Written Answers

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Written Answers To Questions

Thursday 30 January 1986

Energy

Low-Income Households

asked the Secretary of State for Energy why he has not complied wih the request made in the eighth report of the Select Committee on Energy, Session 1984–85, HC 87, to place a Government review of measures to increase energy efficiency in low-income households in the Library.

My right hon. Friend will cover this point in his reply to the Committee, which will be made as soon as possible.

Nuclear Safety (Member's Questions)

asked the Secretary of State for Energy why it took his Department 23 working days to respond to certain priority written questions on nuclear safety which had been tabled by the hon. Member for Yeovil; and if he will now ask the chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board to provide a substantive response within 10 working days.

The information required was detailed and highly technical. The CEGB expect to write to the hon. Member this week.

Wales

Roads And Transport Expenditure

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will show 1984–85 outturn expenditure, 1985–86 estimated expenditure and 1986–87 planned expenditure in Wales on (i) trunk roads (a) new construction and improvement, (b) structural maintenance and (c) routine maintenance, (ii) local authority roads; (a) new construction and improvement and (b) maintenance, (iii) public transport administration, (iv) local authority car parks: (a) capital and (b) current (net) and (v) road safety.

The information requested, insofar as it is available, is as follows:—

	Net Expenditure (£ million)
	1984–85	1985–86	1986–87
	Outturn	Estimated outturn	Plans
(i) TRUNK ROADS
(a) New construction and improvement	83	63	79
(b) Structural maintenance	10	25	20
(c) General maintenance (including lighting)	12	13	14
(ii) LOCAL AUTHORITY ROADS CAPITAL EXPENDITURE

	Net Expenditure (£ million)
	1984–85	1985–86	1986–87
	Outturn	Estimated outturn	Plans
New construction and improvement	52	64	69
Car parks	2	1
Other	3	4
CURRENT EXPENDITURE
Maintenance	73	77	144
Car parks	-1	-1
Road safety	1	1
Other	^*25	^*26

^* Excluding the National Bus Company External Financing Limit

Higher Education (Advisory Body)

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what are the terms of reference given to the working group set up by the board of the Welsh advisory body on higher education.

The Wales Advisory Body was asked in March 1985 by the then Minister of State for Wales to give

"consideration to the scope for rationalisation of initial teacher training in the public sector in terms of both larger minimum group sizes and of viable units which are likely to have a continuing future in the 1990s and which will secure high quality, cost effective provision."

The WAB established the working group to comply with this request and, with the agreement of the University Grants Committee, the group is taking account of initial teacher training provision in the university sector as well as in the public (ie, local authority and voluntary) sector.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the members and, where appropriate, their academic institutions of the board of the Welsh advisory body on higher education at the time the board set up the working group.

The working group on rationalisation of initial teacher training was set up in accordance with the decision of the WAB committee at its meeting on 26 April 1985 that a rationalisation exercise be carried out. The board approved the membership of the working group at its meetings of 11 June 1985 and 26 September 1985. The membership of the board at that time was as follows: ChAIRMAN—Professor Emeritus R. W. Steel CBE

Members

Dr. E. J. Brent, Principal, South Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education
H. Chatfield, National Coal Board South Wales Area
D. Dale-Jones, Regional Officer, National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education
A. H. Davies, formerly Assistant Director of Education, Mid Glamorgan County Council
H. Davies, British Aerospace
S. G. Dunster, Treasurer, West Glamorgan County Council
H. Evans, Assistant Secretary, Welsh Office Education Department
D. Hugh Thomas, County Clerk and Co-ordinator, Mid Glamorgan County Council
S. G. Keefe, Managing Director, Siliconix Ltd.
Dr. A. H. S. Matterson, Assistant Chief Officer, Council for National Academic Awards
E. Meats, Business and Technician Education Council
L. Pritchard, Assistant Secretary, Welsh Office Finance

Department
T. Quinn, National and Local Government Officers Association
C. Roberts, Deputy Director, Polytechnic of Wales
J. R. Taylor, Plessey Electronics Systems Ltd.
Dr. G. Stockdale, Principal, West Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education
Dr. A. E. Trotman Dickenson, Vice Chancellor, University of Wales
H. Vaughan, Regional Officer for Wales, National Union of Teachers
P. C. Webb, Staff Inspector, Her Majesty's Inspectorate

Senior Management (Housing)

asked the Secretary of State for Wales who drew his attention to the possible disincentive to business people of the absence of a pool of houses in Wales attractive to and suitable for senior managers referred to in his draft circular, "Housing for Senior Management".

Organisations concerned with inward investment of business and industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what evidence he has of the absence of a pool of houses attractive to, and suitable for, senior managers in Wales, referred to in the draft Welsh Office circular, "Housing for Senior Management".

The evidence derives from statements to that effect by representatives of industry and house builders, supported by the views of the Land Authority for Wales and by professional advice in the Welsh Office. The consultations now in progress provide the opportunity for additional evidence to be given.

Circulars (Consultation)

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his practice on the time allowed for local authorities to respond to draft circulars issued for consultation.

Draft circulars are not normally issued to local authorities for consultation, but when they are sent to local authority associations for that purpose it is my policy to give the associations as much time to respond as circumstances permit.

Table 3.12									£ million at 1984–85 prices
	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85	1985–86	1986–87	1987–88	1988–89
	outturn	outturn	outturn	outturn	outturn^*	estimated outturn †	plans	plans ¶	plans ¶
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
Voted in Estimates
10.1 Schools
Primary, secondary and other	53	51	41	40	46	49	42	44	43
Other (supporting services fees and non-maintained schools)	10	10	13	19	25	32	37	44	43
10.2 Higher and further education (including teacher training)║
Universities
Current	1,299	1,216	1,371	1,362	1,340	1,312	1,288	1,277	1,274
Capital	147	140	132	123	121	130	139	132	137
Voluntary and direct grant
Current	97	91	94	92	85	88	82	88	85
Capital	3	3	4	4	5	5	5	9	9
Adult education	10	12	12	14	13	14	14	18	17
Other student awards	6	7	7	4	4	4	5	—	9

Education And Science

University Grants Committee

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he last met the University Grants Committee; and what subjects were discussed.

My right hon. Friend last met the University Grants Committee on 1 November 1984, when they discussed the committee's published advice "A Strategy for Higher Education into the 1990s". My right hon. Friend, my predecessor the Member for City of London and Westminster South and I have had several meetings with the chairman of the UGC since then.

Public Expenditure

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report table 3.12 of the public expenditure White Paper, Cmnd. 9702-II, with all figures converted to 1984–85 prices.

The table revalues table 3.12 of Cmnd. 9702 to 1984–85 prices by application of the Treasury GDP deflator (which is assumed to increase by 4·5, 3·5 and 3 per cent. respectively in the years 1986–87 to 1988–89). The components may not always add exactly to the totals shown because the totals in table 3.12 in Cmnd. 9702 were derived from unrounded figures and the figures in the last two years (1986–87 and 1987–88) were rounded to the nearest £10 million and in earlier years to the nearest £1 million.As explained in part 4, paragraph 10, of Cmnd. 9702, pending decisions on total local authority current expenditure in 1987–88 and 1988–89, the 1986–87 cash total and its distribution, including the figures for local authority education shown in table 3.12, have been rolled forward for a further two years. The Government will review the figures later this year in the light of the situation and prospects then.

	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85	1985–86	1986–87	1987–88	1988–89
	outturn	outturn	outturn	outturn	outturn ^*	estimated outturn†	plans	plans¶	plans¶
10.4 Miscellaneous education, services, research and administration,
Youth service
Current	3	2	3	3	3	4	4	—	—
Capital	3	1	1	—	—	1	1	—	—
Research and other services
Current	18	21	21	25	26	28	26	26	26
Capital	3	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Administration
Current	36	36	35	46	46	48	47	44	43
Capital				1	2	2	1	—	—
10.5 Research Councils, etc.
Current	413	443	441	460	469	485	492	484	487
Capital	91	83	84	79	77	72	67	70	68
Total voted in Estimates	2,193	2,120	2,260	2,270	2,263	2,273	2,250	2,237	2,231
Other central government
10.1 Schools
Primary, secondary and other	-4	-5	-4	-4	-4	-4	—	—	—
Total central government	2,188	2,115	2,256	2,266	2,259	2,270	2,250	2,237	2,231
LOCAL AUTHORITIES¶
Relevant current spending
10.1 Schools
Under fives	285	281	299	309	310	329	319	308	299
Primary	2,675	2,633	2,560	2,520	2,531	2,537	2,504	2,422	2,351
Secondary	3,786	3,853	3,862	3,895	3,912	3,855	3,726	3,601	3,497
Special schools	396	405	416	430	432	417	384	370	359
Other (supporting services and fees at non-maintained schools)	201	208	208	204	206	207	203	194	188
Transport	205	203	201	203	205	201	195	185	180
Meals and milk	509	462	448	444	425	406	255	247	239
10.2 Higher and further education (including teacher training) ║
Maintained sector advanced	582	587	664	663	666	648	613	590	573
Maintained sector non-advanced (except adult education)	882	921	957	971	975	920	819	792	769
Adult education	78	78	84	90	90	92	65	62	60
Other student awards	122	125	132	138	138	143	140	132	128
10.4 Miscellaneous education, services, research and administration
Youth Service	97	100	106	114	115	121	108	106	103
Research and other services	46	48	50	56	57	56	46	44	43
Administration	471	472	474	497	500	510	479	467	453
Total relevant current spending	10,336	10,374	10,459	10,535	10,560	10,443	9,856	9,528	9,250
Non-relevant current spending
10.2 Mandatory student awards║	850	898	729	765	744	670	662	652	650
Local authority capital
10.1 schools
Under fives‡	12	12	4	5	9	8	7	9	9
Primary, secondary and other	433	288	287	291	244	270	190	185	171
10.2 Higher and further education║
Non-universities	137	99	127	121	106	88	71	70	60
10.4 Miscellaneous education services
Youth service	8	7	13	10	15	10	7	9	9
Research and other services	15	15	20	16	16	15	5	9	9
Total local authority capital	605	422	450	442	390	390	281	273	256

	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85	1985–86	1986–87	1987–88	1988–89
	outturn	outturn	outturn	outturn	outturn ^*	estimated outturn†	plans	plans¶	plans¶
Total local authorities	11,792	11,693	11,638	11,743	11,694	11,503	10,800	10,452	10,148
Total Department of Education and Science	13,980	13,808	13,894	14,009	13,953	13,772	13,050	12,680	12,370

^* The 1984–85 figures incorporate a distribution by sector of total current spending by local authorities based on their provisional outturn expenditure on education.

† The 1985–86 figures incorporate a provisional distribution by sector of total current spending by local authorities based on their budgets.

‡ From 1981–82 the under fives capital expenditure includes provision for the urban programme.

║ The change in the trend of higher education and student awards figures between 1981–82 and 1982–83 reflects the reduction in tuition fees described in Cmnd. 8494.

¶ Pending decisions on total local authority current expenditure in 1987–88 and 1988–89, the 1986–87 cash total and its distribution, including the figures for local authority education shown in this table, have been rolled forward for a further two years. The Government will review the figures later this year in the light of the situation and prospects then.

Cambridge Science Park

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to visit the Cambridge science park.

My right hon. Friend has no present plans to do so.

Ilea Schools (Admission Of Police)

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the names of those Innder London education authority schools which are refusing to admit police officers; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the Inner London education authority does not keep systematic information on this matter. However, I am informed that a survey conducted by the Metropolitan police in April 1985 showed the following schools as not admitting the police:

North Westminster Community School, NW1 and W9 (Lower Houses) and W2 (Upper House)
Daubeney Infants School, E5
De Beauvoir Junior School, NI
De Beauvoir Infants School, NI
Gainsborough Junior Mixed and Infants School, E9
Gayhurst Junior School, E8
Gayhurst Infants School, E8
Grazebrook Junior Mixed and Infants School, N16
Laburnum Junior Mixed and Infants School, E2
Millfields Junior School, E5
Millfields Infants School, E5
Orchard Junior Mixed and Infants School, E9
Southwold Junior Mixed and Infants School, E5
William Patten Junior School, N16
William Patten Infants School, N16
Clapton School, E5
Hackney Downs School, E5
Stoke Newington School, N16
Skinners' Company School, N16 and E5 (Upper and Lower School)
Hurlingham and Chelsea School, SW6
Ecclesbourne Junior Mixed and Infants School, N1
William Tyndale Junior Mixed and Infants School, N1

	Academic Years
Staff/Student Ratio	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1882–83	1983–84	1984–85
Universities^* (Great Britain)	9·3	9·3	9·4	9·7	10·1	10·2	—
Polytechnics† (England)	8·3	8·4	8·9	9·7	10·3	11·1	11·5

Young people need to know about the law and about the rights and responsibilities of citizens. They need to know, too, about the role of the police in maintaining law and order, about crime prevention and about road and other dangers. The action of certain schools in refusing to allow police in school is not in the interests of their pupils and can only hinder good relations between them and the police.

Mendocino Book Company

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he is taking to warn the public against paying for diplomas and degrees offered for sale by the Mendocino book company; and if he will make a statement.

The Government have no knowledge of this company's activities. We deplore the practice of selling bogus qualifications but believe that no solution is possible without legislation. Proposals for legislation are under consideration.

Postgraduate Certificate Of Education Courses

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what reply he has sent to the Secondary Heads Association in response to the letter he has received from it about the decrease in the current year in the number of applications for postgraduate certificate of education courses.

My right hon. Friend replied to this letter today. The hon. Member may wish to approach SHA to see whether they are willing to release its contents.

Higher Education (Staff-Student Ratios)

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the total staff-student ratios for universities and polytechnics in each academic year since 1978–79.

The information is as follows:

Information for universities for 1984–85 is not yet available.

^* The staff/student ratio for universities is defined as the full-time equivalent of undergraduate and postgraduate students divided by full-time academic staff funded wholly from university funds.

† The staff/student ratios for polytechnics are calculated as full-time equivalent student load divided by the full-time equivalent number of lecturers who are involved in teaching.

University Of London

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to improve levels of financing for the paediatrics, psychiatry and general practice academic departments at the university of London.

Grant allocations for individual universities are a matter for the University Grants Committee.

Teachers (Pay)

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the salary, at 1 April 1985, 1 November 1985, 1 April 1986 and 1 November 1986, including the rise in public sector pay assumed by the 1986–87 rate support grant settlement, for teachers (a) entering the profession as new graduates, (b) at the top of

Teachers' salary rates at 1 April and 1 November 1985, and 1 April and 1 November 1986, on the basis of pay offers for 1985 made by the management panel of the Burnham Committee
	(a)	(b)	(c)	(d)	(e)	(f)	(g)	(h)
Category	New entrant graduate	Top of scale 1	Mid-point scale 2	Bottom scale 3	Top of scale 2	Top of scale 3	Head group 2	Had group 12
Current salary	6,252	8,556	8,004	7,734	9,597	11,031	11,073	20,706
With 4 per cent. offer added
1 April 1985	6,502	8,898	8,324	8,043	9,981	11,472	11,516	21,534
1 November 1985	6,749	8,898	8,611	8,324	9,981	11,472	11,516	21,534
1 April 1986	6,749	8,898	8,611	8,324	9,981	11,472	11,516	21,534
1 November 1986	7,001	8,898	8,898	8,611	9,981	11,472	11,516	21,534
With 5 per cent. offer added
1 April 1985	6,564	8,984	8,404	8,120	10,077	11,583	11,627	21,741
1 November 1985	6,813	8,984	8,694	8,404	10,077	11,583	11,627	21,741
1 April 1986	6,813	8,984	8,694	8,404	10,077	11,583	11,627	21,741
1 November 1986	7,069	8,984	8,984	8,694	10,077	11,583	11,627	21,741
With improvements offered in Burnham Committee on 12 September
1 April 1985	6,732	9,036	8,484	8,214	10,077	11,582	11,626	21,741
1 November 1985	7,035	9,456	8,844	8,565	10,173	11,694	11,737	21,948
1 April 1986	7,035	9,456	8,844	8,565	10,509	12,087	11,737	21,948
1 November 1986	7,278	9,774	9,123	9,456	10,509	12,087	13,026	24,363
With informal offer of 14 October added
1 April 1985	6,683	9,146	8,556	8,268	10,259	11,792	11,837	22,135
1 November 1985	6,937	9,146	8,851	8,556	10,259	11,792	11,837	22,135
1 April 1986	6,976	9,198	8,901	8,604	10,317	11,858	11,903	22,259
1 November 1986	7,237	9,198	9,197	8,901	10,317	11,858	11,903	22,259
With agreement of 24 January added
1 April 1985	6,683	9,146	8,556	8,268	10,259	11,792	11,837	22,135
1 November 1985	6,937	9,146	8,851	8,556	10,259	11,792	11,837	22,135
1 April 1986	7,037	9,283	8,979	8,680	10,413	11,969	12,014	22,466
1 November 1986	7,304	9,283	9,283	8,984	10,413	11,969	12,014	22,466

Notes:

1. New entrants assumed to have entered at point 4 of scale 1 on September 1984.

2. Top of scale 1 and top of scale 2 teachers assumed not to be entitled to good honours graduate additions.

3. Mid-point scale 2 taken as point 7.

4. Head teachers assumed to be at their salary maximum throughout.

scale 1, (c) at the mid-point on scale 2, (d) at the bottom of scale 3, (e) at the top of scale 2, (f) at the top of scale 3; and for heads (g) of group 2 primary schools and (h) of group 12 secondary schools if (i) the formal offer of 12 September 1985, (ii) the informal offer of 14 October 1985 or (iii) the agreement of 24 January 1986 were implemented; and, for each of (a) to (h), what is the salary at present actually received.

The attached table shows the salary rates, excluding allowances, that teachers who on April 1984 were in the categories listed would have received under all the formal offers, and the informal one of 14 October 1985, made by the employers since January 1985 —so far as this can be determined from the terms of the offers made. The salary rates shown assume normal incremental progression but do not take account of the annual pay increase from 1 April 1986. This has yet to be negotiated.

5. All examples assume assimilation without promotion to the new scales envisaged in the September package.

6. Examples assume that the 14 October informal offer comprised 6·9 per cent. on all scales from 1 April 1985 rising to 7·5 per cent. on all scales on 31 March 1986.

7. The January agreement consists of a 6·9 per cent. increase on all scales with effect from 1 April 1985 and an additional 1·6 per cent. on all scales from 31 March 1986, calculated on the 31 March 1985 base.

Student Numbers (Scotland)

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department has incorporated the latest projection of student numbers published by the Scottish Education Department, in November 1985, into its projections for demand for higher education on a United Kingdom basis.

The Department hopes to publish revised projections of higher education student numbers for Great Britain, later this year. These will take account of the latest SED projections of qualified leavers from schools and colleges in Scotland and their projections of student demand.

Prime Minister

Lewisham

Q35.

asked the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Lewisham.

I have at present no plans to do so.

Rail Travel

Q68.

asked the Prime Minister if she will publish details of the number of occasions she has travelled by British Rail since forming her first Administration in May 1979.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the rely I gave on 22 January, at columns 189–90, to the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick).

Higher Education

Q74.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on Government policy on the age participation rate of 18-year-olds in higher education.

The Government's policy is to provide places in higher education for those who wish to enter, are able to benefit from it and have the necessary intellectual competence, motivation and maturity. The age participation index (for 18 to 19-year-olds) has risen from 12·4 in 1979 to 13·7 in 1984 and is expected to go on rising to reach at least 15·5 by 1995–96. Similar proportionate increases have taken place, and are expected, in the number of mature entrants to higher education.

Ministers (Appointments)

Q113.

asked the Prime Minister how many Ministers of the Crown have been appointed since May 1979.

Since 3 May 1979, 171 Ministers (including Whips) have been appointed.

Engagements

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 30 January.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House I shall be having further meetings later today.

Nhs (Resources)

asked the Prime Minister what are the differences in the formulae for allocation of resources for the National Health Service in Scotland and in Wales, respectively; and if she will make a statement.

The provision for the National Health Service in Scotland and in Wales reflects the respective priorities of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales. In both countries there are formulae for calculating the annual relative funding positions of health boards authorities. A copy of the report on which the Scottish formula is based (Scottish health authorities revenue equalisation) is available in the Library of the House. I have also arranged for copies of the latest Welsh revenue and capital formulae to be placed there.

Westland Plc

asked the Prime Minister why the Solicitor-General was not consulted regarding the public disclosure of extracts of his letter to the then Secretary of State for Defence the right hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine); and if she will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to my statement to the House on 23 January, at column 450, and my speech on 27 January, at columns 651–58.

asked the Prime Minister if she discussed with the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, the right hon. Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Brittan) the public disclosure of extracts from the Solicitor-General's letter to the then Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine) before the leak inquiry was completed; and if she will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to what I told the House on 27 January.

asked the Prime Minister whether her staff at 10 Downing street participated in the drafting of the Solicitor-General's letter of 6 January to the then Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine); and if she will make a statement.

No.

Westland Plc

asked the Prime Minister on what occasions between 6 January and 22 January she met, telephoned or wrote to the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, the right hon. and learned Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Brittan).

It is not the practice to give details of exchanges between Ministers.

asked the Prime Minister when she became aware of the letter of 7 January from the Solicitor-General to the then Secretary of State for Defence the right hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine); what steps she then took to bring this information into the public domain; and when the letter was released.

I saw the letter some hours after it was sent. As I said in the House on 27 January, the Government made clear to Westland plc on 13 January that there was nothing to add to my letter to the company of 1 January. The Solicitor-General's letter was placed in the Library of the House on 27 January.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make it Her Majesty's Government's policy that all Departments and the Cabinet Office make available all papers, documents and persons requested of them by any Select Committee of the House inquiring into any aspects of the affairs of Westland plc; and if she will make a statement.

Ministers will decide who should represent their Departments before Select Committees inquiring into the circumstances surrounding Westland, and will observe the normal conventions about the disclosure of documents.

Private Office

asked the Prime Minister if she intends to make any changes in the staffing of her private office; and if she will make a statement.

No.

Ministerial Meetings

asked the Prime Minister which Ministers she met on Saturday 4, Sunday 5 and Monday 6 January.

It is the practice not to give details of exchanges between Ministers.

Schoolchildren (Dietary Survey)

asked the Prime Minister if she will ask the Office of Population Surveys and Censuses to publish an interim report of the dietary survey of schoolchildren in 1983 as soon as possible.

The survey was commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Security and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is currently considering whether to publish an interim report.

Staff

asked the Prime Minister if any member of staff in the Cabinet Office or her press office has sought to tender their resignation in the current year; and if she will make a statement.

No.

Voluntary Bodies

asked the Prime Minister if she will list the total amounts paid:in grants by Government Departments to voluntary bodies during the financial year 1984–85; and if she will make a statement.

The information requested is shown in the table. The total amount of grant paid in 1984–85 represents a cash increase of 23 per cent. (in real terms just over 17 per cent.) on the total paid in the previous year. In the period between 1979–80 and 1984–85 the level of Government grant giving and payments to voluntary bodies has risen by 140 per cent. (or, in real terms, by 57·8 per cent.).

Grants paid to voluntary bodies by Government Departments 1984–85
	£
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	103,100
Defence	3,285,480
Education and Science	16,582,930
Employment	29,180,000
Energy	344,000
Environment Direct Grants	2,178,070
Urban Programme^*	54 000,000
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (including ODA)†	24,840,335
Health and Social Security	30,067,928
Home Office	17,087,812
Lord Chancellor's Department	668,860
Northern Ireland Departments	13,710,642
Scottish Office Direct Grants	7,413,080
Urban Programme	10,200,000
Trade and industry	7,369,617
Transport	564,000
Welsh Office Direct Grants	4,615,288
Urban Programme	2,200,000
	224,411,142

^* Includes contributions from Department of Education and Science, Department of Health and Social Security and Department of Transport.

† ODA's total (£24,026,902) consists solely of grants to various British charities and educational institutions for work in overseas relief and development.

The total figure excludes payments to voluntary bodies by the Manpower Services Commission. These are for services provided and, for the year 1984–85, they are estimated to be as follows:

	£
Voluntary Projects Programme	7,300,000
Youth Training Scheme	132,300,000
Community Programme	275,000,000
Total	414,600,000

Home Department

Television Licences

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many disclosures of names and addresses took place from the television licensing computer system in 1985; for what purpose those disclosures took place; and which organisations received those names and addresses.

The general principle governing the computer and other records of the National TV Licence Records Office is that personal information (including names and addresses) is not disclosed to third parties. There are, however, various circumstances concerning the effective administration of the licensing system in which the disclosure of such information may take place, including: (a) disclosure to the courts (and in Scotland the prosecuting authorities) for the purposes of a prosecution for licence evasion; (b) to a financial institution or a person's estate in connection with arrangements for the payment or refund of his licence fee; and (c) for the purposes of approved research. I very much regret that two previous replies to the hon. Member on the question of disclosure from these records, on 9 March 1984 at column 721 and on 30 October 1984 at column 891, did not refer to these circumstances. Information about the number of occasions on which names and addresses have been disclosed in any year and to whom is not collected; but personal data maintained by the National TV Licence Records Office will be subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1984.

Gas Appliances

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions resulted, in each year since 1980, in cases concerning the installation and maintenance of gas appliances.

The information available to me, which may be incomplete, relates to proceedings under the Gas Acts 1965 and 1972 and is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables" (Volume 1, table S1.1(a)(iii) in the 1984 issue). In the years 1980 to 1984 there were respectively 46, 50, 38, 33 and 28 such prosecutions.

Airports

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list those United Kingdom airports where there is not a separate channel for the admission of United Kingdom passport holders;(2) why some United Kingdom airports have separate channels for United Kingdom arrivals and why others direct United Kingdom passport holders to the European Economic Community channel;(3) whether it is permissible for United Kingdom passport holders to use the European Economic Community entrance channel at United Kingdom airports when there is a long queue at the United Kingdom only channel.

The arrangement of the immigration control at United Kingdom airports is determined by the type of passenger traffic arriving at each port, by the accommodation available and by the number of immigration officers available to clear passengers. The object of chanelling is to clear passengers in the shortest possible time, and the arrangements are reviewed in the light of changes in traffic and staffing levels. At some ports these factors have led to providing a single channel for United Kingdom and European Community passport holders and at others to the provision of separate channels. In the latter case, British citizen passengers may choose to use the separate European Community channel if they wish, and immigration officers are instructed to clear such passengers without delay.

The airports at which immigration service officers are stationed and at which there is no permanent separate channel for the holders of United Kingdom passports at the immigration control are:

Aberdeen	Glasgow
Belfast	Leeds/Bradford
Birmingham	Lydd
Bournemouth (Hurn)	Newcastle
Bristol	Norwich
Cardiff (Wales)	Prestwick
East Midlands	Southend
Edinburgh	Stansted

Police Houses

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of police houses is empty; and if he will take steps to encourage local police authorities to sell to police officers and other tenants of local councils all those that are not specifically required for operational purposes.

Our latest information is that some 1,700 police houses—11·6 per cent. of the total police housing stock in England and Wales—have been empty for three months or more. Police authorities are already encouraged to dispose of houses which are surplus to operational requirements and many have given effect to the Police Advisory Board's recommendation that arrangements should be made to sell surplus police houses to police officers.

Civil Defence

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total expenditure on civilian defence in Great Britain and in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the last three years for which statistics are available on a comparable basis.

The total expenditure on civil defence in Great Britain was:

	£ Million
1982–83	55·9
1983–84	69·8
1984–85	84·7

Figures for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics are not available.

West Midlands Police

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of the west midlands as to the cost of policing the county in each of the last six years, in constant terms.

The net revenue expenditure of the West Midlands police authority for the period requested, calculated in constant terms using 1979–1980 as the base, is as follows:

	£ Million
1979–80	72·964
1980–81	74·261
1981–82	79·681
1982–83	82·096
1983–84	84·768
1984–85	86·281

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of the west midlands incorporating comparative figures as between 1979 and at the latest available date for the borough of Solihull showing (a) the number of police officers per head of population, (b) the number of hours per man worked by the police, (c) the amount of off-duty time and holiday entitlements, (d) the average rates of pay and (e) the priority of tasks upon which police time was spent.

1979	Under 10 years' service	10 or more years' service	17 or more years' service
Constable	18 days	21 days	23 days
Sergeant	20 days	23 days	23 days
Inspector	23 days	26 days	26 days
Chief Inspector	26 days	26 days	29 days
Superintendent	30 days	30 days	30 days
Chief Superintendent and above	Not less than	Not less than	Not less than
	42 days	48 days	48 days

1986	Under 10 years' service	10 or more years' service	15 or more years' service	20 or more years' service
Constable	20 days	23 days	25 days	26 days
Sergeant	20 days	23 days	26 days	26 days
Inspector	23 days	27 days	28 days	28 days
Chief Inspector	26 days	30 days	30 days	30 days
Superintendent	31 days	31 days	31 days	31 days
Chief Superintendent and above	Not less than	Not less than	Not less than	Not less than
	42 days	48 days	48 days	48 days

It would be difficult to calculate the average rates of pay of police officers. The minimum and maximum rates are set out below:

Rates of pay: provinces
	1979		1986
	minimum	maximum	minimum	maximum
	£	£	£	£
Constable	4,086	6,471	7,212	12,033
Sergeant	6,186	7,095	11,508	13,203
Inspector	7,095	8,058	13,203	14,991
Chief Inspector	8,058	8,969	14,991	16,677
Superintendent	11,124	11,973	20,394	22,143
Chief Superintendent	12,258	13,110	22,671	24,072

I understand from the chief constable that priorities in the use of divisional manpower were not precisely formulated in 1979. Current priorities in the Solihull division are to reduce crime, particularly house burglaries, and improve public tranquility without abrogating responsibility for enforcement of the law. Deployment is a matter of the chief constable.

Community Radio

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many community radio stations he expects to authorise for London on an area or special interest basis; and when he expects to do so;(2) pursuant to his answer of 16 January,

Official Report, column 625, when he expects to receive the report of the advisory committee on community radio on the allocation of licences for the operating of area and special interest community radio stations.

The ratio of police officers to population in Solihull was one to 684 in December 1979, compared with one to 651 in December 1985.The standard number of working hours for ranks from constable to chief inspector has remained 40 per week since 1979, normally consisting of five eight hour shifts and two rest days although overtime is commonly worked. Superintending ranks have no fixed hours, being expected to be available on a 24-hour basis.Superintendents are allowed eight days "monthly leave" per 28 days period, and more senior ranks 1½days. In addition to public holidays, all officers have an annual leave allowance, as set out below:

The experiment in community radio announced on 25 July 1985 by my right hon. and learned Friend the then Home Secretary envisaged five stations in London (three neighbourhood, two community of interest) out of a total of 21. As to timing, I would refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to a Question from the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Carwright) on 17 January at columns 715–716.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Brent, East on 16 January, Official Report, column 625, if he will list the persons and groups from ethnic minorities with whom the advisory committee on community radio has met.

A comprehensive record has not been maintained of meetings between members of the advisory panel, individually and collectively, and interested individuals and groups from the ethnic minority communities.

Passports

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to provide for a joint passport to continue to be valid in the event of the demise of the holder for all other persons named on the passport over the age of 16 years; and if he will make a statement.

It would be contrary to international passport practice to permit the spouse, or anyone else, to continue to use a family passport after the death of the holder. Moreover, as my right hon. and learned Friend the then Home Secretary informed the House on 24 July 1984 at columns 566–7 the Government's plans for the introduction of a new format machine readable passport mean that the issue of a passport containing particulars of the holder and his or her spouse will have to be discontinued.

Vandal Patrols

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of the West Midlands police on his plans to promote, in collaboration with the Manpower Services Commission in the county, vandal patrols and victim support projects.

The chief constable of West Midlands tells me that his support for crime prevention work funded under the community programme, including vandal patrols and victims support schemes, will depend on a careful assessment of each project, and consultations with statutory and voluntary agencies and discussions within the local community.

Burglaries (Wolverhampton)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of the West Midlands police as to the number of burglaries which have been reported on housing estates in the Wolverhampton area in each of the last six years; and what information he has as to in how many cases a conviction was obtained.

The information collected centrally relates to police force areas. The number of burglaries recorded and the number of persons found guilty of burglary in the west midlands are published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables Volume 3" (tables S3.1, S3.2(A) and S3.4(A) of the issue for 1984).

Neighbourhood Watch Schemes

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of the West Midlands police as to the number of neighbourhood watch schemes which have been initiated in the Wolverhampton area.

I understand from the chief constable of West Midlands that 46 neighbourhood watch schemes are operating in the Wolverhampton division, and that a further 15 are planned.

Immigration Procedures (Disclosure Of Information)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 13 January, Official Report, column 455, whether the investigation into the disclosure of information on immigration procedures in the Daily Telegraph on 3 December is now complete; what information has been produced to date; if he will now ask the Director of Public Prosecutions to look into the matter; and if he will make a statement.

The investigation is well advanced and is expected to be completed shortly.

Rape

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and the chief constable of the West Midlands constabulary as to the number of cases of rape which have been reported to their officers during the last six years; and how many of these did not result in criminal proceedings being instituted against the accused.

The information requested on allegations of rape reported, but not recorded as offences, is not available. The numbers of offences of rape recorded by the Metropolitan police and the West Midlands police force are published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables" (table S3.1 of the issue for 1984). Information on the proportion of recorded rapes cleared up in each police force area was given in reply to a Question from the hon. Member for Knowsley North (Mr. Kilroy-Silk) on 23 January 1986 at columns 261–2.

Libyan Nationals

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the immigration and nationality status of those Libyans working for Libyan airlines at British airports; what information he has as to the numbers of Libyans working at each airport; and what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that their presence does not constitute a threat to security.

I will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any other Libyans who left Britain after the Libyan embassy siege (a) have since returned to the United Kingdom and (b) have applied to return but were refused leave to enter; and if he will make a statement.

Apart from Mr. Ben Rabha, none of the Libyans who were in the Libyan People's Bureau on 17 April 1984 and left the United Kingdom on 27 April 1984 has applied to return.

Data Protection

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 27 January to the hon. Member for Surrey, North-West, if a copy of the report of the Data Protection Registrar on the impact of the Data Protection Act on businesses will be placed in the Library; and when he expects to receive the report.

The report has been requested after the Act has come fully into force on 11 November 1987, and a copy will be placed in the Library.

Pub Bombings (Birmingham)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will give the names of the police officers appointed to examine the case of the six men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings;(2) when he will report on the result of inquiries into the case of the six men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings.

My right hon. Friend is examining the case carefully in order to determine whether material which has been sent to him contains new evidence of a kind which would make it appropriate for him to refer the case to the Court of Appeal. In doing so he is considering whether there is any need to ask the police to undertake further inquiries. Examination of the case is being carried out as quickly as possible, but I cannot yet say when my right hon. Friend will be in a position to reach a decision.

Paul Hill

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why Paul Hill, a prisoner at Her Majesty's prison, Gartree, is currently in a 28-day lie-down at Lincoln.

Mr. Hill has been transferred temporarily (known in prison slang as a lie-down) to Lincoln prison in the interests of maintaining good order and discipline at Gartree.

Dr Frank Skuse

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if Dr. Frank Skuse, a forensic scientist at the Home Office laboratories in Chorley, is still employed on criminal cases.

Dr. Skuse retired from the Home Office on 31 October 1985.

Sri Lankan Tamils

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of Sri Lankan Tamils who have been granted admission on a temporary basis to the United Kingdom since 1 January 1985; how many of these have successfully applied to continue their temporary leave to remain; how many have been removed from the United Kingdom; and what was their destination.

I will reply as soon as possible.

Foreign Visitors (Non-Admission)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of non-United Kingdom citizens stopped and refused admission to the United Kingdom from 1 January to 21 January at (i) Dover, (ii) Gatwick, (iii) terminal 1 of Heathrow, (iv) terminal 2 and (v) terminal 3; and what were the comparable figures for 1985.

I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrivals from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India have been refused admission to the United Kingdom between 1 January and 21 January; and what are the comparable figures for 1985.

I will write to the hon. Member.

Horse Racing

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider the introduction of legislation to seek to permit horse racing on Sundays.

We have no present plans for legislation on this subject.

Prevention Of Terrorism

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will seek the renewal of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984; and if he will make a statement.

A draft order was laid today under section 14(10) of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984. If the draft order is approved by Parliament, the Act will continue in force for a further 12 months. I have received Sir Cyril Philips' report on the operation of the Act in 1985 and copies of both the report and my response to it have been placed in the Library and in the Vote Office.

Attorney-General

Legal Aid (Publications)

asked the Attorney-General whether the Lord Chancellor's Department intends to publish "Getting Legal Aid", "Legal Aid Guide", "Legal Aid Financial Limits" and "Legal Aid for Criminal Offences" in Welsh, Greek, Turkish, Chinese, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujerati, Hindi and Urdu; and if he will make a statement.

Responsibility for civil legal aid publicity rests with the Law Society. It is understood that the Law Society is planning to mount a pilot scheme in a limited number of languages to test the level of demand and that decision will be reached in the light of the outcome.

Westland Plc

asked the Attorney-General when the Solicitor-General first knew that (a) the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry had carried out and (b) the Prime Minister's Office had authorised the disclosure of his letter to the then Secretary of State for Defence.

My hon. and learned Friend first knew on 22 January, when he saw the report by the head of the Civil Service, that my right hon. and learned Friend, the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, had himself authorised the disclosure. It was at the same time that he learned of the part played in this matter by officials on the staff of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, as she described it to the House in the statement which she made on 27 January.

asked the Attorney-General when he was first informed of the direct involvement of the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, the right hon. and learned Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Brittan) in the leak of the Solicitor-General's letter.

On 22 January, when I was given a summary shortly before receiving the report of the inquiry carried out by the head of the Civil Service.

asked the Attorney-General when he first learnt that officials at No. 10 Downing street had been consulted about the leak of the Solicitor-General's letter.

On 22 January, when I was given a summary shortly before receiving the report of the inquiry carried out by the head of the Civil Service.

asked the Attorney-General whether he recommended any alternatives to a formal inquiry as a method of resolving the controversy about the Solicitor-General's letter.

No.

asked the Attorney-General on what date and at what time he first directly communicated to the Prime Minister his advice that a formal inquiry should be initiated into the publication of part of the Solicitor-General's letter.

I had no communication on this matter with my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, until after I had a summary of the report of the inquiry on 22 January. My views on the desirability of holding an inquiry were communicated to the head of the Civil Service, as my right hon. Friend made clear to the House on 27 January.

asked the Attorney-General by what means the Solicitor-General first learnt that the Prime Minister wished him to write to the then Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine); how this communication determined the content of the letter; and if he will make a statement.

As to the first part of the question, I have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister told the House on 27 January at column 652. The communication in no way determined the decision of my hon. and learned Friend the Solicitor-General to write the letter, nor did it determine the contents of that letter.

Agriculture, Fisheries And Food

Seed Peas (Cultivar Belinda)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Luton, North of 27 January, he expects to make an announcement regarding the release of stocks of the pea seed Belinda that are free of pea bacterial blight.

On the basis of scientific tests on samples of these stocks, I cannot regard the pea seed held under statutory notice as free from pea bacterial blight. As to an announcement, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 27 January at column 406.

Intervention Stocks

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his answer of 24 January, Official Report, column 344, what proportion of the 29,994 tonnes of feedwheat held in intervention in Dagenham docks has been treated so as to render it unfit for human or animal consumption; and what plans there are to subject it to such treatment in future.

No grain at the store has been treated in this way, nor are there plans to do so in future.

Untreated Milk Sales

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the restrictions on sales of untreated milk by farmhouse caterers.

We have received many representations about the new untreated milk regulations. Generally speaking, I think our regulations strike a reasonable balance between various conflicting considerations, but I have looked again at the position of farm house caterers. In the light of this review, we propose to amend the regulations to allow registered dairy farmers to provide untreated milk to farm visitors provided they tell them what they are drinking. My Department will issue the necessary consultation documents next week with a view to making the changes before the holiday season.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Foreign Affairs Council

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels this week.

I refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made on 30 January.

Warsaw Pact Countries (Ministerial Visits)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report all ministerial visits to Warsaw pact countries since May 1979, giving the dates of the visits and the Minister concerned.

Ministerial visits to Warsaw pact countries since May 1979 are as follows:

1979

24 to 25 September

Sir George Young, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security, to GDR/East Berlin.

18 to 21 November

Mr. Peter Blaker, Minister of State Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Poland.

1980

9 to 15 March

Mr. Cecil Parkinson, Secretary of State for Trade, to GDR/East Berlin.

12 to 14 March

Lord Carrington, Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Romania.

12 to 16 September

Mr. Norman Tebbit, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade, to Czechoslovakia for Brno Fair.

26 to 30 September

Mr. Reginald Eyre, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade, to Bulgaria.

30 September to 3 October

Mr. Peter Blaker, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Bulgaria.

6 to 8 October

Mr. Hamish Gray, Minister of State, Department of Energy, to Czechoslovakia.

13 to 17 October

Mr. Cecil Parkinson, Secretary of State for Trade, to Romania.

27 to 29 October

Lord Carrington, Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Hungary.

29 to 31 October

Lord Carrington, Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Poland.

3 to 5 November

Mr. Peter Blaker, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to GDR/East Berlin.

10 to 14 November

Mr. Cecil Parkinson, Secretary of State for Trade, to Poland.

22 to 25 November

Mr. Peter Blaker, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Czechoslovakia.

1981

16 to 18 March

Lord Trefgarne, Minister of State for Trade, to GDR/East Berlin.

5 to 6 July

Lord Carrington, Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office to Moscow (as President of the Council of Ministers).

21 to 24 September

Mr. Alick Buchanan-Smith, Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, to Hungary.

5 to 9 October

Mr. Reginald Eyre, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade, to Hungary.

30 November to 2 December

Lord Trefgarne, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Poland.

14 to 16 December

Lord Trefgarne, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Czechoslovakia.

1982

16 to 18 June

Mr. Malcolm Rifkind, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Hungary.

28 August to 1 September

Baroness Young, Lord Privy Seal, to Czechoslovakia.

25 to 29 September

Mr. Malcolm Rifkind, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Bulgaria.

26 September

Mr. Peter Rees, Minister for Trade, to USSR.

29 September to 3 October

Mr. Malcolm Rifkind, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Romania.

14 to 18 October

Mr. Peter Rees, Minister for Trade, to Hungary.

18 to 20 October

Mr. Peter Rees, Minister for Trade, to Czechoslovakia

15 November

Mr. Francis Pym, Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Moscow (President Brezhnev's Funeral)

1983

11 to 14 March

Mr. Peter Rees, Minister for Trade, to GDR/East Berlin

10 to 13 April

Baroness Young, Lord Privy Seal, to Bulgaria.

24 to 29 April

Mr. Malcolm Rifkind, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Moscow.

12 to 14 September

Sir Geoffrey Howe, Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Hungary.

25 to 29 September

Mr. John Macgregor, Minister of State for Agriculture, to Bulgaria.

4 to 6 October

Mr. Malcolm Rifkind, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to GDR/East Berlin.

6 to 7 October

Mr. Malcolm Rifkind, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Czechoslovakia.

1984

2 to 4 February

Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister, to Hungary.

13 to 14 February

Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister, to Moscow for President's Andropov's funeral.

13 to 14 February

Sir Geoffrey Howe, Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Moscow.

May

Mr. Paul Channon, Minister for Trade, to Moscow.

29 June to 3 July

Mr. Kenneth Clarke, Minister of State, Department of Health and Social Security to GDR/East Berlin.

2 to 3 July

Sir Geoffrey Howe, Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Moscow.

11 to 13 July

Mr. Paul Channon, Minister for Trade, to Bulgaria.

3 to 7 November

Mr. Malcolm Rifkind, Minister of State Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Poland

14 to 19 November

Mr. Kenneth Clarke, Minister of Health, to Hungary.

1985

8 to 10 February

Sir Geoffrey Howe, Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Romania.

10 to 11 February

Sir Geoffrey Howe, Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Bulgaria.

18 to 22 February

Mrs. Peggy Fenner, Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, to Moscow.

8 to 12 March

Mr. Paul Channon Minister for Trade, to GDR/East Berlin.

13 March

Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister, to Moscow for President Chernenko's funeral.

13 March

Sir Geoffrey Howe, Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office to Moscow for President Chernenko's funeral.

7 to 11 April

Mr. Peter Rees, Chief Secretary, Treasury, to Hungary.

8 to 10 April

Sir Geoffrey Howe, Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to GDR/East Berlin.

10 to 11 April

Sir Geoffrey Howe, Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Czechoslovakia.

11 to 13 April

Sir Geoffrey Howe, Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office to Poland.

23 to 26 May

Mr. Channon, Minister for Trade, to Czechoslovakia.

25 to 28 July

Mr. Malcolm Rifkind, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to Moscow.

30 August to 3 September

Mr. Michael Jopling, Minister of Agriculture, to GDR/East Berlin.

1 to 7 October

Mr. David Hunt, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy, to Budapest.

2 to 7 October

Mr. Peter Brooke, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Education and Science, to Bulgaria.

Palinauris Investment Ltd

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the majority shareholding of Palinauris Investments Ltd. the owners of Table Bay Marine of Cape Town buying agents for general merchandise for Tristan da Cunha.

I understand that the majority shareholding in Palinauris Investments is held by Field Nominees Ltd. of Bermuda, who hold 11,393 of the 12,000 shares.

National Finance

Taxation

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is his estimate of the size of the cut in the basic rate of income tax required in 1985–86 to reduce the total tax payments (income tax, national insurance contributions, indirect taxes less child benefit where applicable) for those on 50 per cent., 75 per cent., 100 per cent., 150 per cent. and 200 per cent. of national average earnings for single people, married couples and

Marginal tax rates^*
	Single		Percentage Married		Married with two children
Percentage of average earnings	75 and 100	150	75 and 100	150	75 and 100	150
1978–79	47·7	42·0	49·0	43·5	46·1	40·3
1979–80	46·6	41·2	48·1	42·8	45·1	39·5
1980–81	47·0	41·3	48·3	42·8	45·5	39·7
1981–82	48·3	41·9	49·7	43·4	46·8	40·2
1982–83	48·9	41·7	50·2	43·1	47·5	40·0
1983–84	49·3	41·8	50·6	43·3	47·9	40·2
1984–85	49·7	42·3	50·9	43·7	48·7	41·1
1985–86	49·7	42·3	50·9	43·7	48·7	41·1

^* Including income tax, NICs, and estimates of indirect tax payments. The latter were obtained from the 1983 Family Expenditure Survey using the illustrative assumption that 10 per cent. of any change in disposable income is saved.

married couples with two children to the same proportion of gross earnings as in 1978–79; and if he will give an equivalent estimate for 1986–87 on the basis of the conventional assumptions of index-linked allowances and duties;

(2) what is his estimate of the size of the cut in the basic rate of incone tax required in 1985–86 and 1986–87 financial years to reduce total tax payments (income tax, national insurance contributions, indirect taxes less child benefit where applicable) for those on 50 per cent., 100 per cent., 150 per cent. and 200 per cent. of average earnings for single people, married couples and married couples with two children to the same amount in constant prices as in 1978–79.

The available information is in the table. Figures for 50 per cent. and 200 per cent. of average earnings are not given, because indirect tax payments cannot reliably be estimated at these levels.

Reductions in basic rate of income tax required to reduce total tax payments to their 1978–79 levels at percentages of average earnings
Pence
	1985–86			1986–87
	Single	Married	Married with 2 children	Single	Married	Married with 2 children
As a percentage of gross earnings
75	5·2	7·1	6·4	5·3	7·2	7·3
100	4·3	5·3	5·1	4·4	5·4	5·7
150	3·5	3·9	4·1	3·6	4·0	4·5
In constant prices
100	12·6	14·9	12·5	14·5	17·0	14·6
150	11·3	12·7	11·2	13·1	14·6	13·2

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the marginal tax rate (defined as the proportion of additional earnings absorbed in income tax, national insurance contributions and indirect taxation) for each year since 1978–79 on average and for single people, married couples and married couples with two children at 75 per cent., 100 per cent., 150 per cent., 200 per cent. and 500 per cent. of average earnings.

Estimates of marginal tax rates defined in the way requested are in the table. Figures for 200 per cent. and 500 per cent. of average earnings are not given because indirect tax payments cannot reliably be estimated at these levels. An estimate of the marginal tax rate on average is not readily available.

Channel Fixed Link

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will instigate a programme of regional customs clearance warehouses to provide direct freight facilities in conjunction with the completion of the fixed Channel link.

There is already a national network of inland customs clearance facilities. Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, in consultation with British Rail and other trade interests, is studying the question of how best to facilitate traffic generated by the Channel fixed link. The provision of further inland clearance facilities will be considered in this context.

Printing

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide details, by value and by quantity, of the geographical distribution by the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom of all printing carried out by or on behalf of Her Majesty's Stationery Office, in the most recent year for which figures are available.

The value of printing including paper during the year ending 31 March 1985 is assessed at:

	£ million
England	114·4
Scotland	4·7
Wales	1·4
Northern Ireland	2·2
	122·7

I regret that information by quantity is not available.

Police Officers (Travel Warrants)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what response he has made to the police negotiating board's request of 30 November 1985 that police officers serving in the Scottish outer islands should not be subject to income tax on the travel warrants they receive each year for travel to and from the mainland.

I replied to the chairman of the police negotiating board's letter on 14 December 1985 explaining why a taxable benefit arises and why in the Government's view it would not be appropriate to exempt these warrants from income tax.

Whitbread Poacher Bitter

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the original gravity of Whitbread Poacher bitter on which tax was levied when the beer was launched; what is the procedure for notifying changes in original gravity; and whether any such changes have been notified to his Department in respect of Poacher bitter.

The original gravity of each brew is declared to customs and excise as the basis for calculating beer duty. I regret, however, that the Department cannot disclose such information relating to an individual taxpayer, which has been received in confidence.

Northern Ireland

Assembly

16.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the future of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

18.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the future of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Solihull (Mr. Taylor) a few moments ago.

Security

17.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security position.

27.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland.

29.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the security situation in the Province.

31.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the latest security situation in the Province.

I refer my hon. Friends to the reply I gave to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Billericay (Mr. Proctor) earlier today.

Labour Statistics

19.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total number of employees in employment in Northern Ireland at the latest date for which figures are available.

At September 1985 there were 463,250 employees in employment in Northern Ireland. Although this level is 1,490 down on the corresponding September 1984 estimate, recent information points to a stabilisation after five years of decline.

Tourism

20.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the action he is taking to stimulate opportunities for tourism in the Province.

The Government are supporting an expanded programme of marketing and promotional campaigns at home and abroad by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and also provides grant assistance to encourage the development of tourist amenities and accommodation in the Province.

Cross-Border Co-Operation

21.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to enhance cross-border co-operation in security matters since the Anglo-Irish agreement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor) earlier today.

Foreign Industrial Investment

22.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the Labour Relations Agency report on the experience of foreign industrial investors in Northern Ireland.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Kent (Mr. Rowe) earlier today.

Divis Flats

23.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it is his policy to demolish the Divis flats and replace them with low-rise housing, in the light of a report submitted to him by the Town and Country Planning Association.

The Divis complex is structually sound. The Housing Executive has put forward proposals for extensive refurbishment starting with the rehabilitation as a pilot exercise of one block which would enable a full evaluation to be made. If the site were cleared, more than half of the residents could not be rehoused there in traditional houses.

Anglo-Irish Agreement

24.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in implementing the Anglo-Irish agreement; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Epping Forest (Sir J. Biggs-Davison) earlier today.

26.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what further representations he has received concerning the operation of the Anglo-Irish agreement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Gow) earlier today.

30.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if there is any evidence to date that the Anglo-Irish agreement has had any effect on the number of terrorist offences in Northern Ireland.

I am optimistic that our discussions with Irish Ministers at the intergovernmental conference, which have already set in train as a first step a programme of work between the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Commissioner of the Garda Siochana, will lead to an improvement in the co-ordination of security activities on both sides of the border so as to deal more effectively with the threat from cross-border terrorism.

Anglo-Irish Parliamentary Body

25.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any further consideration has been given to the establishment of an Anglo-Irish parliamentary body.

This is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal, I refer the hon. Member to the answer he gave on 27 January at columns 638–39.

Baker Report

28.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he proposes to implement in full the recommendations of the Baker report on the operation of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act.

A number of the recommendations in Sir George Baker's report have already been implemented, some by means of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1978 (Amendment) Order 1985 which came into force on 21 January 1986. It remains the intention of the Government to put legislative proposals before the House during the lifetime of this Parliament which would give effect to those recommendations which we have accepted and which would require the further amendment of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1978.

Building Regulations

33.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has plans to change the scope and format of building regulations.

Following a full review, I have decided that the present scope and format of the Northern Ireland building regulations should remain although ways of simplifying them will be explored. Their technical standards will continue to be in harmony with the rest of the United Kingdom while making allowance, whenever necessary, for local factors.

Belfast Rally

34.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has as to the police estimate for the number of people attending the rally against the Anglo-Irish agreement in Belfast on 23 November 1985.

No official estimate of the number of people present was prepared.

Paramilitary Organisations

35.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has about the sources of funding of paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

The main sources of finance for paramilitary organisations from within Northern Ireland are the profits gained from paramilitary-controlled social clubs and gaming machines; extortion and protection rackets; and fraud, particularly in the construction industry. The Royal Ulster Constabulary has established a special unit to draw together all police activity against organised crime and the Government have also introduced legislation to help cut off these sources of finance. Further legislation is under consideration.NORAID also raises money for PIRA in the United States of America and in some instances engages in gunrunning on its behalf. It has been found by the United States' courts to be an "agent" of PIRA and leading NORAID figures have been implicated in gun-running.

Employment Opportunities

32.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the effects of his Department's policies to promote fairness in employment in Northern Ireland.

The Government are fully committed to equality of employment opportunity in Northern Ireland. They practice this within the Northern Ireland Civil Service, and funds independent agencies charged with its promotion. The Fair Employment Agency promotes equality of opportunity and the elimination of unlawful discrimination on the grounds of religious belief or political opinion. Tenders for Government contracts are accepted only from those who have been awarded the agency's certificate of fair employment.Recently officials presented a comprehensive report on how our approach to equality of employment opportunity could be made more comprehensive, consistent and effective. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering that report in detail with a view to publishing proposals for discussion.

Pasture Reseeding

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provisions have been made to assist farmers in reseeding pastures damaged by the summer's wet weather.

Grants for reseeding of grassland are available under the agriculture improvement scheme throughout the United Kingdom at the rates of 30 per cent. and 15 per cent. in the less favoured areas and lowland areas, respectively. Under the agricultural development programme for Northern Ireland, which applies in the original less favoured areas, the reseeding of pasture land is eligible for 45 per cent. grant: this programme is under review. The Grassland Scheme (Northern Ireland) 1985 made available a grant of 27·5 per cent. for grassland reseeding in the lowland area; while this scheme ends on 31 March 1986, my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is giving consideration to its extension as one of the measures funded under the special aid package for Northern Ireland in 1986.

Wet Weather Compensation

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if, in light of the loss of earnings due to last summer's wet weather, he will consider renewing the £4 million Government aid package that has now expired.

No; the United Kingdom-wide package of measures designed specifically to provide some help for those livestock farmers who had been most seriously affected by bad weather in 1985 was not designed to meet all losses.

Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) in what proportion the cost of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference will be borne by the two Governments;(2) if Her Majesty's Government will request the Government of the Irish Republic to report to the next meeting of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference on progress made towards the implementation by the Irish Government of its intention to accede to the European convention on the suppression of terrorism as stated in paragraph 7 of the joint communiqué of the Anglo-Irish summit meeting at Hillsborough;(3) how many United Kingdom civil servants, and how many Northern Ireland civil servants, are posted in the secretariat of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference;(4) if it is intended that Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers from time to time should attend the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference; and whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been represented at official level;(5) whether it is intended that the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference should sometimes meet in Dublin;(6) if he will raise at the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference under article 7 of the Anglo-Irish agreement, direct cross-border contacts between the British and Irish armed forces;(7) if he will list the proposals considered in respect of Northern Ireland by the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference which have been found to have application by the Irish Government in the terms of article 2 of the Anglo-Irish agreement; and what action followed;(8) if he intends urgently to raise at the Anglo-irish Intergovernmental Conference extradition and extraterritorial jurisdiction in the terms of article 8 of the Anglo-Irish agreement.

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

Civil Servants

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government regarding the employment in the Province of officials not of the Northern Ireland public service.

The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom Department of state staffed by the Home Civil Service and the Northern Ireland Civil Service. There is a close working relationship between the two services; officers are interchanged wherever appropriate, in the interests of increasing mutual understanding and of extending the range of skills and experience of individual officers.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the officials of, and seconded from, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office now serving in Northern Ireland, together with their duties.

It has been regular practice to second to the Northern Ireland Office officials from other Government Departments, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. However, it is not our practice to name such officials and to indicate their parent Departments or the specific duties to which they have been assigned.

Mackies Plc

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether financial assistance is being given to Mackies plc in moving from its Springfield road site to a factory in Woodvale.

No application for assistance in respect of such a move has been received by the industrial development board.

Aid

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects United States and European Economic Community aid anticipated at the time of the Hillsborough agreement to reach Northern Ireland; in what form; and on what conditions.

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

Republic Of Ireland (Ministerial Meeting)

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what subjects he discussed at his last meeting with representatives of the Government of the Republic of Ireland.

I refer the hon. Member to a reply I gave to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Epping Forest (Sir J. Biggs-Davison) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he next intends to seek to meet Mr. Peter Barry, Foreign Minister of the Irish Republic; and what he intends to discuss.

For security reasons, dates of meetings are not normally released in advance. However, I expect the next meeting of the intergovernmental conference, jointly chaired by Mr. Barry and myself, to take place in February. It has not been our practice to release in advance the agenda for meetings of the conference. But the joint statement issued after our last meeting made it clear that at our next meeting we will consider a progress report from the Chief Constable and the Garda Commissioner on enhancing security cooperation.

Wages Councils

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has any plans to introduce changes in respect of the payment of wages, the operation of wages councils and rebates for employers under the contracts of Employment and Redundancy Payments Act (Northern Ireland) 1965.

I intend to bring forward legislative proposals to simplify the wages council system, to modernise methods of paying wages and to give new rights to all workers concerning deductions from pay.The proposed legislation, which will parallel proposals for Great Britain, will take those aged under 21 out of the wages council system and limit councils to setting a single minimum hourly rate and a single overtime rate. Provision will also be included to repeal the Truck Acts, in so far as they apply to Northern Ireland, and to introduce new controls to protect employees from unlawful deductions from their pay and to provide a mechanism for complaint to an industrial tribunal concerning unlawful deductions from wages.I also propose to bring forward legislation to abolish the statutory redundancy rebate (now 35 per cent.) to employers other than those with fewer than 10 employees, in line with similar proposals in Great Britain.

Scotland

Youth Training Scheme

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the Scottish local authorities not participating in youth training schemes.

There are five Scottish local authorities not participating in the present one year YTS. These are Gordon, Moray, Strathkelvin, Badenoch and Strathspey and Annandale and Eskdale District councils. The Manpower Services Commission is currently in negotiation with local authorities over participation in two-year YTS which begins on 1 April. Only Clydebank district council has notified the MSC that it will not be participating.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he proposes to take to seek to encourage Scottish local authorities to employ people in youth training schemes.

Local authorities in Scotland have been major participants in and have contributed greatly to the success of the existing one-year YTS. The arrangements governing the structure and funding of two-year YTS which begins on 1 April were arrived at after wide consultation with all the relevant national interests including those representing local authorities. Many local authorities have already decided to participate in the new YTS and I am confident that, following detailed discussions with the Manpower Services Commission, many others will do likewise.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what reasons are given by Scottish local authorities for not participating in youth training schemes.

Participation in the YTS by employers, local authorities and other sponsors is voluntary and is for these bodies alone to decide. I understand, however, that reasons for not participating can include such diverse considerations as adequacy of alternative provision and failure to secure trade union support. In relation to two-year YTS, Clydebank district council has indicated that the decision it has reached not to participate arises principally from concern about the new funding arrangements. However it will monitor developments and the decision does not preclude possible participation in YTS at a later date.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on youth training schemes in Scotland.

Since YTS was launched in 1983 in partnership with employers, trade unions, local authorities and others, it has helped well over 100,000 young people in Scotland to make the transition from school to the world of work. On 1 April, the new two-year YTS will be introduced in which the Government will be investing over £1 billion by 1987/88—the highest investment ever made in youth training in this country. Reaction in Scotland to the new YTS has for the most part been very supportive and encouraging and I am confident that the necessary places will be secured.

Rates

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to take steps to reduce the level of rates currently falling on rugby football clubs in Scotland.

We have taken effective measures to reduce the burden of rates on those ratepayers most severely affected by the overspending of local authorities and by the 1985 rating revaluation, which may include rugby clubs. Rating authorities have discretion to reduce or remit the rates payable on premises occupied by clubs not established or conducted for profit and which are wholly or mainly used for purposes of recreation. The Secretary of State cannot intervene in authorities' exercise of this discretion, nor in the appeals against rateable values which some clubs have lodged with assessors. The Government's proposals for the reform of the whole system of local government finance are set out in the Green Paper (Cmnd 9714) published on 28 January.

Tranent Bypass

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Tranent bypass will be open to traffic; and if he will make a statement.

I propose to open the Tranent bypass to traffic on 27 March 1986.

	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85
Universities	11,825	12,233	11,881	11,399	11,483	11,736
Central Institutions	2,121	2,404	2,935	3,105	3,151	3,112
Local Authority Colleges	774	1,064	1,119	1,236	1,306	1,294
Colleges of Education	316	286	314	226	259	718
All Sectors	15,036	15,987	16,249	15,966	16,199	16,860

Teachers' Salaries

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has received any recent representations in favour of an independent review of teachers' salaries and conditions; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend and I continue to receive many letters making representations of various kinds about the teachers' dispute. As my right hon. and learned Friend said on 29 January at column 941, in reply to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, a resolution of this dispute can only be found through negotiation between teachers and employers on the basis of the resources already available.

Employment

Dairy Industry

asked the Paymaster General how many people are currently employed in the dairy industry; and what was the equivalent figure in 1985.

Musselburgh Bypass

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the progress of construction of the Musselburgh bypass.

Work is on target to meet the completion date of November 1986.

Housing Action Area, Glasgow

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what further information he required from Glasgow district council in respect of the draft housing action area for improvement, the Woodlands, Maryhill road No. 1; and when he requested this information.

On 18 December, the Scottish Development Department requested that Glasgow district council provide an outline of its developing expenditure plans for 1986–87 in the light of the notified provisional non-housing revenue account allocation of £43 million. The council was asked to provide information regarding its prospective expenditure programme in as much detail as possible, although information was not requested in respect of individual draft housing action area resolutions.

Higher Education

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the number of students entering degree courses in each sector of higher education in each of the years 1979 to 1985.

The numbers entering full-time first degree courses in Scotland are given in the following table. Information for 1985–86 is not yet available.

In November 1985 (the latest date for which figures are available) there were an estimated 41,000 employees in employment in the milk and milk products industry, (activity heading 4130 of the 1980 standard industrial classification) in Great Britain.

Enterprise Agencies

asked the Paymaster General what arrangement has been provided by his Department for the formation of enterprise agencies in Hertfordshire; what areas are now covered; and if he will make a statement.

The formation of local enterprise agencies is primarily a matter for local interests, including particularly representatives of the private sector; they can determine local needs and the level of potential support. The Government are anxious to see viable and effective local enterprise agencies established; our new grant scheme is designed to that end. There are currently four local enterprise agencies in Hertfordshire covering the areas of Letchworth, Stevenage, Watford and St. Albans.

Health And Safety

asked the Paymaster General if he will give a breakdown of (a) the number of premises registered under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and (b) the number of visits by inspectors for the years 1983, 1984 and 1985.

There are some 670,000 premises on the registers of the inspectorates of the Health and Safety Executive. This figure excludes an unknown number of sites subject to inspection by HSE inspectors, but not recorded on the registers—for example, construction sites, very small agricultural holdings and tips and landfill sites. Health and safety inspectors made some 240,000 visits in both 1983 and 1984. Figures for 1985 are not yet available.

asked the Paymaster General if he will give the average time between planned visits by Health and Safety Executive inspectors to various types of premises, distinguishing between high and low risk premises.

Each inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive determines its own priorities for planned visits. The frequency of visits depends on a number of factors, including the degree of risk. The average number of visits to individual nuclear installations is between one and two a month. Figures for the other inspectorates are not readily available.

asked the Paymaster General how many convictions there were, and what was the average fine, under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 for the years 1983, 1984 and 1985.

The information available on prosecutions brought by Health and Safety Executive inspectorates and agencies of the Health and Safety Commission is as follows:

Year	Number of convictions	Average fine per conviction £
1983	1,954	251
1984^*	1,916	315

^* Data for 1984 is provisional

Data for 1985 is not yet available

Information on prosecutions taken by local authorities could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

asked the Paymaster General how many cases were taken on indictment under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 for the years 1983, 1984 and 1985, with the average fine per conviction.

The following table gives information on prosecutions taken on indictment by inspectorates of the Health and Safety Executive and agencies of the Health and Safety Commission.

Year	Number of convictions	Average fine per conviction £
1983	4	2,125
1984^*	9	3,522
1985^†	14	1,314

^* Data for 1984 is provisional

^† Provisional data for HM Factory Inspectorate

Information on prosecutions taken by local authorities could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

asked the Paymaster General if he will list (a) the number of persons sentenced to imprisonment under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 for the years 1983, 1984 and 1985, (b) the number and average level of fines against employers under the Act for the years 1983, 1984 and 1985 and (c) the number and average fines against employees for the years 1983, 1984 and 1985.

One person was given a suspended prison sentence in 1985. No prison sentences were imposed in 1983 or 1984.The available information on recorded convictions following prosecutions taken by inspectorates of the Health and Safety Executive and agencies of the Health and Safety Commission is as follows:

	Convictions against:
Year	Number	Employers average fine	Number	Employees average fine
		£		£
1983	1,752	261	67	91
1984^*	1,673	327	65	93

^* Data for 1984 is provisional

Data for 1985 is not yet available

Information on prosecutions taken by local authorities could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

asked the Paymaster General how many prosecutions and applications to tribunals, with the relevant section of the legislation, were taken under the Safety Representative and Safety Committee Regulations 1977 for the years 1984 and 1985; and what were the results of these actions.

No prosecutions under the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 were taken by inspectors of the Health and Safety Executive in 1984 and 1985.During 1984 six applications to industrial tribunals were registered under regulation 11(1)

(a) and four under regulation 11(1) (b). The figures for 1985 were four and two, respectively. Information on the results of these applications could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Paymaster General how many appeals were made to industrial tribunals against (a) improvement notices and (b) prohibition notices, with the results of these appeals, for the years 1974 to 1985 inclusive, issued under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The table gives the available information for England and Wales.

Year notice issued	Appeals against Notices^*	Number of these appeals upheld
1975	30	0
1976	52	1
1977	77	8
1978	104	9

Year notice issued	Appeals against Notices^*	Number of these appeals upheld
1979	100	6
1980	89	4
1981	196	8
1982	220	11
1983	117	n/a
1984	148	n/a
1985†	124	n/a

^* Records of appeals obtained by HSE from the Central Office of Industrial Tribunals do not distinguish the different types of notice appealed against.

^† Provisional.

n/a Results of appeals not available without incurring disproportionate costs.

Staff Training

asked the Paymaster General what percentage of his Department's annual budget is spent on staff training; and if he will give details for each of the last five years.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 January 1986, c. 360]: In the Department of Employment Group, which includes the Manpower Services Commission, the Health and Safety Executive, and the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service, we estimate that 1·4 per cent. of 1985–86 administrative expenditure will be spent on staff training. Comparable figures are not available for earlier years.

Trade And Industry

Trade Balance

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the current deficit in trade between (a) the United Kingdom and the European Economic Community and (b) the United Kingdom and the non-European Economic Community countries in (i) manufacturing, (ii) steel, (iii) motor vehicles and (iv) textiles; and if he will give equivalent figures for 1972 and 1979.

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

Distillers (Bid)

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has received the advice of the Director General of Fair Trading on the Guinness bid for the Distillers Company; and if he will now refer this bid to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

The Director General's advice has not yet been received. A decision will be taken on whether the bid should be referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission in the light of that advice, as soon as practicable.

Environment

Urban Housing Renewal Unit

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the list recently compiled by his Department's urban housing renewal unit of developers wishing to refurbish local authority housing stock for sale; which local authorities have been sent copies of it; and if he will explain on what basis such a list has been compiled.

The Department's urban housing renewal unit can provide local authorities on request with a list of builders and developers interested in undertaking joint venture schemes in their areas. This list is provided for information and the unit does not endorse or recommend the services of these firms. The list has been compiled from firms who have indicated their interest to UHRU and it can be added to at any time.The full list comprises:

Ackroyd and Abbot Ltd
Barratt Urban Renewal Ltd
Bellway plc
Costain Homes Ltd
Countryside Properties plc
Cruden Constuction Ltd
Fairclough Building Ltd
Foilgrange Ltd
P Hassall Ltd
Ideal Homes Holdings plc
William Irwin and Co Ltd
Laing Homes (London)
PROBE Ltd
Regalian Properties plc
Summit Homes Ltd
Taylor Woodrow Homes Ltd
Watkin Starbuck and Jones Ltd
William Davis Ltd
George Wimpey plc
Cecil M Yuill Ltd

At their request, the following authorities have received a list of developers named above who are interested in joint venture housing in their areas:

Birmingham
Bolton
Bradford
Gateshead
Harrow
Kingson-upon-Hull
Leeds
Manchester
Solihull
South Holland
Stafford
Wandsworth
Westminster

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to alter his Department's arrangements for the employment of the consultant to the urban housing renewal unit who also sits on the board of the firm PROBE; and if he will make a statement.

No, the urban housing renewal unit does not offer its consultants' services to local authorities where any possible conflict of interest might exist. All the unit's consultants are bound by the terms of their appointment to declare any possible self-interest in any matters on which they might be asked for advice.

Housing Defects (Expenditure)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last reviewed the expenditure limit under the Housing Defects Act 1984 for the repair of defective homes; and when he expects the next review to take place.

The current expenditure limit of £14,000 was prescribed by order when the Housing Defects Act 1984 came into operation on 1 December 1984, and was based on evidence on the cost of repairing Airey houses available at that time. The costs of repair methods for houses of various types designated under the Act are now being reviewed by my Department, to provide evidence for any revisions of the expenditure limit that may be needed.

Asbestos (Faslane)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if the consultations with the Health and Safety Executive and Dumbarton district council referred to in the answer of the hon. Member for Ealing, Acton (Sir G. Young) to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) of 2 July, Official Report, column 97, regarding asbestos removed from the construction site at Faslane have now been completed; if he continues to plan to decontaminate the site without removing the asbestos from it; and if he will make a statement.

These consultations have been completed and a contract has been let by the Property Services Agency to decontaminate the site without removing from it any of the asbestos waste, including that collected last year under the phase 1 contract. Work will start on 3 February. Separate consideration is still being given to action as necessary to deal with asbestos on the loch bed. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Dunfermline, East (Mr. Brown) on 6 June 1985 at column 207.

Glc Property Disposals

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) why he has not yet given his consent to the disposal of the site at the rear of 8 Kellner road for which the Greater London council applied on 31 October 1985;(2) why he has not yet given his consent to the disposal of 18 Wellington street, for which the Greater London council applied on 25 November 1985.

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

Local Authority Flats (Defects)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest estimate known to his Department of the cost of making good structural defects in local authority flats.

The Department's recent inquiry into the condition of the local authority housing stock in England showed that local authorities estimated that the flats they owned required expenditure of £613 million on structural repairs (that is to foundations and to load-bearing walls, frames, floors and roofs).

Housing Benefit

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the numbers and percentage of local authority flat dwellers in receipt of housing benefit.

The latest available figures are for November 1983, when it is estimated that housing benefits were being received by about 72 per cent. (1·1 million) of the tenants of local authority and new town flats in England and Wales.

Campaign For Fair Play

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Luton, North on Monday 27 January, regarding the campaign for fair play, what matters were discussed at the meeting; which member of the campaign attended the meeting; when the meeting took place; and whether any further meetings are planned.

At their request, I met Messrs Derek Wyatt, John Goodbody, John Taylor, Patrick Cheney and Steven Hellman, representing the campaign for fair play, on 21 November 1985. We discussed matters relating to the Government's policy on sporting contacts with South Africa, particularly in relation to the then proposed British Lions tour of South Africa this year. I have no plans at present for a further meeting.

Sporting Organisations (Grants)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in pursuance to his reply to the hon. Member for Luton, North of 27 January, he will make it his policy that funds will be granted to sporting organisations on the Sports Council without recourse to him in any case.

Decisions on the allocation of funds to sporting organisations are made by the Sports Council. Only funding in excess of £0·2 million is referred to the Secretary of State as required by the Council's financial memorandum. However, the Sports Council is required under article 3 of its royal charter to have regard to any statements of Government policy which the Secretary of State may issue.

Housing And Planning Bill

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has anything to add to the explanatory and financial memorandum to the Housing and Planning Bill.

Part III of the Bill extends to Wales and the powers it contains will be available to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales. I regret that the appropritate references to his Department were in error omitted from the explanatory and financial memorandum prefaced to the printed Bill. The relevant paragraphs in the memorandum should have read as follows:

Financial Effects of the Bill

Financial Assistance for Urban Regeneration

It is envisaged that in England and Wales Part III of the Bill will initially be used in a limited number of localities to assist programmes carried out by consortia and other private sector interests concerned with urban regeneration. It is estimated that in 1987–88 there will be voted expenditure in the range £10 million-£20 million by the Department of the Environment and £2 million by the Welsh Office. Some preliminary expenditure is likely to be incurred in 1986–87. The expenditure in these years will not require any increase in the planned total of public expenditure given in Cmnd. 9702. The level of expenditure in later years will depend on the success of the initial programmes and the public expenditure provision that can be made.

Effect of the Bill on Public Service Manpower

Financial Assistance for Urban Regeneration

It is estimated that as a result of part III of the Bill the equivalent of eight additional staff will be required in the Department of the Environment and the Welsh Office.

Local Government Finance

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why he has chosen to revise the other services block capital expenditure allocations to shire district councils for 1986–87.

Before determining the allocations for the Other Services block, my right hon. Friend invites recommendations from the local authority associations. As for previous years, his initial allocations for 1986–87 were in line with their recommendations. It has subsequently been drawn to his attention that the allocations for some shire district councils fell short of an earlier assurance that each authority would receive at least 70 per cent. of its allocation for 1984–85. The Secretary of State has accordingly revised the allocations to shire districts in such a way as to fulfil the assurance.

Derelict Land Reclamation

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what resources are being made available for derelict land reclamation in 1986–87; and if he will make a statement.

The funds provided for derelict land reclamation in 1986–87 are £78·38 million compared with £76·36 million at the beginning of 1985–86 and only £23·5 million in 1979–80. These figures include resources for reclamation on Merseyside.In December 1985 my Department issued a circular restating the priorities for reclamation and making a number of significant changes. This was widely welcomed. It set out the Government's agreement to consider three year rolling programmes in areas of extensive dereliction. These would enable local authorities to tackle dereliction on an area basis more effectively than could be achieved on a scheme by scheme basis under an annual bidding system. £24 million will be made available in 1986–87 to enable 13 rolling programmes to be supported in Cleveland, South Tyneside, Workington ironworks, Preston docks, Salford quays, Hyndburn-Rossendale, Wigan, Liverpool, Ellesmere Port, Wirral, Normanby park steelworks, Lower Don valley Sheffield and the black country.Local authorities will be required to identify the after use for all reclamation proposals and the terms on which they will dispose of the reclaimed land. Priority will be given to schemes designed to reclaim urban, especially inner city land for a hard private sector end use, particularly housing. The scheme to be supported in 1986–87 fully reflect these priorities. Some £17 million will be made available to support the continuing reclamation of the former Consett and Corby steelworks, the reclamation of coal tips following the report, "Coal and the Environment" (1981) investigation and remedial work on limestone subsidence in the black country, reclaiming the sites for the Stoke and Gateshead garden festivals and good quality groundwork schemes to tackle dereliction on the urban fringes.

Money is also available for the private sector and nationlised industries to undertake reclamation on their own behalf without the involvement of the local authority. I am allocating about £5·5 million for such schemes next year of which about £2·6 million will be accounted for by projects which have already been approved.

Homelessness

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment to what factors he attributes the rise in homeless households housed as secure tenants as a percentage of all new secure tenancies in England as set out in his answer of 18 November 1985, Official Report, column 58.

[pursuant to his reply, 13 January 1986, c. 468]: The main factors are as follows:People become homeless for a variety of reasons. For those accepted as being in priority need under the provisions of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977, social factors which have become more significant in recent years are mortgage default and marital disputes. For example some 20 per cent. of those accepted as homeless last year became so as a result of marital disputes compared with only around 15 per cent. in 1978. A major factor has always been the unwillingness or inability of families and friends to continue to provide accommodation.The percentage of new secure lettings held by such households depends on two separate figures—the number of homeless families housed in this way in any year and the number of new lettings. The number of homeless households housed in secure tenancies varies from local authority to local authority according to the policies of the particular authority, the number of households accepted as homeless in any given period, the particular needs of the households and the availability of suitable accommodation. But across the country as a whole the overall number of homeless households given such tenancies has risen, reflecting increases in the number of homeless for the reasons set out above. At the same time there has been a smaller annual number of new secure lettings. This is partly offset by the provision of non-secure lettings under schedule 3 to the Housing Act 1980. But such lettings are not taken into account in the percentages given in the earlier answer.

Transport

Grain Exports

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information Her Majesty's Goverment have as to how much grain has been exported to Libya from ports in East Anglia in each of the last five years.

The information available is as follows:

Exports of Grain (unmilled cereals) to Libya from East Anglia
	'000 tonnes
East Anglia
1984	12·1
1985	^*27·7
^* Estimate.

No unmilled cereals were exported to Libya between 1980 and 1983. Complete data by port and commodity for 1985 are not yet available.

Fishermen (Deaths And Injuries)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on the number of (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries to fishermen in each of the last 10 years (i) in total and (ii) per 1,000 employed in the fishing industry; and if he will give similar figures for deaths and injuries per 1,000 employed for the (A) mining, (B) construction and (C) farming industries for the same period.

The number of deaths and accidents to fishermen on vessels of 24 m or more in length and the

Table 1 Accidental deaths
	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984
Fishing Vessels 24m and over^*
Number of deaths per 1,000 at	14	9	27	4	7	3	3	2	1
risk	(3·0)	(1·9)	(6·4)	(1·2)	(2·2)	(1·3)	(1·1)	(1·4)	(1·4)
Fishing vessels under 24m^*
Number of deaths per 1,000 at	16	19	18	35	21	22	14	19	11
risk	(1·1)	(1·4)	(1·3)	(3·5)	(2·1)	(1·8)	(1·3)	(1·7)	(0·8)
Coal Mining
Number of deaths per 1,000 at	50	40	63	46	42	35	38	30	20
risk	(0·2)	(0·2)	(0·3)	(0·2)	(0·2)	(0·2)	(0·2)	(0·2)	(0·1)
Construction
Number of deaths per 1,000 at	156	130	126	128	134	105	102	118	100
risk	(0·2)	(0·1)	(0·1)	(0·1)	(0·1)	(0·1)	(0·1)	(0·1)	(0·1)
Farming
Number of deaths per 1,000 at	41	32	25	34	24	31	27	28	27
risk	(0·1)	(0·1)	(0·1)	(0·1)	(0·1)	(0·1)	(0·1)	(0·1)	(0·1)

Table 2 Non fatal accidents^†
	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984
Fishing Vessels 24m and over
Number of accidents per 1,000 at	813	609	573	413	207	97	90	64	73
risk	(173)	(135)	(135)	(121)	(65)	(42)	(35)	(43)	(51)
Fishing Vessels under 24m
Number of accidents per 1,000 at
risk	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
Coal mining^‡
Number of accidents per 1,000 at	50,800	49,300	46,773	40,802	36,733	31,080	24,975	n.a.	n.a.
risk	(200)	(195)	(189)	(168)	(151)	(134)	(115)	n.a.	n.a.
Construction^‡
Number of accidents per 1,000 at	36,100	32,800	34,424	32,435	30,012	45,494	40,500	n.a.	n.a.
risk	(30)	(28)	(28)	(26)	(25)	(42)	(40)	n.a.	n.a.
Farming^‡
Number of accidents per 1,000 at	5,200	4,800	4,600	4,100	4,200	8,141	7,355	n.a.	n.a.
risk	(18)	(16)	(15)	(14)	(14)	(23)	(21)	n.a.	n.a.

^* Fishing deaths in table 1 include those recorded as missing at sea.

†"Accidents" in table 2 means the number of people injured.

‡ Accidents causing incapacity lasting for more than three days.

║Construction figures are for employees classified under MLH500 of the standard industrial classification.

n.a. =not available.

number of deaths on vessels under 24 m are published annually in the Department's booklet "Casualties to Vessels and Accidents to Men". Figures for accidents to fishermen on vessels under 24 m are not available. Since October 1985, however, serious accidents involving fishing vessels of 10 m or more in length have to be reported to my Department under the Fishing Vessels (Reporting of Accidents) Regulations 1985.

The following tables set out the information required for the years 1976 to 1984 (comparable figures for 1975 are not available and the figures for 1985 have not been finalised). The figures for the coal mining, construction and farming industries are based on information obtained from the Health and Safety Executive.

Addington Square, Se5 (Access)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he has had any correspondence with the Greater London council about the closure of the south-east access to Addington square, SE5;(2) if he has approved the Greater London council's proposal to close the south-east access to Addington square, SE5.

The Greater London council applied for an order under section 209 Town and Country Planning Act 1971 to authorise it to stop up a length of Addington square. A public inquiry was held into the application in June 1985. Subsequently, the Department and the Greater London council have been in correspondence on the question of providing for the needs of cyclists. The Secretary of State's decision on the council's application will be announced shortly.

Radioactive Materials

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce legislation to seek to ensure that local authorities are made aware of, and are actively consulted on, all movement of all radioative materials through their areas.

All movements of radioactive materials are governed by the regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The required design of the packaging ensures safety both in normal transport conditions and in accidents. There is therefore no need to make special routeing arrangements, or to involve local authorities.

Motor Cycle Test

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the current average waiting time for a part II motor cycle test in each of the regional road traffic areas and comparable figures for the last two years.

The waiting time for a part II motor cycle test is the same as for L-tests. The table gives average waiting times in weeks for each of the traffic area offices.

	30 December 1983	28 December 1984	27 December 1985
North Eastern (Newcastle)	7	8	10
North Eastern (Leeds)	6	19	17
North Western	8	11	12
West Midlands	11	15	15
Eastern (Nottingham)	10	13	13
Eastern (Cambridge)	12	15	16
South Wales	6	14	18
Western	8	14	14
South Eastern	9	15	17
Scottish	5	13	18
Metropolitan	17	22	16

Social Services

Sick Dependent Relatives (Allowances)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many men have been granted social security allowances in each of the last six years after giving up a job to care for an ill dependent relative.

As regards invalid care allowance, the available information is as follows. I regret that information before April 1981 is not available.

Invalid care allowance—awards to men caring for a relative with attendance allowance
Year	Number
^*1981	545
1982	1,697
1983	1,816
1984	2,105
1985	2,211
^* From April.

As regards supplementary benefit, the available information relates to the number of men receiving benefit at any one time who were not required to be available for work because they were caring for a sick or disabled person, as follows. Information later than 1983 is not available.

Year	Number (estimated)
1978	8,000
1979	7,000
1980	7,000
1981	6,000
1982	6,000
1983	6,000

It is estimated that from 1982 about 1,000 of these men were also receiving invalid care allowance. Information is not available about the number of men receiving supplementary benefit who had given up work to care for a sick or disabled person, or the number caring for a dependent relative. The figures do not include male carers who were not required to be available for work for reasons other than caring.

Housing Benefits

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many unemployed and retired citizens in the Wolverhampton area have been in receipt of housing benefits assistance in each of the last six years.

This information is not available centrally. However, on the basis of information supplied by the metropolitan borough council of Wolverhampton, it is estimated that the total numbers receiving rent rebates, rent allowances and rate rebates were as follows:

Year	Rent rebates	Rent allowances	Rate rebates
1980–81	7,100	850	20,550
1981–82	9,330	850	25,700
^*1982–83	21,760	1,000	37,500
1983–84	26,670	5,060	44,770
1984–85	27,380	4,020	44,590
1985–86	28,600	5,000	47,900

^* Includes from November 1982 for some and from April 1983 for all cases, assistance with rent and rates formerly met through supplementary benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to introduce legislation to extend his powers to pay housing benefit direct to the landlord to cover prevention of misappropriation by tenants; and if he will make a statement.

We are still considering the future arrangements for safeguarding the payment of benefit.

Social Security Reform

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any proposals to seek the improvement of adjudication standards prior to the introduction of the income support scheme in 1988.

There is a continuing programme to improve economy and efficiency in the administration of social security including adjudication standards.In 1983 we introduced legislation which overhauled and improved the first two tiers of the social security adjudication system. The Health and Social Services and Social Security Adjudications Act 1983 created the post of Chief Adjudication Officer who has a statutory duty to keep under review the standards of adjudication. The Chief Adjudication Officer's first annual report was published recently (HMSO) and we are actively considering his recommendations. The HASSASSA Act also created the office of the president of Social Security Appeal Tribunals and Medical Appeal Tribunals to administer the tribunal system. The president is strongly committed to improving the standards of adjudication within his jurisdiction and, I understand, he has already embarked on an ambitious training programme for tribunal members and chairmen to enhance their legal and procedural skills.

Cervical Screening

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what records are kept by the Mersey regional health authority detailing the cervical cancer smear tests being undertaken in that area; what records are kept of call-back arrangements for those so tested; and if he will make a statement.

I am sorry I cannot give the hon. Member the information he seeks. It is not collected centrally. He may therefore wish to contact the chairman of Mersey regional health authority.

Young People (Housing)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received on the housing problems confronting young people leaving care; and what proposals he has to deal with these problems.

I am not aware that any specific representations on this subject have been received in the Department in the last 12 months. I accept that accommodation is an important need for a number of young people leaving care, as was identified by the second report of the Social Services Committee. The "Child Care Law Review", published last September as a consultative document by the Government, proposes (paragraph 10.9) that local authorities should have a revised power to make contributions, including loans, to the cost of accommodation of those who are in care or who have left care; the Government are currently considering responses to that document. Questions on housing matters are primarily the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.

Attendance Allowance

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will place in the Library a copy of the directions which the Attendance allowance board has given to delegated medical practitioners under paragraph 5 of schedule II to the Social Security Act 1975.

I regret that I am unable to assist the hon. Member. The Attendance Allowance Board is an independent body and I understand that the guidelines it issues to its delegated medical practitioners are not published.

Family Income Supplement

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide the latest estimate of the number of regular family income supplement payments in the north-west and show what proportion of the eligible population this represents.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, East (Mr. Prescott) on 20 January at column 58.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current rate of notional fuel element contained within family income supplement.

The prescribed amounts for family income supplement do not contain a separate element for fuel. They have been increased annually at least in line with increases in the retail prices index, which includes elements for heating and fuel costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claimants were awarded family income supplement in Scotland in (a) 1984 and (b) 1985.

The number of families in Scotland in receipt of family income supplement at the end of 1984 and the end of November 1985, the latest date for which information is available, was as follows.

December 1984	25,000
November 1985	24,000

Tranquillisers

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the names and addresses of those local groups providing services for persons addicted to tranquillisers that have received financial assistance from his Department, and, in each case, the amount of aid given and the reason it was given.

The information requested is as follows:

Organisation and address	Service provided	Amount of allocation £
TRANX 17 Peel Road, Harrow, Middlesex, HA3 7QX	To promote a self-help group approach to minor tranquilliser dependence	89,183
TRANX-Release 14 Moorfield Square, Southfields, Northampton NN3 5BD	To reduce dependency on prescribed drugs through education and self-help.	29,892
West Cumbria MIND (Copeland) 29a Duke Street, Whitehaven, Cumbria	To assess and reduce the size and scope of tranquilliser dependence, to reduce pressure on family practitioners and promote co-operation and communication between relevant services.	85,442
North East Council on Alcoholism (formerly Newcastle Association for Mental Health) 1 Mosley Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 1YE	To support and counsel patients with drawing from tranquillisers and promote co-operation with general practitioners and other health workers.	96,213

Legionnaire's Disease

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases of legionnaire's disease have been reported in the United Kingdom in each year since that disease was identified; and how many and what proportion of such cases in each of those years occurred among patients in hospitals or other institutions to which Crown immunity against prosecution under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 applies.

It is not always possible to identify the source of infection, and information is therefore incomplete. The available details are as follows:

Year	Total number of reported cases	Number of re-ported cases contracted in NHS hospitals	Percentage of reported cases contracted in NHS hospitals
1979	129	4	3·1
1980	181	24	13·3
1981	143	7	4·9
1982	138	4	2·9
1983	160	9	5·6
1984	151	3	2·0
1985^*	199	77	38·7

^* Figures for 1985 are provisional.

Community Care

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what criteria are used to prioritise applications for funding under the helping the community to care scheme.

The Department explored with a variety of organisations the possibility of their participation in the management of the dozen different elements of this programme. The bodies with which agreement has been reached, indicated in my reply to the right hon. Member for Stoke on Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 27 January at columns 397–98, are those which seemed most likely to achieve the objectives we had in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons he estimates provide care in the community on a full-time or semi-full-time basis to elderly or disabled persons; what is the breakdown of this group by sex, marital status, age, region, and income; what financial assistance they receive at present; and what would be the cost (a) of extending the invalid care allowance to all married women carers and (b) of providing all carers with an allowance at current (i) short-term and (ii) long-term benefit rate levels.

Information is not collected centrally on a regular basis to enable us to provide the information required, but in 1985 we estimated that to extend invalid care allowance to married women would cost an additional £85 million a year net of savings from other benefits.

Benefits (Draught-Proofing)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy on people in receipt of social security benefits being able to obtain free draught-proofing of their homes.

Under regulation 18 of the Supplementary Benefit (Single Payments) Regulations 1981 (SI 1981 No. 1528) supplementary benefit claimants may receive a lump sum payment of benefit to meet the cost of materials to carry out simple draught-proofing measures in their homes. So far as the future of these payments is concerned, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 19 December at column 315.

Nhs (Computer-Related Posts)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many National Health Service computer-related posts in the west midlands region have been unfilled during the last year; and what salaries were being offered for the posts.

The information is not held centrally. I refer the hon. Member to the chairman of the west midlands regional health authority, who may be able to help her.

Nhs (Computer Services)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to contract out National Health Service computer services to the private sector.

The National Health Service already makes considerable use of the private sector in developing computer services and we expect this to continue where it is cost-effective to do so. It would not be practicable to contract out all the planning, development and operation of National Health Service computer services.

Primary Care

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to publish a Green Paper on primary health care.

The Green Paper is expected to be published later this year.

Piroxicam (Member's Questions)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why he has not yet replied to the four questions tabled by the hon. Member for Glanford and Scunthorpe for answer on 20 January concerning the drug Piroxicam; if he will now do so; and if he will make a statement.

I replied to my hon. Friend on 28 January.

Midwives

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what levels of pay have been awarded to midwives, ward sisters, nursing auxiliaries and staff nurses each year since 1979.

The two main midwifery grades, midwifery sister and staff midwife, are paid on the same pay scales as ward sister and staff nurse, respectively. The table shows, therefore, for the period from April 1979 to February 1986, the minimum and maximum points of the pay scales for ward sister, staff nurse and nursing auxiliary.Pay rates from April 1986 will be determined in the light of the recommendations of the Review Body for Nursing Staff, Midwives, Health Visitors and Professions Allied to Medicine.

Nursing pay scales at:
	Nursing Sister II (Ward sister)	Staff Nurse	Nursing Auxiliary
	£	£	£
1 April 1979
Minimum	3,888	3,150	2,507
Maximum	4,949	3,813	2,915
1 April 1980
Minimum	5,309	4,198	2,965
Maximum	6,807	5,119	3,790
1 April 1981
Minimum	5,628	4,450	3,143
Maximum	7,215	5,426	4,017
23 August 1982
Minimum	6,321	4,998	3,530
Maximum	8,103	6,094	4,512
1 April 1984
Minimum	6,827	5,398	3,777
Maximum	8,751	6,582	4,828
1 April 1985
Minimum	7,220	5,708	3,950
Maximum	9,254	6,960	5,069
1 February 1986
Minimum	7,480	6,000	3,950
Maximum	10,000	7,175	5,120

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many qualified midwives there have been, and what proportion of them practised, in each year since 1979.

Information of this nature is collected by the United Kingdom Central Council (UKCC) for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting and its predecessor the Central Midwives Board (CMB). However, the register of midwives, which records those who have obtained the midwifery qualification includes some midwives who have emigrated, returned abroad, retired, are not in the current employment field or required the qualification for another purpose. For example, a study by the Department's central management services in 1981 showed that 21 per cent. of those entering midwifery training did not intend to practise and a further 26 per cent. were uncertain about their intentions. A ratio of practising midwives to people with a midwifery qualification is not therefore meaningful.Information as to the number of midwives on the CMB roll/UKCC register and the number declaring their intention to practice is given in the table.

Year ending 31 March	Total Number on Midwives RollRegister	Number notifying intention to practice
1979	102,998	21,413
1980	107,121	22,304
1981	110,887	23,117
1982	114,690	24,082
1983	n/a	n/a
1984	n/a	n/a
1985^*	167,750	32,585
^* The figures for 1985 relate to the United Kingdom and those for earlier years to England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many staff midwife and staff midwifery tutor jobs are vacant at the present time.

I regret that this information is not collected centrally.

Arthritis Drugs

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the numbers of deaths each year due to the effects of all anti-arthritic drugs.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many adverse reactions, and how many deaths, have been reported to the Committee on Safety of Medicines concerning the drug Piroxicam since 1980; and what is his estimate, having regard to the acknowledged under-reporting of adverse reactions, of the total numbers of adverse reactions and deaths likely to have occurred over this period;(2) if he will send a specific warning to doctors about the dangers to old people from the arthritis drug Piroxicam;(3) if he intends to ban the use in the over 60s of the arthritis drug Piroxicam.

I refer the right hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Glanford and Scunthorpe (Mr. Hickmet) on 28 January at columns 501–502. I will decide whether any action is needed when I have considered the advice of the Committee on Safety of Medicines.The adverse reaction reports to the committee referred to in the reply were all received since 1980; of that total, the reported deaths were 77. It is very important to bear in mind that a report does not necessarily indicate a causal relationship between a product and a reported reaction. I am advised that the rate of under-reporting adverse reactions cannot be specified and therefore the estimate requested cannot be given.

Pensions

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the annual cost of making a weekly payment to all pensioners equal to half the difference between £10 and any additional component, guaranteed minimum pension, or graduated pension they may have.

The estimated additional annual cost of this proposal to public expenditure is £2,250 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the average level of state earnings-related pension scheme additional component and of the guaranteed minimum pension each year since 1978; and what has been the level at 1985–86 prices for each of these years and for each year to 1998 on the basis of the Government Actuary's current assumptions; what has been, and what will be, the number of pensioners involved for each of these years; and what has been, and what is forecast to be total public expenditure on both these criteria.

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

Supplementary Benefit

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people claimed supplementary benefit in Greenock and Port Glasgow in each of the years 1979 to 1985; and what percentage this represents.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many, nationally and for each social security region, of (a) 16-year-olds and (b) 17-year-olds are in receipt of supplementary benefit for the latest available year and (i) how many live in their parents' household and (ii) live independently; and how many of them have (1) claimant parents and (2) non-claimant parents.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 1985, c. 434]: Estimates of the number of 16 and 17-year-old claimants in each social security region at December 1983 are as follows:

(thousands)
Region	16-year-olds	17-year-olds
North Eastern	9	21
London North	10	14
London South	6	13
Wales and South West	7	14
Midlands	9	20
North Western	7	19
Scotland	7	18

Source: Annual Statistical Enquiry.

Information is not available about the number in each region who were householders; but, as I indicated in my earlier reply, nationally it is estimated that at the same date 1,000 16-year-olds and 7,000 17-year-olds receiving supplementary benefit were householders.

Fraud Investigators

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many fraud investigators his Department employs; and what is his estimate of the amount of public money they saved in 1985.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 January 1986, c. 399]: In the financial year 1984–85, the latest period for which information is available, the equivalent of 2,195 staff were employed full-time on fraud investigation and benefit saving was estimated to be £103 million.

Medicines (Adverse Reactions)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has received the second report of the Committee on Safety of Medicines working party on adverse reactions.

Yes. The working party has reviewed the arrangements by which the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) obtains information on the adverse effects of medicinal products and has considered whether any changes are needed in these arrangements.The working party recommends that for the foreseeable future the CSM should continue to operate its existing voluntary adverse effects reporting procedure, based on the yellow card report form. It also recommends that additional arrangements should be introduced for providing post-marketing surveillance studies on new medicines, particularly those intended for widespread long-term use. The working party has discussed this matter with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry which has advised that pharmaceutical companies would be prepared to agree with the CSM arrangements for mounting such studies. I understand that the committee and the association are to hold formal discussion, on the arrangements governing the studies.The working party concludes that the CSM may also need to commission studies on specific problems, for example, to obtain data to help in establishing the comparative risks of medicines within the same therapeutic group.Among its other conclusions, the working party considers that none of the surveillance techniques so far developed offers immediate prospects of improvements in the monitoring of very rare or long-latency adverse drug effects. In the future, schemes which link patients' hospital discharge diagnoses with their prescribing histories might be of value, provided acceptable arrangements for the identification of patients can be developed. It recommends that current research into such record linkage schemes should be continued.The report has been approved by the Committee on Safety of Medicines. Copies are available in the Library.

Health Bodies (Funding)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list all statutory health bodies, indicating the funding available from his Department for each body for each of the past five years.

[pursuant to his reply, 25 November 1985, c. 477]: There is no precise definition of statutory health bodies. The table lists bodies engaged in providing or assisting the provision of health services (excluding voluntary organisations) for which funds have been provided by the Department from Class XI, Vote 1, in the Appropriation Accounts, and the amounts made available in each case.

£'000
	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85
Advances to health authorities (ie regional and district health authorities and special health authorities for the London post-graduate teaching hospitals^*	7,409,273	8,219,404	8,789,677	9,209,564	9,774,960
General Nursing Council	48,176	53,059	57,880	13,521	—
Joint Board of Clinical Nursing Studies	432	495	520	115	—
Council for the Education and Training of Health Visitors	443	476	510	138	—
United Kingdom Central Council and English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting	206	803	1,972	51,649	67,064
Midwife Teachers Training College	50	49	32	33	35
Committee of Management of the School of Dental Therapists Ltd.	706	812	613	276	—
Council of Postgraduate Medical Education and Training	272	377	355	354	354
Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice	45	77	74	74	84
Public Health Laboratory Services Board	21,261	26,003	30,057	32,994	35,899
National Radiological Protection Board	2,840	3,379	3,653	3,612	3,846
National Biological Standards Board	2,383	2,984	3,185	3,922	6,853
Medical Practices Committee	228	242	255	257	235
Health Education Council	4,747	6,034	8,004	8,582	8,877
Prescription Pricing Authority	9,990	10,873	11,597	15,478	15,961
Dental Estimates Board	8,943	9,789	10,281	10,592	11,096
Central Blood Laboratories Authority	3,277	4,691	4,875	9,770	22,820
Mental Health Act Commission	—	—	—	305	878
National Health Service Training Authority	—	—	—	—	4,737
Rampton Hospital Review Board	—	—	—	60	66
Rural Dispensing Committee	—	—	—	57	69

^* Details, including the expenditure of each authority, are shown in the Department's annual summaries of health authorities' accounts, copies of which are held in the Library.

Nhs Employees

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number and rate per thousand of the population of whole-time equivalent (a) nurses (b) midwives (c) doctors (d) dentists and (e) health visitors employed in each year 1978–1985 (i) nationally (ii) in each authority and (iii) in each regional health authority.

NHS Nursing Staff^*
Regional health authorities at 30 September of each year
Whole-time equivalent^† and ratio per 1,000 population England
Regions	1978		1979		1980		1981		1982		1983		1984
	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio
England^‡	330,970	7·096	338,080	7·240	349,820	7·477	370,620	7·916	376,420	8·044	374,850	8·002	374,690	7·980
Northern	21,750	6·938	22,580	7·214	23,880	7·633	24,890	7·985	25,050	8·062	25,450	8·209	25,260	8·168
Yorkshire	25,240	7·008	25,500	7·074	26,650	7·390	28,500	7·913	28,400	7·894	28,090	7·807	28,130	7·815
Trent	28,860	6·318	30,680	6·698	30,860	6·715	32,840	7·127	33,270	7·235	33,110	7·194	33,420	7·249
East Anglian	11,420	6·201	11,900	6·384	12,500	6·644	13,150	6·941	13,530	7·076	13,620	7·074	14,000	7·217
North West Thames	25,200	7·278	25,290	7·320	25,580	7·406	27,680	8·013	27,720	8·037	27,190	7·868	27,160	7·826
North East Thames	29,940	7·941	29,140	7·746	29,180	7·756	30,640	8·177	33,340	8·932	33,340	8·924	33,350	8·920
South East Thames	27,600	7·699	27,450	7·668	28,230	7·870	29,880	8·326	29,910	8·343	29,730	8·293	29,230	8·131
South West Thames	21,750	7·409	22,730	7·730	23,300	7·904	24,400	8·280	23,880	8·105	23,990	8·137	23,630	8·001
Wessex	17,220	6·339	18,550	6·796	19,020	6·919	20,050	7·242	20,410	7·348	20,670	7·377	20,920	7·409
Oxford	13,340	5·877	13,730	5·982	14,530	6·265	15,500	6·622	15,670	6·626	15,480	6·496	15,840	6·586
South Western	21,660	7·141	22,250	7·296	23,620	7·707	24,990	8·117	25,100	8·134	24,870	8·020	24,940	7·979
West Midlands	33,270	6·430	34,290	6·620	36,220	6·986	38,800	7·480	38,920	7·515	38,450	7·427	38,460	7·430
Mersey	19,780	7·985	19,830	8·026	20,310	8·248	21,170	8·627	21,340	8·738	21,140	8·684	20,670	8·514
North Western	29,440	7·237	30,190	7·443	31,760	7·854	33,800	8·378	34,950	8·699	34,790	8·685	35,010	8·760

Source: DHSS Annual Census of Non-Medical Manpower.

Notes:

^* Includes all qualified, learners and unqualified nursing staff, health visitors, and agency nurses.

^† Figures are independently rounded to the nearest 10, and are not adjusted for the reduction in nurses' working hours in 1980.

^‡ Includes staff in London Post-graduate SHAs.

[pursuant to his reply, 19 December 1985, c. 321]: The tables show whole-time equivalent staff in post at 30 September of each year 1978 to 1984, and their rates per thousand population, nationally and for each regional health authority. Figures for 1985 are not yet available at this level of detail. Corresponding figures for district health authorities could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

NHS Midwifery Staff^*
Regional health authorities at 30 September of each year
Whole-time equivalent† and ratio per 1,000 population England
Regions	1978		1979		1980		1981		1982		1983		1984
	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio
England^‡	20,200	0·433	20,380	0·436	20,260	0·433	21,140	0·452	20,660	0·441	22,280	0·476	22,790	0·485
Northern	1,220	0·389	1,360	0·433	1,290	0·413	1,320	0·423	1,330	0·427	1,390	0·450	1,480	0·479
Yorkshire	1,460	0·404	1,480	0·409	1,500	0·415	1,700	0·472	1,580	0·439	1,750	0·486	1,800	0·500
Trent	1,660	0·363	1,830	0·399	1,890	0·410	2,090	0·454	2,080	0·453	2,120	0·461	2,120	0·460
East Anglian	880	0·479	930	0·497	800	0·426	890	0·468	880	0·460	930	0·483	970	0·500
North West Thames	1,470	0·426	1,500	0·435	1,490	0·431	1,520	0·440	1,430	0·414	1,460	0·423	1,490	0·429
North East Thames	1,970	0·522	1,790	0·475	1,680	0·445	1,760	0·469	1,730	0·465	1,900	0·510	1,910	0·512
South East Thames	1,650	0·461	1,590	0·443	1,640	0·457	1,720	0·479	1,660	0·464	1,790	0·499	1,830	0·509
South West Thames	1,070	0·364	1,110	0·376	1,170	0·396	1,210	0·410	1,170	0·398	1,190	0·404	1,230	0·415
Wessex	1,080	0·398	1,110	0·406	1,090	0·396	1,190	0·429	1,200	0·433	1,290	0·461	1,330	0·470
Oxford	1,000	0·440	1,000	0·436	1,010	0·437	1,050	0·447	1,020	0·431	1,110	0·467	1,150	0·478
South Western	1,340	0·441	1,370	0·450	1,180	0·383	1,080	0·349	1,050	0·339	1,220	0·392	1,220	0·391
West Midlands	2,180	0·421	2,060	0·398	2,050	0·395	2,110	0·407	2,140	0·413	2,370	0·459	2,540	0·491
Mersey	1,070	0·432	1,130	0·457	1,100	0·447	1,200	0·487	1,110	0·455	1,170	0·481	1,180	0·487
North Western	2,010	0·494	1,970	0·486	2,210	0·547	2,180	0·540	2,030	0·506	2,330	0·581	2,310	0·578

Source: DHSS Annual Census of Non-Medical Manpower

Notes:

^* Includes midwifery staff in the hospital and community services, midwifery students and agency midwives.

^† Figures are independently rounded to the nearest 10, and are not adjusted for the reduction in nurses' working hours in 1980.

^‡ Includes staff in London Post-graduate SHAs.

NHS Health Visitors ^*
Regional health authorities at 30 September of each year
Whole-time equivalent^† and ratio per 1,000 population England
Regions	1978		1979		1980		1981		1982		1983		1984
	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio
England^‡	8,670	0·186	9,010	0·193	8,890	0·190	9,240	0·197	9,500	0·203	9·710	0·207	9,300	0·198
Northern	550	0·176	560	0·179	580	0·186	620	0·198	620	0·200	650	0·210	630	0·204
Yorkshire	640	0·179	670	0·186	720	0·198	690	0·191	680	0·189	740	0·204	730	0·202
Trent	770	0·167	780	0·169	750	0·163	860	0·187	910	0·198	910	0·197	910	0·197
East Anglian	290	0·159	310	0·167	310	0·163	330	0·173	340	0·180	350	0·181	280	0·144
North West Thames	670	0·192	690	0·198	720	0·208	730	0·212	780	0·225	720	0·208	680	0·195
North East Thames	570	0·152	600	0·158	540	0·143	650	0·173	660	0·175	650	0·173	580	0·155
South East Thames	690	0·191	710	0·198	670	0·186	690	0·191	760	0·211	750	0·210	650	0·181
South West Thames	630	0·216	670	0·229	670	0·226	660	0·224	640	0·219	640	0·218	620	0·212
Wessex	500	0·183	530	0·192	490	0·177	550	0·200	570	0·204	580	0·205	570	0·200
Oxford	510	0·225	530	0·229	520	0·224	460	0·197	450	0·189	510	0·212	470	0·194
South Western	580	0·190	590	0·195	620	0·201	610	0·197	610	0·197	610	0·196	600	0·192
West Midlands	940	0·181	980	0·189	950	0·183	1,000	0·194	1,050	0·202	1,040	0·202	1,010	0·195
Mersey	470	0·190	490	0·197	490	0·197	490	0·198	500	0·203	500	0·205	490	0·202
North Western	880	0·215	920	0·226	890	0·220	910	0·225	920	0·229	1,050	0·262	1,090	0·274

Source: DHSS Annual Census of Non-Medical Manpower

Notes:

^* Includes health visitors in both the community and school health services, HV field work teachers, HB visitors with HV certificates, dual/triple posts and bank health visitors. Excludes HV students and managerial staff.

^† Figures are independently rounded to the nearest 10, and are not adjusted for the reduction in nurses' working hours in 1980.

^‡ Includes staff in London Post-graduate SHAs.

^║ Due to a change in the method of data colleciton, figures for the years prior to 1980 are not strictly comparable with those for 1980 onwards.

Hospital and Community Health Doctors^: Analysis by Region showing Whole-time equivalent at 30 September of each year, and Ratio per £1,000 Population England*
Regions	1978		1979		1980		1981		1982		1983		1984
	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio
England^‡	35,250	0·756	36,390	0·779	37,570	0·803	38,320	0·819	38,780	0·829	39,590	0·845	39,690	0·845
Northern	2,270	0·723	2,350	0·750	2,430	0·777	2,480	0·797	2,490	0·803	2,590	0·835	2,600	0·842
Yorkshire	2,460	0·684	2,520	0·700	2,570	0·713	2,740	0·762	2,780	0·772	2,810	0·780	2,590	0·719
Trent	2,780	0·610	2,980	0·650	3,120	0·678	3,210	0·696	3,310	0·720	3,390	0·736	3,450	0·749
East Anglian	1,230	0·665	1,280	0·684	1,320	0·703	1,390	0·734	1,420	0·743	1,480	0·766	1,470	0·755
North West Thames	3,180	0·920	3,260	0·944	3,360	0·973	3,420	0·991	3,120	0·904	3,150	0·912	3,150	0·906
North East Thames	3,350	0·890	3,410	0·908	3,470	0·923	3,490	0·932	3,840	1·029	3,860	1·033	3,890	1·040
South East Thames	3,000	0·837	3,050	0·852	3,220	0·898	3,160	0·881	3,106	0·866	3,280	0·914	3,280	0·912
South West Thames	2,260	0·769	2,280	0·776	2,320	0·788	2,350	0·796	2,300	0·779	2,310	0·783	2,290	0·774
Wessex	1,730	0·639	1,820	0·666	1,800	0·654	1,850	0·667	1,920	0·691	1,890	0·673	2,000	0·707
Oxford	1,620	0·715	1,660	0·725	1,700	0·736	1,710	0·729	1,720	0·726	1,760	0·741	1,830	0·759
South Western	2,080	0·686	2,160	0·708	2,250	0·733	2,260	0·733	2,360	0·767	2,380	0·769	2,420	0·773
West Midlands	3,420	0·661	3,590	0·693	3,730	0·720	3,810	0·735	3,850	0·744	3,950	0·764	3,980	0·768
Mersey	1,820	0·733	1,850	0·749	1,940	0·786	1,970	0·803	2,010	0·822	2,070	0·851	2,060	0·849
North Western	3,150	0·774	3,260	0·804	3,370	0·834	3,530	0·875	3,600	0·897	3,690	0·922	3,700	0·925

Source: DHSS Annual Census of Medical Manpower

Notes Figures for WTE are independently rounded to the nearest 10.

^* Including Hospital Practitioners, doctors holding appointments under paragraph 94 of the Terms and Conditions of Service and Locum staff.

^† Including staff in London Post-Graduate Teaching Hospitals/Special Health Authorities. but excluding Special Hospitals.

Hospital and Community Health Dentists ^*
Analysis by region showing whole-time equivalent at 30 September of each year and ratio per 1,000 population England
Regions	1978		1979		1980		1981		1982		1983		1984
	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio	WTE	Ratio
England^†	2,570	0·055	2,600	0·056	2,590	0·055	2,630	0·056	2,680	0·057	2,670	0·057	2,640	0·056
Northern	180	0·058	180	0·058	180	0·059	180	0·058	190	0·062	190	0·060	180	0·058
Yorkshire	160	0·045	170	0·047	170	0·048	170	0·048	180	0·050	180	0·051	160	0·044
Trent	180	0·039	180	0·040	190	0·041	190	0·042	190	0·041	200	0·043	200	0·04
East Anglian	80	0·045	80	0·045	80	0·043	80	0·042	80	0·040	70	0·039	70	0·038
North West Thames	170	0·048	170	0·049	160	0·046	170	0·048	170	0·050	180	0·051	170	0·048
North East Thames	230	0·060	230	0·061	220	0·059	230	0·060	240	0·063	230	0·060	230	0·061
South East Thames	240	0·067	250	0·069	240	0·067	240	0·068	250	0·071	250	0·069	270	0·074
South West Thames	170	0·058	170	0·059	170	0·059	180	0·061	160	0·055	170	0·059	170	0·056
Wessex	150	0·056	160	0·057	160	0·056	160	0·057	160	0·058	160	0·057	160	0·055
Oxford	90	0·041	90	0·040	90	0·040	100	0·041	100	0·041	100	0·043	100	0·042
South Western	190	0·063	190	0·062	190	0·062	180	0·060	190	0·061	190	0·060	180	0·058
West Midlands	280	0·054	280	0·054	280	0·054	300	0·057	310	0·059	300	0·057	300	0·057
Mersey	140	0·056	150	0·059	140	0·058	140	0·058	150	0·063	150	0·061	150	0·064
North Western	230	0·058	230	0·057	240	0·059	240	0·059	240	0·060	240	0·059	240	0·060

Source: DHSS Annual Census of Medical Manpower

Note: Figures for WTE are independently rounded to the nearest 10.

^* Including Hospital Practitioners, dentists holding appointments under para. 107 of the Terms and Conditions of Service and Locum staff.

^† Including staff in London Post-graduate Teaching Hospitals/Special Health Authorities, but excluding special Hospitals.

Complaints Procedure

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services on how many occasions in each of the last three years the Health Service Commissioner has criticised the whole or parts of the complaints procedure; and in which cases.

[pursuant to his reply, 29 January 1986, c. 558]: The Commissioner has made specific criticism of the complaints procedures set out in circular HC(81)5 on one occasion—case W4 and W158/1983–4, published in the report of the Health Service Commissioner—Selected Investigations completed October 1983—March 1984 (HC 476).

Defence

Jet Provost Trainer

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when the Jet Provost T mk 3 and mk 5 will be withdrawn from Royal Air Force service.

We plan to withdraw the Jet Provost mk 3A and mk 5A aircraft from the pilot training role by 1990; mk 5 aircraft will continue to be used for navigator training until the mid-1990s.

Defence Review

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will undertake a complete defence review.

No. While, in the usual way, decisions on priorities will have to be taken in the coming months in order to match the forward programme to the available cash, I see no need for any fundamental change in our defence commitments or in the main roles undertaken by our armed forces.

United States Air Force

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the area of United States Air Force controlled air space and its orientation, about the following: Lakenheath, Mildenhall, Woodbridge and Bentwaters, Alconbury, Greenham common, Sculthorpe, Wethersfield, Kemble, Upper Heyford and Fairford.

Each of the airfields is contained within an aerodrome traffic zone subject to the provisions of rule 35 of the Rules of the Air and Air Traffic Control Regulations. Aerodrome traffic zones extend laterally for 1·5 nautical miles from the airfield boundary and vertically to 2,000 ft above ground level. With the exceptions of Lakenheath and Mildenhall, which lie within the Honington military control zone, the airfields are also contained within military aerodrome traffic zones whose regulations are mandatory for military aircraft but advisory for civil airspace users. Military aerodrome traffic zones extend to a radius of five nautical miles from the centre of the airfield's main runway with additional stubs in line with the runway and extending to 10 nautical miles from its centre. The area of a military aerodrome traffic zone is about 118 sq miles. Those at Sculthorpe, Wethersfield and Greenham common are activated only when the airfield is in use.Upper Heyford is additionally contained within a radar advisory service zone which covers an area of some 400 sq miles. The service provided is mandatory for military air traffic only. Civil aircraft in the vicinity of Upper Heyford may request a radar advisory service from military air traffic controllers if they so wish. New arrangements with regard to this aerodrome are planned to come into effect on 10 April.

Type 23 Frigate

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to order the next batch of type 23 frigates.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave on 14 January at column 915.

Equipment Contracts

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will detail the procedures adopted by his Department in order to ensure that competitive bids are received for his Department's equipment contracts.

The Ministry's procedures are designed to ensure that procurement staff secure competition for our requirements whenever it is practicable and reasonable to do so. In addition, our main contractors are required to make the maximum use of competition in their subcontracting. For a fuller account of the procedures I would refer the hon. Member to chapter 5 of the SDE 1985.

Rosyth And Devonport Dockyards

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the companies/consortia which have shown an interest in bidding for the refit and repair services at Rosyth and Devonport dockyards, detailing the amount of current contracts placed by his Department with such organisations or any subsidiaries;(2) if he will list the personnel of the companies which have visited Her Majesty's dockyards at Rosyth and Devonport in order to acquaint themselves with facilities and services in which they might be interested in relation to the Dockyard Services Bill and the personnel of his Department whom they met on such visits.

I shall answer shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give estimates of the total amount of capital expenditure authorised for Rosyth dockyard and the percentage of that expenditure which can specifically be allocated to the Trident programme.

Current plans for Rosyth dockyard envisage expenditure on capital works of £220 million, of which 20 per cent. is specifically allocated to the Trident programme, and expenditure on plant and machinery of £82 million, of which 22 per cent. is for the Trident programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give estimates of capital expenditure at Rosyth dockyard which has been specifically allocated for dual refitting of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines and nuclear-powered fleet submarines.

Expenditure on capital works of £188 million, and on plant and machinery of £23 million has been allocated for dual refitting at Rosyth dockyard of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines and nuclear-powered fleet submarines.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give estimates of capital expenditure at Rosyth dockyard which has been allocated for conventional refit purposes.

No major capital works associated with refitting of conventionally propelled submarines and surface ships are currently planned. The sum of £59 million has been allocated for expenditure on plant and machinery associated with such refits.

Fh-70 (155Mm Shells)

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current delay on the delivery of the 155mm shell ordered for British forces' use on the FH-70 and placed with Rheinmetall, Dusseldorf, West Germany.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 January 1986, c. 450]: Pilot lot deliveries from Rheinmetall of the L15 high explosive shells orderd by the United Kingdom have been made. First full production deliveries were due to start in October 1985. Due to the need to validate this new production source, United Kingdom and West German ammunition experts are only just completing their evaluation of the pilot lots, preparatory to releasing full production.

Royal Ordnance Factories

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many redundancy notices have been issued at each of the Royal ordnance factories since July 1985.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 January 1986, c. 450]: This is a matter for Royal ordnance plc. however, I understand that the information requested is as follows:

	Number of redundundancy notices issued
Blackburn	8
Bridgwater	93

A further 12 redundancy notices were issued to headquarters staff employed by Royal Ordnance plc.I also understand that the company has today announced redundancies at its factories at Chorley and Birtley. The maximum numbers will be:

	Number
Chorley	385
Birtley	446
TOTAL	831

Sp-70 Shell

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the tripartite agreement to develop and manufacture the SP-70 shell; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 January 1986, c. 448]: There are no plans nor any tripartite agreement to develop a new shell specifically for the SP-70 gun. A range of 155mm ammunition, including shells already developed under the FH-70 programme and other shells which may then be on the market, would be procured for the SP-70 gun when it enters service.

Multi-Launch Rocket Systems

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to place orders for further multi-launch rocket systems.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 January 1986, c. 448]: I anticipate that the pilot nation for European production, Germany, will place a contract with the European Production Group by about May of this year for the MLRS phase I system. This will include the United Kingdom requirement to equip three regiments with MLRS. No further orders are currently in prospect although our requirements are, of course, kept under review.

Volume 90: debated on Thursday 30 January 1986

Written Answers To Questions

Energy

Low-Income Households

Nuclear Safety (Member's Questions)

Wales

Roads And Transport Expenditure

Higher Education (Advisory Body)

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Circulars (Consultation)

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