asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, when he last met the chairman of British Rail, he discussed investment in the rail network in the north-west.

I am happy to discuss any such matter which the chairman of BR feels it helpful to raise with me. Investment in the rail network of the north-west was not among the subjects raised at my last meeting with the chairman.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the implications of the proposed sale of British Airways helicopters for the future of the Penzance to Isles of Scilly helicopter link.

I understand from British Airways that steps have been taken to restore the Penzance to Isles of Scilly helicopter link to profitability and that British Airways helicopters have no intention of terminating that service in the foreseeable future. British Airways is in discussion with a number of parties about the possible disposal of British Airways helicopters, but no agreement has yet been reached.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list details of the grant and capital allocations for highway schemes for the years 1985–86 and 1986–87 in the Greater Manchester council area; and if he will make a statement.

The capital allocation for roads and car parks in 1985–86 is £21 million and in 1986–87 is £30·54 million.These include the highway schemes supported by transport supplementary grant in the Greater Manchester council area, which are as follows:

	Accepted Expenditure £000
	1985–86	1986–87
Urban Traffic Control	883	349
Central Manchester Stage 3	14	1
A5103 Princess Road Improvement, Moss Side	442	289
Leigh-Atherton Bypass	4,820	1,018
Ringway Road Diversion	450	17
Wigan Inner Ring Road	2,000	3,344
A57 Hyde Town Centre Bypass	1,151	719
Carrington Spur	288	3,093
Manchester/Salford Inner Ring Road (Blackfriars Road-Jubilee Street)	692	4,312

	Accepted Expenditure £000
	1985–86	1986–87
Manchester/Salford Inner Ring Road East (Redhill Street-Fairfield Street)	—	3,000
A6053 Water Street Improvement, Radcliffe	—	970
Manchester/Salford Inner Ring Road (Blackfriars Road-Gore Street)	—	700
Southern Link Road, Stockport	—	550
A626 Diversion, Stockport	—	3,000
Minor Works	1,840	2,500
Total accepted expenditure	12,580	23,862
Transport Supplementary Grant	6,290	11,931

Expenditure accepted for TSG in 1986–87 is nearly 90 per cent. more than in 1985–86.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from Bolton district council about the eligibility for grant of the Blackburn road-Astley bridge bypass; and if he will make a statement.

I have not received representations from Bolton district council on this bypass. The scheme was not included in Greater Manchester council's transport policy and programme submission for 1986–87. It was not mentioned in the district council's letter of endorsement of the county council's submission.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what action is being taken in the Bolton area in support of European Road Safety Year; and if he will make a statement.

The Department is not undertaking specific projects in the Bolton area in support of the European Road Safety Year. Local initiatives could be publicised in the European Road Safety Year "Newsfile". A copy is in the House of Commons Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what recent investigations his Department have carried out into the environmental implication of oil spillages from large crude oil carrying tankers on the Minch.

None. My Department does not carry out investigations of the environmental implications of oil spillages in particular areas, the consequences of which depend on a number of factors, including the amount of oil spilt, its type, the weather and tidal conditions at the time and the speed with which a clean-up operation can be mounted.But the general effects of oil spillages on the environment are well understood and my Department's marine pollution control unit spends just over £1 million a year on research into methods of cleaning up oil. at sea and on the coastline, directed at minimising those effects.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will accept the recent offer by Phillips to provide lighting for parts of the M25.

We saw the press release. There was not a formal offer, though I will take up the suggestion of a discussion on the proposals.

asked the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will list the names of the heads and deputies of the Departments and offices of the House together with which Civil Service grade they are linked for pay and conditons of service purposes, together with any proposals the Commission has to change these gradings.

The information is as follows:

Department of the Clerk of the House
Clerk of the House of Commons Sir Kenneth Bradshaw, KCB	Grade 1
Clerk Assistant C. J. Boulton, CB	Grade 2
Clerk of Committees D. A. M. Pring, CB, MC	Grade 2
Department of the Serjeant at Arms
Serjeant at Arms Major G. V. S. Le Fanu	Grade 3
Deputy Serjeant at Arms Major P. N. W. Jennings	Grade 5
Department of the Library
Librarian
D. Menhennet DPhil	Grade 3
Deputy Librarian D. J. T. Englefield	Grade 5
Vote Office
Deliverer of the Vote G. R. Russell	Grade 6
Deputy Deliverer of the Vote
H. C. Foster	90 per cent. of Grade 7
Administration Department
Head of Department A. C. J. Poole	Grade 3
Fees Office
Accountant J. L. G. Dobson	Grade 4
Deputy Accountant A. J. Lewis	Grade 5
Establishments Office
Head of Office G. A. Roberts	Grade 5
Deputy Head of Office J. A. Robb	Grade 6
Department of the Official Report
Editor K. S. Morgan	Grade 4
Deputy Editor L. R. Johns	Grade 6 point 3*
Refreshment Department
General Manager W. J. J. Smillie, FHCIMA, FCFA, ACF	Grade 6
Deputy General Manager E. J. Nash, MCFA	Grade 7

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make immediate arrangements for the purchase of newspapers published by News Group Newspapers and Times Newspapers Ltd. for the benefit of hon. Members and officials to cease.

No.

asked the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will undertake not to place any advertisement on behalf of the House, including job vacancies, in newspapers published by News Group Newspapers and Times Newspapers Ltd.

No. Recruitment advertisements for posts in the House service are placed in a variety of newspapers depending on the nature of the posts, past experience of the effectiveness of different newspapers, and the wishes of the Department concerned.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what has been the cost of buying newspapers for the benefit of hon. Members and officials over the past year; and what proportion of newspapers available in the House are provided free by newspaper publishers.

In 1985 expenditure on newspapers for use in the House was approximately £29,000. About 27 per cent. of the newspapers provided by the Department of the Serjeant at Arms for Members and senior officers of the House are supplied free, as are approximately 60 per cent. of the newspaper titles available in the Library's Reference Room.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has as to the extent of sewer collapses in Wales in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

The annual report of the Welsh water authority for 1984–85 (a copy of which is in the Library provides on page 18, figure 7, a block graph showing reported sewer collapses from 1981 to 1984. Definitive figures are available from the Welsh water authority and I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Gentleman.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if the fresh investigations into the appropriate long-term solution to the problem posed by the Tan-yr-Unto bend have been made; and when a decision can be expected.

These investigations are proceeding urgently. I hope to be able to make an announcement later this year. In the meantime the county council has prepared additional safety measures for the Tan-yr-Unto bend itself. It is hoped to implement these shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many places on the community programme since its beginning have been available on Anglesey.

Between October 1982 and December 1985 a cumulative total of 754 places have been available on the community programme on Anglesey.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many individuals have been placed on the community programme on Anglesey since its beginning; how many of these have found employment at the conclusion; and if he will make a statement.

Precise information in the form requested is not available but between October 1982 and December 1985, 808 people were placed on the programme by the four jobcentres in Anglesey. Separate figures for Anglesey are not available but national surveys indicate that 25 per cent. of participants in Wales leave the community programme to go straight into employment. The Government believe it is right to channel direct support for long term unemployed people through such programmes.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the number of beef farmers in Wales with (i) fewer than 50 head of cattle, (ii) fewer than 100 head of cattle but more than 50, (iii) fewer than 500 head of cattle but more than 100 and (iv) more than 500 head of cattle.

In June 1985 the annual census recorded 10,528 main holdings in Wales with between 1 and 49 beef cows, 497 with between 50 and 99 and 68 with between 100 and 499. There were no holdings with more than 500 beef cows.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the number of beef producers in Wales (i) for whom beef production is their sole enterprise and (ii) for whom beef production is additional to a major agricultural enterprise in another sector.

In June 1985 in Wales the total number of main holdings with beef cows was 11,093; of these, 2,320 were predominantly involved in a beef production enterprise.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many persons in the Holyhead travel-to-work area have been unemployed for 12 months or more at the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will give the similar figure for the same time in 1979.

In January 1986 1,804 persons in the Holyhead travel-to-work area had been unemployed for over 12 months. Comparable figures are not available before October 1983 when the total was 1,407.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many individuals on Anglesey have benefited from the enterprise allowance scheme ssince its beginning; how many have remained working at the conclusion of the scheme; how many places have been made available; how long is the current waiting period between application and entry on the scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Since its national launch in August 1983, 283 people have entered the enterprise allowance scheme on Anglesey. Separate information for individual areas is not available but a national survey of participants on the EAS pilot project indicated that 61 per cent. of those completing one year on the scheme were still trading two years later. In north Wales the number of places available is to increase from 1,196 to 1,490 in April this year. There are no waiting lists for entry on to the scheme in Anglesey but counselling and the evaluation of applicants typically takes between two and five weeks. This is a highly successful scheme which forms an important part of our programme to encourage the growth of new employment opportunities.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many school leavers have been found places on the YTS since its beginning on Anglesey; how many have found permanent employment; how many employers have offered places; and if he will make a statement.

Precise information in respect of school leavers is not available but since 1 April 1983 some 1,502 young people have entered the scheme in Anglesey; this figure includes a small number of re-entrants. Figures for those who have found permanent employment after training are available only for the Gwynedd, Clwyd and Powys areas and the latest figures from a 100 per cent. follow-up survey show that of those leaving between April and August 1985 some 57 per cent. found permanent employment. 565 employers have offered YTS places in Anglesey.The introduction of two-year YTS from April this year is a major development which will provide trainees with the opportunity to gain vocational qualifications.

asked the Secretary of State, for Wales how many youngsters joining YTS schemes in Wales in 1985 left before completion of the course, as a percentage of those joining such schemes.

The only information available relates to the period April to October 1985 when 2,509 youngsters prematurely left YTS, which is 17 per cent. of those who joined during the same period.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in the Official Report the deaths in Wales in each of the last five years for which records are available attributed to (a) malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung, (b) bronchitis and emphysema and (c) ischaemic heart disease, giving the figures for all deaths and broken down by sex.

The information is given in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in the Official Report, for the last five years for which records are available, the average age of those who died from (a) malignant neoplasm of trachea,

			Average age of deaths
ICD Numbers	Cause of death	Sex	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984
162	Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung	Males	69·3	68·9	68·8	69·3	69·5
		Females	67·6	68·0	67·3	68·0	68·6
		Persons	68·9	68·7	68·4	69·0	69·3
490–492	Bronchitis and emphysema	Males	73·8	73·4	74·3	74·0	74·2
		Females	73·2	73·8	75·1	74·1	74·8
		Persons	73·7	73·5	74·5	74·0	74·4
410–414	Ischaemic heart disease	Males	69·4	69·8	70·4	70·0	70·6
		Females	75·6	76·7	76·9	76·9	77·1
		Persons	71·9	72·7	73·2	72·9	73·4

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in the Official Report the expectation of life at age 16 years for men and women in each of the past 30 years.

The information requested is not readily available for Wales. The expectation of life at age 15 years for men and women in Wales for 1971·73, 1973·75, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1977·1979 and 1981·1983 is, however, published in "Health and Personal Social Services Statistics for Wales": volumes No. 3 (1976), No. 4 (1977), No. 5 (1978), No. 6 (1979), No. 7 (1980), No. 11 (1984) and No. 12 (1985) respectively. Copies of the publication are in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report a list of those organisations in Wales with which he has consulted concerning the implications of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Bill; on what date the invitation to consult was posted to those organisations; and by what date he requires to receive their response.

The organisations in Wales which we have consulted about the Government's proposals or amendments to the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Bill are as follows. The consultation letters were issued on 14 February with responses requested by 3 March.Committee of Welsh District Councils

The information is given in the following table:Welsh Counties Committee

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the number of community residential places in Wales for each year from 1976 to 1986–87, giving estimated figures where actual figures are not yet available; and if he will also give (a) the number of residents, (b) the number of residents per 100,000 of the population and (c) the number of residents in each of the following age ranges: under two years, two to four years, five to nine years, 10 to 15 years, 16 to 18 years, 19 to 64 years, 65 to 75 years and 75 plus years.

The two tables give the relevant information which is centrally available for the years 1976 to 1985. It is not the Department's practice to provide estimated figures for future years.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what were (a) the total number of patients, (b) the number in each of the following age ranges: under two years, two to four years, five to nine years, 10 to 15 years, 19 to 64 years, 65 to 74 years and 75 plus years, (c) the number of patients per 100,000 population, (d) the number of under 16-year-olds, (e) the number of under 16-year-olds per

Patients and Mental Handicap Hospitals and Units, 1976–84
	Estimated number of residents at 31 December
Age (years)	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984
Under 10	63	61	42	31	36	25	20	11	10
10–15	*112	138	112	79	65	59	57	53	38
20–64	1,669	1,697	1,676	1,698	1,669	1,627	1,618	1,594	1,521
65–74	225	211	220	249	251	251	228	221	212
75 and over	34	53	47	83	94	92	97	110	113
Under 16	n/a	199	154	110	101	84	77	63	48
16 and over	n/a	2,116	2,122	2,159	2,123	2,069	2,026	2,001	1,914
All ages	2,303	2,315	2,276	2,269	2,224	2,153	2,103	2,064	1,962

The available information relates to the period 1976 to 1984 and is shown in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received concerning the refurbishment of Woolaway type homes under the Housing Defects Act; how many such homes in Wales are eligible under the Act; how many refurbishment schemes have been completed to date; what is the existing financial limit on such schemes; if he will increase that limit; and if he will make a statement.

The Welsh Office has received 18 representations and inquiries about the reinstatement of Woolaway houses. According to returns from local authorities, there are about 230 such houses which originated in the public sector and were sold before the cut-off date for assistance under the Housing Defects Act 1984. I am not aware of any that have yet been reinstated. The eligible expense limit for reinstatement grant under the Act is £14,000.We have no plans to increase the limit at present. No repair scheme for Woolaway houses has been licensed by PRC Homes Ltd. yet and it is too early to see if the present limit will prove appropriate or not. We would be prepared to prescribe a new limit should it prove necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what action has been undertaken by his Department to monitor the level of radioactive discharge around the Welsh coast, arising out of radioactive material released from British Nuclear Fuels Limited, Sellafield; and if he will make a statement.

Monitoring around the Welsh coast has been carried out for many years to ensure that discharges of radioactive waste, from whatever source, do not pose a threat to the public. Results of this monitoring, which is carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is published annually in its aquatic environmental monitoring report on radioactivity and surface and coastal waters of the British Isles. A copy of the latest report No. 13 is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many youngsters leaving school in 1985 are currently attached to a YTS programme; how many were unemployed in January; and if he will express both figures as a percentage of those leaving school in 1985.

Comprehensive information is not available in the precise form requested. At the end of January there were 16,001 1985 school leavers participating in YTS. Information about the numbers still seeking work in January is not available because the Department of Employment's unemployment statistics do not indicate the year in which a young person left school.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many Welsh youngsters leaving school in (a) 1979, (b) 1980, (c) 1981, (d) 1982, (e) 1983 and (f) 1984 have been unemployed permanently since leaving school.

Information in the precise form requested is not available as Department of Employment statistics do not indicate the year in which an unemployed young person left school. However in January 1986 there were 6,405 young people aged under 18 who had been continuously unemployed since leaving school, 4,448 aged 18 and 9,374 aged 19 or over.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his latest estimate of (a) the original value, (b) the written down book value and (c) the estimated replacement cost of the assets of the Welsh water authority.

All of the information requested is contained in the Welsh water authority's 1984–85 annual report, a copy of which is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a list of all bodies to which he has made appointments since 1979.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 February 1986, c. 413]: Since 1979 my right hon. Friend has made appointments to the following bodies for which he has sole responsibility for making all or a majority of ministerial appointments.

• Agricultural Dwelling House Advisory Committees.
• Agricultural Wages Committees.
• Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales.
• All Wales Advisory Panel on Development of Services for Mentally Handicapped.
• Ancient Monuments Board for Wales.
• Committee on Agricultural Valuation.
• Committee on Opportunities for Volunteering.
• Committee for the Welsh Scheme for the Development of Health and Social Research.
• Committee for under Fives Initiatives.
• Community Health Councils.
• Court and Council of the National Library of Wales.
• Cwmbran Development Corporation.
• Development Board for Rural Wales.
• District Health Authorities.
• Examinations in Public Panels.
• Forestry Commission Reference Committee Panels.
• Health Education Advisory Committee for Wales.
• Health Policy Board.
• Historic Buildings Council for Wales.
• Housing Management Advisory Panel.
• Land Authority for Wales.

• Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales.
• National Park Committee.
• Perinatal Mortality Survey Group.
• Place Names Advisory Committee.
• Library and Information Services Council (Wales).
• Regional Land Drainage Committee of Welsh Water Authority.
• Rent Assessment Panel for Wales.
• Review Group on Mental Illness Services in Dyfed (wound up in 1985).
• Review of Community Nursing Services for Wales.
• Saundersfoot Harbour Commission.
• South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee.
• Sports Council for Wales.
• Wales Advisory Body for Local Authority Higher Education.
• Wales Tourist Board.
• Welsh Committee for Post Graduate Pharmaceutical Education.
• Welsh Computer Strategy Committee (wound up in 1985).
• Welsh Development Agency.
• Welsh Health Common Services Authority.
• Welsh Industrial Development Advisory Board.
• Welsh National Board for nursing Midwifery and Health Visiting.
• Welsh Scientific Advisory Committee.
• Welsh Water Authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research is currently being funded by Government Departments into the social and economic consequences of the introduction of new technology, especially that likely to be developed from the Alvey programme and its successors.

Research on the social and economic consequences of the introduction of the new technologies is directed as much at informing public debate on this important issue as it is in helping to guide Government policy making. Although the Department of Trade and Industry is supporting some research in a related area, it is more appropriate that support should come from other public funded bodies such as the Economic and Social Research Council and the National Economic Development Office.There is a large and growing volume of activity in this field of research. The Economic and Social Research Council is giving high priority to funding and co-ordinating research not only into the social and economic aspects of new technologies but also their legal and managerial consequences. Professor Melody, who has been appointed to advise ESRC on this area, has been in touch with the Alvey directorate and other interested parties during the design stage of the proposed new research programme. Other committees of the ESRC are also involved.The National Economic Development Office Information Technology economic development committee has a long term perspective group which is researching possible IT futures by commissioning studies from a variety of sources. The group is expected to report later this year.The Department of Trade and Industry is maintaining close links with the ESRC and the NEDO IT long term perspectives group. In addition, because of the Department's concern with questions of acceptance and effective use of new technologies (and the probable dire consequences of their rejection), the DTI supported the public acceptance of new technologies project which was one of 18 collaborative research projects initiated at the 1982 Versailles summit meeting. Some of the results of this research have already been published, by the Policy Studies Institute, London, and the policy research in engineering, science and technology, University of Manchester.

asked the Secretary of Stale for Trade and Industry if he is in a position to give details of the membership of the committee of inquiry into regulatory arrangements at Lloyd's, the setting up of which he announced on 10 January.

I am pleased to be able to announce that the chairman of the committee of inquiry, Sir Patrick Neill, QC will be joined by Mr. Denis Allport. formerly chairman and chief executive of Metal Box and Mr. Brian Pomeroy, a partner of Touche Ross. The committee's terms of reference are

"to consider whether the regulatory arrangements which are being established at Lloyd's under the 1982 Lloyd's Act provide protection for the interests of members of Lloyd's comparable to that proposed for investors under the Financial Services Bill, and to report to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by the summer."

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to prevent the importation of 15 tonnes of polychlorinated biphenyls from Australia, for processing at the Re-Chem Company at Pontypool.

[pursuant to his reply, 17 February 1986, c. 84]: No. It would be contrary to our international trading obligations to ban the import of waste containing polychlorinated biphenyls for processing, whilst allowing the processing of such waste emanating in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give figures for (a) Stoke on Trent, (b) the west midlands and (c) the United Kingdom showing the percentage change between 1979 and the most recent year for which figures are available for (i) manufacturing output and (ii) investment in manufacturng industry; and if he will list the steps he has taken in the last 12 months to improve the figures.

[pursuant to his reply, 18 February 1986, c. 95]: The United Kingdom's manufacturing output decreased by 5 per cent. in real terms between 1979 and 1985, and it is estimated that investment in manufacturing industry fell by 18 per cent. (at 1980 prices) over the same period.However, between 1981 and 1985 manufacturing output and investment in the manufacturing sector rose by 11 per cent. and 19 per cent. respectively.Statistical information if not readily available for Stoke on Trent, but current price comparisons for the west midlands and the United Kingdom are shown in the table for the period 1979 to 1983, the latest period for which data is available.

Percentage change in manufacturing industry*1979–43
	Net output percentage	Net capital expenditure percentage
United Kingdom	+26	-10
West Midlands	+13	-15

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what Government assistance has been given to Burroughs Machines by way of regional selective assistance and regional development grant in each year from 1979: (a) in total, (b) in Scotland and (c) in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth.

[pursuant to his reply, 18 February 1986, c. 96]: Information on all payments of regional selective assistance and regional development grants to individual companies is not available for reasons of confidentiality. The value of offers of regional selective assistance over £5,000 and payments of regional development grants over £25,000 to Burroughs Machines Ltd. since 1979 which have been published in British business are given in the following table:

Regional Selective Assistance Offered:
£'000
	Total (Great Britain)	Scotland	Cumbernauld and Kilsyth
1979	17·6	—	—
1980	1,102·0	1,102·0	—
1981	—	—	—
1982	1,080·0	1,080·0	—
1983	1,830·0	1,830·0	630·0
1984	—	—	—
1985	—	—	—

Regional Development Grants:
£'000
	Total (Great Britain)	Scotland	Cumbernauld and Kilsyth
1979	232·0	232·0	40·0
1980	419·0	419·0	252·0
1981	312·0	176·0	—
1982	327·0	170·0	103·0
1983	162·0	70·0	—
1984	718·0	685·0	369·0
1985	761·0	761·0	308·0

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made towards a mandatory confidence-building régime requiring exchange of information about the size and movement of military forces in Europe, and providing for observers and on-site inspections.

NATO Allies in 1984 tabled proposals at the Conference on Disarmament in Europe at Stockholm for measures covering the military activities mentioned by my hon. Friend. Agreement on procedural matters has permitted drafting to begin. We continue to hope that it will be possible to agree with other conference participants on practical confidence and security building measures.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government have had any recent contacts with the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran; and if he will make a statement.

We do not have official contacts with the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests for assistance in re-establishing democracy and stability have been received from the Ugandan Government; and if he will make a statement.

I visited Uganda on 12 February. During the course of my visit, I met President Museveni for nearly two hours and had separate meetings with senior members of his Cabinet including the Prime Minister, Dr. Kisekka. My discussions were friendly and open throughout.I gave President Museveni a message from my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister which expressed the hope that Uganda could now achieve reconciliation, real stability and prosperity. I told the President of our offer of up to £5 million to assist with rehabilitation, in addition to money already pledged for the Owen Falls power station. We expect the Ugandan Government to inform us of their priorities for assistance shortly. A team from the Overseas Development Administration will visit Kampala in the near future. A senior British officer, Major General Tony Pollard will be attached to our High Commission in Kampala for a short period to assess the military assistance needs of the new Ugandan Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has received the judgment of the European Court in the case of taxation of salary supplements paid at the European school in Culham; and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.The Government have received the preliminary ruling of the European Court. I am not able to comment on the affairs of individual taxpayers, but the ruling will be studied with care.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 13 January, Official Report, column 510, what action Her Majesty's Government have undertaken to persuade the United States Congress to retain in its present form the exemption from federal excise tax presently enjoyed by United Kingdom insurance companies.

We have made representations to both the United States Treasury and the United States Senate Finance Committee recording our concern that current United States proposals would override the United Kingdom-United States double taxation convention. We have also sent to the United States authorities a detailed study arguing that there is no evidence of abuse of the exemption provided for in the convention.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 30 January, Official Report, column 593, if he will seek the permission of Whitbread plc to release the information sought on the beer referred to.

The release of the information is a matter for Whitbreads: it is not a matter for me.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to seek to change the tax treatment of payments under the enterprise allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement.

At this time of year my right hon. Friend will not expect me to anticipate the Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers are estimated to have incomes in excess of £30,000 per annum; and what is estimated to be their aggregated total income in excess of £30,000 per annum each.

I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Minister for the Arts if he will make a statement on his recent visit to Liverpool.

[pursuant to his reply, 17 February 1986, c. 55]: This was my first visit, as Arts Minister, to Liverpool, and I was much impressed by the lively arts and cultural activities in and around the city. I announced the creation of the trustee body to be known as the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside which will own and maintain, through grant-in-aid from my Department, the bulk of the present museum and art gallery services of the Merseyside county council. This will include the exciting new maritime museum in the restored Albert dock.

asked the Prime Minister if she will initiate a review of the working of the honours system.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on 16 December 1985 at column 3.

asked the Prime Minister if she will name those former Ministers of the Crown who retain the use of official cars; and what was the total cost of this facility in each of the last five years.

At present, former Ministers of the Crown have use of official cars only on security grounds and it is not therefore in the interests of security to disclose details. Current costs of such provision in a full year are £190,000.

asked the Prime Minister what was the total public expenditure on No. 10 Downing street in each of the last five years.

The total costs to public funds of the Prime Minister's Office, including 10 Downing street and Chequers, in each of the last five years are:

Cost at Outturn Prices*
Year (April to March)	£
1980–81	1,744,824
1981–82†	2,415,301
1982–83	2,699,752
1983–84‡	3,026,042
1984–85	3,753,898

asked the Prime Minister if she will issue an instruction to all Government Departments and the Central Office of Information to withhold advertising from newspapers published by News Group Newspapers and Times Newspapers Ltd.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has any plans to introduce legislation to regulate petrol prices.

No.

asked the Attorney-General what guidance is available to the police prosecutor in cases of serious motoring offences to assist the prosecutor to decide upon the most appropriate charge.

At present I only have constitutional responsibility for the work of the Director of Public Prosecutions. However, the Home Secretary has disseminated to chief constables copies of my general guidelines on the criteria for prosecution, issued in February 1983. Prosecutors will also take into account any decision by the higher courts on matters of law.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 29 November, Official Report, column 694, when he will be able to give a substantive answer concerning visitors from the New Commonwealth and Pakistan.

Shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evening activities for prisoners currently take place at Holloway prison.

Evening classes include craft, cookery, typing, a self-awareness discussion group, English language and literature, art, dressmaking, music, physical education and wing association.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to strengthen the system for monitoring the embarkation of visitors to the United Kingdom upon the expiry of their leave to remain; and if he will make a statement.

We have no present plans to do so but the arrangements for recording landing and embarkation records of passengers subject to immigration control are currently under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 10 February, Official Report, column 316, what proportion of visitors is recorded on the computer system.

In the 12 months ending June 1985, about 5 per cent. non-European Community nationals admitted as visitors to the United Kingdom were recorded on the immigration and nationality department computer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Betting Office Licence Association, seeking to allow betting offices to be open later; and if he will make a statement.

We have received no such representations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library statistics giving the number of official complaints arising from the operation of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act, the reports of any subsequent investigations and also the record of any informal resolutions or withdrawals.

This information has not hitherto been compiled centrally but, in response to a suggestion made by Sir Cyril Philips in his first report on the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984, a circular was issued in November 1985 to chief constables inviting them to notify the Home Office of such complaints. This information will be made available to Sir Cyril, and we shall consider what summary information for 1986 can be made available to Parliament when we respond to Sir Cyril's next report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will discuss the staffing levels of the traffic division of the Metropolitan police with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner.

The traffic division has been considered as part of the urgent review of the manpower needs of the Metropolitan police which my right hon. Friend set in hand last October. He is now considering the outcome of this review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new shotgun licences have been issued to persons residing (a) outside the Metropolitan police area and (b) within the Metropolitan police area in each year since 1979 to date; how many persons are or have been holders of shotgun licences in each of the years since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984
Number of shotgun certificates on issue at 31 December
England and Wales (excluding the Metropolitan police district)	751,815	752,864	755,697	752,125	753,631	768,059
Metropolitan police district	30,259	28,990	29,528	28,504	29,747	30,293
Number of new shotgun certificates issued annually
England and Wales (excluding the Metropolitan police district)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	43,234	51,825
Metropolitan police district	2,908	3,246	3,348	2,504	3,378	3,761

Over the period the number of shotgun certificates on issue has increased by 0·1 per cent. in the Metropolitan police district compared with 2·2 per cent. elsewhere in England and Wales. Before issuing any shotgun certificate, the chief officer must of course be satisfied that the applicant meets the requirements set out in the Firearms Act 1968.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement upon the availablity of handguns, legally and illegally; and what his policy is in relation to the issue of licences for handguns.

I shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions (a) handguns and (b) shotguns have been discharged at (i) the police and (ii) third parties in each year since 1979 showing on how many occasions a police officer or third person was (1) injured or (2) killed; and if he will make a statement.

I shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the availability of imitation firearms; what evidence he has as to their useage in crime; and whether he has any plans to control them.

It is already an offence to use any imitation firearms to resist arrest or to commit a crime. Heavy penalties apply in such cases. In addition, under the Firearms Act 1982, imitation firearms capable of ready conversion to fire live ammunition are already subject to the same stringent controls imposed on actual firearms by the Firearms Act 1968. We do not think that it would be sensible to restrict or try to control the sale or possesion of toy or imitation guns which are not capable of being converted to fire live ammunition. There are already many such imitations or toys in circulation, and realistic imitations can easily be constructed by those intent on a criminal act.The following table gives information about notifiable offences recorded by the police in England and Wales in which imitation firearms were reported to have been used:

Year	Number of offences
1979	144
1980	161
1981	206
1982	183
1983	167
1984	182

The available information is set out in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were (a) indicted for armed robbery, (b) acquitted and (c) convicted, in each year since 1979; if he will give details of the offences alleged and the sentence imposed in each case of conviction; and if he will make a statement.

Information collected centrally on court proceedings does not include details of the circumstances of offences, and it is not possible to distinguish offences of armed robbery from other offences of robbery. Information on proceedings at magistrates' and Crown courts for all offences of robbery can be found in Table S1.1(A). (Volume 1) and table S2.2(A) (Volume 2) of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables 1984" and in corresponding tables for earlier years; information on the length of custodial sentences imposed on those found guilty can be found in table S1.5 and tables S2.2 to S2.5 of the same volumes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what restrictions have been imposed upon working overtime on Metropolitan police officers in each year since 1979; what effect such restrictions have had upon the amount of crime being investigated or not investigated, categorised in the most convenient form; and what effect such restrictions have upon individual police officers' inquiries and upon policing as a whole;(2) if he will make a statement about the retirement of police officers from the Metropolitan police; what is the average length of service of a police officer of the rank of sergeant or below; and how many are serving with a length of service of

I shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much time is devoted by Metropolitan police officers to monitoring the case of offenders or suspects; and if he will make a statement.

It is not possible to quantify the time spent by Metropolitan police officers on monitoring the care of persons in police custody.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the nature, application, operation and priorities of priority policing within the Metropolitan police area; and if he will call for reports from chief constables outside the Metropolitan police area on the nature, application, operation and priorities of priority policing.

We attach great importance to the determination of objectives and priorities in the police service, and to the allocation of resources and the deployment of police and civilian manpower in a way that will most effectively and efficiently secure those objectives and priorities. Home Office circular No. 114/1983 invited chief officers of police and police authorities to keep their objectives, priorities and resources under review, and provided guidance on how this should be done. A copy of the circular is in the Library.As regards the Metropolitan police district, for which my right hon. Friend is the police authority, the Commissioner submits to him in January each year a report setting out his strategy, goals and priorities for the forthcoming year. Copies of the report are placed in the Library and sent to right hon. and hon. Members for constituencies within the Metropolitan police district, and the report forms the basis of the annual debate on policing in the metropolis.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the system of burglary screening within the Metropolitan police area operates; why and when it was introduced; how many burglaries are being investigated by the CID, categorised by degree of investigation, since its introduction; if he will give comparable figures for the past four years; and if he will make a statement.

Burglary screening is a means of assessing the solvability of a case by awarding points derived from a careful analysis of evidence at a scene of a crime; it was introduced in the Metropolitan police district in September 1983 as a result of an examination by Metropolitan police officers of the methods of investigation underlying higher clear-up rates in other forces; the statistical information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many visitors filled in embarkation cards in each of the years 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985;

I regret that information in the form requested is not available. However, I will shortly be writing to the hon. Member in reply to his letter of 29 October 1985 explaining the information available on the embarkation of visitors.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the availability of crossbows and their usage in crime; and if he has any plans to take steps to introduce licences for their use or otherwise restrict their availability.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Drake (Miss Fookes) on 3 February at column 5. I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is making changes in the membership of the Police Complaints Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Rear-Admiral John Bell is retiring from his post as deputy chairman of the authority on 28 February. I wish to take this opportunity to thank him for his excellent service first with the Police Complaints Board and then with the Police Complaints Authority. His knowledge and experience have made an outstanding contribution to the rapid establishment of the authority as a key part of the police complaints system.John Pownall OBE, who has been a member of the authority since its establishment, has accepted my invitation to him to succeed to the vacant deputy chairman post from 1 March.In addition, I have appointed Air Commodore, Stephen King, as a member of the authority. He will be taking up his appointment in the course of next month. I hope to announce a further new appointment shortly.