asked the Lord Privy Seal if the Services Committee will investigate the financial and practical implications of reducing the cost of' photocopying, as set out in his answer of 9 June, Official Report, column 9, by wider use in the House of carbon paper.

The Services Committee has in the past taken steps to encourage the increased use of carbon paper by Members' private secretaries. Modern office equipment is not always well adapted to the use of such paper; but I will draw my hon. Friend's suggestion to the attention of' the Accommodation and Administration Subcommittee, which keeps such matters under continuing review.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list the evidence she has received with regard to Soviet noncompliance with the anti-ballistic missile treaty.

I said in the House on 3 June that we regard it as important that the SALT 2 agreement continues to be observed by both sides. The same is true of the anti-ballistic missile treaty and other arms control agreements. We have made it clear that the Soviet Union has a case to answer on compliance issues with regard to the ABM treaty, particularly the Krasnoyarsk radar. We have repeatedly urged them to respond to legitimate United States concerns in appropriate ways, including through the machinery of the Standing Consultative Commission.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list the evidence she has received with regard to Soviet noncompliance with the SALT 2 treaty.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Renton) gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridgeshire, South-West (Sir A. Grant) on 11 June.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement on her meeting with Dr. Usamah Al-Baz, Director of President Mubarak's Office for Political Affairs, on 6 June; and what message he conveyed to her from the President of Egypt.

We had a useful exchange of views on current developments in the middle east. Dr. Al-Baz conveyed President Mubarak's views on the need for renewed efforts to achieve a just and lasting settlement of the Arab-Israel dispute.

asked the Prime Minister, pursuant to her answer of 23 May to the hon. Member for Dundee, West (Mr. Ross) Official Report, column 351, if she will explain the basis on which she gave the figure for the net reduction in the number of quangos since 1979 as 514, in the light of her statement in that answer that during the relevant period 242 new bodies have been created and of her statement in the answer to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, of 10 June that the number of bodies abolished was 407; and if she will make a statement.

Between 1979 and 1985 the gross reduction in the number of non-departmental public bodies (NDPB's) was 756. During that same period 242 new bodies were created, resulting in a net reduction of 514. Of the 756 gross reduction, 407 bodies were abolished outright. A further 194 cases involved the abolition of bodies (each an NDPB in itself) which formed part of larger composite organisations, but the composite organisation continued to exist. A further reduction of 155 was achieved by the merger of bodies or some other form of rationalisation as explained in my answer to the right hon. Member's earlier question on 10 June, at column 109.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to visit Liverpool to meet leaders of the city council; and if he will make a statement.

I have no plans at present to visit Liverpool, to meet the city councillors. I reaffirm my predecessor's statement to the city council that it must balance its budget within the resources available to it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether any changes are proposed to his Department's running costs limit since the limit was announced in the summary and guide to the 1986–87 Supply Estimates (Cmnd. 9742).

Yes. The running costs limit is to be increased by £1·511 million from £136·210 million to £137·721 million. The Department's running costs limit is being increased by £.1·652 million to reflect the provision finally agreed for running costs in the Department's Main Estimates. In addition, however, the limit is being reduced by £0·141 million to £137–·721 million, reflecting higher estimated VAT receipts (to be included in a revised Estimate for Class X, Vote 4).

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what further steps the Government have taken, following their announcement in 1985 of funding for studentships at the London School of Economics, to encourage the development of new housing management courses.

When speaking to the annual conference of the Institute of Housing this morning my right hon. Friend was pleased to announce that following negotiations between the Urban Housing Renewal Unit, the Institute of Housing, and Sheffield City polytechnic, a new full-time, two-year postgraduate course in housing management will be launched at Sheffield City polytechnic this autumn. It will meet the necessary professional criteria. My Department will provide funding, through the Economic and Social Research Council for 15 studentships a year for this course, which will, in my view, make a significant contribution to raising standards in public housing management.The first year will be largely academic in content; most of the second year will be spent working with selected housing authorities and housing associations. The studentships will provide for maintenance and fees in the first year and for fees only in the second year.I hope to see more courses which are worthy of our support come forward for next year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the current position regarding the future of the Greater London council's seaside and countryside homes;(2) pursuant to his reply of 27 March, column

[pursuant to his reply, 12 June 1986]: Discussions on the terms under which the homes will pass to a housing association are continuing between an association and the London Residuary Body.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the total number of parking fines incurred by each Government Department in each year from 1973 to 1984.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 June 1986]: A detailed analysis of parking fines for the period 1980 to 1984 cannot be obtained without disproportionate cost. As stated in my reply of 11 June, at column 183, detailed records for the period 1973 to 1979 are no longer available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, and publish an analysis of, the responses received by his Department to the consultation paper "Competition in the Provision of Local Authority Services" issued on 14 February 1985?

[pursuant to his reply, 12 June 1986]: More than 450 responses were received and a list of the main respondents was placed in the Library on 30 October 1985. The responses varied widely, and it would be very difficult to produce a meaningful and representative analysis. Respondents are of course free to make their views public if they wish.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now announce the date for publication of the Widdicombe inquiry report on local government.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 June 1986]: I have not yet anything to add to the reply which my right hon. Friend the member for Mole Valley (Mr. Baker) gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Mr. Thompson) on 14 May, at column 492.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many times, and for what purposes, he has used his powers under section 73 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980.

My right hon. Friend has powers under this section to direct local authorities that part of their annual capital allocation may be used only for specified projects of national or regional importance. He has issued such directions to Bradford city council for the National Museum of Photography; to the corporation of the City of London for the Barbican arts centre; to Derwentside district council for the Consett land reclamation scheme; to Preston borough council for the Preston docks redevelopment; to St. Helens metropolitan borough council for Operation Groundwork; to Southampton city council for the Western Esplanade geothermal energy project; to 52 authorities for coast protection works; and to 14 authorities for sea defence works.Two former GLC projects, the Thames barrier and the River Brent flood prevention scheme, received similar treatment under the separate arrangements which applied to the GLC.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport has also issued directions in respect of certain highways, airports and port projects.The power also contained in the section to direct that no part of an authority's allocation may be used in respect of a specified project has not been used.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received from Edinburgh university about the funding of higher education; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has received a letter from the principal of Edinburgh university expressing concern about the level of university funding. The Government have already announced their willingness to consider additional funding for the universities if there is evidence of progress in implementing the policies of selectivity and rationalisation, financial management and improved standards of teaching.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to the answer of 3 June, OfficialReport, column 480, if he intends that sex education should now be part of the core curriculum in maintained primary and secondary schools; and if he will make a statement.

The Government believe that, in the course of their period of compulsory education, all pupils should receive sex education as an essential element in the curriculum. Subject to the enactment of the Education Bill currently before the House, it is, however, for the local education authorities and schools to determine the way in which sex education should be provided for pupils in different age ranges, needs and circumstances. My right hon. Friend has already announced his intention shortly to publish a draft circular giving guidance in this field.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what information he has about the number of unfilled or partially filled vacancies for nursery teachers in inner London;(2) if he has any evidence of a shortage of suitably qualified nursery teachers in

The recent report by Her Majesty's inspectorate on the effects of local authority expenditure policies on education provisions in England, 1985, points to evidence of shortages of qualified nursery teachers in some parts of the country. I do not have the figures for unfilled or partially filled vacancies for nursery teachers in the Inner London education authority but understand that this authority may be one of the worst affected.As for the steps taken by the Government, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer of 14 April, at columns

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received with regard to the future of training for teachers of the deaf; and if he will make a statement.

The Government consulted widely on the 1984 report from the Advisory Committee on the Supply and Education of Teachers (ACSET) about training to teach children with special educational needs, including the deaf. The decision to accept ACSET's recommendations that specialist qualifications should be acquired after a period of mainstream teaching experience, and to pursue the substitution of in-service courses for the existing specialist initial training courses, was announced in the White Paper "Better Schools". Since then my right hon. Friend has received a number of representations on the subject of training to teach the deaf, including several letters from hon. Members. Officials recently met representatives of the British Association for Teachers of the Deaf (BATOD) to discuss this and other issues.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has yet received information from the Avon education authority as to the outcome of the disciplinary hearing concerning Mr. Jonathan Savery; and if he will make a statement.

The disciplinary hearing cleared Mr. Savery of the charge of racism. The panel was evenly divided on whether Mr. Savery's actions amounted to such professional misconduct or misjudgment as to warrant formal disciplinary sanctions. Discussions are in progress between the LEA and Mr. Savery on his future deployment. My Department will keep in touch with developments.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what research has been supported by his Department into Reye's disease; and what has been the cost.

I understand from the Medical Research Council that it is not supporting any research into Reye's syndrome. Research relevant to Reye's syndrome may be conducted in universities and medical schools using funds allocated for teaching and research on the advice of the University Grants Committee. Details of any such work are not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many reports by Heir Majesty's Inspectorate on the effects of local authority expenditure policies on educational provision in England have been made to his Department; and if he will state the date of publication of each report and the educational period covered by the report.

There have been nine reports by Her Majesty's Inspectorate on the effects of local authority expenditure policies on education provision in England. Six have been published, as follows:

• February 1981
• March 1982
• July 1983
• May 1984
• May 1985
• May 1986

Each report is based on inspection evidence, and financial and statistical information in relation to individual local authorities, obtained during the previous autumn term.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why Queen's University, Belfast, was not included among those to which his written reply, Official Report, column 14, 9 June, related.

Universities in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what sums were expended, nationally and by local education authorities, on the schools careers service in 1979–80, 1984–85 and 1985–86 in actual terms and at 1986 prices; and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.I refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 12 June.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps have been taken by Her Majesty's Government to follow up the Prime Minister's approach to the Prime Minister of Japan at the Tokyo summit pressing for the removal of discriminatory tax and duty rates imposed on Scotch whisky.

We are continuing to press strongly for the removal of Japanese discrimination in the tax and duty facing Scoth whisky and other imported alcoholic drinks. The European Community is to have further talks with the Japanese shortly, and we continue to take every opportunity to press the case bilaterally.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, during his recent visit to Korea, the Minister of State received any indication of the Korean Government's timetable for the liberalisation of bottled Scotch whisky.

I regret that I did not, hut I urged Korean Ministers to remove the restrictions on imports of bottled Scotch whisky, and I shall continue to press for an early response.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the imports and exports of electronic/electrical products for each year from 1978 to 1984; and if he will give the best estimate for 1985 to date.

The information requested is as follows:

United Kingdom in Electronic/Electrical Products*
	Imports	Exports
1978	3,407	3,887
1979	4,104	4,135
1980	4,408	4,767
1981	5,482	5,010
1982	6,814	5,892
1983	8,824	6,841
1984	11,154	8,717
1985	12,450	10,569
*Classes 33 and 34 of the standard industrial classification (1980).

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will consider the establishment of regional development agencies in England with powers similar to those exercised by the Scottish Development Agency.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 June 1986, c. 247]: I have no plans to establish such agencies.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer of 9 June, Official Report, column 42, what are the quantitative restrictions against the import of Japanese vehicles which exist in Spain and Portugal which the EEC allowed to continue; and for how long these will be allowed to continue.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 June 1986, c. 248]: The levels of these restrictions are set by the Governments of Spain and Portugal, although certain guidlines applicable to Portugal until the end of 1987 are laid out in protocol 23 of the treaty of accession, European Communities No. 27 (1985), a copy of which has been placed in the Library. Article 364 of the treaty requires the Portuguese to retain the restrictions covered by protocol 23 until at least the end of 1987. There are no other time constraints.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list every fire station within the North East Area Command of the London Fire Brigade, indicating those where, in the opinion of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Fire Services, the station ground is currently obtaining over provision of fire cover by the London Fire Brigade as defined in Home Office Fire Service Circular 4/1985 of 22 May 1985.

The fire stations in the north-east area command are as follows. The London Fire Brigade is presently discussing with Her Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate the question of a comprehensive review of the standards of fire cover taking account of Fire Service Circular 4/1985. That circular, however, does not on its own provide a benchmark for assessing over-provision of fire cover. This is an issue for the Fire and Civil Defence Authority and the Chief Fire Officer to consider in ensuring the provision of adequate protection by effective, efficient and economic means. Her Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate is conscious of this when inspecting the brigade.

C21: Shoreditch.	J22:Chingford.
C22: Kingsland Road.	J23: Woodford.
C23: Stoke Newington.	J24: Walthamstow.
C24: Whitechapel.	L21: East Ham.
F21: Stratford.	L22:Ilford.
F22: Poplar.	L23: Hainault.
F23: Millwall.	L24: Romford.
F25: Shadwell.	L25: Dagenham.
F26: Bethnal Green.	L26: Hornchurch.
F27: Bow.	L27: Barking.
F28: Homerton.	L28: Kennington.
F29: Leyton.	L29: Silvertown.
F30: Leytonstone.	L30: Plaistow.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of the 1987–88 provisional expenditure level he proposes to determine for the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority for fire brigade and civil defence purposes; and what is his estimate of the change in the present establishment of fire fighters, fire appliances and fire stations in the London Fire Brigade as at 1 April 1986 that would result from the application of this provisional expenditure level in 1987–88.

My right hon. Friend hopes to announce his provisional determination of the expenditure level for the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority for 1987–88 towards the end of July. The expenditure level will reflect his assessment of the establishement required to provide an effective, efficient and economic level of service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to seek to make the use of the computerised fire cover model mandatory by the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority in determining Greater London's future fire cover; and if he will make a statement.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, West of 4 June, if he will give the details as to how he reached the average figure of £256 as the average weekly cost of keeping a person in prison in England and Wales during the financial year 1984–85.

The figure of £256 was obtained by putting together information from the prison department costing system about the operating costs of the prison service in the financial year 1984–85 with information about the average inmate population of penal establishments over the same period. A description of the costing system is given in chapter 2 of the report on the work of the prison department 1984–85, a copy of which is in the Library. Table D in appendix 2 to the report shows net operating costs, average inmate population and weekly cost per inmate by penal establishment and region.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will publish in the Official Report a table detailing on a monthly basis the number of body searches, cell searches and cell changes carried out on each of the three women being held on remand at Her Majesty's prison, Brixton;(2) how many strip searches were made of the three female prisoners held on remand in Her Majesty's prison, Brixton, during the first five months of 1986, detailing the number of times each person was strip searched per month; whether any contraband, smuggled item or illegal correspondence was discovered in any search, indicating which items; in how many cases prisoners refused to be searched and had to be restrained while the search was being conducted; and if he will indicate the reasons for the search, namely, making an appearance at a courthouse on remand, attending trial, inter-prison visits or other reasons.

Strip searching is a routine security procedure, of long standing, to which all prisoners, male and female (including those on remand), are subject. It is essential to detect small items of contraband—such as weapons and drugs—which can easily be concealed about the person and which cannot be detected by other means of searching. Because of the nature and circumstances of the offences with which the) were charged, all three women prisoners in Brixton were provisionally placed in the highest security category, category A, which is reserved for those prisoners whose escape would be highly dangerous to the public, or to the police, or the security of the State. In accordance with standard practice, they have been strip searched before and after court appearances, at the time of cell changes, and during wing and cell searches. The information requested is contained in the following tables covering the first five months of 1986:

1986	Ms. Anderson	Ms. O'Dwyer	Mrs. Schulze
Strip searches before and after court appearances
January	nil	nil	nil
February	3	2	nil
March	2	2	nil
April	nil	nil	nil
May	34	34	nil
Strip searches after visits
January	15	17	6
February	22	24	7
March	25	25	6
April	40	37	5
May	26	25	13
Strip searches at lime of cell change, wing search or cell search
January	6	7	6
February	5	6	6
March	4	6	6
April	6	6	6
May	2	2	5

For reasons which the hon. Member will understand, it is not the practice to disclose detailed information such as that requested about security arrangements—for example the frequency of cell changes or cell searches.The trial of Ms. Anderson, Ms. O'Dwyer and their codefendants opened at the Central Criminal Court on 6 May and they were convicted on 11 June.There is no record of an occasion on which any of the prisoners has refused to be strip searched and been searched under restraint. To date, no unauthorised item has been found on any of the three women during a strip search. But the justification for strip searching lies not only in the fact that staff do discover items (such as drugs, syringes, plastic knives sharpened into daggers, and scissors) which they would not otherwise find, but also in the deterrent effect which such searching undoubtedly has.Records are not kept of the occasions when rub-down searching, or "frisking", is carried out in prisons. Such searching is a routine security measure in prison establishments as it is in other circumstances — for example, at airports.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suicides for each of the last five years have been recorded by the Portsmouth coroner.

The information requested is given in the following table:

Verdicts of suicide returned at coroners inquests in the Portsmouth coroners district
	Number
1981	22
1982	22
1983	20
1984	13
1985	17

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek a report from the chief constable of Hampshire setting out a schedule of the summonses and charges brought against members of the so-called hippy convoy whilst they were in Hampshire; and what information he has as to the penalties so far imposed by the courts.

I shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers have left the service for each of the last five years excluding those who have taken normal retirement and retirement for medical reasons.

The figures are as follows:

	*Number
1981	207
1982	191
1983	239
1984	227
1985	217
* Night patrols, temporary officers, prison auxilliaries and matrons are not included in the figures.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new prison officer posts have been created in each of the last five years.

The figures show additions to the complement of prison officer class posts, excluding trades officers, since 1 April 1983. Information for earlier years is not readily available.

	Number
1 April 1983 to 31 March 1984	1,057
1 April 1984 to 31 March 1985	668
1 April 1985 to 31 March 1986	889

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of the damage in each of Her Majesty's prisons in the recent disturbances.

The information is as follows:

Establishment	Estimated cost £
Ashford	980
Bristol	148,000
Camp Hill	1,000
Cardiff	700

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) psychologists and (b) clinical psychologists are employed by the prison department; which prisons they work in; what are their main functions; and if he will make a statement.

Eighty five psychologists are employed by the prison department; eight of these have clinical qualifications. The psychologists' main functions include assessment and counselling work with prisoners, training and advisory work with staff. consultancy services to management, and research.A majority of prison psychologists have post-graduate qualifications relevant to the wide variety of tasks undertaken. Apart from those who work in headquarters, regional offices and the Prison Service College, psychologists are located in the following 25 establishments, and provide a visiting service in approximately 40 others:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many National Health Service clinical psychologists provide consultant services in prisons; which prisons they work in; and if he will make a statement.

Details of the consultancy work provided for the prison medical service are not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any doctors in the prison medical service are eligible for any distinction or other merit awards; and if he will make a statement.

The pay and conditions of service or prison medical officers are those of the Medical Civil Service generally. There is no system of merit payments comparable to the distinction awards payable to certain consultants in the National Health Service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average cost of construction of a new protected cell in a prison hospital: how many and which prison hospitals now contain such new cells; and what is his policy concerning the contruction of further such cells.

The standard for protected rooms to accommodate violent or seriosly disturbed patients in prison hospitals has recently been reviewed, and prototype protected rooms equipped to a new standard which includes a padded wall lining material and improved observation, ventilation and heating, have been installed at Birmingham and Holloway prisons by converting existing hospital accommoadtion. In addition, experimental tests of the lining material only have been carried out at Bedford prison. The total cost of the building and engineering work at Birmingham was £15,200 and the estimated cost of the work at Holloway is £12,600. It is not possible at present to say what the cost of a protected room to the higher standard in a new prison hosptial would be, but the cost of the wall lining material (which is included in the costs of the Birmingham and Holloway rooms) is £3,600. If these prototype rooms prove successful in operational use, similarly equipped rooms will be made a standard requirement in all new and refurbished prison hosptials.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has about the number of fires in homes subject to the Registered Homes Act 1984 in (a) the private sector and (b) the public sector which required the services of the fire brigade.

Separate information on fires in homes subject to the Registered Homes Act 1984 is not available. The total numbers of firs attended by local authority fire brigades in England and Wales in 1984, in categories of premises which would include any such homes are:

	Numbers
Hospitals, including nursing homes	1,890
Residential welfare or charitable homes, including those for children, old people and the handicapped or disabled	968

These figures include premises in both the public and private sectors: pubic sector premises are not subject to the Registered Homes Act.

asked the Minister for the Arts if he will require the Arts Council to publish in full the recommendations of the Denning-Sadler review together with an indication of those which have been accepted; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 11 June 1986, c. 197]: No. The review was undertaken by the Arts Council and decisions on publication rest with it. The Council has already published the decisions that underlie the reorganisation which is currently in progress, and which incorporates a structure more suited to its present requirements.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has made any recent representations to his United States counterpart on command and control systems.

My right hon. Friend has made no such representations.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current overall cost of the Home Defence Force.

The Home Service Force is an integral part of the Territorial Army and, other than personnel costs, that is, those costs which can be attributed to an individual, it is not possible, without disproportionate effort, separately to identify all the costs required to calculate the overall cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current cost per man, and what has been the cost per man in past years, of the Home Defence Force.

The cost per man of the Home Service Force in training year 1985–86 was £770 for soldiers and £1,095 for officers. The comparable figures for 1984–85, the earliest year in which figures were compiled, were £574 and £863. These figures do not include elements for accommodation and works services which arc not readily identifiable from such costs for the Territorial Army: it is not possible therefore to calculate the overall cost per man of the Home Service Force.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to improve the arrangements made by his Department to enable smaller companies to benefit from offset arrangements on offer to the United Kingdom in the defence procurement field.

Our experience in monitoring such arrangements suggests that small companies do benefit from offset work placed in the United Kingdom by overseas prime contractors. While the onus remains upon these prime contractors to identify suitable offset opportunities with British firms, the MOD, primarily through the Defence Export Services Organisation, offers advice to any United Kingdom company interested in bidding for offset work and to overseas contractors, by identifying potential sources of United Kingdom supply.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement about the progress of negotiations for the export of frigates to Pakistan.

As the hon. Member will appreciate, this is a complex matter, negotiations are continuing with the Pakistan Government and we are hopeful that they will soon reach a conclusion. Details must at present remain confidential for commercial reasons.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if there are any plans to relocate any defence establishments currently in Portsmouth away from the area.

As the hon. Member will be aware, studies into the use of the naval estate in Portsmouth are continuing, but we do not envisage that these will lead to the movement of any major units outside the Portsmouth area.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what were the specific duties of the late Petty Officer John Black during his posting at HMS Rooke, Gibraltar.

The late Petty Officer Black was employed on sonar duties at HMS Rooke which any rating of his branch might be called upon to perform.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence on what day in April 1982 the late Petty Officer John Black, Royal Navy, reported for duty at HMS Rooke, Gibraltar; and whether he remained there throughout the Falklands conflict.

The late Petty Officer John Black reported for duty at HMS Rooke, Gibraltar on 26 April 1982. He remained at this establishment until he returned to HMS Dolphin in July 1983 for a course.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has yet made a decision with regard to the defence schools of music.

No, although the review which my noble Friend the Minister of State for Defence Procurement announced on 12 February is well under way.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those measures introduced by his Department within the past year and intended to be of benefit to small businesses.

Responsibility for small firms matters in Scotland lies with the Industry Department for Scotland with services also being provided by the Scottish Development Agency and the Highlands and Islands Development Board. In addition to providing a number of services specific to Scotland, the Department along with the SDA and HIDB monitors United Kingdom measures introduced by other Departments. The following Scottish measures have been introduced since May 1985 to benefit the small firms sector.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will announce any increase in his cash limits to take account of the pay settlements following the recommendations of the National Health Service review bodies.

Yes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for Class XVI, Vote 14 (Prisons, Hospitals and Community Health Services, etc., Scotland) will be increased by £5,882,000, from £1,598,270,000 to £1,604,152,000. This increase is to enable health services to be maintained and developed as planned following the decision to implement from 1 July 1986 the recommendations of the pay review bodies in respect of doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives and professionals allied to medicine, announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on Thursday 22 May 1986. This increase will be charged to the Reserve and therefore does not add to the public expenditure planning total.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials for whom he has

Customs and Excise powers of entry and search
Statutory authority	Form of authority	Place to which there is power of entry
Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 S161(3) and (4)	Magistrate's warrant	Any building or place where reasonable ground for suspecting existence of anything liable to forfeiture under customs and excise Acts.
S161(5)	Magistrate's warrant	Any building or place where reasonable ground for suspecting equipment or materials for manufacture of spirits.
S161(1)	Writ of assistance or by warrant	Any building or place where reasonable ground for suspecting existence of anything liable to forfeiture under customs and excise Acts.
Car Tax Act 1983 Schedule 1 paragraph 7(3)	Magistrate's warrant	Premises where reasonable ground to suspect offence in connection with car tax being committed (or has been or is about to be) or that there is evidence of such an offence.
Betting and Gaming Duties Act 1981 Schedule 1 paragraph 16	Magistrate's warrant	Premises where reasonable ground for suspecting offence concerned with general betting duty being committed (or has been or is about to be).
Schedule 3 paragraph 17	Magistrate's warrant	Premises where reasonable ground for suspecting offence concerned with bingo duty being committed (or has been or is about to be).
Schedule 4 paragraph 17	Magistrate's warrant	Premises not licensed for the purpose where reasonable ground for suspecting there arc or have been or are about to be gaming machines.
S15(2)	Magistrate's warrant	Premises where reasonable ground to suspect an offence of illegal gaming being committed (or has been or is about to be) or that there is evidence of such an offence.
Miscellaneous Transferred Excise Duties Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 Schedule 2 paragaph 12	Magistrate's warrant	In Northern Ireland, premises where reasonable ground for suspecting offence concerned with general betting duty being committed (or has been or is about to be).
Schedule 3 paragraph 17	Magistrate's warrant	In Northern Ireland, premises not licensed for the purpose where reasonable ground for suspecting there are or have been, or are about to be, gaming machines.
Value Added Tax Act 1983 Schedule 7 section 10.3	Magistrate's warrant	Premises where reasonable ground to suspect that a fraud offence of a serious nature is being, has been or is about to be committed, or evidence of such is to be found there.
Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 S8	Magistrate's warrant	Premises where reasonable grounds for believing that there is material likely to be relevant evidence.
S18		Premises occupied or controlled by a person who is under arrest for an arrestable offence, if reasonable grounds for suspecting that there is evidence relating to that, or another similar, offence

responsibility currently have the power to enter and search premises, subject to statutory conditions; and, in each case if he will indicate the statutory authority under which power is exercised.

No Inland Revenue officer has power to enter and search premises except with the authority of a warrant issued by a circuit judge. An application may be made only wth the express approval of the Board of Inland Revenue which may not delegate the exercise of this function. the statutory authority under which this power is exercised is section 20C of the Taxes Management Act 1970.Officers of Customs and Excise who have been issued with commissions have the power to enter and search premises under the statutory authorities are as follows. In most cases the powers require the issue of a warrant by a magistrate. Just over half the staff employed by Customs and Excise have been issued with commissions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was his original estimate of the revenue in 1984–85 and 1985–86 from the imposition of value added tax on takeaway foods; and what was the actual revenue gathered from this source in each year.

When the imposition of value added tax on hot take away food was announced in the 1984 Budget, it was estimated that the net revenue yield would be £125 million in 1984–85 and £200 million in a full year. No estimate was made for 1985–86.Value added tax paid in respect of hot take away food and drink is not separately identified in Customs and Excise accounts, nor is it possible to produce a reliable estimate from consumers' expenditure data, since the latest survey information relates only to 1984, when expenditure patterns were distorted by the immediate effects of imposing value added tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the implications for employment in the takeaway food industry of the imposition of value added tax in the Budget of 1984.

No reliable information is available on employment in the hot take away food industry. In any case, it would not be possible to isolate and evaluate separately the effects of imposing value added tax on hot take away food and drink from those of other changes, such as trends in consumers' tastes, fluctuations in the price of raw materials, and the consequences of competition in the industry.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he has made with his negotiations with the Community on raising value added tax thresholds.

As indicated in the reply to my hon. Friend on 17 April 1986 at column 483, negotiations have been continuing with the Commission with a view to allowing member states greater flexibility in determining their threshold. We are now awaiting the Commission's formal proposals.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the actual net payment to the European Economic Community in 1985; and what were the comparable figures in 1975 and 1980, respectively.

The latest estimate of the United Kingdom's net contribution to the European Economic Community in 1985 is £1,870 million. The special reasons why the figure was so large were explained in my reply of 3 March 1986 to my hon. Friend the Member for Dulwich (Mr. Bowden) at column 69. Our net contribution in 1980 was £706 million, while in 1975 we benefited from net receipts of £56 million. United Kingdom contributions during the period 1975–79 were, of course, reduced by the transitional financial arrangements applying for the first four years after accession.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received seeking the introduction of taxation of pension lump sums or the withdrawal of tax relief on employers' pension contributions.

In recent weeks, none.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had about Civil List expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend gives careful consideration to civil list expenditure each year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 9 June, Official Report, column 76, whether the figures given for the rate of exchange for the ecu to the United States dollar referred to the budget approved by the Council or to that approved by the Assembly; and if he will also give the appropriate figure for whichever of the budgets his original answer did not cover.

To both.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what would be the changes in the yield of income tax, higher rate tax and employee's contributions to national insurance in 1986–87 if the combined rates were consolidated at 40 per cent. of taxable incomes with the tax allowances remaining as at present;(2) if he will publish a table showing his estimate for the current financial year of the numbers of people who will be liable to pay income tax, higher rate tax and employee's contributions to national insurance, divided into the main categories on the basis of the combined rates of deduction from income for which they will he liable.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the sum, expressed in pounds sterling. which the European Court determined had been granted unlawfully by the European Assembly to certain political parties; and how much of the total was distributed to British political parties.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 May 1986, c. 308]: The sum which the European Court determined had been granted unlawfully by the European Parliament to political groups was 43 million ecu (about £27,547,000 at current exchange rates). Details of the distribution within this total to British political parties are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest figures for waiting lists for in-patient gynaecological treatment in each health district in Wales.

The latest available information, which relates to 31 December 1985, is as follows:

Number waiting for in-patient gynaecological treatment
	Number
Clwyd	618
East Dyfed	126
Pembrokeshire	188
Gwent	1,024
Gwynedd	432
Mid Glamorgan	1,006
Powys	—
South
Glamorgan	720
West Glamorgan	702

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 13 February to the hon. Member for Ynys Môn, (Mr. Best) Official Report, column 509, when he expects to receive the advice of the Wales Advisory Board on local authority higher education.

The Wales Advisory Body will he considering the future pattern of initial teacher training provision in the public sector at its meeting on 27 June.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many reports on the effects on the education services in Wales of recent local authority expenditure policies have been made by Her Majesty's Inspectorate to his Department; and if he will give the date of publication of each report and the educational year covered by the report.

There have been five such reports and all have been published as follows:

Period covered by report	Dale of publication
Calendar year
1980	March 1981
1981	April 1982
1982	August 1983
Academic year
1983–84	December 1984
1984–85	June 1986

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the housing capital outturn figures for 1984–85 for each Welsh housing authority.

The information requested is given in the followig table:

Housing Gross Capital Expenditure 1984/85
Welsh Districts	£ thousands
Alyn and Deeside	3,699
Colwyn	1,688

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of overall public expenditure in Wales was represented by housing capital expenditure during the last 12 months for which figures are available.

In 1984–85 (the latest year for which firm figures are available) net housing capital expenditure. in Wales (£119 million) represented a little over 4·5 per cent. of overall public expenditure within our responsibility. Because public expenditure is measured net of receipts and other income, no account has been taken in this calculation of that element of housing capital expenditure which was financed by receipts. In 1984–85 this additional expenditure exceeded £98 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many house completions were made in Wales in 1985; and how this compares with the figures for 1979–80 and 1982–83.

In 1985, 8,213 completions were made. This compares with 11,360 and 7,930 completions for 1979–80 and 1982–83, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to make an announcement about the construction of the Taff river barrage currently being considered by his Department.

We have received the results of the preliminary studies into the feasibility of building a barrage across the Cardiff harbour mouth and of the investment potential in the south Cardiff area. We are now considering them and hope to be able to make an announcement shortly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what steps his Ministry takes to ensure that animal products imported into the United Kingdom have not been obtained from animals subjected in their country of origin to treatment classed as cruel in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will take steps to ban the importation into the United Kingdom of wool from Australia from sheep which have been subjected to mulesing; and if he will make a statement.

It is not my Ministry's policy to restrict imports on the grounds suggested by the hon. Member, nor has it powers to do so.As regards the particular example to which the hon. Member refers, I understand that an Australian Senate Select Committee is currently conducting an inquiry into mulesing.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current position of former Land Settlement Association properties in Bedfordshire.

Over 80 per cent. of the smallholdings and houses on the two former Land Settlement Association estates in Bedfordshire at Chawston and Potton have been sold, the majority to sitting tenants. The freeholds of the remaining tenanted smallholdings and houses are being offered to third parties subject to the existing tenancies, except in those cases where the tenants have entered into separate agreements with my Ministry that retain their first option to buy subject to certain conditions. Vacant land not already sold will mostly be sold by the autumn. The former centralised service buildings at Chawston have all been sold.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the reasons for the distinction between the 1,000 becquerels per kilo emergency reference level for daesium 137, caesium 134 and iodine 131 in sheepmeat in the United Kingdom as against the level of 600 becquerels per kilo in other countries of the European Community.

Emergency reference levels for sheepmeat in the United Kingdom were agreed by the Government on the advice of the National Radiological Protection Board and were derived from recommendations published by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. The maximum level of 600 Bq/kilo of radiocaesium is that agreed by the European Community for imports from third countries. This is more restrictive because it takes into account the uncertain nature of information from some third countries affected by the accident at Chernobyl.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many officials for whom he has responsibility currently have the power to enter and search premises, subject to statutory conditions; and, in each case, if he will indicate the statutory authority under which power is exercised.

A little more time is needed to answer this and I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the source and nature of the data relied upon to approve the use of aspartame in the United Kingdom; what action he proposes to take to protect consumers using this product; and if he will make a statement.

Aspartame is permitted for use in food by the Sweeteners in Food Regulations 1983. It was fully evaluated for safety and need by our expert committees which recommended its use without restriction in all food (other than those manufactured specially for babies and young children where the criterion of need was not thought to be satisfied). A bibliography of the toxicological data considered by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment together with a summary of the committee's views about aspartame are contained in the Food Additives and Contaminants Committee's report on the review of sweeteners in food published in 1982.Labels of prepackaged food are required to identify clearly the additives used in the food, and where the artificial sweetener aspartame is used it has to be indicated by name.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what monitoring takes place of radioactive charges in the Channel.

[pursuant to his reply, 9 June 1986, c. 81]: Monitoring of radioactive discharges into the Channel from United Kingdom nuclear sites is carried out by the site operators in accordance with the discharge authorisations granted under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for the Environment. Duplicate samples are supplied to Her Majesty's Radiochemical Inspectorate and are sent for independent analysis, the results being used by the inspectorate to check the operators' liquid effluent discharge records. Site operators are also required, as a condition of their discharge authorisation, to carry out regular environmental monitoring.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what talks he has had with his United States counterparts concerning the extradition of suspected Irish Republican Army terrorists from the United States of America.

We are working closely with the United States Administration to persuade the United States Senate to ratify the United Kingdom-United States supplementary extradition treaty. This measure would prevent suspected terrorists from avoiding extradition from the United States by claiming before the United States courts that their alleged crimes were politically motivated.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current state of diplomatic relations with Syria.

Relations with Syria have been soured by the unjustified expulsion of three members of the diplomatic staff of Her Majesty's embassy at Damascus.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions have taken place within the European Council about the implications for the Contadora process of the funding by the United States of America of the Contras in Nicaragua.

Within the framework of European political co-operation there is regular discussion of questions relating to Central America. The last meeting of Foreign Ministers took place on 12 and 13 May.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total number of persons employed by the European Economic Community Commission; what is the total cost of the Commission; and what were the comparable figures in 1976.

The figures requested, which cover the period during which Greece, Spain and Portugal joined the European Community are:

	1976	1986
Total number of persons employed by the Commission	7,983	10,881
Total cost of the Commission	814 mecu	1,049 mecu
Total Commission staff costs	228 mecu	699 mecu

These figures reflect the appropriations in the 1986 European Communities Budget and the 1976 Supplementary Budget No. 2 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives his Department intends to take as part of the 1986 UN International Year of Peace; and if he has given support to organisations sponsoring special events to commemorate the Year of Peace.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Billericay (Mr. Proctor) on 20 November 1985, at column 215. We believe that public funds are best spent directly on policies designed to further peace, and have not given support to organisations sponsoring special events to commemorate the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied with the hospital service available in Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement.

Hospital services in Hong Kong are satisfactorily provided for the territory's 5·4 million people and are administered by the Hong Kong Medical and Health Department. There are four hospital regions, each served by a regional hospital, one or more district hospitals and a number of general and specialist clinics. These provide a total of 24,638 hospital beds—a ratio of 4·5ospital beds per 1,000 of the population. The construction of four more Government hospitals is planned whilst existing facilities continue to be extended and improved. Hospital charges are minimal and are waived for those in hardship irrespective of age, sex, race and religion.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the resolution passed by the Falkland Islands Legislative Council on 28 May concerning the wishes of the islanders regarding their future; and what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the resolution.

The motion has already been publicised by the Falkland Islands Government Office. We have made clear on numerous occasions our commitment to defend. the right of the Falkland Islanders to live under British sovereignty. Their wish to do so has never been in doubt.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to the draft regulations of the Commission of the European Communities which in its judgment would need to be enacted to complete the harmonisation of the internal market; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

A list of some 300 measures which the Commission considers necessary appears in the White Paper "Completing the Internal Market" which it submitted to the European Council in June 1985, and which is available in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he has had with those trade and professional organisations in the United Kingdom whose interests are likely to be affected by measures necessary to complete the common internal market of the European Economic Community.

Ministers are in regular touch with a wide range of trade and professional organisations about the internal market. These organisations are in any case consulted by Government Departments on any specific Commission proposals which are likely to be of concern to them.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the number of occasions in 1980, and in each succeeding year when Her Majesty's Ministers declined to agree with a legislative proposal of the Commission of the European Economic Community, presented under article 100 of the treaty of Rome.

A substantial number of proposals are put forward by the Commission under article 100 each year. These proposals are rarely agreed to by the Council in their original form but are changed to reflect the views of member states and to be capable of adoption by the Council. The United Kingdom has played a full part in that process but it is not possible to enumerate the occasions on which proposals have been amended to reflect our views.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give or estimate the number of occasions in each of the years 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986 when the Commission of the European Economic Community has laid new regulations or amendments to those proposed, consequent to the opinions of the European Assembly.

The Commission reports each month to the European Parliament on the action it has taken on the Parliament's opinions. These reports are reproduced in the "Report of Proceedings" published as an annex to the Official Journal, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The reports show that the Commission frequently amends its proposals in response to the views expressed by the European Parliament. In the time available it has not been possible to calculate the number of such amendments over the period in question. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as the information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any British public sector employees, including members of Her Majesty's forces, or any person acting on their behalf, entered the apartment in an official capacity in Sabinillas, Spain, of the late Petty Officer John Anthony Black, Royal Navy, between 24 and 27 December 1983; and whether this issue was raised with the Spanish authorities in the recent Note Verbale.

No Foreign and Commonwealth Office employee, or persons acting on its behalf, entered the apartment between 24 and 27 December 1983. There was therefore no such issue to raise with the Spanish authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce his final proposals for a dual carriageway bypass of Iwade on the A249; and what is the target date for completion of the project.

We expect to announce the preferred route for an extended bypass of Iwade on the A249 later this year. The final proposals and timing of construction will depend on the outcome of the necessary statutory procedures. It may be possible to start construction at about the end of 1988, for completion two years later.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the 20 contractors who have received the largest share of motorway and trunk road construction contracts in the past three years, giving for each contractor the total value of contracts received.

During the three years 1983, 1984 and 1985, motorway and trunk road construction contracts of over £100,000 each in value were awarded as follows:

	Total value of contracts £ million
1. Balfour Beatty Ltd.	95·0
2. Cementation Construction Ltd.	*93·8
3. Tarmac Construction Ltd.	87·0
4. Costain Civil Engineering Ltd.	*82·4
5. John Laing Construction Ltd.	62·4
6. Alfred McAlpine Construction Ltd. (formerly Sir Alfred McAlpine & Son Ltd.)	†59·
7. Fairclough Civil Engineering Ltd.	†49·7
8. Edmund Nuttall Ltd.	42·5
9. Wimpey Construction UK Ltd.	38·0
10. A. F. Budge (Contractors) Ltd.	31·1
11. Dowsett Engineering Construction Ltd.	28·5
12. A. Monk & Co. plc.	24·1
13. Taylor Woodrow Construction Ltd.	‡21·
14. A. E. Farr Ltd. (formerly Bovis Civil Engineering Ltd.)	║20·4
15. Peter Birse Ltd.	║20·0
16. John Mowlem & Co. plc.	16·5
17. R. M. Douglas Construction Ltd.	15·3
18. May Gurney & Co. Ltd.	15·2
19. M. J. Gleeson Group plc.	11·5
20. Roadworks (1952) Ltd.	7·4
*Includes £50·4 million awarded to consortium Cementation Construction Ltd./Costain Civil Engineering Ltd. (two contracts).