asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has yet made a decision about the future of local government in Londonderry city and district following the one-year-old boycott of the present district council by all its Unionist members; whether he has considered the appointment of a commission to replace the boycotted council; whether he has considered the suggestion of two district councils on either side of the River Foyle; and if he is yet in a position to make a statement which would contribute to a resolution of the present boycott and impasse.

The absence of some members from meetings of Derry city council is regrettable, but the Government have no plans to interfere in the running of the council, which has continued to exercise its functions as prescribed by the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972.The final recommendations of the Local Government Boundaries Commissioner, who reported in 1984, have been accepted without modification and given statutory effect. The commissioner did not recommend any alteration in the number or boundaries of local government districts in the area and it is not proposed to make any change in the number of local government districts.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the criteria employed by his Department in selecting Welsh milk producers for the outgoers scheme.

Under the outgoers scheme priority is being given, in Wales as in England, to the smaller producer who depends mainly upon dairying for his basic income.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the amount in million litres per full year of the offers so far made by Welsh milk producers under the outgoers scheme; what percentage of the quota for Wales this amount was; and how this amount relates to the planned targets in litres for Wales.

100·7 million litres per year was provisionally offered by milk producers in Wales. The milk quota is set on an England and Wales basis at 12,843 million litres. The aim is to buy in 2·25 per cent. of this total, amounting to 288·98 million litres.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many producers in Wales have so far come forward under the outgoers compensation scheme for milk production.

Seven hundred and twelve.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many milk producers in Wales who came forward with offers under the outgoers scheme received first invitations; how many and on what basis, tranches of how many litres, received further invitations; and how many received the last batch of invitations.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest readily available figures for the proportion of heavy lorries checked and found to be above the legal weight limit in (a) Wales and (b) each county in Wales.

I have been asked to reply.The latest readily available figures are contained in the annual reports of the licensing authorities for the year ending 30 September 1983. They are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out in a table a statistical analysis of the sentences passed on those found guilty of murder in each of the last five years.

Information on all persons convicted of murder is published in table 4.8 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1983" (Cmnd. 9349).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been charged with murder in each of the last five years.

Information on the number of persons indicted for murder is published in table 4.7 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1983" (Cmnd. 9349).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been found guilty of murder in each of the last five years; and, in each year, how many of those convicted had a family relationship with the deceased.

The information available is summarised in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there were in each of the years 1981 to 1984 for offences involving drunkenness.

The information requested was published in table 1 of the annual Home Office statistical bulletin on "Offences of Drunkenness" (issue 16/84), a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Information for 1984 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been unlawfully killed in each of the last five years.

Information on the number of offences initially and currently recorded by the police as homicide is published in table 4.1 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1983" (Cmnd. 9349).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can analyse the proxy votes cast at the last general election according to their respective qualification, such as service, merchant seamen, other employment, and so on.

No. This information is not held centrally, and there is no obligation for the registration officer to record it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if any of the 13 prisoners who committed suicide in penal establishments in 1983, and who were not under any form of special observation at that time, had been identified as a suicide risk.

Of the 13 prisoners who were not under any form of special observation at the time of their suicide, six had papers marked with an "F' to denote a suicide risk. Following the report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons on suicides in prison, the "F' marking system is under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conclusion he has reached following the close inspection undertaken by his Department of ways to dissuade people from drug misuse and abuse, referred to in his speech to the London Diplomatic Association on 14 December 1983.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Health has since announced that the Government intend to launch a major education and prevention campaign directed at parents and young people. The ministerial group on the misuse of drugs is urgently considering the form of the campaign, taking into account information derived from market research commissioned by the Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals are employed by the Cable Authority; and what projections of the future employment needs of the authority exist.

The Cable Authority is responsible for setting its own staffing levels. The authority's intention is, I understand, to recruit about 15 staff. The authority this week announced, as a first step, the appointment of a director-general.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants were employed in P3 division in December 1984.

On 31 December 1984 there were 59½ civil servants in post in P3 division, 13 in the division's category A section.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unconvicted prisoners had been provisionally put in category A on 31 December 1984.

As at 31 December 1984, there were 146 prisoners provisionally in category A.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are currently made for work by unconvicted prisoners who have been provisionally put in category A at Winson Green prison in Birmingham.

No work is available for these prisoners.

asked the Prime Minister if she will review the list of public bodies which under section 75 of the Race Relations Act and Statutory Instrument No. 218, 1984, are exempt from the other provisions of the Race Relations Act; and if she will make a statement.

This list of bodies "prescribed" under section 75(5) of the Act is reviewed from time to time. Prescription does not authorise the bodies to discriminate in their employment policies other than to restrict employment to those meeting the nationality requirements for the service of the Crown. These requirements are widely drawn to include not only British citizens but also Commonwealth citizens and citizens of the Irish Republic. Most states operate similar rules and our practice is probably more liberal than most in not restricting entry to British citizens and in applying the rules to a relatively small area of the public service as a whole.

asked the Prime Minister if she will now seek to implement the recommendations of the Select Committee on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration by introducing amending legislation to bring personnel matters arising from employment in the public service within his jurisdiction.

No. I see no reason at present to depart from the view of successive Administrations that the commissioner was not established to investigate relations between the state as employer and its employees.

asked the Prime Minister how many representations have been received calling for a commemorative ceremony for the 40th anniversay of Victory in Europe Day.

Nine letters from Members of Parliament and members of the public have been received. In addition, I note that hon. Members have put down a number of early-day motions on this matter.

asked the Prime Minister what information she has as to how France and the Benelux countries are celebrating the 40th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.

The French Government will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the allied victory in Europe with ceremonies stressing the themes of peace and reconciliation. The Luxembourg Government envisage a small parade and the laying of wreaths at war cemeteries. I am not aware of any plans for an official commemoration by the Governments of Belgium or the Netherlands.

asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government will make any funds available for a commemorative celebration of the 40th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.

As I said in the House on 15 January, at column 180, we are considering the form of a national commemoration and will make an announcement in due course.

asked the Prime Minister what are the economics of reprocessing spent nuclear fuel in the United Kingdom; and what would be the impact on the civil and military nuclear programmes if such reprocessing were stopped.

The only thermal reactor fuel currently being reprocessed in the United Kingdom is that from Magnox power stations. Since none of the stations, except Wylfa, has stores capable of holding the fuel for more than a limited period, reprocessing is a technical necessity. Cessation would entail closing the Magnox power stations, with very significant costs to the electricity consumer. As far as oxide fuel is concerned, the timing of and commitment to reprocessing through the proposed THORP facility at Sellafield is a commercial matter for the CEGB and the SSEB.Spent fuel from CEGB and SSEB reactors is not reprocessed for the defence programme.

asked the Prime Minister what will be the lead Department for the forthcoming review of the nonproliferation treaty; and if she is satisfied that the United Kingdom has adequately discharged all its obligations under that treaty.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be the lead Department for the forthcoming review conference of the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. The United Kingdom continues to discharge all its obligations under that treaty.

asked the Prime Minister what is (a) the average cost of social security payments in the United Kingdom per head of the working population and (b) the average amount of income tax paid in the United Kingdom per head of the working population.

The cost of social security payments in the United Kingdom was nearly £1,350 per head of the working population in 1983–84. Income tax receipts were about £1,150 per head of the working population in 1983–84.

asked the Prime Minister what action she has taken as a result of Mr. Max Nicholson's letter about the Scottish Office handling of conservation.

I wrote to Mr. Nicholson on 2 November 1984, when I told him that I am satisfied that the practice of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland in relation to conservation in general and licensing under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in particular takes full account of the legislation concerned and of the merits of each licensing case considered. This practice will be reviewed as circumstances change and will be varied, if necessary, to reflect these changes.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the response to the letter of 21 December 1984 from Sir Robert Armstrong to the secretary of the Council of Civil Service Unions regarding union membership at GCHQ, Cheltenham.

The reply to the letter referred to by the hon. Gentleman was dated 16 January 1985, was received on 17 January and brought to my attention the same day, as requested by the secretary of the Council of Civil Service Unions.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on progress concerning the proposed convention and recommendation on vocational rehabilitation and employment of disabled people and the proposed recommendation on the establishment of an international system for the maintenance of rights in social security, adopted at the international labour conference in June 1983.

Following consultations with the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress and other interested parties, including the National Advisory Council on the Employment of Disabled People, the Government considered their position in relation to the instruments adopted at the 1983 international labour conference and decided to accept recommendation No. 168 concerning vocational rehabilitation but not to ratify convention No. 159 concerning vocational rehabilitation, nor to accept recommendation No. 167 concerning social security. This decision was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment by way of a White Paper (Cmnd. 9417) which was laid before Parliament on Friday 21 December 1984.

asked the Prime Minister how many individuals are employed by the interdepartmental co-ordinating committee structure responsible for broadcasting matters.

I have nothing to add to my reply of 14 November 1984, at column 243, to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell).

asked the Prime Minister what is the estimated number in all Government Departments of employees concerned with the licensing and regulation of broadcasting.

The broadcasting department of the Home Office, which advises the Home Secretary on all matters relating to domestic broadcasting policy, currently consists of 22 full-time staff. The radio regulatory division of the Department of Trade and Industry is responsible for both the domestic and international planning and management of the radio frequency spectrum. Currently 12 staff are employed full time on technical and engineering work relating solely to broadcasting, and a number of other staff are concerned with broadcasting services as part of their wide responsibilities for the frequency spectrum. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office employs eight staff who work on matters connected with the BBC's external services. This figure does not include the substantial number of FCO administration and engineering staff in this country and abroad who are involved in the operation of FCO-controlled transmitting stations which carry BBC broadcasts.

asked the Prime Minister whether Her Majesty's Government have any plans to instigate a prosecution of Commander Wreford-Brown in respect of information provided by him and published in "Our Falklands War" in March 1983.

Prosecution under the Official Secrets Acts is a matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

asked the Prime Minister what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the European Parliament's committee of inquiry on alleged police violence during the current coal miners' dispute; and if she will make a statement.

The Government regret that British Socialist Members have tried to drag purely domestic issues into the Parliament's affairs even though it has no responsibility for them. The Government also note that many other Members of the Parliament do not approve of this behaviour.There is no question of our co-operating with this inquiry. There is no need for it. Police actions can be tested in the courts and complaints investigated under the Police Acts of 1964 and 1976. The general issues have been discussed several times in the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he has sought from qualified teachers with at least 10 years full-time experience teaching less able pupils concerning the feasibility of teachers' assessment.

When my right hon. Friend seeks the view of school teachers, it is his practice to consult their national associations, and he wrote to the latter on 30 October last about the possibility of requiring local education authorities periodically to appraise the performance of their teachers.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what reply he has sent to Sir James Gowans, of the Medical Research Council, on the shortage of funds in molecular biology and neurobiology.

In my right hon. Friend's reply of 10 January, at column 526, to my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry), he announced that, in the light of advice from the Advisory Board for the Research Councils, the Medical Research Council is to receive a grant-in-aid of £122·3 million from the science budget in 1985–86. This sum represents an increase of £2·1 million in the council's grant-in-aid over the previously published plans for that year. We believe that the Medical Research Council made its comments, about the difficulty of fully supporting the areas of science described, before it had been informed about the increased money. It will be for the council to decide how to apportion its grant-in-aid between the various areas of science it supports.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many secondary school teachers are currently employed by (a) the Inner London education authority and (b) the outer London boroughs combined.

Estimated numbers of secondary school teachers employed in September 1984, the latest date for which figures are available, by (a) the Inner London education authority are 10,900, and (b) the outer London boroughs combined are 20,500, counting part-time teachers on the basis of their full-time equivalents.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he intends to introduce legislation to amend the Education (School Leaving Dates) Act 1976.

My right hon. Friend has no plans at present to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is satisfied with the literacy and numeracy standards of school leavers.

The Government believe that there is room for improvement in the standards achieved by pupils of all abilities across the whole of the school curriculum. Our policies are designed to secure such an improvement.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the British Antarctic Survey ship Discovery has penetrators to test ways of burying nuclear waste in the seabed; and whether it is tasked to look for natural traps for hydrocarbons near the Falkland Islands.

The royal research ship Discovery does not have such penetrators on board and is not tasked as the hon. Member describes. While RRS Discovery's present cruise is in support of the British Antarctic survey, the vessel is part of the Natural Environment Research Council's research fleet and is not a BAS vessel.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he intends to take on

My right hon. Friend welcomes the growing participation of parents in their children's school education and has noted that this report acknowledges and illustrates the benefits to schools of parental involvement on a voluntary basis. As respects the concern expressed about some aspects of current arrangements, it is for head teachers, governing bodies and local education authorities to settle the forms that parental involvement might take and for authorities to settle the staffing complements for schools in the light of legal requirements, local priorities and available resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many representations he has now received about student grants.

My right hon. Friend has received some 10,600 representations about the changes in student grants in 1985–86.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will list the amounts paid to each local education authority in respect of the no area pooling system in each year since 1980 and the total cost of the system in each of these years.

[pursuant to his reply, 17 January 1985, c. 227]: Pooling is not a grant which is paid to local education authorities. It is a system of inter-authority payments which, as a matter of administrative convenience, is carried out by the Government through adjustments to authorities' block grant. It in no way affects the total of Government grant paid.The provisional claims on the no area pool on which the adjustments for each year since 1980 have been made are given in the following table. The final adjustment in respect of each year will eventually be made on the basis of certified claims.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those American companies that have announced investments in Scotland since the visit to the United States of America by the Scottish Industry Minister; and whether they are to receive automatic regional development grants.

Since I visited the United States, I am aware that the following American companies have announced their intention to invest in Scotland:

• Gearhart Industries Inc.
• Hughes Microelectronics Ltd.
• W. L. Gore & Associates
• Indy Electronics Inc.
• Burroughs Machines Ltd.
• Fibrmat Ltd.
• Glassflake International Ltd.
• Varian Associates Inc.
• Intertrade Scientific
• Eaton Semiconductor Equipment
• Materials Research Inc.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate how many companies employing 10 or more workers have (a) started work and (b) announced closures in 1983 and 1984.

The information is not available in the form requested. There are no comprehensive statistics on companies starting work. However, information available to the Manpower Services Commission indicates that in 1983 and 1984, respectively, there were 222 and 175 establishments in Scotland where closure gave rise to redundancies involving 10 or more workers in those years.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Scots people have emigrated in each year since 1979.

The available estimates of net migration, which relate to residents of Scotland and are subject to sampling error, are published in table 01.1 of the Registrar General for Scotland's Annual Report 1983, a copy of which is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will commission a study into present and future employment levels in the electronics industry in Scotland.

I keep employment levels and prospects in electronics under continuing review, with particular attention to the demand for qualified manpower. I have no plans at present to commission any external study.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many policemen received financial assistance towards dental, optical or medical treatment in 1983 and 1984; what was the cost in each case; and why the officers were assisted.

The detailed information requested is not readily available and could not be obtained from police authorities without disproportionate cost.Before the introduction of the National Health Service, police officers were entitled to free medical and dental treatment as part of their conditions of service. When NHS charges were introduced, it was therefore agreed that officers should be reimbursed for medical or dental treatment on the basis of NHS charges. Reimbursement of the costs of approved types of spectacles or contact lenses suitable for use by serving officers while on outside duty stems from a recommendation by the Police Advisory Board for Scotland that candidates for the police service who are otherwise suitable but who need to wear spectacles or contact lenses should be regarded as acceptable if they are able to satisfy certain minimum standards of vision.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he was consulted about the purchase by Fountain Forestry of Creag Meagaidh at a cost of £7·50 per hectare; and how much public money has been given to Fountain Forestry for preserving site of special scientific interest status at Creag Meagaidh.

My right hon. Friend was not consulted about the purchase, and there was no reason why he should have been as this was a private transaction.I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment that no public money by way of compensation has been paid to Fountain Forestry. The company has given notice under section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 that it intends to carry out forestry operations on part of the Creag Meagaidh site, and discussions are continuing between it and the Nature Conservancy Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the meeting arranged by the Scottish Development Department between industrialists and officials of the Alvey Directorate.

The Alvey programme is the subject of a forum being held in Edinburgh on 29 January organised by the Scottish Electronics Technology Group (SETG), a grouping of industrialists and academics. The Scottish Development Agency made a grant to the SETG at its inception in July 1984 and is represented in the group. My Department has not had direct involvement in the organisation of the forum.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish his reply to Mr. Ian Presst, Director of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, about support for nature conservation in Scotland.

The text of the letter is as follows:Ian Presst Esq.,Director,Royal Society for the Protection of Birds,The Lodge,Sandy,BedfordshireSG19 2DL27 September 1984Thank you for your letter of 7 September about nature conservation in Scotland.while the Secretary of State welcomes the work of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and their support of conservation issues generally, he is unable to accept your charge that Scottish Ministers do not give it adequate support in Scotland. Mr. Younger and his colleagues give particular consideration to nature conservation issues. They have supported the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, which apply both north and south of the border, and they operate special arrangements, as described in the national planning guidelines —to which there is no English equivalent-which ensure that planning issues affecting the scientific interest of land may be brought to their attention.The Secretary of State was happy to note you recognition that conservation is not the only issue which he has to take into account in arriving at decisions on land use. He appreciates that some specific decisions may not meet with the Society's approval, perhaps because with their specialised remit they may not generally be aware of all the ramifications of the other issues involved and, of course, because they have no statutory responsibility to ensure that an equitable decision is reached taking account of all the issues.Comparisons between England and Scotland can sometimes overlook the widely differing circumstances, geographical, social and economic, and in particular the high proportion of Scotland which is remote countryside. In these areas, which often contain economically fragile communities, nature conservation is not always seen as being at the same risk as in the more intensely developed areas of the country; and in these circumstances any attitude which accords an overriding priority to the scientific interest of land without regard to the economic interests of the area is not necessarily in the best interests of nature conservation, nor of the local communities. The Secretary of State feels sure that you will appreciate the force of this argument. He considers that, while difficult decisions have to be made which cannot fully satisfy all the interests concerned, there is room in the remote areas of Scotland both for the maintenance of the local economy and for the protection of wildlife. He believes there is room for improvement in the presentation of the need for nature conservation particularly to land users and the inhabitants of the areas of special interest, whose goodwill at the end of the day is essential to any continuing successful programme of conservation. This is, of course, among the functions of the Nature Conservancy Council, but he believes that there is also an important role for the voluntary sector represented by such bodies as the RSPB.As you may know, there has already been a meeting at Ministerial level last month, when the Minister of State met your Scottish chairman. If you feel that a further meeting would be helpful, I shall be happy to put you in touch with the appropriate Scottish Office official.J. S. Graham,Private Secretary

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will call for a report from chief constables in Scotland as to which Scottish police forces were told on Wednesday 21 March 1984 by the West Mercia police or the vehicle licensing computer at Swansea about a white Renault car, licence number LNT 917W, or other cars abandoned in the Shrewsbury area.

I understand that there has been no contact between West Mercia constabulary and Scottish forces about these matters.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, following the latest increases in interest rates, he will revise the rate fund contribution limits fixed in the draft order for 1985–86.

No. The aggregate rate fund contribution limit of £89·5 million contained in the order is the maximum amount which can be afforded for rate subsidies to housing current expenditure in Scotland in 1985–86 consistent with the total expenditure on housing in Scotland and the recently announced provisional allocations for the capital programmes.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration he has given to the report of the wildlife consultant who visited the Falklands in December 1983.

The report is still under consideration by the Falkland Islands Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government have decided to continue the airlift to Ethiopia.

We are offering to extend the airlift to the end of March and to review the position again nearer that time.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people have left youth training schemes without a job; and what provision is made for them.

Information on the precise number of young people who have left the youth training scheme without a job is not available. However, a sample survey of youngsters leaving the scheme between 1 April and 31 July 1984 showed that 34 per cent. were unemployed—and 58 per cent. were in jobs—at the time they completed the questionnaire, some three months after leaving the scheme. Seven per cent. of the unemployed youngsters were intending to go into full-time education or training.The majority of youngsters leaving the youth training scheme are finding jobs. However, the Government continue to encourage employers, through the young workers scheme, to provide more jobs for 17-year-olds, including those leaving the youth training scheme. There are a number of other Government measures which, subject to eligibility conditions, are available to assist youngsters who leave the youth training scheme without a job, such as the enterprise allowance scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the estimated annual cost of the youth training scheme; and what proportion of this is fixed overhead cost unaffected by duration of training.

[pursuant to his reply, 14 January 1985, c. 36]: The estimate provision for expenditure on youth training in 1984–85 is about £802 million. It is not possible to identify precisely the proportion which relates to fixed overhead costs. However, it is estimated that about half of the expenditure incurred up to the end of December related to trainees' allowances and excess travel and lodging costs, and the remainder related to capital costs and other operating and training expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has received the projections of the numbers of persons who will reach retirement age and the numbers who will leave school or full-time education this year; and what will be the consequences of these projections for the unemployment total.

The latest projection of the number of persons reaching retirement age in Great Britain between mid-1984 and mid-1985 is 0·6 million. In the academic year 1984–85, it is estimated that about 0·9 million persons will leave school or full-time education. These factors are among many that may influence future levels of unemployment.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has yet reached a decision on the future funding of the Soil Survey of England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

I have considered carefully the arrangements for the future funding of the Soil Survey of England and Wales and had the benefit of advice from the priorities board for research and development in agriculture and food on this issue.My Department has funded the work of the Soil Survey for 12 years at a total cost of approximately £12 million. A great deal of useful material has been gathered and the survey has drawn up and published in 1984 a series of soil maps on the scale of 1:250,000 covering the whole of England and Wales. With the completion of that programme, it was appropriate to review my Department's requirements and the future level of funding.In accordance with the recommendations of the priorities board, I have decided that while there will be no change in the funding of the survey in 1985–86, the Ministry's commission should be set at half the present level in 1986–87. This would result in a commission of around £850,000 in that year. The priorities board considered that this tapered adjustment would give the Soil Survey and the Agriculture and Food Research Council an opportunity to explore the possibility of alternative sources of income for future years.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he proposes to make reductions in the grants payable to agricultural and horticultural cooperatives; and if he will make a statement.

We propose to make reductions in the grant rates payable to co-operatives broadly similar to those which have already been announced in relation to individual farm capital grants. Grant rates for horticultural co-operatives will, however, be kept at existing levels. For other co-operatives the grant rate for buildings will be reduced by five percentage points. Rates for plant and equipment are unchanged.The changes are set out in the draft Agricultural and Horticultural Co-operation Scheme, copies of which were laid before the House on Monday.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what organisations and individuals have so far been consulted about the possible formation of a trust to take over the management and ownership of Thamesmead after the abolition of the Greater London council.

I visited Thamesmead recently and had an informal discussion with a number of representatives of community organisations, which I found very useful. I intend to hold further such discussions over the next few months. I have also had discussions with the London borough of Bexley. The London borough of Greenwich has not yet accepted my repeated invitations to a meeting. Subject to parliamentary approval of the Local Government Bill, we expect to begin formal consultation as soon as possible after it is enacted.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to relax the duality of interests provisions in the Housing Act 1980 in so far as they affect wardens of sheltered housing schemes operated by housing associations; and if he will make a statement.

These provisions were included in the Housing Act 1980 to ensure absolute probity by housing association committee members, officers and employees involved in the handling of public funds. I have no plans to amend this legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received relating to the operation of section 126 of and schedule 16 to the Housing Act 1980.

The Department has received 30 representations about these provisions since they were enacted in 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by district council areas in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset, how many empty homes there are owned or managed on behalf of other Government Departments by the Property Services Agency.

Following is the information about empty homes currently held:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to the purchase by the Property Services Agency of the premises of the Crown Agents in Millbank for use by a Government Department.

The sale of this building to an American hotel group was announced recently at a price considerably higher than could have been justified for its use as Government offices.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton can expect to receive a reply to the letter which he wrote to the Minister of State for the Armed Forces on 20 November 1984, and which was transferred to his Department on or around 19 December 1984 under Ministery of Defence reference number DP/JL 754/84, relating to a constituent living in Melton Mowbray.

I replied to my hon. Friend on 16 January 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is considering granting derelict land clearance area status for any of the areas which lost assisted area status in the recent review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is considering granting derelict land clearance area status for the Lancaster travel-to-work area, which lost its assisted area status in the recent review.

The loss of assisted area status reduces the rate of grant available to local authorities for the reclamation of derelict land from 100 per cent. to 50 per cent. and for non-local authority applicants from 80 per cent. to 50 per cent. Certain areas which lost assisted area status in the review still contain significant concentrations of dereliction which need to be dealt with. If the higher rate of grant is no longer available, the recognised reclamation programme in these areas is likely to suffer.I have decided, therefore, that the following districts should be granted derelict land clearance area status, which will restore their entitlement to 100 per cent. derelict land grant:

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what research has been conducted or is in progress relating to the suppression of spray from heavy vehicles operating in wet conditions; and if he expects substantive conclusions to be reached.

Research into spray has been carried out by Southampton university and the Transport and Road Research Laboratory. The results have been incorporated into British standard BS AU200 published last year.Regulations have been made to make this standard mandatory on various classes of heavy lorry, starting with new trailers, this May.Further research, mainly into the effects of aerodynamics on spray suppression, is continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicle axle weight, or half axle weight, weighing machines are in operation; and if they are used as preliminary checks in order to direct vehicles to officially recognised weighbridges.

My Department has installed some 50 dynamic axle weighbridges at the main roll-on/roll-off ports and at strategic points on or close to major routes. All these weighbridge sites are used regularly by the three enforcement agencies responsible for enforcement against overloading. None of these sites is used for preliminary weight checks.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many formal offers to purchase were received for each of the Civil Aviation Authority's aerodromes in the Highlands and Islands by the 31 December 1984 deadline;(2) whether he intends to extend the 31 December 1984 deadline for the receipt of formal offers to purchase the Civil Aviation Authority's aerodromes in the Highlands and Islands;