asked the Attorney-General if Her Majesty's Government will consider consolidating the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974 as amended by the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Amendment) Act 1976, the Employment Acts 1980 and 1982 and the anticipatd Trade Union Act of 1984.

There are no plans at present to consolidate this legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what studies have been conducted of the vulnerability to Soviet air-defence system of in-flight ground-launched cruise missiles;(2) whether his Department has conducted studies to determine the vulnerability, to a Soviet pre-emptive disarming first-strike, of ground-launched cruise when

Studies have been conducted of a number of factors bearing on the operational effectiveness of ground launched cruise missiles. I am, however, not willing to provide further details.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if there are any plans to incorporate European-based ground-launched cruise missiles into the United States' Pentagon's single integrated operational plan; and if he will make a statement.

I cannot add to the answer given to the hon. Member by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 10 July.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if any ground-launched cruise missles based at RAF Greenham common are held at a readiness for firing known as quick action alert; and if he will make a statement.

A proportion of the force of ground launched cruise missiles based at RAF Greenham common is maintained at a high state of readiness, as is the case with a number of other nuclear and conventional weapons systems deployed by NATO.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether United States' B52-H or B52-G strategic bombers equipped with internal rotary launch platforms and/or wing-strut launch platforms have temporarily used any of the basing facilities made available in the United Kingdom to the United States Air Force; and if he will make a statement.

No B52-H or B52-G aircraft have used facilities in the United Kingdom while fitted with such equipment.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any request has been received from any agency of the United States Administration requesting storage or maintenance facilities in the United Kingdom for (a) United States Air Force air-launched cruise missiles or their support systems and (b) United States Navy BGM-109B and BGM-109C missiles.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the capital cost of building a nuclear-powered submarine in each year since the first one; and what have been the costs of refits in each year over the same period of time.

It is not possible to provide the information requested in the time available. I shall be writing to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what changes were made with effect from 1 April in private car mileage allowances for serving officers of the RAF; and if he will make a statement.

The only change in motor mileage allowance effective from 1 April 1984 payable to serving officers of the RAF was an increase in the converted leave rate from 6·9p to 7·1p per mile.All motor mileage allowances are reviewed annually to ensure that they take the most recent travel costs into account and are fair and reasonable. Rates payable are assessed on the basis of the travel cost most closely associated with the type of journey being undertaken and are paid, where appropriate, to all members of the Armed Forces irrespective of rank.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what building and construction works have had to be undertaken at the site of HMS Vulcan in Caithness in preparation for the reactor tests to be undertaken there, as part of the Trident programme;(2) what is the total projected amount of expenditure required to prepare the HMS Vulcan site for trials to be undertaken there in connection with the Trident programme.

A new shore test facility and associated services are being constructed at the Vulcan naval nuclear propulsion test establishment at an estimated cost of £25 million. This facility will enable the setting up and running of the prototype propulsion system for the Royal Navy's future classes of SSN as well as the SSBN (Trident) submarines. The construction work is due to be completed later this year, but some refurbishment of building and the provision of a new workshop is programmed to take place over the next five years at an estimated cost of £6 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the body of Mr. Robin Walsh was accompanied by an employee of his Department on its return to the United Kingdom.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated hull life of a Royal Navy nuclear attack submarine.

Royal Navy SSN's are planned to have an operational life of between 25 and 30 years. They are withdrawn from service when maintenance costs become too high, or their military effectiveness becomes too limited as a result of advances in technology.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied with security arrangements at the royal small arms factory, Enfield.

I have been concerned to read the comments made by the House of Commons Defence Committee about security at RSAF Enfield. As the Committee recognises, the factory has initiated a substantial programme of physical security improvements, taking full account of the advice it received from the Metropolitan police in discussions arranged by my Department. The factory's plans were already well advanced at the time the Committee began its inquiry, when a presentation was given about security improvements in prospect. As for Ministry of Defence police numbers at the factory, in which the Committee was right to take a close interest, I have agreed that the complement should be increased and manpower provided so that there will be more MDP officers at Enfield than at any time in the last decade. Some additional officers have already been posted in.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will extend the Computer Board's terms of reference to cover polytechnics.

The Computer Board advises me on computer facilities for the universities, which I grant-aid, and also advises the research councils on their computing provision. The extension of the board's terms of reference to include public sector higher education on an advisory basis has been considered previously and I remain prepared to consider any such proposal from the National Advisory Body for Local Authority Higher Education or the local authority associations.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the average expenditure per full-time student on computing facilities in polytechnics in England and Wales in 1982–83 and 1981–82.

The Department does not hold data on local education authorities' expenditure in the detail requested; that for Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the average expenditure per full-time student on computing facilities in universities in England and Wales in 1982–83 and 1981–82.

The average expenditure per full-time equivalent student on central computing facilities in universities from funds made available by the Government on the advice of the Computer Board was as follows:

	Academic Years
	1981–82 £	1982–83 £
Capital expenditure	47·93	49·36
Recurrent expenditure	56·70	65·68

The Universities also received recurrent grant for expenditure on teaching and research and capital equipment grant through the University Grants Committee; in addition, grants were made by the research councils. No details are available of the amounts spent on computing facilities from these sources.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he proposes to take to rectify the deficiencies in computer services in polytechnics identified by Her Majesty's inspectors' recent reports.

It is for the authorities maintaining the polytechnics to remedy deficiencies in provision. I hope that they will take heed of any criticisms of physical resources or staff development in HMI reports.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment he has made of the effect of the new arrangements for meeting student travel costs upon student housing choices.

None. It will be for individual students to decide how best to deploy the resources available to them within the overall grant.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to encourage schools to offer children milk treated with fluoride.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the amounts of grant in aid to the Medical Research council for each of the past 10 years, and the percentage change in real terms in each of these years.

The following table shows the information requested in cost terms figures. These have been derived by adjusting the cash outturn for past years and the cash provision for 1983–84 and 1984–85 to a base of average 1982–83 prices, using the deflator for gross domestic product at market prices.

Year	Grant-in-aid Actual £ million	Grant-in-aid *Cost terms £ million	Percentage change per cent.
1975–76	34·0	78·6	+1·0
1976–77	38·9	79·4
			-4·4
1977–78	42·3	75·9	+0·8
1978–79	47·1	76·5
			+4·2
1979–80	57·3	79·7	+6·9
1980–81	72·7	85·2
			†+27·2
1981–82	101·7	108·4	-0·8
1982–83	107·5	107·5
			+0·3
1983–84	113·7	107·8	-1·6
1984–85	117·2	106·1
*Base of average 1982–83 prices.
† Large increase in 1981–82 was due to transfer of commissioning money from the Health Departments to the grant-n-aid.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the average gross weekly earnings, expressed in hourly rates, of full-time adult men and women over the age of 21 years, excluding overtime, and so on, who are primary and secondary school teachers covered by the Burnham committee.

I have been asked to reply.The most recent available information relates to April 1983 and is given in tables 2 and 3 of "New Earnings Survey 1983" part A, a copy of which is in the library.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what change there has been in real terms in the price of gas since 1979; and how this compares with the changes in gas prices in real terms in other members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development over the same period, from information available from international sources.

The percentage change in real terms in the price of gas for the domestic and industrial sectors of the United Kingdom and other members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development for which there is comparable information, between 1979 and the latest period for which figures are available, is given in the following table.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list all payments made to Mr. Ian MacGregor and is associated firms following his appointment as chairman of the National Coal Board.

My right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Energy gave the House on 28 March 1983 details of the payments to be made to Lazard Freres in compensation for the loss of Mr. MacGregor's services. Mr. MacGregor receives the normal salary due to him as chairman of the National Coal Board, but no other payments have been made to him or to Lazard Freres.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list what payments he expects to make in the coming year to Mr. MacGregor and his associated firms following his appointment as chairman of the National Coal Board.

None—but Mr. MacGregor will of course be receiving his normal salary as the chairman of the board.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he will be making an annoucement on the outcome of the application by the off-islands of the Isles of Scilly for a mains electricity supply; and if he will make an announcement before the summer recess.

I understand that the South Western electricity board hopes to advise me very shortly as to its proposals, following study of the results of the marine survey carried out earlier this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what consultations there have been, and with whom, about privatisation of the electricity supply industry; and what are his present intentions on this matter.

I am continuing to examine the scope for the introduction of private capital into the electricity supply industry, taking into account the wide range of views which have been expressed to me on this subject. No decisions have yet been taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the approximate volume, value and markets for coal exported from the United Kingdom and its principal destinations in each of the past 10 years.

The information for 1983, which is due to be published by my Department at the end of July, is given in the following table. It is derived from returns made to Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.

	Coal exports
(a) Volume (thousand tonnes)	6,344
(b) Value—fob (£ thousand)	190,860
(c) Markets (thousand tonnes) European Community	4,625
Other markets	1,719

The principal destinations in 1983, by volume, were Denmark, France, Finland, Federal Republic of Germany and the Irish Republic.The information for earlier years is givn in the annual series "Imports and Exports of Solid Fuels" published in the "Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics", copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has as to the total cost of the miners' strike to the Central Electricity Generating Board, at the latest date for which figures are available, in terms of the use of more expensive fuel to preserve coal supplies.

The cost of the miners' strike to the Central Electricity Generating Board will depend upon how long the dispute lasts. It will also include an assessment of savings as well as costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what plans he has to improve the accountability of the appliance retailing and contracting activities of area electricity boards.

In the light of the recommendations on appliance retailing and contracting in the Monopolies and Mergers Commission reports on the London, Yorkshire and South Wales electricity boards, the Government and the Electricity Council have agreed that, starting from 1983–84, boards will publish separate accounts for each activity. The allocation of costs to these accounts will reflect the proportionate use of resources in the two activities, with showroom costs being apportioned on the basis of staff time and usage of space. A financial objective has been agreed for each of the two activities; this is an average return of 5 per cent. on current cost net assets in the four-year period from 1984–85. The target return is based on the aggregate performance of all the area boards. In addition, each board will aim to achieve at least an average 2 per cent. return on net assets for each activity over the target period.The Government welcome the contribution that these measures will make towards improving boards' accountability and helping them to show that they are trading fairly and profitably in the appliance retailing and contracting activities.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the report and accounts for the National Coal Board for 1983–84.

The NCB Annual report and accounts for 1983–84, published today, demonstrate the serious financial situation of the board. Last year it made a loss, before deficit grant, of £875 million, equivalent to 18 per cent. of the board's turnover. In the last four years the NCB has lost nearly £2 billion.Some £200 million of the 1983–84 loss was inflicted needlessly on the industry by the strike and overtime ban. The rest represents an underlying imbalance between the board's costs and revenues. A substantial part of it was caused by a relatively small number of high-cost pits.Total support from the taxpayer to the coal industry in 1983–84, in the form of grants to the NCB and payments sto redundant mineworkers, was a massive £1·3 billion, equivalent to nearly £130 per week for every employee in the coal industry.The results for 1983–84 show that the NCB is insolvent. The NCB is able to carry on only because the Government are prepared to underwrite its losses while the industry turns itself round.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to seek powers to allow self-employed persons to offset against tax a proportion of their total social security contribution equal to that paid in the case of an employed person by the employer.

The difference between the tax treatment of the social security contributions paid by the self-employed and by employers in respect of their employees reflects the underlying differences. For an employer the contributions are a business expense which can therefore, like other business expenses, be deducted in arriving at his profits liable to tax. By contrast a self-employed person would benefit from his own contributions; they are a personal expense and, like other personal expenses, cannot be deducted in arriving at taxable profits. I have no plans to change this treatment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Treasury has available to it an index of real interest rates in the United Kingdom.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I have given to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Davis)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing real rates of interest on a quarterly basis for the period 1970 to the present, including figures for short-run and long-run real interest rates.

There are many problems in estimating both short-term and long-term real interest rates. A discussion of these together with some estimates of pre- and post-tax short-term real interest rates for the United Kingdom, the United States and West Germany appeared in the Bank of England Quarterly Bulletin, December 1983.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the figure given to the hon. Member for Mid-Staffordshire on 13 June, Official Report, column 1054, in respect of the amount of tax revenue arising in 1983–84 from development land tax was net of either capital gains tax or corporation tax whichever the case may be.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the total annual cost of mortgage interest tax relief paid to mortgagors who are taxed above the standard rate for each financial year from 1979–80 to 1983–84.

[pursuant to his reply, 17 July 1984, c. 131]: The latest estimates are as follows, together with the costs of relief given in excess of the basic rate.

	Mortgage interest relief for higher rate taxpayers	Relief in excess of the basic rate
	£ million	£ million
1979–80	200	80
1980–81	300	115
1981–82	450	170
*1982–83	390	150
*1983–84	375	140
* Provisional.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how salary paid up to six months in advance is treated by the Inland Revenue for pay-as-you-earn purposes; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 July 1984, c. 551]: Tax under PAYE should be deducted from salary paid in advance at the date payment is made.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if the request by the London borough of Waltham Forest that its chief executive be advised, if necessary on a confidential basis, of the routes and times of trains carrying radioactive material through the borough so that appropriate contingency arrangements may be established, is to be agreed to; and if he will make a statement.

Responsibility for the routeing and timing of individual consignments of radioactive materials is a matter for the British Railways Board.Contingency arrangements exist for responding to any incident which may occur and guidance on these has been provided to the emergency services. The recent rail crash test demonstrated in public the strength and safety of the flasks which are used for these consignments.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what were the total railway track miles and route miles open in each of the years from 1963 to 1983; and how many miles there were of single track.

The information is as follows:

British Rail standard gauge railway open at year end (miles)
Year	Route	*Track	†Single-line route
1963	16,982	46,434	—
1964	15,991	44,080	—
1965	14,920	41,355	—
1966	13,721	38,464	—
1967	13,172	36,498	—
1968	12,447	33,976	—
1969	12,098	32,475	—
1970	11,799	31,281	—
1971	11,643	30,716	—
1972	11,444	29,869	—
1973	11,326	29,387	—
1974	11,289	29,268	—
1975	11,258	28,873	3,304
1976	11,189	28,700	3,275
1977	11,168	28,576	3,251
1978	11,123	28,322	3,247
1979	11,020	27,592	3,162
1980	10,964	27,268	3,175
1981	10,831	26,570	3,090
1982	10,706	26,105	3,003
1983	10,541	25,664	3,033
* Includes running lines and sidings.
† Information on single-line routes not readily available before 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what were the levels of Government investment in British Rail in each of the successive years from 1963, expressed at current and in 1983 prices.

The information is as follows:

£ million—current prices
£ million—(1983 prices)
Year	Expenditure on capital and revenue investment	Expenditure on continuous welded rail	Total
1963	73 (463)	13 (83)	86 (546)
1964	84 (519)	14 (87)	98 (606)
1965	92 (553)	20 (120)	112 (673)
1966	81 (469)	20 (116)	101 (585)
1967	65 (378)	17 (98)	82 (476)
1968	60 (331)	19 (105)	79 (436)
1969	40 (210)	22 (117)	62 (327)
1970	47 (231)	27 (135)	74 (366)
1971	60 (271)	28 (127)	88 (398)
1972	75 (314)	31 (129)	106 (443)
1973	83 (296)	35 (124)	118 (420)
1974	106 (316)	42 (127)	148 (443)
1975	166 (416)	50 (126)	216 (542)
1976	192 (418)	47 (102)	239 (520)
1977	204 (393)	55 (106)	259 (499)
1978	235 (405)	70 (120)	305 (525)
1979	287 (435)	69 (104)	356 (539)
1980	333 (421)	82 (104)	415 (525)
1981	308 (350)	89 (101)	397 (451)
1982	251 (264)	77 (81)	328 (345)
1983	276 (276)	105 (105)	381 (381)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what British Rail assets have been sold off in each of the years since 1963; and for what price.

The financial summary tables in the British Railways Board's annual report and accounts record proceeds from sales of scrap and disposals of assets in each of these years as follows:

Year	£ million
1963	12·0
1964	14·6
1965	22·5
1966	33·6
1967	31·3
1968	23·4
1969	18·2
1970	18·7
1971	15·3
1972	23·7
1973	21·6
1974	17·2

Total traffic through GB seaports 1965–82
million tonnes
	Total	Oil	Unitised	Conventional	Other
	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)
1965	319·2	157·2	4·5	14·2	143·3
1966	324·4	171·4	4·6		148·3
1967	324·7	173·9	6·1		144·7
1968	341·4	183·6	9·0		148·7
1969	354·7	198·2	12·9		143·6
1970	370·0	210·2	16·9	9·6	133·3
1971	368·3	214·7	19·3		134·3
1972	376·6	218·0	22·5		136·2
1973	399·5	232·1	28·5		138·9
1974	390·8	226·5	30·6		133·7
1975	340·2	186·2	29·1	6·1	118·9
1976	360·3	200·1	32·7	6·4	121·1
1977	370·2	208·4	35·5	5·9	120·4
1978	392·4	227·7	39·3	5·7	119·8
1979	426·8	251·1	41·7	5·9	128·1
1980	411·8	244·6	41·7	5·3	120·2
1981	405·5	230·1	43·0	4·1	128·3
1982	417·5	241·2	45·4	3·9	127·1

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what facilities are available at British ports for loading coal efficiently; what size of vessels can be accommodated and worked at the principal berths at each of the main ports concerned; and what plans he has to help develop additional coal-handling capacity.

The most recent survey of berth facilities in British ports was conducted in 1979 and published by the National Ports Council in its "Annual Digest of Port Statistics 1978 Volume II" (a copy is held in the Library). Since the survey substantial investment in coal loading facilities has been taking place at several ports, including Workington, Ayr, Leith and Tyne.The question of new coal handling facilities is a matter for the ports and their customers.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total tonnage through British ports for each year since 1963 broken down into oil, traffic, conventional and containerised traffic.

The figures for the total tonnage through British ports for 1965 to 1982 are as follows. Figures for 1963 and 1964 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport in pursuance of his policy of encouraging coal exports, what encouragement he has given to ports wishing to provided more effective coal loading facilities.

The provision of new port facilities is a commercial matter between the port authorities and their customers. Port infrastructure schemes in assisted areas may be eligible for aid from the European regional development fund; examples are the recent coal handling schemes at Workington and Ayr and one under construction in the Port of Tyne. Grant under section 8 of the Railways Act 1974 may also be available for qualifying schemes.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of the position being adopted by the United Kingdom Government regarding a review of the International Labour Organisation convention 147 at the forthcoming meeting of the International Labour Organisation Joint Maritime Commission; and if he will make a statement.

The Joint Maritime Commission is composed of representatives of seafarers and shipowners. The United Kingdom Government will not therefore be present at its meeting and are not called upon to form a view at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of inspections carried out by the states signatory to the memorandum of understanding on port state control adopted in Paris in 1982, specifying by flag state the number of merchant ships inspected, the proportion of defective ships, the nature of the defects, the action taken against defective ships and the numbers involved, and the extent to which each of the 14 signatories have met the target of inspecting 25 per cent. of the vessels visiting their ports.

Details of inspections during the first 12 months after the memorandum of understanding came into effect on 1 July 1982 were set out in a report by the Port State Control Committee representing signatory states. This report was circulated by the International Maritime Organisation in October 1983. I am placing copies in the Library. The report shows that 8,839 ships from 108 countries were inspected in the ports of the 14 participating states. Although detailed figures for the second year are not yet available, some 7,500 inspections had been carried out up to the end of April 1984.In most cases defects were rectified during the vessel's scheduled stay in port, but 579 ships were delayed or detained to correct serious deficiencies.The memorandum of understanding requires the signatories to reach the target of inspecting 25 per cent. of the vessels visiting their ports by July 1985. The United Kingdom met the target within the first year but throughout the region the current figure, according to the secretariat of the memorandum of understanding on port state control, is approximately 20 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in the light of his admission that the exhibition for the Bingley to Shipley section of the Aire valley trunk road was misleading, he will now consider re-holding the exhibition.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave the hon. Member on 13 July.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the shortest and longest known delay in the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre at Swansea providing information on the name of the owner or keeper of a vehicle which has been involved in an accident, and who has either left the scene or refused to provide the information to a person having reasonable grounds for seeking this information.

Over the last six months, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre replied to all those with acceptable grounds for seeking information in these circumstances and who have paid the appropriate fee within six to 18 working days of receipt. Over 90 per cent. of inquiries were cleared in 11 working days.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport why, at the junction between the M69 motorway and the A5070 and B4069 roads, there is no southerly access to or egress from the motorway.

The M69 motorway was provided with north facing slip road connections to the A5070-B4069 to allow traffic from Hinckley to join the motorway to travel northwards towards Leicester and the M1, and vice versa. There is little demand for traffic travelling south to join the motorway at this point. The junction with A5-A447, two and a half miles to the south, allows all movements and traffic wishing to travel south on M69 from Hinckley may join the motorway here.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether any assurances have been given to Parliament by Her Majesty's Government, since the general election of 1979, that it was not the Government's intention that any part of British Airways should be broken up or sold off: and if he will make a statement.

The quotation to which my right hon. Friend refers is from Sir John Nott's speech in his capacity as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry during the Second Reading of the Civil Aviation Bill on 19 November 1979, at column 47. The Government will bear all relevant factors in mind in considering the Civil Aviation Authority's report.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how the technical requirements for the assessment of existing highway bridges and structures published in his Department's new code will be handled in the event of the transfer of these responsibilities from the Greater London council to the London borough councils.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to him on 24 May, at column 454.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the estimated life of a resurfaced section of motorway (a) on ground level and (b) on overhead viaducts.

The life of surfacing material depends largely upon the weight and volume of traffic using it and the extremes of weather conditions occurring during its life. The estimated service life of surfacing on motorways at ground level varies between eight and twelve years. On overhead viaducts the surfacing is often subject to more severe stresses and the services life tends towards the lower end of this range.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals are being considered for the designation of official alternative routes adjacent to the motorway system.

The capacity of the motorway system is continuously reviewed so that longer-term problems can be tackled by including specific improvements in the road programme. Seasonal problems have been mitigated by well-publicised holiday routes, which are reviewed annually. Perhaps my hon. Friend will write to me if there is a particular point of concern about the need for a temporary diversion.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what experiments are being conducted with alternative methods of road surface de-icing, particularly with reference to overhead sections of motorway.

The use of salt for de-icing the midland links viaducts has caused corrosion problems, so we are considering various other ways of tackling these problems, including the possible use of urea as an alternative de-icing agent. We recently carried out a successful experiment to test the feasibility of spreading urea on the viaducts. Although more expensive than salt, urea does not corrode steel. It is already used on the Severn and Avonmouth bridges.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he is able to publish the results of the installation of the M6 headlight dazzle barrier in Warwickshire.

The results were published in 1980 in TRRL Laboratory report 955 "Assessment of anti-dazzle screen in M6". I am sending a copy to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport which transport infrastructure schemes in the United Kingdom have been submitted to the Commission of the European Communities for support from the 1985 Community budget.

The following seven projects have been submitted to the Commission to be considered for support from the 1985 budget:

(i) improvement of the A604 Midlands—Haven Ports route

(ii) Al20 Braintree By-pass

(iii) improvement of the A55 North Wales East-West route

(iv) Musselburgh and Tranent By-pass

(v) improvement of East Anglian Rail Links

(vi) modernisation of the London Air Traffic Control Centre

(vii)Manchester International Airport—terminal extension

These projects have been submitted on a contingency basis as it remains uncertain whether the 1985 EC budget will include funds for transport infrastructure, and no Council regulation on infrastructure financing beyond 1984 has yet been agreed.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will reinstate into the road programme a route, south of Blackburn, from Whitebirk on the M65 to the M6.

I said in the House on 17 July, at columns 291–94, that I would be making an early decision on this issue. I am pleased to say that, having examined the further work done, principally by Lancashire county council, I have decided to add a southern all-purpose trunk route to the active road programme.

asked the Prime Minister whether her statement in the debate on the Address on 3 November 1982, Official Report, column 21, urging local authorities to make full and proper use of the sums which the Government had allocated to capital, remains the policy of her Government.

Yes. It is important for the economy that the planned levels of local authority capital expenditure, as of other areas of public expenditure, should not be exceeded. But within the planned levels we wish to see full and proper use made of the available resources to provide the necessary infrastructure and other facilities for the future needs of local communities.

asked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to pay an official visit to Lincolnshire.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 26 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 July.

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 what assessment is being made of the consequences for public policy of coal and dock strikes in 1984.

I shall be writing to my hon. Friend shortly.

asked the Prime Minister how many people were employed in, and what was the cost in salaries and administration of, the No. 10 policy unit for each of the years since 1979.

The numbers and costs, including the secretarial support staff, are as follows:

	Numbers	Annual costs £
1979–80	2	24,384
1980–81	3	36,796
1981–82	4	48,835
1982–83	7	80,947
1983–84	10	129,234

Following the abolition of the CPRS in 1983, the Policy Unit in the Prime Minister's Office and the efficiency unit were strengthened.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he is satisfied that there are sufficient staff in his Kirkby office to carry out home visits in a reasonable time;(2) if he will ensure that a wait of four weeks for a home visit from one of his officers to a claimant is reduced immediately and substantially;(3) what steps he is taking to improve the services to claimants provided by his Kirkby office.

The complement of staff allocated to Kirkby office for the year April 1984–85 is 155; the actual staff in post at 1 July 1984 was 167. I am therefore satisfied that there are sufficient staff to carry out home visits.The backlog of visits is due to an increase in claims for single payments. Visits such as those involving a claim to benefit are carried out within a week and in cases of urgency, an immediate visit can be arranged. Local management are making every effort to provide a satisfactory service to claimants and, in particular, to keep waiting times for home visits to a minimum.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he proposes to introduce a Bill to give effect to the Warnock committee's recommendations concerning surrogate motherhood.

We are consulting widely on the inquiry's report and will consider the scope and content of any legislation on its recommendations on this and other matters in the light of that consultation. We are aware that surrogate motherhood causes particularly deep concern to very many people.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which countries in Europe have either not allowed or have rejected fluoridation of water supplies.

As far as we are aware, water fluoridation is either not allowed or has been rejected in three European countries. In the Netherlands and Norway fluoridation of the water supplies was held by the courts to be ultra vires. In Sweden legislation permitting fluoridation was repealed by the Swedish Parliament in 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many National Health Service prescriptions were dispensed by chemists in the Staffordshire, Moorlands constituency in each year since 1975;(2) how many people received drugs by National Health Service prescription from chemists in the Staffordshire, Moorlands constituency in each year since 1975;(3) what was the value of National Health Service drugs dispensed by chemists in the Staffordshire, Moorlands constituency in each year since 1975.

We do not use parliamentary constituencies as the geographical area for collecting information about the number of prescription items dispensed by chemists, so that figures for the Staffordshire, Moorlands constituency are not readily available centrally. My hon. Friend may wish to approach the Staffordshire FPC, which may be able to provide it. In the Staffordshire FPC area, which includes the Staffordshire, Moorlands constituency, chemists dispensed each year the following numbers of prescription items at the total net ingredient cost shown:

	Number of Prescription Items	Net Ingredient Cost £
1975	5,522,517	5,100,384
1976	5,738,251	6,707,384
1977	5,877,794	8,713,177
1978	6,215,668	10,700,014
1979	6,115,096	12,273,371
1980	6,130,534	14,862,577
1981	6,004,945	17,161,139
1982	6,269,013	20,029,714
1983	6,396,393	22,734,638

The number of people for whom these prescription items were dispensed is not known.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were waiting to be admitted to hospitals in Staffordshire at the last count, and at the same date over the past five years.

The requested information is given in the table.In general, figures on waiting lists are believed to include a significant proportion of duplicated entries and patients who no longer require treatment. The amount of overstatement cannot be readily estimated but is thought to exceed 10 per cent. nationally and could be considerably more.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total expenditure incurred by the National Health Service on the provision of abortions in each of the last five years.

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the number of complaints made by workers in hospitals as to the removal of asbestos from hospitals in each of the last three years.

The information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the Minister of State's recent visit to Liverpool.

I was very sorry to have to pull out of this interesting engagement because of urgent duties in our Department, and in the event the visit was undertaken by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State. He attended a meeting of district health authority chairmen from the Mersey region and in the afternoon visited Broadgreen hospital to inspect the site of the proposed major new £11 million redevelopment of the hospital. This development will replace inadequate accommodation at Broadgreen hospital itself and some of the old substandard accommodation at Newsham general hospital.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the life expectancy of the working group for the review of the electrical safety code on hospital laboratory equipment.

The working group for the review of the electrical safety code on hospital laboratory equipment was approved on the basis that the working group would complete its task in two years.

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

No refunds of voluntary unemployment deductions have been made by the Department's Motherwell local office to former claimants following the advertising campaign in March or the earlier publicity. The number of unsuccessful inquiries made is not recorded. Forty-five payments resulted from the check of current files by Motherwell local office.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action is being taken to deal with the problem of solvent misuse in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Extensive consultation with statutory, voluntary, professional and trade organisations in 1983 strongly supported the Government's policy on solvent misuse. They agreed the policy to help parents and the relevant services use existing skills, resources and powers to co-operate more effectively to discourage the practice of solvent misuse through education and persuasion.The problem remains with us. More people died from solvent misuse last year than the previous year. The Government are taking a wide range of measures to tackle the problem and try to reduce the number of people who misuse solvents.These measures are:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the level of each of the main benefits paid weekly if each had been linked only to price changes since 1954 or from the date when each benefit was first introduced, whichever is the later.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 July 1984, c. 376–78]: The entry in column (1) for supplementary benefits, other persons aged 5–10, should read '0·675'.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is now able to announce the extension of the concessionary television licence scheme to physically disabled and mentally handicapped people living in residential accommodation.

I have today laid before the House regulations which will extend the existing 5p licence scheme for retired people in residential homes and certain sheltered housing schemes for the elderly. The regulations provide for physically disabled and mentally disordered people in residential homes run by local authorities and by voluntary and private bodies, and in sheltered housing which is provided or managed specially for the disabled by local authorities and housing associations, to qualify for the concessionary licence on the same terms as retirement pensioners. Those retired people in elderly people's sheltered accommodation run by housing associations who do not qualify for the concession under the present rules will also benefit under the new arrangements, which are to come into effect on 1 September 1984. The National TV Licence Records Office will be writing to local authorities and other bodies which provide residential accommodation for retired disabled people setting out the new conditions of eligibility for the concessionary licence.As foreshadowed in the reply of my right hon. Friend the Minister of State to a question from the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) on 3 May at column 208 the regulations also prescribe new television licensing requirements for hotels, holiday camps, and self-catering establishments. These will take effect on 1 January 1985 and will provide for these establishments to pay a single fee for up to 15 units of visitors' accommodation in which television sets are installed and an extra fee at the standard rate for each additional five units with television above that limit.The regulations will also exempt from the wireless telegraphy licensing requirements broadcast relay apparatus that is used only to receive and relay broadcast programme services. This last provision will come into effect on 1 August 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the total cost of enforcing parking regulations in Greater London and the rest of Great Britain for the last five years;(2) what was the total amount received through lines for parking offences in Greater London and in the rest of Great Britain for each of the last five years.

Information on the total cost of enforcing parking regulations could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The cost of the Metropolitan police traffic warden service which is mainly, but not exclusively, concerned with the enforcement of parking regulations in the Metropolitan police district is as follows:

Cost to public funds of the metropolitan police traffic warden service
Financial year	*Costs £
1978–79	5,377,691
1979–80	5,950,468
1980–81	6,967,130
1981–82	8,867,176
1982–83	10,194,428
* Includes pay, allowances, clothing, training and advertising only. The cost of transport, accommodation and administration are not maintained separately for the traffic warden service.

Information is not held centrally about revenue from fines imposed by courts for traffic offences, as distinct from other offences, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the sums collected by the fixed penalty office in respect of fixed penalties issued by the Metropolitan police—which do not consititute fines —are as follows:

Sums collected by the fixed penalty office in relation to fixed penalties issued by the metropolitan police
Calendar year	Sums collected
1978	5,060,000
1979	5,019,000
1980	*7,211,000
1981	7,216,000
1982	†l3,052,000
1983	13,829,000
* This figure contains sums from the previous year which were held over because of industrial action.
† The level of fixed penalties was increased from £6 to £10 in March 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prisoners serving (a) their first prison sentence, (b) their second prison sentence, (c) their third prison sentence and (d) their fourth or subsequent prison sentence are released on parole after (i) their first application, (ii) their second application and (iii) their third or subsequent application.

Proportion of those considered who were recommended for parole, 1983
percentages
	Prison sentence being served
Consideration	First	Second	Third	Fourth or subsequent	All persons
First review	68	54	47	42	56
Second review	68	57	49	50	57
Third or subsequent review	56	*(43)	*(51)	49	50
Percentages shown in brackets are based on fewer than 100 cases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prisoners serving sentences of (a) less than one year, (b) one to two years, (c) two to five years, (d) five to 10 years and (e) over 10 years are

Proportions of those considered who were recommended for parole, 1983
percentages
	Effective length of sentence
Consideration	Less than 2 years	2 years or more but less than 5 years	5 years or more but less than 10 years	10 years and over	All lengths of sentence
First review	76	62	19	*(1)	56
Second review	†	63	54	*(15)	57
Third or subsequent review	†	*(56)	59	37	50
*Percentages shown in brackets are based on fewer than 100 cases.
†Not applicable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many baths, showers and toilets are available to prisoners in Manchester prison; how many baths or showers each prisoner is allowed per week; and how many changes of clothes each prisoner is allowed per week.

There are 15 baths, 78 showers, 149 toilets and 87 urinals. The basic allowance is one bath or shower per week. Additional showers are provided where appropriate because of the nature of prisoners' work, or activities, or for medical reasons. Each prisoner has a weekly allowance of two shirts, one vest, two pairs of underpants and two pairs of socks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action has been taken since 1981 on the Chief Inspector of Prisons' recommendations that the regime at Manchester prison be improved, that the sports hall be brought into use and that alternative accommodation be provided for visits to unconvicted and unsentenced prisoners.

Since the inspection, the inmate population has fallen by about 400 and 36 additional staff are in post. Industry is being expanded where possible and a mailbag shop has recently been opened. The number of inmates employed in the workshops has risen from 40 at the time of the inspection to about 200. The educational provision at the prison remains, as recommended, at the 1981 level,

The proportions recommended for parole are given in the following table:released on parole (i) on their first application, (ii) on their second application and (iii) on their third or subsequent application.

The proportions recommended for parole are given in the following table. Prisoners serving sentences of less than a year were not eligible for parole.but because of shortage of accommodation, it has not proved possible to expand the vocational training courses in industrial techniques. The library facilities have been greatly improved. The sports hall has been brought fully into use. A new visits room has been open for unsentenced and unconvicted prisoners. A waiting area for visitors, which will include toilet facilities, is being prepared.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many baths, showers and toilets are available to prisoners in Liverpool prison; how many baths and showers each prisoner is allowed per week; and how many changes of clothes each prisoner is allowed per week.

There are 15 baths, 66 showers, 81 toilets and 86 urinals. Prisoners receive a basic allowance of one bath or shower per week. Additional showers are provided where appropriate according to the nature of prisoners' work or activities, or for medical reasons. Each prisoner has a weekly allowance of two shirts, two vests, two pairs of underpants and two pairs of socks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any guidance is issued to the police concerning the prosecution of drivers driving vehicles at speed through picket lines.

No special guidance on the bringing of prosecutions in the circumstances envisaged has been issued to chief officers of police. The general guidance on the criteria for prosecutions published by my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General in March 1983, a copy of which is in the Library of the House, would apply to such circumstances as to others.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes there have been in the conditions in which young offenders are held at Winson Green prison, Birmingham, since 1981; how much time young prisoners are allowed for association; and for how much time they are locked in cells.

The marked fall since 1981 in the number of young offenders held at Birmingham has helped the provision of activities such as education, physical education, work and association. For most of this year young offenders have had at least four hours' association each week and have spent no more than four hours in cells during each day.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average population of Winson green prison, Birmingham, distinguished between sentenced prisoners and prisoners on remand in the week ended 14 July or any other recent typical week.

On 30 June 1984, the latest date for which the breakdown requested is available, the population of Birmingham prison comprised about 350 untried and convicted unsentenced prisoners, 10 non-criminal prisoners and 710 sentenced prisoners. Average weekly populations are not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange for an exhibition relating to television broadcasting in Wales to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

I understand that arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from 5 to 9 November 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to the basis on which plastic bullets are issued to police officers.

The issue of plastic baton rounds to police officers is a matter for individual chief officers acting in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the reply that I gave to a question from the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) on 5 December 1983 at columns 7–8.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list details of the police forces currently using or currently intending to bring into use, electronic surface devices for the purpose of detecting, recording or indicating potential road traffic offences;

Records are not kept centrally of police forces which hold electronic road surface devices. My right hon. and learned Friend has not issued any instructions or advice about the use of such devices, and accordingly it is for chief officers of police to decide whether and, if so, which devices should be used.The 2002 system is designed to provide a cost-effective means of measuring and recording traffic flow and speeds over a specified period on a selected road. It is not intended to be used for evidential purposes, but to provide data to help the police and highway authorities in traffic policing and management.The equipment was tested over a period of a year from June 1979. Traffic flow information was checked by observation and vehicle speed by various methods including calibrated speedometers in police vehicles. Home Office scientists were involved in the development and testing of the system at a total estimated cost of about £70,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost to his Department in the last full year, and to date, of paying hotel and travel expenses for the wives and families of inmates of Her Majesty's prisons to visit them in prison; and if he will estimate the number of people involved.

The provisional figure for payments made under the assisted visits scheme for the year 1983–84 is £637,793. The provisional figure for expenditure in the first quarter of 1984–85 is £169,437. We are advised by the Department of Health and Social Security, which administers the scheme on behalf of the Home Office, that the number of Giro transactions and travel warrants issued is recorded, but not the number of persons involved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in each of the last three years and the current year to date, how many Members of Parliament have made representations in immigration cases (a) more than 100 times, (b) more than 50 and less than 100 times, (c) more than 20 and less than 50 times, (d) more than 10 and less than 20 times, (e) more than five and less than 10 times, (f) more than two and less than five times and (g) on two or fewer occasions.

The information requested is not available.The total number of letters received from Members of both Houses on immigration matters for each of the years since 1981 is as follows:

Year	Number
1981	8,945
1982	9,931
1983	11,456
1984*	6,208
* 6 months January to June

The total includes a small proportion of letters dealing with general issues rather than individual cases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases in each of the last three years and 1984 to date, stops have been placed on the departure of those refused leave to enter as a result of the intervention of hon. and right hon. Members (a) for the Indian sub-continent and (b) for the rest of the world.