asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will list the items that are known to have been stolen from the precincts of the Palace of Westminster during each of the last three years.

The information requested is given in the table below:

Thefts reported to the police commited within the precincts of the Palace of Westminister and outbuildings between 1 January 1983 and 31 December 1985
	Number of Articles or Thefts
Items	1983	1984	1985
Motor Cycle gauntlets	1	—	—
Vacuum cleaner and hose	1	2	—
Typewriter	1	2	—
Briefcase	1	1	1
Spirits and cigars to the value of	£457·67	—	£120
Cash	£49	£483·50	£696
Tools to the value of approx*	£500	£410	£1,350
Jackets	2	—	—
Cigarette lighter in case	1	—	—
Microwave oven	1	—	—
Books	7	—	2
Copper tubing and fittings	†X	—	—
Meat to the value of	£300	—	£2
Framed prints and photographs	X	2	—
Watch	1	—	—
Electric Kettle	1	1	1
Table lamp	—	1	2
Casette/tape recorders	3	2	3
Motor cycle cowling	1	—	—
Clocks	10	—	1
Dictaphone	1	1	1
Tuner Amplifier	1	—	1
Tape recorder adaptor	—	1	—
Radios	—	1	1
Cast iron crosses	—	3	—
Billiard Cue	—	1	—
Camera	—	1	—
Desk diary	—	1	—
Cheque book	2	—	3
Car pass	—	—	1
Video cassette	—	—	1
Spectacles	—	—	1
Postage stamps to the value of	—	—	£4
Make-up bag	—	—	1
Steam cleaning machine	—	—	1

	Number of Articles or Thefts
Items	1983	1984	1985
Telephones	—	—	1
Cycle lamps	—	—	2
Scarf	—	—	1
Coats	1	1	2

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many university applications for courses in physics have been received by the Universities Central Council on Admissions by the relevant closing date in December of each year since 1979.

Information on university applicants received by 15 December each year is not readily available. However, total applicants for admission to a university through UCCA where physics was the preferred subject of study are as follows:

Academic year of entry	All applications*	Applications by previous 1 December
1979	2,878	†
1980	3,188	†
1981	3,406	†
1982	3,899	†
1983	3,717	†
1984	3,520	†
1985	3,117	2,290
1986	—	1,989

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will give consideration to changing the funding of polytechnics from local education authorities to central Government; and if he will make a statement.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average length of tenure of civil servants posted to the University Grants Committee over the last 10 years.

Four years. This figure takes into account all staff with less than 10 years' service with the University Grants Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from local authorities to the effect that the cost of 30 per cent. of a scheme of lunchtime supervision under the Education (Amendment) Bill will incur grant penalties or clawback.

My right hon. Friend has received no such representations. In the answer my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway) on 8 November 1985 at column 11, an undertaking was given that the Government would view sympathetically any applications for disregards for such expenditure for the purposes of calculating the hold-back of block grant in respect of 1985–86.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the objectives of his policy on school curricula; how he is monitoring its effectiveness; and if he will make a statement.

The Government's policies are set out in the White Paper "Better Schools" (Cmnd. 9469); their principal aims are to raise standards at all levels of ability and to secure the best possible return from the resources which are made available. The arrangements for monitoring the effectiveness of these policies are described in chapter 13 of the White Paper.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any changes are proposed in the cash limit for Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class XIII, vote 5 will be increased by £1,750,000 from £355,082, 000 to £356,832,000 to cover the cost of increased operations in particular with regard to the prevention of drug smuggling, a shortfall in fees received from traders for out-of-hours Customs attendance, and payments made in lieu of interest, on payments to certain traders of overpaid VAT following legal decisions on direct selling. Of this increase, £1,050,000 is classified as public expenditure. This will be charged to the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planning total of public expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications of the increased burden of interest repayments borne by recipient countries for Her Majesty's Government's future aid programme.

Bilateral aid to countries with an income per head of less than $790 in 1983 is provided on grant terms. Aid loans to other countries are at rates of interest well below commercial rates of interest. Twenty one of the poorest countries have already had their past aid debt forgiven under our retrospective terms adjustment policy.The burden of debt servicing is one factor taken into account in setting the level of our bilateral aid and its forms to particular countries. Many developing countries with debt problems need to adapt their economic policies in order to restore growth and improve their balance of payments position. An important aspect of our aid policy, particularly in Africa, is to support those countries pursuing adjustment and investment programmes agreed with the IMF and the World Bank.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will bring forward proposals for price control of funerals.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will ensure a wide spread of interest on the inquiry into Lloyd's and appoint representatives of trade unions and consumers.

[pursuant to his reply, 23 January 1986, c. 281]: I am, of course, carefully considering the composition of the inquiry. I hope to announce its full membership shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average annual loss of moorland to agricultural or other development in Wales.

Moorland is not identified separately from rough grazing in the agricultural census. The reduction in the area of rough grazing between 1975 and 1985 has averaged 7,300 hectares per year.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is the average annual loss of agricultural land due to the encroachment of bracken in Wales;(2) what is the estimated area of land covered by bracken in Wales; and what is the annual rate of encroachment.

Estimates put forward by research organisations suggest that 118,000 hectares in Wales are subject to bracken infestation and that the annual rate of encroachment is between 1 per cent. and 3 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales to what extent bracken processing for use as fuel is carried out in Wales.

There is no known commercial processing of bracken for use as a fuel taking place in Wales at the present time.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the extent of application of the chemical asulox, used in the treatment of bracken infestation, in Wales.

There is no information available on the use of asulox on bracken in Wales.

asked the Attorney-General on what basis he has been asked to authorise a grant of immunity to a civil servant from prosecution under the Official Secrets Act as part of inquiries into the leak of the Solicitor-General's letter to the former Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine).

I refer the hon. Member to what my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said to the House on this matter, with my agreement, in the statement which she made on 23 January.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the terms of the reprimand delivered by the Lord Justice Clerk to the Sheriff of Kilmarnock, Mr. David Smith, in relation to the case of a dismissed coalminer; and if he will make a statement.

I take it that the hon. Member's question refers to the opinion of the Lord Justice Clerk delivered on 5 November 1985 in relation to the bills of suspension submitted by 14 miners. I have arranged for a copy of the relevant opinions to be placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many charges for drunken driving were brought in Scotland in the three weeks commencing 23 December 1985.

I regret that this information is not available. Monthly returns from police forces for December 1985 and January 1986 are not yet complete; and these do not make it possible to identify the figures for any particular week.

the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will extend the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland agriculture studentships to include aquaculture training.

No. The Natural Environment Research Council is responsible for postgraduate training in fisheries and freshwater and marine biology.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland which departments and which universities are currently included in the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland agriculture studentships scheme.

Awards under the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries postgraduate agricultural studentship scheme are made to students ordinarily resident in Scotland wishing to study subjects within the fields specified in the rules for the scheme. They are tenable at any university at which the student is accepted for postgraduate studies. Studentships are currently held at the following universities: Glasgow (6), Aberdeen (4), Edinburgh (2), Cambridge (2), Newcastle (1), Strathclyde (1), University college, Aberystwyth (1).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give capital consent for Stirling district council to meet its obligations as riparian owner for remedial works to be carried out by the Central regional council to prevent further flooding in Bridge of Allan.

Local authorities are given consent to incur capital expenditure in the form of block consents and have full discretion in using them. They do not require my right hon. and learned Friend's consent to incur expenditure on individual projects. It is therefore for Stirling district council to determine its own expenditure priorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the answer of 23 July 1985, Official Report, columns 465–6, in each of the five years 1979 to 1983, how many firearms that were stolen of each type were subsequently found to have been used in crimes.

This information is not recorded by chief officers of police. While there is little concrete evidence to show how criminals obtain their weapons, between 2,500 and 3,000 firearms annually were reported stolen since 1979 and one must accept that a number of these will subsequently have been used in further crimes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made towards establishing a new purpose-built unit to replace the C1 unit at Holloway prison.

A site has been found and work is now going ahead on planning the new accommodation. As recommended by the project committee, advice is being sought from the Department of Health and Social Security.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in implementing improvements in the C1 unit at Holloway prison.

I shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, pursuant to his reply of 20 December, Official Report, columns 340–1, he will give details of the projects covered by the headings "Police Research and Telecommunications".

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

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints were made to the Police Complaints Authority in 1985; and with what result.

This is a matter for the Police Complaints Authority, which is an independent body established under the provisions of part IX of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. The information will be included in the authority's report for 1985. The report will be laid before Parliament and published.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been convicted of robbery, contrary to section 8(1) of the Theft Act 1968, since that section was enacted; and how many of those persons were sentenced to life imprisonment.

The information requested is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—in table 5.8 of the issue for 1984 (Cmnd. 9621) for persons found guilty and tables 2.4 and 2.5 of the supplementary tables 1984, volume 2, for sentences of life imprisonment and custody for life respectively under offence classification 34. Fifty four thousand five hundred and eighty persons were found guilty of robbery from 1 January 1969 to 31 December 1984; of whom 17 received a sentence of life imprisonment or custody for life. Corresponding information for 1985 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if any use is made in the training of police officers of the manual "Human Rights and the Police" published by the Directorate of Human Rights in Strasbourg; and if he will make a statement.

This publication is one of many available to police trainers and students in the general field of human rights, an important subject at all levels of training.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will arrange for Mr. Salah Abdessalem Ben Rabha to be deported on the grounds that his continued presence in the United Kingdom is not conducive to the public good; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will make a statement on the reasons why Mr. Salah Abdessalem Ben Rabha, a person required to leave the United Kingdom following the Libyan embassy siege, has now been re-admitted to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Ben Rabha was one of the 30 occupants of the Libyan people's bureau at the time of the shooting of WPC Fletcher on 17 April 1984. He was not a diplomat, but a locally engaged member of staff employed as a film technician. Following the severance of diplomatic relations with Libya and the lifting of the siege of the bureau, he was escorted along with other members of the bureau to Heathrow and embarked for Tripoli on 27 April 1984.In September 1984, Mr. Ben Rabha applied in Paris for a visa to enable him to return to the United Kingdom. The application was refused on 15 November 1984 under the immigration rules on the ground that Mr. Ben Rabha's presence in this country would not be conducive to the public good having regard to his former employment at the Libyan people's bureau and the nature of his subsequent departure from the United Kingdom. This decision carried a right of appeal to the independent immigration appellate authorities.Mr. Ben Rabha exercised his right of appeal, and on 2 September 1985 the appeal was allowed on the ground that, on balance, the strong compassionate circumstances outweighed the case for refusing the application. Mr. Ben Rabha had married a British citizen in 1973, and the couple had been resident in the United Kingdom since 1974. There were five children of the marriage, the youngest having been born in March 1984. There were no grounds in law to challenge the adjudicator's determination and a visa was therefore authorised for Mr. Ben Rabha, who was admitted to the United Kingdom on 30 October 1985 to rejoin his family. He was interviewed by the police on his arrival who intend to bring no charge against him.Given all these circumstances there is no basis in which I would be justified in starting deportation action against Mr. Ben Rabha.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in respect of the various Libyan personnel required to leave the United Kingdom following the Libyan embassy siege, any conditions were imposed, then or subsequently, on (i) the circumstances and (ii) the period, within which they could return to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

No specific conditions were imposed, but my right hon. and learned Friend the then Home Secretary made it clear that he would not hesitate to use to the full the powers contained in the Immigration Act 1971, to ensure the exclusion of the Libyan nationals referred to for so long as it was thought necessary other than in exceptional circumstances. That remains the position.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has concerning the extent of the restrictions on Sunday trading in Portugal; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 January 1986, c. 220]: I understand that shops in Portugal may open on any day of the week between 6 am and midnight, subject to local authority approval. Some major supermarkets and shopping complexes open on Sundays but the majority of shops are closed.

asked the Paymaster General what has been the number of accidents involving farm workers in each of the past 10 years.

The number of accidents involving agricultural employees in Great Britain in each of the past 10 years is shown in the table below:

	Fatal	Non-Fatal
1975	34	5,196
1976	41	5,206
1977	34	4,784

	Fatal	Non-Fatal
1978	25	4,529
1979	34	4,024
1980	25	4,223
1981	31	*7,799
1982	27	*7,118
1983	28	*
1984	27	*

asked the Paymaster General what discussion he intends to have with representatives of trade union organisations and the Commission for Racial Equality about monitoring statistics and information relating to ethnic minority unemployment.

As announced in my reply to the hon. Member for Norwood (Mr. Fraser) on 13 December 1985 at column 799, the Department of Employment was to undertake pilot tests in Stockton, Thornton Heath and Toxteth, to assess the feasibility of collecting ethnic minority unemployment statistics through the unemployment benefit service.These tests were completed on 17 January 1986 and the Department is currently assessing their outcome. The Commission for Racial Equality and departmental trade union representatives will be invited to comment on the pilot tests as part of that assessment.

asked the Paymaster General whether the electoral register is used in conjuction with the adminstration of unemployment benefit; and whether there are any plans to use it in that respect when it is available in machine readable form.

The electoral register is not used in conjuction with the administration of unemployment benefit and there are no plans to use it in that respect in the future.

asked the Paymaster General if, pursuant to the answer of 11 December 1985, Official Report, column 641, the Health and Safety Executive is now satisfied with the safety standards in force at the Ault and Wiborg paint factory in Perivale; and if he will make a statement.

The safety modifications required by the Health and Safety Executive have now been completed. Responsibility for ensuring the adequacy of safety standards at the factory lies with the company. The executive will continue to enforce health and safety legislation at the factory in the normal way.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland when he expects to receive the report of the Scottish Law Commission on mobbing and rioting.

The Scottish Law Commission has consulted widely on this subject and I expect to hear from it in the fairly near future what action it proposes to take as a result of that consultation.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on developments arising from his efforts to secure widespread acceptance of the Anglo-Irish agreement among those people of Northern Ireland who wish for no change of status of the Province.

As the Government have repeatedly made clear, the Anglo-Irish agreement has not effected any change in Northern Ireland's constitutional status as part of the United Kingdom. I accept, however, that there is widespread misunderstanding within the Province about both the terms and the operation of the agreement. I will pay particular attention over the coming months to remedying this, and I believe that longer experience of the practical workings of the Intergovernmental Conference will lead to a much wider appreciation of the true nature and advantages of the agreement.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve are currently estimated to be Catholics; what proportion this represents of the manpower of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve separately; and how these proportions compare with the recruitment of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve in the latest calendar year.

The religious denominations of members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and its Reserve have not been recorded since 1970. Nevertheless, I understand that about one tenth of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the full-time Reserve are Roman Catholic and that around one tenth of those recruited to the Royal Ulster Constabulary and to the full-time Reserve in 1985 were Roman Catholic. The Royal Ulster Constabulary will continue its efforts to attract suitability qualified recruits from all parts of the community.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the manpower strength of the Royal Ulster Constabulary in Northern Ireland on 1 January, giving details of the number of operatives at that time for the following categories: Royal Ulster Constabulary full-time, Royal Ulster Constabulary full-time Reserve and Royal Ulster Constabulary part-time Reserve.

The information is as follows:

	Number
Royal Ulster Constabulary	8,259
Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve (full-time)	2,755
Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve (part-time)	1,753
TOTAL	12,767

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce a decision on the future structure of London Country Bus Services Ltd.

I am considering the matter in consultation with the board of the National Bus Company and an announcement will be made as soon as final decisions have been reached.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from London Regional Transport about the adequacy of the resources it receives from his Department.

None. The resources provided by my Department to London Regional Transport have matched its needs given its notable success in cutting costs while maintaining services and increasing investment.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what new procedures will be adopted from April 1986 for obtaining the information on the maintenance of motorways currently obtained from the metropolitan county councils.

On some lengths of motorway we have appointed consultants or district councils to manage parts of the motorway network who will be required to operate maintenance management systems and to provide information in the same way as our existing agents. On other lengths existing agent authorities will be extending their present maintenance activities into the metropolitan areas, and will provide the information.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many disclosures of names and addresses took place from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre last year; for what purpose those disclosures took place; and which organisations received those names and addresses.

In 1985 there were about 61½ million disclosures of names and addresses from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre. About 5½ million of these disclosures were from the vehicles register and about 1 million from the drivers' register. As far as the vehicles register is concerned the main information was supplied for use in connection with the investigation of an offence to the police, local authorities and other enforcement agencies. In a small proportion of cases information was supplied to those who showed "reasonable cause" for their inquiry as required by regulations and who paid the prescribed fee. Information was also supplied from the vehicle register to vehicle manufacturers for the purpose of safety related recalls. Release of information from the drivers' register only occurs for purposes directly related to driver licensing, road safety and enforcement. This is supplied in the main to the police with a small proportion to other Government Departments and statutory licensing authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether the electoral register is currently used in conjunction with the information held at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre in Swansea; and whether there are any plans to use it in that respect when it is available in machine readable form.

The electoral register is not currently used in conjunction with the information held at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre and there are no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on the fatal and reported accident rates for lit and unlit sections of the M1 motorway between London and Wakefield from 1979 annually.

The information is as follows:

Accident rates per mile: M1 London-Wakefield (junctions 1–40): by severity, daylight/dark and lighting: 1982–84.
	1982	1983	1984
Daylight lit
Fatal	0·13	0·07	0·17
All accidents	4·33	3·94	4·76
Daylight unlit
Fatal	0·06	0·07	0·05
All accidents	2·05	1·91	1·63
Darkness lit
Fatal	0·09	0·04	0·11
All accidents	2·17	1·60	2·01
Darkness unlit
Fatal	0·08	0·07	0·04
All accidents	0·94	0·93	1·00
All condition lit
Fatal	0·22	0·12	0·29
All accidents	6·50	5·54	6·77
All condition unlit
Fatal	0·14	0·14	0·09
All accidents	2·99	2·84	2·63
All hours, all conditions	4·21	3·82	4·21

I shall make the information for the years 1979–81 available to the right hon. Gentleman very shortly. Data for 1985 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will identify those junctions on the M1 motorway which are unlit.

Junctions 15, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, and 27 to 47 inclusive on the M1 motorway are unlit.Junctions 15 and 18 are planned to be fully lit later this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, now that the M25 is complete, he will ensure that new signs are errected and old ones removed so as to avoid the A423 at Maidenhead Thicket.

Signs indicating A423/A404 as a lorry route between M4 and M40 will be removed shortly. I expect those travelling between points south of London and Oxford generally to use M25 and M40.I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make a statement in respect of the progress of plans for the proposed Thorney bypass; and when he expects to publish the trunk road order.

A preferred route was announced in 1981, but this is being reviewed to see whether a more economic solution is available. I cannot say when draft orders might be published.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he received the inspector's report in respect of Eye bypass; when he expects to make an announcement as to the result of the public inquiry; and whether he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment received the inspector's report in September 1985. Complex issues were raised at the public inquiries including a proposal for an alternative route. Consideration of these issues is necessarily taking some time but I hope that an announcement will not be long delayed.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in introducing a standard height for car bumpers; and whether any proposals for standardisation are being considered by the European Economic Community.

There is no generally accepted standard for bumpers on cars sold in Europe, but in practice most car bumpers are around 17 to 18 inches in height from the ground. Bumper height and other characteristics are being considered by the appropriate technical committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe in the context of work to make the exterior fittings of vehicles less aggressive to pedestrians.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, following the announcement of 17 January for the Manchester to Blackpool rail route, when the contracts will go out to tender; how many new Sprinter trains will be purchased; and what expenditure is involved in the improvement of this service.

The new Sprinter diesel multiple units will be part of a wider programme for introducing new rolling stock in the north-west. The other questions are matters for British Rail.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what estimate has been made of the increased traffic to be generated at Waterloo station on the opening of the Channel fixed link;

Forecasts of this traffic are for the Channel Tunnel Group and British Rail.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what planning procedures will be followed by the Government for the provision of new facilities at Waterloo Station to accommodate new traffic generated by a Channel fixed link.

Powers for British Rail to carry out works and acquire any land will be sought in the hybrid Bill. British Rail will be consulting the local authorities concerned. Bodies and persons whose interests are directly affected may petition and have their cases heard by the Select Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will call in for public inquiry the direct and indirect effects of the Channel fixed link on Waterloo station.

No.

asked the Prime Minister what recent studies Her Majesty's Government have made or have available to them on children's diet (a) at home and (b) at school; and if she will make a statement.

The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys undertook a dietary survey of school children in 1983 which examined dietary intake at home and at school. Analyses of the data collected in the survey are continuing.

asked the Prime Minister if the inquiry in connection with the leaks of the Solicitor-General's letter of 6 January to the then Secretary of State for Defence has now been completed.

I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the statement that I made to the House on 23 January at columns 449–460.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilians are employed at bases in Britain where United States service men are stationed; and if he will make a statement.

Approximately 4,000 United Kingdom Civil Service posts exist at those facilities in the United Kingdom made available for use by the United States forces. Statistics for the employment of United States civilians and United Kingdom civilians other than civil servants are not held centrally, but overall the United States bases make a considerable contribution to employment in the areas in which they are located.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has as to the number of American service men's families living in the United Kingdom away from their bases; and if he wil make a statement.

There are currently about 26,000 dependants of United States service men living in the United Kingdom. It is estimated that about 55 per cent. of families live away from the bases.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total and per capita Government expenditure on boarding school allowances for children of armed forces personnel, the number of children covered, and the proportion of children in such schools with parents stationed permanently in the United Kingdom.

For the total expenditure on boarding school allowance for children of armed forces personnel and the proportion of those in receipt of the allowance who are currently serving in the United Kingdom I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer which I gave him on 26 June 1985 at column 435. Current payments cover some 21,500 children. The average annual payment in 1984–85 was some £3,600 a child: it is estimated that about 30 per cent. of this amount would have been recovered by the Inland Revenue in tax.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the costs of the Ulster Defence Regiment and its Reserve, divided between wages and salaries, other personnel costs, costs of construction and buildings, investment in military equipment and other costs for the latest fiscal year.

Estimated costs for the financial year 1985–86 are in the following form:

	£ million
Wages and salaries	39·1
Support costs	3·2
Capital expenditure on equipment	0·6
Total	42·9

The figures for works costs are not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence on what basis an order is to be placed on behalf of the Berlin Brigade for armoured personnel carriers with Thyssen Maschinenbau; what suitable alternatives manufactured by United Kingdom firms were considered; and if he will make a statement.

Consideration is being given to the purchase from the Berlin occupation costs budget of Thyssen TM170 hard-skinned troop carrying vehicles to provide protected mobility for the British Brigade in Berlin. The vehicles would be used solely for duties relating to Berlin and would be based there permanently. No orders have been signed. The Berlin occupation costs budget covers the extra costs incurred by the allies through stationing troops in the city and is funded by the Federal German Government. Purchases from it are normally made in deutschmarks, from within the German economy, and preference is given to equipment of German manufacture when, as in this case, suitable items are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will explain the criteria currently being used to decide whether compound interest is paid to some service pensioners who are underpaid and only simple interest is being paid to others.

There are no such criteria. Where compensation is paid for loss of interest this is calculated on compound terms.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the percentage error rate found in the systematic check of Royal Navy/Royal Marines ratings pension awards; on what percentage of cases in which an error was found no action has been taken; and what proportion of the total are accounted for by (a) potential errors where an incorrect award will be made when the Royal Naval-Royal Marine rating reaches 55 years of age and (b) cases where the pensioner has died and payment may be due to the estate.

The error rate is 2·5 per cent. There are no cases in which an error has been found and where action has not been taken. In 0·16 per cent. of cases checked the error found would have affected the award when the pensioner reached age 55. In 0·03 per cent. of cases checked the pensioner has died and payment will be made to the estate.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what Her Majesty's Government's policy is for correcting all overpayment and underpayment errors discovered on service pension awards.

For errors discovered on service pension awards as a result of the current special checks the policy for correcting underpayments and overpayments is for action as follows:

(a)Underpayments. The corrected rate of pension to be brought into issue as soon as possible, arrears due to be calculated and paid, and a compensation payment to be made for notional loss of interest.

(b)Overpayments. The corrected rate of pension to be brought into issue as soon as possible. Overpayments will be regarded as having been accepted in good faith and, unless there is evidence to the contrary, recovery will not be sought.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, of the total number of errors found in the current check of service pension awards, what proportion were (a) overpayments and (b) underpayments; and what was the average amount of error found in (a) overpayments and (b) underpayments.

The overall rate of errors found is 2.4 per cent. Within that rate just under half—45.6 per cent.—of errors have resulted in overpayments and just over half —54.4 per cent.—in underpayments. The average rate of error is £107 per annum for overpayments and £226 per annum for underpayments.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to move from its present location the task of checking for errors on Royal Navy and Royal Marine ratings pension awards.

Responsibility for Royal Navy ratings' and Royal Marine other ranks' pensions work is in process of transfer from director general defence accounts at Worcester to HMS Centurion, and the remaining task of checking for errors forms part of that transfer. From 1 April 1986 responsibility for all Royal Navy and Royal Marine pensions will rest with HMS Centurion.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to process the backlog of errors found but not yet dealt with in Royal Navy and Royal Marine pension awards.

There is no backlog in correcting rates of pension in issue. For the cases of underpayment the arrears and associated compensation are currently being calculated and payment will be made shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why the airspace available for private light aircraft has been restricted, particularly in the case of Upper Heyford; and whether he is considering alternative sites for the training of service pilots.

The use of United Kingdom airspace is kept under continual review in order to identify measures which may be necessary to maintain standards of safety. In the particular case of Upper Heyford a working group involving representatives of all interested parties recommended the creation of an area access of which would be controlled by a requirement, before entry, to communicate by radio with Upper Heyford air traffic control. Provided this requirement is met there will be no restriction on access to airspace around Upper Heyford. To safeguard the interests of private aviation this arrangement will be subject to review after a one year trial.There are no plans to identify alternative sites for the training of service pilots.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been employed by his Department's press and public relations office in each of the past five years; and what has been the annual budget for that office over the same period.

As part of the MOD's defence public relations staff, the defence press office currently employs 11 people. Comparable figures for the last 5 years were:

	Number
1981	12
1982	12
1983	11
1984	11
1985	11

On the basis of official capitation rates, the costs of these staff are calculated as follows:

	(£K)
1981	203
1982	217

	(£K)
1983	212
1984	226
1985	238

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what would the estimated saving be to his Department if apprentice training in Rosyth and Devonport were transferred to private contractors.

The training of apprentices in the royal dockyards has always been based on the need to maintain an adequate work force trained in requisite skills, riot only for the dockyards themselves but also to some extent for the rest of the department. No change in this arrangement is planned. The estimated savings from contractorisation of the dockyards are based on the assumption of an overall increase in efficiency under commercial management.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average cost of an apprenticeship in the royal dockyards.

The average cost of an apprenticeship in the royal dockyards is some £35,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost of apprenticeship training schemes in Rosyth and Devonport in each of the last three years.

The estimated costs are as follows:

	Devonport dockyard	Rosyth dockyard
	£ million	£ million
1983	7·0	4·6
1984	6·8	4·9
1985	6·5	5·5

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if there is (i) a requirement or (ii) funding for the purchase of the Blackhawk helicopter in his Department's forward programme.

No. Our requirements for support helicopters are currently under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has as to military helicopter types being exported by Westland plc when that helicopter was not also part of the inventory of the British services.

I shall answer shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what were the terms of reference and the agenda for the meeting of the national armament directors' meeting called for 29 November 1985.

The national armament directors of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom had been invited by their Defence Ministers to hold a meeting to review progress towards the achievement of the goals set out in the declaration of principles signed in 1978 by the Defence Ministers of the four nations; and to make recommendations as to how they should be pursued in future.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when and in what form the invitations were extended to the national armament directors to attend the meeting held on 29 November 1985.

Invitations were issued orally to the national armament directors of France, Germany and Italy by the chief of defence equipment collaboration on 27 and 28 November 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates on which meetings of the national armament directors of Italy, Germany, France and the United Kingdom or their deputies have been held since 1979; and at which meetings European helicopter collaborative production was discussed in detail.

The national armament directors meet on numerous occasions throughout the year in many fora, including the conference of national armament directors and the independent European programme group and in smaller groupings to discuss many aspects of equipment collaboration, including helicopters as appropriate. Britain's armament director attended 15 such meetings in 1985 when account is taken of those concerned with the European fighter aircraft project. The meeting held in London on 29 November 1985 was however the only recent occasion on which the four armament directors met specifically to discuss helicopters.Deputies have met 11 times since 1979 in the forum of the four national helicopter steering committee, which is charged with overseeing progress towards implementation of the 1978 declaration of principles. The most recent of these meetings was held in February 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many defence contracts awarded following international competitive tender since 1979 have been placed overseas; and if he will list those contracts.

The answer cannot be provided without disproportinate cost and effort.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the total expenditure on the Berlin brigade of the British Army in each of the last five years;(2) how much the German Government have contributed financially to the budget of the Berlin brigade of the British Army in each of the last five years.

The estimated cost of the defence budget of the Berlin brigade in each of the years in question is as follows:

	(£ million)
1981–82	27
1982–83	38
1983–84	42
1984–85	47
1985–86	49

In accordance with the allied "Declaration of Berlin" of 26 May 1952, local expenditure on supplies and services

for all British forces in Berlin is met without charge to United Kingdom funds. Total estimated expenditure in each of the years concerned is as follows:

	(£ million)
1981–82	69·3
1982–83	74·9
1983–84	71·8
1984–85	82·3
1985–86	98·7

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what conditions are laid down by the German Government on how the money provided by the German Government for expenditure on the Berlin brigade is spent.

The Berlin occupation costs budget is designed to meet the extra costs of stationing allied forces in Berlin. The allies agreed in 1952 that as the occupation costs were a charge on the budget of the Federal Republic they would be fixed after consultation with the appropriate German authorities and at the lowest level consistent with maintaining the security of Berlin and the allied forces located there. The details of these consultations are confidential between the Governments concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the incidence of local government tendering questionnaires and contracts containing political items and clauses; if he will list the councils involved; and if he will make a statement.

My Department does not have comprehensive information on local authority contracts or tendering questionnaires, but from representations received it would appear that some two dozen or so English local authorities seek non-commercial information from prospective suppliers or contractors. It is estimated that about half a dozen of these authorities indulge in over political discrimination in the award of contracts, and I would hope that such unreasonable action is challenged in the courts soon.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 12 December, Official Report, column 778, why his Department treats as commercially confidential applications which have been approved for schemes involving urban development grant for the refurbishment for sale of local authority housing.

All urban development grant schemes involve private sector undertakings. In common with other Government Departments administering grant regimes, it is my Department's practice not to disclose information which could be sensitive or of advantage to competitors.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the housing projects for which he has approved urban development grants, since June 1983.

Lists of all projects approved for urban development grant are regularly placed in the Library of the House; an updated version was placed there two weeks ago.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the additional building in Kirkcaldy was acquired for the use of the procurator fiscal's department; what is the reason for the delay in making use of the building; and when he expects this additional office will become available for the fiscal's staff.

I shall answer this question shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the grant-related expenditure per head of population for Harborough, Harrow, Hambleton and Holderness, respectively.

The information is as follows for 1986–87:

Grant-related expenditure per head of population
	£
Harborough	38·55
Harrow	439·03
Hambleton	41·57
Holderness	48·04

The figure for Harrow is not comparable with those for the districts, because London boroughs are responsible for a wider range of services than shire districts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, if he will list the grant-related expenditure per head of population for each of the local authorities comprising the county, together with the city of Leicester.

The information is as follows for 1986–87:

Grant-related expenditure per head of population
	£
Blaby	40·91
Charnwood	44·60
Harborough	38·55
Hinckley and Bosworth	40·07
Leicester	94·50
Melton	43·16
North West Leicestershire	44·52
Oadby and Wigston	46·29
Rutland	39·09

The grant-related expenditure per head of population for the county of Leicestershire is £404·35.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the 10 district authorities in England with the highest grant-related expenditure per head of population and list the grant-related expenditure per capita in each case.

The information is as follows for 1986–87:

Grant-related expenditure per head of population
	£
Manchester	576·83
Liverpool	525·43
Wolverhampton	499·40
Birmingham	497·71
Oldham	483·25
Bradford	477·30
Salford	473·94
Knowsley	472·29
Sandwell	461·06
Bolton	459·14

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the 10 district authorities in England with the lowest grant-related expenditure per head of population and list the grant-related expenditure per capita in each case.

The information is as follows for 1986–87:

Grant-related expenditure per head
	£
Mid-Bedfordshire	36·48
South Staffordshire	38·45
Harborough	38·55
Rutland	39·09
South Cambridgeshire	39·09
Broadland	39·40
Hart	39·86
South Norfolk	39·87
North Kesteven	39·99
South Northamptonshire	40·03

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the rate of encroachment of bracken on water catchment areas in the United Kingdom and on the problems posed by, and health risks of contamination of, water supplies by chemicals emanating from bracken.

I am not aware of any significant encroachment of bracken on water catchment areas in England. There is no evidence to suggest that elements in bracken which could be a health risk are leaching into water supplies.In other parts of the United Kingdom this is a matter for my right hon. Friends, the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and for Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received calling for legislation to control dogs in the interests of public health.

We have received some 1,700 representations since the publication in November 1984 of the consultation paper on the future dog licensing arrangements. Many of these have called for measures to control dogs for reasons of public health.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) why he has not yet given his consent to payments for cyclic and special maintenance, for which the Greater London council applied on 22 October 1985;(2) why he has not yet given his consent to the disposal of Kings Reach, Stamford Wharf, wall and walk, for which the Greater London council applied on 4 April 1985;(3) why he has not yet given his consent to the disposal of the Rio Cinema, 103–107 Kingsland high street, Hackney, for which the Greater London council applied on 2 May 1985;(4) why he has not yet given his consent to the disposal of 50–52 King street, Southall for which the Greater London council applied on 20 May 1985;(5) why he has not yet given his consent to the disposal of Wilton's music hall, Graces Alley, London El for which the Greater London council applied on 19 June 1985.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given him on Tuesday 21 January 1986 at column 141.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much in each year since 1981–82 the Government has allocated to London boroughs in respect of rate support grant, housing subsidy and housing investment programme allocation at 1981–82 prices.

I shall answer this question shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, if he will introduce legislation to restore the full rating of empty industrial and commercial property in London; and if he will make a statement.

No. I see no grounds, whether for London or elsewhere, for revoking current legislation which exempts industrial and warehousing property completely from empty property rates, and prevents local authorities levying more than 50 per cent. of the normal rate on commercial properties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will broaden the criteria for urban programme expenditure to enable direct investment by local authorities in local commercial and community enterprises; and if he will make a statement.

I shall answer this question shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give consent to the transfer of the remaining £8 million of the Greater London enterprise board's annual funding from the Greater London council; and if he will make a statement.

I shall answer this question shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) why he has not yet given his consent to the disposal of 29,400 sq ft of light industrial units in Monier road for which the Greater London council applied on 18 July 1985;(2) why he has not yet given his consent to the disposal of 17,950 sq ft of light industrial units in Gladstone terrace for which the Greater London council applied on 18 July 1985;(3) why he has not yet given his consent to the disposal of 21,950 sq ft of light industrial units in Heckford street for which the Greater London council applied on 18 July 1985;(4) why he has not yet given his consent to the disposal of 24,100 sq ft of light industrial units in the New Lyndenburg II centre for which the Greater London council applied on 18 July 1985;

I shall answer these questions shortly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received about the threat to stocks of sea bass in British waters; what consideration he has given to the introduction of conservation measures, in particular the control of the use of nylon monofilament nets; and if he will make a statement.

Over the years a number of representations have been received in my Department from both the angling and commercial fishery interests about the management of the bass fishery. As a result, scientists from my Department have carried out investigations into the state of the bass fishery. An interim report was placed in the House in March 1983, and I hope to be able to present a final report to the House in the spring of this year.I hope also to be able to present, at the same time, a report on the use of gill nets, including monofilament gill nets. I shall then consider any recommendations resulting from these reports and, in consultation with the fishery interests, decide whether any further conservation measures are required.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what are the favoured means of dealing with the encroachment of bracken on to agricultural land; and if he will make a statement as to the extent of bracken coverage in the United Kingdom and the problems this poses;(2) if the Government intend pursuing a bracken eradication programme in the near future.

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

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what studies he is aware of on the health risks posed by the chemical asulox used in the treatment of bracken infestation; and what is the extent of its use in the United Kingdom.

There are a number of products containing asulam cleared for use under the pesticides safety precautions scheme (PSPS) two of which, "Asulox" and "Asulox/Dessipron" tank mix are cleared for use on bracken. Asulam was submitted to a full range of toxicity studies before clearance. I have no information of any subsequent studies concerning possible health risk arising from the treatment of bracken infestation. In the most recent period for which figures are available, 1980–83, asulam was used on a total of some 453,000 hectares in England and Wales for agricultural and horticultural purposes. I have no information on how much of this use was on bracken.