asked the Attorney-General if the Lord Chancellor proposes to accept tenders for the planned computerisation of his Department from companies which seek to impose extraterritorial movement or resale conditions on their machines, software or know-how; and if he will make a statement.

No.

asked the Attorney-General how many officials in the Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions were involved in the preparation and checking of the nine warrants for the extradition of Miss Evelyn Glenholmes which were ruled to be invalid at the recent Dublin court hearing.

The information sought by the hon. Member is one of the facts which the disciplinary inquiry set up by the Director of Public Prosecutions will seek to establish.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has completed his consultations on homework, which were proposed in the White Paper "Better Schools"; and if he will make a statement.

"Better Schools" defined homework as an important element of independent study, and one that is not necessarily carried out at home. It set out the Government's view that, appropriately set and marked, homework valuably reinforces work in the classroom; and that, as a consequence, every LEA and school should establish a policy for homework, to form part of its policy for the curriculum. Homework policies should relate to such matters as the amount, range and character of what should be expected in the primary and secondary phases at various ages and ability levels, the conditions which make for the effective use of homework, and the problems faced by pupils whose home environment may make study at home difficult. It was because the available evidence suggested that few LEAs and schools had formulated and implemented such policies that the DES issued a consultative paper on this subject in April last year.I am grateful for the many thoughtful replies received from all sections of the education service and from other bodies with an interest in the subject. These revealed wide agreement about the importance of homework; about the need to ensure that it is a worthwhile activity, related to work in the classroom and to individual pupils' needs; about the value of enlisting parental support for homework policies; and about the importance of policies which take account of disparities in the extent and nature of resources available to pupils outside the classroom. There was broad agreement with the objectives for homework suggested in the Department's consultative paper. In a few areas—notably on the place of homework in the primary phase—no common view emerged.Her Majesty's Inspectorate is currently surveying good practice in schools in relation to homework. I hope that the results of this survey will be available in the Summer of 1986. In the light of Her Majesty's Inspectorate's findings, the Government will consider what further action is necessary in respect of this important aspect of the work of schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what central Government funds have been distributed by the University Grants Committee to the University of Aston, the University of Birmingham and the University of Warwick in each of the last seven academic years for (a) undergraduate and (b) postgraduate courses; and what assessments are currently being made by the University Grants Committee to decide the amount of financing for which these three universities will qualify during the next two academic years.

Recurrent grants paid on the advice of the University Grants Committee to the universities concerned are listed below. UGC grant is not related to individual courses and it is therefore not possible to apportion the total between undergraduate and post-graduate courses. No decisions have yet been taken by the UGC in respect of the allocation of recurrent grant for the academic years 1986–87 and 1987–88.

£ million
Academic years	Aston	Birmingham	Warwick
1979–80	12·0	25·2	10·7
1980–81	14·8	30·5	13·3
1981–82	13·4	31·1	13·4
1982–83	15·5	36·3	16·2
1983–84	14·6	36·3	17·0
1984–85	15·0	37·9	17·5
1985–86*	15·9	39·6	19·8
* Estimate.

The above figures exclude redundancy payments met from recurrent grant. The figures are not comparable from year to year because of changes in funding arrangements, most notably adjustments made to reflect changes in the level of the home undergraduate tuition fee and the progressive withdrawal from 1980–81 of the subsidy for overseas students.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what investigations have been conducted by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Schools during the last seven years into the state and design of school buildings; and what recommendations were issued as to improvements arising from such recommendations.

Her Majesty's inspectors have not published separate reports on the state of school buildings. However, this aspect of education is covered in a large number of reports by Her Majesty's inspectors on individual institutions and, in more detail, in their reports on the effects of local authority expenditure policies on education provision in England. Since January 1983 all Her Majesty's inspectors reports have been published. Her Majesty's inspectors does not inspect or report on the design of schools, but its advice on the educational aspects of school building development is available to the Department's architects working in this field.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has (a) on the number of companies which have provided finance for undergraduate and postgraduate courses at universities and polytechnics in the west midlands in each of the last seven years, (b) on which specific courses were supported and (c) on what total finance has been provided in each year during the same period.

Appeals under section 8(6) of the Education Act 1981 received during the period 1 April 1985 to 31 March 1986
LEA	Number of appeals	Statement confirmed	Statement amended	Not yet decided
Avon	1	—	—	1
Barnet	3	2	—	1
Cheshire	1	1	—	—
Cumbria	1	—	—	1
Durham	1	1	—	—
Hampshire	1	1	—	—
Humberside	4	3	1	—
ILEA	2	—	2	—
Lancashire	1	—	—	1
Leicestershire	1	1	—	—
Lincolnshire	2	1	1	—
North Yorkshire	1	—	—	1
Solihull	1	1	—	—
Staffordshire	1	1	—	—
Surrey	1	1	—	—
Wolverhampton	1	—	—	1

My right hon. Friend has issued no directions to cease to maintain a statement under section 8(7)

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many appeals he has received under section 5(6) of the Education Act 1981 in the 12 months ending 31 March 1986; and if he will (a) list the local education authorities concerned and give the number

Appeal under section 5(6) of the Education Act 1981 during the period 1 April 1985 to 31 March 1986
LEA	Number of appeals	LEA decision upheld	Direction under section 5(8)	Not yet decided
Barnet	1	—	—	1
Bury	2	—	—	1
Devon	1	—	—	1
Dorset	1	—	—	1
Durham	1	—	—	1
Hereford and Worcester	2	1	—	—
Humberside	1	—	—	—
Isle of Wight	1	1	—	1
Lancashire	1	—	—	1
Nottinghamshire	4	2	—	—
Oxfordshire	2	—	1	1
Solihull	1	—	—	1
Staffordshire	1	1	—	—
Surrey	2	—	—	2

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many appeals he has received under section 8(6) of the Education Act 1981 in the 12 months ending 31 March 1986; and if he will (a) list the local education authorities concerned and give the number of appeals against each authority and (b) state in how many instances he has (i) confirmed the special educational provision specified in the statement, (ii) amended the statement and (iii) directed the local education authority to cease to maintain a statement; and if he will make a statement.

The information is as follows:of appeals against each authority,

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many special schools designated for physically handicapped children in the maintained, non-maintained and independent sectors, respectively, have closed since 1 April 1983.

Seven maintained and three non-maintained special schools approved for physically handicapped (or physically handicapped and delicate) pupils have closed since 1 April 1983. Two independent schools which catered for physically handicapped children have also closed since that date.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much expenditure on new projects related to educational needs in a multi-ethnic society will be supported through education support grants in 1986–87.

Expenditure of £886,000 in 1986–87 has been approved for education support grant for new pilot projects to meet the educational needs of those from ethnic minorities, to promote harmony between different racial groups, or in other ways to prepare pupils and students for life in a multi-ethnic society. In addition eight such projects involving expenditure of £194,000 will be supported under the traditional urban programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has held in the European Community Foreign Affairs Council concerning the general agreement on tariffs and trade; and if he will make a statement.

The forthcoming round of multilateral trade negotiations in the general agreement on tariffs and trade has been touched on in several recent meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council. This month's meeting of the FAC on 21 and 22 April is expected to consider a Commission working paper on the broad strategy to be adopted in preparing the launch of the new round.

asked the Prime Minister whether the public speech by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Renton), to the Anglo-Jewish Association on 27 February in London in so far as it related to sewage problems in the Gaza Strip, represents the policy of Her Majesty's Government.

Yes. We have consistently called on the Israeli authorities to implement their stated intention to improve conditions in the occupied territories, and are ourselves contributing £100,000 through the Save the Children Fund towards a sewage project in the Gaza Strip.

asked the Prime Minister what has been the cost of running No. 10 Downing street each year since 1979, both in current and constant prices; what has been the percentage increase annually in real terms; and what has been the annual cost since 1979 in foreign visits, entertainment, and allowances for accommodation.

[pursuant to her reply, 8 April 1986, c. 5]: It is not possible without disproportionate expense to isolate all the costs of running No. 10 Downing street from Chequers. The costs of the Prime Minister's Office in the last six years are as follows:

Total costs
Year	Current prices £	Constant prices (1984–85) £	Year-on-year percentage variation
	£	£
1979–80	1,409,101	2,144,750
1980–81	1,744,824	2,236,954	4·3
1981–82	2,415,301	2,815,036	25·8
1982–83	2,699,752	2,940,906	4·5
1983–84	3,026,042	3,155,414	7·3
1984–85	3,648,073	3,648,073	15·6
*1985–86	4,146,721	3,949,258	8·3
* (Provisional).

The annual cost since 1979 of foreign visits, entertainment and accommodation allowances in respect of No. 10 Downing street is as follows:

Foreign visits
Year	Current prices £	Constant prices (1984–85) £	Year-on-year percentage variation
	£	£
1979–80	151,864	231,148
1980–81	133,206	170,777	-26·1
1981–82	556,000	648,019	279·5
1982–83	523,587	570,356	-12·0
1983–84	216,146	225,387	-60·5
1984–85	414,259	414,259	83·8
*1985–86	458,688	436,846	5·5
* (Provisional).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has arranged for any tests to be carried out on the use of dye in water cannon; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 27 March, at column 543.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on gratuities for police officers who are required to search and fingerprint badly decomposed, mutilated and extensively burnt bodies.

Since 1972 a gratuity has been payable to police officers who are required to search or fingerprint dead bodies in an advanced state of decomposition. The present rates are £15.50 where a body is searched and fingerprinted by the same officer on the same occasion and 10.35 where the tasks of searching and fingerprinting have to be undertaken by different officers, or on separate occasions. My right hon. Friend recently approved a Police Negotiating Board agreement extending the payment of the gratuity to cases in which the body was mutilated, decomposed or extensively burnt.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance has been issued to the police on the investigation of offences under the Interception of Communications Act 1985.

I have placed in the Library a copy of guidance which I issued to the police on 8 April. This draws the attention of chief officers to the new offence, established by section 1 of the Act, of improperly intercepting communications in the postal and public telecommunications systems and emphasises the importance of this new offence. It also reminds chief officers that they may seek the specialised technical assistance of British Telecom and the Post Office in investigating reported offences. Similar guidance is being issued to Scottish forces and to the RUC by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland when he expects the Court of Session to have defined new or amended procedural rules to meet the provisions of the Family Law (Scotland) Act 1985.

It is the duty of the rules councils for the Court of Session and the sheriff court to submit to the Court of Session proposals for the procedural rules needed to take account of the Family Law (Scotland) Act 1985. It is understood that the Court of Session rules council has now finalised its proposals and the Sheriff Court rules council expects to do so shortly. The Court of Session and the rules councils are aware of the need to avoid delay in the preparation and making of the necessary Acts of Sederunt so that the main provisions of the 1985 Act can be brought into operation in the near future. I should add that my noble and learned Friend, the Lord Advocate, intends to bring into operation on the same day as that fixed for the main provisions of the 1985 Act the provisions of part IV of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984, dealing with financial provision in Scotland after overseas divorce.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport which roads in the West Midlands county were found in the national road maintenance condition survey compiled by his department in co-operation with local authorities to have defects in respect of cracking, rutting and potholes; what was the level of participation by local authorities in the county in preparing this report; and what action he proposes to take as a result of the findings.

County data for the national road maintenance condition survey are confidential. Results for the West Midlands region as a whole (five counties), and for metropolitan areas as a whole, will be published in a few weeks. Inspections for the West Midland county area in 1985 were carried out by the county council at 177 randomly selected sites on all-purpose trunk roads, principal roads, other classified roads, and unclassified roads.At a national level, we have increased the public expenditure provision on both local and national road maintenance for 1986/87.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on five-day and seven-day average traffic flows on a 16 and a 24-hour per day basis on each section of the M25; and when such counts have been undertaken.

The information is set out in the table. It relates to traffic flow in both directions. The figures for junctions 1–15 are the average flows for February 1986, and those for junctions 15–31 are the

		5-Day Flows (000s)		7-Day Flows (000s)
Section	Junction Numbers	16 Hour Day	24 Hour Day	16 Hour Day	24 Hour Day
A225-A2	1–2	—	—	—	—
A2-M20	2–3	—	—	—	—
M20-A21	3–4	—	—	—	—
A21-M26/A21	4–5	—	—	—	—
M26/A21-A22	5–6	57	59	51	53
A22-M23	6–7	64	67	57	60
M23-A217	7–8	—	—	—	—
A217-A243	8–9	62	64	56	59
A243-A3	9–10	64	67	58	61
A3-A320	10–11	83	86	74	78
A320-M3	11–12	96	100	85	90
M3-A30	12–13	—	—	—	—
A30-Airport Spur	13–14	—	—	—	—
Airport Spur-M4	14–15	—	—	—	—
M4-M40	15–16	63	66	59	63
M40-A412	16–17	62	65	58	62
A412-A404	17–18	—	—	*58	—
A404-A405	18–19	69	73	66	72
A405-A41	†19–20	—	—	—	—
A41-M1	†20–21	—	—	—	—
M1-A6	†21–22	—	—	—	—
A6-A1 (M)	†22–23	—	—	—	—
A1(M) A111	23–24	—	—	*54	—
A111-A10	24–25	—	—	*56	—
A10-A121	25–26	55	59	52	55
A121-M11	26–27	55	59	52	55
M11-A12	27–28	—	—	*58	—
A12-A127	28–29	—	—	*50	—
A127-A13	29–30/31	50	53	47	51
A13-Dartford Tunnel	31–1	56	59	54	58
† These sections not yet opened

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has received the National Bus Company's disposal programme; and if he will make a statement.

At the request of the National Bus Company, I have today given them directions under section 48(5) of the Transport Act 1985 as to the manner in which the company is to carry out its main objective of promoting fair and sustained competition in the preparation of its disposal programme. A copy of the directions has been laid before each House.These directions require NBC to provide for each of its local bus operating subsidiaries to be sold individually or as part of a group of companies which contains no other bus operating subsidiary. As many of these sales as possible, particularly of subsidiaries for which NBC staff have indicated that they wish to mount an early buy-out, should be completed by 26 October 1986, the date of deregulation of the bus industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made over BFS access to Belgian ports; and what are his conclusions about his possible use of section 14 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1974.

I met the Belgian Minister of Communications together with representatives of the other Belgian parties concerned in Brussels immediately before Easter to seek to resolve this question. This proved to be a constructive meeting at which a number of possibilities for an early BFS service to Belgium were discussed. BFS is free to start a service to the inner port of Zeebrugge immediately, and can start a service to the outer port as soon as new facilities have been completed. It was agreed that technical discussions between the commercial parties concerned were urgently required; and the Belgian Minister undertook to see how quickly BFS's requirements can be met. Both the Belgian Minister and I are confident that an acceptable solution can be found.In these circumstances, I have concluded that it would not be appropriate to propose action under Section 14 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1974.

asked the Paymaster General how many people are currently on the YTS scheme in Cheltenham and Gloucestershire, respectively; and what will be the effect of the introduction of the recently launched two-year scheme in the same areas.

At the end of February, the latest date for which statistics are available, there were 506 young people in training on YTS in the Cheltenham local authority district and 2,590 in training on the scheme in the county of Gloucestershire.It is planned to provide 850 places in Cheltenham and 4,247 places in Gloucestershire for the new scheme. This will ensure opportunities for all eligible young people in the area.

asked the Paymaster General how many people have completed the YTS in Cheltenham and Gloucestershire, respectively, since the scheme's inception; how many completers have found full or part-time employment; and if he will make a statement.

Between the introduction of YTS in April 1983 and the end of February 1986, 3,856 young people in Gloucestershire completed schemes, including 782 in the Cheltenham local authority district. During the same period, a further 3,741 young people in Gloucestershire (and 800 in Cheltenham) left their schemes four or more weeks before the date on which they were due to complete.The Manpower Services Commission conducts a regular follow-up survey of young people some three months after they leave YTS. The latest results cover young people who left YTS between April and September 1985. These show that of those completing schemes in Gloucestershire, 70 per cent. were in work. The comparable figure for the Cheltenham local authority district is 74 per cent.

asked the Paymaster General whether he will take steps to attract higher numbers of unemployed applicants to the job start scheme.

Yes. I have asked the Manpower Services Commission to look at ways in which this might be done.

asked the Paymaster General what proportion of the additional 2,000 staff who are to be recruited to the employment division of the Manpower Services Commission will be stationed in the west midlands region.

Regional employment managers of the Manpower Services Commission are still in the process of determining the allocation of additional staff between jobcentres, community programme offices, area offices and regional offices. There are, however, expected to be around 140 extra staff based in the west midlands.

asked the Paymaster General what plans he has to allow local jobcentres funds for training within their area; and if he will make a statement.

The Manpower Services Commission's training budget is administered by the commission's training division, through its head office and network of local offices. In addition, the commission's employment division will be running restart courses for long-term unemployed people, which will be administered on a local basis.

asked the Paymaster General what is his policy on staff working in local jobcentres visiting firms and so on in their areas to keep staff aware of local employment; and how often such visits take place.

Jobcentre staff are required to visit firms in their area to keep aware of local market conditions. Visits are sometimes designed specifically for staff to enhance their industrial and occupational knowledge. More usually, however, visits are designed to combine the learning and information seeking processes with the opportunity to canvass current or future vacancies and to explain jobcentre services.Jobcentre managers usually visit new firms as a priority and they respond to ad hoc requests to discuss individual queries or problems. The frequency of planned visits varies regionally as discretion is given to regional employment managers.

asked the Paymaster General what record is kept by jobcentres of all local industries in their areas.

Most jobcentres keep records of firms in their areas in the form of "business activity cards". These show information relating to the number and type of vacancies notified and placement figures. Additional information collected includes the type of business and product, the number of employees, the main occupations employed and where appropriate, the firms' position in relation to the employment of disabled people.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy on the purchase for the use of his Department or the recommendation for use in departmental establishments of computers or software which are subject to extra-territorial constraints as to their use, movement or resale or export; and if he will make a statement.

The Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency acts as contractual agent for almost all computer equipment purchased by the DHSS. The exceptions are generally minor hardware items worth less than £5,000, and software items worth less than £500.Decisions about the purchase of these minor items are made on the basis of all the relevant circumtances at the time. This Department does not recognise the extraterritorial claim to jurisdiction implicit in the United States export control laws.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he is taking to sponsor research into the prevention and treatment of sickle cell disease; and what special initiatives the National Health Service has commenced in major cities to provide special screening and counselling facilities.

The Department has recently funded a number of projects on disorders of haemoglobin, such as sickle cell disease. One, carried out at St. Batholomew's hospital, London, was concerned with the development of reference materials for the determination of haemoglobins. Another, at the Manchester Royal infirmary, was on evaluation of diagnostic kits for use in the identification of sickle cell. In addition, the Department is funding a national haemoglobinopathy reference service at Oxford.Other work is being funded by the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant-in-aid from the science vote of Department of Education and Science.We fully accept the need for screening and counselling facilities but their organisation must be a matter for individual health authorities taking full account of local needs and priorities. Information about such programmes is not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the initiatives, apart from those Care in the Community pilot projects funded under

Supplementary Benefit heating additions (£) (rates operative from November of each year)
Type of heating addition	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985
Health:
Basic rate	0·95	1·40	1·65	1·90	2·05	2·10	2·20
Middle rate*	1·90	—	—	—	—	—	—
Higher rate	2·85	3·40	4·05	4·65	5·05	5·20	5·45
Age-related:
Basic rate†	0·95	1·40	1·65	1·90	2·05	2·10	2·20
Higher rate (householders over 85)	—	—	—	—	—	5·20	5·45
Disabled persons	—	3·40	4·05	4·65	5·05	5·20	5·45
Long-term sick and disabled householder	—	—	—	—	—	—	2·20

Specific initiatives being taken are:

(i) the provision of small, homely units in the community for mentally handicapped children who will continue to need health care (£10½ million);

(ii) matching £1 for £1 money raised by voluntary organisations to provide care in the community for mentally handicapped children coming out of hospital (£l million);

(iii) three projects at Hackney, Salford and Southampton to develop co-ordinated aftercare systems for mentally ill people in the community (£120,000);

(iv) an advisory service, provided by the British Institute of Industrial Therapy, to encourage and support the development of viable and potentially self-financing community industrial therapy units for mentally ill people (£60,000);

(v) a series of development projects to provide services in the community for mentally ill people is being launched currently (of the order of £6 million).

In addition to these central initiatives annual support is given to a number of voluntary organisations which, amongst other things, provide community care facilities for mentally ill and menially handicapped people (£2 million in 1985–86).

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many babies have required medical treatment shortly or immediately after birth in each of the last seven years as a result of suffering from drug withdrawal symptoms.

I am sorry I cannot give the hon. Member the information she seeks. It is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what level of allowances has been made available to elderly and disabled people in respect of heating assistance in each of the last seven years.

The information requested is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the increases in the rates of (a) the state retirement pension for single and married

All figures are in £ million
	April 1979	November 1979		November 1980		November 1981		November 1982		November 1983		November 1984		November 1985
		1st year	Full year	1st year	Full year	1st year	Full year	1st year	Full year	1st year	Full year	1st year	Full year	1st year	Full year
Retirement pension	—	607	1,571	570	1,631	366	1,043	514	1,434	194	535	269	778	379	1,092
Child benefit	693	(no uprating)		179	510	122	343	146	407	150	430	78	227	33	96
Unemployment benefit	—	46	115	32	94	49	136	64	180	45	130	25	74	38	114
Supplementary benefit	—	106	276	139	399	85	233	121	351	85	235	82	237	84	231

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to initiate a campaign aimed at publicising the dangers of smokers' habits to non-smokers.

The Health Education Council has begun an advertising campaign on local independent radio drawing attention to the disadvantages and possible risks to health to non-smokers or breathing other people's tobacco smoke.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many nurses have been appointed to general manager posts within the North-Western regional health authority area; and if he will provide similar figures for each health district within this region.

Five nurses have been appointed to unit general manager posts within the North-Western regional health authority, one in each of the districts listed; none has been appointed to the regional or district general manager posts.

	Number
Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde	1
Central Manchester	1
North Manchester	1
Trafford	1
Wigan	1

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will make it his policy in relation to the limited list to ensure that general practitioners may use the brand name of a drug on a prescription form when the use of its generic name might cause confusion;

Details of the increases in the rates of benefit are contained in "Social Security Statistics 1985" (tables 13.01, 30.01, 1.01B and 34.01), a copy of which is in the Library. The costs of these increases are shown in the table:(2) whether he will re-examine his policy to promote the prescribing of drugs on the limited list by a generic rather than a branded name where this policy has caused confusion amongst dispensing chemists;(3) if he will permit general practitioners to prescribe drugs on the limited list by brand name where they enjoy patent protection;(4) if he will make it his policy in relation to the limited list to ensure that general practitioners may use the brand name of a drug on a prescription form where the drug is the product of British research;(5) whether he will permit general practitioners to prescribe drugs on the limited list by brand name where no generic equivalent exists.

I am not aware of any instances of confusion through use of generic names in the selected list scheme. I am, however, currently reviewing the policy of requiring National Health Service prescription by generic name, where possible, in the light of representations made by pharmaceutical companies whose products have been affected.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy in relation to the limited list to ensure that, where a dispensing chemist dispenses a drug on the authority of a prescription containing a brand name neither the dispensing chemist nor the prescribing general practitioner will be penalised.

National Health Service contractors who write or dispense prescriptions for drugs listed in schedule 3A to the regulations are in breach of their terms of service and it is for their family practitioner committee to determine any action to be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many persons aged under 26 years have now been moved on (i) after two weeks, (ii) after four weeks and (iii) after eight weeks (a) nationally and (b) by each region, under the Board and Lodging Regulations since April 1985;(2) how many hotels, bed and breakfast establishments or other board and lodging establishments are known to exist within the area of each Department of Health and Social Services office operating the two, four or eight-week rules under the Board and Lodging Regulations, and of these, how many in each case make charges currently within the Department of Health and Social Services board and lodging limits and how many outside it by (i) less than £5 per week, (ii) £5 to £10 per week, (iii) £10 to £20 per week, (iv) £20 to £40 per week and (v) more than £40 per week.

I shall let the hon. Member have replies as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will announce details of the appointment and reappointment of chairmen of special health authorities from 1 April.

The term of office of six of the chairmen of the Special Health Authorities expired on 31 March 1986. Five have been reappointed and there is one new appointment, Mr. Tom Oakman, as chairman of the National Hospitals for Nervous Diseases. The details are as follows:

Special Health Authority	Chairman	Term of appointment (years)
The Hospitals for Sick Children	Mrs. Caroline Bond SRN SS St. J	2
National Hospitals for Nervous Diseases	Mr. Tom Oakman OBE	4
Moorfields Eye Hospital	Mr. Francis Cumberlege CBE	2
The Bethlem Royal Hospital and Maudsley Hospital	Dr. Ivan Clout CBE	2
The National Heart and Chest Hospitals	Mr. Tom Meyer	4
Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte's	Mr. Christopher Bland	4

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the outcome of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise investigations at Johnson Matthey Bankers.

Her Majesty's Customs and Excise have completed their inquiries at Johnson Matthey Bankers in connection with possible VAT offences in relation to gold bullion. I am informed by the commissioners that there are no grounds for prosecuting Johnson Matthey Bankers or any of its employees.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to publish the White Paper on the 1986 Community budget.

The Government's intention is to publish the statement on the 1986 Community budget as soon as practicable after the European Court of Justice has given judgment on the substance of the cases brought by the Council and certain member states against the European Parliament on the 1986 budget.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy regarding the payment of compensation to persons who have suffered significant financial loss as a result of supplying information to Her Majesty's Government which has led to Her Majesty's Government saving money on contracts.

Any proposal for such payment would be examined on its merits.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will specify the distribution of gains in the Budget from each item where tax changes were made other than normal indexation, according to income bands as follows: less than £5,000 per year, £5,000 to £7,500, £7,500 to £10,000, £10,000 to £12,500, £12,500 to £15,000, £15,000 to £20,000, £20,000 to £30,000, £30,000 to £50,000 and above £50,000; and if he will indicate the percentage of total tax changes accruing to each group and the percentage of the total numbers of taxpayers that each group comprises;(2) what is the gain to taxpayers at less than half, half to three quarters, three quarters to one, one to one and a half, one and a half to two, two to three, three to five and five to 10, and more than 10 times average earnings from the 1p cut in income tax; if he will specify these bands in pound sterling per year at current earnings; how many taxpayers are in each of these bands; and what percentage of the total number of taxpayers each group comprises.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, pursuant to the answer given on 7 February, Official Report, columns 277–8, about tax and national insurance contributions, he will show for 1986–87 those ranges of earnings within which the burden of income tax plus national insurance is less than in 1978–79.

[pursuant to his reply, 8 April 1986]: The table shows the ranges of earnings within which income tax plus national insurance contributions form a smaller proportion of gross earnings in 1986–87 than in 1978–79, assuming that earnings have risen in line with the national average.At all income levels those whose earnings have risen in line with the national average have seen a real increase in their take home pay since 1978–79.

Ranges of earnings in 1986–87 where income tax* and NIC form a smaller proportion of gross earnings in 1986–87 than in 1978–79
	(£ per week and per cent. average earnings)
	up to (£)	Per cent.	Above (£)	Per cent.
Single	60.03	28	293	137
Married couple both† working, no children	139·75	‡39	554	‡156

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the manner of the answer given on 4 February 1985, Official Report, column 397, he will publish and update the table on mortgage interest tax relief by income group for 1985–86.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current distribution of mortgage interest tax relief by income bands under £5,000 a year, £5,000 to £10,000, £10,000 to £15,000, £15,000 to £20,000, £20,000 to £25,000, £25,000 to £30,000, £30,000 to £40,000, £40,000 to £50,000 and over £50,000; what is the number of taxpayers in each income band receiving this relief; what is the total relief per mortgagor in millions of pounds and as a percentage; and what is the average relief per mortgagor in each income band.

Taxpayers receiving mortgage interest relief by range of total income—1985–86
Range of total income	Numbers receiving mortgage relief ('000)	Average value of relief per mortgagor (£)	Total cost of relief (£ million)	Percentage of total cost (per cent.)	Total* taxpayers (million)
Under 4	500	110	55	1	2,400
4 to 5	200	250	50	1	1,880
5 to 6	280	320	90	2	1,820
6 to 7	420	380	160	3	1,890
7 to 8	500	460	230	5	1,650
8 to 9	560	500	280	6	1,490
9 to 10	690	510	350	7	1,340
10 to 12	1,250	580	720	15	2,250
12 to 15	1,450	640	925	20	2,330
15 to 20	1,250	710	890	19	1,880
20 to 25	430	880	380	8	690
25 to 35	220	1,140	250	5	330
Over 30	250	1,480	370	8	430
ALL INCOMES	8,000	590	4,750	100	20,300
* Counting married couples as one.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to announce his decision on the building of a nuclear power station at Sizewell.

The Sizewell B inquiry inspector has told my right hon. Friend that he hopes to deliver his report in September. My right hon. Friend then intends to reach his decision as soon as he possibly can.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will detail the value of mortgage interest relief at the latest available date, giving the average relief per mortgagor, the numbers claiming relief, the total value of relief and the total number of taxpayers per income range for those with incomes under £3,000, £3,000 to £5,000, £5,000 to £7,500, £7,500 to £10,000, £10,000 to £15,000, £15,000 to £20,000, £20,000 to £25,000 and above £25,000.

[pursuant to his replies, 20 January, 14 February and 7 March 1986]: I regret the delay in providing this information. The latest estimates are given in the table. Following the introduction of the arrangements for giving mortgage interest relief at source from April 1983, it is no longer possible to estimate the distribution of mortgage interest relief from tax records (except for relief on mortgages outside the scope of MIRAS and relief given at rates in excess of the basic rate). The information by income range in the table is based on projections to 1985–86 of information in the 1983 family expenditure survey and the 1983–84 survey of personal incomes. The estimates include mortgages formerly under the option mortgage scheme (now subsumed under MIRAS). All estimates are provisional.Due to small sample sizes some of the income ranges requested have been combined.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) whether any civil plutonium exported from Britain to the United States of America is to be used in the testing of the Excalibur X-ray nuclear-pulsed laser programme undertaken by the United States Department of Energy at the Lawrence Livermore laboratories at the University of California; and if he will make a statement;(2) if, in the light of the plans set out in its 1987 fiscal appropriations by the United States Department of Energy to redesignate all plutonium in its civil programme as military, he intends to advise the United States Government that such a step in relation to the plutonium of British origin would be contrary to Her Majesty's Government's policy on the use of civil material in military programmes; if he will draw up special arrangements under the 1959 amendment to the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement to prohibit any such future transfer; and if he will make a statement.

The United States' authorities have said that none of the plutonium exported prior to 1971 under the Mutual Defence Agreement has been used in weapons, and this continues to be their policy. Her Majesty's Government remain content to rest on these statements by the United States.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what extra allocation of finance had been made available to the Scottish Development Agency in the next financial year to enable it to assist the Glasgow garden festival project.

In common with previous national garden festivals, no additional funds have been allocated specifically for the Glasgow garden festival, but the need for expenditure on the garden festival has been taken into account in determining the agency's financial provision for 1986–87.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the expenditure of the Scottish Development Agency in the next financial year is directed towards the Glasgow garden festival project.

In the financial year 1986–87 the Scottish Development Agency anticipates spending on the Glasgow garden festival project about 8 per cent. of its gross provision for grant-in-aid expenditure.

	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985
Highland Region	5,902	5,728	5,453	5,515	5,143	5,538	*5,371
Districts:
Badenoch & Strathspey	100	100	100	100	100	268	264
Caithness	517	509	559	507	479	464	448
Inverness	1,418	1,345	1,230	1,133	1,023	818	717
Lochaber	86	170	179	171	171	170	170
Nairn	114	100	87	78	69	57	52
Ross & Cromarty	2,057	1,882	1,738	2,043	2,050	2,696	2,690
Skye & Lochalsh	1,068	1,068	1,068	1,018	850	700	665
Sutherland	542	554	492	465	401	365	*365
* Latest available figure for Sutherland is as at 1984.

The proposals in the Green Paper "Home Improvement in Scotland—A New Approach" (Cmnd. 9677) are designed to strengthen the position of the householder by encouraging his responsibilities for his own property with help from others, including local authorities. The objective is to ensure that the resources available are directed to the people most in need of help and the properties most in need of attention. Progress in the improvement of the stock should continue. We are presently considering comments on the Green Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what expenditure of the Scottish Development Agency was devoted in each of the last three years to projects in Clydesdale.

The Scottish Development Agency's expenditure in Clydesdale over the last three financial years was as follows:

1983–84	£200,000
1984–85	£893,000
1985–86	£532,000

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what allocation of expenditure by the Scottish Development Agency is planned for projects in Clydesdale for which support has been requested by Clydesdale district council in the next financial year.

The Scottish Development Agency is currently assessing the relative priority to be attached to a number of schemes presented by the district council for funding. It is not currently possible to identify specific projects which will be implemented in 1986–87, nor the total sum involved.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the present extent of sub-standard housing stock in the local authority districts of the highland region; how this compares with the position in each of the preceding six years; what effect he anticipates the introduction of the proposals made in the consultation document "Home Improvement in Scotland—A New Approach" will have on the prevailing situation; and if he will make a statement.

It is for housing authorities to assess the extent of substandard housing in their areas. Returns made by each district council in the Highland region show its estimates of the number of houses below the tolerable standard at 31 March to be:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce the order for the auxiliary oiler and replenishment ship for the Royal Navy.

Tenders from Harland & Wolff and Swan Hunters are still being evaluated. I hope to announce a decision shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of housing units in Lincolnshire transferred by his Department to the Property Services Agency for onward sale in each year since 1979.

The numbers of quarters in Lincolnshire passed to the PSA for disposal, including those in the sales to service men scheme, are as follows:

	Numbers
1979	167
1980	44
1981	150
1982	57
1983	84
1984	37
1985	201

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects the European Economic Community inquiry into Mafia olive tree frauds and other illegalities in the European Economic Community to be concluded; and if he will make a statement.

A report on the olive oil sector prepared by the European Court of Auditors was published in June 1985. Many of the recommendations contained in the report have been incorporated in revised rules on production and consumption aid and intervention arrangements.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, following the code of recommendations 1983, he will take steps to prevent the use of veal crates and stalls; and if he will make a statement.

The code of recommendations for the welfare of cattle already discourages producers from using veal crates. Loose housing systems are being increasingly used and most calves reared for veal are now kept in such systems.The Government welcome this shift away from the veal crate system and will continue to encourage compliance with the recommendations of the welfare code. In these circumstances, I am not convinced that there is a need for the Government to take further steps.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement of his policy in regard to the battery cage system used for egg production.

My hon. Friend will be aware that the Council of Agriculture Ministers on 24–25 March adopted a directive setting minimum welfare standards for hens kept in battery cages. My right hon. Friend made it clear that, while it represented the best measure negotiable at the present time, it did not go far enough to protect the welfare of battery hens.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received about the consequences for the work of the Lancashire and Western sea fisheries joint committee of the abolition of the Merseyside county council; what steps he is taking to seek to ensure its work continues; and if he will make a statement.

I have received representations from members and staff of the Lancashire and Western sea fisheries joint committee, from hon. Members and from noble Lords about the reduction in the committee's income and activities arising from the decisions by all but two of the district councils in Merseyside and Greater Manchester not to join the committee, following the abolition of the Merseyside and Greater Manchester county councils. While I am naturally concerned about the committee's problems, it is for the councils concerned to decide whether or not to join local sea fisheries committees and accept a share of the costs.The basic work of the committee on enforcement of sea fisheries regulations will be maintained and it is reassessing the scope for its other activities. An order to ensure the continued operation of the committee pending the determination of its long-term constitution was made on 7 March and came into operation on 1 April.

asked the Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the main threats to British salmon stocks, apart from illegal fishing, together with the measures his Department has taken, since 1979, to counter their effect.

[pursuant to his reply, 8 April 1986, c. 34]: As I said in reply to my hon. Friend's question of 24 March, at column 344, the measures taken to regulate salmon fisheries in British waters and to promote the conservation and development of salmon stocks have prevented the decline in stock experienced by some other countries. Apart from illegal fishing, problems can be caused by a range of factors, including river pollution, barriers to the passage of salmon up the rivers, predation of migrating salmon by other creatures and the level of interception by high seas fisheries.In England and Wales responsibility for the regulation, maintenance and development of salmon fisheries is placed on the water authorities by the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975. Since 1979 we have confirmed many byelaws and orders made by English water authorities to control salmon fishing and protect salmon stocks, and have approved 21 fish passes to assist adult salmon migrating upstream.The enforcement of river pollution legislation is also the responsibility of water authorities. Since 1979 the Government have introduced provisions in part II of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 which strengthen these arrangements. Reduced pollution has led to improved water quality and the re-establishment of salmon stocks in a number of rivers. Moreover, in January 1985 my Department and the Welsh Office jointly issued the "Code of Good Agricultural Practice" designed both to minimise the risk of water pollution from farming practices and to give guidance on good agricultural practice for the purposes of section 31(2)(c) of the 1974 Act.I am aware of no evidence that predation by birds represents at present a significant threat to salmon stocks in England and Wales. So far as predation by seals is concerned, I would refer my hon. Friend to the written reply I gave to him yesterday on that issue.This Department participated in international negotiations which led to the establishment in 1981 of a salmon catch quota for the Faroese salmon fishery. Since then, further negotiations have secured reductions of this quota and also of the Greenland salmon catch quota. We supported the establishment of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation in 1984 and have worked for agreement in that forum on the limitation of high seas fisheries.

Wages Council	Establishments Covered by Wages Councils on Register December 1985	Establishments checked	Per cent of register checked	Number of Establishments underpaying	Per cent of Establishments underpaying
Baking	277	91	32·9	11	12·1
Boot and Shoe Repairing	37	22	59·5	0	0·0
Catering	3,290	407	12·4	28	6·9
Clothing Manufacturing	130	53	40·8	1	1·9
Laundry	11	9	81·8	0	0·0
Linen and Cotton Handkerchief	48	15	31·3	0	0·0
Paper Box	13	3	23·1	0	0·0
Road Haulage	1,322	107	8·1	5	4·7
Sugar Confectionery and Food Preserving	32	5	15·6	0	0·0
Total	5,160	712	13·8	45	6·3

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish for each year since 1979 information from the Wages Inspectorate broken down to show (a) the number of firms inspected and the number of workers whose pay was checked, showing those by visit and those by other method, (b) the number of firms found to be underpaying, (c) the number of workers underpaid, (d) the total arrears assessed and (e) the total arrears actually recovered.

	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985
Number of firms inspected	n/a	n/a	1,986	1,654	1,618	1,503	712
Number of workers whose pay was checked	n/a	n/a	12,917	12,122	12,059	9,091	9,716
Number of firms found to be underpaying	24	39	33	39	34	52	45
Number of workers underpaid	27	119	66	93	86	79	85
Total arrears assessed	£606	£7,242	£7,885	£35,538	£14,361	£14,283	£26,750
Total arrears actually recovered	£606	£7,242	£7,885	£35,538	£14,361	£14,283	£26,750

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give a breakdown of Wages Inspectorate

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many car parks run by the Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland) remain to be privatised.

The Department presently owns 331 car parks, of which 29 are privately operated. Of the remaining 302, a further 72 will be considered for private operation in 1986–87.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give for 1985 the information on wages councils for Northern Ireland in the same form as the answer to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher), Official Report, 4 April 1985, columns 779–86.

The information requested is given in the following table. In Northern Ireland all checks of pay are made during visits. The amount of arrears assessed and the amount actually paid were the same, No prosecutions or civil proceedings were taken to recover arrears of wages. There are no separate divisions of the Wages Inspectorate in Northern Ireland.

In Northern Ireland all pay is checked by a visit. Figures for the number of firms inspected and the number of workers whose pay was checked are not readily available for 1979 and 1980 and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. With these exceptions, the information requested is given in the table.

Since 1979 there have been in post two outdoor wages inspectors and five other inspectorate staff who also provide the secretariat for the nine wages councils in Northern Ireland. This is the full establishment.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish for 1970, 1974 and 1978 onwards (a) the number of wages councils establishments

	1970	1974	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985
Establishments on Wages Inspectorate register	8,078	6,592	5,958	6,307	5,642	5,419	5,307	5,169	5,126	5,160
Proportion of establishments at which pay was checked by visit	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	36·6	31·2	31·3	29·3	13·8
Proportion of establishments visited found to be underpaying	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	*l·7	*2·4	*2·l	*3·5	*6·3
	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
Total arrears assessed	1,583	604	1,314	606	7,242	7,885	35,538	14,361	14,283	26,750
Total arrears paid	1,583	604	1,314	606	7,242	7,885	35,538	14,361	14,283	26,750
*Per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the recent violence in Portadown, County Armagh, on 31 March/1 April detailing the number of people injured and arrested.

[pursuant to his reply, 8 April 1986, c. 40]: during the disturbances in Portadown on 31 March/1 April 66 people (including 27 members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary) are known to have been injured. Ten people were arrested and the names of others were noted for possible prosecution.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has received from the Northern Ireland police authority, the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and elsewhere, to seek to prevent any bans or re-routeing of traditional parades from becoming a vehicle of disorder.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 March 1986, c. 553]: Representations are made to me on this topic from time to time. It is the responsibility for the RUC alone to decide whether to impose conditions such as re-routeing particular parades and marches and to consider the public order implications of such decisions. No one is better placed than the police to make such judgments. In deciding whether to use my power to prohibit a public procession, the likely impact on public order is among the factors which I consider and on which I am advised by the RUC.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has held with the Governments of Mexico and Venezuela concerning the effect of lower oil prices on their economies; and if he will make a statement.

Figures for the proportion of establishments where pay was checked by visit and the proportion of such establishments found to be underpaying are not readily available for the years 1970, 1974 and 1978 to 1980 and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. With these exceptions the information requested is given in the table.

Cheaper oil should in due course benefit the world economy, but its immediate impact on the export earnings of major oil exporting debtors such as Mexico and Venezuela is serious. We have discussed these concerns in the course of our contacts with the Governments of both countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has held with the Government of Costa Rica on the Contadora initiative concerning the situation in central America; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend last met the Foreign Minister of Costa Rica at the Luxembourg meeting on central America last November. Subsequently my right hon. and noble Friend held meetings with the Costa Rican Government in January when she visited San Jose. They made clear our strong and continuing support for the Contadora process.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has held with the Contadora group concerning the situation in central America; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend last held discussions with the countries of the Contadora group at the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the European Community, central America and the Contadora countries which was held at Luxembourg last November. Our strong and continuing support for the Contadora peace process was reaffirmed.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has held with the United States concerning United States policy towards central America; and if he will make a statement.

We have regular discussions with the United States on a wide range of issues, including central America.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations have been made to Chile concerning the human rights situation in Chile; and if he will make a statement.

We continue to make clear our concern about the Chilean Government's human rights record.We supported both the resolution at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights criticising Chile's record on 14 March and the EC presidency statement expressing concern about restriction of freedoms in Chile on the 18 March.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will report progress at the various disarmament conferences.

The next round of the United States/Soviet nuclear and space talks will begin on 8 May. At the mutual and balanced force reductions talks in Vienna, we have made it clear to the East that their latest proposals represent an inadequate response to the major Western initiative of December 1985. At the conference on disarmament in Europe, we believe that agreement on substantial measures to build confidence and security will be possible if others are prepared to match our readiness to make progress. At the conference on disarmament in Geneva, work on the chemical weapons convention is proceeding under United Kingdom chairmanship.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about relations with China.

Our relations with the People's Republic of China are excellent. Her Majesty The Queen will pay a State Visit to China in October; General Secretary Hu Yaobang will visit Britain in June. We are co-operating closely and effectively over the implementation of the joint declaration on Hong Kong. Exchanges in many fields including trade are at an unprecedented level and developing well.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions have been held in the European Economic Community Foreign Affairs Council concerning expenditure in 1986; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Motherwell, North (Mr. Hamilton).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many personnel are employed on trade promotion activities in British diplomatic posts in Japan.

Thirty four. In Tokyo there are six United Kingdom-based and 20 locally engaged staff (of which eight are senior commercial officers and 12 are supporting staff). In Osaka there are two United Kingdom-based and six locally-engaged staff (of which three are senior commercial officers and three are supporting staff). Her Majesty's ambassador also devotes much of his time to trade promotion.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of talks between the South African authorities and the Commonwealth representative group.

Those taking part in the Commonwealth group are acting independently and not as representatives of Governments. We are encouraged by the fact that the group described its recent visit to South Africa as

"a useful and constructive first round of discussions".

We continue to regard this as an important initiative to which we are giving our full support.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest progress towards conclusion of a test ban treaty.

The Conference on Disarmament at Geneva is currently holding its 1986 session. As last year, we are seeking agreement on a non-negotiating mandate for an ad hoc committee to examine problems which stand in the way of progress towards a comprehensive test ban treaty.Meanwhile the ad hoc group of scientific experts met in Geneva in the week beginning 17 March.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he has as to the extent of the use of chemical weapons by either side in the Iran-Iraq war; arid what information he has as to the sources of supply of such weapons.

The report of the United Nations Secretary-General, to which I referred in the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for York (Mr. Gregory) on 25 March at column 412 concluded that chemical weapons had been used by Iraq against Iranian forces.We understand that the chemical weapons used by the Iraqi forces were manufactured in Iraq. The United Kingdom has at no time supplied chemical weapons to either side in the conflict.