asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to evaluate the relative cost-benefits of public investment in (a) roads and (b) railways between London and Bury St. Edmunds.

My Department would use cost-benefit techniques to appraise schemes where road and rail are direct alternatives, serving exactly the same need. Such cases are rare.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has yet reached a decision about the proposed A38 road improvements, Saltash bypass section, following the public inquiry; and when it is proposed work will commence.

As my hon. Friend knows, a public inquiry was held last year into this proposal. We have received the inspector's report, and my right hon. Friends hope to be able to announce their decision within the next few weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a further statement on the discussions he has had with London borough councils about the future status and funding of the dial-a-ride service.

[pursuant to her reply 12 February 1985, c.114]: Officials from my Department have had a useful preliminary meeting with a number of representatives of the London boroughs about the future of special services such as dial-a-ride.It is too early to give details about how the operational and funding arrangements will operate in practice. We shall be holding further discussions with the boroughs on how best to ensure that dial-a-ride develops along the most efficient and cost-effective lines.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total value of the contracts involved in the supply of substandard portable accommodation units supplied to the Property Services Agency in Northern Ireland by Roancabin Ltd.

The total value of the 11 contracts placed with J. McAvoy Limited (of which I understand Roan Manufacturing Company and Roancabin Limited to be subsidiaries) for the supply of portable accommodation units between 1 January 1983 and 29 September 1984 was £147,875·00 (plus VAT) for 48 units. The total value of the four contracts involving the supply of substandard units was £31,630·00 for 10 units.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action has been taken against Roancabin Ltd. in regard to the supply of substandard portable accommodation units supplied to the Property Services Agency in Northern Ireland by Roancabin Ltd.

The manufacturer was required to replace the units at his own cost. Discussions are taking place as to the circumstances in which the omissions occurred.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide full details as to the number of substandard accommodation units supplied to the Property Services Agency in Northern Ireland by Roancabin Ltd.

Ten of the units originally supplied did not meet fully the specification.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new jobs were created at each of the enterprise zones in the United Kingdom during 1984.

Information on employment in enterprise zones is being gathered but is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will confirm the transfer of land from Appleford and Sutton Courtenay to the town of Didcot as recommended by the Boundary Commission.

My right hon. Friend received the Local Government Boundary Commission's report on 15 January, and the objection period does not end until 26 February. If my right hon. Friend decides to implement the proposals, the aim would be to bring the new arrangements into effect on 1 April 1986. My noble Friend Lord Avon is writing to my hon. Friend to explain the procedure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total of housing subsidies paid by the Housing Corporation to each housing association in Cumbria for the last month for which statistics are available.

The Housing Corporation finances the development costs of housing association projects within an approved development programme agreed by my right hon. Friend. The value of projects in Cumbria which were approved by the Housing Corporation in January 1985, the latest month for which information is available, is as follows:

	£ thousands
Fair rent (rehabilitation) Impact Housing Association	24
Low-cost home ownership Red Dial Housing Association	49
Major repairs	nil

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in view of the evidence of damage to marine life and shellfish culture, he intends to ban the use of tributyl tin anti-fouling paints.

My right hon. Friend has today published a consultation paper covering draft regulations under section 100 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 which would impose controls on the supply and use of such paints. Their general effect would be to prohibit the supply of such paints to private boatowners, and their use by boatbuilders and repairers on boats less than 12 m long. copies of the consultation paper and of the draft regulations have been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities have made representations to his Department regarding their 1985–86 housing investment programme allocations.

My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations from local authorities about their 1985–86 housing investment programme allocation. The representations have been made in various ways to Ministers and officials—in correspondence, at meetings and during visits. No central record is kept of the number.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the powers of the North-West Region Emergency Committee, the names and functions of members of the committee and the circumstances under which the committee would assume these powers.

I refer to the reply to a similar question which I gave to the hon. Member for Houghton and Washington (Mr. Boyce) on 11 February, at columns 35–36.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list any other studies available to him, apart from those being carried out by the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, on the relationship between sulphur dioxide emissions and the acidity of rainfall in the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom Review Group on Acid Rain, a committee of scientists established by my Department in 1980 to review available data, published a major report on acid deposition in the United Kingdom in December 1983 and continues to meet regularly.My Department is also funding work at AERE Harwell on chemical reactions producing acid rain and on computer modelling of acid deposition, and at Warren Spring Laboratory on the collection and co-ordination of rainfall composition measurements. In addition, my Department has close ties with the major research programme on acid deposition (both experimental and theoretical) being undertaken by the Meteorological Office and is kept informed of other research results in this field such as the work being carried out by the Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory, Pitlochry on behalf of the Scottish Office.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his answer of 20 December 1984, Official Report, column 270, he will specify the unusual climatic factors in the winter of 1983–84 involved in damage to spruce trees.

I understand that the winter of 1983–84 was marked by unusually high winds and frequent alternation of cold and milder weather — conditions which, the Forestry Commission advises, would subject spruce trees to stress. However, it is still too early to say how far weather conditions, rather than other factors, were a cause of the damage prescribed in my reply of 20 December 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the assumptions on which are based his estimates of the number of job losses likely to result from the abolition of the metropolitan county councils.

The assumptions were set out in my right hon. Friend's statement in reply to a question from the hon. Member for Surbiton (Mr. Tracey) on 30 November, at columns 611–14.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases of multiple application for British Telecom shares were reported to the Government; what court action has been initiated; if the same mechanisms were used in the overseas markets to check for multiple applications; how many were identified; and what procedures were applied to avoid multiple applications being made in the form of separate applications in the United Kingdom and on the overseas markets.

The examination of applications for BT shares under the United Kingdom offer for sale led to some 6,600 applications being rejected as suspected multiple applications. We are considering whether further action would be appropriate in respect of certain of these applications. No similar measures to identify multiple applications were adopted in the overseas share issues because of the different way in which the shares were distributed. The shares were not allocated, as in the United Kingdom, on the basis of direct public applications but were sold by the Government to the overseas underwriters who allocated them to selling groups of investment banks, dealers and brokers. In accordance with market practice it was up to the selling groups, rather than the vendor, to effect the sale and distribution of shares amongst their clients.Steps were taken to ensure that shares available under the United Kingdom offer for sale were not offered to institutional investors or selling groups in overseas markets where separate share issues were being made; and United States and Canadian nationals were specifically prohibited from applying for shares in the United Kingdom offer for sale under the terms of the United Kingdom prospectus.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether he will make a statement describing the expenditure so far incurred on and the results achieved from the fibre optics scheme and the joint optoelectronics research scheme;(2) whether he is satisfied that the fibre optics scheme and the joint optoelectronics research scheme are creating an adequate supply infrastructure within British industry;(3) whether he is satisfied that the firms involved in the fibre optics scheme and joint optoelectronics research scheme have succeeded in creating a set of targeted markets;(4) whether he is satisfied that the lessons learnt from the failure of British industry to exploit liquid crystal technology have been successfully applied by those involved in the fibre optics scheme and joint optoelectronics research scheme.

Under the fibre optics and optoelectronics scheme £44 million has been committed to 128 projects in 40 companies involving research and development and production investment of £188 million. Most of the projects have yet to be completed, but major successes can already be identified, such as:

the establishment of advanced production capacity for optical fibre and cable to meet the needs of the home telecommunications market and export markets;

the creation of a United Kingdom capability in fibre optic-based under-sea communications;

the establishment of Europe's foremost capability in semiconductor lasers;

the building up of a wide variety of infrastructure activities —special optical fibres, process equipment, instrumentation, lasers, detectors, connectors, and other components;

support for the development of several successful optoelectronic products, eg liquid crystal displays for airports, infra-red imagers for emergency services, intruder alarms;

assistance to a variety of small companies (including four start-ups) many of which have become well established on world markets;

encouragement of several large groups to diversify into optoelectronics.

In the area of display technology, the United Kingdom is a major world supplier of base material. Under FOS, several projects for the development of displays are being supported, most of which lead to commercially successful products, for example, airport displays, large TV displays for outdoor public events. However, I am disappointed that United Kingdom industry has generally not been more successful in world markets. A further initiative on basic research in solid state displays under the joint optoelectronics research scheme, in conjunction with the Alvey programme, has recently been launched and proposals are currently being considered.Under JOERS £25 million has been made available for pre-competitive, collaborative research. There has been a rapid take up of funds and £9·5 million of DTI's allocation of £10 million has been committed, with industry matching this sum; the Science and Engineering research council has already had to extend its allocation of £5 million to allow a commitment of £5·3 million. Twenty-one projects are being supported involving 15 companies and 26 universities.Most projects have been running for over a year, but it is too early to assess the results. However, it is clear that considerable momentum has been generated and the very high quality of the proposals indicates that the United Kingdom's research capability in optoelectronics has been substantially strengthened.As far as the market orientation of the scheme is concerned, under FOS only those projects with a definite market focus and promise of exploitation are considered for support. On the other hand, JOERS involves basic research of a type which it is generally too early to identify the precise products and markets in which the results will be exploited. However, as far as possible, support is tied to evidence of the intention to exploit and the prospects for exploitation have been maximised by giving companies the ownership of the resulting intellectual property.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce measures to regulate trading practices in bureaux de change.

The Government hope to make an announcement to the House on this matter shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total number and value of offers of regional assistance made to companies in west Cumbria travel-to-work areas, in Cumbria as a whole, in the north-west region and in the northern region for the last month for which statistics are available.

In November 1984, 20 offers of assistance totalling £1·44 million were made under section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 towards projects in the north-west region. Of these one offer totalling £45,000 was made in the west Cumbria travel-to-work area but not other offers were made to companies in Cumbria. 13 offers totalling £2·40 million were made towards projects in the north-east region.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many footcuffs have been exported to Kenya in the last year; and if any orders for such goods for future delivery are known to his Department.

Since the imposition of export licensing control in February 1984 no licences for the export of leg irons (footcuffs) have been issued for Kenya or any other destination. I know of no orders for future delivery of such goods.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many small firms, by Bolton committee definition, presently exist in each region of the United Kingdom;(2) how many small firms, by Bolton committee definition, went out of business in each region of the United Kingdom during the course of the last 12 months;(3) how many small firms, by Bolton committee definition, were set up in each region of the United Kingdom during the course of the last 12 months to the latest convenient date.

The information available by region for the years 1980 to 1983 was published in British Business, 2 November 1984, page 352. Later estimates by counties within regions for the same years were published in British Business on 18 January 1985. Copies of the articles were placed in the Library. Estimates for 1984 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish in the Official Report the full list of Government schemes which exist to assist small firms; when each scheme was started; and when it is due to finish.

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes) on 22 January at col 367. Only a small number of schemes are launched with a specific closing date. One such scheme was the small engineering firms investment scheme introduced by this Department on 30 March 1982. Demand was so great that the closing date for the scheme had to be brought forward to 28 May 1982. A second such scheme was introduced on 28 March 1983 and closed on 30 September 1983. The loan guarantee scheme for small firms was introduced on a pilot basis on 1 June 1981 for three years. It was initially extended for a further period until 31 December 1984, and has subsequently been extended for a further year until 31 December 1985. On 26 November 1984 my Department launched a £100 million programme of support from the European regional development fund and the United Kingdom Government to provide aids for small firms in United Kingdom areas affected by the decline of the steel, shipbuilding and textile industries. Depending upon take up of funds, applications will be accepted up to 31 December 1988.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many small firms, by Bolton committee definition, he has assisted by regional development grant, selective financial assistance or any other financial assistance in the course of the last 12 months to the latest convenient date; and how much money was involved in each region of the United Kingdom.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons accused of scheduled offences on the basis of accomplice witnesses' testimony are currently awaiting trial in Northern Ireland; how many persons have been convicted; how many persons have been acquitted of such crimes after having been charged either wholly or partially on the basis of accomplice witnesses' testimony; and how many persons have been released following the retraction of testimony by accomplice witnesses in each year since 1980.

On 28 January 1985, 112 persons were on remand or had been returned for trial for scheduled offences in cases in which it was intended that an alleged accomplice would give evidence for the Crown.The other information is not available in the form requested, but during the period from 1 January 1980 to 28 January 1985, 143 people were convicted in trials where accomplice evidence was tendered, 78 people were acquitted in such trials, and 123 people were released following the retraction of accomplice evidence.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will introduce application forms for all vacancies in the Civil Service and public authority advertised vacancies which will not require information on schools attended at primary and post primary level; and if he will make a statement.

No. As has already been announced, candidates for posts in the Northern Ireland Civil Service are to be invited to record details of their primary education. There will be accompanying advice that answers will be treated as strictly confidential, that the information will be used only for the Civil Service Commission's monitoring of recruitment and that the absence of a response will not be taken into consideration in the selection of candidates for appointment.Full details of second and third level education will continue to be required where reference to the institutions concerned is a feature of the recruitment process.Recruitment to posts in public authorities is a matter for those authorities themselves.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many overnight stays he and each of his Ministers spent in the Province during the month of January.

The information is as follows:

	Number
Secretary of State	12
Dr. Rhodes Boyson	12
Mr. Nicholas Scott	4
Mr. Christopher Patten	5
Lord Lyell	8

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the increase in the number of prescriptions issued for all drugs in Northern Ireland in the last 10 years; how much of that increase is attributable to prescriptions for tonics, cough remedies, antacids, laxatives, minor analgesics and vitamins; and what saving is expected to accrue from controlling the issue of prescriptions for such drugs, as outlined in the Government's proposals.

The available information is as follows:

Prescriptions issued by General Practitioners (Prescribing Doctors)
	1976	1983	Change
All Drugs	11,496	13,152	+1,656
Tonics	57	50	-7
Cough Remedies	879	860	-19
Antacids	293	296	+3
Laxatives	181	254	+73
Minor Analgesics	709	843	+134
Thousands vitamins	280	342	+62

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prescriptions for benzodiazepine tranquillisers and sedatives were issued in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years by (a) general practitioners, (b) hospital doctors, (c) appliance contractors and (d) dispensing doctors in the National Health Service; if he will publish this information in the Official Report tabulated for each health board area; and what is their aggregate net ingredient cost and their total cost, including discount on costs and payments to pharmacists.

The information is available only in respect of those prescriptions issued by general practitioners for sedatives and tranquillisers and this is as follows, together with details of the net ingredient costs of this group of drugs:

Year	Number of prescriptions (000)	Net ingredient cost (£000)
1979	793	799
1980	749	863
1981	758	1,002
1982	749	1,099
1983	697	1,079

It is estimated that the net ingredient cost comprises approximately 77 per cent. of the total cost.The information on a health and social services board basis is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with organisations, individuals and members of the nursing and medical profession in Northern Ireland to ascertain their views on the Government's proposed regulations on the range of prescribable drugs under the National Health Service.

I have discussed the proposals with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland and Galen Limited, of Craigavon, the only two interests who requested a meeting.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take the necessary steps to sustain the full fabric of its society for the Protestant community in areas close to the frontier with the Irish Republic where the Irish Republican Army's campaign to murder Protestants has disadvantaged it.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 January 1985, c. 70]: The Government's security, economic and social policies are intended to maintain, and where possible improve the quality of life for the whole community in Northern Ireland. If the hon. Gentleman has any particular suggestions, I hope he will let me know.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has recently considered how farmers, who were living close to the frontier with the Irish Republic and were forced by Irish Republican Army activity to abandon their holdings in the mid-1970s, can now be compensated for loss of earnings in the same way as other businesses were at that time.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 January 1985, c. 70]: No. Compensation for loss of earnings is payable only to employees.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has any plans to assist farmers, who were displaced by Irish Republican Army activity from their holdings close to the frontier with the Irish Republic, to return to their properties; and whether he believes their safety can now reasonably be assured.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 January 1985, c. 70]: Displaced farmers wishing to reinstate their holdings would be eligible for specialist advice from the Department of Agriculture and priority could be given to applications for farm grants and subsidies. The security forces try to assist everyone at risk; if any farmer has a particular concern about his personal safety the Royal Ulster Constabulary would be glad to advise him.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many people are now employed in schemes funded directly or indirectly by his Department; and what is the cost of these schemes;(2) how many people are now receiving training in schemes funded directly or indirectly by his Department; and what is the cost of these schemes;(3) if he will list the names of the schemes administered or funded by his Department which provide training; and what is the average cost per head for each person trained;(4) if he will list the names of the schemes administered or funded by his Department which provide employment; and what is the average cost per head for each person employed.

It is estimated that about 360,000 people were provided with employment and over 330,000 were receiving training on schemes administered by my Department and the Manpower Services Commission at the end of December 1984.The estimate provision for employment schemes for 1984–85 is £1,045 million and for training schemes it is £1,065 million (excluding administration costs).The approximate gross costs per filled place or per person supported on the main schemes administered or funded by my Department or the Manpower Services Commission which provide employment or training are:

	£
Full-Time Job Release	3,250
Part-Time Job Release	1,590
Young Workers Scheme	560
Job Splitting Scheme	750
Community Programme	4,290
Community Industry	2,370
Enterprise Allowance Scheme	1,964
Youth Training Scheme	1,850
Training Opportunities Scheme	2,500

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether the Manpower Services Commission intends to offer contracts for periods greater than one year to managing agents of youth training schemes.

The Manpower Services Commission is currently considering the possibility of offering contracts for longer than one year to some managing agents. I shall write to the hon. Member when a decision is reached.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many youth training scheme places were identified and supported in the Workington travel-to-work area and the county of Cumbria during the last month for which statistics are available.

At the end of January 1985 there were 1,353 approved places in the Allerdale and Copeland local authority districts, which largely correspond to the Workington travel-to-work area, and 3,595 approved places in the county of Cumbria.None of these places were approved during the month of January, as sufficient youth training scheme places to cater for the needs of eligible youngsters in the county of Cumbria for 1984–85 had already been identified and approved before the end of 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the reduction in real earnings per hour in the motor vehicle industry relative to the economy generally between 1970 and 1979 and between 1979 and the latest date for which figures are available; and what has been the corresponding change in employment in the industry absolutely and as a percentage of the numbers at the beginning of each period.

The following table sets out the available information on relative average hourly earnings and employment in the motor vehicle industry in Great Britain in 1970, 1979 and 1981.

	1970	1979	1984
Average gross hourly earnings of full-time adult male manual employees in the motor vehicle industry as a percentage of those in all industries and services*	130·5	112·5	110·8
Employees in employment in the motor vehicle industry†
Number (thousands)	506	461	294
As percentages of:
1970	100	91
1979		100	64
* Based on New Earnings Survey results in respect of a pay period each April. For 1970 and 1979 the figures relate to those aged 21 and over and for 1984 to those on adult rates.
† All employees in respect of June each year. There are minor differences in coverage (less than ½ per cent.) because of changes in the industrial classification between 1979 and 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what reviews have been undertaken by his Department on the separation of employment offices from benefit offices; and if he will make a statement.

There has been no specific overall review of this arrangement since a decision to make the change in the early 1970s. However, my Department keeps under constant review the effective operation of unemployment benefit offices, as does the Manpower Services Commission in the case of jobcentres and employment offices. The two networks are now managed and organised separately, although some offices remain co-located and the advantages and disadvantages of location in the same building, or close by, are taken into account when any change of premises is considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the net change in jobs in Lancashire for the period 1979 to the latest date for which figures are available in the following industries: (a) mining, (b) chemicals, (c) metal manufacture, (d) footwear, (e) mechanical engineering, (f) textiles and (g) paper and printing.

The available information on employment in local areas is from the June 1978 and the following September 1981 census of employment. Net changes in the number of employees in employment in the industries quoted in Lancashire in that period are as follows:

Standard Industrial Classifiction (1968)	Thousands
Order II Mining and Quarrying	-0·6
Order V Chemicals and Allied Industries	-2·6
Order VI Metal Manufacture	+0-4
MLH 450 Footwear	-0·8
Order VII Mechanical Engineering	+1·7
Order XIII Textiles	-16·0
Order XVIII Paper, Printing and Publishing	-1·0

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons, both male and female, were placed in employment by the Workington jobcentre in the last month for which statistics are available.

Workington jobcentre placed 69 people in the five-week period ending 4 January 1985, the latest for which statistics are available. Separate figures for males and females are not compiled monthly.There is likely to have been a substantial number of people who found jobs in the area other than through the jobcentre. Nationally it is estimated that about a quarter of all engagements are made through jobcentres.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobs in the Workington travel-to-work area were being supported by the temporary short-time working scheme during the last month for which statistics are available.

There was no potentially redundant jobs for which reimbursement was claimed under the temporary short-time working compensation scheme in December 1984 in the Workington travel-to-work area.The scheme closed for applications on 31 March 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many community programme places were being supported in the Workington travel-to-work area and the county of Cumbria during the last month for which statistics are available; and how many of those places were part-time and full-time places, respectively.

On 14 December 1984, 578 community programme places were being supported on the Workington travel-to-work area, and 1,211 in Cumbria. Of those in Workington 402 were part-time and 176 full-time, and of those in Cumbria 839 and 372 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many additional places were sponsored by Allerdale district council under the youth training scheme, and the community programme separately for the last month for which statistics are available; and what is the total number of places now being supported by that authority under each scheme.

No youth training scheme places are currently being sponsored by Allerdale district council The council has a community programme agency for 395 places. Projects with 381 places have been approved and 362 were filled on 14 December 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give, by region, the start-up figures under the enterprise allowance scheme at the latest available date.

At 31 December 1984 the number of people by region who had entered the enterprise allowance scheme since it was introduced nationally on 1 August 1983 was as follows:

	Number
London	5,864
Southern	9,599
South West	5,008
Midlands	10,952
North West	12,075
Yorkshire and Humberside	5,755
Scotland	4,999
Wales	3,984
Northern	3,455
Total	61,691

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest available figures reported under the Health and Safety at Work Act on the number of accidents at work involving children under the age of 16 years in paid part-time employment.

Records available to the Health and Safety Executive of injuries reported to enforcing authorities under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act for 1982 (the latest year for which figures are readily available) show 629 injuries to children under 16 reported to be in employment.Over half of this total refers to children at school. About one-fifth of the total is estimated to involve children actually in employment: the rest arise from misreporting of injuries to non-employed children. Returns from local authorities are incomplete.

asked the Prime Minister if the administrative rules requiring civil servants not to use Government offices for party political or commercial purposes apply to the premises of other statutory bodies financed by the Exchequer; and whether it is the practice of nationalised industries, water authorities and the National Health Service to advise their employees and contractors not to use such public premises for the display of political propaganda.

The rules governing the conduct of civil servants do not apply to non-civil servants employed by public bodies, though the bodies may choose to adopt these or similar rules if they consider them appropriate to their particular circumstances. Information is not held centrally on the current management practice of the various nationalised industries, water authorities and NHS authorities.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Civil Service Commission has reported on the terms and conditions of the new Head of Defence Procurement, Mr. Peter Levene.

It has been decided that Mr. Levene will join the Ministry of Defence on secondment. The precise terms are still under consideration by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

asked the Prime Minister which of her Ministers exercises responsibility in respect of the control of the netting of salmon in the Solway Firth.

Responsibility for control of the netting of salmon in the Solway Firth rests with the north west authority in English waters and the various district salmon fishery boards in Scottish waters. Within the Government, responsibility for these matters rests with my right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Scotland respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish the submissions that he received from English cities bidding for lead city status in the development of the combined heat and power programme.

There is no intention to publish the submissions received from the consortia which sought Government financial assistance towards the cost of preparing prospectuses for combined heat and power development.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage of the housing stock is heated by combined heat and power schemes in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Italy, West Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom respectively.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 1 February to the hon. Member for Leicester, South (Mr. Spencer) at column 341.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many tonnes of coal were burned by domestic households in 1964, 1974 and at the nearest available date in 1984.

Information on total deliveries of coal for domestic consumption is published annually in the "Digest of UK Energy Statistics", and monthly in Energy Trends, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he next proposes to meet the chairman of British Gas; and if at the meeting he proposes to discuss the Sleipner gas project.

I discussed Sleipner with the chairman of the British Gas Corporation on a number of occasions before the Government reached a conclusion on the project.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to ensure that the provision of basic housing amenities required by disabled people are subject to mandatory grants from local authorities.

Mandatory grants are already available for the provision of missing basic amenities in a dwelling and for the provision of additional standard amenities where existing amentities are not readily accessible to a disabled occupant because of his or her disability.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what guidelines his Department has issued to psychiatric hospitals and sub-normality hospitals in Wales concerning the giving of medication or medical treatment in cirumstances where the patient is not in a condition to give meaningful consent for his treatment.

Our Department issued WHN(83)31 in December 1983 which provided guidance to health authorities on the phasing in of the consent to treatment provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983. Paragraph 6 of the circular refers specially to those patients who are not able or capable of giving informed consent to treatment. The explanatory memorandum to the Mental Health Act 1983 also provides guidance for all those working with the Act; paragraphs 189 to 204 are relevant. Copies of WHN(83)31 and the explanatory memorandum are available from the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what are his projections of the sums to be made available to the Welsh tourist board to enable the board to undertake an overseas promotion programme.

The Wales tourist board does not itself have resources for tourism promotion programmes overseas. Overseas promotion on behalf of Wales is within the responsibility of the British Tourist Authority and is not separately identified within its expenditure.) I announced on 17 November 1983 at column 529–30 further development of the arrangements for Welsh involvement in the authority's marketing programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what were the numbers of housing starts in 1984 and 1983 in (a) the private and (b) the public sector.

The information requested is:

Number of dwelling starts
	Private Sector	Public Sector
1983	6,244	2,265
*1984	5,200	1,200
* Provisional estimates.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what additional financial assistance he will give to the Welsh water authority to compensate for the effects of the drought in 1984.

There are no additional financial resouces immediately available to meet the costs of the drought in 1984. The Welsh water authority is responsible for establishing priorities within the overall total of moneys available to meet capital and revenue expenditure, including expenditure during exceptional events such as last year's drought. These moneys are found from charges made to the consumers and through external borrowing on which a limit is set up by the Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if there are any changes to his Department's cash limits in the current year in connection with expenditure on transport and industry.

Yes. The cash limit on class XVI, Vote 1 is being reduced by £10,573,000 from £744,062,000 to £733,489,000. This reduction reflects the fact that spending on the trunk road programme has fallen below provision, mainly on account of protracted netgotiations on land acquisition and a lower rate of spend on schemes under construction than forecast.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many full-time equivalent research scientists and engineers are employed in higher education in the United Kingdom, West Germany and Japan.

Data are not available to permit this comparison to be made. However in 1983–84 10,720 academic staff were employed full-time on research in United Kingdom universities only. This excludes substantial numbers of staff spending part of their time on research in universities and staff in polytechnics and other institutions of higher education.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to extend the technical and vocational education initiative.

I have been asked to reply because the technical and vocational education initiative is administered by the Manpower Services Commission.Under the extension plans we announced last November all those local education authorities (education authorities in Scotland) not currently participating in the initiative were invited to submit a proposal with a view to starting a project this year or next.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the estimated total of teachers, meal supervisors and school staff who take school luncheon; and how many of them pay.

The number of meals provided to adults at maintained schools in England on a day in October 1983, the latest date for which information is available, was:

	On payment	Free
Teachers	11,853	189,947
Midday Supervisory Assistants	1,961	73,238
Kitchen and Canteen Staff	6,652	114,823
Others	3,316	18,003

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the estimated cost of providing one school lunch and as to how much of this is the actual value of the food.

Local authorities' estimates for 1984–85 show that expenditure on food, net of EEC subsidies, represents 26 per cent. of the total gross cost of providing meals. The Department does not have the information from which to calculate the average cost of a meal.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the percentage of capital expenditure on major school building projects started in each of the last 10 years represented by projects at voluntary aided schools; and what is the corresponding percentage in the starts programme approved for the year 1985–86.

The information is not available in the form requested. The percentages of the value of major projects approved by the Department represented by work at voluntary aided and special agreement schools for the years 1975–76 to 1983–84 were:

	Per cent.
1975–76	16
1976–77	13
1977–78	12
1978–79	15
1979–80	14
1980–81	14
1981–82	12
1982–83	16
1983–84	12

Corresponding figures for 1984–85 and 1985–86 are not yet available; and, since allocations to LEAs are unhypothecated and are no longer made on the basis of starts, estimates cannot be made. However, the percentages of allocations for all school capital expenditure in those years represented by the allocation for voluntary aided and special agreement schools were:

	Per cent.
1984–85	12
1985–86	15

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the level of grants for 1985–86 for school building and modernisation.

The annual allocations of prescribed capital expenditure made to local education authorities are not grants but indications of basic permitted spending levels. Grant is paid only in respect of projects at voluntary aided and special agreement schools. On the implications of the 1985–86 allocations, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Darlington (Mr. Fallon) on 10 January 1985 at column 526.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children commenced primary school education reception classes in 1985 under the age of four years and nine months; how this figure compares with that in each year since 1979; and if he is satisfied that proper nursery education provision is made for them.

The Department does not collect information on pupils commencing school. Annual returns are made on the number of children in infant classes in maintained primary schools in England on the census day in January. The published figures for under-fives exclude children whose fifth birthday fell between the previous September and December, ie those over four years eight months on 31 August. The annual totals from 1979 onwards are:

	Annual total
1979	218,392
1980	213,469
1981	206,507
1982	201,279
1983	210,372
1984	236,417

Student/staff ratios
	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84
University
Aston	10·5	10·2	10·0	10·5	11·0	11·9
Birmingham	8·6	8·4	8·3	8·5	8·7	9·1
Warwick	10·5	10·2	10·6	11·5	11·2	11·4
Polytechnic (advanced level work only)
Birmingham	9·7	9·2	9·4	8·8	7·8	10·5
Lanchester	9·0	9·6	9·7	10·0	10·7	10·9
Wolverhampton	8·0	9·0	9·7	9·9	10·6	11·5

University student-staff ratios are calculated as the full-time equivalent student load divided by the number of full-time departmental academic staff paid wholly from university funds. Polytechnics student-staff ratios are calculated as full-time equivalent student load divided by the full-time equivalent number of lecturers who are involved in teaching. The university ratios are therefore not directly comparable with those for the public sector, although the polytechnic figures are restricted to advanced level work only.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the 13 local education authorities on which the study published by his Department entitled "Education for Unemployed Adults: Problems and Good Practice" was based; and how many adults registered as unemployed benefit claimants have enrolled on courses of further or higher education or on adult training education courses since 1981.

Mrs. Joan McDonald's study was carried out on the basis of getting together information which would help the Department's preparations for the REPLAN initiative aimed at improving educational opportunities for the adult unemployed. The local education authorities concerned co-operated freely without any expectation that they would be identified and I do not think that it would be appropriate to name them at this stage. The statistical information requested is not collected by the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the staff-student ratio in each university and polytechnic in the west midlands county for the academic year 1984–85; and how this ratio compares with that in each academic year since 1978–79.

The latest available information is:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is satisfied that teacher training courses currently being run contain sufficient instruction methods on pupil discipline and control; and if he will make a statement.

Most teacher training courses include a course module or unit on classroom management and control. However, this is an area in which there is no substitute for practical experience in the classroom. New criteria for the approval of initial teacher training courses issued last year by my right hon. Friend, with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales, require that in future all courses should include a substantial element of school experience and teaching practice and that this should offer experience of class management and control. The criteria also make it clear that in no case should a qualification carrying qualified teacher status be awarded to a student whose practical classroom work is unsatisfactory.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions took place in Lancashire in 1983 against persons alleged to have committed drug offences; and in how many cases such prosecutions were successful.

Three hundred and sixty-four persons were proceeded against in the Lancashire police force area in 1983 for offences under drugs legislation or for other offences involving controlled drugs, 354 of whom were found guilty.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contribution was made by the Metropolitan police or his Department to the Greater London council's police exhibition currently touring London boroughs; and if he will make a statement.

Neither the Metropolitan police nor the Home Office made any contribution to this exhibition.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to the number of parking tickets evaded by diplomats in the Metropolitan police area in each of the last three years for which figures are available; if he will break the figures down by country in each case; and if he will make a statement.

The following table, compiled from figures made available by the Metropolitan Police, gives details of the total number of fixed penalty notices cancelled on grounds of diplomatic immunity for the three year period 1981–83 (which is the latest period for which complete figures are available) broken down by country and organisation.These figures are a matter for real concern. My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary will be covering this subject in his response to the report by the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs on the abuse of diplomatic immunities and priveleges.

Fixed penalty notices cancelled on grounds of diplomatic immunity (Metropolitan Police district)
Organisation/Country	1981	1982	1983
Afghanistan	11	16	11
Algeria	447	647	925
Antigua and Barbuda	0	1	57
Argentine Republic	494	101	0
Australia	17	24	0
Austria	204	231	69
Bahamas	2	10	14
Bahrain	229	173	410
Bangladesh	215	279	327
Barbados	343	375	434
Belgium	250	326	291
Bolivia	174	178	52
Botswana	39	69	110
Brazil	1,468	1,524	3,010
Bulgaria	1,808	1,996	2,671
Burma	81	131	424
Cameroon	712	714	961
Canada	118	145	185
Chile	138	291	524
China	294	275	660
Colombia	439	571	511
Costa Rica	82	56	62
Cuba	1,118	1,535	2,346
Cyprus	1,560	1,525	2,039
Czechoslovakia	263	316	324
Denmark	22	21	13
Dominica, Commonwealth of	9	1	5
Dominican Republic	229	161	81

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) why he does not collect information on the number of stateless people in the United Kingdom; if he will now do so; and if he will make a statement;(2) whether there is any measure available to Her Majesty's Government which would enable him to estimate the number of stateless persons residing in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

We do not consider that the demand for information on the number of stateless persons resident in the United Kingdom would justify the costs involved in obtaining it.There is no source of information collected for another purpose from which an estimate could be made with an acceptable degree of accuracy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what requests he has received since 1 January 1984 from the governor of Her Majesty's prison, Styal, for an increase in staff; and what was his response to those requests.

The only formal bid received in the period concerned requested approval to recruit a prison auxiliary to escort outside contractors engaged to improve the gymnasium facilities at Styal. The bid is under consideration. The governor has also suggested, as one of several possible courses of action, an increase in night staffing levels. This possibility is being examined.