asked the Secretary of State for Transport when a public inquiry will be held into whether or not to proceed with the A46 Leicester western bypass.

Grant	Rate per cent.	1985–86 £ million	Purpose	Bidding	Hypothecation
Transport Supplementary Grant	50	160	To support highways capital spending on roads of more than local importance	Through Transport Policies and Programme submissions	Block grant, not hypothecated to particular schemes
Transport Facilities Grant	50	*6	To support new or improved public transport facilities costing over £5 million	By specific submission containing financial and economic appraisal	Specific grant
Basic Service Grant	30	*l·5	To support industrial estate access-roads in assisted areas	By specific submission	Specific grant
* Forecast outturn.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information was available about the stability of the route chosen for the A38 Ripley bypass at the time of the public inquiry.

The Department was aware of the geological conditions which existed on the line of the Ripley bypass at the time of the public inquiry in 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how much the repairs to the recent slippage on the A38 Ripley bypass are likely to cost: and how long they are expected to take.

Temporary remedial measures are now being carried out to stabilise the cutting where the recent slippage has occurred. The northbound inside lane of A38 was closed on 5 March 1986 as a safety measure. The temporary repairs are expected to be completed by 26 March when two-lane traffic flow will be restored.I am awaiting a report from our agents, Derbyshire county council, on the permanent remedial works required. Preliminary estimates indicate a total cost, including temporary works, of around £100,000. The permanent measures will take approximately eight weeks and may be delayed until completion of carriageway strengthening works on A38. These are currently scheduled to be carried out between the middle of May and end of July.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he intends to hold a public inquiry into the recent slippage on the A38 Ripley bypass.

It is not considered necessary to hold a public inquiry into the recent slippage.

We hope to publish the draft line and side roads orders for the A46 Leicester western bypass towards the end of this year. If required, a public inquiry would be held about nine months later.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all specific type grants paid by his Department to local authorities, showing the size of each grant, which were hypothecated to any individual service or services or where local authorities had to bid for specific grants.

The table shows the specific grants for which my Department is responsible.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on regulations relating to the wearing of seat belts or restraining harnesses by children aged under 14 years in(a) Europe and (b) the United States of America.

I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he has any plans to seek to amend the age conditions governing the compulsory wearing of a seat belt in the front seat of a motor vehicle;(2) if he has any plans to seek to amend the age conditions governing the compulsory use by a child in the front seat of a motor vehicle of child restraining harnesses.

No. I do want to encourage motorists to fit and use child restraints in the rear of their cars. We shall shortly be launching national press advertising and a revision of the leaflet "Protect Your Child in the Car". I shall make the leaflet widely available.The safest place for young children to travel is in the rear seat of the car, wearing approved child restraints appropriate to their age.If restraints are not fitted in the rear, it is safer for children to wear an adult belt in the front with a booster cushion as necessary to ensure the belt fits.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many children aged under 14 years were killed or seriously injured in a motor vehicle in the last three full years for which figures are available.

Child* motor vehicle occupants, killed or seriously injured, 1982–1984:

Great Britain
	1982	1983	1984
Killed	70	76	74
Seriously injured	1,321	1,142	1,295
* aged between 0 and 13, inclusive.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has had suggesting the introduction of legislation concerning the restraining of children in the back of motor vehicles.

The regulations made in January will require the fitting of rear seat belts or child restraints to all new cars manufactured from this October. A small number of individuals and road safety organisations have suggested that we should also introduce legislation requiring the wearing of rear belts or restraints. Compulsory fitting will make it easier for parents to follow the safe course and use restraints in the back of the car. It is sensible and often easy to fit rear seat belts or child restraints to older cars.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Metropolitan police have requested the removal of the two water cannon sited at the Riverway centre in Greenwich; what scientific tests are proposed on the use of these water cannon; and whether live animals will be used in these tests.

The Metropolitan police are working with the Home Office in evaluating the two prototype water cannon with the aim of establishing whether water cannon have a role to play in the policing of serious public disorder. In this connection, the two prototypes have been temporarily moved from Greenwich. There are no plans for tests involving live animals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the results of the Metropolitan police review of equipment and procedures for the firing of baton rounds.

The Commissioner's review is not yet complete. The principles governing the use of plastic baton rounds were set out most recently in the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Mr. Parry) on 25 November, at column 391.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the review of policy air support to be completed; what are its terms of reference; which persons sit on the review body; in what capacities; and from whom they are taking evidence.

I understand that the safety aspects of police air support are under review by the Civil Aviation Authority with the assistance of officials of the Department and representatives of the police service. Detailed questions about the review should be addressed to the authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the provision of a new court house in Basildon.

There is nothing to add to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend on 23 January, at column 268. Further action on the scheme still rests with Essex county council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will call for a report from the chief constable of Durham concerning the number of home beat police officers who are currently operating in County Durham; and if he will make a statement.

The term "home beat officer" is not used by Durham constabulary. I understand from the chief constable that there are currently 35 sergeants and 270 constables in his force whose responsibilities equate to those of home beat officers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the chairman of the Independent Broadcasting Authority.

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary last met the chairman of the Independent Broadcasting Authority on 16 January.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all specific type grants paid by his Department to local authorities, showing the size of each grant, which were hypothecated to any individual service or services, or where local authorities had to bid for specific grants.

Details of the Home Office specific grants are as follows, together with the amounts provided for England and Wales in Class IX, votes 6 and 7 of the Supply Estimates 1985–86 and the Supply Estimates 1985–86, Supplementary Estimates:

	£ million
Police	1,399·724
Magistrates' courts	128·606
Probation	129·539
Commonwealth immigrants (section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966)	89·424
Civil Defence	11·989

Grants under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 are paid towards the salaries of staff in a range of local authority services, following applications to the Home Office. The other grants are paid on the basis of expenditure on the services identified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions were brought in during the years 1980 to 1984 against retailers under section 7 of the Children and Young Persons Act for selling cigarettes to children.

The information available to me, which may be incomplete, is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables, Volume 1" (table S1.1(A) of the issue for 1984 under offence classification 144 and corresponding tables for earlier years).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of injuries and fatalities in fires caused by smoking for the most recent year for which figures are available.

The readily available information is of accidental fires, attended by local authority fire brigades, for which the source of ignition was reported as cigarettes, lighters, cigars or other similar smokers' materials, other than matches. In 1984 there were 262 fatal and 1,874 non-fatal casualties from such fires in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what additional funds have been set aside contingently for local authorities during the financial year 1986–87 to provide such services as may be required for Sundays and weekends in the event that the Shops Bill [Lords] is passed;(2) what estimates have been supplied to him by local authorities of the additional costs likely to arise to them in providing municipal services if the Shops Bill

Consultations with local authority associations have shown that no reasonable estimates of any additional services or expenditure can be prepared until the extent of additional opening of shops can be assessed.The Auld committee concluded that any increase in the cost of public services would be trivial; subsequently, one association, the Association of County Councils, has suggested that something over £1 million could be required and another, the Association of District Councils, predicts no marked effect on the rate burden.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations the Government have received from hon. and right hon. Members writing on behalf of their constituents concerning the proposed legislation on Sunday trading.

Since the publication of the Shops Bill the Government has received 974 representations from right hon. and hon. Members concerning the proposed legislation on Sunday trading.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what have been the average fines for convictions for Sunday trading in each of the last three years.

The information readily available indicates only the number of persons fined within specified monetary limits. I shall write to the hon. Member when I have the information he seeks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to the costs to local authorities in each of the last three years arising from enforcement of the Shops Act.

I regret that I have no information on the costs to local authorities of enforcing the Shops Act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the current state of compliance with Sunday trading legislation; and if he will make a statement.

In 1984, the last year for which information is available, there were 743 convictions for illegal trading on a Sunday. It is clear, however, that this does not reflect the extent to which the law is being disregarded. The Auld committee concluded (Cmnd. 9376, paragraph 25) that the existing law was not generally enforced by local authorities and was being widely disregarded by shopkeepers all over the country.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from shops as to the anticipated changes in turnover and profit expected to arise from unrestricted Sunday trading and as to the likely additional costs to them, particularly wages costs.

Since the Shops Bill [Lords] was published the Govenment have received 44 representations from retailers about possible changes in turnover, profits and costs. Some expect increased turnover and profits, others fear increased costs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received from businesses about alleged difficulties in understanding the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1984; and whether he will take steps to simplify registration requirements.

Since the beginning of this year we have received six letters about alleged problems created by the Data Protection Act 1984. The Data Protection Registrar, who is responsible for the arrangements for registration under the Act, is keeping the procedures under review and will be looking to simplify the procedures if that proves possible from experience of the working of the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has had from businesses, especially small businesses, in response to his consultation on the Fire Precautions Act 1971; and how these representations are being taken into account.

The Home Office has received responses from 19 business organisations (including three specifically representing small businesses) and from 13 companies, commenting on various aspects of the proposals made in the consultative document on the review of the Fire Precautions Act 1971. All the responses are being carefully considered and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I will be reporting the outcome of the consultative exercise in a further document to be published later in the spring.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what restrictions have been imposed upon working overtime of 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 officer's enquiries and upon policing as a whole.

[pursuant to his reply, 19 February 1986, c. 178]: It has been the policy of successive Commissioners of Police of the Metropolis that overtime should be authorised only when it is operationally necessary. In May 1985, as part of a package of planned expenditure reductions, the force's overtime budget for 1985–86 was reduced from £58 million to £49 million. It is not possible to quantify the effect which this measure has had on the investigation of crime or on policing as a whole in London. The strength of the Metropolitan police increased between 31 May and 31 January by 171 officers.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students currently studying at colleges of education have a formal qualification in the Japanese or Chinese language.

This information is not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any proposals to seek to increase the awareness of teaching Japanese, Chinese and other Asian languages in primary and secondary schools.

The range of languages on offer in schools is an important issue and will be among those matters addressed in a forthcoming statement of policy on foreign languages in the school curriculum.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many pupils have qualified with an O-level or A-level GCE in Japanese or Chinese in each of the past 10 years;(2) how many pupils in 1985 entered the General Certificate of Educaion O-level and A-level examinations in Japanese or Chinese.

The information requested is not available centrally for school pupils. The table gives, for the most recent five years for which information is

Grant	Purpose	Size of Grant in 1985–86 (£ million)	How allocated
Education Support Grant	To support specific activities in the interest of education in England and Wales. The activities are specified in the Education Support Grant Regulations.	27·5	LEAs are invited by Departmental circular to bid for grant support.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list all specific type grants paid by his Department to local authorities, showing the size of each grant, which were hypothecated to any individual service or services, or where local authorities had to bid for specific grants.

The Department is responsible for two specific grants: education support grants and the in-service teacher training grant; and for the grant paid on the mandatory awards to students. All these can only be paid to local education authorities and are hypothecated to specific activities. The other information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Eccles on 20 February, Official Report, column 286, about the composition of Medical Research Council boards, when a reply from the Medical Research Council can reasonably be expected; if he expects to receive a copy; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the Medical Research Council replied to the hon. Member on 11 March. I have received a copy of the council's letter.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will request the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals to provide him with information on the extent and nature of the provision that is made to meet the special needs of hearing-impaired students at the colleges and universities for which they are responsible.

Provision for the particular needs of hearing-impaired students has to be planned on an individual basis and the Government see this as the responsibility of the universities themselves. The Government would, however, encourage universities to consider carefully and sympathetically what provision they can make to ensure that well-qualified applicants with hearing impairment can benefit from a course of higher education.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the reports of Her Majesty's inspectors who have visited other countries in order to compare standards and achievements of schools there with standards and achievements of schools in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

Her Majesty's inspectors undertake a number of visits abroad each year, for a variety of purposes. None is concerned directly to compare standards and achievements in schools, although some do focus on aspects of provision and assessment which bear on these issues. They are often short, informal visits by one or two HMI which do not lead to full written reports. However, in June 1985 a group of Her Majesty's inspectors spent two weeks in the Federal Republic of Germany studying curriculum and examinations for 16 to 19-year-olds in ordinary schools and arrangements for the periodic assessment of pupils aged 10 to 19 throughout the school system. It is hoped that a report of that visit will be published later this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to introduce legislation to require local education authorities to pay rates on maintained schools and other educational institutions; and if he will make a statement.

No. Local education authorities already pay rates on the schools and other educational institutions which they maintain.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is a teacher's salary at scale one, at the new rates recently negotiated, expressed per hour and per day, of actual attendance at school.

The following table shows the salary of teachers at scale 1 (points 0, 6 and 13) at 31 March 1986, expressed per annum, per hour and per day.The length of the school year or day is not strictly prescribed, nor is detailed information on practice collected by the Department. Maintained schools are, however, required to open for a minimum of 190 days a year. For illustrative purposes, this has been taken as the number of days worked. The length of the timetabled school week is also not prescribed. A typical primary timetable might involve 25 hours per week, excluding midday and other breaks and after-school activities. A typical secondary timetable on the same basis would be about 27 hours. For the purposes of this table an average of 26 hours per week has been taken. It must be stressed that these figures represent a minimum assumption.

Scale 1 Teachers salaries at 31 March 1986
	Rates per annum £	Rates per day [annual salary ob/ 190] £	Rates per hour [(daily salary X 5) ob/ 26] £
Minimum point 0	5,904	31·07	5·98
Point 6 (graduate new entrants)	7,305	38·45	7·39
Maximum point 13	9,285	48·87	9·40

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table showing the level of teachers' salaries at each scale in June 1983, and what they will be when the recent increases are implemented; and if he will show the proportionate increases at such scale, allowing for the increase in the cost of living.

The following table sets out the level of teachers' salaries in April 1983 (there was no change between April and June of 1983) and April 1986. The information is provided for the minimum and maximum point on each of the teachers' scales and for selected groups of deputy headteachers and headteachers. The increase in all cases—allowing for minor rounding—is 14 per cent. This figure should be compared with an increase in the retail prices index of 12·45 per cent. from April 1983 to April 1985 (not April 1986 as there has not yet been a pay settlement for the year beginning April 1986). The real increase in teachers' pay at all levels over the period concerned is thus 1·55 per cent.

Teachers' salary rates at 1 April 1983 and 31 March 1986
	1 April 1983		31 March 1986
	Minimum £	Maximum £	Minimum £	Maximum £
Scale 1	5,178	8,142	5,904	9,285
Scale 2	5,949	9,132	6,783	10,413
Scale 3	7,359	10,497	8,391	11,970
Scale 4	8,754	11,763	9,984	13,413
Senior teacher	9,435	12,744	10,758	14,532
Deputy head groups 1–3	6,477	9,279	7,386	10,581
Deputy head group 14	14,622	15,879	16,674	18,108
Head group 1	9,108	10,137	10,386	11,559
Head group 14	20,610	21,828	23,502	24,891

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many applicants there are for postgraduate certificates of education in physics (a) in the current year and (b) on average; how many of these are considered likely to proceed into teaching; and how many physicists left the teaching profession in 1985 other than through retirement.

The available information is as follows. Up to 26 February 1986 the Graduate Teacher Training Registry had received 272 applications for entry to postgraduate certificate in education courses in physics beginning in September 1986. Students still have some months in which to make applications for any courses which are not yet full. It is not possible to estimate how many of these applications will be accepted as this is a matter for the admitting institutions. At the same time last year, 367 applications had been received.In recent years some 80 per cent. of students who entered PGCE courses of all kinds completed their training successfully and entered teaching in the maintained sector; there is some evidence that wastage from physics courses may be higher than average.During the year ending 31 March 1984, 311 physics graduates aged under 60 gave up teaching in full-time posts in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in England. This includes teachers taking premature retirement. Figures for the year ending 31 March 1985 are expected to be available shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether it remains his intention that the general certificate of secondary education examinations should go ahead as planned; and if he will make a statement.

The GCSE will start this year as planned, so that the benefits of this important reform can be achieved as soon as possible.To ensure the successful start of the new examinations, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I have established a national programme of in-service training for teachers unprecedented in its scale and scope. That training is currently under way.In response to requests from local education authorities and many others for more help with the preparations and with resources, we have decided upon the following additional measures.First, I will be proposing to the local authority associations that, subject to the consent of Parliament, £20 million of expenditure in England be supported by education support grants in the first two to three years of GCSE courses in order to help secondary schools purchase necessary additional books and equipment. My right hon. Friend is making similar arrangements for Wales.Secondly, we will be making available a further £200,000 to the GCSE examining groups to enable them to mount additional training seminars for subject representatives from schools who failed to take advantage of seminars held since January—provided that the groups have reason to believe that those teachers will use this second opportunity.Thirdly, in view of the wholly exceptional nature of this large reform of the school examinations system, we will be bringing regulations before the House to enable local education authorities in England and Wales to close their schools to pupils for two days in the summer term in order to allow teaching staff to undertake more GCSE in-service training than would otherwise be possible.We are taking these measures in order to ensure that pupils starting GCSE courses this autumn gain maximum benefit from this new educational opportunity. We call upon all concerned to take advantage of these steps and to work together to make the GCSE the success it deserves to be.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much has been spent on the assisted places scheme in each local education authority in England in each year since the scheme was introduced.

[pursuant to his reply, 10 March 1986, c. 334]: The further information requested is as follows:

	Total expenditure (£) (school year)
Local Education Authority	1981–82	1982–83
Barking and Dagenham	Nil	Nil
Barnet	18,345	67,735

asked the Prime Minister if any consideration was given to bringing into the public domain 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) immediately after a copy of the letter was received in her office; and if she will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the account which I gave to the House in my statement on 23 January at columns 449–60, and in the debate on 27 January, at columns 651–58.

asked the Prime Minister (1) if she will take steps to institute an Ulster Grand Committee; and if she will make a statement;(2) if she will take steps to seek to replace the current procedure for Northern Ireland legislation with a system based on primary legislation applicable throughout the United Kingdom or applicable only to Northern Ireland, as appropriate in the particular circumstances of each case; and if she will make a statement.

I made it clear on 25 February that I am willing to discuss with leaders of the Ulster Unionist party and the Democratic Unionist party the arrangements for handling Northern Ireland business at Westminster.

asked the Prime Minister if she will seek to arrange an early meeting of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference to be attended by Defence Ministers to arrange staff talks aimed at concerted military action against terrorism on both sides of the border, including specifically co-ordination of military and police intelligence, arrangements for over-flying of the border by the Irish Air Corps, Royal Air Force and Army Air Corps and the pursuit of suspected terrorists across the border by the armed forces of the irish Republic and the United Kingdom, and co-ordination of maritime patrols for the interception of terrorists and their shipments in Irish Republic and United Kingdom territorial waters and on the high seas.

The Intergovernmental Conference has already discussed security co-operation and the co-ordination of security force activity on both sides of the border. In both jurisdictions it is the police who have primary responsibility for dealing with terrorism under the law. The Chief Constable and Garda Commissioner have been meeting about a programme of work to be undertaken by their respective police forces aimed at enhancing co-operation in a range of areas. I am satisfied this is the right way of taking forward our mutual interest in eradicating terrorism.

asked the Prime Minister what information she has about the annual salary of Members of the European Parliament in each of the countries of the European Community, expressed in pounds sterling.

Information of this kind is not readily available because the salaries of Members of the European Parliament are determined and paid by their national Governments. The latest information, based on July 1985 figures, is as follows:

	£
Belgium	24,154
Denmark	*14,089
France	29,400
Germany	25,368
Greece	11,400
Ireland	14,012
Italy	30,630
Luxembourg	16,500
Netherlands	21,000
Portugal	Not known
Spain	Not known
United Kingdom	†16,904

* Plus variable tax-free living expenses supplement of approximately £2,200.† Now £17,702, wef 1 January 1986.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 13 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 13 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 13 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 13 March.

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.

asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government will grant permission to Dr. Anahita Ratebzad for a visit to the United Kingdom to publicise Afghanistan's peace proposals; and if she will make a statement.

We do not regard the Karmal regime as a legitimate regime. It would not, therefore, be appropriate for Dr. Anahita Ratebzad, as a senior member of that regime, to visit this country. If the Karmal regime were sincere about peace it would open the way to progress in the United Nations negotiations by agreeing to the withdrawal of the 118,000 Soviet troops currently occupying Afghanistan.

asked the Paymaster General if he will indicate for the years 1976 to 1985 the aid granted by the European Community under the European social fund for projects in Devon and Cornwall separately.

Allocation from the European social fund to vocational training and job creation schemes in Devon and Cornwall from 1983 to 1985 were as follows:

Year	Devon £	Conwall £
1983	7,000	56,531
1984	339,804	58,106
1985	654,537	31,072

Fund assistance to training schemes run by the Manpower Services Commission on a national basis (including Devon and Cornwall) are not included in the above figures.Allocations from the fund were not analysed on a county basis before 1983.

asked the Paymaster General if he will introduce legislation imposing a requirement that companies obtaining work permits for the employment of foreign nationals should state what steps they will take to train a citizen of the United Kingdom to take over the job at the expiry of the work permit.

In many cases it is not practical to fix an expiry date, nor is it always reasonable to expect the employer to replace the overseas worker.

asked the Paymaster General if, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Ross, Cromarty and Skye of 10 March, he will publish in the Official Report all relevant recent analysis from the 1984 labour force survey into the numbers of unemployed people who had previously been self-employed and are thus excluded from the unemployed count; and if he will make a statement.

The labour force survey showed that in Great Britain in the spring of 1984 there were about 30,000 previously self-employed people without jobs and seeking work who were excluded from the unemployment count. However, there were also some 20,000 previously self-employed claimants included in the count who were not actively looking for work and a further 30,000 claimants who did some paid work in the reference week and said they were self-employed.

asked the Paymaster General if he will list the average price used in compiling the retail prices index of (a) a pint of ordinary bitter, 1037 original gravity, and (b) of a standard measure, one-sixth of a gill, of a typical blended Scotch whisky in the years 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980 and 1985.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 March 1986, c. 476]: National average prices for beer and whisky are not used in the compilation of the retail prices index. Average prices are compiled and published only for certain items of food.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the European Community Commission has reached a decision on further non-quota aid under the European regional development fund for areas in the United Kingdom affected by the decline of the steel industry.

Yes. The EC Commission has announced that in principle this further aid will be made available in respect of the counties of Clwyd and Gwent in Wales, Cleveland, Humberside (together with that part of the old travel-to-work area of Scunthorpe situated in the county of Lincolnshire), South Yorkshire (including all the old travel-to-work area of Sheffield) and the Scottish region of Strathclyde.The United Kingdom should receive about £7·5 million from the ERDF as a result of this decision. The aid will be available after the amendments required to the existing five-year programme under Council regulation (EEC) 216/1984, and the proposals for the division of aid between qualifying areas, have been drawn up by the Government and agreed with the Commission. In drawing up these proposals the Government intend to concentrate the aid available in respect of Humberside on Scunthorpe TTWA and that in respect of Strathclyde on the districts of Strathkelvin, Motherwell, Monklands and Hamilton.In accordance with the regulation the aid will be for the clearance of rundown areas, the conversion of disused industrial buildings, the modernisation of premises for small and medium-sized enterprises, and also for aid to small firms, including grants for consultancy, the establishment or development of common services, the promotion of innovation, and market research.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the outcome of the European Community Council of Industry Ministers on 3 March.

The Industry Council, at which I represented the United Kingdom, provided an opportunity for a preliminary exchange of views on the Community regime for state aids to shipbuilding which should apply after the fifth directive expires at the end of 1986. A further discussion will take place in the June Council.The Council also discussed the trade in steel between Spain and Portugal and the 10 other member states. Small increases in the limits to Spanish and Portuguese exports were agreed. I registered the United Kingdom's opposition to the increase in the Spanish limit, but the decision was taken on a majority vote.The Council made limited progress in agreeing the terms of the draft directive on the mutual acceptance of test data for the type approval of telecommunication terminal equipment and heard a progress report on the draft directive for legal protection against the copying of semiconductor chip designs. A regulation proposing a non-energy raw materials exploration loans scheme was also discussed but not agreed. I maintained our reserve on this proposal which has a low priority for the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he collects, an the context of the multi-fibre arrangement, concerning the comparative average annual incomes for industrial workers in (a) Brazil, (b) Turkey, (c) India, (d) Pakistan, (e) Korea, (f) Hong Kong, (g) Taiwan and (h) the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 March 1986, c. 491]: Data on the earnings of United Kingdom manual employees is published in Employment Gazette. The Government do not collect data on the incomes of workers in the other countries, although some information is available from the OECD's monthly publication "Main Economic Indicators".

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has further to safeguard information communicated on his Department's telephones; and if he will make a statement on the present arrangements.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for South Ribble (Mr. Atkins) on 28 February 1986, at column 709.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will institute a departmental inquiry into the rate of coronary heart disease among Army personnel and its correlation with the rate of cigarette smoking; and if he will make a statement.

During the last few years the rate of smoking among Army personnel has decreased steadily. It now approximates to the civilian rate. At the same time, possibly as a direct result, the rate of death from ischaernic heart disease amongst Army personnel has also decreased and is now lower than the rate in the comparable civilian population.The importance of achieving further reduction in smoking amongst Army personnel is fully appreciated. Considerable effort is made to reduce smoking, including films and discussions led by medical personnel during educational periods. Initiatives such as the national no smoking day are fully supported by the services.In the light of these considerations, an inquiry is not considered necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if there are any restrictive covenants or any other user restrictions which limit the use to which Fulbeck airfield may be put by his Department or anybody acting with its authority.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what obligations United Kingdom nuclear submarine commanders have to report immediately any leaks of radioactivity or accidents likely to endanger the public.

There are established procedures for the immediate reporting to the Ministry of Defence of all nuclear incidents or accidents likely to endanger the public involving Royal Navy nuclear submarines.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent information he has as to the levels of radioactivity in milk from cows in the areas adjacent to the Holy Loch.

The source of man-made radioactivity in milk produced around the Holy Loch is atmospheric fall-out which affects the whole of the United Kingdom. The concentrations in milk from the area are similar to those in other areas of the country of comparable rainfall.Measurements are made of milk produced at representative dairies throughout Scotland by the National Radiological Protection board as part of its programme of surveillance of environnmental radioactivity. The most recent published results are for 1983 and they are available in the report entitled "Environmental Radioactivity Surveillance Programme: Results for UK for 1983" (NRPB-R174). The main contributors to the radioactivity are strontium 90 and caesium 137 and the average concentrations during 1983 are shown in the following table:

	Concentration, becquerels per litre
Country	Strontium 90	Caesium 137
England	0·07	0·05
Scotland	0·10	0·07
Wales	0·13	0·08
Northern Ireland	0·10	0·10

I understand that the most recent results, which will be published in detail in due course, show that the concentrations of strontium 90 have not changed

Health board	Recurrent expenditure (net) £ million	Ordinary capital programme (net) £ million	Total £ million
Argyll and Clyde	104·172	2·700	106·872
Ayrshire and Arran	75·440	2·230	77·670
Borders	21·576	0·610	22·186
Dumfries and Galloway	37·045	0·930	37·975

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to reduce (a) the amount of money available to and (b) the number of administrators working for the Greater Glasgow health board.

I have no such plans. I announced today a net revenue allocation to the Greater Glasgow health board for 1986–87 of £380·323 million, £21·083 million more than the corresponding figure for 1985–86. The staffing complement is a matter for the health board, and I understand that the board has a policy of no compulsory redundancies.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his policy towards the proposal that the three Scottish agricultural colleges should be combined within a unified structure, with particular reference to the financial arrangements if any one of the colleges were to remain outside the proposed new structure.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial allocations he has made to health boards for 1986–87.

I have allocated £1,445 million to health boards to meet their gross recurrent expenditure commitments on hospitals and community health services in 1986–87, and a gross amount of £37 million for their ordinary capital programmes. After expected income is taken into account, the net cash limited allocations to individual health boards are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Lands Tribunal for Northern Ireland will be in a position to reply to the letter of 16 January from the right hon. Member for Strangford in which he requested that the order following the decision of the Lands Tribunal be forwarded to Mr. Robert James Magilton of 87 Mountain Road, Whitespots, Newtownards, Co. Down, with reference to the case LDV/4/1977.

A reply was issued on 6 March 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total of financial support given to the Montefibre plant in Coleraine by Government agencies during and since the takeover of that plant by the Montefibre Company.

The Government were not in a position, because of the European Community's control on state aid to the synthetic fibre industry, to provide selective financial assistance or standard capital grant in respect of the acquisition of the business or any capital expenditure since. The only financial support given to the plant relates to an extensive programme of research and development which was primarily designed to find new products for the Coleraine plant. The company had a total research and development budget of £2·265 million; the Industrial Development Board's contribution to this programme amounted to some £0·448 million. The company is now liable to repay these grants.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total level of investment by the Montefibre Company in the Coleraine plant since it took over, excluding the purchase price and Government grants.

It is estimated that the company has invested £920,000 in fixed assets since the takeover of the Coleraine plant; in addition, the Industrial Development Board has verified over £1·07 million of research and development expenditure. Thus, total investment by the company, excluding the purchase price, is £1·99 million which includes some £0·448 million of research and development grants, which are now repayable.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement outlining fully what investigations the Department of Economic Development made into the profitability of the Montefibre plant in Coleraine.

From its examination of the audited accounts the Industrial Development Board is aware that, despite an increased turnover, the company lost £858,000 in 1985. The Industrial Development Board has also discussed the prospects for the future with the company both at local and headquarters level and is satisfied that the company has been unable to identify a way of reversing the loss-making trend.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement outlining fully what investigations the Department of Economic Development has made into alternative uses for the Montefibre site in Coleraine.

The Montefibre site is owned by the company. The Industrial Development Board in discussions with the company has offered to co-operate in an effort to ensure that the site is utilised in the most beneficial way for the community.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement outlining what assessment the Department of Economic Development has taken of the market for the fibres produced at Montefibre, Coleraine.

The Industrial Development Board has not made a separate assessment of the market for the fibres produced at Montefibre Coleraine. After discussion with the Montefibre management the Industrial Development Board considers that the company has taken into accord all the relevant factors in arriving at its decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement outlining how his Department's aim of building care in the community is to be pursued in relation to the treatment of alcoholism and funding for centres for advice, treatment, education and research on alcoholism.

The recently issued strategic planning guidelines drew the attention of health and social services boards to the need for a shift in emphasis and transfer of resources from hospital care towards the development of community alternatives. The need to change the balance of care applies to services for a wide range of problems including those caused by alcohol abuse. Boards have been asked to reflect this objective in the future planning of services.Substantial financial support is provided to three voluntary agencies working in the field of alcohol advice, treatment, education and research. The Department and boards will continue liaising with those bodies to ensure that such resources are being used efficiently and effectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the future of the three alcohol advice centres in the western area administered by the Northlands centre in Derry.

The Department of Health and Social Services will continue to fund the centres for a further three-month period when the present temporary arrangement for support ends on 31 March. The limited extension of departmental funding will enable consideration to be given by the Western health and social services board and the Department to the arrangements which might be appropriate in providing financial assistance in the future to the Northlands centre.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will give a monthly breakdown of the numbers of women prisoners in Armagh prison during 1985 and January 1986 falling into the following categories: (a) on remand, (b) attending remand hearings, (c) attending trials, (d) attending appeal hearings, (e) attending bail hearings, (f) on pre-release or compassionate home visits, (g) on interprison visits, (h) on visits to outside hospitals, (i) attending pre-release programmes, (j) attending police stations and (k) serving prison sentences.

Information is not easily available in the form requested. The same prisoners could fall into more than one of the categories specified in any one month, and could attend a number of remand, appeal or other hearings during the same period.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons were employed in the tobacco industry in Northern Ireland at the latest date for which figures are available.