asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the number of reports to procurators fiscal, prosecutions, convictions, and the average fine imposed for such convictions, for offences under section 18 of the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937 in each of the last 10 years.

There are no available statistics in relation to contraventions of section 18 of the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, pursuant to the answer of 5 December, Official Report, column 450, he will list the further actions which would need to be carried through by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation for Her Majesty's Government to consider rejoining the organisation.

Before considering rejoining UNESCO we would need to be convinced that the organisation had adopted thoroughgoing and comprehensive reforms and that all member states and the secretariat were once again fully committed to working towards its constitutional aims and objectives.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens presently work for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation; what effect United Kingdom withdrawal will have on their employment; and what action he has taken to safeguard their interests.

About 225 British citizens are currently employed by UNESCO. The withdrawal of Britain from membership of the organisation will not affect their terms of employment as international civil servants.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what effect United Kingdom withdrawal from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation will have on British citizens who are United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation scholarship holders and on overseas United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation scholarship holders within the United Kingdom.

At the moment there are no British citizens who are UNESCO scholarship holders. I know of no reason why the interests of UNESCO scholars at present at British institutions should be affected by our withdrawal. It is for UNESCO to decide its future policy on sending UNESCO scholars to Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will specify which of the reforms mentioned in his letter to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation of 5 December 1984 have not been implemented or tackled; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to my statement to the House on 22 November at columns 517–25.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all representations received by Her Majesty's Government which (a) approved and (b) disapproved of the United Kingdom's decision to withdraw from UNESCO, specifying, in each case, the country from which the representation came.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 12 December to my hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Mr. Murphy) at column 707.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the conditions under which Her Majesty's Government would be prepared to rejoin UNESCO have been transmitted to UNESCO; and if he will make a statement.

No. I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 11 December.

asked the Prime Minister what research is already available and what research has been commissioned into the relative incidence of cancers in the vicinity of military nuclear installations; and if she will make a statement.

I understand that the Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys is sponsoring a study to compare the incidence and mortality of certain malignancies in areas around nuclear establishments with those in control areas. Other studies of the incidence of cancer in various parts of the country are also being undertaken, including one by the Royal Berkshire hospital.Earlier this year the Government established a committee on the medical aspects of radiation in the environment. This committee was established for the specific purpose of offering the Government independent medical and scientific advice on the health effects of natural and man-made radiation in the environment. The committee will be able to advise whether, in the light of the current studies, further research into particular issues is necessary.

asked the Prime Minister how many workplace nurseries are operated by Government Departments; how many children use these nurseries; and what is the average total subsidy from public funds per child.

There are no workplace nurseries at present operated by Government Departments.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will publish the factual material assembled for the 1985 annual review of Government funded research and development.

The annual review of Government funded R & D, announced in the Government's response (Cmnd. 8591) to the House of Lords Select Committee report "Science and Government", has now completed its third cycle. As in previous years, Departments' R & D plans were submitted for review by Government under the guidance of the Interdepartmental Committee of Chief Scientists, and for comment by the Advisory Council on Applied Research and Development (ACARD), which provides independent advice.The factual material assembled for the 1985 review, with some commentary, will again be published by the Government in order to inform the debate on this important topic. It will be published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office on Monday 16 December, and I am arranging to have copies placed in the Library of the House of Commons.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many dog licences were purchased in Northern Ireland in 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984; and what is the latest figure for 1985.

The available information is as follows:—

	Number of licences purchased	Number of dogs licensed
1 April 1980 to 31 March 1981	36,971	50,776
1 April 1981 to 31 March 1982	32,867	45,259
1 April 1982 to 31 March 1983	35,230	48,686
1 April 1983 to 18 December 1983	24,892	33,936
19 December 1985 to 31 December 1984	84,137	*86,673
1 January 1985 to 30 September 1985	60,383	*62,619
* Licences issued since 19 December 1983 include block licences which are available in certain circumstances to people who keep three or more dogs is not known, but for statistical purposes is estimated at the minimum o three per block licence.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many dogs have been destroyed in Northern Ireland since 1 January 1985;(2) how many dogs were destroyed in Northern Ireland during each of the years 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1984.

The available information is as follows:

Year	Number of dogs humanely destroyed
1980	Not available
1981	9,580
1982	10,510
1983	11,100
1984	12,228
1 January to 30 June 1985	1,836 by USPCA
1 January to 30 September 1985	7,403 by district councils

Up to 18 December 1983 the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals dealt with stray dogs as agents of the Northern Ireland police authority; from 19 December 1983 responsibilitity has rested with district councils under the terms of the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983.The figures include not only stray dogs but also dogs which were either unwanted or which had to be put down by reason of infirmity of disease. Homes are found for about 25 per cent. of the stray and unwanted dogs dealt with by the USPCA and district councils.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the cost of collecting the dog licence in Northern Ireland.

The information requested is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has in relation to parents of children taking part in the assisted places scheme as to whether they are (a) separated or divorced, (b) unemployed, (c) retired, (d) disabled or (e) manual workers.

Such information is not collected by the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many overseas students pursue studies for further degrees, M.Sc. and Ph.D. through University College, Wales, Aberystwyth and Welsh Plant Breeding Station, Aberystwyth and in which broad areas of work; how this compares with 1979–80; and if he will make a statement.

The number of students paying overseas fees at the Welsh Plant Breeding Station were as follows:

	Number
1979–80
Ph.D. developmental genetics	1
Ph.D. herbage breeding	1
Ph.D plant pathology	1
M.Sc. plant breeding	5
1984–85
Ph.D. grass breeding	1
Ph.D. agriculture	1
M.Sc. plant breeding	7

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what account was taken by the national advisory body for higher education of the European Economic Community directive requiring freedom to practise throughout the European Economic Community for professionals when it decided to restrict entry to the architectural profession; what savings will be made by this step; and what loss of revenue will be incurred as a result of deterring foreign students from coming to the United Kingdom to study architecture.

(i) The directive was drawn to the attention of NAB in representations from a variety of sources during its consideration of architecture intakes.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide figures for the United Kingdom for the proportion of the gross domestic or gross national product spent on education comparable with those of other European countries referred to in his Department's publication "Selected National Education Systems".

The information is as follows:

Country	Financial year beginning in	Expenditure on education as a percentage of gross national product
France	1980	*5.l
Germany, Federal Republic of	1980	4·7
Italy	1979	5·0
Netherlands	1981	†7·9
United Kingdom	1981	5·4
	1983	‡5·2
* Metropolitan France.
† Revised.
‡ Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what machinery is available in his Department to monitor the administrative work of the Medical Research Council; and if he will make a statement.

The Medical Research Council is one of a number of bodies which have royal charters and are sponsored by the Department. The Department's relationship with the council is along the lines set out in the Cabinet Office (MPO) and Her Majesty's Treasury Publication "Non-Departmental Public Bodies: A Guide for Departments", a copy of which is in the Library. Monitoring functions are mainly discharged through the Department's science branch.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if the Agriculture and Food Research Council through the Welsh Plant Breeding Station at Aberystwyth is considering investigating alternatives to current grassland and animal farming systems in the wetter western portions of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement;(2) what proportion of the combined budget of the new animal and grassland research institute will be spent at the Welsh Plant Breeding Station Aberystwyth; and if he will make a statement;

I understand that the Agricultural and Food Research Council (AFRC) is committed to a strong research programme at the Welsh Plant Breeding Station (WPBS) related to the needs of livestock and grassland enterprises in the wetter west of Britain. Within this broad remit the precise content and balance of the research programme at the WPBS will be determined by the director of animal production and grassland research in the light of a number of factors including the level of his institute's grant-in-aid from the science budget through the AFRC, the commissioning needs of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and industrial and scientific advice available to him.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what will be the grades of the new posts of the director of research and of site directors of the new animal and grassland reseach insitutue of the Agriculture and Food Research Council; what will he the preferred specialisations of the successful candidates; and if he will make a statement.

No decision has yet been taken about the grade of the new post of director of the AFRC's animal production and grassland research institute. I understand that the successful candidate will be chosen on the basis of proven leadership ability in the relevant scientific discipline. I also understand that the management of sites within the new institute, including the grades of the heads of sites, will be a matter on which the director, when appointed, will be invited to make proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what esimate he has of the Agriculture and Food Research Council's long-term commitment to its breeding programmes on various crops at its institutes under the reorganisation programme; and if he will make a statement.

The Agricultural and Food Research Council's document "Forward Policy", which was published in October 1985, explained that crop breeding together with crop production and crop protection research will be a component of the research programmes of the council's new arable crops and horticultural research institutes. I understand that the AFRC is considering ways of increasing industrial funding of its plant breeding programmes.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how the cuts in expenditure announced by the Agriculture and Food Research Council in September conform with the views of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food priorities board in relation to the Welsh Plant Breeding Station; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the reductions announced in September reflected reductions in work commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food from April 1986. They include some reductions in strategic work on crop physiology and grass cytogenetics and carried out with funds from the science budget. These changes in programmes are consistent with the interim advice given to my right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by the priorities board for research and development in agriculture and food.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy on the length of appointments at the Welsh Plant Breeding Station, Aberystwyth.

Although their employer is the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, I understand that the staff of the Welsh Plant Breeding Station are appointed on the standard terms and conditions of service of the Agricultural and Food Research Service. For staff on permanent appointments the normal retirement age is 60. In addition, fixed-term appointments are made from time to time to meet short-term requirements.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has redetermined the expenditure level for the Inner London education authority for the financial year 1986–87.

In September I determined the expenditure level for the new ILEA for 1986–87 under the Rates Act at £902 million. The Inner London interim education authority subsequently applied to me for a redetermination of the expenditure level at £1,025 million. I have today informed the interim authority that I have redetermined the expenditure level at £915 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of people excluded from licensed premises for each of the years since the Licensed Premises Exclusion of Certain Persons Act 1980 has been in force.

Records available to me show no orders made under the Licensed Premises (Exclusion of Certain Persons) Act 1980 in the period 30 June to 31 December 1980, 52 in 1981, 146 in 1982, 165 in 1983, and 198 in 1984. Corresponding information for subsequent years is not being collected centrally because the figures are thought to be incomplete.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons and in what circumstances male and female prisoners are strip-searched in Her Majesty's prisons; and what contribution such searches make to prison security.

The following information relates to prisons in England and Wales. Responsibility for prisons in Scotland and Northern Ireland rests with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland.Strip searching is a routine but essential security procedure whose purpose is to detect small items of contraband, in particular weapons and drugs, which can be easily concealed about the body and cannot be detected by other methods of searching. The justification for this method of searching, distasteful though it is to staff and prisoners alike, is that staff do discover items such as drugs, razors, plastic knives sharpened into daggers, and scissors which would not otherwise be detected; and the knowledge that these searches take place undoubtedly has a deterrent effect.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.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the police officers to be seconded to the national drugs unit under the command of Mr. Colin Hewitt are to remain on the strength of their existing forces.

I shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Metropolitan Police have available for use any soft-nosed bullets, or bullets specifically designed to break up when passing within or through the target.

The round available to the metropolitan police is a semi-jacketed soft-nosed round which has been tested extensively and is not designed to break up on contact with human tissue.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) why the hon. Member for Leyton has not yet received a substantive reply to his question tabled for priority written answer on 18 November relating to the latest available information on persons detained under immigration regulations; and when the hon. Member can expect to receive a substantive reply;(2) if he will list all people held in detention under immigration regulations as of 10 December, where they are detained and the date they were first held.

I wrote to the hon. Member on 5 December giving the information he had requested about those detained for over seven days on 19 November. For the reasons explained in that letter information about all those detained on 10 December is not readily available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women were remanded in prison for medical reports in each of the last five years; and what proportion in each category eventually received a custodial sentence.

I shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of persons remanded in custody awaiting trial, both male and female, at the latest date available.

On 31 October 1985, about 7,860 untried males and 310 untried females were in prison department establishments in England and Wales. Information on how many were awaiting commencement of their trial is not available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of persons remanded in custody awaiting trial, at (a) Risley remand centre and (b) Brockhill remand centre at 31 December 1984, 30 June 1985 and the latest date available.

The readily availble information is given in the table below. Information on how many were awaiting commencement of their trial is not available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Untried population of Risley and Brockhill remand centres
Number of persons*
	31 December	30 June	31 October
	1984	1985	1985
Risley remand centre†	690	715	770
Brockhill remand centre	195	205	195
* Rounded estimates.
‡ Males and females.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will express the number of remands in custody for (a) indictable and (b) all offences excluding driving offences, as a percentage of the total number of persons charged with offences in each category, using figures for the latest available 12 months period.

Information on the number of persons remanded and the type of remand is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", chapter 8 of the issue for 1984. In 1984, seven per cent. of those proceeded against at magistrates' courts for indictable offences and four per cent. of those proceeded against for indictable or non-motoring summary offences had been remanded in custody. Of those tried at the Crown court in 1984, 23 per cent. had been remanded in custody either on committal for trial or during proceedings at the Crown court.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he gives to magistrates on the exercise of their sentencing powers with particular regard to the imposition on adult males of custodial sentences for indictable offences; and if he will make a statement.

The sentence to be passed in any particular case is a matter for the courts, subject to the requirements of statute. But the Department takes opportunities to draw to the attention of the magistrates' courts relevant guidance of the Court of Appeal, including guidance on the use of custody, and to emphasise the value of using non-custodial measures wherever possible. A general guide to sentencing powers and principles is provided in the handbook "The Sentence of the Court", a new edition of which will be published shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent, and by what means his Department monitors (a) the implementation by magistrates of guidance on sentencing and (b) the consistency of sentencing patterns in different parts of the United Kingdom.

In compiling the published criminal statistics, the Department collects details of the sentences imposed in each petty sessions area. Consistency of practice is one of the factors we have in mind in analysing this information, though variations in the use of different sentences will in some measure be attributable to differences in local circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when the hon. Member for Stretford can expect a reply to his letter to the Minister of State, dated 29 August concerning Mohammed Fasih (F177119/2);(2) when Mr. Mohammed Fasih was interviewed; when he first applied for political asylum; and if he will indicate the reasons for the delay in reaching a decision in this case.

Mr. Fasih applied for asylum in August 1983, and was interviewed in respect of his application on 14 December 1983. It was necessary to make further inquiries about the information provided by Mr. Fasih in support of his application and this together with the general pressures on the Home Office refugee unit resulted in the long delay in dealing with the case, which I very much regret.I shall write to the hon. Member very shortly with my right hon. Friend's decision on Mr. Fasih's application.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average an applicant for political asylum can expect to wait (a) before receiving a decision after an interview and (b) before an application for interview is granted.

I regret that the information is not available in the form requested. Interviews of applicants for asylum may be conducted throughout the country; the waiting time for such interviews at the Public Inquiry office at Croydon is currently about 12 weeks.As regards the overall time taken to decide asylum applications, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question from the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 18 November at column 10.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a table showing the number of prosecutions, convictions, and the average fine imposed for such convictions, for offences under section 7 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 in each of the last 10 years.

The information readily available to me, which may be incomplete, is published annually under offence classification 144 in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables", in the issue for 1984 in vol 1, table S1·1 — for proceedings in magistrates' courts—and vol 4, table 4·4(B)—for amounts of fine. Amounts of fine have been published only from 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to reform section 27 of the Misuse of Drugs Act to allow forfeiture orders for all drug-dealing offences.

Legislation will be introduced very shortly to provide new powers for depriving convicted drug traffickers of the proceeds of their offences. These proposals are designed to remedy the deficiencies in section 27 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 revealed by the "Operation Julie" case.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received the report of the working group reviewing the role of the probation service in prison establishments; and if he will make a statement.

The report of the working group has been presented to the Prison Board which broadly endorsed the principles of prisoner throughcare and shared working recommended by the working group. The report's implications are now being studied by my Department and, following consultation with the staff associations concerned, we intend to issue in the new year a joint circular to prison governors and chief probation officers on how the report's recommendations may be carried forward. Copies of the report are being sent to prison governors, chief probation officers and the relevant trade unions, and a copy has been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when it is proposed to implement recommendations 92 and 93, supporting staff for coroners, of the Brodrick committee on death certification and coroners, Cmnd. 4810.

The organisation and methods branch of the Home Office has reviewed the work of the coroner's officer. It is intended that its report should be circulated shortly and a copy placed in the Library. This supports the conclusions of the Brodrick committee that the work of the coroners' officers should be carried out by civilians. We shall therefore suggest that civilian staff from the police service should be appointed to fill these posts in place of police officers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is now able to announce the Government's response to the report of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on the security of controlled drugs.

Yes. The Government very much welcome this report and are grateful to the council for the thorough manner in which it carried out its review of this important topic.Work on the report began in 1981, prompted by growing concern over the theft of controlled drugs. The report, which was published in November 1983, examined the adequacy of the security arrangements for the production, carriage, storage and supply of licit controlled drugs, concentrating mainly on those most at risk, including manufacturers, wholesalers, community pharmacists, practitioners and hospitals.The report made a number of recommendations for improving security. The Government have examined these very carefully in the light of widespread consultations with trade and professional organisations and of its other priorities within the overall strategy for tackling drug misuse. As a result of the report we shall be taking action to: (i) encourage the police to make greater use of their powers to exempt pharmacies from present statutory arrangements were adequate non-standard security precautions are taken; (ii) issue revised guidelines to NHS hospitals; (iii) carry out a review by the Home Office drugs inspectorate of the security arrangements at premises of persons and organisations licensed to possess, supply or manufacture controlled drugs; (iv) implement a range of detailed recommendations in the report.The report also recommended that, for retail pharmacies and dispensing practices, the existing detailed statutory security requirements should be replaced by flexible guidelines adaptable to the needs of individual premises but subject to police agreement and, if necessary, to Home Office arbitration and enforcement; and that enforceable new guidelines on security should be issued to hospitals and the transporters of controlled drugs. In considering these recommendations, the Government have taken account of the change in circumstances since the preparation of the report, in particular that the threat to licit stocks now appears less severe. We have concluded that we would not be justified in giving priority at present to full implementation of these recommendations. However, we urge all doctors and pharmacists, when assessing the adequacy of their security arrangements, to take account of the advisory council's recommendations, and we shall continue to keep under close review the risk of theft or diversion from licit stocks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has concluded his review of the operation of the fourth television channel in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

On 23 August, we announced the establishment of this review and that I would be consulting the broadcasting organisations most directly concerned with the operation of the channel. I also indicated that I would be glad to receive the views of any other groups or individuals in Wales.During the past three months we have received letters and submissions from 83 individuals and from 56 organisations in Wales. Of these, 110 favoured the continuation of the present arrangements and 29 expressed some degree of dissatisfaction with them. All the broadcasting organisations who submitted evidence favoured the present arrangements. Many organisations argued that the fourth channel in Wales had brought tangible benefits to Wales in terms of employment, cultural enrichment, the expansion of an independent production industry, and in strengthening the base of the Welsh language.I have therefore concluded from the evidence of these submissions and the advice of the broadcasters that there is no widespread desire for change and that the continuation of the present arrangements for the channel is in the best interests of Wales and the Welsh language.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the incidence of child leukaemia in the vicinity of Rosyth naval base.

I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, East (Mr. Strang) on 12 December.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has as to the numbers of people under the age of 20 years in Scotland who use tobacco and the numbers of those people who show evidence of tobacco-related diseases.

Sample surveys conducted by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys indicate that in Scotland about 187,000 people under the age of 20 smoke cigarettes. We have no information about the use of other tobacco products by this age group. There are no centrally held data to show how many of these persons are affected by tobacco-related diseases; but the adverse health effects of smoking are cumulative and would not begin to appear in the early years of smoking.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the Government's response in Scotland to the report of the advisory council on the misuse of drugs on the security of controlled drugs.

The Government very much welcome this report and we are grateful to the council for its thorough review of this important topic.The Government have had widespread consultations with trade and professional organisations on the report's recommendations. There have been a number of developments since the report was published which have implications for the security of controlled drugs. In particular, since the threat to licit stocks of controlled drugs is not so severe at present as was feared likely several years ago, we have decided that we would not be justified in implementing in full the recommendations relating to the replacement of the existing statutory storage requirements on retail pharmacies and the issue of new enforceable guidelines to hospitals and the transporters of controlled drugs.We shall however encourage community pharmacists and dispensing doctors to review their security arrangements in consultation with the police and to improve them wherever necessary, having regard to the council's recommendations. The police have power to exempt pharmacies from the present basic statutory arrangements where they have approved alternative security precautions. Many pharmacists are expected to be able to qualify for this exemption on the basis of the improved security procedures which they have already introduced. We wish to encourage full co-operation between the police and pharmacists in the possible use of these exemption procedures to effect better security of controlled drugs.A range of procedural recommendations will also be commended to community pharmacists to prevent the diversion from their premises of licit supplies of controlled drugs for illegal use.We shall also keep under review the adequacy of security arrangements in hospitals. In 1984 a circular was issued to health boards requesting security programmes to improve the effectiveness of these procedures. A recent review indicates that the security of drugs in pharmacies in NHS hospitals is currently sound. We shall continue to monitor the situation and additional advice on procedural aspects of drug security will, as appropriate, be issued.Finally, the Home Office drugs inspectorate will carry out a review of the security arrangements at premises of persons and organisations licensed to possess, supply or manufacture controlled drugs.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many housing association houses have been sold in Glasgow; and what is the total for each individual housing association.

There were 601 sales of complete dwellings by housing associations in Glasgow City district up to 30 September 1985. Three of these sales were to sitting tenants; the remainder were sales of vacant properties, dwellings improved specifically for sale and houses sold by co-ownership societies to their members. The numbers sold by each housing association are listed below:

Housing association	Number of dwellings sold
Jordanhill (Southbrae)	61
Link (Cleveden)	46
Tweedsmuir (Kingsborough)	16
Partickhill (Woodend)	26
Link (Newlands)	30
Link (Whittingehame)	14
Strathclyde (Hyndland)	44
Second Anglo-Scottish (Bellahouston)	24
Mercat (Hyndland)	94
Strathclyde (Milngavie)	67
Clyde & Caledonian (Milngavie)	28
Govanhill	6
West of Scotland	1
Cathcart	1
Linthouse	7
Glasgow Fair	7
Milnbank	9
W. P. H. T. Scottish	2
Partick	7
Central Govan	2
Reidvale	6
Queen's Cross	29
Springburn and Possilpark	1
Shettleston	20

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report all the contributions made by the Scottish Arts Council to organisations or projects in the Shettleston constituency over the last five years.

I have been asked to reply.The Scottish Arts Council does not allocate its funds in terms of constituencies, but it gives extensive support to the arts in central Glasgow which benefit the neighbouring districts, including Shettleston, by providing productions close at hand including in some cases touring productions. Within the hon. Member's constituency, Mr. Oscar Marzaroli has received a grant of £1,500 for his film "Glasgow, the Changing City" and an artist-in-residence project has been jointly supported with the Scottish Development Agency.

asked the Paymaster General when he expects to be able to tell how many unemployed people in Lambeth are black.

The collection of ethnic minority unemployment statistics was discontinued in August 1982 following the introduction of voluntary registration for employment at jobcentres. At present there are no immediate plans to introduce ethnic monitoring in Lambeth. The Department of Employment is to undertake pilot tests early in the new year to assess the feasibility of resuming the collection of these statistics.The pilot tests will take place in the unemployment benefit offices in Stockton, Thornton Heath and Toxteth for a period of two weeks from Monday 6 January 1986. The benefit office staff will make a visual assessment of the ethnic origin of unemployed people and classify them under one of three broad categories: Afro-Caribbean, Asian and others. Participation will be voluntary. There will be a category for all those not wishing to be classified. Posters will be prominiently displayed to ensure that individuals are aware that an assessment of their ethnic origin is being made.

asked the Paymaster General how many (i) employed and (ii) self-employed people there are in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) Greater London; what information he has as to comparable figures for other European Community countries; and if he will make a statement.

In June 1985, the latest date for which figures are available, the number of employees in employment in the United Kingdom was estimated to be 21,292,000. In Greater London the figure was 3,466,000.

asked the Paymaster General if he will list the number of jobs lost in the London borough of Newham since 1979 analysed by the standard industrial classification.

Information about job losses and job gains is not available from the Department's statistics. Net changes in employment can be given but, for areas smaller than regions, only for those dates when censuses of employment are taken.The available information for the local authority district of Newham is from the June 1978 and the following September 1981 census of employment and is as follows. net changes between 1981 and 1984 will become available following publication of the September 1984 census in the spring of 1986.

Net changes in the numbers of employees in employment June 1978 to September 1981
Standard industrial classification 1968	Thousands
All industries and services*†	-11·9
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	‡
Mining and quarrying	‡
Food, drink and tobacco	-1·2
Coal and petroleum products	‡
Chemicals and allied industries	-1·0
Metal manufacture	-0·3
Mechanical engineering	+ 1·5
Instrument engineering	‡
Electrical engineering	‡
Shipbuilding and marine engineering	-0·6
Vehicles	-0·1
Metal goods not elsewhere specified	-0·1
Textiles	‡
Leather, leather goods and fur	-0·1
Clothing and footwear	-0·5
Bricks, pottery, glass, cement, etc.	-0·1
Timber, furniture, etc.	-0·8
Paper, printing and publishing	-0·5
Other manufacturing industries	-0·3
Construction	-0·3
Gas, electricity and water	+0·1
Transport and communication	-2·7
Distributive trades	-1·0
Insurance, banking, finance and business services	-0·6
Professional and scientific services	-0·4
Miscellaneous services*	+1·3
Public administration and defencet†	-4·4
*Excludes private domestic service.
†Excludes HM Forces.
‡*Nil or negligible.

asked the Paymaster General if, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Leicester, East of 9 December, he will provide information on the level of under-representation in particular work, the particular racial groups involved and geographical locations in such form as the information is available; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 December 1985: Successive research studies have shown that people from the ethnic minorities are substantially under-represented in higher level occupations. In particular, a comprehensive survey of employment undertaken in 1982 for the Policy Studies Institute study "Black and White Britain" showed that the percentage of people in work classified as professional employers or managers were as follows:

	White	West Indian	Asian
Men	22	7	14
Women	9	1	7

This pattern is confirmed by the results of the EC labour force survey.Against this general background, positive action initiatives under sections 37 and 38 of the Race Relations Act 1976 are based on judgments on the local level of under-representation in each individual case. In the case of section 37 this judgment is made by the training body concerned in the first instance. Action under section 38 is a matter for employers. No information is collected on the number of initiatives taken under this provision.

asked the Paymaster General if he will list the official engagements of the right hon. Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer), then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Employment, for 30 May 1984.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of State's official engagements that day were as follows:

Approximately 11.30 am Visit to water transfer station, Abbeystead, Lancashire.

Approximately 1 pm Private meeting with the Reverend Lawrence Davies and local residents, Church Hall, St. Michael's on Wyre.

Approximately 2.15 pm Visit to Royal Lancaster infirmary, Lancaster.

asked the Paymaster General if he will give the total number of accidents at work and the total number of claims for compensation in the United Kingdom for the latest 12-month period for which figures are available; and if he will give such equivalent information as is available for areas most nearly corresponding to the towns and cities of Widnes, Bolton, Blackburn, Burnley, Norwich, Derby, Plymouth and Exeter, respectively.

The total reported number of people suffering a major injury or death as a result of work activity in the United Kingdom for 1984 was 19,899 (provisional figure).The number of claims for industrial injury benefit over the period April 1982 to March 1983 was 345,000 for the United Kingdom.This information is not available for the towns and cities referred to in the question.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many road signs on the M1, M62, and A1, outside west Yorkshire, refer to Bradford; if he will ensure that Bradford is included on suitable new signs erected on these roads; and if he will make a statement.

There are no advance direction signs on the M1, M62 and A1 outside west Yorkshire which refer to Bradford.The existing direction signs comply with departmental practice in terms of the destinations mentioned. The number of names on any one sign must be limited in the interests of road safety. If extra names are placed on new signs, it becomes necessary to add the same names to existing signs closer to the destination thus adding substantially to the cost of signing.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to publish specific road accident figures for the Christmas and new year period.

The Department's annual statistical report, "Road Accidents, Great Britain", covers accidents in the December period, including the holiday periods and the weeks preceding Christmas. The last such analysis, covering December 1984, is contained in the 1984 edition, pages 28 and 29, a copy of which is in the Library. The 1985 figures will appear in the next edition, to be published in the autumn of 1986. This will also include detailed figures for all public holidays.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when his proposed study of Leed's road system will begin its work; and who will be on the study team.

I have yet to decide who will carry out the study of traffic problems in and around Leeds, but I shall write to my hon. Friend when I have decided on the terms of reference and the persons chosen to carry it out. I expect the study to begin early in 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in view of his rejection of both the western and eastern motorway links round the city of Leeds, he will impose a time limit on the deliberations of his study into the city's road traffic system.

I cannot yet say whether it would be right to impose a time limit on the study, but I am anxious to reach conclusions as soon as possible in order to end local uncertainty about our intentions.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport why lights on the M1 south of Rotherthorpe service station, near junction 15, are unlit for a stretch of 400 yards.

The short section of temporary motorway lighting just south of Rotherthorpe service area was erected to illuminate a crossover for contraflow working during 1984. It was switched off shortly after completion of road works.It will be removed when permanent lighting is installed to this section of M1, anticipated in 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has covering incidents of delays of 30 minutes over normal travelling time on the motorway system in 1985; and if he will list these in the Official Report.

The information on traffic delays available to the Department is held locally by out 36 motorway agent authorities. This information, which is in various forms and not necessarily comprehensive, could only be collated and listed in the Official Report at disproportionate cost. Should the hon. Member require information about delay at a specific location, perhaps he would write to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the bilateral liberalised air agreements he has made in 1985 and the agreements he hopes to make in 1986.

I shall answer this question shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what proportion of his working time the inspector in charge of the Sizewell inquiry is required to spend on that inquiry; and if he is permitted to take on consultancy and other work during the time when his report is awaited.

The inspector was advised before his appointment that he could expect inquiry business to take much, if not all, of his time.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how much the inspector in charge of the Sizewell inquiry is being paid for his services.

Payment to the inspector is a confidential matter between the inspector and the Secretary of State for Energy. It is not customary to disclose such details.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy on how many occasions nuclear material has been withdrawn from safeguards under the tripartite safeguards agreement, Cmnd. 6730, March 1977; and in what proportion of the total number of such cases of withdrawal the material has been used (a) in nuclear warhead manufacture, (b) in the fabrication of submarine propulsion fuel, (c) for research purposes in a materials testing reactor and subsequently returned to safeguards within the civil stockpile and (d) sent to another sovereign state.

Details of withdrawals of material from safeguards under the tripartite safeguards agreement are supplied to the IAEA and Euratom on a strictly confidential basis. It would not be in the public interest to publish this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he can now update his estimate of 5 July, OfficialReport, column 307, regarding the date of delivery of the main recommendations of the inspector in charge of the Sizewell inquiry; and to what the change in date is attributable.

I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to the written quesion of the hon. Member for Edmonton (Dr. Twinn) on 19 November, at column 101.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether the United Kingdom has ever transferred plutonium to France for intended use in (a) Phoenix or (b) Super-Phoenix fast-breeder reactors.

Since 1968 there have been occasional transfers of plutonium from the United Kingdom to France for research on and production of fast-breeder reactor fuel. All the material was subject to international safeguards which provide for the plutonium to be used for peaceful purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what assessment he has made of the extent to which nuclear material supplied to France by the United Kingdom under the inter-governmental memorandum of understanding on European fast reactor collaboration could have been obtained by the French Government from French domestic sources; and if he will make a statement.

None. I expect transfers of nuclear material between partners in the collaboration to occur whenever required for the purposes of the collaboration and appropriate under the terms of the inter-governmental memorandum of understanding.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he proposes to advise the Agriculture and Food Research Council that it should invest in research on a broader range of crops; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will outline his policy concerning the effect of the European Economic Community common agricultural policy on the more extensive systems for poorer land; and if he has considered alternative crops and systems for the less productive areas of the United Kingdom.

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

asked the Lord Privy Seal what details or information is recorded on the number of faulty calls arising from the alteration of the new telephone system within the Palace of Westminster.

All faults reported by users of the Palace of Westminster telephone system are logged and analysed. The communications staff use this information to guide them towards any part of the telephone system which might require special investigation.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what was the overall cost on an annual basis of telephone alterations within the Palace of Westminster for the years 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985, respectively.

The cost of telephone alterations within the Palace of Westminster for the years 1979–85 are as follows:

	£
1979	32,000
1980	42,825
1981	17,407
1982	32,013
1983	24,637
1984	103,090
1985*	984,016
* To 30 November 1985.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average annual income tax payment by persons (a) on the pay-as-you-earn scheme and (b) those outside the scheme.

It is estimated that the average income tax liability in 1985–86 for taxpayers of working age is (a) about £1,900 for those whose main source of income is subject to pay-as-you-earn and (b) about £2,250 for those whose main source of income is outside PAYE. These averages are for tax units, that is after aggregating income for married couples.

the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Inland Revenue will make it its policy when it uses electoral registers in machine readable form to disclose the fact that it is doing so to the Data Protection Registrar.

I confirm that the Inland Revenue will comply fully with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the policy of the Bank of England towards granting recognition under the Banking Act to mutual organisations.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current position regarding progress towards recognition of the Trustee Savings Bank under the Banking Act.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the Inland Revenue's practice regarding the tax treatment on sale and repurchase agreements in securities.

Proposals will be brought forward in next year's Finance Bill to provide that section 469 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1970 will be treated as never having applied to sale and repurchase transactions involving overseas Government stocks denominated in foreign currency or Eurobonds provided that both parties to the transaction are dealers in securities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the meeting of the European Community's Economic and Finance Council on 9 December.

I represented the United Kingdom at this Council.The Council had a further discussion of the Commission's annual economic report for 1985–86. The report was generally welcomed, although we and some other member states made it clear that we do not agree with every word in it. The report, as amended by some changes mainly to the country chapters in part 2, was adopted by the Council.The Council continued its consideration of indirect tax harmonisation in the context of the internal market, it agreed in principle to the setting up of a high level group to consider the subject in greater depth.The Council examined a progress report from the EC's economic policy committee on labour markets and employment. Its conclusion that labour market flexibility is a crucial element in tackling the problem of unemployment was broadly endorsed.There was discussion also of aspects of the system of commercial interest reference rates for export credits; of tax measures to encourage co-operation between undertakings in different member states; and of Community competition rules and insurance. Consideration of these issues will be taken forward at future Councils.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will detail, for the Birkenhead area, the number of firms, and the size of the grants paid to each of them, under the new extended assisted status scheme.

I can now update the information given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State in his letter of 27 November.A total of £449,000 has been offered to firms in the Birkenhead constituency. Three firms have been offered a total of £155,000 under the regional selective assistance scheme. A further sum of £294,000 has been offered to nineteen firms under the new regional development grants scheme.I regret I would have difficulty in supplying any itemised information to the hon. Member. Payments of grant above £5,000 are published in due course in "British Business" but it would undermine the commercial confidentiality of the scheme to make information available in advance of publication.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on the number of cigarettes, cigars and individual packets of other tobacco products which have been sold through retail zoutlets in Great Britain in each of the last 10 years; and if he will estimate what proportion of those sales may have been made to young people under the age of 16 years.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will insist, in considering the draft European Economic Community negotiating mandate for the multifibre arrangement renewal negotiations, that a new multifibre arrangement should include a social clause.

This is one possibility that will need to be considered by the Community in its consideration of the draft mandate.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will insist that the Council of Ministers does not at its meeting on 16 December finally approve the draft European Economic Community negotiating mandate for the multi-fibre arrangement negotiations but defers any decision until after Spain and Portugal have become full members of the European Economic Community and until the United States negotiating position has become clear.

There is no possibility that the Council of Ministers will approve the draft negotiated mandate at its meeting on 16 December.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will arrange for an exhibition relating to the Association of Accounting Technicians to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

Arrangements have been made for such an exhibition in the Upper Waiting Hall to take place from 13 January to 17 January 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has any plans for reviewing regional aid budgets; and whether he will take steps to introduce a development agency for the North of England.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 December 1985, c. 716]: I have no plans to review the regional aid budget in respect of England. Nor do I propose to introduce a development agency for the North of England. Such an agency would only impose a further layer of bureaucracy in the region. The region already has various bodies involved in promotional and inward investment activities including the North of England development council. INWARD and the Yorkshire and Humberside development association all of which are in receipt of Government funds.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to assist the establishment of black arts groups for live and recorded music and dance in areas with large ethnic groups.

The urban programme continues to provide financial support to projects which develop music and dance skills, including those meeting the needs of ethnic minorities. I also hope shortly to commission an external research study to examine ways of increasing the opportunities for young black people to enter the music business.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if his Department has undertaken studies to assess the impact of large retail superstore developments in terms of (a) changes in consumer spending in a locality and (b) changes in employment in existing smaller retail outlets in a locality; and if he will make a statement;(2) whether his Department has undertaken studies to compile statistical evidence concerning the employment creation potential of large retail superstore developments in

No Departmental studies relating to the impact of large retail developments have been published since 1978; but a number of useful studies on impact and employment implications have been carried out by outside organisations and individuals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps during Energy Efficiency Year to widen the scope of the homes insulation scheme to allow for the inclusion of cavity walls and extend the qualification level to those householders currently with 1 in to 2 in loft insulation.

The scope of the homes insulation scheme is kept under review. The scheme was extended only last year to make grants payable to householders to top up existing insulation of 30 mm or less. My right hon. Friend has no plans at present further to widen or extend the scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information is available to him about the capacity of the private sector in Waltham Forest to provide rented accommodation to meet local needs before he decides on the housing investment programme allocation for 1986–87.

In making the allocation, my right hon. Friend has regard to the housing investment submission made by the borough council, which included an estimate of the size of the private rented sector in the 1990s. and a copy of which is in the Library. However, the long-term contribution from private rented accommodation would be affected by future national measures to increase the supply of such accommodation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated cost to his Department of computer time devoted to the implementation or monitoring of policy in relation to rate support grant, including targets and penalties, and rate limitation in each year from 1981–82 to 1986–87; what proportion of this work was undertaken outside the United Kingdom; and what proportion of the total costs this represented.

The estimated cost to this Department of bought-in computer time devoted to rate support grant including targets and penalties, and rate limitation in each year from 1981–82 to 1986–87 is as follows:

Annual expenditure including VAT
	£'000
1981–82	606·4
1982–83	615·2
1983–84	606·6
1984–85	547·5
*1985–86	536·0
†1986–87	513·0
* Estimated outturn.
† Projected.

All this expenditure is now incurred with computer bureaux in the United Kingdom. The Department uses its own internal computing facilities to process and monitor statistical data on local authority financial matters. The MINIS 6 report shows that for 1984–85 total computing costs accounted for about 30 per cent. of all current expenditure in the local government and finance policy directorate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those local authorities which have given him notice under section 12(6) of the Housing Defects Act 1984 of a designation of a class of defective dwellings; if he will give the class of dwelling, in each case, and the qualifying defect involved; and whether he has prevented, or intends to prevent, the coming into operation of that designation by serving a notice under section 12(7).

Dudley metropolitan borough council has designated, under section 12(6) of the Act, certain dwellings with steel slag, semi-raft foundations. My right hon. Friend did not exercise his powers under section 12(7) and the designation came into effect on 25 November 1985. Leicester City council and the London borough of Hounslow have submitted to my Department proposed local designations of Smith houses and Bison wall frame system houses respectively. Neither designation was, in our view, legally valid and, for the avoidance of doubt, my right hon. Friend exercised his powers under section 12(7) to prevent them coming into operation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will explain, in respect of each authority invited to bid for traditional urban programme resources in 1986–87, the reasons why it has been included, setting out the information in the format of table 3 of his Department's Census information note No. 2.

I shall answer this question shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, when Her Majesty's Government expects to introduce legislation on planning controls on the basis of the "Lifting the Burden" White Paper.

My right hon. Friend expects to present a Bill including these provisions shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Department will put in hand the review of policy for the provision of gipsy sites recommended by the Environment Committee.

A consultation letter and memorandum has today been issued to local authority associations and other interested bodies in England. Similar arrangements are being made by the Welsh Office to consult local authority and other interests in Wales. I have also written to a number of hon. Members who have shown a particularly close interest in this subject in recent months, including my hon. Friend. Copies of the documents are being placed in the Library and in the Vote Office. I am aware that the slow progress on site provision is to a large extent a reflection of some difficult problems that local authorities have had to face. However, I am very anxious that the opportunity should be taken by those consulted not only to give their views on the main difficulties experienced by them, but also to put forward constructive and workable suggestions for dealing with these problems so that the review we are undertaking may have a fruitful and positive outcome.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure that those sections of the scientific services of the Greater London council whose function is largely, or wholly, related to the services of the London Fire Brigade are retained as a single coherent unit.

This is a matter for the London fire and civil defence authority in consultation, as necessary, with other successor bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what procedure will be adopted regarding the Australian Royal Commission findings and report on the health problems of test veterans involved in the Christmas Island nuclear tests.

The Australian Royal Commission was tasked by the Australian Government to inquire into the tests carried out in Australia. The Government are studying its report and will discuss with the Australian Government those recommendations which affect the United Kingdom.The United Kingdom health study undertaken by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) is examining whether harm has been caused to participants in all the United Kingdom atmospheric nuclear weapon tests, including those in the Christmas and Malden islands area. The NRPB expects to complete its study by October 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what procedure will be adopted to seek to establish that there are no genetic effects arising among any of the civilian or military personnel who participated in the Christmas Island nuclear tests.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my predecessor, the right hon. Member for Bosworth, (Mr. Butler) on 31 October 1984 (at columns 1120–1121).

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received from the Australian Royal Commission on the health problems which some of the test veterans are suffering allegedly due to their participation in the nuclear tests in the Christmas Island area.

None. The Australian Royal Commission was appointed by and has presented its report to the Australian Government, not to the British Government. It was tasked to inquire into the United Kingdom tests carried out in Australia in the period from 1952–1964 and had no concern with the tests conducted by the United Kingdom in the Christmas Island area. One of the Royal Commission's tasks was to inquire whether the health of persons was or had been adversely affected. The United Kingdom Government are studying the report.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many public servants will be involved in the strategic defence initiative participation office.

This matter is still under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated cost of setting up and operating the strategic defence initiative participation office in (a) the current financial year and (b) 1986–87.

The precise structure of this office is still under consideration and so I am unable to provide the information requested.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will take steps to prevent the managing director of Her Majesty's Devonport dockyard using his Department's official notepaper, envelopes and internal post to publicise a private company which he and other senior managers have formed to tender for the contract to manage Devonport dockyard from 1 April 1987; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will make a statement on the extent to which the involvement of serving Royal Navy officers in a private company tendering for the contract to manage Devonport dockyard from 1 April 1987 is consistent with the terms of Queen's Regulations so long as those officers continue to occupy their present positions;(3) if he will make a statement on the extent to which the actions of the managing director of Devonport dockyard and other senior civil service managers, in forming a private company for the purposes of tendering for the contract to manage the dockyard after 1 April 1987, are consistent with the regulations governing the ethical conduct of civil servants, so long as those persons continue to occupy their present positions.

I shall answer shortly.

asked the Attorney-General what factors the Director of Public Prosecutions takes into account in deciding whether to take over private prosecutions in cases of alleged fraud; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General to the hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Campbell-Savours) on 28 October 1985 at column 297 in which he outlined the general policy of the director in deciding whether to take over private prosecutions. He has no differing policy as regards fraud cases. I understand that the hon. Member has in mind a particular case and, if he provides me with the details of that case, I shall write to him.