asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide a table for each district in Wales showing (a) the number of applications to buy public sector housing and (b) the number of sales of public sector housing from May 1979 to the latest available date.

The information requested is given in the following table for local authorities and new towns. An additional 1,758 dwellings, which cannot be related to applications or broken down by local authority, have been sold by housing associations.

	Local authority and new towns applications May 1979 -December 1984*	Sales May 1979 December 1984*
Alyn and Deeside	951	894
Colwyn	373	391
Delyn	1,014	1,193
Glyndwr	1,145	681
Rhuddlan	773	441
Wrexham Maelor	2,861	1,287
Carmarthen	451	728
Ceredigion	1,123	765
Dinefwr	645	366
Llanelli	2,945	1,841
Preseli	1,695	1,144
South Pembrokeshire	626	492
Blaenau Gwent	1,751	902
Islwyn	3,148	2,190
Monmouth	1,303	1,207
Newport	2,831	2,022
Torfaen	3,127	1,643
Aberconwy	1,453	902
Arfon	1,186	721
Dwyfor	335	216
Meirionnydd	731	495
Ynys Mon	1,094	675
Cynon Valley	1,227	744
Merthyr Tydfil	1,620	943
Ogwr	3,547	2,139
Rhondda	535	244
Rhymney Valley	3,164	1,925
Taff-Ely	2,681	1,621
Brecknock	1,312	751
Montgomery	1,261	795
Radnor	640	340
Cardiff	5,472	3,276
Vale of Glamorgan	1,940	1,834
Afan	2,401	1,595
Lliw Valley	1,612	903
Neath	1,755	1,185
Swansea	2,486	1,216
Wales Total	63,214	40,707
Cwmbran	†3,485	2,301
Newtown	†194	73
Wales total including new towns	66,893	43,081

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why female inmates at Pucklechurch remand centre have been forcibly stripped by male prison officers.

I understand that, because of the few female staff available at night, male staff at Pucklechurch have assisted in restraining a disturbed female prisoner while she was stripped and placed in protective clothing by female staff. We regret this and my right hon. and learned Friend has instructed that arrangements should be made to ensure that it does not happen again.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average period of custodial remand for persons charged with terrorist-type offences whose trials were completed, or for which charges were dropped, in each of the years 1983 and 1984.

The only information which is readily available relates to prisoners who are currently in prison custody in England and Wales and in category A. It does not cover persons who were acquitted or against whom charges were dropped, nor those who have been released or downgraded to a lower security category.In 1983, five prisoners currently held in category A were convicted of terrorist-type offences. To the nearest week, three (who were co-defendants) spent 39 weeks on remand, one spent 69 weeks and one 45 weeks.There are no prisoners currently held in category A who were convicted of terrorist-type offences in 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of new personal social services applications under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 for each year from 1979 to 1983.

I regret that information relating to years before 1983 is not readily available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total amount spent on personal social services under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 since the criteria were revised in 1983, expressed in terms of 1979 prices.

In 1979 prices grant claimed in 1983–84, representing 75 per cent. of eligible expenditure on personal social services, totalled £1,274,250, subject to audit and final acceptance of claims by the Home Office.Figures for the financial year 1984–85 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Horne Department what was the total amount allocated in grants under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 since the criteria were changed in 1983, expressed in terms of 1979 prices.

In 1979 prices the total grant claimed by local authorities is as follows. Claims are subject to audit and final scrutiny by the Home Office.

	£
1983–84	51,861,000
1984–85	46,591,500

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total amount spent on personal social services under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 in each of the years from 1979 to 1983 expressed in terms of 1979 prices.

In the 1979 prices, grant claimed by local authorities in respect of personal social services, representing 75 per cent. of eligible expenditure, is as follows:

	£
1979–80	589,500
1980–81	729,750
1981–82	749,250
1982–83	966,750

Certain claims are subject to audit and to acceptance by the Home Office.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the separate totals of money allocated under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 for each of the years from 1979 to 1983, expressed in terms of 1979 prices.

The total grant claimed by local authorities in 1979 prices in respect of the relevant years is as follows. Final settlements may differ slightly from amounts claimed following audit and Home Office scrutiny of claims.

	£
1979–80	34,588,500
1980–81	38,639,250
1981–82	41,703,750
1982–83	47,212,500

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the local authorities which have applied for money under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 together with the number of applications for each authority for each year from 1979 to 1983.

The following table lists local authorities which received grant in the relevant period. Grant is not time limited and local authorities will have received payment in respect of posts approved before 1979 as well as on new posts approved between 1979 and 1983. Details of new applications made by each local authority between 1979 and 1983 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Local authorities which received grant under section 11 in the financial years 1978–79—1983–84
Avon	Bedfordshire
Aylesbury Vale	Berkshire
Barking	Birmingham
Barnet	Blackburn

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total number of new personal social services applications under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 since the criteria were revised in 1983.

Sixty-three.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the costs to the Metropolitan police of deploying police officers away from their duties in suburban areas for the purpose of policing marches and demonstrations in central London over each of the past five years.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that information is not maintained in a form which would enable such an assessment to be made. It is, however, the commissioner's policy to ensure, whenever possible, that aid from the divisions for such purposes is provided within officers' normal tours of duty so as to minimise overtime, which normally represents the major element in any additional costs of policing marches and demonstrations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours of police overtime the Metropolitan police were required to work for the purpose of policing marches and demonstrations in central London in each of the years since 1980.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the total amount (a) invoiced for and (b) received by the Metropolitan police for police services from (i) sporting events, excluding football, (ii) private companies, (iii) nationalised industries and (iv) ceremonial events for each of the past three complete financial years;(2) what was the total amount received by the Metropolitan police in each of the past five years for policing services other than from statutory funding sources.

I shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice he has given to the Metropolitan police as to their present relationship with local authority police units; and whether this includes advising local police commanders to refuse precise information in regard to police matters when such information is requested by London borough councils.

My right hon. and learned Friend has given no specific guidance on this matter. It is the policy of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to meet reasonable requests for information from local authorities, as from any other body or individual, unless there are good operational or other reasons not to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider ways of establishing a close relationship between the Metropolitan police and the London borough of Haringey police subcommittee; and if he will set down guidelines for the future development of local authority police units.

No, but we hope that all borough and district councils in the Metropolitan police district will participate in arrangements made under section 106 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 for consultation between the police and the community. My right hon. and learned Friend issued guidance on these arrangements on 25 January, which made it clear that councillors should be part of the consultative process. I regret such arrangements do not yet exist in Haringey because the borough council has so far refused to take part.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further consideration he has given to the creation of a directly-elected police authority for Greater London.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the establishment of the Cheshire police force on 31 March; what was the actual strength on that date; to what factors he ascribes the difference between the two figures; and if he will make a statement.

The authorised establishment of the Cheshire constabulary is 1,845, an increase of 40 since May 1979. The strength of the force was 1,799 on 31 March 1985. Police manpower levels fluctuate from month to month because of different recruiting and wastage patterns, seasonal changes and other local reasons. I understand that the force is in the process of recruiting more officers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he is planning to publish the supplementary White Paper containing the Government's further plans for new legislation to replace the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876.

The new White Paper "Scientific Procedures on Living Animals" is published today (Cmnd. 9521).

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland what recent advice the Lord Advocate has given the procurator fiscal in Kilmarnock about the implementation of the policy of non-harassment of travelling families.

All procurators fiscal, including the procurator fiscal at Kilmarnock, have recently been advised of the modification to the policy of non-harassment of travelling people which took effect on 1 April 1985 and which linked toleration of unlawful encampment to achievement by local authorities of provision of pitch targets.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland how many prosecutions have been taken or are pending against Yuill and Dodds for road traffic offences in relation to the transport of coal.

It is not the usual practice of the Crown to disclose information which would be tantamount to revealing previous convictions recorded against a particular individual or company. As regards pending prosecutions, this information is regarded as confidential until such time as a complaint calls in court. There are no prosecutions against the firm of Yuill and Dodds currently before the courts in central Scotland.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland what plans he has to meet the chairman of the Scottish Law Commission to discuss its current recommendations.

I have no plans at the moment for such a meeting, but my noble and learned Friend, the Lord Advocate, and I have meetings, formal and informal, from time to time with the commission to discuss various issues of mutual interest.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland how many prosecutions took place in 1984 of drivers whose cars held an invalid Department of Transport test certificate.

Statistics showing the number of persons proceeded against for contraventions of section 44(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1972 are not kept seperately. The only available figures combine contraventions of section 44 and section 46.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in which product categories and on how many occasions multi-fibre arrangement supplier countries increased the utilisation of their quotas by 10 per cent. or more of their quotas in 1984 compared with 1983.

Multi-fibre arrangement quota utilisation increased by 10 per cent. or more in 1984 compared with 1983 in respect of 92 quotas. The following table gives details of the relevant countries and categories:

Supplier Country	Category
Brazil	9
Bulgaria	8
China	2, 4, 10, 12, 37
Czechoslovakia	3, 8, 13, 14B, 39, 100, 117
Egypt	2, 20
Hong Kong	10, 16, 24, 29, 71, 72, 76B, 82
Hungary	3, 6, 8, 20, 24, 67, 73
India	2, 6, 8, 17, 19, 20, 26
Indonesia	6
	14A, 15A, 15B, 22, 26, 27, 29, 30A, 80, 83,
Korea (republic of)	111
Macao	26, 71, 74, 81
Mexico	1
Pakistan	4, 9
Peru	2
Poland	2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 15, 17, 24, 32, 38A
Romania	2, 4, 6, 8, 15B, 16, 20, 26, 37, 119
Sri Lanka	6
Thailand	2+3, 8, 21, ex24, 74A
Yugoslavia	3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 73

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies went into voluntary liquidation (a) because they had ceased trading and (b) because they had been purchased as off the shelf and were no longer required, for each year since 1979 to the latest available date.

The total number of companies in Great Britain which notified their voluntary liquidation in each year was as follows:

Year
1979	6,899
1980	8,411
1981	9,991
1982	12,809
1983	12,908
1984	12,718

No records are maintained to identify the reasons for such liquidations.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies were compulsorily wound up for reasons of non-compliance with statutory documentation for each year since 1979 to the latest available date.

None. A significant number of companies were removed from the register in each year, however, under the provisions of section 353 of the Companies Act 1948^*, where the registrar had reason to believe that they were no longer in business or in operation; such action normally follows failure by the companies concerned to respond to reminder letters in respect of outstanding statutory documents. The numbers struck-off on this basis in each year for Great Britain are as follows:

Year
1979	18,734
1980	21,135
1981	23,245
1982	47,861
1983	35,172
1984	44,451
* now sections 652 and 653 of the Companies Act 1985

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the increase in directors' fees and other emoluments in the latest year for which figures are available compared to 1979.

Figures on this subject are not immediately available from my Department's regular analyses of company accounts, but I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the contracts, with the subject of assignment, awarded to management consultancy firms by his Department in 1984, with the name of the consultants concerned.

The following is the list for the 1984 calendar year:

Consultancy Firm	Contract
Aregon International Limited	Software Engineering
Aspect Advertising Limited	Awareness of Assistance in Relation to Invisible Exports
British Consulting Engineers (China) Limited	Advice on Power Station Project

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he proposes to attach any conditions to the contract for the sale of Hall Russell Shipbuilders, Aberdeen, restricting the ability of the new owners to tender for commercial ship contracts for a specific period.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the criteria governing eligibility for assistance under the shipbuilding intervention fund; and whether there are any differences in the application of the criteria as between British Shipbuilders and other companies.

Intervention fund support is a form of selective financial assistance paid under the provisions of sections 7 and 8 of the Industrial Development Act 1982, and the terms and conditions of the regime are subject to approval by the European Commission within the framework of the EC fifth directive on aid to shipbuilding (81/363/EEC). Each case, public or private, is considered on its merits within this context. The last tranche of intervention fund support approved by the Commission was terminated in June 1984 and negotiations with the European Commission on the terms and conditions of a further tranche are currently in train.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to improve trade with the countries in membership of the Association of South East Asian Nations; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 29 April 1985, c. 55]: My Department and the South-East Asia trade advisory group of the British Overseas Trade Board, on the basis of regular assessment, regard the Asean region as one of the most promising areas for trade in the world and give every encouragement to British exporters to explore the opportunities offered by the markets of those countries. I plan to visit a number of Asean countries, accompanied by a group of business men, starting on 20 June.The wide range of services provided by the British Overseas Trade Board is available to British companies and these are being extensively used.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the reason for the reduction in the traditional urban programme financial allocation to Southwark under circular 25 compared with circular 24.

The London borough of Southwark's financial allocation under traditional urban programme circular 25 reflects the process of concentrating those resources available nationally on the most worthwhile projects in the most deprived areas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what new arrangements have been introduced in the Property Services Agency for the central monitoring of value for money;(2) when the three-tier system of management of the United Kingdom territorial organisation of the Property Services Agency will be replaced by a two-tier system as recommended by the Comptroller and Auditor General;(3) whether the Property Services Agency has yet prepared its remedial plan of action, including timetables, in response to the Comptroller and Auditor General's report and the 30th report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Property Services Agency;(4) when he expects the Property Services Agency's analysis of the results of management review techniques for assessment of maintenance performance to be published;(5) when he expects the Property Services Agency's guidelines for standard criteria for determining maintenance priorities to be published;(6) whether he is satisfied that the Property Services Agency's basic records are complete;(7) whether the Property Services Agency has now completed its uniform arrangements for the central monitoring of value for money in line with its statement to the Public Accounts Committee;(8) whether any new arrangements for the central monitoring of value for money in the Property Services Agency have been introduced since 1 April.

My hon. Friend's questions relate to recommendations in the 30th report of the Committee of Public Accounts on the Property Services Agency's building maintenance expenditure published in July 1984.The PAC has subsequently taken evidence from the PSA about progress in implementing its recommendations, and, as part of this, a written memorandum was supplied to the Committee earlier this year, which included a copy of the PSA's action plan on building maintenance. The Committee will be publishing in due course its conclusions and the evidence taken from the PSA. Since the latter will cover not only my hon. Friend's questions but the maintenance issues raised in the original report by the Comptroller and Auditor General and the 1984 PAC report, I hope that he will be prepared to wait until it is available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many contractors have been removed, permanently or temporarily, from the approved list of Property Services Agency contractors since August 1983 for reasons other than their conviction for a criminal offence.

Thirty nine. Two of these firms have subsequently been re-admitted to the approved list following the completion of a 12-month period of suspension.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many contractors on the approved list of contractors have been found to have overcharged the Property Services Agency during the last financial year.

Ten.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will name those contractors who have been found to have overcharged the Property Services Agency since August 1983 but who have been retained on the Property Services Agency list of approved contractors.

Since August 1983, 16 firms on the agency's approved list have been found to have overcharged the Property Services Agency. Eight of these firms are still banned from receiving further work from the PSA and two have recently been reinstated to the approved list. The circumstances of the other six cases did not justify removal from the approved list. For legal and commercial reasons, I am not prepared to name the firms concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many nominated quantity surveyors have been dismissed by the Property Services Agency since August 1983.

Since August 1983, 19 firms providing nominated quantity surveying services have been banned from receiving further Property Services Agency work, mainly because of poor performance. The bans cover periods ranging from one to five years. Nine of the firms have since been reinstated.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the present total estimated value of unpriced work for measured term contracts in the Property Services Agency up to the present date.

On 31 March 1985 the value of completed work awaiting the clearance of final accounts was £115 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the number of council and development corporation houses sold in the Basildon district council area in each of the last six years from May 1979 to May 1985; and if he will make a statement;

Dwelling sales in the years 1980–81 to 1983–84 reported by Basildon district council and development corporation appear in issues 62, 63, 67 and 71, respectively, of "Local Housing Statistics": copies are avilable in the Library. Basildon district council reported selling 28 dwellings in 1979–80 and 127 in April to December 1984. Basildon development corporation sold 762 dwellings in May 1979 to March 1980 and 422 in April to December 1984.Estimates of the dwelling sales, right to buy and voluntary, by local authorities and new towns in England are as follows:

	Local authorities	New towns
1979–80	53,500	1,900
1980–81	68,200	3,300
1981–82	128,200	3,900
1982–83	181,200	4,300
1983–84	126,200	4,000
1984*	66,100	3,000
* April to December.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the studies commissioned by his Department, or otherwise available to him, regarding the relative incidence of a poll tax on taxpayers in different income brackets.

The only substantive published material of the relative incidence of a poll tax is in the 1981 Green Paper on "Alternatives to Domestic Rates", Cmnd. 8449.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether legislation is to be introduced to amend case 11 of schedule 15 to the Rent Act 1977 in the light of the decision in the Court of Appeal on the case of Pocock v. Steel.

The Government have considered carefully the implications for landlords using case 11 of the Court of Appeal's decision, which has overturned the widely accepted view of the effect of the case. We have decided that the legislation should be amended.The main effects that amending legislation should have are, first, to enable landlords to use case 11 in respect of a letting of a dwelling which they have occupied at any time hi the past; and secondly, to restore to owners with existing case 11 lettings the right to use that case to regain possession of their homes, provided that they can satisfy the requirements of the case as amended. There would also need to be certain transitional provisions.My hon. Friend the Member for Hampshire, East (Mr. Mates), obtained leave on 14 May to introduce a Bill which would have these effects. The Bill is being published today and will have the Government's support.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what restrictions exist on the use of organochlorines in houses and in house construction in European Community countries.

[pursuant to his reply, 2 May 1985, c. 185]: The term organochlorines encompasses a wide range of pesticides, disinfectants and solvents, some of which are used in the protection of building materials and in eradicating pests in houses. Most European Community countries regulate the use of organochlorine substances as pesticides either by permitting certain uses or by banning certain uses: the approach adopted varies according to the particular legal system. I am advised that the use of DDT, aldrin, dieldrin and endrin in houses and in some products used in house construction is banned or severely restricted in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland and the United Kingdom. The use of lindane in these countries is generally less severely restricted. The use of chlorophenols, which are less persistent, is severely restricted in Denmark and in Germany. In the United Kingdom, the level of contaminants in chlorophenols used in wood preservatives is closely controlled through the pesticides safety precautions scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average increase in rates for each local authority in England; and if he will publish a table.

[pursuant to his reply, 7 May 1985, c. 304]: I have today placed in the Library a list of increases in rate/precept poundage in April 1985 for each local authority for which information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average increase in the rate poundage in each local authority in England of (a) domestic ratepayers, (b) commercial ratepayers and (c) industrial ratepayers, and if he will publish a table or tables.

[pursuant to his reply, 7 May 1985, c. 304]: I have today placed in the Library the increases in rate poundage in April 1985 for each rating authority for which information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department will provide funds to Frenchay hospital in Bristol to accelerate the development of the techniques being developed there to replace the use of animals for practising microsurgical techniques.

The Department's responsibilities for the support of publicly funded biomedical research are discharged by the Medical Research Council (MRC), which receives an annual grant-in-aid from the science budget, and by the universities, which receive block grants for teaching and research allocated on the advice of the Unversity Grants Committee. It is for the MRC and the universities to decide their respective scientific priorities within the resources allocated to them; this includes decisions on whether to give additional support to work already being supported by other bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to complete the current review of teachers' representation on the Burnham Committee.

I aim to complete the review before the end of this calendar year.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his reply of 30 April, Official Report, column 108, whether he will outline the selection procedure for the 15 per cent. of ex-trainees who are contacted to provide statistics of post-youth training scheme employment rates; whether he will list, by type of work undertaken whilst on youth training schemes, those contacted who comprised this 15 per cent. for each of the last 12 months; and whether he will further list the types of work undertaken whilst on youth training schemes by the 85 per cent. of ex-trainees not contacted for the compilation of the post-youth training scheme employment statistics for each of the last 12 months.

The 15 per cent. sample for the survey of young people who have left the youth training, scheme is selected on a random basis. This ensures that the sample reflects all the types of scheme, and industrial sectors and occupational groups, experienced by young people on the youth training scheme as a whole, as well as the balance of provision between the modes and the range of trainees taking part in the scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to seek to repeal section 119A of the Factories Act 1961 relating to notification to the careers service when an employer takes into employment a young person aged 18 years or under; and if he will make a statement.

I have asked the Health and Safety Commission for advice about the need in present-day conditions for section 119A of the Factories Act. I await its response.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is satisfied with the procedures for removing firms registered on the Shield computer system which have closed down; and what steps are taken to ensure that totals recorded remain accurate.

I am satisfied that the records of the Shield register on the Health and Safety Executive's computer are changed when up-to-date information, which has been checked as accurate, becomes available. Labels are no longer used for recording information.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list as at 1 April 1985 and for previous years where figures are available the number of establishments registered on the Shield computer system where the Factory Inspectorate is responsible for enforcing the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act; if he will break the figures down by area office and are a industry group; and if he will seek to ensure that in all future annual reports of the Health and Safety Executive this information is included in a statistical appendix together with the approximate number of employed in total in such establishments.

On 30 April 1985 the total number of establishments allocated on the Health and Safety Executive's Shield computer system to the Factory Inspectorate was 393,675. This compares with 393,237 on 31 December 1983, 322,233 on 31 December 1982 and 260,653 on 31 December 1981. The breakdown by areas on 30 April 1985 was:

	Establishments
South West	20,803
South	27,145
South East	24,788
London (formerly three areas and being reorganised into two at the time) (total)	52,414
East Anglia	20,242
Northern Home Counties	17,670
East Midlands	18,414
West Midlands	19,091
Wales	18,258
North Midlands	15,521
South Yorkshire and Humberside	16,766
West and North Yorkshire	21,652
Greater Manchester	15,850
Merseyside	15,429
Marches	15,569
North West	17,774
North East	16,025
Scotland East	19,888
Scotland West	20,376

A further breakdown by industry groups within areas could not be provided except at disproportionate cost.The information held on Shield as to the number employed at each establishment is intended as a guide to inspectors, and may be several years out of date, depending on when the last visit took place. Totals would therefore not be meaningful.HSE already publishes a large amount of statistical information in its various annual reports, but a tabulation of this kind is not felt to be of sufficiently general interest to be included.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current level of outstanding fees owed by private firms to the Employment Medical Advisory Service for medical examination undertaken; and whether he is satisfied with the procedures and sanctions for collection, enforcement and payment of such fees.

On 31 March 1985, £29,888 had been outstanding for more than three months in respect of medical examinations carried out by the Employment Medical Advisory Service.A new computerised accounting system, introduced by the Health and Safety Executive on 1 April, will enable the arrangements for the collection of outstanding debts to be improved.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he received the report entitled "Pay and Employment in Four Retail Trades", commissioned from the department of applied economics, Cambridge university.

The final version of this report was received in November 1984. It was then the subject of further discussion with the researchers on points of technical and statistical detail until February this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the statistical evidence concerning the impact on employment of the possible abolition of wages councils adduced by those individuals and organisations which have made representations advocating abolition of wages councils following the publication of the consultative document on the subject.

No. Decisions on what, if anything, to publish as a result of this consultation exercise can only be taken after 31 May.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many cases of the use of illegal child labour by milk roundsmen have been brought to his attention; and what action he has taken as a result.

[pursuant to his reply, 7 May 1985, c. 363–64]: None. Individual cases of illegal child employment by milk roundsmen are a matter for the appropriate enforcing authorities in England, Wales and Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further approach to the South African authorities to seek to secure the release of Namibian political prisoners and detainees.

We have consistently made clear to the South African authorities our concern over all human rights abuses in Namibia, including the practice of arbitrary arrest and detention without trial. We shall continue to do so whenever we consider this would be appropriate and effective.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to meet his counterparts in the Association of South East Asian Nations; and if he will seek closer ties and regular meetings with them.

My right hon. and learned Friend attaches importance to maintaining close contact with his counterparts in the Association of South East Asian Nations. They meet regularly at EC-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meetings and bilaterally whenever mutually convenient. My right hon. and learned Friend is always pleased to see ASEAN Foreign Ministers when they are in London and recently received the Thai Foreign Minister.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government consult their North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation itself before deciding upon their voting position at the United Nations on all disarmament resolutions; and if he will make a statement.

Although the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is not represented as a formal group within the United Nations system, delegations of its member states consult closely in the margins of most United Nations disarmament meetings, especially on those arms control and disarmament resolutions which have implications for our common security.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will issue a general instruction to end the present practice of re-cycling 50 per cent. extracted polluted air through the air conditioning system supplying the Upper Committee Floor (South) windowless offices; and if he will arrange to have the stagnant humidity wells within the ducting drained of their water.

I am informed that the roof-lit offices on the Upper Committee Floor (South) are ventilated with a mixture of 75 per cent. fresh air and 25 per cent. recirculated air. Air is recirculated as an energy conservation measure. The amount recirculated is calculated on the volume of fresh air needed for the various room sizes and the numbers of occupants, which is in accordance with the health and safety regulations.All supply air is filtered and the relative humidity is controlled by means of steam jets. The humidity wells which once formed part of the system are no longer used and have had permanent drains installed to ensure that stagnant water does not accumulate within them.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a figure for the shift in the burden of rates in Scotland to small shopkeepers.

Small shops cannot be distinguished as a separate category of rateable premises in the information available to me, but the burden of rates on small shopkeepers and others whose valuations have been very steeply increased this year will be lessened by the measures my right hon. Friend will put before the House in accordance with the statement he made yesterday.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland which authorities he intends to take selective action against in Scotland, with a view to reducing rate levels.

My right hon. Friend hopes to announce his decision shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has had from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities regarding the replacement of domestic rates with a poll tax.

I have had no views from the convention on this matter since it commented, in response to the 1981 Green Paper, that poll tax as an addition to rates merited further examination.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what further steps he intends to take to relieve domestic and commercial ratepayers from the current year's rate demands.

I refer the hon. Member to the statement my right hon. Friend made yesterday at columns 175–86.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the Government's plans for domestic rating relief after 1985–86.

Decisions on domestic rate relief, together with all other aspects of rate support grant, are taken each year following consultation with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. I will be reaching decisions on domestic rate relief in 1986–87 and following years in the usual way.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received about alternatives to the present rating system.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received concerning proposals to reform the rating system; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today to the right hon. Member for Rutherglen (Mr. MacKenzie).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on options currently being considered for resolving the problem of the rating system.

Not yet.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received from small businesses in the constituency of Clydesdale about the rises of up to 400 per cent. in rateable values following revaluation.

I have received a number of representations on this subject but cannot identify any particular ones from Clydesdale. I announced on 14 May the Government's proposals to protect Scottish ratepayers from the effects of very large rises in rateable value in 1985–86.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why he has withdrawn Scotland from the EEC anti-poverty programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will reconsider his decision not to apply for assistance for Scotland from the EEC anti-poverty programme.

After careful consideration, my right hon. Friend and I concluded that participation in the programme was not justified in the light of the potentially very limited benefits to Scotland; and that the balance of advantage lay in concentrating available resources on existing identified programmes and priorities. I see no reason to reconsider this decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to announce what spending programmes in his Department have been reduced as a result of switching £38·5 million to help with domestic rate relief.

I announced on 27 March, at columns 265–66, the reductions in cash limits made to finance the increase in domestic rate relief.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to meet the members of Grampian region council to discuss industrial development in the region.

I have no request from Grampian regional council for a meeting. Any such request would, of course, be given careful consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what additional funding is being made available to the Highlands health board by his Department to assist with the extra operational costs incurred through the opening of the Wick general hospital and Raigmore hospital, Inverness.

Health boards are expected to meet the running costs of new capital developments from the financial allocations made available to them through the SHARE formula.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he proposes to take any action to improve the opportunities for young people in Scotland.

Large sums of money have been allocated to a whole range of programmes to help young people to get better employment opportunities. These have been widely welcomed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many jobs have been created in Scotland since June 1983; and how many people in Scotland are currently in employment or full-time training compared with the total in June 1983.

23,830 new jobs were associated with offers of selective financial assistance over the period 1 July 1983 to 18 April 1985. The seasonally adjusted number of employees in employment has risen by 23,000 from 1,912,000 in June 1983 to 1,935,000 in December 1984. No statistics are compiled on the training provided directly by employers but the numbers engaged on the Manpower Services Commission's TOPS, YTS and youth opportunities programmes were 24,461 in June 1983 and 34,648 in March 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will next meet the chairman of the Greater Glasgow health board to discuss staffing problems.

Staffing problems are matters in the first instance for individual boards. Neither my right hon. Friend nor I have received a request for a meeting to discuss such matters with the chairman of Greater Glasgow health board whom I see frequently.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received about revaluations; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend gave earlier today to the right hon. Member for Rutherglen (Mr. MacKenzie).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will arrange to meet the Strathclyde assessor to discuss the 1985 revaluation.

My officials have been in touch as necessary with the Strathclyde assessor and with other assessors who have supplied certain information to me about the results of the 1985 revaluation. But I have no powers to influence the judgments of the assessors, for which they are answerable ultimately to the courts. I do not think meetings with them would be appropriate, since they would take up scarce time and resources and so serve to slow down the processing of appeals which is a major burden upon assessors at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many detoxification units there are; where they are situated; and if they admit only those suffering from alcohol addiction.

If the hon. Member is referring to the establishment of designated places as provided for under section 5 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980, the only designated place currently in operation is Albyn house, Aberdeen.All consultant psychiatrists at psychiatric hospitals and general hospitals with psychiatric units may use the beds at their disposal to provide treatment, which would involve detoxification, for patients addicted to alcohol. There are, moreover, special alcohol units with facilities for inpatient treatment at the following hospitals:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the president of the Scottish National Farmers Union; and what subjects were discussed.

My right hon. Friend, together with other Agriculture Ministers, met representatives of the National Farmers Unions on 20 March to discuss the European Commission's agricultural price-fixing proposals for 1985–86. The president and the general secretary represented the SNFU at that meeting.My right hon. and noble Friend, the Minister of State, met the president on 16 April to discuss milk quotas.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he proposes reform of the law relating to inshore fishing in Scottish waters; and if he will make a statement.

Yes, my right hon. Friend hopes shortly to lay orders commencing and implementing the Inshore Fishing (Scotland) Act 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Renfrew district council about assistance from his office to reduce the waiting list for a council house in the Renfrew district council area.

None. It is the responsibility of Renfrew district council to consider the housing needs of its area and to take action accordingly. While the council's most recent housing plan indicates that the district has a crude surplus of general needs housing, my right hon. Friend has recognised the need for additional investment by increasing the council's capital allocation on the housing revenue account block by 24 per cent. in the current year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the future of tourism in Scotland, indicating the number of people now employed full-time and part-time in the tourist industry in Scotland.

The Scottish tourist industry has a sound base on which to build and offers good prospects for growth, with sales reaching record levels in 1983 and 1984. Tourism in Scotland is estimated to support, both directly and indirectly, approaching 100,000 full-time and part-time jobs, although due to the definitional problems this figure is inevitably subject to considerable uncertainty.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what further progress has been made towards resolving the current teachers' pay dispute; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement about the teachers' pay dispute.

I refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Gentleman to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, East (Mr. Strang).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a further statement on the situation in Scottish schools as it relates to the current claim by teachers to have an independent review of their salaries.

This week, I understand that over 100 primary schools will be affected for three days by strike action by members of the Educational Institute of Scotland. In addition, primary teachers in 15 areas will be on strike for one day. Last term, 65,000 teacher days were lost in primary and secondary schools. Almost 30,000 teacher days have been lost this term to 10 May. All Scottish secondary schools were affected by a strike by EIS and SSTA members on 24 April but no strike action is being taken in secondary schools at present and the Scottish Certificate of Education examinations are going ahead normally. I am seriously concerned at the effects of all disruptive action by teachers, whether in the form of strikes, boycotts of curriculum development or other forms of non-co-operation and non-performance of their professional duties.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to implement the Helsinki agreements to recognise and protect the cultural heritage of Scottish national minorities.

Section 23 of the National Heritage (Scotland) Act 1985 provides that I may make such payments as the Treasury may approve to any body whose activities appear to me to be likely to promote the development or understanding of cultural or scientific matters. In addition, I have for a number of years directly supported a range of voluntary organisations which promote the Gaelic language and culture. For 1985–86 financial provision for support to these organisations was increased by 17 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to meet the board of British Rail Engineering Ltd to discuss the future of Springburn works; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to meet the board of British Rail Engineering Ltd. The future of the Springburn works is a matter for its commercial judgment, taking account of the need to provide adequate repair and maintenance capacity to meet the current and future requirements of the railway.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial encouragement he is giving to private forestry; and what estimate he has made of new planting in the private sector in 1985–86.

Financial encouragement is given to private forestry through the various grant schemes administered by the Forestry Commission and by means of special tax arrangements which acknowledge the fact that forestry is a long-term investment. The commission's estimate of the new planting that will be carried out by the private sector in 1985–86, based upon expected grant applications during the year, is 17,000 hectares.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what criteria his Department uses in determining the routeing for the transport of noxious or hazardous materials within Scotland.

There are specific requirements for the safe conveyance of such materials, but the Scottish Development Department does not prescribe routes for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent changes there have been in staffing levels at the Foresty Commission.

The number of staff employed by the Forestry Commission was 6,836 at 31 March 1984 and 6,335 at 1 January 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report a copy of the licence to kill cormorants granted in 1985 to the South Esk settlement trust.

Licence applications are treated in confidence, and it would not be appropriate to publish copies of a licence in the Official Report. In this particular case, however, I can confirm that the licence was issued in pursuance of the provisions of section 16(1)(k) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and included a specific condition prohibiting shooting within the area of Montrose basin except by prior arrangements with the Scottish Wildlife Trust which manages this as a local nature reserve.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the 1985 licence to kill cormorants issued to South Esk settlement trustees of Haughs of Kinnaird, Brechin, Angus, specifically stated as the grounds of authorising the killing of cormorants the prevention of damage to fisheries.

The licence was issued in pursuance of section 16(1)(k) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act which relates to the prevention of serious damage to fisheries.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what reply he is making to the hon. Member for Fife, Central on the question of legislation concerning paupers' funerals and graves, details of which have been supplied to him.

A copy of my reply to the hon. Member has been placed in the Library.