asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is now able to set out the timescale and terms of reference for the review of the student support system.

The terms of reference of the review are to examine financial support for students in higher education. The review will concentrate on support at first degree and sub-degree levels. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I, in association with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, will issue a consultative paper as soon as practicable. After an appropriate period of consultation, the Government will decide on any changes which it may wish to introduce and will publish proposals accordingly.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what criteria his Department recommends to local education authorities to use to identify dyslexic children.

The duty of local education authorities under the Education Act 1981 is not to categorise children, but to assess their individual special educational needs and to ensure that those needs are met. So far as children with specific reading difficulties are concerned, the advice given in the report of the Secretary of State's advisory committee is still valid.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now instruct his Department to collect information on children with dyslexia, both in mainstream and special schools.

No. The Education Act 1981 deliberately seeks to avoid categorising children.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) which local education authorities have compulsory testing of reading ability at seven years of age;(2) if he will list each local education authority's median reading quotient for the years 1980 to 1984.

This information is not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set out in the Official Report the 1985–86 prescribed capital expenditure under section 72 of the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980 for equipment for teaching and research in advanced further education for each local education authority in England expressed as a percentage of the 1985–86 national advisory body target student for each such local education authority.

My right hon. Friend announced on 10 January at column 526 that the allocations to local education authorities in England for prescribed capital expenditure in 1985–86 provided for authorities' bids for equipment related to teaching and research within further and higher education to be met in full. The following table shows for every local education authority whose bid distinguished advanced further education, the allocation for equipment for teaching and research in AFE, the national advisory body's target student numbers for 1985–86 (expressed in full-time equivalent terms), and hence the allocation per student. No attempt has been made to weight the student numbers to take account of the relatively high cost of equipment in scientific disciplines.

Authority	Equipment allocation £000s	Target student numbers	Allocation per student £
Barking	600	5,614	107
Barnet	1,145	6,958	165
Ealing	640	3,014	212
Hounslow	12	1,326	9
Kingston-upon-Thames	240	5,849	41
Inner London	1,750	31,868	55
Coventry	1,021	6,357	161
Sandwell	22	952	23
Walsall	40	820	49
Wolverhampton	1,220	5,666	215
Liverpool	1,490	8,621	173
Bolton	95	2,024	47
Manchester	1,240	12,055	103
Salford	255	1,680	152
Sheffield	1,250	9,136	137
Kirklees	950	5,116	186
Leeds	798	7,148	112
Wakefield	50	1,069	47
Newcastle upon Tyne	430	7,765	55
South Tyneside	163	623	262
Sunderland	416	4,362	95
Avon	525	8,356	63
Berkshire	157	3,575	44
Cleveland	840	4,122	204
Cumbria	20	922	22
Derbyshire	100	2,219	45
Devon	1,159	7,114	163
Dorset	600	2,758	217
East Sussex	975	5,913	165
Essex	10	3,725	3
Hampshire	323	10,860	30
Hereford and Worcester	20	1,688	12
Hertfordshire	1,563	6,211	252
Humberside	210	3,452	61
Lancashire	910	7,867	116
Leicestershire	350	7,402	47
Nottinghamshire	609	8,351	73
Oxfordshire	1,036	4,796	216
Staffordshire	720	5,529	13

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will indicate the actual amounts and the proportion of the total Medical Research Council budget allocated to research projects in Oxford, Cambridge and London for each of the years (a) 1978–79, (b) 1979–80, (c) 1980–81, (d) 1981–82, (e) 1982–83 and (f) 1983–84.

I understand that the Medical Research Council estimates that its research expenditure in each of the three locations mentioned is as follows:

Financial Year	Oxford		Cambridge		London
	£000	Per cent. of budget	£000	Per cent. of budget	£000	Per cent. of budget
1980–81	4,326	4·6	10,579	11·4	27,461	29·5
1981–82	4,646	4·4	12,650	11·9	33,308	31·2
1982–83	4,847	4·3	13,385	11·8	35,691	31·6
1983–84	5,566	4·6	14,210	11·9	37,662	31·4

No figures are available prior to 1980–81.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will indicate for each of the years (a) 1978–79, (b) 1979–80, (c) 1980–81, (d) 1981–82, (e) 1982–83 and (f) 1984, the proportion of the total Medical Research Council budget devoted to clinical rather than laboratory research; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the Medical Research Council regards clinical research as research requiring direct access to patients—though some of the research itself may take place in laboratories. The proportion of its own budgets devoted to such work between 1980–81 and 1982–83 is estimated to be as follows:

Financial Year	Percentage of MRC total budget
1980–81	23·2
1981–82	23·2
1982–83	23·9

No figures are available prior to 1980–81 or for 1983–84.I would also refer the hon. Member to my answer on 17 January to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) at col.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he measures the value for money obtained by the increased use of computers by police forces.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on 29 November at column 541. It is for police authorities to satisfy them-selves that expenditure on police computers represents good value for money. Moreover, my right hon. and learned Friend is encouraging chief officers to evaluate operational systems and to ensure that new systems are installed only after careful consideration of objectives, options and costs. As explained, the Department will shortly be issuing further guidance to chief officers of police and police authorities on the considerations to be taken into account in order to ensure that value for money is obtained.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present number of (a) men and (b) women at present serving sentences in London prisons for the non-payment of fines.

It is estimated from central records that on 30 November 1984 in the region of 100 male and 10 female fine defaulters aged 21 and over were held in prison department establishments in Greater London—that is, Brixton, Feltham, Holloway, Latchmere House, Pentonville, Wandsworth and Wormwood Scrubs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women served prison sentences in London prisons for the nonpayment of fines in the last three years.

The information available from central records is given in the following table:

Persons aged 21 and over initially received into prisons in Greater London* on committal in default of payment of a fine† by sex and year of reception
	Males	Females
1982	3,800	290
1983	3,660	350
‡1984	2,200	390
* Brixton, Feltham, Holloway, Latchmere House, Pentonville, Wandsworth and Wormwood Scrubs.
† Including those in default of payment of a compensation order or costs.
‡ January to October, provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will amend the code of practice for the detention, treatment and questioning of persons by the police by prescribing a minimum period of rest between questioning by the police and subsequent court appearance; and if he will make a statement.

The draft code of practice on the detention, treatment and questioning of persons by the police, which my right hon. and learned Friend published as a consultative document on 10 January, contains detailed provisions governing the periods of rest which detained persons must be permitted free from questioning or other interruptions arising from the investigation—as well as other aspects of detention, such as the provision of meals, exercise and toilet and washing facilities. We do not believe that it would be in the interests of detained persons to provide for a break between the completion of questioning and court appearance, the effect of which could well be to delay the time of release from custody. Nevertheless, all responses to the consultation document will be considered carefully.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he is giving to other means of punishment for non-violent criminals to that of long custodial sentences.

The Criminal Justice Act 1982 re-enacted and strengthened the powers available to the courts when making probation orders — or supervision orders on juvenile offenders—and provided for the introduction of community service orders for 16-year-olds. My right hon. and learned Friend has reduced from one year to six months the minimum qualifying period of custody before a prisoner can be considered for parole. We shall keep under review the range of alternatives to custody, including means by which reparation between the offender and the victim might be arranged. We intend also to introduce legislation during this Parliament to give the courts more effective powers to deprive offenders of the proceeds of crime.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider recommending even more severe punishment for violent offenders.

My right hon. and learned Friend fully supports the proposals in the Bill now before the House, introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Drake (Miss Fookes), to increase the maximum penalties for attempted rape and for indecent assault. It is also intended to introduce legislation during this Parliament to increase to life imprisonment the maximum penalty for carrying firearms in furtherance of crime. Otherwise, my right hon. and learned Friend is satisfied that the courts have sufficient powers to deal with violent offenders. The exercise of these powers in individual cases is entirely a matter for the courts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to fund crime prevention programmes.

None. Funding for crime prevention programmes is available through the urban programme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the total cost to date to public funds of policing the miners' strike.

Information on the total costs of policing the dispute is not available. The Home Office has so far paid to police authorities in England and Wales advances of police grant and of the special payment which my right hon. and learned Friend is making available on expenditure totalling some £145 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) why his Department's review into the case of Farrell and others has taken so long;(2) what is the specific issue the police are investigating in connection with his Department's review of the case of Farrell and others;(3) if he will consider asking a police force other than the Metropolitan police to investigate the case of Farrell and others in connection with his Department's current review.

The review of the case which my right hon. and learned Friend ordered has involved inquiries by the Metropolitan police into a number of aspects, but with particular reference to the allegations of interference with a video tape recording. Most of these inquiries have now been completed and the results so far received are being considered. Once we have all the results, the review will be completed as quickly as possible. My right hon. and learned Friend can see no present reason to involve any other police force in the review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his answer of 14 January, Official Report, column 15, whether Mr. James Magis was removed specifically to France at his own request or on the direction of his Department; and what were the basic grounds for his decision that the exclusion of Mr. Magis would be conducive to the public good.

Mr. Magis was returned to France, the country from which he had arrived, on 5 December 1984 under powers conferred by the Immigration Act 1971, having been refused leave to enter the United Kingdom on my personal direction that his exclusion would be conducive to the public good for reasons of national security.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received a report from the Berkshire probation committee about Colin Evans; and if he will make a statement.

I have received a report from the Berkshire probation committee about the involvement of the Berkshire probation service with Colin Evans and am placing a copy in the Library of the House. The report sets out the history of the case and explains the circumstances in which Colin Evans' probation officer, Mr. P. G. Southerton, was disciplined by the chief probation officer in August 1982.In the light of the report from the Berkshire probation committee, the Home Office is reminding chief probation officers that it is the duty of all probation officers, when dealing with child sex offenders, to take every step to prevent their having contact with children. In addition, as I announced on 19 December, a review is in hand of the arrangements whereby information about the criminal background of those who seek to do any work, paid or unpaid, with children is made availble to those who need to know it.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the average waiting period for a driving test in each of the test centres within the area of the west midlands county; and how these figures compare with the average for 1983, 1982, 1981 and the average waiting period for England and Wales.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Transport which specific highway functions are duplicated in practice between the metropolitan county and the district councils in the Greater Manchester area; and if he will give an estimate of the number of staff who are involved in such duplicated work.

I understand that both the metropolitan county councils and the district councils have highway departments engaged in the improvement and maintenance of metropolitan county roads. Managerial decisions to be taken by the successor authorities to the metropolitan county councils will reveal to what extent this duplication serves any purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received for a pedestrian phase to the junction crossing at the Thatched House, Leytonstone high road; and when approval from his Department is likely to be forthcoming.

A variety of suggestions have been received from the GLC, the London borough of Waltham Forest, the Cann Hall Residents Association and the Leyton and Leytonstone Liberals about ways of improving conditions for pedestrians at this junction, having regard to the needs of traffic.I hope to be able to decide quite soon on the most appropriate measures for easing this local problem.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport why transport supplementary grant approval was given for the construction of the Sea Circle sculpture in Seymour street, Liverpool, by his Department; if he will list other similar projects which his Department has sanctioned; and if he will make a statement.

Transport supplementary grant—TSG—approval was not given by my Department for the construction of this sculpture, nor for any similar projects. TSG is a block grant to county councils and the GLC, and they decide precisely how it is to be spent. However, Parliament approved changes in the TSG system last November which concentrate the grant on capital expenditure on highways and traffic management. As in previous years, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport names road schemes for which he is making grant available, and takes account of their progress in each following settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatalities have been caused by collision with road signs, in the latest year for which figures are available.

Statistics on the causes of road accidents are not collected by the Department. However, fatalities associated with vehicles which hit road signs or traffic signals in 1983, the latest complete available year, were as follows:

	Numbers
Vehicle drivers	50
Vehicle passengers	20
Pedestrians	8

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has made of the impact of implementation of the buses White Paper on those people who have been issued life bus passes as part of their pensions.

On the basis of available information, I do not foresee any problems which cannot be resolved.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will publish the findings of the British Rail inquiry into the accident which took place on 9 December 1984 at Rugby; and what action has been taken to prevent a recurrence of the accident involving two trains colliding on the same line;(2) if any disciplinary action has been taken resulting from the inquiry by British Rail into the train accident that occurred on 9 December 1984 at Rugby;(3) if he will order a public inquiry into the rail accident that took place on 9 December at Rugby; and if he will make a statement.

The accident occurred when a British Rail engineers' train was propelled past a signal at danger on to the main line and into the path of an approaching passenger train. The driver of the passenger train was able to slow down and the collison occurred at low speed. Two passengers received minor injuries. Full details of the accident were reported to the Railway Inspectorate. Since the cause was clearly established and BR was taking the necessary action to prevent a recurrence, no formal inquiry was ordered. I have no powers to require publication of BR's internal inquiries, but a summary of the circumstances of the accident and the action taken by the board will be given in the Chief Inspecting Officer's annual report for 1984. We understant that BR has taken disciplinary action against the members of its staff held responsible for the accident.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve and upgrade property owned by his Department on Archway road, London N6.

The findings of the district valuer, who has been examining the condition of the Department's properties, are being considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the total savings he expects to make in the event of the abolition of the six metropolitan county councils on the highway maintenance service; and by what means these are to be achieved.

Many metropolitan districts already maintain metropolitan county council roads as agents. The extent of savings in each case depends upon the degree of duplication in the present arrangements and upon managerial decisions to be taken by the successor authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will now announce the result of the consultations on exchange of further foreign driving licences.

Following consultation with representative organisations, my right hon. Friend has made an order under the Road Traffic (Driving Licences) Act 1983 designating the following countries and territory:

Barbados, the Republic of Cyprus, Finland, Malta, Zimbabwe, and the British Virgin Islands.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the answer of 11 January, Official Report, column 558, what is the estimated effect of value added tax on Housing Corporation finances; and if this is paid from gross capital resources.

In 1984–85 value added tax is expected to account for £30 million of the Housing Corporation's gross expenditure. The current estimate for 1985–86, on the same basis, is £34 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the number of smokeless zones which have been (a) suspended or (b) repealed, respectively, in the period November 1984 to date, and in each of the corresponding periods for the preceding two winters.

Since November 1984, smoke control restrictions have been temporarily suspended in five local authority areas: Reading, Preston, north Warwickshire, Guildford and Portsmouth. No suspension orders were made during the corresponding periods for the previous two years. There have been no permanent repeals of smoke control restrictions, although, for administrative reasons, specific orders are occasionally repealed and immediately replaced by new ones.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what sums have been paid by the London Docklands Development Corporation to the body known as Inter-Action; for what services; what applications have been received from the corporation in respect of further payments to this body; for what amount; for what purposes; and over what contractual period.

Inter-Action was appointed by the London Docklands Development Corporation on 1 August 1984 for £10,000 per month short-term consultancy agreement to provide advice on community matters. The Department is currently considering an application from the corporation to provide Inter-Action with £1·024 million over a three-year period to cover the transfer of its base to the royal docks and establishment there of training, job creation and recreation programmes for local people and a general consultancy role on community issues.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Government will now introduce legislation to relieve local planning authorities of their liability to pay compensation for the refusal of planning permission for the addition of new flats to a block of flats built before July 1948: and if he will make a statement.

We have today introduced the Town and Country Planning (Compensation) Bill to modify rights to compensation under sections 165 and 169 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 and the equivalent Scottish provisions. The amendment to section 169 will secure that compensation will no longer be payable for the refusal or conditional grant of permission on applications made on or after today's date which relate to the addition of new flats to a block which was in existence on July 1948. The amendment to section 165 will limit the right to compensation for the refusal or conditional grant of planning permission for development following withdrawal of permission by the amendment or revocation of a development order. In such cases compensation will be payable only where an application is made within 12 months of the withdrawal or, where the withdrawal has already taken place, within 12 months of the Bill receiving Royal Assent.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what increase has been made in the provision for home insulation grants in Wales contained in the total local authority housing capital allocations for 1985–86 to take account of the first full year of the operation of the topping-up grants for loft insulation under the homes insulation grant scheme.

In allocating resources for expenditure under the homes insulation scheme 1985–86 we have continued to meet district councils' bids in full.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing for each district health authority in Wales the amount of money, within his Department's total grant to that authority, which is provided to meet the transport and travelling needs of that authority in the current financial year.

It is for individual health authorities to decide the level of resource allocation to meet transport and travelling needs within the resources available to them. Information on these decisions for the current financial year is not held centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many of the full-time employees of his Department are men and how many are women; and whether he has any proposals to increase career opportunities for women within his Department.

Of my Department's 2,167 full-time employees, 1,169 are men and 998 are women. The programme of action on equal opportunities, recommended by the joint review group set up by the Civil Service National Whitley Council's joint personnel management committee, will increase career opportunities for women and is being implemented by my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many ambulances in working condition there are in each of the district health authorities in Wales.

The number varies from day to day, and is not held centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set up an investigation into the causes of the landslide that blocked the A55 trunk road between Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr, in Gwynedd, with particular reference to any part in the triggering of the landslide that may have been played by test drilling undertaken in the area recently.

There is no evidence or reason to believe that there is a connection between this incident and the test drilling of rocks undertaken as part of the site investigation in the vicinity of Pen-y-Clip for the proposed new A55 road tunnel.Generally rock falls or slips in such areas can be attributed to gradual erosion and cumulative weathering effects. It is considered that this is the most likely cause here.As part of the investigations into the construction of the proposed road tunnels at Pen-y-Clip and Penmaenbach, the Department is to seek landowner's consent to the carrying out of a careful examination of the rock faces bordering the present trunk road to identify, and render safe, any rocks which experts consider could be loosened by the effects of blasting operations whilst the works are in progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will issue general guidelines to district health authorities in Wales in order to ensure that community health specialists employed by health authorities in Wales have the right to speak freely in public and voice their own opinions on matters that are of concern to the public in the area where they work.

No. Public statements by doctors employed as specialists in community medicine are covered by their terms and conditions of service.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his Department's contributions to the development of co-operative enterprises in Wales since 1979.

The Government have introduced a large variety of measures to help small businesses, most of which are of help to co-operatives. Advice and guidance is offered to co-operatives through the Welsh Office small firms information centre and the Welsh Development Agency's and Development Board for Rural Wales' advisory services. My right hon. Friend has given additional support in Wales under the urban programme to projects promoting co-operatives and. agreed in 1983 a three-year grant to the Wales Cooperative Development and Training Centre.

asked the Attorney-General, further to his answer of 30 November 1984, Official Report, column 599, to the hon. Member for Leyton, if any identification processes were undertaken or any medical or forensic evidence sought or obtained by the police in the case of the alleged rape case.

The complainant was medically examined by a police surgeon. Items taken from and specimens provided by both the complainant and the accused were submitted for examination by forensic scientists. The case involved no issue as to identity and accordingly no identification parades were held.

asked the Attorney-General, further to his answer of 30 November 1984, Official Report, column 599, to the hon. Member for Leyton, if the alleged victim of the rape attack made a statement to the police.

Yes; but following her death the rules of evidence rendered it inadmissible against the defendant.

asked the Attorney-General if he will place in the Library a summary of the report from the Sussex police which led to the Director of Public Prosecutions' decision to drop the extradition warrant against Mr. John Grant; and if he will make a statement.

No. Reports submitted by chief officers of police for the Director of Public Prosecutions for the purpose of obtaining advice in relation to criminal matters are confidential and cannot be disclosed.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what amount of money has been paid to the Government by the gas and electricity boards, respectively, in each year since 1979.

Moneys paid to the Government by each industry were as follows:

British Gas Corporation
Financial Year	Corporation Tax £ million	Gas levy £ million	Net Repayment of Government Loans £ million
1979–80	—	—	109
1980–81	—	—	—
1981–82	154	383	—
1982–83	196	471	—
1983–84	234	522	—

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many people benefited from the standing charges rebate scheme in each year since 1979.

Standing charge rebate schemes were introduced by British Gas from February 1983 and by area electricity boards from January and February 1983. In 1983–84, the first full year of their operation, the schemes are estimated to have benefited some 3 million gas and some 2 million electricity consumers.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will estimate the cost of abolishing fuel standing charges for pensioners.

It is estimated that the total cost of abolishing electricity and gas standing charges for pensioners would be some £300 million a year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance has been provided by Her Majesty's Government to the Government of Malta for the promotion of its tourist industry following the closure of the British naval base on the island.

None.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many reports have been issued by the Select Committees since 1979, giving titles of each report from the separate Select Committees.

Four hundred and twenty-seven reports and 103 special reports have been made by select committees since 1979. I shall be in touch with the right hon. Member about the titles of each report.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the figure for the numbers of farmers' daughters and sons who have completed the youth training scheme under the monitoring of the northern regional department of the agricultural training board; and if he will express this number as a percentage of those monitored by the agricultural training board from its Harrogate office.

Neither the Manpower Services Commission, which is responsible for the youth training scheme, nor the agricultural training board, which keeps a check on the on-farm training, compile such information.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether any butter has been withdrawn from the privately-owned stores for the purpose of the European Economic Community Christmas butter sale at reduced prices.

Of the 200,000 tonnes of butter which is being sold at a reduced price in the European Economic Community, 27,000 tonnes may be drawn from private storage stocks and sold in the countries where it was stocked. In addition, some of the butter sold in Italy and Greece under these arrangements may have been drawn from private storage stock in other countries. The United Kingdom allocation of 39,200 tonnes is being provided entirely from butter which has been sold into intervention in this country.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the current regulations controlling the export of live animals; and if he will make a statement.

Council directives 77/489/EEC and 81/389/EEC, implemented in this country by the Export of Animals (Protection) Order 1981, provide a satisfactory framework for the protection of exported farm animals. My officials are in constant contact with other member states and with the EC Commission on this subject.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his latest estimate of the total volume of dairy products which will be imported from New Zealand in the current year; and if he will estimate the equivalent volume of milk which this represents.

The United Kingdom is authorised to import on special terms 81,000 tonnes of butter from New Zealand in 1985. In addition, New Zealand may export 9,500 tonnes of cheese to the European Economic Community on special terms, most of which will come to the United Kingdom. It is expected that New Zealand will make full use of these arrangements. These quantities are approximately equivalent to the butterfat content of 1·7 million tonnes of milk and the solids-not-fat content of 43,000 tonnes of milk.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make representations to the European Commission for it to initiate and prosecute urgently proceedings against the Dutch Government under article 93.2 of the Treaty of Rome in relation to the granting of preferential gas prices to Dutch growers.

We have already made repeated forceful representations to the effect that the Commission should take all possible steps provided for under article 93(2) to resolve this matter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table showing the total volume of (a) production, (b) home sales, (c) imports and (d) exports of Cheddar cheese over the past five years.

The information requested is as follows:

Thousand tonnes
United Kingdom	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984†
Production	162·1	162·7	168·4	159·8	160·9	148·8
Offtake*	239·6	224·7	226·1	226·7	217·3	204·1
Imports	95·7	72·2	91·2	80·0	80·2	73·9
Exports	10·0	10·6	16·8	25·9	20·0	22·7
Source: MMB: Customs and Excise Overseas Trade Statistics.
* Data on home sales are not available and offtake (production plus imports less exports and stock changes) which represents supplies moving into consumption has been used as a proxy.
† January to November.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the Food Additives and Contaminants Committee is likely to undertake a further review of the safety of intense sweeteners, particularly in carbonated soft drinks.

The safety of permitted food additives is kept under continuous review. In accordance with the recommendations in the Food Additives and contaminants Committee's report on the review of sweeteners in food, data on the intake of all permitted sweeteners will be collected and reviewed within the next few years by the Food Advisory Committee (successor to the FACC) together with the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what quantities of soya beans were grown in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; what experiments are taking place to increase such production; and if he will make a statement.

I am not aware of any commecial production of soya beans in the United Kingdom in the last five years although there have been small scale commercial trials. The United Kingdom has participated in trials organised by a working group of the Food and Agriculture Organisation which have included trials on two sites in the United Kingdom over the last three years. These have indicated that, with the genetic material at present available, it remains very doubtful whether conditions in the United Kingdom are suitable for the commercial production of soya beans.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consultations he has had about the effects of the possible enlargement of the European Community on the United Kingdom cane sugar refining industry.

My Department has regularly consulted the sugar industry on current issues, including the possible effects of the enlargement of the European Community on our refining industry.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ban the netting of salmon off the coast of Northumberland.

The future of the English north-east coast salmon fishery was discussed in our 1981 consultation paper on the review of inland and coastal fisheries in England and Wales. In that paper we said that this fishery should neither be closed nor phased out and no evidence has since been produced to cause us to modify that view. However, last year officials were asked to carry out a further examination of the effects of the fishery and on the basis of that examination I and my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State at the Scottish Office are reviewing the management arrangements. We shall announce our conclusions when we have completed our review.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what role monitoring of organisations to which licences have been issued under the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 plays in the maintenance of safety in asbestos stripping operations.

Licensees required to notify contracts have been advising enforcement authorities of their jobs in advance.The majority of visits by enforcement authorities are made before the work of asbestos removal starts, which meets the intention behind the requirement for 28 days' notification. Inspectors can them satisfy themselves that the work will be done in accordance with the approved code of practice and guidance note on work with asbestos insulation and asbestos coating.Some visits are made during the stripping work. Inspectors can then check whether the approved code is being observed during the work. I am advised by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that this allows the enforcing authorities to identify those licensees who work well, and those who do not. The hon. Member will be aware of recent publicity following a prosecution in the Warrington area; other prosecutions have taken place.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment why a requirement to notify the Health and Safety Executive prior to asbestos removal operations was imposed by a majority of the licences issued under the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983.

To ensure that the Health and Safety Executive is aware of those contractors who carry out work with asbestos insulation, the conditior of prior notification is included on most licences. This is in accordance with the recommendations in the first report of the advisory committee on asbestos, "Asbestos: work on thermal and acoustic insulation and sprayed coatings".

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many enforcement notices have been issued against asbestos removal organisations for each of the Health and Safety Executive's 21 areas up to 31 October 1984 following site visits made to asbestos removal operations.

The Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 came into effect on 1 August 1984. From that date, until 31 October 1984, the number of enforcement notices issued, by HSE areas, is as follows:

	Number
Area 03: South-East	15
Area 05: London North-East	1
Area 06: London South	2
Area 08: Northern Home Counties	6
Area 09: East Midlands	1
Area 14: South Yorkshire and Humberside	3
Area 16: Greater Manchester	5
Area 17: Merseyside	1
Area 18: North-West	1
Area 19: North-East	5
Area 20: Scotland East	15

No enforcement notices have been issued in the remaining 10 areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment why, for the period up to 31 December 1984, the proportion of asbestos removal jobs notified to Health and Safety Executive area offices as a result of requirements imposed on removal organisations by licences issued under the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 which have received site visits Varies as between 4·8 per cent. in Health and Safety Executive area 2, 8·6 per cent. in area 3, 12·8 per cent. in area 7, 35·8 per cent. in area 15, 59·4 per cent. in area 12 and 72·3 per cent. in area 20.

Figures are available only up to 31 October 1984. Variations in response to notifications are the result of several factors. Many of the contracts notified were of very short duration, and of low risk, so that a visit by an inspector was not needed.In some areas many notifications came from a small number of contractors who were well known to inspectors. This meant that relatively few visits were necessary to deal with a large number of notifications. In one area, for example, seven licensees sent in about two thirds of the notifications. Some unnecessary notifications were sent by contractors during the early period of operation of the new procedures and these did not merit investigation.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Plymouth, Sutton (Mr. Clark) will be replying to the last letter the hon. Member for Walsall, North wrote to him regarding answering parliamentary questions on unemployment statistics; and if he will make a statement.

I replied to the hon. Member's letter yesterday.

asked the Prime Minister what assessment was made by the Ministers at the Fontainebleau summit of the impact on unemployment of the increase in public expenditure which will stem from their decisions on own resources.

The Fontainebleau and Dublin European Councils agreed rules on budgetary discipline to restrict the future growth of the Community budget in line with the Member States' economic capacity to finance it. The new abatement system will also substantially reduce the United Kingdom's net contributions below what they would otherwise have been and keep our VAT rate below 1 per cent. The agreements are thus fully consistent with the Government's policy for improving economic growth and job prospects by better control of public expenditure.

asked the Prime Minister if she has ally plans to visit the city of Norwich during 1985.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the co-ordination between Government Departments in the promotion of policies designed to secure economic growth and a reduction in unemployment.

Government Expenditure in Merseyside
£ million cash
	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85 Estimated Outturn
Government Departments and other Public Bodies: Main Programmes
DHSS: Hospital and Community Health Services*	201	255	281	298	307	325
Department of Industry: Grants and expenditure towards industrial investment†	72	100	126	102	73	73
Manpower Services Commissions‡	n/a	n/a	53	67	72	76
Housing Corporation║	36	41	44	55	52	51
Merseyside Development Corp (established 1981–82)	—	—	6	21	32	30
Department of Transport: Grants, loans and guarantees to Mersey Docks and Harbour Company	—	—	26	71	39	8
New Towns (Skelmersdale and Runcorn): Gross capital investment	19	18	15	12	17	17
Historic buildings and conservation grants: offers made	0	1	1	1	1	1
Voluntary schools: Expenditure eligible for DES grant	n/a	n/a	0	2	3	3
Sports Council Grants¶	0	0	0	1	1	1
Exchequer Support for Local Authority Expenditure: Main Grants
Rate Support Grant●	302	360	378	371	381	368
Transport Supplementary Grant	19	20	26	30	31	27
Housing Subsidies	63	70	47	40	19	28
Derelict Land Grant■	1	2	3	7	10	8
Urban Programme Grant	5	10	11	15	*18	25
Total: Main Programmes & Grants	718	877	1,017	1,093	1,056	1,041
* 5 District Health Authorities in Merseyside area (Wirral, Liverpool, St. Helens and Knowsley, South Sefton, North Sefton); expenditure on hospital and community health services. The figures up to and including those for 1983–84 include balances in the authorities' accounts. The figures for 1984–85

There is always room for improvement.

asked the Prime Minister if she plans to visit Manchester international airport.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will instruct Ministers, when informing hon. and right hon. Members that a decision on a particular matter is to be taken shortly, to give also a more precise indication of the time scale within which an announcement may be expected.

Ministers endeavour to be as helpful as possible and I hope that where it is clear that a decision can be taken within a particular period, Members are so informed. But time scales are not always precise enough for this to be practicable.

asked the Prime Minister if she will bring up to date the figures about Government expenditure on Merseyside contained in her letter to the hon. Member for Cambridgeshire, South-West of 16 March 1984 and publish the same in the Official Report.

Figures for expenditure in Merseyside by Government Departments and other public bodies for the years 1979–80 to 1984–85 (estimated outturn) are as follows:

asked the Prime Minister how many employees whose pay is subject to wages council regulation are receiving family income supplement.

I regret that the information requested is not available.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 January.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 January.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 24 January.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 24 January.

I refer the hon. Gentleman and my hon. Friends to the reply that I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Tyne Bridge (Mr. Cowans).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations he has received regarding the possible imposition of value added tax on transport.

About 20 letters.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect he calculates the current value of the pound sterling against the dollar will have in respect of oil revenues for the year 1984–85.

The 1984 Autumn Statement forecast of total tax take from the North sea in 1984–85 is £12 billion, £1·8 billion higher than expected at the 1984 Budget. Sterling oil prices in 1984 have been much as expected at the Autumn Statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the increased tax revenue from North sea oil available to the Government for each one per cent. fall in the pound sterling against the dollar.

In practice, the dollar oil price and value of sterling tend to move in the same direction. However, it is estimated that, other things being equal, a 1 per cent. fall in the dollar/sterling exchange rate would increase North sea revenues by about £150 million in a full year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is satisfied with the speed and efficacy with which tax offices deal with ordinary income tax cases.

Although in general tax offices are operating efficiently, there have been accumulations of work in certain areas giving rise to some delays. Every effort is being made to overcome these arrears.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the impact of tax cuts on unemployment.

Income tax cuts will stimulate initiative and enterprise, ease the unemployment and poverty traps, and exert a moderating influence on wages. This provides the best route to a sustained increase in output and employment, and reduction in unemployment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received concerning the imposition of value added tax on building alterations.

Treasury Ministers continue to receive a number of representations from businesses and consumers affected by the change.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations he has received concerning tax exemptions in relation to pension funds.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received concerning the tax treatment of pension benefits and lump sums.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received expressing concern at possible taxation of lump sum payments.

A considerable number of letters about pension provisions have been received, in addition to representations from various trade associations and representative bodies.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evaluation he had done of the effect on employment of capital investment in infrastructure.

Additional public expenditure on capital investment in infrastructure without offsetting savings would not create lasting jobs because it would raise interest rates and inflation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the National Economic Development Council meeting held on 9 January.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hughes).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the functioning of the Southampton freeport.

Following designation by Treasury order as one of the six experimental free zones, Southampton freeport opened for business on 6 August last year. Commercial development of the zone is the responsibility of the zone operator.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the net income to the Treasury of all privatisation since 1979.

Net receipts from special sales of assets since 1979 amount to around £4,900 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current rate of price inflation.

The increase in the retail prices index over the 12 months to December was 4·6 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the impact of tax cuts on imports.

Tax cuts will raise disposable incomes and spending, and part of the additional spending will be on imports. But they will also improve the supply performance of the economy, increasing exports and encouraging import substitution.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to improve the United Kingdom infrastructure.

Total capital investment in this country is already running at a record level. The recently published public expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 9428), shows that the public sector is spending substantial sums on the nation's infrastructure.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are his plans to arrest the depreciation of the pound sterling in relation to the US dollar and other currencies; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer's statement on 14 January at column 23.