asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total annual expenditure on wages and salaries of (a)primary and secondary teachers, (b) university teachers and (c)other higher education teachers; and what are the total numbers employed in each group.

:The information is given in the following table. The figures are for 1983–84, the latest year for which data on all the categories is generally available.

	1983–84 (England)
	Teacher Numbers(000's, full-time equivalents)*	Annual expenditure on wages and salaries†‡(£million)
(a)Primary and secondary teachers	408·8	4,500
(b)University teachers║ (GB)	30·2	583
(c)Other higher education teachers¶	25·9	426
* Teacher numbers as at January 1984.
†‡All figures include the cost of employers' national insurance and superannuation contributions.
‡Expenditure figures are on a financial year basis for (a)and (c), and on an academic year basis for (b).
║Includes research staff wholly finaned by universities, not full-time equivalent.
¶Polytechnic lecturers and lecturers undertaking advanced further education work in other major establishments of further education.

Average cost per pupil	1979–80	1980–81	*1981–82	*1982–83	*1983–84
		(£ Cash England)
Maintained Schools
Nursery schools	815	990	1,110	1,140	1,230
Primary schools
—age classes	430	545	620	680	730
—Nursery classes	520	640	725	795	855
—Ordinary classes	430	545	615	675	725
Secondary schools
—all pupils	610	770	870	945	1,015
—11–16 pupils	580	730	825	895	965
—16+ pupils	1,025	1,240	1,320	1,435	1,545
Special education	1,930	2,455	2,760	3,060	3,265
Assisted Places
—all pupils	n/a	n/a	1,098	1,267	1,303
*The maintained school data relate to Financial Years and the assisted places to Academic Years.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the net recurrent cost per pupil in nursery schools, nursery classes and primary schools; and what proportion of that cost is attributed to teachers' salaries.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he proposes to take to ensure that local education authorities comply with their obligations under the Education Act 1944 on morning worship in schools.

We have already made it clear in the White Paper, "Better Schools" (Cmnd. 9469) that we look to local education authorities and to the schools to ensure that the statutory requirements are met.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the extent of non-observance in some schools of the statutorily required daily act of worship; and if he will make a statement.

Information about such matters is not collected centrally; but where complaints are made to my right hon. Friend that the requirements of the Education Act 1944 on collective worship are not being met in a particular school, he obtains details of the circumstances of the individual case.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what is the average cost per pupil of children in (i) maintained primary schools, (ii) maintained secondary schools, (iii) maintained sixth forms, (iv) assisted places pupils up to school leaving age and (v) asisted places pupils after school leaving age for the last five years for which data is available;(2) what is the average cost per pupil in

The latest available information is as follows:

The information is as follows:

(1983–84 £ cash) England
	Total net re- current cost per pupil	Teachers' salaries as per cent. of total cost
	£	£
Nursery schools	1,230	44
Primary schools
-age classes	730	69
-Nursery classes	855	52
-Ordinary classes	725	70

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will publish figures or

Total net expenditure (total subsidy)

Income from charges

Estimated subsidy on free meals†

Pupils receiving meals

Cash

*Real terms

Index

Cash

*Real terms

Index

Cash

*Real terms

Index

Total

Free

£million

£ million

£ million

£ million

£million

£million

per cent.

per cent.

1975–76

318·4

810·8

100

—

135·1

3440

100

58·2

148·2

100

—

70·3

9·2

1976–77

382·0

859·6

106

—

129·1

290·5

84

70·6

158·9

107

—

69·4

9·8

1977–78

364·5

720·2

89

—

154·4

305·1

89

96·8

191·3

129

—

61·7

11·8

1978–79

388·4

693·7

86

100

185·3

331·0

96

118·3

211·3

143

100

65·9

13·9

1979–80

421·7

644·5

80

93

205·7

314·4

91

113·9

174·1

117

82

64·1

11·9

1980–81

397·4

511·3

63

74

217·5

279·8

81

124·7

160·4

108

76

48·2

9·9

1981–82

396·6

463·6

57

67

214·0

2501

73

147·4

172·3

116

82

49·0

11·9

1982–83

411·3

449·1

55

65

210·4

229·7

67

174·8

190·8

129

90

49·4

13·9

1983·84

426·6

445·8

55

64

200·5

209·5

61

199·8

208·8

141

99

51·4

15·9

1984–85

n.a.

—

—

—

n.a.

—

—

n.a.

—

—

—

51·3

17·4

Notes:

* Real terms are the cash figures adjusted to 1984–85 prices using the GDP deflator at market prices.

†The gross expenditure on all meals has been apportioned to free meals for pupils in the ratio of free meals for pupils to total pupil meals.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science which local education authorities do not provide a schools meals service to pupils other than those entitled to a free school meal.

Only three of the 97 LEAs in England do not provide a full primary and secondary school meals service. These are Dorset and Lincolnshire, who supply paid meals only in secondary and special schools; and Hereford and Worcester, whose paid meal service is restricted to special schools.All three also have self-help groups operating in some primary schools, and in Hereford and Worcester some schools are supplied by commercial catering firms.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the proportion of students entering higher education who can be classified as non-standard entrants in each year since 1979.

The proportions of home students entering university undergraduate courses in Great Britain

Students from abroad: Great Britain
Thousands
	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984
Universities	29·5	32·9	35·6	37·2	38·5	37·7	35·8	34·6	33·3	33·8	34·6
Public sector higher education	12·2	16·8	21·2	22·4	22·1	21·0	19·7	18·6	15·3	13·8	13·6
Non-advanced further education	21·6	26·8	27·7	27·5	27·1	26·6	19·5	11·1	8·1	7·8	7·3

The information that is available is as follows:and CNAA first degree courses in England who did not have two or more A-level passes or Scottish highers were as follows:

	Percentage
1979	17
1980	17
1981	17
1982	19
1983	18
1984	19

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the number of overseas students in (a)universities, (b)maintained sector advanced education, and (c)non-advanced further education, for each year since 1974; what was the continental distribution of the intake; and how many completed their course.

The numbers of overseas students are given below.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage change there has been in class sizes in the period since 1975 in all types of schools.

The average size of class as taught by all teachers in maintained primary schools in England has decreased by 8·4 per cent. between January 1977—the earliest date for which this information is available—and January 1985. Between January 1975 and January 1985, the corresponding average size of class for secondary schools decreased by 5·7 per cent.Information about class sizes in nursery, special and independent schools is not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the latest pupil to teacher ratios for England and for each local education authority including and excluding headteachers, in (a)nursery schools, (b)primary schools, (c)secondary schools, (d)special schools and (e)sixth form colleges.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the age participation rate in education for the under fives expressed as a percentage of the two, three and four-year old age group.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report the value of the Government grant to the Open University for each year since 1971 in (a)cash terms, (b) at 1984–85 prices and (c)using 1971–72 as a base, including and excluding Government loans to the institution.

The information is as follows:

The percentage of children aged two, three and four years in January 1985 attending maintained nursery and primary schools were 4 per cent., 32 per cent. and 75 per cent. respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the incidence and nature of promotions of academic staff in universities in the last year for which data are available; and if he will make a statement.

The latest information available is of the numbers of full-time, wholly university financed, non-clinical academic staff at universities in Great Britain, who moved to higher grade posts in 1983, as follows:

Post at 31 December 1983
Post at 31 December 1982	Lecturer or assistant lecturer	Senior lecturer or reader	Professor
Senior lecturer or reader	—	—	164
Lecturer or assistant lecturer	—	520	9
Other	103	—	—

The number and timing of promotions and questions concerning academic career structures generally are matters for the universities.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about present and planned expediture on education support grants.

I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Mr. Pawsey) on 19 December 1985 at columns 289–90.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what countries have ceased to receive aid provided for overseas students, in each of the last five years for which data are available.

The only country for which aid programme expenditure on overseas students ended during the period 1981 to 1985 was El Salvador, in 1983. No new training awards have been made for the Lebanon since 1984 but expenditure has continued on existing awards.

asked the Attorney-General what was the cost to public funds of the recent case of R. v. Pain, Jory and others.

The total cost to public funds of an individual trial cannot be ascertained. It comprises numerous elements, some which may be part of the general running costs of the various Government Departments concerned. It is not the practice to publish individual fees payable to counsel or solicitors from public funds, which in any event cannot be ascertained until after taxation of bills of costs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the average costings of probation orders and community service orders published in the Home Office probation statistics include an appropriate proportion of probation officers' salaries, office costs and other related expenditure.

Yes. The estimation of the average costings is described in paragraph 12·4 on page 115 of "Probation Statistics, England and Wales, 1984", published on 16 January 1986. They include a proportion of all expenditure on the probation service, other than that on the Home Office sponsorship scheme, probation and bail hostels and salaries etc. of probation officers seconded to prison department establishments.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce the successful applicants for experimental community radio licences.

My right hon. Friend expects to receive a report from the advisory panel on community radio within the next few weeks, and to announce the successful applicants thereafter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied that in the event of national emergency adequate police protection could be provided for monitoring posts of the Royal Observer Corps.

We are satisfied that the arrangements which have been made and which are regularly exercised would provide adequate police protection.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for (a) registration and (b)naturalisation he expects to receive in 1986–87.

On present estimates we expect to receive 40,400 applications for registration and 21,600 applications for naturalisation in 1986–87.—

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to conduct the experiment referred to in paragraph 88 of his response to the report of the Home Affairs Committee on refugees and asylum seekers.

We regret that the pressures on the refugee unit have not yet permitted this experiment to take place, but we hope that it may be possible to conduct it later in the year. In the meantime the necessary preparatory work is in hand.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many decisions on applications for asylum were made in each month since the beginning of 1984;(2)how many initial applications for asylum have been decided in each month since January 1985; and how many such cases are outstanding at the end of each month;(3)how many decisions on applications for asylum have been made since his Department's arrears unit was established.

I am arranging for this information to be obtained and shall write to the hon. Member when it is available. It will take some time before the statistics for 1985 are compiled.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria he uses in deciding whether or not to grant registration as a British citizen under section 4(5) of the British Nationality Act 1981.

In considering applications under section 4(5) a number of factors are taken into account principally the quality of an applicant's relevant service and his or her personal connections with the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications under section 4(5) of the British Nationality Act 1981 have been (a)received, (b)granted and (c)refused in each year since 1983.

Following is the information requested:

	1983	1984	1985
Applications received	0	237	221
Applications granted	0	0	1
Applications refused	0	0	1

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of heads of households granted special quota vouchers in India in 1985 did not use those vouchers.

Information on special voucher holders accepted for settlement on arrival in the United Kingdom, analysed by the place of issue of the voucher, is not available. The latest available information is for the first three quarters of 1985, when 820 special vouchers were issued worldwide—of which 450 were issued in India—and 840 voucher holders were accepted for settlement on arrival in the United Kingdom. The vouchers are valid for six months and some of those who arrived in 1985 will have had vouchers issued in 1984 and some of those issued with vouchers in 1985 will not arrive until 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many visitors who were refused entry to Britain in the latest 12 months lodged appeals after removal; and what proportion of these appeals were successful;(2)how many appeals by husbands and male fiancés from

I regret that the statistics available about appeals and their outcome do not enable this precise information to be provided.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to end the routine use of police cells to hold remand prisoners.

Police cells are used to accommodate only those prisoners for whom places cannot be found in the appropriate establishments because of industrial action, transport or logistical difficulties or because of a mismatch of prisoners and places causing overloading of one part of the prison system. We do riot accept that police cells are used as a matter of routine.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total annual expenditure on wages and salaries of the police, and the numbers employed in the police service.

The information requested, in respect of expenditure planned for the financial year 1986–87 in England and Wales, is as follows:

	Expenditure planned for1986–87	Average manpower assumptions
	£million
Police pay and allowances	2,016·7	121,661
Civilians' pay	315·1	*39,882
Traffic Wardens' pay	34·5	4,994
Police cadets' pay	1·8	450

asked the Lord Privy Seal why virtually no English apples were on sale in the Refreshment Department's outlets between October 1985 and January 1986; and if he will make a statement.

English apples are always available. The Refreshment Department also buys apples from other countries in its constant quest to satisfy the varied demands of Members.

asked the Lord Privy Seal why no A4 papers have been available in the main photocopying room below the Chamber of the House for the first two days after the return of the House on 13 January; and if he will make a statement.

I regret that no stocks of A4 photocopying paper were available on 13 January for the copying machines below the Chamber. I understand that stocks were checked on Wednesday 8 January and found to be adequate; but between then and Friday 10 January the total reserve of some 20 boxes was removed from the store by persons unknown. A fresh supply was ordered as soon as possible after the loss was discovered, and became available on Tuesday 14 January. The Deliverer of the Vote is reviewing the security of photocopying paper stocks as a result of this incident.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the future of the decommissioned Yelland power station in north Devon.

I am advised by the Central Electricity Generating Board that work is in hand to ensure the safety of the former power station buildings, and that the possible future development of the site is under active examination.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about the current levels of productivity being achieved in the National Coal Board.

The NCB has recently for the first time in its history achieved average deep-mined productivity in excess of 3 tonnes per man shift. This major improvement since the ending of the strike is a clear demonstration of what can be achieved with determined effort by all those in the industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish in full the Manley report before legislation on the Atomic Energy Authority is debated in the House.

No—the report itself is a classified internal departmental document, and it is not normal practice to publish confidential advice to Ministers. The conclusions and recommendations of the AEA review report were, however, summarised fully in the press notice issued by the Department on 3 October 1984, a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) how much has been paid in compensation to Lothian estates/Lothian coal company in each year in relation to pits taken over by the National Coal Board;(2) what was paid as compensation to Lothian estates/ Grange estates/Newtongrange estates and any other interested body when the National Coal Board lease expired in 1982, as a result of the conditions imposed at the time of nationalisation of the coal industry not having been fulfilled.

These are matters for the National Coal Board, I am asking the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he has any plans to privatise the Captain of the Port's facility at Portsmouth;(2) what investigations have been carried out into the feasibility of privatising the Captain of the Port's facility at Portsmouth.

The scope for contracting out marine services tasks generally is under examination as the result of a recent management audit. Our principal aim must be to improve efficiency, while maintaining the operational effectiveness of the services provided. If specific proposals for contractorisation are developed, in respect of Portsmouth or elsewhere, there will be full consultation before decisions are taken.No specific studies in respect of the Captain of the Port's department at Portsmouth have yet been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied with the progress being made with the refit of HMS Otter; and if he will make a statement.

HMS Otter's refit is proceeding as planned and is on course to complete within the scheduled time.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the companies which are visiting or have visited the royal dockyards with a view to tendering for commercial management.

Representatives of the following companies are visiting or have visited one or both of the royal dockyards in pursuit of their interest in tendering for the management contracts:

A&P Appledore

Babcock International

Balfour Beatty

British Aerospace

Foster Wheeler

GEC

Hawker Siddeley

Northern Engineering Industries

Plessey

Press Offshore

Seaforth Welding

Taylor Woodrow

Thorn-EMI

Trafalgar House

Tyne Ship Repair

The Weir Group

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what talks have taken place with British Aerospace over the commercial management of the royal dockyards; and if he will make a statement.

Discussions on a wide range of issues related to the introduction of commercial management into the royal dockyards have taken place between my Department and all the companies, including British Aerospace, which has expressed an interest in tendering for the management contracts.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those companies originally named as interested in the franchise for the royal dockyards and which have indicated they no longer wish to pursue their interest.

In his statement on 23 July at columns 867–868 my right hon. Friend the Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine) the former Secretary of State for Defence gave the names of some companies which had expressed interest in the Government's proposals to introduce commercial management into the royal dockyards. I gave the names of further such companies on 2 December during the Second Reading debate on the Dockyard Services Bill at column 34. Of these companies, Costain and STC have indicated that they no longer have an interest in bidding for the contract to manage the dockyards.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has had any discussions with management at Rosyth dockyard about the possibility of a bid for the franchise management of the dockyard; and if he will make a statement.

I have had no substantive or formal discussion with the Rosyth dockyard management on this issue. During my visit to Rosyth on 9 December 1985 I drew the management's attention to developments at Devonport.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to the implications for defence procurement of the proposed merger of GEC and Plessey.

[pursuant to his reply, 15 January 1986, c. 610]: An analysis of the implications for defence procurement of the proposed merger has been made available to the Director General of Fair Trading, who is responsible for providing advice to my right hon. and learned Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has as to the number of jobs generated by co-operatives in Wales over the last six years and as to the average cost to public funds of each job.

My Department does not collect information on a basis that would enable me to answer the question in the form asked. I understand that the Wales Co-operative Centre has data on current employment provided by co-operatives.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received calling for additional Government funds to improve heating and insulation in council homes in Wales.

Since 1 April 1984 11 representations have been received.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many Jobcentres in Wales are open less than five days per week in areas of (a) over 20 per cent. unemployment, (b) between 15 per cent. and 20 per cent. unemployment and (c) up to 15 per cent. unemployment; and if he will specify, in each case, the number of days per week each Jobcentre is open.

Civil Service Non-Industrial Union Representatives
Estimates of Numbers and Cost of Paid Time Off for Industrial Relations Duties and Trade Union Activities (as at 1 June 1985)
Table 1—Percentage of Time Off
Department	Under5	6·10	11·20	21–30	31·40	41·50	51·60	61·70	71·80	81·90	91·99	Full Time
Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food	569	54	32	13	4	3	3	1	—	2	—	7
Customs and Excise	357	186	100	16	16	9	11	15	6	7	—	39
Ministry of Defence	904	131	102	37	6	14	12	2	12	1	8	10
Department of Employment Group	1,604	430	199	40	23	11	8	—	—	1	1	11
Department of Environment/Transport	345	93	57	9	4	3	5	5	3	—	—	10
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (inc Overseas Development Administration)	38	3	21	1	5	—	1	4	1	—	—	8
Department of Health and Social Security	1,480	463	225	83	53	36	28	19	20	43	29	66
Home Office (inc. Prison Department)	812	200	122	43	12	1	5	5	2	4	3	11
Department of Trade and Industry	367	62	48	13	4	3	6	2	2	2	1	6
Inland Revenue	1,808	333	174	41	31	22	5	4	6	2	1	6
Lord Chancellor's Department	49	28	27	10	5	5	2	2	1	—	—	9
Department for National Savings	154	7	5	7	4	1	2	1	1	1	—	13
Property Services Agency (inc. Crown Suppliers)	351	61	27	4	3	1	1	1	—	—	—	3

Sixteen of the 98 Jobcentres in Wales are open less than 5 days per week. Following is the detailed information.

Job centre	Days of opening
TTWA over 20 per cent. unemployment
Pontlottyn	Tuesday and Thursday
Treharris	Monday to Wednesday
Fishguard	Monday, Tuesday and Thursday
Prestatyn	Monday to Wednesday
TTWA 15–20 per cent. unemployment
Ferndale	Monday, Tuesday and Friday
Caldicot	Tuesday
Blaenavon	Wednesday
Kidwelly	Wednesday
Cymmer*	Tuesday and Thursday
Resolven	Wednesday
Glyn Neath	Tuesday
Garnant	Monday, Tuesday and Thursday
Tumble	Monday, Tuesday and Thursday
Dolgellau	Wednesday
Abergele	Tuesday and Friday
TTWA under 15 per cent.
employment Ruthin	Wednesday
* Temporarily closed due to premises difficulties.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the latest estimates of the numbers of elected representatives in each of the main Government Departments and of the cost of providing paid time off.

The estimates as at 1·6.85 are shown in the following tables. Compared with the position as at 1·6.84, the total amount of paid time off for union business shows a reduction by 35 man years (2·8 per cent.) with a consequential saving (in real terms) of £0·36 million reflecting for the third consecutive year the tighter control and accountability measures introduced by the revised national facilities agreement in 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the number of applications for licences to kill cormorants received in 1984 and 1985; and what was the number granted, the number of cormorants allowed to be killed, the number killed, and, in each case, the location and the reason for the killing.

The details are as follows:

	1984	1985
i.Applications received	25	37
ii. Licences granted	25	36

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to exclude the Forth road bridge approach roads from the responsibility of the Forth road bridge joint board.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what additional income he estimates will be received as a result of his decision to increase tolls on the Forth road bridge.

It is estimated that revenue from tolls will be increased by between £1·2 million and £1·5 million per annum.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland from what date he plans to levy increased tolls on users of the Forth road bridge.

My right hon. and learned Friend will bring the necessary order into effect on a date to be determined after consultation with the Joint Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, under part III of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985, he intends to institute a system of licensing for agricultural contractors for the application of pesticides in respect of forestry.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply to the question he put to my right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, which he answered today. The proposals in his reply will take aboard the use of pesticides in forestry.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide the names of all those companies in the north-west, or which moved to the northwest, having received Government or European Economic Community grants to maintain or create employment since 1979; and what was the amount of any such grants the date of payment of such grants, the number of jobs maintained or created by the grant, the specific type of grant paid, the address of the specific plant to which the grant related and, where a move of location had been the purpose of the grant, the previous address of the plant.

I regret that the information the hon. Gentleman seeks is not available in the form requested. Much of it cannot be revealed for commecial reasons and what is available can only be provided at disproportionate costs. However I shall be writing shortly to the hon. Gentleman.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, further to his statement of the evening of Monday 13 January, what was the time at which he became aware of the contents of the letter sent to the Government by Sir Austin Pearce.

I became aware of the contents of the letter dated 13 January from Sir Austin Pearce to the Prime Minister on 14 January.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his reply to the right hon. Member for Morley and Leeds, South on 13 January, Official Report, column 783, whether he or anyone in his Department saw the Solicitor-General's letter in draft before it was sent, or material upon which the letter was based; and whether he was consulted about the contents of the letter, or its sending, before it was sent.

I refer the right hon. Gentleman to what I said in my speech to the House on 15 January at column 1167–8.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the latest progress in privatising the warship building interests of British Shipbuilders.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State gave his consent today to British Shipbuilders for the sale of Swan Hunter Shipbuilders Ltd. to a management buy-out consortium. British Shipbuilders will receive £5 million partly offset by provision for unavoidable future losses and capital expenditure planned before completion of the sale. In addition British Shipbuilders has accepted a limited contingency liability should redundancies arise.

the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many sales of Forestry Commission land have taken place and Dorset (a) in 1984 and (b) in 1985; and what, in each year, has been the total area sold.

The information is as follows:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, under part III of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985, he intends to institute a system of licensing for agricultural contractors for the application of pesticides.

I am concerned to ensure that all who apply pesticides on a commercial scale should be appropriately trained in their effective use and in the necessary safeguards for health and the environment.My Department has therefore proposed, in the consultative document "Pesticides: Implementing Part III of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985", that there should be a general obligation on all who use pesticides in the course of their business to ensure that they and their employees have received adequate instruction and guidance; and a specific obligation

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which agency will monitor and provide inspectors for the implementation and enforcement of part III of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 in England and Wales; and if he will indicate by region and by county how many extra inspectors will be provided.

I refer the hon. Member to chapter 9 of the consultative document "Pesticides: Implementing Part III of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985", where we have proposed that a number of different agencies should be responsible for enforcement. The deployment of their resources is a matter for the agencies involved, and I am therefore unable to give the detail requested.

asked the Paymaster General why disabled persons are included in the unemployment count.

Disabled people are included in the count of people claiming unemployment benefits because they declare that they are capable and available for work. Some severely disabled people, who could not obtain employment except under sheltered conditions, are included. The severely disabled used to be excluded from the former count at jobcentres and careers offices until October 1982 when they numbered about 23,000; but they are not separately identified at unemployment benefit offices which have been the source of the unemployment count since then.

asked the Paymaster General what was the number of low-paid male manual workers for each year since 1975 and the proportion of the total work force that they represented.

The number and proportion of adult male manual employees with relatively low weekly earnings can be assessed from the tables on the distribution of weekly earnings regularly published in the annual reports on the "New Earnings Survey", table 14 for 1975 to 1981 and table 29 for 1982 to 1985, copies of which are available in the Library.It is a matter of judgment what levels of relatively low pay are regarded as significant.

asked the Paymaster General how many 16-year-olds entered employment, excluding special training measures, in each of the last 15 years; and what these numbers represent as a percentage of their respective age groups.

Information in the precise form requested is not available. The latest available relevant estimates for 1984 and 1985 are shown in the following table:

Young people aged 16 years* in Great Britain
	January 1984		January 1985
	Numbers	Per cent.	Numbers	Per cent.
Total population of which:	895,000	100	870,000	100
(a) in full-time education or YTS, or claimant unemployed	745,000	83	740,000	85
(b) other: mainly employed outside YTS†	155,000	17	130,000	15
* Ages as at preceding 31 August.
†Mainly those in employment but excluding those employed under the youth training scheme and including some who were seeking work but not claiming benefit and others who were neither employed nor seeking work—for example, because of domestic responsibilities. This group is obtained by subtracting from the total population of the age group those estimated to be in full-time education or in the youth training scheme and the claimant unemployed.

Similar estimates for 1974–83 are shown in table 5 of Statistical Bulletin 5/85, published by the Department of Education and Science, which is available in the Library. Corresponding estimates prior to 1974 are not readily available.

asked the Paymaster General if he will publish in the Official Report an estimate of the number and proportion of workers who would be covered by wages councils if wages council orders ceased to apply to workers under 21 years of age; and if he will provide the same data for each wages council industry.

About 2·25 million workers will continue to be covered by wages councils following the removal from regulation of workers under 21 years of age. This figure represents about four fifths of the total number covered at present. It is not possible to provide the information requested for individual wages council industries.

asked the Paymaster General if he will list in the Official Report those firms, of which his Department is aware, that pay an additional wage to youth training scheme trainees.

Payments made to youth training scheme trainees in excess of the standard allowances to which they are entitled are a matter for the training providers concerned. Neither my Department nor the Manpower Services Commission maintain a record of the firms who make such payments.

asked the Paymaster General, how many children in each local authority are taking part in the technical and vocational education initiative at the latest date for which data are available, and for the previous year.

14 local education authorities started projects in 1983, and have therefore had 3 student intakes; 47 further authorities started 48 projects in 1984, with Strathclyde education authority running separate projects in 2 of its divisions; 12 authorities started projects in 1985.The following figures give the numbers of children taking part in the initiative as at September 1985, with revised totals for September 1984.

Authority	Position at September 1984	Position at September 1985
Barnsley*	708	1,144
Bedfordshire*	977	1,213
Berkshire	239	489
Birmingham	500	794
Bolton	179	419
Borders	236	534
Bradford*	510	760
Bromley†	—	228
Buckinghamshire	259	494
Bury	197	383
Cambridgeshire	225	460
Cheshire	200	390
Cleveland	214	422
Clwyd*	509	913
Cornwall	286	565
Coventry	259	518
Croydon	235	477
Cumbria	226	448
Derbyshire	236	492
Devon*	554	805
Doncaster	236	484
Dudley	250	498
Dumfries and Galloway	199	429
Durham	259	510
Dyfed†	—	250
Ealing†	—	195
East Sussex	249	502
Enfield*	412	674
Essex	235	498
Fife	232	470
Glasgow†	238	451
Gloucestershire	271	536
Gwent	250	500
Gwnyedd	230	482
Hampshire	323	586
Havering	247	494
Hereford and Worcester*	513	764
Hertfordshire*	606	876
Isle of Wight	265	528
Kent†	—	225
Kingston†	—	243
Leicestershire*	1,007	1,524