asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the latest reports of the pay review bodies.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the reports of the pay review bodies.

The 1986 reports of the review bodies on the pay of nursing staff, midwives, health visitors and professions allied to medicines, doctors and dentists, and the armed forces, and of the Top Salaries Review Body, have been published today. Copies are now available in the Vote Office. The Government are grateful to members of the review bodies for these reports and the time and care which they have put into their preparation.The reports recommend pay increases from 1 April 1986 which it is estimated would increase the 1986–87 pay bill for nurses, midwives and health visitors by 7·8 per cent., that for the professions allied to medicine by 8·2 per cent., that for doctors and dentists by 7·6 per cent., that for the armed forces by 7·5 per cent., and that for senior grades of the higher Civil Service, senior officers in the armed forces and the judiciary by 6·5 per cent. These figures are all very substantially above the rate of inflation, and above the general level of current wage settlements.The Government have nevertheless decided that the increases recommended by the review bodies, with the

	Recommendation			Estimated Cost (£m)*
	Average	Range	Average Effective Percentage Increase in 1986–87	Recommended	1986–87
Nurses	7·8	5·4 to 8·0	5·9	326	244
PAMs	8·2	6·5 to 8·0	6·1	30	23
DDRB	7·6	6·8 to 9·6	5·7	179	134
AFPRB	7·5	5·5 to 9·5	5·6	234	175
TSRB	6·5	5·3 to 7·3	3·0	5	2½
* Review Body figures, amended as necessary.

Full year effects for groups other than TSRB are as recommended; for TSRB groups the full year average is 4 per cent. arid the range 3·2 per cent. to 4·4 per cent.The pay rates and scales resulting from the decisions will be promulgated as soon as possible for National Health Service and armed forces groups. Rates for TSRB

	Salaries currently in payment	Salaries effective from 1 July	Staff in post*
	£	£
SENIOR GRADES OF THE HIGHER CIVIL SERVICE Head of the Civil Service (and Secretary of the Cabinet)	75,000	77,400	1
Permanent Secretary of the Treasury	70,000	72,400	1

asked the Prime Minister what notification Her Majesty's Government were given of United States plans for joint manoeuvres with the Argentine fleet; and if she will make a statement.

We are in regular wide-ranging contact with the United States Administration. A series of exercises between the United States navy and a number of South American countries has taken place annually for more than 20 years. According to Argentine press reports, Argentina has again decided not to participate this year.

asked the Prime Minister whether the United States Government are expected to give prior notification to the United Kingdom Government if their armed forces situated in the United Kingdom are to be put on either amber or red alert.

The Government would expect to be informed about any change in the state of operational readiness of United States forces based in this country.

asked the Prime Minister why a 6 per cent. pay offer was made to the Civil Service; what was the rate of inflation at the time of the offer; if any difference represents changes in productivity; and if she will make a statement.

The offer, which is a final one, followed negotiations with the unions concerned in the light of a survey of non-manual pay settlements in the private sector in 1985 conducted by the Office of Manpower Economics. It was made on 28 April, at which time the latest published retail prices index showed an annual increase of 4·2 per cent.

asked the Prime Minister if she now has anything to add to her statements on Government involvement in the ownership of the Westland Company.

No.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 22 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 22 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 22 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 22 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 22 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 22 May.

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 she will make a statement on her talks with Senor Perez de Cuellar on the future of the Falklands.

The Falklands was one of several topics discussed. The Secretary General gave an account of his recent visit to Argentina. I noted that we had made all the running in the search for improved bilateral relations, and made clear that our position remained that sovereignty over the Falklands was not negotiable.

asked the Prime Minister what plans she has to meet Commonwealth leaders to review progress being made towards the promotion of peaceful political change in South Africa.

The Commonwealth leaders who set up the Eminent Persons Group are to meet after the group has reported on its work.

asked the Prime Minister what discussions took place at the recent Tokyo summit about the implications of the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior by French agents in Auckland harbour for international political co-operation to counter terrorism; and if she will make a statement.

None.

asked the Prime Minister, further to her answer of 19 May to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe, when she expects the search of military records by the Ministry of Defence in connection with allegations relating to Dr. Kurt Waldheim's wartime activities to be completed; and if she will make a further statement.

This search is continuing. It is not yet possible to say when it will be completed.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will outline her objectives for her visit to Israel; and whether she will make a statement.

I hope that my visit will help to strengthen our close relations with Israel. I look forward to my talks with Mr. Peres and his colleagues about the search for peace in the middle east and other international and bilateral issues.

asked the Attorney-General what is his policy on the circumstances under which magistrates are able to refuse to disclose their names to the press and the public.

This matter is currently sub judice. If the hon. Member will put down another question at a convenient time after judgment has been given in the case of David Leigh and The Observer Limited v. Peter Wain and Stephanie Thew, I will be happy to answer it.

asked the Attorney-General what guidance he gives to High Court and Crown court clerks on the circumstances in which they may agree to take out of the list a hearing to strike out a plaintiff's legal action.

The Practice directions for trial out of London given by the then Lord Chief Justice on 10 December 1971, in respect of High Court proceedings, require all applications for adjournments, postponements and vacation of fixed dates to be made to the district registrar or the judge except where the application is by consent of all parties when the officer of the court having charge of the list may give effect to it, or refer the matter to the district registrar or the judge if he thinks fit.

asked the Attorney-General whether his Department correctly completed and submitted its applications for data protection registration on time; and if he will make a statement.

Yes.

asked the Attorney-General how many sittings there were of (a) the registrar and (b) the deputy registrar at the Merthyr county court in 1985–86.

In 1985–86 there were 63 registrar and 21 deputy registrar sitting days.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many inspections have been carried out under part I of the Merchant Shipping Act 1984; and how many notices have been served as a result.

Inspections of ships are undertaken on an ad hoc basis to ensure compliance with a variety of merchant shipping regulations and not to give effect to part I of the Merchant Shipping Act 1984 which makes provision only for the service of improvement and prohibition notices. Since the Act came into force, marine surveyors of my Department have made about 5,500 ship inspections and have issued eight prohibition and three improvement notices.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment he has made of the implications for rural car dealers of the proposed change in the vehicle age registration system from August to October;(2) what assessment he has made of the impact on car sales of the proposed move from August to October of the vehicle age identification system; and if he will make a statement.

There is no basis for making such assessments since the view of a major part of the motor industry has been that October would overall be the most beneficial alternative to the present August change. The amount of notice given should allow the motor industry ample time to adjust to the new month of change. However, if the industry as a whole now wishes to put forward an alternative arrangement, we are prepared to consider it.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he has taken to ensure his Department's compliance with International Labour Organisation Convention 134, 1970, Prevention of Accidents, Seafarers, with particular reference to articles 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 9.1 and 9.2, respectively, of the convention.

The United Kingdom has not ratified this convention but measures promoted by my Department, which include regulations and codes of practice, have ensured that the majority of its requirements have been met in respect of merchant seamen.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport on what date he received from Falmouth Container Terminal Ltd. the desk study carried out by Hydraulics Research Ltd. of the effects of a container terminal on the regime of Falmouth harbour; how the desk study will be evaluated; and by what date he anticipates reaching a conclusion on the implications of the study.

The desk study was received in the Department on 9 April. Consultations on it with navigational interests and other bodies concerned are well advanced and we are taking independent professional advice on its conclusions. It is hoped to announce a decision shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is yet in a position to announce the outcome of the Government's review of accounting and audit requirements for small companies; and if he will make a statement.

The Government have now completed their review of policy in this area in the light of the many and varied comments received on the consultative document "Accounting and Audit Requirements for Small Firms" published by my Department last June. We are grateful to the many consultees—over 200 in all—who took the trouble to comment.On accounting requirements, the Government intend to relax the rules governing the amount of information small companies are required to disclose in their accounts. Details of the changes proposed will be announced shortly. The changes will reduce the amount of information companies are currently required to give shareholers while at the same time enabling companies to meet as simply as possible the needs of the Inland Revenue. The changes will also make it easier and cheaper for those choosing to file modified accounts at the Companies Registration Office to do so. By removing certain pages from the shareholder's accounts companies will be able to use the same set of accounts for filing purposes. The interests of individual shareholders will be safeguarded by giving them the right to ask the company for information which, under present arrangements, would be contained in the full accounts.Current consultations will also be pursued with interested parties on the scope for introducing changes in tax rules which would make it easier for proprietors of businesses wishing to do so to cease trading as limited companies and to trade instead as sole traders or partnerships. Consideration will also be given to changes in company law which might help to streamline the process of disincorporation.On the audit, the Government have decided to retain the statutory requirement for small companies to have their accounts audited. The consultation revealed no strong balance of opinion in favour of abolition. We are determined to clamp down on fraud and believe that removal of this first defence against fraud would he inappropriate.The changes in accounting rules will be applied as widely as possible within the limits set by Community obligations. The Companies Act definition of a small company will be extended to cover companies with an annual turnover of less than £2 million and a balance sheet total of less than £975,000. This will significantly reduce accounting burdens for some 90 per cent. of companies. The turnover and balance sheet thresholds for medium-sized companies will also be increased—from £5·75 million and £2·8 million to £8·0 million and £3·9 million respectively.The Government believe that this package strikes a fair balance between conflicting considerations and will make a real contribution to deregulation. The changes in accounting rules will be implemented as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and industry what information he has for each of the last 10 years of the percentage of merchant shipping built for owners in the United Kingdom and the total tonnage of shipping built and the tonnage sourced, respectively, from (a) the United Kingdom, (b) other European Economic Community countries and (c) South Korea.

The following is the information:

		Of which:
		Tonnage and share of newly completed United Kingdom flagged vessels built in:
	Tonnage of United Kingdom flagged merchant ships completed*	United Kingdom		Other EEC Countries†		South Korea
	Units: 000's	000's	share per cent.	000' s	share	000's	share per cent.
1976	1,282	560	44	471	37	10	1
1977	1,212	448	37	245	20	42	3
1978	1,024	460	45	209	20	60	6
1979	804	409	51	75	9	11	1
1980	542	262	48	119	22	0	0
1981	442	165	37	47	11	55	12
1982	644	339	53	119	18	33	5
1983	303	191	63	34	11	60	20
1984	373	169	45	23	6	70	19
1985	232	190	82	27	12	0	0

Tonnage of merchant vessels completed in:
Units: 000's
		United Kingdom	Other EEC Countries†	South Korea
	1976	898	4,878	349
	1977	693	4,385	517
	1978	709	3,553	504
	1979	584	2,873	449
1980		513	2,447	445
	1981	254	2,827	512
	1982	418	2,721	880
	1983	349	3,168	986
1984		288	2,469	1,068
	1985	262	2,239	1,618

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to reply to the letter dated 21 April, from Mr. A. Watey, of Albany Road, London S.E.5 regarding imports of television sets from the People's Republic of China.

Department of Trade and Industry officials met Mr. Wacey on 6 May in response to his letter of 21 April. Mr. Wacey also wrote to my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Sir H. Rossi) and I replied on 20 May.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer of 15 May, Official Report, column 502, on what date the meeting in New York on 4 May between the Minister of State, the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Morrison) and Mr. Stempel of General Motors was arranged; if the position of Leyland Vehicles and Land and Freight Rover was discussed; and if he discussed Bedford and GM Commercial Vehicle operations in the United Kingdom were discussed.

Arrangements for a meeting with Mr. Stempel of General Motors were set in train in March.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department correctly completed and submitted its applications for data protection registration on time; and if he will make a statement.

Yes; my Department submitted seven applications for registration before 11 May 1986 under the Data Protection Act 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will give consideration to establishing an award scheme, similar to existing awards for exports, for companies which record outstanding achievements in the field of import substitution.

[pursuant to his reply, 15 May 1986, c. 502]: Although no review of the Queen's Award scheme is planned at present I have asked the Queen's Award Office to take careful note of your proposal.I applaud those companies which recognise and take advantage of the excellent commercial opportunities in our domestic market, and I would welcome action by companies and organisations in Industry Year 1986 to highlight the commercial opportunities for British suppliers to make competitive products for market sectors which are currently dominated by imports.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement concerning any communication he has received from the Director General of Fair Trading concerning the future ownership or control of the British Sugar Corporation.

[pursuant to his reply, 15 May 1986, c. 501]: I am now able to make a statement.It was announced on 20 May that my right hon. Friend had decided, in accordance with the recommendation of the Director General of Fair Trading, to refer the proposed acquisitions of S and W Berisford plc by Hillsdown Holdings plc and Tate and Lyle plc to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission for investigation.My right hon. Friend considered that the proposed acquisition by Tate and Lyle raised issues of competition in the sugar market, and that both proposed acquisitions raised wider issues of public interest arising from a change of ownership of British Sugar, given the special nature of the sugar market, and British Sugar's place in it.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will ask the chairmen of (a) the Central Electricity Generating Board, (b) the South of Scotland Electricity Board, (c) British Nuclear Fuels plc and (d) the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority to publish all nuclear incidents that have occurred at any of their facilities since the Government changed the all-inclusive nuclear incident reporting system of the nuclear installations inspectorate.

I have asked the relevant chairmen to write to the hon. Member on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether considerations of (a) material security or (b) commercial confidentiality have ever resulted in failure to disclose immediately radiological incidents; and if he will make a statement.

I am advised by the UKAEA, BNFL, CEGB and SSEB that at no time have they failed, in respect of any United Kingdom civil nuclear installation, either on grounds of security or commercial confidentiality, to make prompt disclosure to the relevant authorities of any incident judged likely to have any implications for public health and safety.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether, in the light of the Norwegian Government's decision to hold talks with the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, he will now agree to talks with the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other oil producing countries with a view to securing a stable oil price.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will now list all incidents which have occurred at Sellafield since 19 March 1982 which have (a) involved any leakage of radioactive material either within or outwith the plant and (b) are otherwise of radiological significance; and if he will make a statement.

I have asked the chairman of British Nuclear Fuels plc to write to the hon. Member on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the volume of gas which was purchased by British Gas but not taken in 1984, 1985 and in 1986 to date.

British Gas manages its gas purchases so that where gas is paid for but not taken a credit is given against future purchases. The volumes of such gas are commercially confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to be able to make a response to the Severn Tidal Power Group's report on the Severn barrage project.

I refer to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory) on 12 May at column 333.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he is yet in a position to announce his response to the report of the Waddilove committee on coal mining subsidence compensation; and if he will make a statement.

Careful consideration continues to be given to the numerous and complex issues raised by the Waddilove report. A Government response will be published as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has about the safety record of French nuclear power stations situated close to the English Channel; what discussions have taken place between Her Majesty's Government and the French Government about safety standards and procedures at nuclear power stations in the light of the Chernobyl disaster; and what plans exist for the exchange of information in the event of an accident to a nuclear power station near the Channel.

The nuclear installations inspectorate and its French counterparts have a formal arrangement for continuously exchanging information on all matters affecting safety. This would include details of incidents and actions resulting as a consequence. The NII has not found it necessary to alert me to any concern over the safety of French nuclear facilities. No formal exchange has taken place between the two regulatory authorities as yet, which are specific to Chernobyl, but both participated in a meeting on 9 May organised by the nuclear energy agency committee on the safety of nuclear installations. In addition to the arrangement referred to above there is a formal Government to Government agreement of July 1983 (Cmnd 9041) which spells out actions in the event of an accident occurring in either country which could have radiological consequences for the other.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has about recent problems involving welding defects in the nuclear steam supply systems of pressurised water reactors in France and other countries.

I have asked Her Majesty's nuclear installations inspectorate to reply to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether his Department correctly completed and submitted its applications for data protection registration on time; and if he will make a statement.

My Department submitted all six of its applications covering 18 "standard purposes" to the registrar by the due date.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will pay an official visit to Leicester prison.

I have no plans to do so at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of crimes per 100,000 population in (a) the 10 most deprived and (b) the 10 least deprived boroughs in England and Wales.

Statistics of notifiable offences per head of population are available nationally only for entire police force areas.

the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the increase since 1978 in the total number of crimes in (a) the 10 most deprived boroughs and (b) the 10 least deprived boroughs, in England and Wales.

Statistics of notifiable offences are available nationally only for entire police force areas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of those convicted of serious crimes during the last 12 months for which records are available had a criminal record; and how this compares with the previous five years.

The latest available information about the previous criminal record of those convicted of "standard list" offences is published in "Previous Convictions of Persons Convicted in 1982", Home Office statistical bulletin 2/86. It is estimated that 61 per cent. of those convicted in 1982 of non-motoring "standard list" offences had a previous conviction. The equivalent proportion for those convicted in 1977 was 56 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on progress in investigating crimes suspected of being racially motivated.

All police forces in England and Wales are well aware of the seriousness of racially motivated incidents and have made arrangements for these to be monitored locally. Guidelines issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers last year call for a vigorous and sympathetic response to such incidents and we are confident that appropriate investigations are carried out thoroughly and expeditiously.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department has any plans to conduct research into the incidence of crimes with an apparent racial motivation.

The 1986–87 programme of work for the Home Office research and planning unit includes a study of the nature and incidence of racially motivated incidents in selected areas and a study of possible improvements in the police response to such incidents and of victims' perceptions and needs. The possibility of a third study looking at crime prevention measures for Asian shopkeepers is also being considered.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from chief constables on the policy adopted by their forces for the use of plastic bullets.

No. Plastic baton rounds should be available to forces which need them, for use in circumstances of last resort. I announced earlier this week that new arrangements had been introduced to provide the necessary equipment. Where a police authority withholds agreement the chief constable will be able to obtain the equipment from my Department if his assessment of need is endorsed by Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary. We have also issued revised guidelines on the use of the equipment. Plastic baton rounds have never been used in Great Britain, and I very much hope that they will never have to be, but it is essential that the police should have the means of dealing with extreme disorder.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conclusions about the role of civil protection Her Majesty's Government draw from the disaster at Chernobyl.

The incident has underlined the importance of planning flexibly for a wide range of emergencies as proposed in the Government's all-hazards approach to civil protection.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department first received information from the Devon emergency volunteers about a suspected incident in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of radiological significance prior to official confirmation of the Chernobyl disaster.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he received from outside sources alleging an incident in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics suspected to be of radiological significance prior to official notification from within Government about the Chernobyl disaster.

In the absence of notification from the Soviet Government, initial information about the incident came from monitoring by other countries which were affected before us. The county emergency planning officer of Devon telephoned the Department's emergency planning division on the afternoon of 28 April after hearing a local radio news story about a suspected nuclear accident in the USSR.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the information available to his Department indicates the number of households in Great Britain who were victims of a crime in 1985.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state, for each year since 1978, the proporton of crimes of violence against the person in England and Wales which were committed by a member of the family of the victim.

Information on the relationship between victim and offender is not regularly collected centrally except for offences of homicide which is published each year in "Criminal Statistics for England and Wales".

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue guidance to all local authorities advising that the brighter new modern lighting of town centres, housing estates and blocks of flats constitutes the best crime prevention available to them.

There is insufficient evidence to suggest that such guidance would be justified, although improved lighting on housing estates can make a contribution to deterring crime.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to introduce legislation relating to kidnap insurance; and if he will make a statement.

The possibility of measures against kidnap ransom insurance is being considered. Until that work is complete it is not possible to say whether legislation will be necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Republic of Ireland about kidnap insurance.

This was among the subjects discussed at a meeting with my European Community colleagues, including the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Ireland, in the Hague on 24 April. It was agreed that further study was needed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress there has been in relations between the police and the community they serve since the publication of the Scarman report.

The Government and the police have responded positively to the recommendations made by Lord Scarman in 1981. Policing methods, training, recruitment and arrangements for consultation with the community have been substantially revised and are making a strong contribution to the development of police-community relations. The many imaginative initiatives taken by the police in recent years have been well received by local communities and the Government are giving the police every encouragement to continue with this important work.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Greater Manchester as to the latest figures for recorded crime in Greater Manchester in the year to date.

Recorded crime figures for the first quarter of 1986 are due to be published next month. At present, complete figures for individual police force areas are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the latest available figure for the average daily population in prisons, hostels and detention centres; and how this total compares with the statistic for 1979.

On 9 May 1986 there were 45,708 prisoners held in prisons, remand centres and youth custody centres and 1,140 in detention centres in England and Wales. On 30 April 1979, the nearest equivalent date for which figures are available, there were 38,402 prisoners held in prisons, remand centres, young offender prisons and borstals and 3,728 in detention centres. Figures for prisoners in hostels are not recorded separately.The latest available figures showing the distinction between prisoners convicted, unconvicted and held for civil offences can only be supplied for 31 March 1986 and I shall compare these to figures recorded for 31 March 1979 as follows. Convicted prisoners held were 38,449 in 1986 as against 37,998 in 1979. Those unconvicted held in 1986 numbered 8,115 compared to 3,907 in 1979. Those held in connection with civil proceedings numbered 234 in 1986 and 600 in 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in the light of experience arising as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear incident, he has any plans to increase the level of civil protection in the United Kingdom.

The Government will be reviewing contingency arrangements in the light of experience following the Chernobyl incident.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the implications for the role of civil protection in the United Kingdom of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given today to my hon. Friend the member for Norwich, North (Mr. Thompson).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state, for each year since 1978, the number of crimes against children which were known to the police in England and Wales, distinguishing between each category of offence.

Information on the age and sex of victims of crime is not regularly collected except for offences of homicide. The only other information available relates to certain offences defined as being committed against children. This information is published annually in "Criminal Statistics for England and Wales."

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on plans for further police training; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes have recently been made, or are about to be made, in the training of police officers.

Police training is subject to a continuous process of review and improvement. Plans for change currently being developed or under consideration at the national level cover all ranks and span probationer, career development, management and command training as well as more specialist functions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to seek to modify police training to meet the demands arising in the inner cities.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given today to questions from my hon. Friends the Members for Sevenoaks (Mr. Wolfson) and Basingstoke (Mr. Hunter). Training in community and race relations aspects, which focus most strongly in inner cities, is receiving special attention; the inner city is the main theme of this year's senior command course at the police staff college.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the latest position in the prison officers' dispute.

I refer my hon. and learned Friend to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Westminster, North (Mr. Wheeler) on 14 May at columns 464–466.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met representatives of the Prison Officers Association; and what subjects were discussed.

My right hon. Friend last met representatives of the Prison Officers' Association on 28 April and reported to the House on that meeting in his statement the following day at columns 797–805.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with police manning levels in the Thames Valley force.

A total of 370 additional police posts have been approved for the Thames Valley police since May 1979. There were 49 vacancies on the present police establishment of 3,367 on 30 April 1986 when the force was beginning to implement the latest increase of 50 posts, which was approved on 15 April. My right hon. Friend will consider in the autumn the possibility of a further increase for Thames Valley.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, pursuant to his answer of 20 March, Official Report, column 269, the Home Office standing conference on crime prevention has produced a low-cost security package to protect residential dwellings in particularly vulnerable areas.

Part of the terms of reference for the Home Office standing conference on crime prevention working group on residential burglary is to

"prepare a low cost security package for inner city households".

The working group is currently considering this matter and will present a report at an open meeting of the standing conference on 18 November 1986.In the interim, my right hon. Friend and I shall continue to monitor closely the progress of all five standing conference working groups through the ministerial group on crime prevention and at the second crime prevention seminar to be held on 23 June 1986 at 10 Downing street.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to provide for higher mandatory sentences for those found guilty of offences of cruelty to children.

We are satisfied that the penalties available to the courts for dealing with offences of cruelty to children (including assaults and sexual abuse) are adequate; the most serious offences carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Mandatory sentences would restrict the power of the courts to take into account all the circumstances of a particular case when passing sentence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are currently held in prisons on remand awaiting trial; what were the comparable figures for 1 May 1983, 1984 and 1985, respectively; and if he will make a statement.

The readily available information is given in the table. Information on the number awaiting commencement of their trial is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Untried population of prisons and remand centres in England and Wales
At 30 April	Number of Persons
1983	5,650
1984	6,970
1985	8,240
1986	*8,580
* Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to issue fresh guidance to police forces on the manner in which they treat victims of rape; and if he will make a statement.

We are considering with the Association of Chief Police Officers what further guidance might be issued on the police's treatment of rape victims, in the light of the report by the Women's National Commission on violence against women.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers received injuries in the course of their duties in the latest available 12-month period; how many clays' service were lost as a result; and if he will make a statement.

This information is not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish new Government civil defence information.

The information, comprising a film and printed literature, is expected to be available in the next few months.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis about the handling of the demonstration in Oxford street organised by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament on 20 April.

The Commissioner informs me that on 19 April demonstrators taking part in a march organised by CND sat down in Oxford street. When the march resumed, about 500 people refused to move. In order to relieve the serious traffic congestion caused, police removed demonstrators from the road. For the next hour demonstrators persisted in attempts to block the road and missiles were thrown at bus drivers and police officers. I understand that 72 people were arrested for a variety of public order offences.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the Government's policy on deregulation of radio; and if he will make a statement.

Within the existing legislative framework for radio, the Government welcome the steps taken by the IBA to avoid unnecessary burdens on programme contractors, consistent with the maintenance of the public interest in broadcasting. The future regulatory and institutional framework for all radio services will be addressed, in the light of the forthcoming experiment in community radio, in the Green Paper referred to in my reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Leominster (Mr. Temple-Morris) on 8 May at column 206.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of recent approved changes in the rules governing section 11 moneys.

There have been no recent changes in the arrangements under which applications for grant under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 are considered. However, the Home Office is currently consulting local authority associations and some other organisations on the terms of a draft circular which would introduce certain changes in these arrangements. The principal effect of the changes now proposed would be to improve the targeting of the grant so that it will in future be more effective in meeting the special needs of Commonwealth immigrants and their immediate descendants; but the proposed new arrangements will also require local authorities to pay explicit attention to value for money considerations, and to ensure that there is effective consultation with those who are intended to benefit from the grant before any application is made. The consultation period will last until the end of June and it intended that the new arrangements will be brought into force as soon as possible after that. In the meantime, new applications for grant are being considered under the existing criteria only in exceptional circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the forms and information circulated in Wales concerning the Protection of Information Act will be published in both Welsh and English; and if he will make a statement.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the Data Protection Act 1984. The Data Protection registrar, who is responsible for administering the registration requirements of the Act, is now arranging to have the registration forms translated into Welsh and is considering what further information should be made available in the Welsh language.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department correctly completed and submitted its applications for data protection registration on time; and if he will make a statement.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his recent visit to Merseyside.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on 20 May at column 127.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will (a) state the total increase in the average daily number of prisoners between 1980 and 1985, expressing this also as an average percentage rise in each year, (b) publish the comparable figures for the period 1970 to 1979 and (c) give his Department's latest estimate for the growth in size of the prison population between 1985 and 1994.

The average population of prison department establishments in England and Wales increased between 1980 and 1985, by about 4,000, an average annual increase of 1·8 per cent. Between 1970 and 1979 the average population increased by about 3,200, an average annual increase of 0·9 per cent. The increase in the average population between 1985 and 1994 is projected to be between 6,600 using a demographic model and 12,700 using a non-demographic model. Further details are given in "Projections of Long Term Trends in the Prison Population to 1994" (Home Office statistical bulletin 5/86).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Welsh homes have reported burglaries in each of the past 10 years.

The number of offences of burglary in a dwelling recorded by the police in Wales in 1985 was 16,707. Figures for the years 1980 to 1984 have been published in the annual "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables, Volume 3" (table S.3.1) and for earlier years in the annual Command Papers on criminal statistics.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the clear-up rate for crimes of burglaries from Welsh houses in each of the past 15 years.

The information requested is contained in the following table:

Recorded Offences of Burglary in a Dwelling (cleared up) in Wales
Numbers and percentages
		Numbers cleared up	Per cent cleared up
	1971	3,120	33
	1972	3,259	32
	1973	3,043	35
	1974	3,081	37
	1975	3,888	34
	1976	3,641	33
	1977	4,729	38
	1978	4,255	39
	1979	4,220	39
	1980	4,969	36
	1981	6,993	46

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in Wales in each of the past seven years have been convicted of crimes related to the claiming of supplementary or unemployment benefit.

Information collected centrally does not distinguish offences of fraud or forgery involving supplementary or unemployment benefit. Records available to me which may be incomplete, on social security offences cover the summary offences of false statements or misrepresentations. To provide figures for all of the years requested would involve disproportionate cost so details for 1979, 1981, 1983 and 1984 only have been provided in the following table. Corresponding information for 1985 is not yet available.

Defendents found guilty of offences of making a false statement or misrepresentation contrary to the Supplementary Benefit Act 1976 or Family Income Supplement Act 1970 in Wales
	Numbers
1979	1,039
1981	593
1983	274
1984	230

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which officials from his Department were present at the launch of the Grange Hill anti-drug abuse video, "Just Say No", held in March; and if he will make a statement.

Two officials from the Home Office drugs branch attended the launch on 25 March 1986 of the Drugwatch/SCODA National Directory of Services for drug users, their families and friends, at which the Grange Hill cast's "Just Say No" record and video were also launched. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security the hon. Member for Wycombe (Mr. Whitney) spoke at the launch. I had intended to be there but my duties on the Standing Committee considering the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Bill precluded me. The Home Office, DHSS and DES each gave financial help towards the distribution of the National Directory.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the value of the 49 prison officers' houses at Culcheth; what reserve price has been placed on them; when he put out to tender for the sale of these houses; and when the contract will be awarded.

The prison officers houses at Culcheth have not been valued. No reserve price has been placed on the 39 now for sale, since reserve prices are normally applicable only when properties are auctioned. Formal tenders were not invited. The estate agents were instructed on 11 November to market the 26 houses then available. Negotiations for the sale of the 39 houses are proceeding on a private treaty basis. The contract will be awarded as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any proposals to introduce legislation to seek to amend the Fugitive Offenders Act 1967; and if he will make a statement.

In the light of the decision of Commonwealth Law Ministers in 1983 to revise the Commonwealth scheme for the rendition of fugitive offenders, we are considering whether to amend the Fugitive Offenders Act. The scheme is to be considered further by Law Ministers in Harare in July, and my right hon. Friend shall reach a decision in the light of that meeting.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Government's implementation of recommendation 32 of the report of the Home Affairs Committee on refugees and asylum.

The Government accepted this recommendation subject to reviewing the situation in the country concerned shortly before the seven year point was reached by those first granted leave under a particular exceptional policy. I have now considered the position in respect of Iranians granted exceptional leave to enter or remain since the Iranian revolution in December 1979. In the light of conditions in Iran I have decided that where an Iranian has had exceptional leave to be in this country for seven years indefinite leave to remain should be granted, provided that he or she is not personally unacceptable. Applications from Iranians will now be considered with a presumption in favour of giving settlement on this basis. This policy will be kept under review in the light of the situation in Iran.