asked the hon. Member for Wokingham, as representing the Church Commissioners, how many churches have been declared redundant since 1 January; and if he will list them.

Fifteen churches have been declared redundant since 1 January 1985. They are as follows:

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many times Parliament has risen for the summer recess on or after 1 August since 1955; and if he will give the years in question, with the date the House rose.

The House of Commons has risen on or after 1 August 15 times since 1955. The dates are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, following the refusal of the EC to accept the CLOFT scheme for assistance to the clothing, footwear and textile industries, what steps he is taking to help these industries; and if he will make a statement.

My Department has a wide range of schemes currently available to assist the development of industry, including the clothing, footwear and textile industries. These schemes have recently been repackaged and a copy of the brochure "Support for Business" was deposited in the House of Commons Library. The clothing, footwear and textile industries have also made proposals which are currently being considered by the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to assist the footwear and leather industries to adopt new technology; and if he will make a statement.

As regards the footwear industry I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 1 July 1985. The Government have provided £1·1 million in assistance over the last two complete financial years under the Science and Technology Act to help the Shoe and Allied Trades Research Association (SATRA) undertake programmes of benefit to this industry, particularly in areas of application of new technology. The Government have similarly provided £456,000 to the research wing of the British Leather Confederation (BLC).

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether he will now ensure that all public telephone operators display notices explaining how coinbox telephones can be used by people with hearing aids;(2) whether he will now ensure that all public telephone operators fitting Statesman telephones ensure that the models can be used by those wearing hearing aids; and whether he will make a statement.

The obligations required of licensed telecommunications operators are matters which are the responsibility of the Director General of Telecommunications. I am drawing the hon. Member's questions to his attention with the request that he write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will now publish the code of practice for the magnetic coupling of telephones to hearing aids prepared by the working group on telecommunications for the hearing-impaired and issued to members on 31 May; and whether he will make a statement.

The code of practice is a useful guide for telephone designers and hearing aid designers. I am grateful for the efforts put in to it by the working group. The Office of Telecommunications is arranging for the code of practice to be published shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to receive appropriate undertakings from the Ford Motor Company following the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report, Cmnd. 9437.

I shall make a statement on the position when discussions with Ford are concluded.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what was the average value per tonne of total United Kingdom imports of mechanical engineering products; and what information he has as to how this figure compares with the average value per tonne of total imports of mechanical engineering products into France, West Germany, Italy and Sweden in the years 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980 and 1983.(2) what was the average value per tonne of total United Kingdom exports of mechanical engineering products; and what information he has as to how this figure compares with the average value per tonne of total exports of mechanical engineering products from France, West Germany, Italy and Sweden in the years 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980 and 1983.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will explain his reasons for his decision to withdraw industrial support funding from the information technology centre 6502 in Moss Side, Manchester; and if he will make a statement.

As with all information technology centres, Moss Side 6502 has been eligible for pump-priming support of £75,000 over a period of 3 years. The extent of the support was made clear at the outset of th ITEC programme in 1983 and all ITECs have been encouraged to engage in commercial activities to ensure sufficient funding after the support is exhausted. I understand that in the case of Moss Side 6502 the £75,000 has been taken up.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what action Her Majesty's Government will take to ensure that the United States Government comply with the general agreement on tariffs and trade ruling of March 1984 which determined that the manufacturing clause in the United States Copyright Act infringed the general agreement on tariffs and trade;(2) what response he has received, as a signatory of the general agreement on tariffs and trade, from the United States Government concerning the general agreement on tariffs and trade's ruling of March 1984 which determined that the manufacturing clause in the United States Copyright Act infringed the general agreement on tariffs and trade;(3) what assurances have been received by Her Majesty's Government that the manufacturing clause in the United States Copyright Act will lapse in 1986.

The United States Administration have assured GATT members that they intend to conform to the ruling which condemned this legislation, and to amend United States law accordingly. A ruling accepted by the contracting parties to the GATT is binding in international law. The offending United States law is due to expire in June 1986. My right hon. Friend has every confidence that the United States Government will honour their international obligations. We will continue, through the European Commission, to remind the United States Government of our continuing concern about this matter, and to press for early action.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if Her Majesty's Government will make it their policy to refuse to allow imports of publications printed in countries whose Governments take no action against publishers and printers who pirate British copyright publications.

United Kingdom obligations under the GATT only permit restrictions on imports which themselves threaten United Kingdom commercial or public interests. Accordingly, United Kingdom copyright legislation enables the importation of infringing printed copies of literary, dramatic and musical works to be prevented. The Government none the less pursues all available opportunities to encourage suppression of piracy and adherence to the international copyright conventions. It participates fully in initiatives to this end within the European Community and the Council of Europe.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many activities have so far been held under the "Britain Means Business" campaign; where and when they were held; by whom they were sponsored; and if he will make a statement.

The "British Means Business" campaign was launched on 1 April 1985 and a series of activities will take place to the end of 1985. These include overseas 'Briefing on Britain' seminars, visits to the United kingdom by United States and Japanese journalists and the publication of a quarterly magazine directed at prospective investors overseas.There have been two 'Briefing on Britain' events held so far. Th first was held in Tokyo on 4 June and was co-sponsored by Midland Bank plc and Price Waterhouse & Co. The second event was held in Hartford, Connecticut on 26 June and was co-sponsored by the National Westminster Bank plc. Ministers were the principal speakers at both events. The Peterborough Development Corporation has held a successful seminar in Boston, on 19 June, using the "Britain Means Business" logo.Three United States and four Japanese journalists have also visited the United Kingdom and two of the quarterly magazines have been published.It is still relatively early days in the campaign's programme of events. I and the co-sponsors have been very pleased by the size and quality of the audiences attending the seminars held so far and by the interest which has been shown in investing in the United Kingdom. The "Britain Means Business" events play an important part in realising the campaign's objective of achieving maximum success and benefit for the United Kingdom by coordinating promotional efforts of the relevant public sector inward investment bodies and the private sector to project an effective, united image of Britain overseas.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money he has made available to "Britain Means Business"; and for how long.

My Department has allocated £1 million, additional to the Invest in Britain bureau's normal promotional budget for 1985–86, to the "Britain Means Business" campaign. Substantial contributions to the campaign, both 'in kind' and financial, are being made by the territorial and regional promotional organisations and the private sector.The campaign began on 1 April 1985 and will run to the end of the calendar year.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his current assessment of the share which the domestic software industry has of the national market in the United Kingdom; and what equivalent information he has about the share of the national markets taken by the respective domestic markets in France, Italy and Germany.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many' jobs have been created by the loan guarantee scheme; and what is the average cost of each job created.

Information from sample surveys carried out by my Department suggests that loan guarantees authorised up to 31 May 1984 assisted the creation of about 44,500 jobs at a cost after taking account of estimated failure rates of approximately £2,200 per job. These figures do not allow for possible displacement of jobs elsewhere in the economy.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the average failure rate among firms which have received support from the loan guarantee scheme; and how these figures compare with the average failure rate of small businesses in general.

About one in three of all firms are estimated to fail within their first three years of existence. The failure rate at the end of three years on guaranteed loans authorised between June 1981 and May 1982 was approximately 40 per cent. Subsequent loans have not yet run for three years. Available figures suggest a reduction in failure rates in the later period but this cannot yet be reliably quantified.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consideration he has given to an application to apply general agreement on tariffs and trade anti-dumping levies to Japanese computer and component firms.

Responsibility for anti-dumping action under GATT on behalf of EC member states rests with the EC Commission. We have not been informed of any request for such action against imports of Japanese computers and computer components, but if the United Kingdom industry believes that it is being damaged by such dumped imports, we would press the Commission to give any request urgent and sympathetic consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) pursuant to the answer of 27 June, Official Report, column 443, how many shares Rudolf Wolff and Co. undertook to buy its role as underwriters to the flotation of British Telecommunications; and what happened to the shares it handled.(2) pursuant to the answer of 27 June,

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

asked the Prime Minister if she will ensure that the Advisory Committee on Pesticides reconsiders the safety of 2,4,5,-T when the Health and Safety Executive has completed its report on the case of Ms. Anna Noon; and if she will make a statement.

the Advisory Committee on Pesticides carried out full-scale reviews of the safety of 2,4,5,-T herbicides in 1979, 1980 and 1982. On each occasion its advice was that formulations of 2,4,5,-T cleared under the pesticides safety precautions scheme were safe for use as recommended. The Government accepted that advice. The committee continues to examine all important evidence on the safety of 2,4,5,-T herbicides.A report of the Health and Safety Executive's investigations of the case of Ms. Anna Noon will he made to the committee.

askd the Prime Minister whether the Government have received any request from King Hussein for United Kingdom Ministers to meet the deputation of Jordanians and Palestinians currently visiting Italy and France; and whether Her Majesty's Government will make clear that their policy regarding ministerial contact with representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organisation remains unchanged.

The Italian and French Governments received a joint Jordanian/Palestinian delegation in late June at the request of King Hussein. We ourselves are in close touch with King Hussein and are examining how best we can support his courageous efforts to move towards peace negotiations. As is well known, contacts at ministerial level with the PLO remain difficult while PLO attitudes on Israel's right to exist and on the use of violence remain ambiguous.

asked the Prime Minister what improvements the Government have made in the circumstances of retirement pensioners since 1979.

The Government's pledge to protect the value of retirement pensions has been fully honoured. When the new rates announced on 18 June by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services come into force in November 1985, the pension will have risen by 96·4 per cent. since November 1978, some ten percentage points more than the expected rise in prices over the same period.The method of uprating pensions has been changed so that increases are now based on the actual rate of inflation rather than on uncertain forecasts of price changes.The pensioners' earnings rule has been increased to £70 a week and will be further increased to £75 a week in November.The capital limit for supplementary benefit was raised to £3,000 in November 1983, the capital limit for single payments was raised to £500 and the first £1,500 of the surrender valie of life assurance policies is now disregarded in relation to supplementary benefit entitlement: all of which help pensioners with savings.Help with heating costs reached an estimated level of £400 million in 1984–85, about £140 million more in real terms than under the last Labour Government. Over 90 per cent. of supplementary pensioners now receive a heating addition.The Christmas bonus has been made a permanent statutory entitlement.In November 1984 the residence test for the non-contributory over-80's pension was relaxed so that the 10 years' residence test could be completed after age 80, enabling people who returned to this country from abroad after age 70 to qualify for the pension.We have taken steps to ensure that from November 1985 married women over 80 who qualify for the non-contributory pension will receive it at the full rate instead of a reduced rate.We have abolished the residual effects of the married women's half-test with effect from December 1984, enabling 25,000 married women who reached age 60 before April 1979 to receive a pension on their own contributions.Finally, the Government's most important achievement for pensioners — and for all those living on fixed incomes—has been to bring down the rate of inflation and to keep it in single figures for four succesive years.

asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government have any plans to seek to encourage (a) the making available of defence and nuclear robotic research to those wishing to produce sophisticated aids for the disabled and (b) the making available of research regarding aids for the disabled, using light-weight and low-cost materials, to those exploring defence and nuclear robotic possibilities.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services is responsible for reporting each year to Parliament progress made on research and development work carried out on behalf of every Minister of the Crown which might be of assistance to the disabled. The inquiries made by his Department seek to identify all such useful work, including that arising from defence. These inquiries have not included the nuclear field. I am grateful for the suggestion of a further source of information.The Department of Health and Social Security has sought to increase the effectiveness of this report by commissioning a study last year by the disabilities study unit in addition to its own inquiries. The report of the unit is being studied. First indications are that few developments have been revealed of which the DHSS was previously unaware. The project has clearly been useful in providing a further stimulus to research establishments to consider the need for the disabled.Research regarding aids for the disabled is not subject to secrecy except where commercial confidentiality applies and information is therefore available through a wide range of publications concerning this area, as well as in the report made under section 22 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has as to which health authorities in Wales have arrangements for providing an incontinence laundry service for the use of patients in the community.

The information is not held centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide financial assistance to the East Dyfed health authority to appoint additional specialists in geriatric medicine commensurate with the large geographic area and dispersed communities as highlighted in the report of the joint hospital advisory services and social work service published on 7 June; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 25 June at col. 359. East Dyfed has approval from the All-Wales Manpower Committee for a consultant post in geriatrics. Central funds for the consultant expension programme in 1985–86 have already been allocated. It is open to the authority to make a bid against such monies as might be available for the programme in 1986–87.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the number of farmers in the parliamentary constituency of Brecon and Radnor who have (a) applied for grant under the variable beef premium scheme and (b) have had their application granted in each year since 1979.

Payments to Welsh producers under the beef variable premium scheme are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the number of farmers in the parliamentary constituency of Brecon and Radnor who have (a) applied for grant or subsidy and (b) received grant or subsidy under the European Economic Community sheepmeat regime in each year since 1979.

Payments to Welsh producers under the EC sheepmeat regime are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make a statement about the development of community radio.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is yet ready to announce his plans for development of community radio; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend hopes to make a further statement before the recess.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what happens when a penal establishment exhausts its allocation for medical services.

Establishments are expected to keep within their financial allocation subject to the requirement to maintain a proper standard of health care. There is no question of patients being denied essential treatment, and the re-allocation of provision within the voted resources of the prison service is considered if the need arises.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average cost of escort duties involved in taking a prisoner from a local prison to a Crown court on one occasion.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a breakdown of the main reasons given for refusal of bail.

Such information is not collected routinely but details of the grounds for refusal of bail by magistrates' courts in the period May to October 1978 are contained in Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1979 (paragraph 8·8 and tables 8·9 and 8·10).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the total number of bail beds available in England and Wales, the location of the bail hostels and percentage occupancy in 1984;(2) what is the average cost of a bail bed; and what is the average cost of a prison remand place.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to his question on 27 June at column 453.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many additional electors in the Brecon and Radnor constituency, presently ineligible to vote through absence on holiday and other causes, he estimates will be enfranchised by recent legislation; and if he will make a statement.

It is estimated that throughout Great Britain over two million people, or 5 per cent. of those registered as electors, would at present be disfranchised through absence on holiday at a parliamentary general election held during July. The proportion may vary from one constituency to another, but clearly a substantial number of electors who will be unable to vote in person at the Brecon and Radnor by-election would be able to vote by post or proxy under the provisions of the Representation of the People Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons in England and Wales have been arrested, how many charged and how many convicted under the Justices of the Peace Act 1361 in each of the last five years; and how many of these arrests and charges related to domestic disputes.

Proceedings under the Justices of the Peace Act 1361 provide for persons who have been arrested for an alleged breach of the peace (which is not an offence in itself) to be brought before a magistrate's court with a view to being bound over to keep the peace. The information collected centrally relates to the number of applications made and the outcome; details of the circumstances leading to the arrest are not collected centrally. The available information, which may be incomplete, is shown in the table. Corresponding information for 1984 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to introduce legislation to amend the Justices of the Peace Act 1361; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans for such legislation at present. The Law Commission is considering the power to bind over to keep the peace, and hopes to publish a working paper with provisional proposals for reform in the course of next year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to the average length of time for which a person charged under the Justices of the Peace Act 1361 is held before being brought before a magistrate.

No information is held centrally about the length of time for which persons who are bound over to keep the peace have been detained before being brought before a magistrate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what moneys a prisoner on home leave is allowed to take with him; and what is the source of these moneys.

The information requested is as follows:A.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what moneys a prisoner may bring back into prison after home leave; and what rules govern the bringing in of moneys at this time.

There are no restrictions on the amount of money which a prisoner may bring back into prison after home leave. The money will be credited to his private cash account in the books of the prison in accordance with prison rule 41(3). Prisoners who have large sums of money in their cash account are encouraged to open accounts with the National Savings Bank or similar institutions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what wages a prisoner on home leave loses during this period or following his period of home leave.

No wages are paid to adult prisoners during absence on home leave. On return from such leave it is normal practice for prisoners to re-join their work party and they therefore usually suffer no loss of earnings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many employers were prosecuted for discrimination under the Race Relations Act (a) between 1976 and 1979 and (b) between 1979 and 1984;(2) how many employers were prosecuted under the Sex Discrimination Act

I shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many registered class A drug addicts there were in Basildon in the years 1980 to 1985.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to his question on 11 January at columns 559–60. The only information which has since become available is the provisional figures for new addicts notified in the Essex police force area in 1984, given in the reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Westminster, North (Mr. Wheeler) on 11 June 1985 at columns 394–95.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the totals of the registered number of addicts in England and Wales addicted to (a) heroin and (b) cocaine, broken down by regional health authority areas for the years 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984, respectively.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 June 1985, c. 287]: The available information about the number of drug addicts notified as addicted to heroin or cocaine relates to police forces areas and is given in the following tables for the years 1980 to 1983. Corresponding information for 1984 is not yet available. However, provisional figures for all new addicts notified in 1984 by police force area were

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons in Great Britain have been charged with drug trafficking offences in 1984–85.

The latest available information relates to 1983, when 3,919 persons were proceeded against for trafficking in controlled drugs (unlawful production of drugs other than cannabis, unlawful supply, possession with intent to supply unlawfully, and unlawful import or export).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what current proposals regarding a convention on extradition proceedings for drug trafficking are currently being discussed by the United Nations.

The United Kingdom is firmly supporting efforts to draw up a new United Nations convention to deal with all aspects of drug trafficking. We shall be pressing for real progress in the new convention on those issues, like the freezing, seizing and confiscation of the assets of drug traffickers and the extradition of such offenders, where international co-operation is absolutely crucial if the drugs menace is to be defeated. The United Kingdom is submitting this week its response to the United Nations on matters to be included in the convention, and I shall arrange for copies of the response to be placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to the number of persons (a) against whom extradition proceedings have been taken or are planned in relation to drugs-related offences and (b) who are sought by police forces to assist them with inquiries into drug related matters, who have sought asylum in foreign countries between 1980 and 1985.

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

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what amounts of class A drugs were seized by the police between 1980 and 1985 in each region.

Information on the total amounts of class A drugs seized by the police in the United Kingdom for 1980 to 1983 was given in table 1·3 of "Statistics of the Misuse of Drugs, United Kingdom, Supplementary Tables 1983"; corresponding information for 1984 and 1985 is not yet available. Provision of a breakdown by region would involve disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many children were charged with offences relating to sections 32, 33 and 34 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, for (a) Billericay petty sessional area (b) Essex and (c) England and Wales, for each of the past five years;(2) how many children were charged with offences relating to sections 35 and 36 of the Malicious Damage Act 1861 for

[pursuant to his replies, 18 June 1985, c. 88–89 and 20 June 1985, c. 185]: The information available to me, which may be incomplete is given in the following table for 1980–83; corresponding information for 1984 is not yet available.Question (3) has been taken to refer to the Offences Against the Persons Act 1861.Information collected centrally does not include details of cautions by the British Transport police, nor on the place of residence of offenders. For offences under sections 32 to 34 of the Offences Against the Persons Act 1861, the information for England and Wales is published annually in "Criminal Statistics England and Wales, Supplementary Tables", under offence classification 6: in vol 1, tables S1·1(B) and S1·1(C)—magistrates' courts, in vol 2, tables S2·1(B) and S2·1(C)—the Crown Court and in vol 4, table S4·1(C)—cautions.