asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any detailed figures of the number of students on minimum grant who do not receive the full parental contribution.

This information is not collected by the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received advocating the abolition of the student minimum grant.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of the population aged three years or over but under five years was receiving full or part-time education at the beginning of the present school year; and how this compares with each of the last five years.

Information for the current school year is not yet available. The percentage of children aged three and four years of age receiving full-time or part-time education in maintained schools in England in the years 1979 to 1984 were:

January	per cent.
1979	37
1980	37
1981	38
1982	38
1983	38
1984	40

The figures above are the numbers of pupils in schools aged three and four years at the preceding August expressed as a percentage of the total number of three and four-year-olds in the population. The figures exclude children who were four years old at the preceding August but who became five before the census day in the following January.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will list the outstanding Select Committee reports which await debate on the Floor of the House.

There are no Select Committee reports awaiting debate for which I have undertaken to find time. As the hon. Member knows, such reports are not necessarily debated.

asked the Attorney-General if he will make available the further details of the study on family courts being undertaken by the Lord Chancellor's Department referred to in Cmnd. 9298, page 12; by whom the study is being conducted; and when a final report is expected.

An announcement about the family court review was issued in July. A copy has been placed in the Library. The study is being undertaken jointly by officials of the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Home Office with the following terms of reference:

"To examine the feasibility of the establishement of a unified court for the exclusive exercise of jurisdiction in family and domestic matters below the level of the Court of Appeal, to identify the main options for such a court and to assess the resource implications for such a court and to assess the resource implications of each of these options."

It is not yet possible to give a date for the publication of a final report.

asked the Attorney-General whether Her Majesty's Government have come to a decision as to further funding of the Bristol family courts conciliation service.

The Lord Chancellor will continue to provide funding for the Bristol courts family conciliation service until the end of the current financial year. Any decision about further funding will be taken in the light of advice given to the Lord Chancellor by the conciliation project unit which the Government intends to set up to monitor the costs and effectiveness of conciliation services.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the level of unemployment in Holyhead; and if he will list the areas in Wales which have higher levels of unemployment.

I remind my hon. Friend that information of this sort is now available in the House of Commons Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many homes remain unoccupied in Wales; what steps he is taking to remedy the situation; and if he will make a statement.

Local authorities' housing investment programme returns indicate that about 50,000 dwellings in all sectors were empty in Wales at April 1984.The Welsh Office is closely involved in the exercise mentioned by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment in his answer of 30 October 1984, at columns 936–37. We will be giving careful consideration to what further action is needed in Wales in the light of the outcome.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if any members of the Forestry Commission's management structure review group, which reported in April 1982, or its headquarters and conservancy review group, which reported in January in the current year, visited the proposed site for the amalgamation of the Forestry Commission's Welsh Conservancy offices at Aberystwyth prior to any decisions to amalgamate.

No members of either group visited Aberystwyth during the two reviews. However, both groups had members who were familiar with the situation at Aberystwyth, and the views put forward by commission staff stationed in Wales were also taken fully into account by the groups before recommendations were made.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his future practice to make available in the Library minutes of Forestry Commission meetings.

These are internal meetings at which, among other things, the forestry commissioners discuss and formulate advice to forestry Ministers on policy matters. It would, therefore, be inappropriate for copies of the minutes of commission meetings to be placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will express as a percentage of those pupils in full-time education aged 16 years or under yet eligible to leave at the end of the last academic year in Wales, the number who (a) left school, (b) entered Government employment and training schemes, (c) found other employment and (d) remain wholly unemployed; and if he will also give the information by county in Wales.

Information is not available in the form requested. An analysis of the distribution of young people reaching minimum school leaving age is carried out on a yearly basis. The information in respect of 1984 will be available in spring 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will respond to the request of the Educational Institute of Scotland, and other representative bodies, for an unrestricted independent review body on teachers' salaries and other related matters; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has recently met representatives of the teachers and of the employing authorities to discuss the request for an independent review of Scottish teachers' salaries. He hopes to be in a position to announce a decision shortly, taking account of these discussions and of the other representations that have been submitted to him.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the number and names of the health boards which have not yet taken effective steps to secure competitive tenders for all the ancillary services provided in the hospitals under the jurisdiction of each health board; and what steps he proposes to take on this matter.

Five health boards—Argyll and Clyde, Fife, Greater Glasgow, Highland and Lothian—have resolved, for the time being, not to seek competitive tenders to test the efficiency of their support services, but to secure improvements in cost-effectiveness by carrying out, with the full co-operation of their staff, intensive reviews of services. I am meeting health board chairmen on 13 November to discuss the next steps to be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the number of nursery places provided by education authorities per 1,000 head of population in the region for the last five years for which figures are available.

The following table shows the number of children attending education authority nursery schools and classes for the years from September 1979 to September 1983 per 1,000 head of three and four year old populations.

Pupil rate per 1,000
Authority	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983
Borders	129·7	137·0	173·8	176·0	166·0
Central	218·2	255·7	289·0	295·2	315·3
Dumfries/Galloway	74·6	84·7	80·3	81·3	79·1
Fife	367·3	388·3	396·9	415·1	426·6
Grampian	180·4	187·4	196·0	184·0	187·7
Highland	85·1	84·2	103·4	108·2	103·5
Lothian	368·5	405·9	432·7	434·8	440·0
Strathclyde	233·0	248·8	277·7	280·1	278·8
Tayside	210·0	225·4	239·1	239·6	233·9
Orkney	210·5	213·7	177·4	167·3	181·1
Shetland	116·5	132·2	120·5	120·7	111·9
Western Isles	169·5	184·3	195·1	196·7	163·2
ALL SCOTLAND	239·8	258·1	279·8	281·5	282·6

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the number of cases of child abuse reported in each region in Scotland for the last five years for which figures are available.

This information is not collected centrally. Each region maintains its own record of child abuse cases reported.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the share of rates paid in the Borders regional authority by (a) domestic ratepayers and (b) non-domestic ratepayers for each of the last five years for which figures are available.

The shares of rateable values attributable to—and hence of rates paid by—domestic and various other classes of ratepayer in the Borders region and its constituent districts may be obtained from part I, section 2, of "Rating Review", published by the Scottish branch of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and available in the House Library. The most recent edition is that of June 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of total local authority revenue expenditure in the Borders regional authority was financed by (a) rate income and (b) Exchequer grant for the last five years for which figures are available.

The table sets out the information based on budget information published in the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy publication "Rating Review".

per cent.
	Rateborne Expenditure	Exchequer Grant
1980–81	27·3	72·3
1981–82	29·8	71·3
1982–83	30·7	71·1
1983–84	26·9	71·3
1984–85	28·8	68·5

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied with progress being made by the committee set up to co-ordinate all aspects of microelectronics in education; and if he will make a statement.

At my right hon. Friend's invitation, the Scottish Council for Educational Technology established in November 1983 a widely representative microelectronics in education committee—MEC—with a broad remit to co-ordinate all aspects of microelectronics in education and using the previously existing Scottish microelectronics development programme as its executive arm. I am satisfied that MEC has made good progress in its work and is playing a major part in achieving an integrated Scottish approach in this very important field.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what additional resources he has made available to the Scottish ambulance service to meet the increased demand brought about by the expansion of day care services.

It is for the Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service to decide on the disposition of the resources made available to it for the ambulance service. Funds provided for the recurrent expenditure of the Scottish ambulance service doubled from £11·3 million in 1978–79 to £22·6 million (provisional) in 1983–84: expenditure for the current financial year is estimated to be about £23·6 million. I am aware that the Scottish ambulance service gives a high priority to the needs of day hospitals when considering the use to be made of development funds.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will appoint an independent body to review the level of teachers' salaries and to make recommendations to Her Majesty's Government.

My right hon. Friend has recently met representatives of the teachers and of the employing authorities to discuss the request for an independent review of Scottish teachers' salaries. He hopes to be in a position to announce a decision shortly, taking account of these discussions and of the other representations that have been submitted to him.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to carry out the recommendations of the Kilbrandon inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

I have noted with interest the publication on 1 November of the report of the independent inquiry under Lord Kilbrandon. The report is one of a number of interesting documents which have been published in recent months representing different views and outlooks. I welcome the concern expressed in all these documents to find a way forward for Northern Ireland. This can only be achieved if any proposals which are made are practical and likely to be broadly acceptable to all those committed to constitutional and peaceful progress. The proposals in the Kilbrandon report and in other published documents need to be seen against this background as talks continue between those involved in Northern Ireland in the period ahead.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he intends to set up an inquiry on his Department's responses to the famine in Ethiopia and the lessons learnt by his Department in handling the crisis.

I see no need for an inquiry. The Department has responded most efficiently to the demands placed on it. But there are always lessons to be learnt

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department is currently doing to assist the relief of famine in Ethiopia; and if he is satisfied with the current programmes.

Over £3 million of the £5 million I announced recently has now been allotted to help expand the feeding efforts of the voluntary agencies, to strengthen the Ethiopian transport fleet, and to reinforce the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Our 6,500 tonnes food aid should be shipped within a fortnight. The problems are very great, but together with substantial new aid we have just agreed in the European Community I believe this will make a real impact on the crisis.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will list the amount of aid given to Ethiopia over each of the past five years, distinguishing between food aid and money aid.

The figures for aid to the Ethiopian Government are as follows:

£000
	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983
Food aid	1,021	1,091	22	5,194	2,510
Other aid*	1,742	478	144	106	527
TOTAL	2,763	1,569	166	5,300	3,037
* This includes development loans and grants, disaster relief and technical co-operation, but excludes aid channelled through the European Community, the World Food Programme and other multilateral agencies.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he will take to assist Ethiopia over the next year.

Our first task must be to spend to best effect the £5 million already allotted to Ethiopia and other drought-stricken African countries, and the £35 million supplementary aid now decided upon by the European Community of which we pay about a fifth. This will take us well into next year. I shall then review what more we might do.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the amount of aid given to Ethiopia from the contingency fund.

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced to the House on 24 October, £5 million has been allocated from the aid programme contingency reserve for Ethiopia and other African countries affected by the drought and famine. The bulk of this will be spent on Ethiopia. In addition, £1·4 million has been allocated to the purchase and transport costs of food aid for Ethiopia; and the United Kingdom's share of the allocations from the European Community budget for additional food and other emergency aid will be attributed to the aid programme. The United Kingdom's share in relation to Ethiopia is some £2 million, but it is not yet known how much of this will be spent this financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will state the conditions tied to aid given to Ethiopia over the last five years.

Nearly all aid given or promised to Ethiopia during the last five years has been humanitarian or food aid. Part of the food aid is channelled through the World Food Programme. This has not carried any conditions imposed at our instance. Our recent agreement to forgive future repayments due on past aid loans is unconditional. Technical co-operation provided or promised is, as usual, tied to British sources. Aid by the European Community, to which we have subscribed our share, has been given in accordance with the Lomé convention and the Community's regulations governing food aid and disaster or emergency assistance.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, following the general election in Nicaragua, he will enter into negotiations with its Government for a renewal and increase in the British aid programme to that country.

The British bilateral aid programme to Nicaragua is limited to the provision of a small number of scholarships in the United Kingdom, support for small development projects co-financed with British voluntary agencies, and for Nicaraguan refugees and displaced persons through contributions to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. Her Majesty's Government have no plans at present to increase this level of assistance.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the items in the aid budget which have been reduced in order to increase the amount of aid given to Ethiopia.

The measures announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 24 October will be met from the aid programme's contingency reserve which exists to deal with just such situations. Existing commitments will not be affected.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the level of the contingency fund within the aid budget at the beginning of the financial year and at present.

It is not the practice to reveal the contingency element within the aid budget, for reasons indicated in the reply to the first report from the Foreign Affairs Committee (1983–84)—Cmnd. 9367, page 8.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to respond to possible famines in areas other than Ethiopia over the next year.

The UN agencies concerned are predicting that many countries, particularly in Africa, will need emergency food aid in 1985. I urged my European Community colleagues on 6 November to give priority in the 1985 EC food aid programme to meeting these needs, and we shall do the same in our own bilateral food aid programme. The EC also has some £65 million from the emergency provision in the European development fund to draw on in 1985, and there is a contingency provision within our own aid programme for allocation as required.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's policy concerning United Kingdom membership of UNESCO.

I am currently reviewing British policy towards UNESCO with my colleagues in the light of developments in the organisation this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why, at the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund, the proposal of the World Bank to set up a special fund to help deal with the problems facing people in sub-Saharan Africa was opposed by Her Majesty's Government; and if he will make a statement.

The World Bank made no such proposal. Its management is currently seeking general reactions to its diagnosis of the problems and prescriptions for change in sub-Saharan Africa, and will be meeting officials from my Department later this month.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans Her Majesty's Government have to increase the funding of the International Development Association; and if he will make a statement.

Although we indicated our willingness to subscribe to supplementary funding for the general resources of IDA, no such scheme is now being pursued. A further opportunity may occur when donors formally review IDA's resources next year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the recent trend in company profitability.

Latest estimates show that the real rate of return to non-North sea industrial and commercial companies has risen from 3·4 per cent. in 1981 to 5·8 per cent. in 1983 — the best return since the peak of the previous profitability cycle in 1978. For all industrial and commercial companies, including those operating in the North sea, the rate of return increased from 6·5 per cent. in 1981 to 10 per cent. in 1983. Profits have continued to increase in 1984, suggesting that the upward trend is continuing.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he will be making to the meeting of the World Bank's development committee to be held early in 1985 aimed at assisting the poorest Third world countries; and if he will make a statement.

It has been agreed that the development committee and the interim committee will give special attention to a range of international financial issues of particular concern to developing countries in the spring of 1985. The precise terms of the agenda and other arrangements have not yet been settled, but my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer intends to play a constructive part in the discussions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer which of the recommendations of the Lever report on the debt problems of developing countries he finds acceptable; what plans he has to act on the report; and if he will make a statement.

I support the Lever report's concern about sustaining non-inflationary financial flows to developing countries, particularly by means of direct investment. I expect my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss these issues at the special sessions of the interim and development committees next spring.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present size of the Civil Service; by how many the establishment has been reduced since April 1979; and what categories of staff have suffered the biggest reductions.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report the amount of value added tax paid since 1 May to the latest convenient date in respect of hot food and drink purchased from take-aways.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what expansion in individual Government Departments occurred in the manpower engaged in long-term planning after the abolition of the Central Policy Review staff.

The information is not available centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

The Prime Minister what information she possesses from the 1981 census of Britain of the number and percentage of unemployed in Britain by social class.

The information requested is as follows.The census includes as "out of employment" those persons who—in the week before the census—were either seeking work, prevented from seeking work by temporary sickness, or waiting to take up a job already accepted. The social classification used in the census is based on the occupation of those persons in employment and on the previous occupation of those out of employment. The economically active include both those in employment and those out of employment.

asked the Prime Minister how far, and in what way, the convenience and cost to the citizen is taken into account when considering the most cost effective way of delivering Government services which could be provided by the counter services of the Post Office Corporation.

These factors are among a number which are taken fully into account.

asked the Prime Minister if she will provide the London Gazette publication dates of the announcements of lists of major United Kingdom Civil Division honours, other than New Year's and Birthday honours, since 1964.

The information is as follows:

asked the Prime Minister what representations she has received in the past two weeks regarding any reduction in public expenditure on housing for the forthcoming financial year.

I have received about 15 such representations in the past two weeks.

asked the Prime Minister what changes have been made in the composition of the United Kingdom delegation to the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe.

I have made the following appointments:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement as to the costs to date in policing the National Union of Mineworkers' dispute in Leicestershire.

The Leicestershire police calculate that the additional cost of policing the miners' dispute in the county up to 25 August, the latest date for which information is available, was about £9·045 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how much money is to be provided to Leicestershire police committee, and when, to enable payment to the other local authorities which provided police during the current National Union of Mineworkers' dispute;(2) if he will provide details of the amounts to be contributed towards the costs of policing the current mining dispute to date

My right hon. and learned Friend announced on 9 October that no police authority would have to bear from the rates as a result of the miners' dispute more than the product of 0·75 penny rate. In Leicestershire this is £882,000 and the costs falling on the police authority have already reached this level. All remaining approved additional costs will be met by the Government. The authority has sought and received advances of police grant and of the special payment which he is making totalling £7·479 million to meet, among other costs, the costs of police authorities whose forces have provided assistance to the Leicestershire police. The contribution which other police authorities in the east midlands will receive from the Government towards their expenditure resulting from the dispute in their own area will depend on the amount of that expenditure. For example, in Nottinghamshire the Government are meeting all approved additional costs over £958,000.

asked the Secretary of state for the Home Department what plans he has to change the remand system; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend intends to seek power in the Prosecution of Offences Bill to apply time limits to the preliminary stages of criminal proceedings. These would have the effect of restricting the period for which an accused may be remanded in custody. He would exercise this power only after considering the results of field trials held to test the feasibility and practical implications of particular time limits.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce legislation for the purpose of outlawing hare coursing; and if he will make a statement.

None. The Government regard this as a matter for individual conscience and decision.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure, in his proposed revised memorandum of guidance to the police on the administration of the Firearms Act 1968, that all holders of firearms certificates for the use of rifles for vermin control will not be in breach of condition if they test fire their rifles where their use for vermin control is permitted.

We are still considering the advice to be provided on this subject in the revised memorandum.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, following its incorporation into the 1973 Green Paper "The Control of Firearms in Great Britain" (Cmnd. 5297) and the recent report of the working party on the administration of the Firearms Act 1968, dated April 1984, he will make available in the Library Sir John McKay's working party report of 1972 into the administration of the Firearms Act 1968.

No. The report on Sir John McKay's working party was an internal one.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the administration of the Firearms Act 1968 by chiefs of police; and if he proposes to initiate legislative reforms with a view to making cost savings and standardising procedures.

We have no plans to introduce such legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been brought against private residential nursing homes in the past 12 months by public, professional or governmental bodies; and how this compares with the previous 12 months.

I shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total amount of capital receipts which local authorities have been required not to spend as a result of his announcement of 18 July.

On 18 July, my right hon. Friend asked local authorities to exercise restraint in their capital expenditure in 1984–85. The effect on capital receipts accumulated in previous years cannot be deduced from information held centrally. Under the terms of the request, local authorities remain free to spend up to the level of their capital allocations, plus the prescribed proportion of capital receipts in the year, or to the level of their contractual commitments on 18 July, whichever is the higher.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to review section 169 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971.

The section is already under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will detail the bodies concerned with access to the countryside which are currently in receipt of a grant from his Department; if he will state each grant being paid; and if he will make a statement.

Apart from the Department's grant-in-aid to the Countryside Commission, which gives financial support to certain bodies concerned with access to the countryside, some of the grants awarded by the Department under its special grant programme go to voluntary bodies with similar concerns. In the current year these are as follows:

Organisation	Amount of Grant £
British Trust for Conservation Volunteers	100,000
Byways and Bridleways Trust	4,000
Conservation Trust	8,250
Council for National Parks	7,620
Inter-Action—Country Wings	20,810
Kennet and Avon Canal Trust	5,000
Open Spaces Society	4,500
Royal Society for Nature Conservation	41,135
Rural Preservation Association	11,536

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now make a statement on the Government's intention regarding public expenditure on housing for the forthcoming financial year.

A statement will be made shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his forthcoming announcement on a general domestic rating revaluation will be accompanied by the consultation document referred to in the White Paper "Rates", Cmnd. 9008.

I ask my hon. Friend to await the announcement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many homes exist with outside water closets only.

The most recent estimate available appears in table 1 of the "English House Condition Survey 1981, Part 1", a copy of which is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the annual change in public expenditure on housing in each of the past five years in (a) current prices and (b) constant prices.

Details of public expenditure on housing for each year since 1978–79, in both cash and cost terms, are set out in the public expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 9143) in table 2.7 and table 1.14, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the amount of capital receipts from the sales of property in each of the past three years by local authorities; and what proportion has been spent on housing.

Following is the available information:

Local Authority Capital Receipts from Sales of Fixed Assets—all services—England
	£ million
1981–82	998
1982–83	1,592
1983–84	1,548

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he will make a statement on the draft final report on the early retirement proposals for United Kingdom marine pilots.

I hope it will be possible to make a statement fairly soon.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has completed the consultation with the main interested parties following the publication of the Samuel Montagu report on the early retirement of marine pilots published in April 1984.

Yes. I am giving careful consideration to the options that are open.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will change the prevailing 10-year rule so that licence holders who mislay their driving licence do not have to resit their driving test if they cannot prove they have held one during the last 10 years.

This is under consideration. If a change is feasible, it will be made when a convenient legislative opportunity occurs.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the current state of negotiations between the United Kingdom and French Departments of Transport over the Channel tunnel project.

My right hon. Friend will be meeting the French Minister of Transport next week to consider what the next steps for the two Governments should be if financing proposals meeting the conditions set out in the Secretary of State's statement of 22 May are submitted by potential promoting groups.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the progress of investigations on the parapet rails of the elevated sections of Midland link motorways.

We have undertaken the investigations into the effects of waterborne de-icing salts on the concrete elements of the parapet. We are now satisfied that we can put in hand the parapet rail repairs and work is proceeding.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what was the final cost of the bearing replacement work on the Bromford viaduct of the Midland link motorways; and how this compares with the estimate.

Although work on the final contract for the replacement of the bearing plinths is complete, we do not yet have the contractor's final account. My Department has been advised that the estimated final contract cost is £818,000 but this may be varied and I am still awaiting further information from my agents, West Midlands county council, from whom I require a full financial statement. This matter is being pursued vigorously by my Department. The tender sum was £509,793.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the effectiveness of the replacement bearings on the elevated sections of the Midland link motorways; and how this is measured.

No bearings have been replaced. We have replaced bearing plinths on the elevated sections of the midland links and they are, and will continue to be, subject to regular inspections. The effectiveness of the replaced plinths will be judged on their durability. So far there is no evidence of any of the defects which affected the previous plinths.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the effectiveness of the new grouts used on the bearing plinths of the elevated sections of Midland link motorways; and how this is measured.

The new grouts are subject to regular inspections, and their effectiveness will be judged on their durability. So far there is no evidence of any of the defects which affected the previous grouts.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the contracts let for work on the plinths and bearings on the elevated sections of Midland link motorways.

There have been no contracts for bearing replacement. The following contracts have been let for work on plinths:

Viaduct	Contract	Contractor	Completed
Titford	A	Kinmain Construction Ltd.	March 1980
	B	DABB Chemicals Ltd.	24 January 1982
Oldbury	A and B	R. M. Douglas	19 January 1981
	E	Conrads	21 December 1978
	F	Conrads	10 December 1978
	G	Conrads	4 April 1979
Wigmore		DABB Chemicals Ltd.	24 January 1982
Ray Hall	A	Percy Billon	28 April 1978
	B	Wrekin	5 December 1978
	C	Wrekin	29 June 1979
	D	Conrads	25 May 1979
	E	Advanced Sealants Ltd.	20 February 1981
Bescot	C	Conrads	17 September 1978
	D	Wrekin	10 January 1979
	E	Wrekin	14 March 1979
	F	Percy Billon	9 March 1979
	G	Percy Bilton	14 October 1978
Queslett		Advanced Sealants Ltd.	January 1980
Thornbridge		DABB Chemicals Ltd.	6 November 1981
Witton		DABB Chemicals Ltd.	24 November 1980
Gravelly Hill		R. M. Douglas	21 March 1982
Bromford	A1	Wrekin	17 March 1983
	B	Wrekin	22 March 1983
	C	Lilley Construction Ltd.	2 August 1984

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to encourage the expansion of Manchester international airport and other airports outside the south-east region.

I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 26 October, at columns 982–86, arising from the Adjournment debate raised by my hon. Friend the member for Bolton, West (Mr. Sackville), in which I explained the ways in which this Government have encouraged, and will continue to encourage, the development of regional airports, and in particular Manchester international airport.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of the total public stage-carriage bus mileage in England and Wales is represented by the bus mileage encompassed in the experiments in Hereford and Worcester, on which he has based his recommendations for changes to bus licensing, deregulation and competition policies; and if he is satisfied with the breadth of this experimentation as a basis for change.

It is not correct to say that our recommended changes to bus licensing, deregulation and competition policies are based upon the trial area in Hereford and Worcester, which accounts for some 0·15 per cent. of stage carriage bus mileage in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many trades unions have held ballots, as provided for under section 3 of the Employment Act 1982, to confirm or otherwise the continuance of closed shops in places of employment where they represent employees.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many ballots on the continuance of closed shop arrangements have been held since 1982; and with what results

There is no requirement in the Employment Act 1982 to notify this Department of any secret ballots which are held to determine whether closed shops have the support of the employees they cover. Of those ballots reported in the press, the results of three, covering a total of 2,731 employees, have been against continuance of the closed shop, and two, covering a total of 446 employees, in favour.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action he proposes to take on the manufacturing and service industries 1983 report of the Health and Safety Inspectorate; and if he will make a statement.

The manufacturing and service industries 1983 report records activity during the year by Her Majesty's factory inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive. It also sets out some of the inspectorate's current concerns and priorities.In 1984 the inspectorate has continued its programme of assessment-based pre-emptive inspections to all sizes and types of premises. It has also undertaken targeted initiatives, either in respect of problems in particular industries or of widespread hazards, such as the effects of excessive noise and the failure to wear head protection in construction. It has continued its reactive work by investigating accidents and complaints and by giving advice.I am satisfied that the inspectorate continues to allocate its resources on the basis of evaluation of competing priorities. It is the responsibility of all employers to see that their employees and the public are not put at risk by work activities; the duty of suppliers of articles and substances to see that these are safe; and it is for work people to co-operate in measures to prevent accidents and injury to health.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will write to the Manpower Services Commission stating whether his letter of 17 September about the implementation of "Training for Jobs" was a directive under the Employment and Training Act 1973.

No. My letter to Manpower Services Commissioners of 17 September was a specific request that the commission's corporate plan for the period 1985–88 would need to include plans for the expenditure of the additional resources for non-advanced further education made available to the commission as announced in the White Paper "Training for Jobs" (Cmd. 9135).

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the status of his letter to the Manpower Services Commission of 17 September containing the implementation of "Training for Jobs".

My letter to Manpower Services Commissioners of 17 September was a specific request that the commission's corporate plan for the period 1985–88 would need to include plans for the expenditure of the additional resources for non-advanced further education made available to the commission as announced in the White Paper "Training for Jobs" (Cmnd. 9135).

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the current numbers of participants on the young workers scheme at the different levels of subsidy to their employers.

Under the current young workers scheme, the payment to employers for jobs which qualify for support is £15 per week. The payment for jobs which were accepted for support before 1 April 1984, when the rules of the scheme were changed, is either £15 or £7·50 a week, depending upon the level of the young person's gross weekly earnings. On 28 September, the latest date for which information is available, 70,000 jobs were supported. A detailed breakdown could be provided only at disproportionate cost, but it is estimated that about 7 per cent. are at the lower level of support.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the current, future, projected and previous numbers of participants in total and by region in the various training and employment measures run by the Manpower Services Commission.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) to what extent the recent rule changes in the community programme will have the effect of maximising the impact of the scheme on the number of registered long-term unemployed rather than any long-term unemployment as such;(2) what assessments he made of the effect of the recent rule changes in the community programme on unemployed women before their introduction;

As my right hon. Friend explained in his statement on 30 July, at columns 121–22, the recent changes to the community programme were intended to improve the prospects of resettling long-term unemployed people into regular jobs, help sponsors in the management of projects and ensure that places on the programme go to those most in need. They were introduced after careful assessment of their effects on both men and women and should improve the programme's use of taxpayers' money.The number who will be affected by the decision to give priority to those people who meet the programme's criteria for long-term unemployment and are also benefit recipients will vary according to changing personal and family circumstances. We have provided that where benefit is claimed by a head of household and includes an element of payment for an unemployed spouse, that spouse will be regarded as a benefit recipient. As a result, some non-claimants and some included in the monthly count of the unemployed because they claim national insurance credits but not benefits will remain eligible for the programme, providing the other conditions for participation are also met.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of women employed on the Manpower Services Commission community programme; what percentage of the current total community programme work force are women; and, of those, how many were in receipt of benefit before joining the scheme.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in Merseyside he envisages will be affected by the proposed change in the eligibility conditions for the Government's community programme.

No changes in eligibility criteria for the community programme are currently proposed following those announced by my right hon. Friend in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Norfolk (Mr. Ryder) on 30 July, at columns 121–22, and introduced from 1 October.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in Merseyside are presently covered by Her Majesty's Government's community programme.

On 31 October 1984, 5,476 people were employed on the community programme in Merseyside. Merseyside residents may also travel to work on community programme projects mounted outside the area.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take the opportunity of International Youth Year to extend the Manpower Services Commission's information technology centres programme.

Our original pilot information technology centre programme launched in 1981 was intended to fund 20 centres. The programme has been so successful that we have now established over 150 centres, and our current plans are to expand the programme to 175 centres.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment which Manpower Services Commission information technology centres currently receive topping up grants from the Department of Trade and Industry, listed by name and region.

Those information technology centres currently in receipt of funding from the Department of Trade and Industry are as follows:

• London Region (14)
  • Brent
  • Brixton
  • Camden
  • Covent Garden
  • Croydon
  • Docklands
  • Greenwich
  • Hackney
  • Haringey
  • Hounslow
  • Islington
  • Lewisham
  • Southall
  • Southwark (Microtech)
• Midlands (25)
  • Aston (Birmingham)
  • Bedworth
  • Boston and South Holland
  • Burton-on-Trent
  • Cannock
  • Corby
  • Derby
  • Dudley
  • East Lindsay
  • Grantham
  • Hanley (Stoke)
  • Leicester
  • Lincoln
  • Mansfield
  • Newcastle under Lyme
  • Northampton
  • North Leicestershire
  • Nottingham
  • Rugby
  • Sandwell
  • Solihull
  • Stafford
  • Walsall
  • Wolverhampton
  • Worcester
• Northern (9)
  • Aycliffe
  • Cleveland
  • Cramlington
  • Durham
  • Gateshead
  • Hebburn
  • North Tyneside
  • Peterlee
  • Sunderland
• North West (24)
  • Barrow
  • Blackburn
  • Blackpool (Fylde Coast)
  • Bolton
  • Burnley
  • Bury
  • Halton
  • Knowsley
  • Lancaster
  • Manchester (6502)
  • Manchester (ORT)
  • Oldham
  • Preston
  • Rochdale
  • Salford
  • Sefton
  • South Liverpool
  • Southport
  • St. Helens
  • Tameside
  • Warrington
  • West Cumbria
  • West Lancashire (Skelmersdale)
  • Wigan
• Scotland (19)
  • Aberdeen
  • Bellshill
  • Bridgeton
  • Clydebank
  • Cranhill
  • Cumbernauld
  • Dumfries
  • Dundee
  • East Kilbride
  • Edinburgh City
  • Falkirk
  • Glenrothes
  • Govan
  • Inverness (Highland)
  • Irvine
  • Levermouth (East Fife)
  • Stirling
  • West Fife
  • West Lothian
• South East (25)
  • Ashford
  • Basildon
  • Bracknell
  • Brighton
  • Cambridge
  • Crawley
  • Gravesham
  • Guildford
  • Harlow
  • Hastings
  • Ipswich
  • Isle of Wight
  • Maidstone
  • Medway
  • Milton Keynes
  • Norwich
  • Peterborough
  • Portsmouth
  • Reading
  • Rochford (South East Essex)
  • Slough
  • Southampton
  • South East Surry
  • Staines
  • Stevenage
• South West (11)
  • Bath
  • Bristol (St. Anne's)
  • Christchurch
  • Cornwall
  • Dartington
  • Exeter
  • Gloucester
  • North Bristol
  • Plymouth
  • Swindon
  • Taunton
• Wales (10)
  • Caernarfon
  • Cardiff
  • Clwyd (Kelsterton)
  • East Dyfed (Llanelli)
  • Ebbw Vale
  • Neath
  • Newport
  • Treforest (Pontypridd)
  • Vale of Clwyd
  • Wrexham
• Yorkshire and Humberside (12)
  • Barnsley
  • Bradford
  • Grimsby
  • Halifax
  • Harehills (Leeds)
  • Hull
  • Kirklees
  • Scunthorpe
  • Sheffield
  • Shipley
  • South Leeds
  • York

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people are currently receiving training in information technology centres which get top up grants from the Department of Trade and Industry.

At the end of September 1984 some 4,770 young people were being trained in information technology centres which are currently in receipt of funding from the Department of Trade and Industry. All these centres, of course, also receive substantial funding from the Manpower Services Commission for training provided under the youth training scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has consulted the information technology centres on their views on the impending withdrawal of topping up grants.

Information technology centre sponsors and managers have been advised from the outset that the funding from the Department of Trade and Industry was for pump-priming purposes for a limited period only. As, however, I announced in my reply of 7 November 1984, at columns 2–3, to my hon. Friend the Member for Thanet, North (Mr. Gale), I have agreed that the Manpower Services Commission should provide any necessary additional salary support for centres' specialist adult staff for the period until 31 October 1985 for those centres whose funding from the Department of Trade and Industry comes to an end. This, of course, is additional to the normal funding which the commission make to centres for training provided under the youth training scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to ensure that the information technology centres receive sufficient funds to continue their role as training grounds for new technology.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 7 November 1984, at columns 2–3, to my hon. Friend the Member for Thanet, North (Mr. Gale).

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of women unemployed for more than 12 months; and what percentage of those unemployed for over 12 months are women.

Information about the number of unemployed females claiming benefit is in the House of Commons Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of those women unemployed for 12 months or more, are in receipt of either unemployment, supplementary, sickness or invalidity benefit.

Information in the precise form requested is not available. The available information comes from the 1983 labour force survey which estimates that in the second quarter of 1983 some 360,000 women in Great Britain had been looking for work for 12 months or more, of whom 210,000—about 60 per cent.—were claiming either unemployment benefit, supplementary allowance as an unemployed person, or national insurance credits.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the number of women who are unemployed but not registered as such.

The labour force survey estimates that in the second quarter of 1983, the latest date for which estimates are available, some 540,000 women in Great Britain were seeking work but were not claiming unemployment benefits. This figure, however, includes some 100,000 women who were students or on Government training schemes and who would not be described as unemployed. The survey also showed that an estimated 320,000 women included in the claimant count were not actively seeking work in the previous week.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what studies the Government are making to review the law governing limited partnership with a view to facilitating the system for the financing of research and development projects.

None. If my hon. Friend has suggestions as to how the Limited Partnerships Act 1907 could be amended to facilitate the financing of research and development projects, I would be happy to study them.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the review of trading discounts allowed retailers by manufacturers to be completed; and if he will make a statement.

The Director General of Fair Trading is undertaking a fact finding exercise aimed at updating some of the statistical information in the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on discounts to retailers. He is unlikely to be in a position to publish the full results of this exercise until well into next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will seek an assurance from the Kidde Corporation that it will continue primary crane manufacture as well as assembly at Coles Cranes in Sunderland;

I have received assurances from the Grove division of Kidde Corporation that Grove intends to continue the manufacture of cranes in Sunderland and to develop Coles' operations in world markets.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list what advisory or consultancy fees have been arranged with companies advising his Department on aspects of the privatisation of Jaguar Cars and British Telecom.

No. It is not the practice to disclose the value of individual contracts between the Department and its consultants and advisers.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the most recent available figures on company liquidations and personal bankruptcies.

Monthly figures up to September were published in British Business, 19 October and further detail in the quarterly article on 26 October. Table 2 of the latter article gives the division of bankruptcies between the self-employed and other individuals.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to change the current arrangements for support to information technology centres from his Department.

ITeC	Location	Training places
Aberdeen	Broad Street, Aberdeen A89 1NX	30
Ashford	Brunswick Road, Ashford TN23 2TX	30
Aston (Birmingham)	Rocky Lane, Aston, Birmingham	35
Austin Rover (Birmingham)	Longbridge, Birmingham B31 2JB	30
Aycliffe	Menom Road, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham	50
Barnsley	Pontefract Road, Barnsley ST1 1AJ	35
Barrow	Abbey Road, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria	40
Basildon	Burnt Mills Road, Basildon, SS13 1DQ	30
Basingstoke	Basingstoke, Hants	30
Bath	Lower Bristol Road, Bath, Avon	30
Bedworth	Hosiery Street, Bedworth, Warwickshire	40
Bellshill	Bellshill, Lanarkshire ML4 3JA	40
Birmingham (Tyseley)	Tyseley, Birmingham	30
Blackburn	Phillips Road, Blackburn, Lancashire	45
Blackpool (Fylde Coast)	Boothley Road, Blackpool, Lancashire	30
Bolton	Elton Street, Bolton, Lancashire	40
Borders	Melrose, Borders	20
Boston and South Holland	Boston, Lancashire LN1 1YL	50
Bracknell	Skimped Hill Lane, Bracknell RG12 1JX	35
Bradford	Charles Street, Bradford, North Yorkshire	60
Brent	Stonebridge Centre, London NW10 ORG	30
Bridgeton (GEAR)	Templeton Street, Glasgow G40 1DW	30
Brighton	New England Street, Brighton, BN1 4GH	40
Bristol (New Work)	Woodland Way, Kingswood, Bristol BS15	35
Bristol (St. Annes)	St. Anne's Road, Bristol BS4 4AB	40