asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost to the Metropolitan police of providing at football matches in London additional police officers whose costs were not defrayed by the football clubs themselves.

Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that this information is not available. Metropolitan police charges to football clubs for policing at matches are based on the full economic cost of a previously agreed number of police officers posted inside the ground. Additional officers may, at the discretion of the police, be deployed inside the ground if the need arises on the day, and the club would not be charged for these. Clubs are not required to meet the cost of officers posted in the streets and other public places outside the ground; this is an ordinary policing requirement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make a further announcement about the development of community radio and the granting of licences for experimental low power transmissions.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Mrs. Rumbold) on 9 May at column 469.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the authorised establishment of the Northumbrian police as at 31 March; how many officers there were actually in post; to what he ascribes the deficiency; and if he will make a statement.

The authorised establishment of the Northumbrian police is 3,378, an increase of 53 since May 1979. The strength of the force was 3,295 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 there was further recruitment to the Northumbrian police in April 1985, and the present strength is 3,314. The number of full-time civilian staff in the force has increased by 211 to 931 since May 1979, including an increase of 81 in the last year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what emergency services were present at Temple Mills in east London on 9 May to deal with the suspected leak from an irradiated fuel flask.

Officers from the British Transport police, the Metropolitan police, and the London fire brigade attended.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a table showing juveniles and vulnerable adults who were (a) recorded as missing from outside the Metropolitan police district, including overseas, and (b) who were traced or identified, broken down under each heading by age and sex, for each of the last 10 available years; and if he will make a statement.

I shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answers to the hon. Member for Leicester, East on 13 May, if he will provide a breakdown as between marked and unmarked police vehicles of the figures relating to (a) road accidents involving Metropolitan police vehicles on emergency calls and (b) casualties resulting from road accidents involving Metropolitan police vehicles on emergency calls.

The precise figures requested are not readily available. The breakdown between marked and unmarked Metropolitan police vehicles involved in accidents when answering emergency calls or pursuing suspect vehicles in 1984 in which death or injury resulted, is as follows:

	Marked vehicles	Unmarked vehicles
Fatal accidents	4	1
Injury accidents	33	10

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many detector vans are used by the Post Office for the purpose of detecting those who have not paid their television licences in the Greater London area and in each of the six metropolitan counties.

The 22 detector vans are available for use throughout the country, though at any one time they may all be concentrated in a particular metropolitan or other area.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will have consultations with (a the Association of British Social Workers, (b) the National Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and Adults, (c) National Association for Mental Health, (d) the Medical Practitioners Union, (e) social services departments, (f) the Transport and General Workers Union, (g) the Confederation of Health Service Employees, (h) the National Union of Public Employees and (i) the General Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union about the possible rescheduling of benzodiazepine drugs under the United Nations convention on psychotropic substances.

My right hon. and learned Friend will be considering shortly how these drugs should be scheduled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and he will be happy to take into consideration, at this stage, any comments which any organisation may wish to put to him

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the current level of United Kingdom farm machinery exports.

In 1984 agricultural machinery (excluding wheeled agricultural tractors) to the value of £138·7 million (fob) was exported.

Source: Business Monitor PQ 3211.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has recently held discussions with representatives of the Chinese Government concerning restrictions on the import of Chinese silk; and if he will make a statement.

No. However, my officials are in contact with the Chinese authorities concerning the administration of the import licensing controls.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has now finalised his plans for remaking subordinate legislation in the light of the consolidation of the Companies Acts.

Yes. The instruments to be remade are as follows:The Companies (Forms) RegulationsThe Companies (Disqualification Orders) RegulationsThe Companies (Registers and other Records) RegulationsThe Companies (Disclosure of Directors' Interests) (Exceptions) RegulationsStock Exchange (Designation of Nominees) OrderThe Companies (Unregistered Companies) RegulationsIn addition, we shall be revising the Companies (Alteration of Table A etc.) Regulations in order to clarify various points raised with the Department since the regulations were published last October and to make them easier to use.The Companies (Unregistered Companies) Regulations were laid before the House on 8 May. The remaining instruments will be laid shortly with a view to their all coming into effect on 1 July at the same time as the consolidation Acts.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether it is intended to publish the report of the Eden committee on the "Metrological Control of Weighing and Measuring for the Use for Trade".

Arrangements are now in hand to publish the report in full. Publication will be followed by extensive consultation with all the relevant interests. I shall inform the House when copies of the report are available. In the meantime, I have placed a copy of the Committee's recommendations in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received concerning possible local byelaws for the protection of lobster fisheries from over-exploitation; and if he will make a statement.

I have received representations from one fisherman about a draft byelaw prepared by the South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee with a view to licensing lobster fishing in its district. Should such a byelaw be submitted formally to me it would be advertised so as to allow me to take any objections into account before deciding on its confirmation.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the progress so far on the south of Cardiff redevelopment scheme.

Since I gave approval, in principle, for urban development grant in respect of the development proposals by Tarmac, work on the necessary legal arrangements has been continuing and is progressing well. A public inquiry into the compulsory purchase of land needed for the development ended on 22 April and the inspector will be submitting his report to me next month. I hope to be able to announce my decisions on the compulsory purchase orders by the end of June.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how much UHT milk is currently consumed in Wales; and how much of this consumption consists of milk produced in (a) Britain, (b) the European Economic Community and (c) the rest of the world.

Fifty nine million litres of UHT milk were sold in England and Wales in the year ended 31 March 1984: separate England and Wales figures are not readily available. In 1984 approximately 99 per cent. of total UHT milk sold in Great Britain was produced in Great Britain, with the balance being accounted for by imports from the European Economic Community.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out the figures for expenditure on (a) ante-natal and (b) post-natal care in Wales for each of the years from 1979–80 to 1984–85.

This information is not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what action he intends to take to reduce the amount of ecological damage caused by acid rain in Wales.

There is no reliable evidence to link ecological damage in Wales with acid rain, but research is being carried out to assess the relative contributions made by acidic rainfall, soil and bedrock types, afforestation and land practices, to the known acidity of some Welsh lakes and streams.

The December European Council endorsed measures to strengthen co-operation against terrorism and abuse of diplomatic immunity. We have since continued to work for further co-operation within the Ten. We welcomed the discussion of terrorism at the Bonn economic summit and shall continue to work for close and effective international co-operation in that forum and elsewhere.

Not in 1985, but I hope to do so another year.

asked the Prime Minister what disciplinary action Her Majesty's Government propose to take against civil servants responsible for losing the documents concerning the Tornado aircraft and the perimeter fence at Aldermaston which were recently found on a rubbish dump in London.

It would be premature to reach any conclusions about the incident to which the hon. Gentleman refers until the investigations into it have been completed.

asked the Prime Minister whether British Rail has made any proposals to Her Majesty's Government to electrify the North Wales line in the near future.

No.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 16 May.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House I shall be having further meetings later today.

asked the Prime Minister whether the speech of the Secretary of State for the Environment to the County Planning Officers Society dinner on Thursday 14 March represents the policy of Her Majesty's Government.

Yes.

the Prime Minister whether she will consider changing the arrangements for administering value added tax tribunals.

I have decided to transfer responsibility for administering the VAT tribunals to the Lord Chancellor in relation to England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and for Scotland to the Secretary of State for Scotland with effect from 1 April 1986. The responsibilities of the Secretary of State for Scotland will be discharged on his behalf by the Scottish Courts Administration.Consequential provisions will be introduced into the current Finance Bill.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a further announcement about secondments to the Civil Service.

In my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Evennett) on 18 March I announced that, in the light of the legal advice which had been received, measures were being taken to provide that future appointments to the Civil Service by secondment are made in compliance with the Civil Service Order in Council 1982 and any regulations made thereunder. New procedures will be introduced as soon as possible. Until then, all proposals for new secondments are being referred to the Civil Service commissioners and are being considered on an individual basis against the background of the provisions and discretionary powers contained in the Order in Council.There remains the question of regularising appointments on secondment terms made by Departments in the belief that the Civil Service Order in Council 1982 did not apply to such arrangements. The Civil Service commissioners have been advised by their legal advisers that an appropriate way to proceed would be by way of a further order—the Civil Service Order in Council 1985 — the object of which will be to regularise all such appointments made during the currency of the 1982 order and its predecessor the 1978 order on or before 18 March 1985 when I made the announcement to which I have already referred. The order was made at a meeting of the Privy Council which was held yesterday, and a copy of it has been placed in the Library.

asked the Prime Minister if the countries represented at the Bonn economic summit made any criticism of United States policy in Central America and in particular its military and economic measures against Nicaragua; and if she will make a statement.

There was general agreement among the countries represented at the summit on the need for political stability, national security and economic recovery in Central America. We made clear our view that Nicaragua should cease its destabilising policies.

asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government will include in the terms and conditions of employment in the Civil Service a declaration that the holding of racialist views is not compatible with employment in the service; and if he will make a statement.

No. The existing rules are quite clear.

asked the Prime Minister if she will give the most recent estimate of the costs of the information programme on the Rates Act 1984 entitled "Protecting the Ratepayers".

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment to the hon. Member for Tottenham (Mr. Atkinson) on 22 November 1984, at column 282.

asked the Prime Minister (1) what initiatives Her Majesty's Government are pursuing to promote wider share ownership;(2) what initiatives Her Majesty's Government are pursuing to promote the wider ownership of capital and property.

Extending direct ownership is an integral part of our commitment to an entrepreneurial and dynamic economy.Privatisation has already probably doubled the number of individual shareholders in the United Kingdom and has meant that over one third of a million employees have acquired shares in the companies in which they work. We have given individual investors preferential treatment in recent share sales. The tax treatment of profit sharing schemes has been improved and new tax reliefs for share option schemes have been introduced, benefiting over half a million employees. Other tax changes including the abolition of investment income surcharge, reduction of stamp duty and other tax measures will promote wider ownership of shares, capital and property. In the City, far-reaching changes which will increase the opportunities for individual investors are under way. And under our right to buy policies, extended last year, and other initiatives to support low-cost home ownership, three quarters of a million council and public sector tenants have brought their own homes, and the number of home owners has increased by over 1·8 million.Our policies in all these areas are deliberately designed to spread ownership and to encourage employees to participate in the success of companies in which they work. I have no doubt that they are succeeding and will continue to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what public funding has been made available to or through Christian Aid in each of the last five years.

The Overseas Development Administration h as made the following grants to Christian Aid for the purposes stated:

1. For projects co-financed under the joint funding scheme
	£
1980–81	250,000
1981–82	300,000
1982–83	330,000
1983–84	330,000
1984–85	700,000
Total	1,910,000

2. For relief or development projects in support of refugees (information for 1980–81 and 1981–82 is not readily available).
	£
1982–83	10,000
1983–84	7,000
Total	17,000

3. For disaster relief
	£
1982–83	127,949
1983–84	150,000
1984–85	1,183,087
Total	1,461,036

4. For a special disaster relief programme in Bangladesh
	£
1984–85	113,927

5. For bilateral food aid
	£
1984–85	*150,000
* All for Ethiopia.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the progress of the work of the Institute of Hearing Research and on the adequacy of its findings.

The programme of research at the Medical Research Council's Institute of Hearing Research continues to progress very well, and I understand that it is considered by the council to be of high scientific merit. The institute is making important contributions to knowledge on the problem of hearing.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what reply he has sent to the letter he received from Dr. A. J. Mount, president of the Hull Association of University Teachers, requesting an independent committee of inquiry into academic and related salaries.

I am sending Dr. Mount and others who have written to me on the subject a statement of the Government's position on university teachers' pay. That makes it clear that the request of the Association of University Teachers for an independent committee of inquiry falls to be considered with the university employers in committee A in the first instance.

the Secretary of State for Education and Science why religious studies is not included in the range of subjects for the new GCSE examinations for which a distinction may be obtained.

The three models for GCSE distinction and merit certificates put forward in the Department's consultation paper last December all include religious studies as an option within one of the subject groupings.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate he has made of the cost to each university of proposals to alter employers' national insurance contributions; and when he expects to announce whether his Department will give grant aid to the universities to cover the additional cost.

No estimate has been made of the cost to individual universities of the proposals to alter employers' national insurance contributions. The additional cost to the universities as a whole is estimated to be about £7 million in the first 12 months. The possibility of providing additional funds is under consideration and it is not yet possible to say when an announcement will be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many departmental committees of inquiry he and his predecessors, including Ministers of

Public Expenditure
£million 1984–85 prices
	1976–77	1977–78	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	‡1984–85
(i) Education
(a) Central Government	1,971	1,610	1,573	1,646	1,738	1,649	1,780	1,778	1,764
Percentage change		(-18)	(-2)	(+5)	(+6)	(-5)	(+8)	(0)	(-1)
(b) Local authority*	12,513	11,735	11,715	11,473	11,759	11,655	11,627	11,683	11,434
Percentage change		(-6)	(0)	(-2)	(+2)	(-1)	(0)	(0)	(-2)
(ii) Schools
(a) Central Government	112	77	45	69	58	57	51	54	61
Percentage change		(-31)	(-42)	(+54)	(-16)	(-1)	(-10)	(+6)	(+12)
(b) Local authority*	9,346	9,326	8,572	8,334	8,517	8,362	8,311	8,319	8,172
Percentage change		(0)	(-8)	(-3)	(+2)	(-2)	(-1)	(0)	(-2)
(iii) Universities†
(a) Central Government║	1,629	1,277	1,301	1,357	1,449	1,358	1,507	1,488	1,466
Percentage change		(-22)	(+2)	(+4)	(+7)	(-6)	(+11)	(-1)	(-1)
(b) Local authorities	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
* Includes current expenditure of local authorities (both relevant for rate support grant and other) and their capital expenditure.
†Current and capital expenditure on universities; also includes grants to the Open University, the Computer Board for the Universities and Research Councils and to certain other bodies.
‡Figures for 1984–85 are provisional.
║The universities line excludes income from tuition fees which are largely paid from public funds as part of student awards. As the balance between recurrent grant and fee income has changed from time to time, the percentage changes shown are not a true measure of changes in public expenditure on universities.

Education, have commissioned since 1955; and what were the subjects the committees investigated, the dates they were established, who chaired them and the dates they reported.

[pursuant to his reply, 13 May 1985, c. 43–48]: I regret that the item about school examinations listed at column 47 was partly incorrect and that a reference to the report of the committee of inquiry into the teaching of mathematics in schools has been omitted. The information should read as follows:

'School examinations: report of the steering committee established to consider proposals for replacing the General Certificate of Education ordinary level and Certificate of Secondary Education examinations by a common system of examining. 1977 [1978].

Chairman: Sir James Waddell.

Mathematics counts: report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Teaching of Mathematics in Schools. 1978 [1981].

Chairman: Dr. W. H. Cockcroft.'

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state the amount of (a) central Government and (b) local authority spending during each of the last 10 years, together with the percentage change in real terms over each previous year. under the following headings: (i) education, (ii) schools and (iii) universities.

[pursuant to his reply, 13 May 1985, c. 54]: The following table shows public expenditure on universities in Great Britain and on schools in England for the last nine years; figures for 1975–76 are not readily available on a comparable basis. The GDP deflator has been used to revalue figures for earlier years to 1984–85 prices. Percentage changes have been calculated from the previous year's figure.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy to what uses nuclear material withdrawn from safeguards under article 14 of the tripartite agreement between the United Kingdom-Euratom and International Atomic Energy, Cmnd. 6730, is put.

Nuclear material withdrawn from safeguards under the terms of article 14 of the agreement between the United Kingdom, Euratom and the IAEA is used for national security purposes.

asked the Attorney-General whether his Department issues any guidance to police and other law enforcement agencies concerning the investigation of fraud and related offences.

No. My responsibility is for the work of the Director of Public Prosecutions who does not himself undertake the investigation of fraud or any other category of crime. However, he is always willing to advise the police and other enforcement agencies, particularly in respect of cases of alleged fraud where he is likely to be responsible for the conduct of any resulting prosecution. In cases of particular complexity this assistance may extend to the establishment of a fraud investigation group to co-ordinate legal and investigative aspects of the inquiry, about which my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary has issued advice to chief officers of police. I meet the Director of Public Prosecutions regularly to discuss the work of his Department. The scope of these discussions includes the handling of fraud cases generally as well as individual cases of particular difficulty or importance. the guidelines as to the criteria for prosecution which I published in March 1983 are of general application. But I have published no formal guidelines relating to any specific categories of criminal offences. Following establishment of the Crown prosecution service my existing criteria will be supplemented by the guidance which the Director will be required to promulgate by virtue of clause 9 of the Prosecution of Offences Bill.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service (1) whether he intends to publish an up-to-date directory of paid public appointments made by ministers;(2) whether he will publish a list of additions, deletions and amendments to the directory of paid public appointments made by ministers, last published in 1978.

The "Directory of Paid Public Appointments" has been superseded by the Cabinet Office (MPO) annual publication "Public Bodies." This contains a large amount of detailed information about public bodies, including ministerial appointments. The 1984 edition was published by HMSO in December last year. The next edition is due out in December 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated difference in cost to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive between refurbishing metal window frames and replacing them.

This is a matter for the chairman of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive who has advised me that the average cost of servicing galvanised metal windows in a typical 7-window house is £150. The cost of replacement varies with the size and type of window frame and ranges from approximately £600 to £1,700 per dwelling.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who represented the Northern Ireland Office at the meeting in London on 24 April with a delegation from the European Parliament about European institutions; and if he will make a statement on the views expressed by the Northern Ireland Office representative on the proposals for (a) European union, (b) United Kingdom membership of the European monetary system, (c) a reduced role for the use of the national veto in decisions by the European Economic Community Council of Ministers and (d) the suggested Inter-Governmental Conference for a new European Economic Community treaty and reformed institutions.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, assisted by my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, Pentlands (Mr. Rifkind), received the delegation and gave the views of the Government as a whole on the specific matters referred to, which have been explained in the House on several occasions recently. My Department was not separately represented at the meeting.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what encouragement and assistance are being given to Gaelic studies in the Province.

Irish is studied by more than 20,000 pupils in Northern Ireland secondary schools and is developing in a proportion of primary schools. The curriculum, however, is essentially a matter for school authorities and head teachers and is not dictated or controlled by the Government or the Department of Education for Northern Ireland. Bunscoil Ghaelach, an Irish language primary school, obtained grant-aided status in September 1984, and a special unit in which tuition is provided through the medium of the Irish language has been approved at Steelstown primary school, Londonderry.Irish is also available in the Province's two universities and St. Mary's and St. Joseph's colleges of education. As with any other interest areas which meet Department of Education criteria, support is granted to extra-mural courses in Irish or aspects of Irish culture.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will state the occasions since the imposition of direct rule when ministerial intervention, or action by the Commissioner for Complaints, was invoked on account of alleged abuse of majority power by district councils; and with what result.

Information is not available in the form requested. The annual reports of the Commissioner for Complaints show that since 1972 some 693 complaints were received about the actions of district councils and that in 59 of these the Commissioner found maladministration. Copies of the reports are available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has as to the trend in real terms over the last five years of the pay of university staff in Northern Ireland.

The determination of the salaries of university staff is not a matter in which the Department of Education for Northern Ireland is directly involved. Any agreements affecting salaries, reached through the appropriate negotiating machinery in Great Britain, are automatically applied by the two universities in Northern Ireland.A comparison of the current salaries of university teachers with those paid in October 1979 indicates that salaries have broadly kept pace with the retail price index.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why he has asked the North Down and Ards unit of management to reduce its 1985–86 budget by £166,000.

Decisions on the allocation of resources to the units of management are a matter for the Eastern board itself. The board, in common with the other three boards, is required to realise efficiency savings of 0·5 per cent. of its revenue budget. These funds are retained by the board and reinvested in selected priority service developments along with the additional funds made available by the Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has as to the number of dogs which have been destroyed since December 1983.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Penrith and The Border (Mr. Maclean) on 15 April 1985, at columns 58–59.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the integrated operations plan for the redevelopment of Belfast with European Community aid.

The Belfast integrated operations document, which I presented to the European Commission on 21 February 1985, lists all the capital projects within the Belfast urban area put forward by Northern Ireland Government Departments, district councils, public bodies, voluntary bodies and the private sector for the period 1985–86 to 1989–90 which are envisaged in current expenditure planning or which are regarded as desirable. Integrated operations involves the focusing of public, private and European Community resources on a limited geographical area to maximise their impact. Their is no separate European Community fund for integrated operations, apart from a small budget which may assist feasibility studies within an integrated operations area.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications for new medical cards were received and how many sent out on each day and each week from 1 April to the week ending Saturday 18 May.

The central services agency does not normally maintain records of this nature. However, during the period from 29 April 1985 to 13 May 1985 inclusive the numbers of applications received and medical cards issued were as follows:

	Applications	Issues
29 April	1,501	1,231
30 April	3,220	1,769
1 May	5,972	3,137
2 May	5,323	4,330
3 May	5,810	4,136
4 May	2,419	1,325
5 May	414	2,376
6 May	618	5,176
7 May	7,229	2,490
8 May	5,426	3,162
9 May	4,485	3,158
10 May	3,480	5,506
11 May	543	3,572
12 May	34	4,740
13 May	3,143	*3,000
	49,617	49,108
*Estimate.

These figures cover valid applications for replacement medical cards. In addition, approximately 1,500 applications have been received during the period from new applicants and people who have changed doctor. Of these applications, all those received from applicants of voting age have been processed.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many workers in Northern Ireland now earn less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold.

The New Earnings Survey indicates that in April 1984 about 37·5 per cent of full-time adult employees in Northern Ireland had gross weekly earnings for a full week of less than £108·3, the latter figure corresponding to 68 per cent. of the national average for all full-time adult employees. Although an advisory committee of the Council of Europe has suggested the figure of 68 per cent. of national full-time adult average earnings as significant in considering low pay, the figure has not been accepted or recognised by the United Kingdom or any other European country.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether all the recommendations in regard to staffing levels and security measures outlined in the Baker report have been met.

[pursuant to his reply, 13 May 1985, c. 3]: The Government have announced their acceptance in principle of the main conclusions of Sir George Baker's review of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1978. Detailed consideration of his recommendations is now being given with a view to making proposals to amend this legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the numbers of maximum security prisoners in each prison in Northern Ireland; and how the staffing levels to deal with them compare with the staffing levels required for similar prisoners in Great Britain.

	Belfast	Maze Compound	Maze Cellular	Magilligan	Armagh	Hydebank
Governor Grades	9	4	16	7	2	4
Chief Officers	4	2	9	2	2	2
Principal Officers	27	19	38	16	5	13
Senior Officers	51	29	46	24	10	15
Officers	458	406	878	338	98	152
Clerical Grades	26	18	33	11	7	9
Trades Staff	42	22	54	21	6	18
TOTAL	617	500	1,074	419	130	213

The new prison at Maghaberry is expected to have a requirement for about 550 staff.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civilians are employed as teachers and instructors at each prison in Northern Ireland.

[pursuant to his reply, 13 May 1985, c. 3]: Numbers are as follows:

Establishment	Full-Time Teachers	Civilian Instructors
HM Prison, Armagh	Nil	Nil
HM Prison, Belfast	1	Nil
HM Prison, Maze Compound	5	23
HM Prison, Maze Cellular
HM Prison, Magilligan	1	11
HM Young Offenders Centre Hydebank Wood	4	8

There are also three civilian chief instructors who are not directly involved in instructional duties. In addition, a panel of part-time teachers is maintained at each establishment, together making 105. The services of these teachers are called upon as required.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many stop orders the planning authorities have issued in each of the last three years for which figures are available because building work had commenced before planning permission had been given, in (a) the Antrim borough council area and (b) the Newtownabbey borough council area; and in how many of these cases planning permission was subsequently granted;

[pursuant to his reply, 13 May 1985, c. 3]: There are 759 high risk prisoners in Northern Ireland prisons: 468 are in Maze cellular prison, 160 are in Maze compound prison, and 131 are in Belfast prison.High risk prisoners in Northern Ireland, like category A prisoners in Great Britain, are not accommodated as a separate group, and it is therefore not possible to identify and compare the relevant staffing levels.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the staffing requirements for each prison including the new prison in Northern Ireland; and what are the actual staffing levels for prison staff in each grade.

[pursuant to his reply, 13 May 1985, c. 3]: Staffing requirements for prisons are dependent on the number of prisoners held and other factors, and are therefore under constant review.On 26 April 1985, staffing levels were:(2) how many stop orders were issued by the planning authorities in each of the last three years for which figures are available because they contravened regulations on ribbon development, in

[pursuant to his reply, 15 May 1985, c. 150]: Only one stop notice has been issued for whatever reason in the last three years. It was in respect of building work begun without permission in the Newtownabbey borough council area in 1984. Planning permission was subsequently granted on appeal.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many planning applications have been turned down in each of the last three years for which figures are available because they were deemed to infringe the area of special control in (a) the Antrim borough council area and (b) the Newtownabbey borough council area.

[pursuant to his reply, 15 May 1985, c. 151]: The information is as follows:

	1982	1983	1984
Year ended 31 December
Antrim borough council area	13	31	19
Newtownabbey borough council area	23	22	24

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will list the numbers of hon. Members who have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and more than 15 research assistants' or temporary research assistants' passes, respectively.

The number of research assistants' passes per Member on issue on 13 May 1985 were as follows:

Number of Research Assistant Passes	Number of Members
Nil	310
1	235
2	65
3	21
4	9
5	3
6	4
7	0
8	1
9	2
10	0
11	0
12	0
13	0
14	0
15	0
More than 15	0

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will list the numbers of hon. Members who have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and more than 15 secretaries' or temporary secretaries' passes, respectively.

The number of secretaries' passes per Member on issue on 13 May 1985 were as follows:

Number of Secretary Passes	Number of Members
Nil	185
1	337
2	91
3	24
4	6
5	1
6	2
7	2
8	1
9	1
10	0
11	0
12	0
13	0
14	0
15	0
More than 15	0

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice has been sought by fishermen's organisations in the United Kingdom about prospects for fishing off the Falklands.

The Government have received inquiries from commercial firms about our policy on fishing in the area around the Falkland Islands. They have been told that we are exploring ways of establishing a multilaterally based conservation and management regime.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report all the different types of licences operated or granted by his Department and the year in which they first came into operation.

With the exception of permits under section 3 of the Antarctic Treaty Act 1967 (the powers to issue which have been delegated in accordance with that section), the functions of the Foreign Commonwealth Office do not involve the granting of administrative licences of the kind to which I take the hon. Member to refer.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy towards the inclusion of provisions having retrospective effect regarding extraditions to the United Kingdom in the forthcoming extradition treaty between the United Kingdom and Spain.

I am unable to give any details of our negotiations with Spain while they are still in progress. The text of the treaty when signed, will be laid before the House in the usual way.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give details of the revenue received by his Department from (a) the duty on football pool betting and (b) value added tax from professional soccer in each of the past five years.

The revenue received from football pool betting in each of the past five financial years was as follows:

	£ million
1980–81	150
1981–82	169
1982–83	193
1983–84	198
1984–85	*212
*Estimate.

On the basis of information provided by the Football League, it is estimated that the yield from value added tax on admissions to football matches is of the order of £6 million a year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of his review of extra-statutory tax concessions.

Yes. The Inland Revenue and the Customs and Excise will be issuing press releases giving information about extra-statutory concessions which have not previously been published. I am placing in the Library of the House:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place a copy of the text of the 1985 Intergovernmental Agreement in the Library.

A copy of the text of the 1985 Intergovernmental Agreement has today been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a table showing the cost of mortgage interest tax relief for each year since 1964 at 1985 prices.

[pursuant to his reply, 10 May 1985, c. 534]: Information is given in the table. The figures for years up to 1968–69 include the cost of relief for qualifying interest paid on bank loans, which cannot be distinguished from mortgage loans in information available centrally. The figures for 1983–84 onward include the cost of relief in respect of mortgages previously under the option mortgage scheme.

ERM currencies	1983	1984	1985	April 1985*
Deutschemark	January-September; November-December	January; November-December	January-March	April
French franc	January-May; August-September; November-December	January; November-December	January-March	—
Lira	January-March	—	January-February	—
Belgian franc	January-December	January-February; December	January-March	April
Dutch guilder	January-September; November-December	January; November-December	January-March	April
Danish kroner	January-May; July-September; November-December	January-February; October-December	January-March	April
Irish punt	January-May; August-September: November-December	January-February; November-December	January-March
* Using the December 1982 notional fluctuation margins.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his reply, Official Report, 22 April, column 374, concerning the exchange rate of the £ sterling against certain European monetary system currencies, if he will indicate the changes in the fluctuation margins; if he will add the April 1985 figures to his previous answer on the December 1982 basis, and on the basis of the margin relevant in April; and if he will indicate the number of occasions on which the £ sterling moved outside its notional fluctuation margins on the basis of the changes in the margins which have occurred since 1982.

[pursuant to his reply, 15 May 1985 c. 153]: The following table lists the months in which sterling's monthly average exchange rates against currencies in the EMS exchange rate mechanism have moved outside sterling's notional fluctuation margins since the end of 1982. The margins used are those current at the time in question. For April 1985, both the current margins and the December 1982 margins are used:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing (a) the annual proceeds from sales of public sector assets and (b) the impact on the public sector borrowing requirement of these asset sales, in both cases from 1979 to date.

£million
	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85 (estimated outturn)
Special sales of assets	370	405	494	488	1,142	2,100
Sales of land and buildings	859	1,293	2,100	2,847	2,592	2,536

The direct effect of such sales is to reduce the PSBR by a corresponding amount.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each member state of the European Economic Community the contribution under value added tax and

VAT and other Own Resources as percentage of GDP

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

VAT

OR

VAT

OR

VAT

OR

VAT

OR

VAT

OR

VAT

OR

Belgium

0·40

0·73

0·44

0·72

0·54

0·80

0·48

0·87

0·49

0·80

0·48

0·80

Denmark

0·40

0·33

0·37

0·32

0·40

0·31

0·43

0·32

0·42

0·35

0·41

0·31

Germany

0·42

0·37

0·46

0·37

0·50

0·35

0·55

0·33

0·54

0·36

0·52

0·33

France

0·39

0·24

0·44

0·24

0·52

0·24

0·53

0·24

0·51

0·26

0·51

0·24

Ireland

0·49

0·58

0·43

0·57

0·57

0·54

0·75

0·59

0·61

0·69

0·55

0·60

Italy

0·30

0·38

0·50

0·30

0·41

0·29

0·48

0·27

0·50

0·26

0·47

0·25

Luxembourg

0·46

0·13

0·66

0·13

0·75

0·13

1·09

0·13

1·15

0·16

0·94

0·11

Netherlands

0·38

0·67

0·40

0·62

0·46

0·58

0·48

0·57

0·47

0·60

0·44

0·56

United Kingdom

0·34

0·49

0·42

0·42

0·56

0·47

0·56

0·43

0·53

0·46

0·56

0·43

Greece

—

—

0·46

0·31

0·51

0·48

0·56

0·42

0·53

0·37

0·53

0·45

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the turnover annually in foreign exchange dealings in sterling.

Comprehensive figures are not available. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York undertook a survey of United States foreign exchange market turnover in April 1983. The results were published in the FRBNY Quarterly Review, Summer 1984 and suggested that average daily turnover was around $34 billion of which 16·6 per cent. represented transactions

[pursuant to his reply, 13 May 1985, c. 30]: By far the largest components of public sector asset sales are the "special sales of assets" programme (which mainly takes the form of sales of company securities) and sales of land and buildings (mostly council house sales). The figures since 1979–80 are as follows:other own resources, respectively, as a percentage of gross domestic product to two places of decimals for each year since 1980 and the forecast for the current year.

The information requested is given in the table. However, the calculations for the United Kingdom do not take account of the offsetting effect of refunds for the United Kingdom contributions to value added tax and other own resources.against sterling. Similar data are not available for transactions in Europe but it is thought that average daily turnover in London is no less in total than that in the United States.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the rankings of the indices of deprivation of each of the inner city partnership authorities in relation to all English and Welsh authorities.

The information requested is shown for England in the table. Information about Welsh authorities is not available on a comparable basis.

Rank Position on Absolute and Percentage Values on Key Indicators—Derived from 1981 Census Data
	Partnership Authorities
	Birmingham	Gateshead	Hackney	Islington	Lambeth	Liverpool	Manchester	Newcastle	Salford
Unemployment
Absolute	1	28	31	50	21	2	3	15	23
Percentage	(17)	(23)	(15)	(33)	(36)	(5)	(8)	(22)	(23)
Overcrowding
Absolute	1	39	15	37	8	2	3	21	42
Percentage	(17)	(33)	(2)	(14)	(9)	(23)	(21)	(38)	(50)
Single Parents
Absolute	1	62	13	31	6	4	3	21	25
Percentage	(24)	(118)	(1)	(6)	(2)	(16)	(4)	(55)	(29)
Pensioners
Absolute	1	42	62	63	26	4	5	10	18
Percentage	(131)	(97)	(97)	(73)	(120)	(77)	(42)	(42)	(42)
Amenities
Absolute	1	109	15	21	7	2	3	82	49
Percentage	(79)	(279)	(5)	(9)	(11)	(28)	(25)	(300)	(117)
Ethnic
Absolute	1	220	9	26	6	55	19	61	103
Percentage	(18)	(320)	(3)	(13)	(6)	(146)	(39)	(107)	(181)
Population Change
Absolute	3	37	10	9	4	1	2	19	14
Percentage	(27)	(38)	(7)	(3)	(5)	(10)	(8)	(18)	(15)
Low Skill
Absolute	1	35	48	52	29	3	5	24	20
Percentage	(43)	(46)	(51)	(57)	(131)	(13)	(17)	(99)	(17)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what resources are currently being devoted to securing the disposal or the bringing into use of land that is currently registered.

Fifty three staff of various grades are engaged, mainly part time, in land register work. Their land register responsibilities include encouraging landowning bodies to bring land into use or to dispose of it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Mid Staffordshire on 15 January, Official Report, column 96, if he will indicate the nature and costs of the additional resources which would be required to secure the disposal of publicly owned unused and under-used land of between half an acre and one acre.

Additional staff would be needed within my Department and probably by the public bodies whose land is registrable. The size of the increase would depend on the number of sites in this category; this is likely to be substantial.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that all publicly-owned unused and under-used land eligible for inclusion in the public land registers is so registered.

All public bodies listed in schedule 16 to the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 have been requested to register their holdings of unused and under-used land, in accordance with guidelines set out by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. Every six months such bodies are asked to up-date their entries in the register. In addition, where we have reason to believe that a particular site ought to be entered in the register, the matter is taken up with the public body concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many times and in what circumstances he has used his powers under the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 to compel authorities to dispose of publicly owned unused and under-used land.

Under the powers conferred upon him by section 98 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 my right hon. Friend has directed four local authorities to take steps for the disposal of their interest in four specific plots of land entered on the land register.We are currently considering possible sites where notices under section 99 of the Act (notifying the authority concerned of a proposal to make a direction under section 98 and of its proposed contents), might be appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the rate of progress of sales of unused and under-used publicly owned land; and if he will make a statement.

Between the time when the registers were established and 30 April 1985 about 5,729 hectares of land have been removed by reason of their disposal by the public sector. In the same period, a further 2,386 hectares have been removed because the land has been brought hack into full use. I am keen to ensure that progress in bringing back into use unused or under-used land is maintained.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the extent to which local authorities are making public land registers available to the general public; and if he will make a statement.

Section 96 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 requires district councils to make a copy of the land registers available for public inspection at their principal offices at all reasonable hours. Authorities generally are complying with this requirement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report on an authority by authority basis the gross proceeds of sales of publicly-owned unused and under-used land marketed specifically through the media of the public land registers.

This information is not kept centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report on an authority by authority basis, the number of sales of publicly-owned unused and under-used land brought to fruition specifically as a result of the establishment of the public land registers for each year to the latest available date.

This information is not available: it cannot be established how much of the 5,729 hectares of registered land which has been disposed of has been sold as a result of the establishment of the land registers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the full chemical breakdown of the substance or substances currently being used to fluoridate the public water supplies.

Hexafluorosilicic acid (H₂SiF₆) or disodium hexafluorosilicate (Na₂SiF₆) are currently used to fluoridate public water supplies. The chemical analysis of the former by weight is 80 per cent. water and 20 per cent. Na₂SiF₆, with minute traces of other substances such as phosphate and chloride. The chemical analysis of the latter by weight is at least 98 per cent. Na₂SiF₆ with traces principally of water and iron.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if the local authority associations and individual London boroughs will be consulted over the terms of an order conferring on himself nomination rights to ex-Greater London council housing in the event of the Greater London council being abolished.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to consult the local authority associations and individual London boroughs over the terms of any order transferring Greater London council seaside and country homes to a local district in the event of the Greater London council being abolished.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) where the office running the Greater London mobility scheme will be accommodated in the event of the Greater London council being abolished;(2) how many national mobility office is funded; who employs its staff; and what plans he has for it in the event of the Greater London council being abolished;(3) if he intends to place any restrictions on the national mobility office in the use of delegated powers to nominate tenants through the Greater London mobility scheme, in the event of the Greater London council being abolished.

The national mobility office is funded almost wholly by the Exchequer and the staff are employed by the GLC on a contract basis. I expect to write shortly to those bodies represented on the national mobility steering committee inviting them to establish a working party to examine the possibilities of operating the Greater London mobility scheme through an enlarged NMO. The suggested terms of reference cover arrangements for funding, staffing and other related matters (including accommodation); and the preparation of a draft agreement between my right hon. Friend and the national mobility steering committee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what arrangements he has made for the delegation of his nomination rights to Greater London council seaside and country homes in the event of the Greater London council being abolished;(2) when he will announce what proportion of vacancies in Greater London council seaside and country homes will still be available to Londoners in the event of the Greater London Council being abolished;(3) if he anticipates that the number of vacancies available to Londoners in Greater London council seaside and country homes will fall in the financial year 1986–87, when compared with previous years;(4) if, in the event of the Greater London council being abolished, district councils in receipt of Greater London council seaside and country homes will be permitted to sell any such homes which are vacant and which are not to be made available to Londoners:(5) when he expects to publish his paper outlining his proposals for the transfer of ownership of Greater London council seaside and country homes in the event of the Greater London council being abolished.

The paper will be published shortly and will among other things cover nomination rights, distribution of lettings and sales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list those bodies, associations, authorities and persons which have expressed support for his proposal to confer on the Secretary of State nomination rights to Greater London council seaside and country homes for retired Londoners, in the event of the Greater London council being abolished;(2) if he will list those persons, bodies, authorities and associations which have expressed support for his proposal

I must ask the hon. Member to seek the views of the bodies concerned direct.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress is being made with regard to feasibility studies into the emplacement of radioactive waste under the seabed; and if he will make a statement.

I assume the hon. Member is referring to the concept of emplacing intermediate-level wastes under the continental shelf. I understand that NIREX has received tenders from five firms for a feasibility study of this concept and are considering them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which there was a leak of water into hon. Members' accommodation in the Cloisters over the weekend of 11 to 12 May; and what steps are being taken to prevent a recurrence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how long he estimates it will take to repair the damage caused by leaking effluent to hon. Members' offices in the Cloisters over the weekend 11 to 12 May; what was the origin of the damage; and if he will estimate the cost of repairs to furniture and carpets.

The failure on Sunday 12 May of a ball-valve in a cistern in the Members' cloakroom on the Principal Floor above the corridor outside the Cloisters resulted in an overflow of clean water which ran down into Members' accommodation below. Mopping up was started immediately the flood was discovered, and was completed on Monday morning; drying-out of carpeting took place throughout Tuesday; the room was dehumified on Wednesday, with carpet cleaning and de-odorisation on Thursday. The fault was rectified on Sunday 12 May.Drying out of the stonework may take some weeks, depending on weather conditions.The cost of the specialist carpet cleaning was £40. If a new carpet is required, this will cost around £1,000 plus labour charges. There was no damage to furniture.All overflow pipes are being checked to prevent a similar flood recurring. I very much regret the inconvenience caused to hon. Members.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many applications to build new seaside and country homes his Department has received from London authorities since 1 April 1984; and in how many of those cases he has intervened.