asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has yet completed consideration of those recommendations in the Report of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy on Diet and Cardiovascular Disease which are of concern to his Department; and if he will make a statement.

I have examined carefully the recommendations in the COMA report on diet and cardiovascular disease in consultation with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Social Services, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Since the report was published in July last year officials have also held preliminary discussions with representatives of food and drink manufacturers, distributors, retailers, consumers, and local authority organisations. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services has invited the British Nutrition Foundation and the Health Education Council to ask their joint advisory committee on nutritional education to produce practical guidance for families based on the recommendations. We are therefore working towards implementing all the COMA recommendations to the Government. Much remains to be done but I can now announce the Government's general proposals on those recommendations which affect agricultural and food policy.COMA made important proposals for the labelling of the fat content of food. The Government intend to introduce statutory requirements concerning foods which make a significant contribution to the fat intake in the diet. Such foods should be labelled with their total fat content and their saturated fatty acid content. In the important cases of butter, margarine, table spreads, cooking fat and other edible oils, the saturated fatty acid content would be shown with the trans fatty acid content as a combined figure. The new requirements would cover not only packaged food but also foods sold loose, although the detailed labelling requirements would need to be varied to allow for the particular circumstances of different parts of the food industry and there will therefore be further consultations on some of the more difficult problems. Labelling of individual portions is clearly not practical in the case of catering establishments. However, the Government will discuss with the trades covering all such cases how to ensure in a practical way that they can play their part in providing consumers with information about the fat in the foods they serve. Foods which do not make a significant contribution to fat intake would be outside the new labelling requirements: they include such items as most fruit and vegetables, cereals and bread and flour.Representatives of the food industry have asked the Government to consider full nutrition labelling of all foods covering such things as energy, protein, and carbohydrate content as well as fat content. We do not propose to introduce compulsory full nutrition labelling but will prepare draft guidelines and will circulate them for comment to all the interests concerned. While full nutrition labelling would therefore remain voluntary, the Government will consider whether to prescribe a standard format by regulation, in order to avoid the confusion among consumers that differing formats might cause.The Government, the Consumers Association and the National Consumers Council are collaborating in a survey of consumer understanding of, and requirements for, fat content and nutrition labelling. The results are expected in May and will be taken into account in reaching the Government's final conclusion.COMA recommended that all alcoholic drinks should be labelled with the percentage of alcohol by volume. Similar proposals for Community regulations have been made by the European Commission and are to be debated by Parliament. The Government will take careful account of the views of Parliament and of the Commission's proposals before reaching a decision, but believe that regulations should be introduced in line with the COMA recommendations.COMA recommended that alternative preparations of food should be made available with lower saturated fat or lower salt contents. The Government will continue their discussions with the industry on this matter and note that there are already a number of alternative lower fat products on the market, such as low fat dairy products, table spreads and sausages.I have considered the recommendation for the production of leaner carcases of cattle, sheep and pigs. So far as cattle and sheep are concerned, I have concluced that it would be appropriate to adjust the certification standards applying under the respective variable premium schemes so as to exclude from eligibility the fatter animals (that is in the case of cattle those falling into fat class 5; and those covered by the fatter end of the MLC's fat class 4 in the case of sheep). I believe that, given reasonable notice, beef and sheep producers should be able to make the necessary adjustments to their husbandry and breeding practices. I accordingly have it in mind that these changes should be effective from the beginning of the 1986 marketing years. Meanwhile, my officials and MLC staff will be collaborating in a suitable programme of advisory events. There are no corresponding arrangements for prigs, but the trend there continues to be towards the production of leaner animals.I have carefully noted the recommemdations to consider ways of removing from the common agricultural policy those elements which might dicourage dietary change. The Government believe that production should be geared to consumer demand as expressed in the market place. In general the commodity regimes of the CAP do not discourage individuals from implementing the COMA dietary recommendations if they wish to do so. The Government will however in future take this recommendation fully into account, with other relevant considerations, in determining the United Kingdom position in negotiations on the CAP. The European Commission has proposed that the general consumer butter subsidy should lapse at the end of 1984–85 and the Government intend to accept this provided other relevant decisions are satisfactory.In carrying out their proposals the Government must bear in mind their responsibilities as a member of the EEC, where food labelling law is already harmonised. We will therefore remain in close touch with the European Commission.The Government recognise that some parts of the industry face genuine practical problems which will have to be resolved in further discussion; but I am confident that all those involved will continue to adopt the same constructive and co-operative approach as they had done hitherto. I intend to issue proposals for regulations later this year.In the meantime, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services expects that the guidance being sought from the joint advisory committee on nutritional education will be published in the early summer. In addition, the catering guidance provided by his Department for use by hospitals, local authorities and many private catering establishments is being revised to reflect COMA advice. Finally, work is going forward to assess the possibilities for better and more cost effective ways of identifying people at high risk of coronary heart disease, including research into the means of facilitating measurement of blood lipids.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on his policy for the Open University following the report of the visiting committee.

It is the Government's policy that the Open University should continue to fulfil its role within the higher education sector by providing opportunities for degree level study to those who missed, or did not have, those opportunities earlier in life; and by providing opportunities for continuing education, particularly in the area of professional, industrial and commercial updating. The report of the visiting committee indicated that the university should be able to fulfil its role more economically, but that the Government were expecting it to adjust to lower funding levels too quickly. I have accepted the committee's advice that some alleviation should be offered to previously indicated funding levels, and this is reflected in the grant letter issued to the university on 22 February, copies of which have been placed in the Library.The alleviations provided are in 1985: £1·6 million for restructuring, £0·36 million for promoting a shift to science and technology and £0·039 million to fund additional posts in relation to the new blood and information technology initiatives; and in 1986: £1·2 million for new computing facilities, and £0·8 million to allow for a more gradual approach to reduced grant levels, the switch to science and technology, and the new blood-information technology posts. In aggregate the alleviations amount to about £2 million in each of the years 1985 and 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidelines are issued by his Department for the provision of and instruction in religious education in all schools.

The place and nature of religious education in the curriculum of maintained schools are governed by the relevant provisions of the Education Act 1944. "The School Curriculum", published in 1981 by the Department of Education and Science and the Welsh Office, set out the Government's views in these terms:

"The place of religious education in the curriculum and its unique statutory position accord with a widely shared view that the subject has a distinctive contribution to make to a pupil's school education. It provides an introduction to the religious and spiritual areas of experience and particularly to the Christian tradition which has profoundly affected our culture. It forms part of the curriculum's concern with personal and social values, and can help pupils to understand the religious and cultural diversity of contemporary society. The Secretaries of State consider that local education authorities should keep under review the provision made for religious education, bearing in mind the requirements of the Education Act 1944 as regards collective acts of worship and religious instruction; and that they should also reconsider from time to time the appropriateness of the Agreed Syllabus for their area in the light of the needs of particular groups of pupils and changes in the society in which the pupils are growing up."

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has as to whether some gas boards have abandoned or have plans to abandon the standing charge concession on small usage of fuel by domestic consumers; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the British Gas Corporation is keeping under review its standing charge rebate scheme for small users.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has as to whether some electricity boards have abandoned or have plans to abandon the standing charge concession on small usage of fuel by domestic consumers; and if he will make a statement.

The industry is considering the future of the standing charge rebate scheme. Area boards will make their own announcement of any tariff changes in the usual way.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about the provisions for subsidence damage in the National Coal Board accounts for 1983–84.

The chairman of the NCB has assured me that following a further review he is satisfied that the provision for subsidence damage in the board's 1983–84 accounts is adequate, and that the board is doing everything possible to prevent a recurrence of the situation which made the large additional provision for subsidence damage necessary. I have asked to be kept in close touch with the implementation of the board's plans to improve financial control in this area and have emphasised to the board the importance I attach to a policy directed at repairing subsidence damaged properties rather than paying cash compensation to claimants. I have now paid to the board deficit grant in respect of the additional subsidence provisions, which I had withheld until I was satisfied regarding them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will give, for each year from 1973 to the latest date for which figures are available, the numbers of (a) entry clearance appeals lost by appellants at adjudicator level but where the appellant sought leave to the tribunal, the numbers where leave was granted and the numbers won, (b) entry clearance appeals lost by his Department or the entry clearance officer where leave to the tribunal was sought, the numbers where leave was granted and the numbers won, (c) cases of any description where his Department or the entry clearance officer lost at the tribunal and sought leave to go to the High Court and (d) fiancés refused entry clearance on grounds of primary intent;(2) if he will give for the national immigration figures for each year between 1973 and the latest date for which figures are available the numbers of

I shall write to the hon. Member giving such information as is available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Polish nationals have been given permission to stay on a temporary basis in the United Kingdom since the imposition of martial law in Poland; and if he will make a statement on their future.

The numbers of Polish nationals admitted to the United Kingdom for a limited period in 1982, 1983 and 1984, including those who came as visitors, were 14,600, 23,900 and 33,800 respectively. Comprehensive information on applications to remain in the United Kingdom is available only for 1984, when about 4,100 Polish nationals were granted extensions of stay for a limited period. Since the imposition of martial law in Poland, about 1,000 Polish nationals have been granted an exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom in accordance with my right hon. Friend's announcement on 9 March 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to amend the Broadcasting Act 1981 to ensure that the Independent Broadcasting Authority shall not be competent to ban the broadcasting of a television programme on the grounds that it may infringe the Official Secrets Act 1911.

We believe that the Independent Broadcasting Authority should continue to have the right to decide not to transmit any programme which could put it in breach of the criminal law or of its statutory obligations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent represenations he has received about the legal and judicial system in the Channel Islands.

Letters are received each year from a few individuals in the Channel Islands who are dissatisfied with some aspect of the criminal law or judicial system in the island in question or a court's decision in a particular case. No central record is kept of such letters, but the number of complainants is very small.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will describe the assistance given by his Department to the data protection registrar in the performance of his duties.

The data protection registrar is independent of any Government Department in the performance of his duties. Officials of the Home Office have, however, given him, and will continue to give him, as much advice and assistance in setting up his office as he requests.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce the appointed day required by the Data Protection Act.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a similar question from my hon. Friend the Member for Warwick and Leamington (Sir D. Smith) on 4 December 1984, at column 132.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if flats and bungalows built specifically for the elderly, and which are connected to a central alarm system for mobile wardens, are eligible for the 5p television licence scheme.

To qualify for the concessionary accommodation for residential care television licence elderly persons' dwellings must be provided specially for retired persons of pensionable age by a local authority under part V of the Housing Act 1957 or by a housing association and must have some communal accommodation or facility provided in association with them. A warden service can generally be accepted as a communal facility for qualifying purposes, but each application for the concessionary licence must be dealt with on its merits, taking account of all relevant factors. There is no precise definition of what constitutes a warden service for the purpose of the regulations governing entitlement to the concessionary licence, but to be acceptable a warden would be expected to make regular visits to the people under his or her care and to provide appropriate services in response to their needs. A warden service under which a mobile warden responded only to emergency calls from elderly residents over a central alarm system would not fulfil these criteria.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people have acquired British citizenship as a result of the British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983; and what percentage of the total population of the Falkland Islands this represents;(2) how many applications are still pending for British citizenship under the British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983.

We have no record of the number of persons who acquired British citizenship automatically under section 1 of the Act. No application under section 2 of the Act for registration as a British citizen has been received.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a further statement on the fire service in London after the proposed abolition of the Greater London council.

There is no truth in the Greater London Council's assertion published in "The Londoner" for February 1985 that its abolition will result in large reductions in the numbers of firemen, appliances and stations in London. As I have repeatedly explained, under the law no reductions whatsoever may occur except with my consent and I remain committed to the maintenance of the nationally recommended minimum standards of fire cover. There can therefore be no question of arbitrary cuts arising from abolition or any other current Government initiative. Nor do I intend to approve any proposal to "break up" the London Fire Brigade.This is just one example of the vast publicity campaign the GLC is running to frighten and mislead Londoners into supporting it. It is Londoners who are paying for this campaign. They will be better off when the GLC is abolished.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement about Government support for the United Kingdom tourism industry.

We shall endeavour to maintain an adequate level of funding consistent with the aim of reducing public expenditure. The bulk of tourism investment must continue to be funded by the private sector which we hope will increasingly recognise the growth potential of tourism and leisure.

asked the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Solihull.

I have at resent no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the progress made by the European Economic Community in fulfilling the conditions on budgetary discipline which were agreed at the Fontainebleau summit as a precondition to any increase in resources.

The Council's conclusions on budget discipline first apply to decisions in 1985 affecting expenditure in 1986. In accordance with these conclusions, the Commission has made proposals on agricultural prices which it states are consistent with the financial guideline for agricultural spending in 1986 and Finance Ministers agreed yesterday to a new five-year limit for expenditure on agricultural structures.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the future of the coal mining industry.

This Government remain committed to securing a healthy future for the coal industry. It is now vital that the industry swiftly and safely returns to normal working and recovers from the damage of the past twelve months. An industry which provides a secure supply of coal at a competitive price should be able to take full advantage of existing market opportunities.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 March.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. After my duties in the House I shall be leaving to attend the funeral of the late President Chernenko.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many applications his Department has received for new technology grants in the Shrewsbury and Atcham area;(2) how many applications his Department has received for innovation grants from the Shrewsbury and Atcham area.

Over the last 10 years, 29 applications for support have been received from the Shrewsbury and Atcham area. The details are as follows:

Type of Grant	Number of Applications	Number of Offers made	Assistance Offered £000
Innovation Grants
SFI general facility	25	22	3,701·0
New Technology Schemes
Microelectronics Application Project	2	2	27·4
Industrial Energy Thrift	2	2	434·9

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance has been contributed by the central fund of the European Community towards the regeneration of industry and commerce in the West Midlands county in each year since 1973; and which sectors have chiefly benefited as a result.

I assume that the hon. Lady is referring to assistance from the European regional development fund, for which my Department is responsible. ERDF grants are paid in respect of such projects only if they receive United Kingdom regional aid. Since no part of the West Midlands county became an assisted area until November 1984, there have as yet been no ERDF grants in respect of qualifying industrial projects in the county. Such grants are, of course, retained by the Government as a partial reimbursement of their own aid, as provided for in the ERDF regulation.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to publish the new list of prohibited exports to update the 1981 list of the Export Goods (Control) Order.

As my right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade told the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Ashdown) on 8 February, he expects to make a new Export of Goods (Control) Order later this month, which will come into force some weeks later.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has made to the United States Government in the past 12 months concerning that Government's monitoring of the COCOM agreement.

My Department is frequently in touch with the United States Administration on a wide range of issues concerning COCOM, including the enforcement of the embargo.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies have received support under the market entry guarantee scheme in each year since 1979.

The figures are as follows:

Usage of the market entry guarantee scheme: 1979–84 Number of companies in receipt of financial support
Year	Number
1979	25
1980	17
1981	33
1982	28
1983	31
1984	46
Total	180

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies have received support from the overseas projects fund in each year since 1979.

The number of offers of support from the overseas projects fund in each financial year from 1979–80 is as follows:

	Number
1979–80	137
1980–81	118
1981–82	82
1982–83	107
1983–84	36
1984–85*	24
* First six months only.

In many cases a single offer represents support for a grouping of companies and firms; subcontractors and suppliers of those companies and firms do, in turn, also benefit from the support offered.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the figures of injuries caused by fireworks in 1984.

According to reports from hospitals in England, Wales and Scotland, 778 people required treatment for injuries caused by fireworks during a four-week period in October and November 1984. The figures for 1984 and the preceding four years are as follows:

Firework injuries in Great Britain (4-week period in October-November)
	1984	1983	1982	1981	1980
Total	778	833	626	681	555
Place of accident
1. Family or private party	231	311	189	231	168
2. Semi-public party (eg scouts, cricket club)	65	84	53	58	47
3. Large public display	108	111	88	101	95
4. Casual incident in street etc.	298	257	220	229	194
5. Other place	59	54	61	46	31
6. Indoors	17	16	15	16	20
Type of firework
1. Banger	175	184	147	167	135
2. Rocket	115	107	71	102	66
3. Roman candle, coloured fire etc.	103	114	84	107	81
4. Home-made or extracted powder	21	15	35	26	19
5. Other proprietary fireworks	74	78	82	64	46
6. Sparklers	65	95	40	48	33
7. Unspecified type	225	240	167	167	175
Severity of injury
1. Fatal injury*	1	—	—	—	—
2. Detained more than one night	55	61	33	24	46
3. Sufficient to cause absence from work or equivalent	161	147	67	62	82
4. Minor injury	506	592	489	531	403
5. Unspecified injury	55	33	37	64	24
Eye injuries (included in 2–5)	295	293	241	261	261
Age group of injured persons
Over 20	180	215	139	132	100
16–20	109	108	73	89	66
13–15	208	173	149	173	151
Under 13	281	337	265	287	238
* A man of 21 died as a result of attempting to make a firework at home.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide an estimate of the size of the United Kingdom market for microchips for each year from 1979 to 1984 indicating in each case what proportion of the market was met by domestic production.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 March 1985, c. 23): The size of the United Kingdom market for and production of integrated circuits over thelast six years is estimated to have been:

£ million
	United Kingdom Market	United Kingdom Production
1979	190	130
1980	230	160
1981	250	170
1982	320	210
1983	460	270
1984	650	390

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list in the Official Report all the Government financed schemes to aid the whole information technology industry since 1979–80, giving the amount spent in each scheme for each year from 1979–80 until 1984–85.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 March 1985, c. 23]: The amounts spent by the Department of Trade and Industry within its support for innovation programme on schemes which aid the information technology industry over the six financial years from 1979–80 to 1984–85 (to date) are as follows:

SFI Scheme
£ million
	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	*1984–85
Software Products Scheme	0·7	1·0	1·5	1·8	3·6	9·0
General SFI to IT	5·0	10·3	13·2	31·7	41·1	31·0
	5·7	11·3	14·7	33·5	44·7	40·0
IT in Manufacturing
Computer Aided Design, Manufacture and Test (CADMAT)	—	—	—	1·2	0·9	1·4
Computer Aided Design Test Equipment (CADTES)	—	—	—	0·4	6·9	10·1
Small Engineering Firm Investment Scheme (SEFIS)	—	—	—	10·9	16·9	25·5
Computer Aided Design, Computer Aided Manufacture (CADCAM)/Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT)	—	—	0·2	1·2	2·1	2·5
Robotic Installations	—	—	—	0·2	2·3	4·5
Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS)	—	—	—	—	0·8	3·0
Feasibility and Planning Studies on Robotics, FMS + AMT	—	—	—	0·1	1·1	3·1
	—	—	0·2	14·0	31·0	50·1
IT in Microelectronics
Microelectronics Industry Support (MIS)	0·9	1·6	5·0	6·3	11·2	10·5
Microelectronics Application Project (MAP)	4·4	8·9	9·6	10·4	13·9	13·7
Automation Instrumentation Control	3·9	4·7	2·6	4·0	8·5	12·6
	9·2	15·2	17·2	20·7	33·6	36·8
IT in Fibreoptics
Fibreoptics and Optoelectronics Scheme (FOS)	—	—	0·2	1·4	5·7	5·7
	—	—	0·2	1·4	5·7	5·7
Alvey Dirctorate: Advanced IT	—	—	—	—	1·7	4·0
	—	—	—		1·7	4·0
Public Purchasing
Micros in Schools	—	—	1·2	1·8	0·4	—
Micros in Primary Schools	—	—	—	1·5	5·5	2·5
Peripherals in Schools	—	—	—	—	0·9	1·1
Initial Teacher Trainers College	—	—	—	1·1	—	—
Information Technology Education Centres (ITECs)	—	—	0·9	1·5	4·2	4·9
Office Automation	—	—	—	2·0	2·1	0·7
	—	—	2·1	7·9	13·1	9·2
Total	14·9	26·5	34·4	77·5	129·8	145·8
* Expenditure to Date.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made, in the review of the United Kingdom's membership of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation; and if he will make a statement.

We shall review our policy towards the end of 1985 after the next UNESCO general conference. If we were satisfied that substantial progress had by then been made in carrying through the reform programme set out in my letters of 2 April and 4 July 1984 and that of my right hon. and learned Friend of 5 December 1984 to the director general of UNESCO, we would be willing to reconsider our decision to withdraw.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the approximate cost of providing a unit of family housing in the Falkland Islands.

The main housing project since 1982 has been the provision of 54 prefabricated houses as part of the rehabilitation effort. The final cost of this project is not yet known and, in any case, would not be a reliable guide on which to estimate the costs of construction locally. I regret, therefore, that because of the lack of recent experience in local construction of domestic accommodation, the information which would enable such an estimate to be prepareda is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any decision has been taken on the future of the scheme which uses aid programme funds to help finance pre-investment studies by British private sector businesses considering overseas investments.

It has been decided to discontinue this scheme—known as the pre-investment studies scheme—which we do not believe to be effective. It has been very little used in recent years. The Commonwealth Development Corporation continues to seek British private sector partners for its investment overseas and is a more effective instrument for using aid programme funds to help stimulate private sector investment in developing countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the British guarantee on loans from the European Investment Bank provided under the Lomé conventions has ever been called.

Yes. The European Investment Bank made a loan from its own resources provided under the first Lomé convention to the Liberian Electricity Corporation. During 1984 the Liberian Electricity Corporation failed to repay two instalments of the loan totalling 706,772 ecu (about £444,000) and the Government of Liberia failed to meet the bank's call on its guarantee. The loan is also guaranteed by the member states of the Community. Her Majesty's Government therefore paid 157,474,33 ecu (approximately £99,000) to the bank in two instalments which was drawn from the accumulated British share of repayments by African, Caribbean and Pacific states on loans made from the European development fund, which are lodged in a special account at the European Investment Bank. We were informed on 27 February that the Liberian authorities have now paid the instalment originally due on 30 April 1984; the British share of this was 77,524,80 ecu (approximately

	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984
Unfair dismissal	3,585	3,704	3,912	3,894	3,584	3,756	3,524	3,177	3,043
Redundancy Payments	389	394	324	287	1,191	590	499	440	619
Unfair dismissal/Redundancy payments	316	607	272	101	167	247	256	226	182
Sex discrimination	21	21	15	22	15	18	15	30	42
Equal Pay	199	80	35	9	8	12	46	2	9
Race Relations	—	—	5	2	3	4	3	2	4
Other employment protection rights	67	143	143	431	184	152	217	167	261
Health and Safety	4	7	8	14	14	15	8	10	10
Industrial training levy	6	2	4	6	7	13	14	11	3
Miscellaneous	20	8	2	2	1	3	5	4	6
TOTAL	4,607	4,966	4,720	4,768	5,174	4,810	4,587	4,069	4,179

I regret that information on the number of applications made in each of the districts in Glasgow is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Information on the causes of complaint is not available in the form requested for the years prior to 1976.Figures on the number of complaints in all jurisdictions which were upheld by the industrial tribunals over the last

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what distinction is made in the figures for the number of people in employment between full and part-time workers.

Part-time workers are defined in the Department's employment estimates as those who normally work for not more than 30 hours a week excluding main meal breaks and overtime.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, further to his reply of 4 March, Official Report, column 360, why separate estimates of full-time and part-time males are not available.

The censuses of employment separately identify full and part-time workers among male employees, but the quarterly series of estimates of employees in employment for non-census dates does not. The latest available census of employment results are for September 1981 and therefore could not be used in the reply of 4 March, which referred to changes between 1983 and 1984. The 1981 census identified 11,511,200 full-time and 718,100 part-time male employees employed in Great Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many appeals were made to industrial tribunals in each of the districts of Glasgow and Scotland as a whole in each of the last 10 years; what were the causes of complaint; and in how many cases the appeals were upheld.

The number of applications registered by the industrial tribunals in Scotland since 1976 is as follows:10 years are also not readily available. However, the number of unfair dismissal complaints upheld during the four years 1980 to 1983 is as follows:

	1980	1981	1982	1983
Number of cases heard by industrial tribunals	1,183	1,421	1,433	1,357
Complaints upheld	305	340	364	396

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received from the Football League concerning the implications of the level of pool betting duty for the extension of jobs under the youth training scheme; and if he will make a statement.

I have received a letter from Mr. Jack Dunnett, the president of the Football League, supporting the case for a reduction in the level of pool betting duty.The Football League is participating in the youth training scheme. I am most encouraged by its support during the second year of the scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the constitutional position of area manpower boards; and to what extent their constitutions or guides to practice permit co-opted members to vote;(2) which area manpower boards have no members who are from ethnic minorities; and what is the proportion of ethnic minorities in the general population in the area they serve;(3) how many members of area manpower boards are

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he has considered the role that Devonport and Rosyth dockyard training centres might play in the adult training strategy;(2) what investigations are planned into the potential for alternative uses of dockyard training centres having regard to the skills training needs in their localities.

Training is currently provided at the dockyard training centres to meet the dockyards' own requirements for skilled labour. At present my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence and I envisage no wider role for the dockyard training centres.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of skills training in the locality of Devonport and Rosyth is conducted by the dockyard training centres in these areas.

I regret that the information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has on the extent and manner in which local industry has benefited from the skills training of dockyard training centres.

I have no precise information on the extent and manner in which local industry has benefited from the training given at the dockyard centres. However, local employers no doubt benefit from the recruitment of former dockyard employees.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list his own and local employers' expressed estimates of employers' skills training needs in the Devonport and Rosyth areas.

I shall write to the hon. Member giving further information.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the additional cost to employers of the reduction in the level of rebate from the redundancy fund from 41 per cent. to 35 per cent.

The reduction was included in the Chancellor's outline public expenditure plans announced on 12 November 1984. The estimated saving (that is the cost to employers) was £37 million in a full year.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he has taken to publicise to employers the reduction to 35 per cent. in the level of rebate from the redundancy fund which comes into operation on 1 April.

My right hon. Friend announced this reduction in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mr. Chapman) on 12 November 1984, at column 100. It has been reported in the business press. We have also corresponded with the CBI and other employers' bodies about the change. The order was debated in both Houses last month. A press notice will be issued when the new rate comes into effect on 1 April.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what are the effects of the Government's proposals for local government reform on bus services in the metropolitan areas.

Under the Local Government Bill the public transport responsibilities of the metropolitan county councils will be transferred to joint passenger transport authorities formed from elected representatives appointed by the constituent district councils. I have no doubt that bus services in those areas as elsewhere will benefit considerably from the removal of restrictions under the provisions of the Transport Bill now before the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many users of bicycles have been either killed or injured on roads in each single year since 1979.

The figures are given in table 4 on page 53 of "Road Accidents Great Britain 1983", a copy of which is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what opportunity he is giving to British Broadcasting Corporation local radio to put up travel news signs similar to those erected for the Independent Broadcasting Authority on the M1.

Signs giving the wavelength of BBC Radio Sheffield have been erected on the northbound carriageways of the M1 and M18.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how much rent is charged to Radio Hallam for its advertising signs on the M1 north and south of Sheffield.

No rent is being charged for these signs whose purpose is to evaluate the role of the local radio station as a means of providing drivers with up-to-date travel information. The broadcasting authorities are, however, contributing to the costs of the experiments.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport why travel news and Radio Hallam signs are erected in immediate proximity to each other on the M1 with the same wavelengths; how many have been erected; and what is the cost of erection and maintenance.

The local radio signs on the M1 and M18 are part of an experiment to see how many drivers tune in to local stations for travel news and how useful they find the information.The signs are erected in pairs to make it easier for drivers to absorb the information.Eighteen Radio Hallam signs have been erected on the southbound carriageways of M1 and M18. The cost of their installation is estimated at £16,900. No costs are expected for the duration of the experiment.In addition, 16 BBC Radio Sheffield signs have been erected on the northbound carriageways of M1 and M18 at a cost of £15,100.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is his policy on advertising hoardings on the motorways.

Advertisement hoardings are not permitted on motorways as they would be a distraction for drivers, and a potential road safety hazard.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the future of the container terminal at Greenock and the north Atlantic service which operates from there.

No. These are matters respectively for the Clyde Port Authority, which operates the terminal, and the shipping company Hapag Lloyd, which operates the service.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has approved proposals to refurbish the royal train fleet; and if he will make a statement.

Most of the existing fleet is old and several vehicles contain asbestos. I have accordingly approved British Rail's proposal for a programme of modernisation. Eight vehicles will be converted from new or surplus rolling stock for use in the fleet and two new vehicles will be built from scratch. Four vehicles in the existing fleet will remain in service. The cost of about £7·5 million, spread over four years, will be met by a grant from my Department. The resulting royal train fleet will have a service life of at least 30 years.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve the north-south traffic routes in Wiltshire.

There are two trunk roads running roughly north-south through Wiltshire. We have a number of planned improvements on them both and these are listed below.

On the A36 trunk road—

• Warminster bypass—main programme 1985–87.
• Heytesbury bypass—reserve list 1985–87.
• Codford bypass—resrve list 1985–87.
• Steeple Langford bypass—reserve list 1985–87.
• Stapleford-South Newton bypass—reserve list 1985–87.

On the A419 trunk road—

Blunsdon-Cricklade dualling — main programme 1985–87.

A scheme for a bypass of Salisbury on the A36 trunk road was added to the trunk road programme last year.Beyond these all other north-south routes are the responsibility of Wiltshire county council.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of cormorants in Wales; and if their number is declining.

1,400 pairs. There has been no measurable change in recent years.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales in respect of paragraph 3(2) of Schedule 14 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (a) how many representations he has received asking for a direction to be given to a surveying authority to determine an application for a modification order, (b) how many directions he has issued, with, in each case, the number of weeks which elapsed between the receipt of the representation and the issuing of the direction, and the period allowed to the surveying authority to determine the application, (c) how many representations have resulted in a decision not to direct a surveying authority to determine an application, with, in each case, the number of weeks which elapsed between the receipt of the representation and the issuing of the decision and (d) how many representations are currently outstanding, with, in each case, the number of weeks which have elapsed since they were received by the Department.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales in respect of paragraph 4 of schedule 14 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981: (a) how many notices of appeal against decisions of surveying authorities not to make definitive map modification orders he has received, (b) where a decision has been made on appeal, if he will state in each case the nature of the decision, the direction, if any, given to the surveying authority, the number of weeks which elapsed between the receipt of the appeal and the issuing of the decision, and (c) how many appeals are currently outstanding, with, in each case, the number of weeks which have elapsed since they were received by the Department.

Three notices of appeal have been received. They have been with my Department for 66 weeks. 19 weeks and nine weeks, respectively. In the first of these cases all the necessary background information was not received until January this year. In the other cases such information is outstanding. No decisions have been issued to date.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to complete the holding of inquiries into objections to the draft revised definitive map for Clwyd and the subsequent issue decisions.

All nine inquiries have been held and final decisions have been issued in respect of one. Proposed decision letters have been issued in respect of six of the others and the remaining two are expected to issue during the summer. If hearings for persons who consider they may be adversely affected by the proposed decisions are required in every case, the process may not be completed until the latter half of 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements are in hand to ensure that his Department complies with the monitoring and positive action recommendations of the draft code of the Equal Opportunities Commission following the publication on 9 February 1984 of the programme of action on women in the Civil Service.

Existing joint management and trade union machinery is being used in my Department to take forward the recommendations in the programme of action on such matters as promotion, training and part-time working.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report a copy of his reply to the letter from the secretary of the Electricity Consultative Council for the south of Scotland district dated 25 February 1985.

My Department replied on 11 March as follows:

"Thank you for your letter of 25 February conveying your Council's views on the Government's proposals for Nationalised Industries Legislation. I have noted the Council's views, and they will be taken into account in the Government's consideration of the results of the consultation exercise. You mentioned in particular the possibility of further proposals about the operation of Nationalised Industry Consumer Councils and, as you are aware, a further consultation document has now been issued on that subject."

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) of all prisoners sentenced to the short sharp shock treatment, how many have subsequently been given other custodial sentences and how many have not;(2) how many prisoners have undergone sentences involving the short sharp shock treatment by institution, year and length of sentence since its inception;(3) how many prisoners sentenced to the short sharp shock treatment have previously been detained in other institutions by year and type of institution;(4) how many prisoners have been sentenced to the short sharp shock treatment on more than one occasior by year and institution.

The "short sharp shock treatment" is the colloquial phrase for the sentence of young offenders to detention in a detention centre, which was introduced by the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1949. The numbers of receptions to detention centres in Scotland since the first one opened in 1960 are as follows:

Year	Receptions
1960	175
1961	311
1962	317
1963	477
1964	613
1965	575
1966	723
1967	735
1968	825
1969	1,103
1970	1,132
1971	1,171
1972	1,083
1973	975
1974	963
1975	1,043
1976	837
1977	879
1978	919
1979	591
1980	834
1981	729
1982	862
1983	889
*1984	1,070
* January to August.

Under the terms of the 1949 Act, the term of detention during the years 1960–63 could not exceed three months. A breakdown of receptions by sentence length is available in the Scottish Home and Health Department's annual reports "Prisons in Scotland" published by HMSO for these years. Under the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1963—implemented on 1 November 1963—the sentence became a fixed term of three months. Since section 45 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980 was implemented

on 15 November 1963 sentences may vary, generally between 28 days and four months. For the period January to August 1984 the breakdown was as follows:

Length	Number
Under 28 days	*8
28 days	15
30 days	103
1 month	13
30–60 days	15
60 days	188
2 months	36
60–90 days	3
90 days	23
3 months	549
90–120 days	2
120 days	5
4 months	108
Over 4 months	†2
* These would be additional warrants served on an inmate already subject to a detention centre sentence.
† This is possible under the terms of section 207(7) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975.

Information on the previous custodial sentences served by inmates received at detention centres is available in "Prisons in Scotland" until 1982. This information has not been published since 1982 as it is based on the recollection of inmates on admission. The relevant figures since 1982 are as follows:

		Previous sentence(s) in
Year	DC receptions	DC	Borstal	YOI
1983	889	62	45	117
1984*	1,070	286	177	290
DC—Detention Centre.
YOI—Young Offenders Institution.
* January to August.

Breakdowns of this and the other information by institution are not available except at disproportionate cost. There are no official figures available on how many inmates released from detention centres have subsequently been given other custodial sentences.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many jobs in the public sector have been lost (a) in Scotland and (b) in the United Kingdom over the last 12 months as a result of the sale of Forestry Commission land.

The sale of land has not been a major factor in the reduction in the Forestry Commission's work force in recent years. Furthermore, no job losses in the last 12 months can be directly and solely attributed to such sales.

Unmeasured Water Supply Charges
	1984–85		1985–86
Water Authority	Standing charge £	Rate poundage pence per £ RV	Standing charge £	Rate poundage pence per £ RV
North West	13·00	11·00	14·50	12·70
Northumbrian	8·00	21·93	10·00	22·47
Severn-Trent	nil	15·40 to 19·30	nil	16·60 to 20·80
Yorkshire	5·00	24·50	6·0	26·90
Anglian RV up to

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current total acreage of forest estates held throughout Great Britain by the Forestry Commission; and what is the estimated value of these estates.

The area of woodland managed by the Forestry Commission at 31 March 1984—the latest date for which figures are available—was 909,959 hectares, valued at £1,220 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he is taking to ensure that sites of exceptional scenic or scientific interest that are on Forestry Commission land which has been sold or will be sold will be maintained.

When the Forestry Commission sells land which is covered by a statutory designation, such as a site of special scientific interest, the features of the land, including its trees, continue to enjoy the degree of protection afforded by such designation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he is taking to ensure public access to sites of exceptional scenic interest that are on Forestry Commission land which has been sold or is planned to be sold.

The extent to which the public visit a Forestry Commission site because of its scenic interest is taken into full account by the commission in selecting properties for sale. Public rights of way are not, of course, affected by a change of ownership. I am not aware of any site of exceptional scenic interest to which the public have been denied access following sale by the commission.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the proposed water charges for unmeasured water supply for 1985–86 for each water authority in England and Wales, and the percentage increase this represents against the 1984–85 level of charges.

Full details of the average increase in bills for water services provided by Water authorities in 1985–86 are not yet available. However, the following table compares the unmeasured water supply charges for 1984–85 with those for 1985–86.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which body should represent London in consultations about the possible holding of the Olympic Games there if Parliament agrees to the Government's proposals to abolish the Greater London council.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Dumfries (Sir H. Morro) on 25 February.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of rates set for the current year will be accounted for by expenditure on education.

Local authorities in England have budgeted to spend £10·1 billion on education in 1984–85. This represents 47 per cent. of all local authority net current expenditure. Rate income (net of domestic rate relief grant and rate rebates for the year) is estimated to be £11·1 billion.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met the British Medical Association; if the sponsorship of sporting events by tobacco companies was discussed; and if he will make a statement.

I last met the British Medical Association on 7 February. We discussed sports sponsorship by tobacco companies and the voluntary agreement between the industry and the Government which restricts it. I shall, of course, take the BMA's views into account in considering the voluntary agreement, which runs until at least 31 December 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make available sufficient resources to meet the obligations of compensation payments paid by the Nature Conservancy Council under management agreements in sites of special scientific interest in relation to past and future agreements.

The provision for the Nature Conservancy Council grant-in-aid for 1985–86 wilt be increased to £22·7 million, subject to the approval of Parliament. It is for the Nature Conservancy Council to decide how precisely to allocate the resources available to it, but adequate provision has been made for payments under management agreements. Requirements for future years will be considered in the light of the NCC's corporate plan.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the number of mortgage defaults in 1983 and the first half of 1984.

On the basis of English local authorities' returns, it is estimated that during the financial year 1983–84 the authorities repossessed about 840 dwellings which had been mortgaged to them, and at the end of the year about 14,500 mortgagors were in arrears for six months or more, including 4,600 who had bought council houses. Corresponding estimates of building societies for 1983 and the first half of 1984 appear in the Building Societies Association publication "Mortgage Repayment Difficulties", which is available in the Library.Information on county court action for mortgage possessions in England and Wales in 1983, is contained in table 11.10 of "Housing and Construction Statistics 1973–1983", which is also available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the Football League concerning the implications of the level of pool betting duty for expenditure on crowd safety improvements at football grounds.

None, save that the president of the Football League has copied to me his letter to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in support of a reduction in pools betting duty, but that letter does not examine the implications for expenditure on crowd safety improvements at football grounds.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now take steps to ensure that all those in receipt of invalidity benefit qualify for free prescriptions.

No. Over 20 per cent. of invalidity benefit recipients are already automatically exempt; and all the remainder can seek exemption, for example, on low income grounds. Those who do not qualify can purchase prepayment certificates if they need frequent or regular prescriptions.With over 72 per cent. of prescribed items going to those who are exempt and about 6 per cent. to holders of prepayment certificates, there is no need to add to the exempt categories.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is satisfied with the steps his Department is taking to reduce management costs.

Departmental running costs have been falling in real terms for several years. despite a substantial increase in work load, particularly in social security operations. In the Health Service, between 1980 and 1984, regional health authorities reduced percentage of their resources they spent on management by over 14 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proposals he has for easing the rule whereby persons pursuing a course of study for more than 21 hours a week are ineligible for benefit.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what current plans he has for privatising services controlled by his Department.

We are continuing to seek ways of extending competitive tendering in the Health Service and in our Department itself.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider changing the single payment regulations to allow payments to be made to offset funeral costs.

We have no plans to amend the regulations which already provide for payments to be made to those receiving supplementary benefit for essential funeral expenses.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give details of the publicity campaign to advise doctors and their patients on the operation of the limited list.

A leaflet is being prepared for issue to patients through general practitioners and pharmacists. We will be issuing a circular giving details of the implementation of the selected list to all doctors and pharmacists.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to announce the procedure and criteria for new drugs and existing drugs with new indications to be added to his limited list.

As soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to extend the limited list for prescribing to other categories of drugs.

We have no present plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what reaction he has received so far from interested parties concerning his announcement of the limited National Health Service drugs list.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement on the response from the medical profession to his revised limited list proposals.

Most patients, doctors and pharmacists have welcomed the expansion of the number of drugs on the selected list which was announced on 21 February. The British Medical Association and the pharmaceutical industry, however, continue to oppose the selected list as a policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further discussions he has had with the medical profession about arrangements to revise his proposed limited list of drugs, prescribable under the National Health Service; and if he will make a statement.

We have already announced that we intend to set up a professional committee to advise us on a continuing basis on the contents of the list. We hope to consult the medical and pharmaceutical professions about membership of this committee as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he is proposing in relation to the inspection and registration of homes for the elderly.

Regulations to improve and strengthen the powers of local authorities in carrying out their responsibilities for the registration and inspection of these homes were brought into force on 1 January 1985. The Department's social work service is carrying out a study which initially is designed to establish the cost to authorities of doing this work effectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received concerning the withdrawal of local authority sponsorship from elderly people already living in residential accommodation; and if he will make a statement.

We have received a few representations through the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and direct from organisations running homes. There is no legal obligation on local authorities to provide residential care for every person who needs it; in deciding priorities for available resources, they take account of other sources of funding, including supplementary benefit, available to those in need of such care. The desirability of sponsorship is a matter for the particular local authority to decide in an individual case.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the increase in demand for personal social services by the increasing number of very old people.

The Government have recognised that demographic changes nationally are placing pressures upon personal social services and have made allowance for this in the indicative expenditure figures for their service published in the 1985 public expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 9428).

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to make a statement on his proposals for legislation to introduce personal portable pensions.

Our personal pensions proposals are being developed in the context of the social security review. We hope to announce proposals for change following the review in the course of the next few months.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many staff of his Department are currently engaged in the social security review.

Many staff in the Department are engaged, directly or indirectly, in the work of the review. No central record is kept of the total number who are involved.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consultations he has had with the private sector pensions and insurance industry as part of the review of social security.

All the major representative bodies in the pensions and insurance industries were specifically invited to submit written evidence to the inquiry into provision for retirement. Most did so, as did many individual companies and people working in those industries. In addition, five representative bodies gave oral evidence at two public sessions each, and two individual companies each took part in one public session.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about the further progress of his social security review.

We are currently considering our conclusions and will announce our proposals as soon as possible.