asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he will make known his plans for local authority expenditure for 1986–87.

Following the autumn review of public expenditure, I have decided that the total available for capital expenditure allocation for Wales will be £323 million. This is £60 million, or 23 per cent., more than the total available for 1985–86, and is consistent with delivery of the plans in my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer's autumn statement to the House on 12 November.Following my requests in July and December 1984 for expenditure restraint, councils have succeeded in reducing their capital expenditure in 1984–85 from an initial excess of around £90 million (33 per cent.) to £16 million (6 per cent.). In the light of this reduction I have decided to waive all outstanding offsets to capital allocations for both 1985–86 and 1986–87. District council spending power is therefore £10 million more than it otherwise would have been.The total of councils' accumulated receipts increased substantially in 1984–85 but has remained broadly stable in the current year. I have therefore decided not to change for 1986–87 the prescribed proportion of captial receipts from the sale of assets which local authorities may use for additional capital expenditure. This will allow councils to make substantial additions to their capital spending using their new and accumulated receipts in 1986–87.The increase in allocation which this package represents is further evidence that by keeping a tight rein on their expenditure in recent years local authorities in Wales have made it possible for me to make substantial additional sums available for much needed capital investment. I am sure that this will be welcomed by all concerned.I shall shortly make announcements on the allocation of these resources to services and individual local authorities in the usual way.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to provide resources necessary to permit full and effective consultation if any health authority in Wales is required to take steps that materially affect the service it offers residents in its area in any aspect of its work, arising from financial constraints placed upon it by the Welsh Office.

The rationalisation of services and the consultation that is required are part of a health authority's normal management responsibility. There is no justification for special funding.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what local unemployment figures are available for a basis of comparison in the movement of unemployment figures over the past 10 years; and how far back comparisons can be made with those local figures of unemployment which will henceforth be used.

A consistent seasonally adjusted series of unemployment figures is available for Wales as a whole back to 1974. As a result of changes in methods of collection and analysis, there are, however, no figures for local unemployment which can be properly used as a basis of comparison over the whole of the past 10 years. Discontinuities in the figures have occurred as a result of three events: first, the change in the basis of the count in October 1982 from registered unemployed to a claimants system; secondly, the effects of the 1983 Budget provisions whereby some men, mainly aged 60 or over, no longer need to sign on at the unemployment benefit offices to receive benefits; and, thirdly, the recent change to a ward-based system for allocating claimants to localities.The recently introduced "ward-based" unemployment figures, which give a more accurate geographical representation of areas than any previous series, is to be made available from June 1983, although it was only fully introduced earlier this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing the level of unemployment in each local area in Wales for which figures are available for September; and if he will indicate the corresponding figures drawn up on the same basis, for each such local area for January and August respectively.

The smallest area for which unemployment rates are calculated is the travel-to-work area. The following information is therefore on that basis:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied that the Housing Corporation in Wales takes adequate steps to ensure that the needs of each area are properly understood by them, and that proper discussions take place with local housing departments before the Housing Corporation-implemented plans are formulated or updated.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will arrange to discuss with Arfon borough council and the Housing Corporation what plans exist to meet the housing needs of elderly persons in the Caernarfon area.

I am satisfied that the Housing Corporation and Arfon borough council are continuing to discuss all housing needs in the Caernarfon area, including those of the elderly.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing for the most recent available year, an analysis by local planning committees area of the number of planning appeals under section 36 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 made to him, from each such area, together with the number of appeals upheld and rejected, respectively, for each such area.

The information for 1984, the latest complete year, is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what measures have been taken to make higher education more relevant to the needs of industry.

Improving the effectiveness of higher education's contribution to the national economy is central to the Government's educational policies. This aim, and the specific measures designed to encourage the growing partnership between higher education and industry, were spelt out in our recent Green Paper "The Development of Higher Education into the 1990s".These measures include financial support through the Science and Engineering Research Council for the teaching company and other schemes which link higher education and industry in collaborative projects; responding to the requests of industry and others for additional higher education student places in science, engineering and technology—most recently in the engineering and technology programme, which will provide about 5,000 such additional places by the end of the decade; appointing more industrialists to national planning bodies for higher education and to the governing bodies and councils of individual institutions; and the establishment of schemes which encourage retraining and containing education for employees, such as the PICKUP programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what research is being sponsored by the Medical Research Council into trauma; whether he has any plans to extend the existing trauma research facilities; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the Medical Research Council (MRC) is funding 38 projects on research into trauma; this includes two projects omitted in error in my reply of 25 November, at columns 397 and 398, to questions from my hon. Friend the Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Winterton). It is for the MRC to decide how, within its charter purposes, to apportion the grant-in-aid it receives from the Department's science budget between the various areas of science which it supports. The council is always willing to consider soundly-based research proposals for support through its grants schemes in competition with other applications.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish figures to show the number of pupils educated by each education authority in London in 1978, 1982 and 1985; and if he will give the same information for Leicestershire.

The numbers of full-time and part-time pupils in maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special schools in each local education authority in Greater London and in Leicestershire in 1978, 1982 and 1985 were as follows:—

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report,for each local education authority in England, at the latest available date, the number and proportion of children of compulsory school age in (i) mainstream, maintained schools and (ii) special schools whose education is governed by a statement under the provisions of the Education Act 1981.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the saving to his Department of the changes in the mandatory grant regulations between 1984–85 and 1985–86; and whether this saving is ongoing to future years.

The saving resulting from the abolition of the minimum maintenance award and increased parental contributions from those in the middle and upper reaches of the income scale is estimated at £19 million in 1985–86. In later years the effect in each full financial year is estimated at £28 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will list in the Official Report,for the latest year available, the figures for income per student at the following universities (a) Birmingham, (b) Bristol, (c) Leeds, (d) Leicester, (e) Liverpool, (f) Manchester, (g) Newcastle, (h) Nottingham, (i) Oxford and (j) Sheffield under the headings (i) income from the University Grants Committee, (ii) direct income from local education authority in which the

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will list in the Official Report, for the latest year available, the figures for the income per student at the following polytechnics: (a) Birmingham, (b) Bristol, (c) Leeds, (d) Leicester, (e) Liverpool, (f) Manchester, (g) Newcastle, (h) Nottingham (Trent), (i) Oxford and (j) Sheffield under the headings (i) income from the advanced further education pool, (ii) direct income from the local education authority in which the institution is located, (iii) endowments, (iv) investment income, (v) fees, (vi) research councils and (vii) other research and consultancy funding; and if he will make a statement.

The recurrent income per full-time equivalent student load for the academic year 1983–84 is estimated to be as follows:institution is located, (iii) endowments, (iv) investment income, (v) fees, (vi) research and (vii) other research and consultancy funding; and if he will make a statement.

The table below gives figures for the latest available year, 1983–84. The differences between columns (v) and (vi) are largely accounted for by income from maintaining authorities, but may also include inter-authority payments and income from other sources.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what is the percentage change in the funding of each university by the University Grants Committee between 1980–81 and 1983–84, excluding those amounts representing compensation for changes in home student fees, compensation for redundancy and early retirement, changes to take account of minor capital works from the recurrent grant changes in the level of local authority rates, additions made for the information technology and new blood programmes;(2) what is the percentage change in real terms, measured by the gross domestic product deflator, in the funding of each university by the University Grants Committee between 1980–81 and 1983–84, excluding those amounts representing compensation for changes in home student fees, compensation for redundancy and early retirement, changes to take account of minor capital works from the recurrent grant and changes in the level of local authority rates

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

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to offer advice to local education authorities on the role of further education colleges in providing for young people with special educational needs.

I am considering what advice can usefully be offered on this subject to colleges and local education authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement on the implications for school reorganisation of the judgment of Mr. Justice Taylor in respect of Avon county council's proposals for south Bristol and the Sex Discrimination Act 1975; and how many proposals for reorganisation are currently awaiting his decision to which the ruling is relevant.

It would be premature for my right hon. Friend to reply to this question until it is clear that the judicial process has run its full course, or before he has been able to consider a full transcript of the judgment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners on remand at Brixton prison are strip searched; and whether he will publish a table showing the number of times per day they are strip searched, where the searching takes place and what is the sex of the prisoners.

Rule 39 of the prison rules 1964 provides that every prisoner, male and female and including those on remand, shall be searched on reception into prison and thereafter as the governor thinks necessary. Standing instructions provide that the search on reception should be a strip search, and other times at which prisoners may be strip searched include before and after court appearances, before and after visits, at the time of cell changes and during wing and cell searches. The frequency of such searches in individual cases will depend upon a range of factors including the incidence of court appearances, visits etc., and the security category of the prisoner concerned. The location of a search will depend upon the circumstances in which it is carried out. Comprehensive information of the kind requested is not available because establishments are not required to maintain statistics of the number of strip searches carried out.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how often Ella O'Dwyer and Martina Anderson are strip-searched in Brixton prison, and why.

Strip searching is a routine security measure for the detection of small items of contraband, in particular weapons and drugs, which can be concealed easily about the person and cannot be detected by other methods of searching. Miss O'Dwyer and Miss Anderson have been strip searched in accordance with standard practice, before and after court appearances, after visits, at the time of cell changes and during wing and cell searches.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the names of the rape crisis centres which receive Government grants, specifying the grants allocated for the years 1985–86 and 1986–87.

The rape counselling and research project receives a grant from the Department of Health and Social Security. The amount of the grant for the financial years 1985–86 and 1986–87 will be £22,000 each year. Local rape crisis centres are not provided with direct Government funding, but can apply in the same way as other voluntary organisations for financial assistance under various general Government programmes, such as the urban programme. The Department has no information about the number of rape crisis centres which are funded in this way.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to refusals by insurance companies to consider applications from prison officers serving in certain establishments; and if he will make a statement.

The Department has received no information that prison officers have been refused personal insurance.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prison officers of all ranks serving in penal establishments in Britain and Northern Ireland have, within the last five years, been recorded as suffering from heart attacks or other stress related conditions; and how many have died from such ailments whilst still serving;(2) how many prison officers serving in a dispersal prison within the United Kingdom or who are recorded as having served in a dispersal prison have died from a heart attack or related ailment within the last five years.

Information about the circumstances of staff sickness or the death of serving officers is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present average prison sentence now being served by a person who has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

The average time served under sentence in prison department establishments in England and Wales by those first released on licence from life sentences in 1984 was about ten and a half years. There are wide variations in the periods served in custody from which this average is calculated and it does not take into account any time that may have been served in other custodial care before entering a prison department establishment. This average excludes those persons who have died in custody or been discharged for other reasons. Also, it does not fully reflect the longest periods likely to be served by some of those given life sentences following the abolition of capital punishment in 1965 who have not yet been released.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the establishment of the Hampshire constabulary in 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980 and 1985, respectively.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civilians have been employed by the Hampshire constabulary in each year since 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980 and 1985, respectively.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will call for reports from chief constables about their guidelines regarding the use of unmarked police vehicles by constabularies in England and Wales;(2) if he will call for reports from chief constables about how many police forces in England and Wales use unmarked police vehicles for motorway patrol duties; and if he will list the names of such constabularies.

The use of unmarked police vehicles, whether for motorway patrol or other duties, is an operational matter for individual chief officers of police, in which it would not be appropriate for us to intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further consideration he has given to the use of compulsory quotas as a means of overcoming racial discrimination in the employment of young perons.

None. Under the Race Relations Act 1976 any racial discrimination at the point of employment is unlawful. We have no plans to amend the law in this respect.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further consideration Her Majesty's Government have given to imposing conditions regarding racial discrimination in the employment of young people when awarding Government contracts.

The Government already require their contractors not to discriminate unlawfully within the meaning of the provisions of the Race Relations Act 1976 relating to employment and to take all reasonable steps to ensure that their servants, employees, agents and sub-contractors do not do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the new guidelines for fire services are to be published.

I understand that the hon. Member is concerned with the guidelines by which fire authorities assess the number of pumping appliances required in any locality. These are contained in the report of the joint committee on standards of fire cover of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Councils for England and Wales and Scotland, which was endorsed in Fire Service circular No. 4/1985 issued on 22 May.

asked the Attorney-General when he expects to receive a report and recommendations from the Roskill Committee.

The committee has reached the final stages of its deliberations and a report is expected in the near future.

asked the Attorney-General when he now expects the Director of Public Prosecutions to complete his investigations into alleged leaks to unauthorised persons of information relating to the deliberations of the War Cabinet during the Falklands conflict.

The Director of Public Prosecutions hopes to complete his investigations shortly.

asked the Prime Minister what is Her Majesty's Government's estimate of unemployed people who are actively seeking work; and what assumptions are made in calculating that figure as to the number of people classified as unemployed who are not registered at job centres.

I have been asked to reply.According to the labour force survey, there were an estimated 2,905,000 people without jobs and actively seeking work in Great Britain in the spring of 1984. This figure is derived from household interviews and no assumption is made of the numbers of people claiming benefits or registered at jobcentres.

asked the Prime Minister if she will initiate discussions with President Alfonsin of Argentina about the future of the Falkland Islands; and if she will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.

asked the Prime Minister what discussions she has held with President Reagan since his recent meeting with Mr. Gorbachev in Geneva.

I have been asked to reply.I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Mr. Parry) on 25 November at columns

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 December.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 December.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend is in Luxembourg for a meeting of the European Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what meetings he has had with the Equal Opportunities Commission to discuss those parts of the United Nations Nairobi conference document forward looking strategies for the advancement of women which are relevant to his Department; and what plans he has for further meetings on this topic.

No meetings have been held between my Department and the Equal Opportunities Commission and none is planned.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list those bodies to which his Department makes appointments, showing in each case the total number of appointees and the number who are women.

The information as at 2 December 1985 is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what steps he is taking to evaluate the successful implementation of those parts of the United Nations Nairobi conference on forward looking strategies for the advancement of women applicable to his Department; what resources have been allocated to this task; and if he will make a statement.

A copy of the United Nations Nairobi conference document on forward looking strategies for the advancement of women has been received by my Department. The document is being studied to determine necessary action to implement the recommendations relevant to this Department.I have no plans to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what plans he has for implementing paragraph 58 of the United Nations Nairobi conference document on forward looking strategies for the advancement of women relating to the collection of statistics on the situation of women.

The following statistics are compiled by my Department and are submitted periodically to the Treasury:—(i) the numbers of men and women employed; (ii) the number of posts restricted to one sex; (iii) the number of complaints from staff on equal opportunities matters; and (iv) the numbers of men and women attending training courses.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will set up a special section in his Department to monitor and accelerate the process of equitable representations of women, as called for by paragraph 88 of the Nairobi conference document on forward looking strategies for the advancement of women.

In accordance with policy, formulated by the Cabinet Office, an equal opportunities officer has been designated within my Department to review progress on all equal opportunities issues including monitoring and positive action where needed to secure an equitable representation of women.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland (1) if he will list for each region of Scotland his most recent information on the number of arrests, cases where proceedings have been instituted, and convictions arising from the miners' strike; and if he will list the offences for which persons have been (a)charged and (b) convicted;(2) if he will list for the duration of the miners' dispute

The information requested is not readily available, and I shall publish the information in the Official Report later.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what specific steps he has taken to stimulate increased employment in the British textile industry.

The provision of specific Government aids to the textile and clothing sectors is not permitted under present European community policy. Companies in these sectors can, however, apply for assistance under the Department's national schemes of support and also through its regional schemes aimed at projects safeguarding or creating new jobs.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will ensure that the statement to be made by Mr. David Hall of his Department on Government policy towards United States extraterritoriality on 3 December will reflect the declaration made by the Attorney-General in his letter to the hon. Member for Yeovil in July.

My officials will naturally reflect the Government's views on United States extraterritoriality as set out in the letter of 3 July 1985 from my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General to the hon. Gentleman.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what guidelines his Department uses in considering applications from minority shareholders for investigations by his Department into companies under part XIV of the Companies Act 1985.

The circumstances set out in section 432(2) of the Companies Act 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions his Department has had with British industry and the Indonesian Government over the provision of concessionary finance for railway developments; and if he will make a statement.

My Department has continuing contacts with all British companies interested in railway developments in Indonesia, and we are in touch with the Indonesian Government to explore mutually satisfactory forms of financial support.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria his Department uses to determine whether soft loan finance should be made available; and if he will make a statement.

Soft loan facilities under the aid and trade provision will be negotiated where there is a clear preference over aid in the form of grants plus export credits. Individual projects will have to satisfy the criteria of the aid and trade provision and support under a facility agreed with the recipient country.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list all those manufacturing industries whose exports in the latest year for which figures are available exceeded £4 billion in value.

[pursuant to his reply, 2 December 1985, c. 17]: Exports of principal products of the following sectors of manufacturing industry (defined as classes in divisions 2 to 4 of the Standard Industrial Classification (1980)) exceeded £4 billion in 1984:

• Class 25 Chemical Industry
• Class 32 Mechanical Engineering
• Class 34 Electrical and electronic Engineering

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the longest time, shortest time and average time it takes for planning inspectors' reports to be determined after the appeal has been heard.

The chief planning inspector's report for 1984 contains statistics for the handling of planning appeals made under section 36 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971. The time taken to reach and issue a decision after an inquiry or site visit by an inspector varies according to the procedure used to determine the appeal. Appeals may be "transferred" for decision by one of the Department's inspectors following a public inquiry or an informal hearing, or on the basis of written representations and a site visit. Or appeals may be "recovered" for decision by the Secretary of State—that is, by Ministers or by officials under the authority of Ministers —following a public inquiry or on the basis of written representations and a site visit. The following were the median times for each type of procedure in 1984:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many planning appeals were decided between 1 September 1981 and 1 September 1985; and in how many cases the applicants were successful.

Information on planning appeal statistics is published quarterly.The total number of appeals decided and the number of those allowed between 1 October 1981 and the end of September 1985 can be broken down as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date he began his consideration of the inspector's report on the planning appeal at Birtenshaw farm, Bolton; and on what date he reached a decision.

Consideration of the inspector's report began on 14 March and the decision was issued on 18 July 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment in how many planning appeal cases between 1 September 1981 and 1 September 1985 he did not accept the inspector's report.

In the calendar years 1981–84,83 appeals under section 36 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 were decided contrary to inspectors' recommendations. There were 14 such decisions in the first six months of 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Thames water authority has applied to his Department for an easing of the nitrate levels in water set by a recent European Economic Community directive; and if he will make a statement.

No application has been made by the Thames water authority for a derogation from the maximum nitrate concentration in drinking water set by the EC drinking water directive (80/778).

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the objectives of his housing policy.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer which my hon. Friend gave him on 18 November at column 62.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to facilitate the renting of private property.

The Government hope to introduce legislation, building on the initiatives already taken in the Housing Act 1980, to encourage the supply of more homes for renting in the private rented sector, but probably not during the lifetime of this Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to reintroduce 90 per cent. improvement grants for domestic roofs during the current financial year; and if he will make a statement.

No. Repair grants up to 90 per cent. are still available where such a rate is justified, namely for those in hardship.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to prohibit variations to planning application approvals being determined and authorised by paid officials acting alone under delegated powers.

We have no plans to introduce legislation for this purpose. It is entirely proper for local planning authorities to decide whether and to what extent they delegate to officers decisions about variations to planning permissions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to accelerate a decision by the European Commission with regard to the Webbers Yard, Dartington application for a grant from the European regional development fund for a new road; and if he will make a statement.

Although the final decision on the application rests with the European Commission, my Department, in conjunction with the Department of Trade and Industry, is doing all that it can to ensure a speedy and satisfactory outcome.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to seek to increase accommodation to rent in Bradford; what resources have been allocated to the Housing Corporation for this purpose; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend announced on 20 November a gross provision of £2,532 million for capital investment by local authorities in 1986–87, with a total of £1,465 million available for housing investment programme (HIP) allocations, and a gross total of £685 million for the Housing Corporation's approved development plan. Bradford city council will be notified before Christmas of its HIP allocation for 1986–87. Local authorities have discretion in deciding the content of their capital programmes but we expect them to give priority to renovation of the existing housing stock and, in the case of new build, to concentrate on meeting special needs which cannot be met by the private sector. The breakdown of the Housing Corporation's programme for 1986–87 will be announced after consultation with the corporation, which will then be responsible for making allocations to individual housing associations and projects. Fair rent projects which will provide 643 homes for a total estimated cost of £16·645 million are currently being funded by the Housing Corporation in Bradford.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the amount of rate support grant paid to each local authority area in England and Wales in each of the years 1978–79 to 1985–86, expressed in constant 1985–86 prices.

I have today placed in the Library tables showing rate support grant paid to individual English and Welsh local authorities from and including 1981–82 to 1985–86, at constant 1985–86 prices, based on the latest supplementary report for each year. Because of the change in the way rate support grant was paid to different tiers of local authority, figures for earlier years are not available on a comparable basis. Cash figures have been adjusted by the GDP deflator. For 1983–84, 1984–85 and 1985–86, the grant payable may be adjusted in future supplementary reports.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will circulate to individual members of the home rugby unions' committees guidelines concerning the Government's policy towards the proposed British Lions' tour of South Africa; and if he will make a statement.

I met the president and secretary of the RFU and made clear the Government's firm opposition towards the scheduled British Lions tour of South Africa. The South African rugby board has now announced that it is withholding the invitation for the tour.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the success or failure of Her Majesty's Government's guidelines on pay in the public sector.

Our policy for public sector pay has been and remains that it should reflect the need to recruit, retain and motivate the staff of the calibre required, within what can be afforded.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table in the Official Report which sets out for a two-child family on (a) half average earnings, (b) three quarters average earnings, (c) average earnings, (d)

Williams asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish figures showing the rates

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the treatment for national accounting purposes of the proposed family credit.

It is intended that family credit will be classified for national accounting purposes as voted central Government expenditure.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the total cost of income tax reliefs specifically for lone parents, one and a half average earnings, (e) twice average earnings, (f) five times average earnings and (g) 10 times average earnings the increase, in net income to be derived from (i) a 1p cut in the standard rate of income tax, (ii) an increase in personal allowance, over and above indexation, which incurred the same cost as a 1p cut in standard rate income tax and (iii) an increase in child benefit which incurred the same cost as a 1p cut in standard rate income tax in 1985–86.

A cut of one penny in the basic rate of income tax would cost about £1,200 million in a full year at 1986–87 income levels, assuming indexation of allowances and thresholds as in the autumn statement 1985. The table below illustrates the effects of this reduction on the net income of a married man with two children. It also gives the effects of an increase in all the main personal allowances and an increase in child benefit which would have the same full year cost.of child benefit, single person's tax allowance and married man's allowance, at current and at 1979 constant prices, in April of each year since 1979.

The information is in the table.distinguishing between the additional personal allowance, maintenance payments, school fees and other reliefs; and what was the comparable figure in 1970.

In 1985–86, the cost of the additional personal allowance for lone parents is expected to be about £150 million. In 1975–76, the earliest year for which a comparable figure is readily available, the cost is estimated to have been about £30 million. There are no other income tax reliefs specifically for lone parents.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total level of overseas investment in 1979 and 1984.

Figures for overseas investment can be found in the 1985 edition of the "United Kingdom Balance of Payments" (The Pink Book). Table 8·2 gives United Kingdom private investment overseas, and table 11·1 gives United Kingdom external assets.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the level of direct British investment in South Africa in 1982, 1983 and 1984, respectively.

The book value of direct United Kingdom investment in South Africa was £2,826 million at the end of 1981, the most recent date for which figures are available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the contribution of his plans for offering shares in Cable and Wireless to Her Majesty's Government's policy on seeking wider public share ownership.

48,796,399 ordinary shares (worth some £286 million at the offer price) are being made available by the Government for sale to members of the public and to employees and pensioners of Cable and Wireless. In the event of heavy demand, a further 5 million shares will be made available as well as any shares not taken up by existing shareholders.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the Government are not taking up their preferential entitlement of 12·8 million new shares in Cable and Wireless and offering this instead to Japan and Canada.

The Government are not taking up their preferential entitlement in accordance with their decision to sell their remaining ordinary shares in Cable and Wireless and their general policy of not retaining ordinary shareholdings in privatised companies. The decision to dispose of the new shares in Japan and Canada was a matter for the company.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a further statement about the Government's privatisation programme.

The Government are offering for sale its remaining 102,500,005 ordinary shares in Cable and Wireless in a joint offer with the company which is issuing 43,610,814 new ordinary shares. The offer will close on 11 December 1985. The company is also offering separately 12,812,500 new ordinary shares in Japan and Canada.All the offered shares have been underwritten. The price has been fixed at £5·87 per share, with £3 payable on application and the balance of £2·87 payable on 7 March 1986. Gross proceeds to the Government will therefore be £602 million.Depending on the level of demand, up to two thirds of the shares in the joint offer will be made available for the public, Cable and Wireless employees and pensioners, and existing shareholders.A copy of the prospectus for the offer has been placed in the Library.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give details of the amount of outstanding Government debt to countries in sub-Saharan Africa; and if he will give a breakdown by country.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Paymaster General when he will next meet the chairman of the Manpower Services Commission to discuss the adult training strategy.

I have frequent meetings with the chairman of the Manpower Services Commission and matters relating to the adult training strategy are regularly on the agenda.

asked the Paymaster General whether he will make a statement on Government proposals for adult training or retraining.

Our main objective is to implement the adult training strategy so as to secure and sustain the skills necessary to meet the changing requirements of employers. We have recently written to the chairman of the Manpower Services Commission to ask for proposals for re-focussing the commission's own adult training programmes to give a sharper focus on the needs of small businesses, promoting enterprise and self-employment and further developing the potential of open learning.

asked the Paymaster General how many people are currently out of work.

asked the Paymaster General if he will make a statement on the current level of unemployment.

asked the Paymaster General what is the present level of unemployment.

asked the Paymaster General if he will publish the latest figures for unemployment; and if he will make a statement.

On 10 October 1985 the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom was 3,277,000.

asked the Paymaster General if he will make a statement about the current trends in unemployment.

Unemployment has levelled off since the spring; the seasonally adjusted level has remained broadly unchanged over the past six months.

asked the Paymaster General how many people are unemployed now; and how many were unemployed in May 1979.

On 10 October 1985 the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom, seasonally adjusted excluding school leavers, was 3,175,000. The corresponding figure for May 1979 was 1,184,100.

asked the Paymaster General what is his latest estimate of the number of persons classified as unemployed who are actively seeking work.

In the spring of 1984, the latest date for which complete returns are available, the labour force survey estimated that there were 2,905,000 people without jobs and actively seeking work in Great Britain.

asked the Paymaster General how many more people have come on to the labour market since May 1979.

Between mid-1979 and mid-1984 the net increase in the civilian labour force in Great Britain is estimated at 390,000.

asked the Paymaster General what is the proportion of (a) employees in employment and (b) self-employed persons directly and indirectly engaged in the tourist industry.

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mr. Chapman) on 29 October at columns 425–26.

asked the Paymaster General what is his latest estimate of the total numbers in employment; and how this figure compares with one year and two years before.

In June 1985, the latest date for which figures are available, the size of the employed labour force in Great Britain was estimated to be 23,684,000. This compares with 23,432,000 in June 1984 and 23,038,000 in June 1983. The figures have been adjusted for seasonal variations.

asked the Paymaster General if he will give the change in the number of employees in employment in the north-west region between 1979 and 1985 for (a) all industries and (b) manufacturing industry.

Between June 1979 and June 1985 the number of employees in employment in all industries in the north-west region decreased by 307,000; employees in employment in the manufacturing industries decreased by 295,000.