asked the Secretary of State for Energy how much extra oil has been used in the current year to date to blend with coal burnt in power stations; and if he will estimate its effect on sulphur and other discharges into the atmosphere.

The amount of oil burnt with coal in public sector power stations in England and Wales is an operational matter for the Central Electricity Generating Board. On the basis of equivalent heat content, the average amount of sulphur in fuel oil and in coal is very similar. The substitution of oil for coal in power stations is thus unlikely to have a significant effect on sulphur and other discharges into the atmosphere. Discharges into the atmosphere will continue to be subject to monitoring by Her Majesty's Alkali and Clean Air Inspectorate.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, further to his reply dated 15 November, Official Report, column 335, concerning the price of fuel deliverd to power stations, whether he will provide separate figures for heavy fuel oil.

Separate figures for heavy fuel oil are not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how much of the initial finance of the Coal Board Enterprise Company has so far been allocated.

[pursuant to the reply, 26 November 1984, c. 609]: I informed the House that the initial funds of £5 million provided to the new company by the National Coal Board would be kept under review. I have today agreed to the National Coal Board doubling the funds available to NCB (Enterprise) Ltd. from £5 million to £10 million. This figure will be kept under review and will be increased further when the need arises. I am pleased that the company has already received 150 inquiries.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report an estimate of the amount of interest on central Government debt payable to pension funds in the current financial year.

No statistics are collected on interest paid by the central Government to pension funds, and a reliable estimate cannot be provided.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to extend section 73 of the Finance Act 1982 granting 100 per cent. allowances for very small workshops beyond its terminal date of 26 March 1985.

I have no such plans.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the Commission of the European Communities concerning value added tax coverage on specific items.

The EC Commission has sent the United Kingdom Government a reasoned opinion under article 169 of the Treaty of Rome, alleging that certain aspects of the VAT zero rates in force in the United Kingdom are contrary to the provisions of the sixth VAT directive. The United Kingdom Goverr.ment do not accept the Commission's views.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has had from the Scottish Daily Newspaper Society against the imposition of value added tax on newspapers and magazines; and what was the nature of his reply.

I have noted press reports about representations on this subject being made by the Scottish Daily Newspaper Society but they have not yet reached me. When they do I will reiterate that although the Government are committed to a shift in the burden of taxation from taxes on earnings to taxes on spending, we have no set views at present on how this might best be done.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the outcome of the recent bilateral talks between British officials and officials of the Japanese Ministry of Finance.

I had suggested these talks to seek to ensure that the freedom with which Japanese banks and securities houses operate in London was matched by freer access for British financial institutions wishing to operate in Japan.I believe the talks were valuable. Following the talks practical steps were taken promptly in Tokyo to deal with certain outstanding applications by British firms for securities licences, and to liberalise restrictions on British and other foreign banks in Tokyo. I look for further progress in the next year or so by the Japanese authorities in liberalising their financial markets and opening them to overseas competition.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the total number of individuals who (a) pay income tax, (b) have a taxable income after allowances of £1,000 or less and (c) have a taxable income of more than £1,000 but less than £3,000.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 November 1984, column 445]: The latest estimates for 1984–85 are:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will tabulate in the Official Report his Department's contemporary estimates of the numbers of (a) taxpayers at the time of the Budgets of the years 1979 to 1984 inclusive and (b) persons taken out of the income tax system as a result of the changes made in those Budgets.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 November 1984, c. 445]: The latest estimates are as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the contemporary estimates of numbers of persons with earnings above the minimum limit for national insurance contributions at the time of the autumn statements in each of the years 1979 to 1984 inclusive; and what were the estimates for the numbers brought below that limit by the changes made in it in each of those years.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 November 1984, c. 445]: Information is not available in precisely the form requested, but the table shows the estimated effect on the number of class 1 contributors of the increases in the lower earnings limit in 1980–81 to 1985–86. The table gives estimates of the average number of employees in the United Kingdom for whom class 1 contributions were payable, and for each of the years an estimate of the additional number of employees who would have been liable for contributions if the lower earnings limit (LEL) had not been increased in that year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of total income tax was paid by people with the highest (a) 5 per cent., (b) 10 per cent. and (c) 20 per cent. of incomes in each of the last 10 financial years for which statistics are available.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 November 1984, c. 271]: The information requested is given in the table. Estimates are not available for 1979–80 or 1980–81.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether it remains his policy to re-erect crash barriers along the A12 motorway in Chelmsford.

No provision has been made to incorporate crash barriers in the A12 Chelmsford bypass. I am however considering again whether they can be justified under the Department's criteria.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his recent visit to Liverpool.

I visited the port of Liverpool on Friday 23 November and opened a new £2½ million grain and animal feed discharge facility at Seaforth. The installation was financed by Continental Grain, one of the world's largest grain trading and processing companies, and will bring more business and employment opportunities to Merseyside. This type of private enterprise investment in a port illustrates the evolving spirit of co-operation and partnership between ports and their customers and has my full support.

asked the Attorney-General whether Her Majesty's Government have made provision for the secure storage of information about land and property ownership in the event of nuclear war.

I can only answer for the Land Registry's records for which no specific provision has been made.

asked the Attorney-General when he expects to complete the research project into the financial consequences of divorce.

The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys hopes to complete the research project into the financial consequences of divorce by December 1985.

asked the Attorney-General if he plans to implement the Law Commission's recommendation on illegitimacy.

The Law Commission's recommendations have been accepted by the Government. They will be implemented when resources become available, though this will not be during the current Session.

asked the Attorney-General how many applications for criminal legal aid have been made since March 1984; and in how many cases the applications were (a) granted initially, (b) refused, (c) the rights of recourse were exercised and (d) the applications were successful on recourse.

Complete statistical returns from the courts for the quarters 1 April—30 June and 1 July—30 September are not yet available. Information so far received shows that the Crown court granted 99 per cent. of applications to it for legal aid for trials, 98 per cent. of those for committals for sentence, and 36 per cent. for appeals. The magistrates' courts granted 99 per cent of applications to them for legal aid for committals for trial, and 89 per cent. (91 per cent. indictable, 65 per cent. summary-only) for all trials before them. In the same period, 1,496 applications to criminal legal aid committees were made under the recourse provisions, and 993 of these were granted.

asked the Attorney-General if he will publish the circulation list of the journal Court Business published by the Lord Chancellor's Department; and on what basis other people and organisations can obtain it.

"Court Business" is primarily a bulletin for the guidance of staff of the Lord Chancellor's Department and for the information of the judiciary. The Lord Chancellor has no plans to make it more widely available or to publish the circulation list but would be ready to reconsider this if there was evidence of demand adequate to justify the expense of either operation.

asked the Attorney-General on what criteria he will refer lenient sentences to the Court of Appeal under the proposed new legislation.

The purpose of the proposed provision as at present formulated is to provide a means of enabling sentences which appear inappropriate on the basis of established sentencing principles, which raise novel issues of sentencing, or which otherwise raise questions of public concern, to be reviewed by the Court of Appeal consistently with the principle that these are matters for the courts. Assuming the proposed legislation is enacted in substantially its present form I would expect to use the new power sparingly and on the basis of a careful assessment of the extent to which the sentence in question falls outside accepted norms of its implications for the public interest. I do not equate the public interest with the vociferous media and other criticism which occasionally accompanies an excessively lenient sentence and which may be out of all proportion to its significance.

asked the Attorney-General what is the mechanism for inviting clerks to the justices to seek early retirement; and what arrangements are made in this respect.

I have been asked to reply.Under section 25 of the Justices of the Peace Act 1979, the appointment of a justices' clerk, subject to the approval of the Home Secretary, is a matter for the magistrates' courts committee, and the clerk then holds office during the committee's pleasure. For termination of an appointment, whether on early retirement grounds or otherwise, the Secretary of State's approval is required only where the magistrates for the division or divisions for which the clerk is appointed do not consent to the decision. Justices' clerks are pensionable under the Local Government Superannuation Regulations 1974 (SI 520/1974) and retiring awards would be calculated in accordance with those regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on his Department's response to the draft programme for the International Year of Peace, 1986, approved by the United Nations General Assembly.

The Government's contribution to the International Year of Peace 1986 is the responsibility of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what responses he has received to the Green Paper, "Parental Influence in Schools"; and if he will make a statement.

Responses to the Green Paper have been received from over 700 individuals and organisations. In the light of these, the Government are now carefully considering the way ahead and will make an announcement in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he can now announce a publication date for the Swann committee report on the education of ethnic minorities.

I understand that the committee hopes to deliver its final report to my right hon. Friend in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the policy of his Department towards the setting up of representative student councils in schools and colleges; and if he will make a statement.

Provision is normally made in the articles of government of public sector institutions of further and higher education for the establishment of a students' union, one of whose functions will be to represent the views of students in discussion with institutional authorities. Whether to set up a school council is best left to individual schools to decide in the light of their own needs and circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what grants or other financial contributions his Department has made to the English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish International Youth Year secretariats, respectively; and what conditions were placed on the use of those grants.

Grants made to the national co-ordinating committee for England since February 1983 amount to £75,514. The award of grant is subject to the provisions of the Education (Grant) Regulations 1983 and Government accounting arrangements apply. Grants for the committees in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are the responsibilities of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what his Department has done to encourage close links between secondary schools and local industry, commerce and other parts of the local community; and if he will make a statement.

The Government recognise the importance of such links as a means of promoting mutual understanding, enhancing pupils' knowledge of how the nation earns its wealth, and helping to prepare young people for adult and working life.The Department is committed to providing a lead on school-industry matters, but responsibility for local links rests with local education authorities and local communities. The Department wrote to chief education officers on 15 March 1983 drawing attention to the importance which the Government attach to links with industry and commerce and it has subsequently been in contact with a number of employers and employers' organisations on the role that employers might play.The Department is in close touch with, and in some cases provides financial support for, national organisations whose principal function is to promote local liaison activities, including, work experience. It is also actively involved in the preparations for Industry Year 1986 which include considerations of how school-industry activities can be expanded and strengthened.Opportunities for the further development of cooperation between schools, local employers and the wider community are being provided by the Department's programme of development projects for lower attaining pupils. The Department's microelectronics education programme is also providing a stimulus. The Department is also associated with a number of European Community projects which are exploring the further development of links between schools and the wider community in member countries.The Department works closely with the Manpower Services Commission on all aspects of the technical and vocational education initiative, which is also promoting local links, and with the Department of Trade and Industry on all matters relating to school-industry liaison.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide figures showing spending on books alone by each local education authority in England and Wales (a) in terms of their overall allocation and spending per pupil and (b) in cost and real terms using 1979–80 as the base year for each of the last five years for which figures are available.

[pursuant to his reply, 26 November 1984, c. 353]: Figures are not readily available to prepare a complete answer in the form requested for the five-year period in question, but within the time available it has been possible to calculate the following data:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what financial or other support his Department has given to the Wales International Youth Year secretariat.

The Department has given £22,316·95 to the national co-ordinating committee in Wales since April 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of acquired immune deficiency syndrome are known to have occurred in Wales; what specialist medical advice he has so far received; what consultation he has had with the blood transfusion centre at Rhydlafar, near Cardiff, regarding steps to be taken to ensure that blood donors are free of this disease; and if he will make a statement.

Three cases of AIDS have been diagnosed in Wales to date. Specialist medical advice is provided on AIDS by the chief medical officer at the Welsh Office and his professional staff who consult experts on this disease within the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many dairymen and other workers in the dairy industry in Wales have registered as unemployed since the implementation of the European Community milk quota scheme.

This information is not available.

asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he proposes to institute additional controls on aerial crop spraying; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Pontypridd (Mr. John) on Monday 19 November 1984 at column 77.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he plans to introduce statutory regulations based on the Farm Animal Welfare Council's codes of practice.

I understand that the Farm Animal Welfare Council is currently reviewing the welfare codes which Parliament has approved and will then advise Ministers on whether in their view any of the codes' recommendations might more appropriately be made statutory. We must await the council's report.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will issue a statement showing the progress made by each of the member states of the EEC in implementing the requirements of the dairy products quota system and the reasons for the delays in the required implementation by some of the member states.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr. Hamilton) on Monday 26 November 1984 at column 402.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what percentage amount the national milk price has altered in each European Economic Community country including the United Kingdom for each of the years 1982–83 and 1983–84; what change is proposed in each country for 1984–85; and if he will make a statement.

At each price fixing the Community sets the target price for milk to which the various dairy support prices under the common agricultural policy are related. The following table shows the target price converted into national currencies at the green rates. The Commission has not yet made proposals in respect of the 1985–86 marketing year. It should be noted that the target prices cannot be equated with actual market prices, which will vary according to market circumstances, or with returns to producers (which will be affected by factors such as the actual level of returns from the market, production costs, and national inflation rates).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is yet in a position to invite more milk producers to join the outgoers' scheme.

It is our intention to invite further groups of producers to join the scheme as soon as this is warranted by the number not taking up earlier invitations. This week we shall be inviting a further 150 producers to join. These are producers who are offering up between 250,001 and 275,000 litres of quota, amounting to 39·3 million litres. As before, a small number have been excluded because milk production is a relatively small part of their overall farming enterprise.

asked the Prime Minister whether she has any plans to alter departmental responsibility for the administration of regional development grants.

Yes. With effect from the date of the introduction shortly of the new regional development grant scheme, the Scottish and Welsh Offices will administer all regional development grants in their respective territories.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what help he can offer in providing information on suitable accommodation for public shelters in the event of nuclear attack.

The 1983 regulations require local authorities to plan for the utilisation of buildings and other structures suitable for use as public shelters. Guidance on how to conduct a survey to identify suitable buildings will be issued with the consolidated circular early next year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many cautions were administered by the Metropolitan police from April 1984 to date compared with the same period in 1983; and what were the figures for each police district;(2) how many prosecutions were brought by the Metropolitan police from April 1984 to date compared with the same period in 1983; and what were the figures for each police district.

Information for 1984 is not yet available. The available information for 1983 is published in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 1983", supplementary tables vol. 3, in table S3.2A, for persons found guilty, and table S3,7A, for persons cautioned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for each of the past five years what was (a) the number of reported burglaries and (b) the clear-up detection rate, in the police area covering Leyton and Leytonstone.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the information for J district, which includes Leyton and Leytonstone, is as given in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to allow coroners the power to refer issues of public concern to a futher judicial inquiry.

No. The existing law already provides for various forms of inquiry into a death additional to the inquest in a coroner's court.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation providing further rights of appeal from decisions of coroners' courts.

The report of the Brodrick committee on death certification and coroners (Cmnd. 4810) made recommendations for extending existing provisions of the right of appeal against the decision of a coroner's court. We have no immediate plans for legislation on these proposals; but my right hon. and learned Friend will keep them in mind in the course of his further consideration of the future of the coroners' system.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to give effect to those parts of the Brodrick report on coroners which have not so far been implemented, with regard to the role of juries.

The recommendations of the Brodrick committee on death certification and coroners (Cmnd. 4810) concerning juries have been partially implemented by section 56 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and the Coroners Juries Act 1983. The outstanding recommendation, giving coroners complete discretion in deciding when to sit with a jury, will be considered in the context of any future proposals for reorganising the coroners' system.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why, when polariod photographs of persons arrested in connection with the current mining dispute are taken in police stations, two photographs are taken; to what precise use each is put; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the practice of taking a polaroid photograph of an arrested person—usually with the arresting officer—is intended to ensure that there is no confusion as to the identity of the arrested person or the officer who made the arrest. This photograph would normally be kept with the case papers or charge sheet and would be destroyed after any court proceedings. I am not aware that it is general police practice to take two polaroid photographs. The police may, however, take a second photograph with a conventional camera of an arrested person for the purpose of local records. Such a photograph would be destroyed if the person was not proceeded against or was acquitted. When photographs are destroyed, it is normal police practice for this to be done in the presence of the person if he requests.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for reports from the relevant chief constables as to whether information on the number of people taken to police stations during the current coal mining strike who have been detained overnight is stored in any police computer; and if he will make a statement.

No. Information about persons detained overnight is kept in records compiled manually. I am not aware of any instance in which it is stored on a computer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration the Government have given to the extension of the franchise within the city of London; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans for legislation to alter or extend the franchise in the city of London. Any such proposals would need to be considered on their merits.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of car registration numbers currently on (a) the police national computer and (b) other police computers in relation to vehicles which have been, or are suspected of being, involved in riot; and if he will make a statement.

I am making inquiries and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the changes to manpower levels which may be required in probation and after-care services resulting from the planned increases in prison capacity.

To meet the planned increase in prison places it is estimated that 45 additional probation staff will be required by 1988.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out in the Official Report the salaries and allowances payable to, and expenses which may be claimed by, United Kingdom Members of Parliament and British Members of the European Parliament.

Members of Parliament are statutorily entitled to receive an additional salary of £5,369 p.a.—that is, one third of their salary as Members of Parliament—if they are also Members of the European Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the experimental use of the system known as crime pattern analysis at the police national computer.

I refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 4.26 to 4.28 of the report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary for 1983 (HC528) and to

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes of violence were reported in the area of each police authority in England in each quarter of 1983–84 and in each of the first two quarters of 1984–85.

The available information is given in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how spending per police officer in the Metropolitan police compares with the targets set by his Department for other police forces.

My right hon. and learned Friend does not set targets for other police forces.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the national reporting centre has been used in the efforts to combat drug trafficking in 1983 or 1984.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps the Metropolitan police have taken to study the training methods of other police forces with higher clear-up rates for crime;(2) whether, as police authority for the metropolis, he has sought advice from

Clear-up rates alone are not considered a sufficient measure of any police force's response to crime. Although the clear-up rate in the Metropolitan police district is lower than in some provincial forces, except in respect of serious crime, the total number of arrests in the Metropolitan Police District is proportionately similar to the number elsewhere. I understand from the Commission of Police of the Metropolis that his officers have regular exchanges with other forces about training methods and that his management services department has examined investigative practice in a number of provincial police forces to try and determine the reasons for differences in clear-up rates. None of the conclusions of that research has pointed to variations in training as a contributory factor. It has suggested that clear-up rates can be affected significantly by the extent to which offences are taken into consideration or otherwise disposed of without formal proceedings. The commissioner accordingly set up in April 1984 an experiment for one year to test the effects of a scheme which has proved successful elsewhere of interviewing prisoners about otherwise unsolved crimes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Metropolitan police have taken and what advice they have sought from other police forces to reduce the incidence of attendance at false alerts from burglar alarms; and if he will make a statement.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that, in common with other police forces in England and Wales, he operates a policy of withdrawal of direct police response to alarms which generate an unacceptable number of false calls. Police response is reinstated only after a specified period and after inspection by the Metropolitan police burglar alarm inspectorate. Guidelines on intruder alarm policies were issued to forces by the Association of Chief Police Officers last April and the Metropolitan police were involved in the preparation of these.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether consideration has been completed of the recent recommendation made by the Committee of Public Accounts in its 18th report that the Forestry Commission should publish details, including prices obtained, for properties sold; and if he will make a statement.

The Government are still considering their response to this recommendation. When a decision is reached it will be made known to the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received in the last three months from the legal profession concerning his proposals to increase competition among lawyers.

I am in close touch with the Law Society of Scotland whose representatives I met recently to discuss conveyancing by employed solicitors, fee quotation and advertising. My right hon. Friend has also received a number of representations on these matters from individual solicitors or firms.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases of acquired immune deficiency syndrome are known to have occured in Scotland; what specialist medical advice he has so far received; what consultation he has had with blood transfusion centres in Scotland regarding steps to be taken to ensure that blood donors are free of this disease; and if he will make a statement.

By 26 November three confirmed cases of AIDS had been registered with the communicable diseases (Scotland) unit. Specialist medical advice is received from the unit, the Scottish national blood transfusion service and specialists in other relevant disciplines. The SNBTS has, in consultation with my Department, issued a revised leaflet on AIDS and how it concerns blood donors. Steps are being taken to ensure that this leaflet is seen by all potential donors in Scotland before they give blood. It reinforces my Department's previous advice that persons at high risk of contracting AIDS should not donate blood.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many dairymen and other workers in the dairy industry in Scotland have registered as unemployed since the implementation of the European Community milk quota scheme.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution his Department intends to make towards International Youth Year.

Most other countries share our view that the main thrust of activities during International Youth Year should be at the local and national levels. However, the British Council's exchanges department will be giving priority in 1985 to projects with IYY themes, and the Overseas Development Administration will maintain its funding of the Commonwealth Youth Programme, which is holding a Pan-Commonwealth youth conference in 1985. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is also considering an application from the British Youth Council for a grant in 1985 for its international work.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any representatives of the British Government met United States senators visiting Dublin on 10 November to discuss issues of Irish neutrality or the European Economic Community.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department has to encourage further bilateral and multilateral nuclear arms control agreement talks.