed amendments to the "Building Regulations, Access and Facilities in Buildings for the Benefit of the Disabled", circulated on 14 October 1983.

There have been three rounds of consultation on the question of the provision of access to buildings for disabled people. The Building Regulations Advisory Committee was involved in the preparation of all these proposals, and in considering the responses to them. It discussed the 14 October 1983 consultation at its meetings in July 1983, December 1983 and February 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which organisations were circulated on 14 October 1983 with the consultation letter enclosing the proposed amendment to the "Building Regulations, Access and Facilities in Buildings for the Benefit of the Disabled"; what views were expressed by the disability organisations; and if he will make available the responses to this consultation.

The Department's letter of 14 October 1983 was distributed to more than 300 organisations which are always consulted on proposals for new building regulations. In addition, 41 disability organisations were specially consulted on this occasion, and the papers were generally available; I have sent my hon. Friend lists of all the consultees.Sixteen organisations representing disabled people responded, and I am sending my hon. Friend a list of them. They all supported the principle of extending the building regulations to require the provision of facilities for disabled people, and they all welcomed our proposal to apply the requirements to work on existing buildings, as well as to new buildings. Almost all, however, regretted the temporary limitation of the access requirements to ground floors. Some groups also considered that the minimum provision of wheelchair spaces in auditoria and sports stadia was too low.Other responses from organisations representing building, and industrial and commercial interests, on the other hand, criticised the absence of any exemption for small buildings, and suggested that provision of the facilities required could prove unreasonably expensive. Those concerned with fire protection matters welcomed the limitation of the requirement to ground floors until adequate standards for safety and means of escape from other floors are agreed.I regret I cannot make available the individual responses to the Department's consultation letter of 14 October 1983 without the authorisation of the respondents.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received alleging that some county councils are taking actions aimed at pre-empting rights for tenants to be enacted in the Housing and Building Control Bill; and if he will make a statement.

The Housing and Building Control Bill proposes to extend security of tenure and the right to buy to certain county council tenants. I am aware of reports that tenancies are being terminated in order to frustrate the intentions of the Bill.County council tenants of residential premises who have periodic tenancies have no long-term security of tenure under existing legislation. Under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977, a notice to quit such premises must be in writing and must be given at least four weeks before it is to take effect. The Act also contains provisions relating to harassment and eviction without a court order. But, beyond those basic protections, such tenants must look to the terms of their tenancies to establish what rights they have—if any—to stay in their present homes.County councils are currently in a position to terminate many of their tenancies at a month's notice. That will remain the position until the Housing and Building Control Bill comes into effect. A tenancy which is terminated before the Bill takes effect will not be subject to its provisions.It follows that county councils are in some cases able to frustrate the purposes of the proposed new legislation. The decisions are for them to take under the law as it stands. I consider it indefensible for any public authority to take steps against individuals and families to deprive them of rights which both Houses have concluded that they should have. The Bill makes provision for certain tenancies to be excepted from security of tenure. These exceptions have been considered by both Houses of Parliament. Parliament has decided on a balance between the reasonable expectations of tenants and the need for county councils to retain control of housing needed for operational purposes. There may be some cases in which it may be appropriate for a county council to adjust its tenancy arrangements in the light of the detailed provisions in the Bill. But I deplore any steps which are taken by county councils to deprive tenants of their prospective right to buy, for that purpose alone.I regard it as particularly indefensible if any tenant were to be evicted from a dwelling which is surplus to operational requirement simply so that that dwelling might be sold in the open market with vacant possession at a higher price. County councils currently have discretion to sell surplus housing to sitting tenants at a discount and we have encouraged them to do so. Of course county councils have a duty to their ratepayers. But they have important responsibilities towards their tenants also.Under the Bill a secure tenant will normally have the right to buy at a discounty. But the cost-floor rules provide that the discount cannot reduce the sale price below the basic costs of provision. So there is no question of the ratepayer being expected to subsidise discounted sales at less than historic costs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he anticipates being in a position to announce a decision concerning the Kirkhamgate-Dishforth motorway extension scheme.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and I are considering Sir Michael Giddings' report and we hope to annouce a decision by the end of this year. I shall of course inform my hon. Friend, and other interested hon. Members, as soon as a decision is announced.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to introduce a freeze on construction work by local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Capital expenditure by local authorities is subject to cash limits. If we received evidence that those cash limits were in danger of being breached, we would have to consider what action should be taken. We have no evidence yet of a need to consider action to restrict local capital spending in 1984–85. We would take action only if it were necessary and unavoidable.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information is available to him about the balance of financial flows between developed and developing countries in the latest year for which figures are available.

In 1982, which is the latest year for which figures exist, net financial flows from developed countries and multilateral organisations to developing countries are estimated to have totalled almost $110 billion. This consisted of $51 billion in private commercial capital flows, $26 billion in official development assistance, $23 billion in official or officially-supported loans, $7 billion in IMF net lending, and $2 billion in grants by private voluntary agencies.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how profits from traded option contracts on the Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 index will be treated for taxation purposes.

The Inland Revenue will treat profits and losses on traded option contracts on the FT-SE 100 index in the same way as profits and losses on traded options on company stocks. In the case of certain financial concerns such as banks and investment dealing companies, and where dealings in options amount to trading, any profits or losses will be treated as income and assessed under case I of schedule D.In general, however, profits and losses will be regarded as of a capital nature and hence within the capital gains tax provisions. They will fall within the scope of clause 63 of the Finance Bill so that the full acquisition cost of an option will be allowable in computing the gain or loss which arises on its disposal and the abandonment of an option will be treated as a disposal.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will clarify his proposals for the tax treatment of income from letting caravans and pitches and the application to holiday caravan parks of the proposals on furnished holiday letting in clause 49 and schedule 11 to the Finance Bill.

The letting of caravans is regarded as an activity of leasing chattels which may amount to a trade if it is on a sufficient scale and organised and operated on a commercial basis. This can be determined only on the facts of each case and there can be no hard and fast rule of general application. Where the scale, organisation, and operation is such that it does amount to a trade, the income is assessable under case I of schedule D; in other cases under case VI.Income from letting pitches, that is site rents, is assessable under schedule A to the extent that it arises from exploiting an interest in land. However, where the provision of associated services assessable under case I of schedule D, such as, for example, shops, accounts for a substantial part of the income, in practice the whole income will be included in the case I computation.Clause 49 defines furnished holiday accommodation in terms which include caravans. Caravan park operators who let caravans and who are correctly assessed under case I of schedule D as traders will not be affected by the clause which would offer them no additional reliefs. But those assessed under case VI, and whose lettings meet the qualifying conditions, will be able to benefit from the capital gains tax reliefs and earned income treatment the clause provides in the same way as anyone letting other forms of self-catering holiday accommodation.The clause does not apply to the letting of pitches or of residential caravans for long-term occupation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in the Official Report the annual level of the rate of inflation in each of the last 10 years.

[pursuant to his reply, 14 May 1984, c. 13]: The increase in the annual average RPI level for each of the 10 years to 1983 was as follows:

	Increase
1974	16·1
1975	24·2

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidelines have been issued to nationalised industries on donations to outside voluntary organisations.

[pursuant to his reply, 14 May 1984, c. 13]: No guidelines have been issued. Donations to outside voluntary organisations are matters which fall within the management responsibility of the industry boards concerned.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, for each five-year period since 1960, including 1980 to 1984, the estimated annual average percentage increase in gross domestic product, manufacturing output, national average earnings, inflation, manufacturing productivity, manufacturing investment and unit labour costs in, respectively, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, West Germany, France, Japan and Sweden.

[pursuant to his reply, 8 May 1984, c. 314]: The available information is given in the following table. The percentages show the annual compound rate of growth between the first and last year of each period. Data for 1984 are not yet available. For average earnings, the information available for the specified countries relates to wages per head for manual workers in manufacturing industries; these are not compiled on a standardised basis and the more important differences are indicated in the notes to the table. For manufacturing investment 1981 is the latest year for which estimates are available from international sources for countries other than the United Kingdom.

Annual average percentage increase
	1960–65	1965–70	1970–75	1975–80
Gross domestic product at constant market prices
United Kingdom	+3·2	+2·5	+2·0	+1·5
United States of America	+4·7	+3·0	+2·5	+3·4
France	+5·8	+5·4	+4·0	+3·3
West Germany	+5·0	+4·2	+2·1	+3·5
Japan	+10·0	+11·2	+4·6	+5·1
Sweden*	+5·2	+4·3	+2·6	+1·3
Manufacturing output
United Kingdom	+3·1	+2·8	+0·3	-1·0
United States of America	+6·5	+3·5	+1·8	+2·4
West Germany	+5·7	+5·3	+0·2	+3·3
France	+5·3	+2·5	+2·6	+3·4
Japan	+11·8	+15·8	+1·7	+6·7
Sweden	+7·2	+5·1	+2·5	-0·5
Wages per head: manufacturing (manual workers)
United Kingdom†	n.a.	+7·7	+15·9	+14·9
United States of America‡	+2·8	+5·3	+7·5	+8·6
West Germany║	+9·0	+7·9	+9·7	+6·2