asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what regulations are in force to control the introduction and use of Grass Carp; whether Grass Carp (Clenopharyngodon idellus), have been subject to his scientific department's attention before being released into British waters; if he will list the waters in which they have been introduced; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what estimate he has made of the amount which will fall to be paid to farmers seeking payments under the outgoers scheme under which agreement is secured that milk will not be produced; how many applications have been received for payments under this scheme; and what acreage and what number of cows he estimates will be affected by the applications likely to be approved;(2) if any record is maintained by his Department of the use to which farmers put land in respect of which payments have been made under the outgoers scheme relating to cessation of milk production; and if he will make a statement;(3) if any savings will be made in the expenditure of the common agricultural policy in circumstances where farmers compensated under the outgoers scheme relating to the cessation of milk production use the land in question for the production of beef; and if he will make a statement.

I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the percentage increase or decrease in the intervention stocks of the European Economic Community, both in public and private stores, over the past 12 months in the particular cases of cereals, butter, powdered milk, beef and sugar, respectively.

I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total sum expended by the European Economic Community in providing export rebates to subsidise the export of cereals, butter, powdered milk, beef and sugar, respectively, in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available; and by what percentage these totals exceed or were less than the comparable individual totals in the previous 12 months.

I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence he has received of attempts to transfer milk quotas by means of artificial land transactions; and if he will make a statement.

I have seen press reports of such transactions. I believe the incidence is in fact low, but any artificial transition would be open to challenge in the courts and if ruled illegal could result in heavy costs for those involved. I am arranging for transfers of quota to be monitored to ensure that the requirements of Community and United Kingdom legislation are being observed. In particular, checks will be carried out to ensure that where quota has been transferred in connection with a sale or lease of land, and the land is subsequently returned to the original occupier without the quota, there has been a change in the use of the land in the meantime. If there has been no such change, the quota will be transferred back to the holding from which it came. My Department issued guidance as to the circumstances in which quota can properly be transferred between producers in the paper "Mobility of Quota" issued in January. In order to establish that a change in use of the land has occurred a reasonable interval of time must elapse between the two transactions.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what contribution his Department is making towards National Bike Week in May.

The National Bike Week is an independently sponsored event. We have sent good wishes to the organisers for its success, and will continue to make good progress on cycling schemes in different parts of the country.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to the number of incidents in each of the last 25 years in which fishing vessels suffered damage, either to the vessel itself or to equipment, and where subsequent inquiries suggested that the damage may have resulted from the action of submarines; and if he will make a statement.

Information about the type of damage sustained by fishing vessels or their gear is not stored in the Department's casualty statistical data and could be extracted from such detailed records as now exist only with disproportionate staff effort and cost. The statistics published annually by the Department mentioned unusual causes of loss but there is no reference to any fishing vessel loss in this period which resulted from the action of submarines.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the outcome of the consultation he has recently undertaken with regard to local services signs for bypassed communities.

I am pleased to say that our proposals for new signs for local services in bypassed communities were generally welcomed by the organisations consulted. Consequently the new signs, which will have white lettering and symbols on a dark brown background and may also include a brief descriptive phrase to indicate the tourist attractions to the town or village, can now be used at places in England which meet the qulifying criteria. Until such time as the signs are prescribed in the traffic signs regulations and general directions they will require authorisation by my Department.

	Determined by Secretary of State				Determined by Inspectors
Year	Inquiries		Written representations		Inquiries incl. informal hearings		Written representations
		Per cent.		Per cent.		Per cent.		Per cent.
1979	861	9·6	642	7·2	1,739	19·5	5,692	63·7
1980	845	6·4	676	5·1	1,941	14·8	9,668	73·7
1981	919	6·4	867	6·0	1,994	13·8	10,671	73·8
1982	596	4·6	504	3·9	2,127	16·5	9,688	75·0
1983	370	3·3	279	2·5	1,887	16·9	8,629	77·3
1984	253	2·2	227	2·0	1,298	11·4	9,566	84·4

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if any public funds or European Economic Community loans and grants have been used for the construction of the Birmingham convention centre.

The costs incurred to date in preparing feasibility and other technical studies for an international convention centre in Birmingham have been met wholly from Birmingham city council's own resources.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ascertain why shooters' shot does less damage if ingested by swans than anglers split lead shot; whether his group of specialists from the Nature Conservancy Council and the national angling bodies will consider this in their report; and if he will make a statement.

Lead gunshot and anglers' split leadshot are equally toxic. However, post-mortem examinations of swans between 1973 and 1981 revealed that gunshot was present in less than 2 per cent. of cases, whereas anglers split leadshot was found in 58 per cent. of swans examined. Research since 1981 indicates similar results. Of 392 post-mortem examinations of swans where lead weights were identifiable to source, only 6 (1·5 per

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is yet about to announce the date of issue of a consultation document on the Government's private sector home improvement policy.

We are planning to publish the consultation document early next month.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to the answer to the hon. Member for Mid-Staffordshire on 1 April, Official Report, column 516, whether higher priority is given to determining appeals by public inquiry rather than by written representations.

No. The number and proportion of planning appeals determined after a public inquiry and by written representations between 1979 and 1984 is as follows:cent.) contained gunshot. I shall be considering very carefully indeed this whole question in the light of the Nature Conservancy Council's advice.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much additional money will be made available to finance his new joint action plan for the inner cities.

The city action teams will work within the existing policies and resources of the Departments of Environment, Trade and Industry and Employment/Manpower Services Commission, to enhance the effectiveness of Government programmes in the partnership areas. In 1984–85 £270 million was spent in these areas on the urban programme, the main employment and training schemes, and Government support to industry. In 1985–86 the areas will benefit from the expansion of MSC programmes announced in the budget, and from the extension of regional industrial assistance to the Partnership areas of Manchester/Salford and Birmingham. Details of the city action teams and the programmes with which they will be concerned are in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what contribution he is making to preparations for discussing environmental questions at the economic summit on 2 to 4 May.

Under the title "The Way Forward" I have today published the conclusions of an informal meeting I chaired in London on 17 December 1984 with Environment Ministers of Summit countries.We considered a wide range of international issues and put forward recommendations for future action. While we recognise the urgent priorities facing each of the nations represented, we also addressed a broader view of emerging environmental issues which are developing on a world scale and which can be expected to post problems over the next decades. With the recent disaster at Bhopal very much in our minds we were particularly concerned with the risks that can attend the transfer of technology or of hazardous chemicals to developing countries. We agreed also that as developed countries we need to intensify cooperation both bilaterally and in the various international bodies of which we are members, notably the OECD, if we are to solve the environmental problems confronting the world.I am confident that the conclusions of the meeting will be of wide interest to everyone who is concerned with deciding clear priorities for safeguarding our environment. Perhaps the most important single message is the emphasis that we placed on the indivisibility of environmental and economic policies."The Way Forward" will be presented to Heads of State or Government as background to their environmental discussions at the Bonn economic summit. A copy has been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the summary report of the independent review of Ordnance Survey trading accounts will be published.

In January last year my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment announced that the annual trading accounts for the Ordnance Survey, including statements on revenue and expenditure by main product groups, would be published, and the basis of these accounts would be independently reviewed by commercial accountants to ensure that there is no cross subsidisation of Ordnance Survey's commercial activities from its Exchequer Vote. Peat Marwick management consultants were appointed in June 1984 and they reported recently. An executive summary of their report has been placed in the Library today and copies are available from Ordnance Survey.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland on what date the Whitley Council received the appeal of Mr. Ronald Mackenzie against the decision of the Fife health board to terminate his contract of employment; when the Whitley Council appeals procedure will commence; and what is the reason for the delay in dealing with the appeal.

The management side secretary of the Scottish appeals committee of the general Whitley council has informed me that notice of the appeal was received on 18 February 1985 and that the submission of the statements of case by the respective sides to the appeal was completed on 25 March 1985. I understand that the statements of case raise the question of whether the appeal is within the competence of the Scottish appeals committee and this question is now the subject of correspondence between the management side secretary and the staff side secretary of the Whitley council concerned. If the question of appealability cannot be resolved between the two secretaries then, following the agreed Whitley procedures, it would be referred to the full council.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to draw to the attention of the Forestry Commission the presence of the east European elm bark beetle, Scolytus laevis, in southern Scotland and north-east England; what assessment he has made of the threat that this beetle poses to the population of Wych elms which had previously been little affected by Dutch elm disease and what measures he is taking to combat this.

The Forestry Commission is aware of all the current information on Scolytus laevis which is widespread in northern Britain and has probably been present for many years.Its potential role as a vector of Dutch elm disease is being investigated by entomologists at the University of Salford. The adult beetles hve been shown to carry the spores of the fungus causing Dutch elm disease to both English and Wych elm trees, but they seem to carry fewer spores than Scolytus scolytus, the larger species of bark beetle which was responsible for the rapid spread of the disease in the 1970s.Measures are taken under the Dutch Elm Disease (Local Authorities) order 1984 and the Dutch Elm Disease (Restriction on Movement of Elms) Order 1984 to combat the spread of the disease, but there are no known methods of controlling the beetle vectors.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details on the spending moratorium which has been placed on the Scottish tourist board in relation to tourism projects; and if he will make a statement.

The moratorium on grant approvals, which was imposed last October as a result of the exceptionally heavy demand for investment assistance from the Scottish tourist board during 1983–84, was lifted earlier this month. The board has now resumed exercise of its power to give selective financial assistance to tourist projects.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for initiatives in inner cities and areas of deprivation in Scotland similar to the initiative by the Secretary of State for the Environment in the inner cities in England.

In Scotland, the role assigned to the Scottish Development Agency in relation to economic and environmental action in areas of deprivation, together with the breadth of the responsibilities of the Secretary of State, make additional co-ordinating arrangements similar to those introduced in England unnecessary. My right hon. Friend and I however naturally keep in continuous touch with developments in England, in order to benefit from any lessons which may be derived from experience there.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will deposit in the Library all studies on areas of deprivation prepared by his Department from their evaluation of the 1981 census.

The only such report so far available is the paper "Areas of Special Need in Scotland", published by the Scottish Office Central Research Unit in October 1984, copies of which are in the Library. Any further reports will similarly be placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to initiate a review of the revaluation criteria for retail stores.

Local taxation paid by businesses—including retailers—is a subject included in the studies of the local government finance system announced last October, with which my hon. Friend the Minister for Home Affairs and the Environment is closely associated.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement about the White Paper, "Better Schools"; and what developments have taken place in this area since the statement of Government policy in 1972.

As "Better Schools" shows, since 1972 there have been substantial advances in the school system. For example, the overall pupil to teacher ratio in maintained primary and secondary schools in England and Wales has improved from 21·5 in 1972 to 17·9 in 1984; and school provision for the under-fives now extends to 43 per cent. of three and four-year-olds compared with 21 per cent. in 1972. But "Better Schools" also shows the need for further action to raise the standards attained by pupils. To this end, it sets out policies in four important areas: the curriculum; examinations, assessment and the recording of achievement; the professional effectiveness, training and management of the teaching force; and school government and the contribution of parents. I believe that the Government's policies will be welcomed by all who are genuinely concerned with improving the standards in our schools.

asked the Prime Minister, pursuant to her answer of 28 March, Official Report, column 293, about the press conference held in Lima by President Belaunde Terry on 2 May 1982, how many and what other reports of this press conference were received by Her Majesty's Government and at what time and what dates.

The timings of President Belaunde's press conference and of the despatch and receipt in London of Her Majesty's ambassador's report of it have been explained many times. I have nothing to add to the information I gave the hon. Gentleman in the answer to which he refers.

asked the Prime Minister if she will now set in motion actions to enable the franchise to be given to the people of Gibraltar for European parliamentary elections.

There are constitutional and practical difficulties in the way of direct Gibraltarian representation in the European Parliament, notably Gibraltar's status as a dependent territory. The issue has been carefully considered on a number of occasions but this Government, like their predecessors, take the view that Gibraltar's interests are well served by the present arrangements.

asked the Prime Minister how much was spent and how many people were employed on export promotion services by each of (a) the British Overseas Trade Board, (b) commercial attaches in United Kingdom embassies abroad, (c) the Export Credits Guarantee Department and (d) the Overseas Development Administration, in 1983–84 and 1984–85; what are the projected figures for 1985–86; how the relative priority accorded to these areas of expenditure is determined; and if she will make a statement.

Export promotion services, under the guidance of the British Overseas Trade Board, are provided by the Department of Trade and Industry. The information requested is set out in the following table. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not incur direct expenditure on export promotion services. The table shows the overseas commercial staff involved in the export promotion programme.The Export Credits Guarantee Department does not employ staff on export promotion services as such. However the entire Department has the statutory function of encouraging trade with other countries, which it does by giving guarantees of payment to exporters and by supporting the banks in making available finance for exports. The Overseas Development Administration has no export promotion services. However ODA staff work with the Department of Trade and Industry and the diplomatic service overseas posts in assisting United Kingdom firms to derive the maximum benefit from commercial opportunites under the aid programme. No separate expenditure or staff are allocated for this purpose. There is close consultation between my right hon. Friends and their respective Departments (the DTI and FCO) on the level and distribution of diplomatic service commercial staff overseas in relation to DTI manpower and direct expenditure on export promotion.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 23 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 April.

	Adult Males		Females		Males under 21		Total
	Met. Police	Other Forces	Met. Police	Other Forces	Met. Police	Other Forces
January
15/16	—	—	7	—	—	—	7
21/22	—	—	2	3	—	—	5
23/24	—	—	2	1	—	—	3
24/25	—	—	4	1	—	—	5
25/28	34	—	5	3	8	—	50
28/29	61	—	4	8	5	—	78
29/30	43	1	6	—	3	—	53
30/31	25	—	—	—	3	—	28
31/1	44	—	—	—	2	—	46
February
1/4	70	—	—	—	—	—	70
4/5	93	—	—	—	—	—	93
5/6	93	—	—	—	—	—	93
6/7	101	—	—	—	6	—	107
7/8	70	—	—	—	—	—	70
8/11	104	—	—	—	—	—	104
11/12	78	—	—	—	8	—	86
12/13	69	—	—	—	—	—	69
13/14	55	—	—	—	—`	—	55
14/15	47	—	—	—	3	—	50
15/18	134	—	—	—	—	—	134
18/19	227	32	—	—	1	—	260
19/20	174	22	—	1	—	—	197

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House I shall be having further meetings later today including one with President Rene of the Seychelles.

asked the Prime Minister if she has received any requests from individuals and groups not to release documents to the Australian Royal Commission; and if she will make a statement

No.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the progress made by the technology, growth and employment working group in considering the environmental matters referred to it by the London economic summit.

The technology, growth and employment working group, chaired by my Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Robin Nicholson, completed its report on the environment as requested by the end of December 1984. This report will be considered in the context of the economic summit to be held in Bonn this May, and I have today placed a copy of the report (Cmnd. 9500) in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of (a) men, (b) women and (c) juveniles in custody in police cells on each day in 1985 by location.

The available information is as follows: figures are not separately recorded for juveniles but I am not aware that there were any such cases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in Brixton have attempted to commit suicide in each of the last six years; how many attempts succeeded; and how many other deaths there were apart from those due to natural causes.

Inquest verdicts, other than natural causes were as follows:

Year	Suicide	Open Verdict
1979	4	0
1980	5	0
1981	3	0
1982	1	1
1983	4	2
1984	5	1
1985	0	0

Inquest verdicts on one death in 1984 and two in 1985 are still awaited. However we have no reason to believe that these were not due to natural causes.There were nine incidents of non-fatal self injury with apparent suicidal intent in 1983. Figures for other years are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to the annual cost of equipping police motorway patrol cars.

A total annual figure is not held centrally. The annual cost of equipping a single police motorway patrol vehicle is estimated to be between £850 and £2,200, including modification, installation and maintenance costs, depending on the type of vehicle and its intended use.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will now make a statement on the progress of work by his Department on the design of a new car pod system of equipping police cars;(2) what estimate he has made of the likely savings from equipping police cars with the car pod system.

Work on the development of a "carpod" or container which could be mounted on the roof of a vehicle and hold all its communications and electrical equipment has been under way for several years, but a prototype which meets the operational requirements cost-effectively has yet to be produced. Further work will be undertaken as resources permit. The use of a carpod should reduce the cost of equipping a police vehicle, but any such saving would be at least partially offset by the cost of the carpod itself as well as any consequent reduction in the petrol and speed efficiency of the vehicle.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will have discussions with chief constables concerning methods of protecting persons peacefully taking part in demonstrations from violent assault by gangs.

It is already the usual practice for the police to discuss with the organisers of a demonstration the plans for the event. If the organisers fear that an otherwise peaceful demonstration is likely to be violently disrupted, they can raise this with the police so that appropriate precautions can be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of men employed on mail-bag work in prisons in England and Wales on 31 March.

The most recent information relates to 30 November 1984, when 1,728 men were employed on mailbag production in prisons in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Thames valley police authority on the incident which took place at Greenham Common on Wednesday 10 April; and what was the number of people involved, the number injured and the number arrested.

The chief constable of Thames valley informs me that at 11.30 pm on 10 April two women were injured by two assailants outside RAF Greenham Common. No one has been arrested in connection with the incident but police inquiries are continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current limit on the level of minimum sale of units of alcoholic beverages before an off-licence is not required; if he has any plans to seek to increase this minimum limit; and if he will make a statement.

Standard industrial classification		Ec countries				Non-EC countries
		Import penetration (Per cent.)		Imports (£ million)		Import penetration (Per cent.)		Imports (£ million)
		1975	12 months ended June 1984	1975	12 months ended June 1984	1975	12 months ended June 1984	1975	12 months ended June 1984
431	Wool and Worsted	7	19	40	232	6	10	35	121
432	Cotton and Silk	14	36	126	669	27	31	235	587
433	Continuous filament yarn	12	47	12	66	6	9	5	12
434	Flax, hemp and ramie	15	43	4	24	3	15	1	8
435	Jute and polypropylene	1	4	1	4	18	24	12	23
436	Hosiery and other knitted goods	5	11	39	181	13	22	108	364
438	Carpets	7	21	28	168	6	9	26	75
439	Miscellaneous textiles	6	17	15	91	11	15	25	80
451	Footwear	12	24	62	314	12	23	65	287
453	Clothing	5	11	94	419	16	23	281	843

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what weight he gives to international comparisons in relative rates of productivity in determining the competitiveness of United Kingdom industry.

I assume that my hon. Friend's question relates to the application of the Licensing Act 1964 to the sale of alcohol by retail, and to the minimum quantities of alcohol that may be sold without a justices' licence. Under section 4(4) of the Alcoholic Liquor Duties Act 1979, selling by retail means the sale at any one time to any one person of quantities not exceeding:

in the case of spirits, wine or made-wine, 9 litres or 1 case, and in the case of beer or cider, 21 litres or 2 cases.

There are at present no plans to increase these limits.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps Her Majesty's Government take to monitor the activities of wholesalers of alcoholic beverages; and if he will make a statement.

No records are kept on the activities of wholesalers of alcoholic liquor.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what improved arrangements will be made at Winson Green prison, Birmingham, for solicitors to conduct private interviews with prisoners awaiting trial.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 March 1985, c. 281]: My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State has written to my hon. Friend today. I will arrange to place a copy of his reply in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for footwear, clothing and the principal divisions of the textile industry the ratio of imports to home demand in 1975 and at the latest available date for the EEC and non-EEC countries, together with the relevant import figures.

The information is given in the table:

International competitiveness depends on many factors such as productivity, labour costs, the price of raw materials, profit margins and exchange rate movements, as well as such non-price elements as delivery performance and after-sales service. All of these are important in determining the extent to which British producers can compete in world markets.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list in the Official Report the most recent figures for relative rates of productivity in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.

The information is as follows:

Changes in output per manhour in manufacturing industry in selected OECD countries
	Change between
	1980 and 1983	1983 and January–September 1984
	per cent.	per cent.
United Kingdom	+17	+3
United States of America	+10	+4
Canada	+6	+10
France	+14	+6
Federal Republic of Germany	+8	+3
Italy	+8	+5
Japan	+20	+7

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the implications of the declining export surplus of United Kingdom chemicals; and if he will allocate more Government resources to United Kingdom export promotion agencies in respect of this sector of industry.

From 1981 to 1983 there were successive small reductions in the substantial trade surplus of the United Kingdom chemical industry at current prices but this trend was reversed in 1984. The Department's export promotion services, under the guidance of the British Overseas Trade Board, are open equally to all manufacturing and services sectors. Where particular important export opportunities are identified, the Department and diplomatic service posts overseas work with the industry to help exploit them. The current programme for export of specialised chemicals to Latin America is a recent example.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for (a) the world and (b) the European Economic Community the amount of inward and outward investment in banking, insurance and so on for each year since 1972.

The available information is published in "Business Monitor MA4", table 3.3 in respect of outward investment and table 4.3 in respect of inward investment. The editions for 1975, 1980 and 1982 are relevant.Figures for banking, insurance and so on are included under "other activities".

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the value of articles of apparel and clothing accessories imported from Italy, Romania, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea, respectively, in 1983 and 1984.

The information is as follows:

UK imports of apparel and clothing accessories
	Value million (cif)
	1983	1984*
Italy	183	237
Romania	12	13
Taiwan	52	59
Hong Kong	354	468
South Korea	114	146

SOURCE: SITC/R2 Division 84 (Articles of apparel and clothing accessories) in Table II of the UK Overseas Trade Statistics.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals he has to make the double glazing provisions of BS 6262 mandatory; and if he will make a statement.

The Department is not satisfied the BS 6262 is adequate in all respects. This view is shared by the Department of Environment, which is responsible for the Building Regulations, and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. For example, the standard does not require safety glass to be used in large low level areas vulnerable to breakage by children. Officials from this Department and the Department of Environment are participating in the current review of the Standard in order to tighten up on these aspects.Once an acceptable standard is available, consideration will be given to the steps that are necessary to make sure that it is observed as widely as possible. As far as replacement glass and glazing sold to the public is concerned, it is likely that approval of the standard for the purposes of the general safety duty proposed in the White Paper on the Safety of Goods (Cmnd. 9302) will be sufficient. Approval under such a duty will, we believe, prove more flexible than regulations which tend to inhibit innovation.Whatever steps are taken, there will be no dramatic fall in the number of accidents. Any reduction will be gradual uptil the glazing in the present housing stock is replaced.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what is the average length of time taken by investigations leading to banning orders under the Estate Agents Act 1979;(2) how many banning orders have been made under the Estate Agents Act 1979 in each year since the Act came into effect.

These are matters for the Director General of Fair Trading. I have been in touch with him and he will write to the hon. Member shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is satisfied with the operation of the Estate Agents Act 1979.

Yes, but I will continue to keep a close watch on the working of the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now implement sections 16 and 17 of the Estate Agents Act 1979; and if he will make a statement.

No. I do not consider that there is any urgent need to implement these sections, but I will continue to keep the situation under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many export licences for works of art were granted in each of the last five years.

The number of licences issued in each of the last five years is as follows:

	Number
1980	3,691
1981	4,054
1982	4,055
1983	4,866
1984	6,298

	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985
Benelux	310	312	314	315	315	315	315
France	70	79	87	95	105	107	109
West Germany	48	70	95	107	120	122	124
Italy	47	53	60	67	68	70	72
Denmark	5	7	10	11	11	11	11
Republic of Ireland	2	3	3	4	4	4	4
Greece	—	—	11	12	12	12	12
United Kingdom	102	111	121	130	140	142	144

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the Romanian quota for exporting ladies' blouses, European Economic Community category 7, to each European Economic Community country in each year since 1979.

	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985
Benelux	3	3	4	5	20	21	22
France	373	375	376	377	397	399	401
West Germany	112	113	114	116	143	144	145
Italy	8	10	13	15	48	50	51
Denmark	17	18	18	18	23	23	23
Republic of Ireland	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Greece	—	—	5	6	7	7	7
United Kingdom	7	8	10	12	42	43	45

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the United Kingdom quota for importing ladies' dresses, European Economic Community category 26, from Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, India and the Philippines in each year since 1979.

The United Kingdom's quotas for ladies' dresses (MFA category 26) from Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, India and the Philippines in each year since 1979 are as follows (in '000s of pieces):

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make available additional resources for the promotion of exports of consumer durable goods.

My Department's export promotion services, under the guidance of the British Overseas Trade Board, are open equally to all manufacturing and services sectors. Where particularly important export opportunities are identified the Department, and the diplomatic service posts overseas, work with the industry to help exploit them. The task force for security equipment in France and Spain is a recent example.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the Romanian quota for exporting ladies' dresses, European Economic Community category 26, to each European Economic Community country in each year since 1979.

Romanian quotas for ladies' dresses (MFA category 26) to each member state in each year since 1979 are as follows (in '000s of pieces):

	Hong Kong	South Korea	Taiwan	India	Philippines
1979	7,708	3,172	269	11,246	489
1980	7,773	3,190	277	11,307	495
1981	7,836	3,208	285	11,366	501
1982	7,896	3,225	293	11,423	508
1983	7,312	2,950	271	11,584	580
1984	7,336	2,958	274	11,632	588
1985	7,358	2,968	277	11,679	596

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the United Kingdom quota for importing ladies' dresses, European Economic Community category 26, from Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, India and the Philippines in each year since 1979.

The United Kingdom's quotas for ladies' dresses (MFA category 26) from Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, India and the Philippines in each year since 1979 are as follows (in '000s of pieces):

	Hong Kong	South Korea	Taiwan	India	Philippines
1979	2,761	—	67	1,807	222
1980	2,802	—	82	1,833	234
1981	2,846	—	98	1,862	245
1982	2,888	430	113	1,890	256
1983	2,903	438	121	1,983	300
1984	2,919	446	129	2,014	309
1985	2,937	455	137	2,048	317

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has as to the value of articles of apparel and clothing accessories imported into the European Economic Community from Romania, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, India and the Philippines in each year since 1979.

Data for 1984 are not yet readily available. The data for the other years are in the table:

European Community imports of articles of apparel and clothing accessories*
US $ million
Imports from	Romania	Taiwan	Hong Kong	South Korea	India	Philippines
1979	292	329	1,769	820	344	136
1980	286	400	2,076	973	430	157
1981	236	433	1,895	1,106	419	158
1982	260	379	1,709	981	364	144
1983	239	353	1,549	872	273	121
* Standard International Trade Classification, Division 84.

Source: OECD.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the value of articles of apparel and clothing accessories imported into the United Kingdom from Romania, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, India and the Philippines in each year since 1979.

The information is as follows:

United Kingdom imports of apparel and clothing accessories
Value £ million (cif)
	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	*1984
Romania	11	9	10	12	12	13
Taiwan	30	31	46	49	52	59
Hong Kong	308	320	357	354	354	468
South Korea	95	89	146	131	114	146
India	43	42	47	45	43	69
Philippines	14	14	16	20	17	21
* Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has to the number of ladies' blouses, European Economic Community category 7, manufactured in the United Kingdom in each year since 1979.

United Kingdom production of ladies' blouses (MFA category 7) in each year since 1979 is as follows:

	Thousands of pieces
1979	30,221
1980	26,149
1981	24,313
1982	25,506
1983	26,483
1984	27,678

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has as to the number of ladies' dresses European Economic Community category 26, manufactured in the United Kingdom in each year since 1979.

United Kingdom production of ladies' dresses (MFA category 26) in each year since 1979 is as follows:

	Thousands of pieces
1979	44,014
1980	43,616
1981	39,405
1982	35,845
1983	34,671
1984	35,361

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what was the total value of United Kingdom exports to Romania in each year since 1979;(2) what was the total value of Romanian exports to the United Kingdom in each year since 1979.

The information is as follows:

United Kingdon trade with Romania 1979–84
£ million
	Imports cif	Exports fob
1979	66	70
1980	65	99
1981	47	150
1982	51	115
1983	59	82
1984*	226	72
* Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has as to which United Kingdom companies, or multi-national companies with United Kingdom bases, export currently to Romania.

Many leading United Kingdom companies, including subsidiaries of multinationals, export currently to Romania. The main sectors include aircraft parts, chemicals, power-generating machinery, scientific instruments, textile yarns and clothing. A representative cross-section of exporting companies (Shell, Rank Xerox, Ingersoll-Rand, Brittain Engineering, National Smokeless Fuels, Deeside International Trade) was present at the Anglo-Romanian joint commission held in London last week and several other leading exporting companies had individual meetings with the Romanian delegation.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received concerning the proposed takeover of Matthew Brown plc by Scottish and Newcastle Breweries.

[pursuant to the reply, 22 April 1985, c. 336]: In accordance with usual practice, details of representations regarding mergers are confidential. I am therefore unable to release any information about them.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the peat industry in the Province.

I regard the peat industry as having the potential to make an increasing contribution to the economy of the Province. The Local Enterprise Development Unit, has identified it as a sector for growth and has recently held a major exhibition to draw attention to the opportunities which exist for developing this natural resource. LEDU has in the past two years assisted over 20 projects involving the extraction and processing of peat and will continue to provide assistance to those with viable proposals to establish or expand such operations.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the impact of the Government's plan to encourage payment of social security benefits by automatic credit transfer rather than through local post offices in Northern Ireland; how many of those entitled to such payments in Northern Ireland have opted for automatic credit transfer; and what percentage this represents.

Since the introduction of the facility to pay retirement pensions, widows benefits and child benefit by automated credit transfer, 20,283 beneficiaries have opted for payment by this method; this represents 4.7 per cent. of those entitled to such payments.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether the staff in the local offices of his Department in Knowsley are advising young people to leave home to find work.

Where a suitable specific job opportunity exists beyond daily travelling distance, jobcentre staff in offices serving the Knowsley area may advise a young person to consider the possibility of a move away from home to take it. This accords with practice throughout the employment service.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of economically active women between the ages of 16 and 60 years are in work (a) full-time and (b) part-time for each region of the United Kingdom.

The latest available information is from the 1983 Labour Force Survey, as follows:

Percentage of economically active women aged 16–59 years
	In full-time employment	In part-time employment	*All in employment
United Kingdom	51·0	37·2	88·9
North	47·1	40·0	87·5
Yorkshire & Humberside	46·8	40·9	88·5
East Midlands	51·0	38·2	89·8
East Anglia	46·7	42·6	89·7
South East	54·5	35·5	90·8
South West	48·5	41·1	90·5
West Midlands	48·7	37·4	86·9
North West	49·5	37·1	87·4
Wales	50·3	35·9	87·4
Scotland	51·9	34·3	86·9
Northern Ireland	55·9	30·1	86·3
* Includes those with hours of work not stated.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are available for work in the Leicester travel-to-work area at the latest date for which figures are available; and how this compares with the figures for the same geographical area one, two and three years previously.

The following information is in the Library. The number of unemployed claimants in the Leicester travel-to-work area in March 1985 was 27,897 and in March 1984 27,410. Figures for the same geographical area for March 1983 and March 1982 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to review the decision that persons not in receipt of state benefits should have a low priority for participation in the community programme.

I keep under close review the characteristics of those entering and participating in the community programme but I have no plans to change the present eligibility criteria.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has concerning the numbers of individuals who would otherwise be entitled to participate in the community programme, but who are prevented from doing so because they are not in receipt of state benefits.

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Huddersfield (Mr. Sheerman) on 9 November 1984 at columns 27–28.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give a breakdown by region of the numbers of individuals currently taking part in the community programme who were formerly in receipt of supplementary benefit; and in each case what percentage of the total regional participants in the programme this figure represents.

I regret that the information is not available in the precise form requested. Information on the percentage of entrants in each region who were previously in receipt of unemployment or supplementary benefit is set out in the table:

Region	Percentage of entrants in receipt of benefit in last 12 months to 29 March 1985 Per cent.
London	87·9
South East	88·4
South West	92·9
Midlands	92·2
Wales	93·6
North West	91·4
Scotland	91·4
Northern	89·9
Y/H	91·0
Great Britain	91·0

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give a breakdown by region of the numbers of males and females currently taking part in the community programme.

I regret that the information is not available in the precise form requested. Information on the percentages of males and females entering the programme in each region is set out in the table:

Percentage of males and females entering the programme in the last 12 months to 29 March 1985
Region	Males per cent.	Females per cent.
London	69·4	30·6
South East	74·0	26·0
South West	78·9	31·1
Midlands	78·6	21·4
Wales	83·3	16·7
North West	77·8	22·2
Scotland	79·3	20·7
Northern	77·4	22·6
Y/H	77·1	22·9
Great Britain	77·4	22·6