asked the Prime Minister if she will list the bodies to which outside members are appointed where the Official Secrets Act is used to secure the confidentiality of commercial information received from sources outside Government and placed in the hands of the outside members; and if she will list the purpose of each such body.

This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, when appointments are made to the boards of non-departmental public bodies, Departments are responsible for bringing to the attention of candidates appropriate rules of conduct which take into account the nature of the body and its relationship to other organisations.

asked the Attorney-General what criteria are applied by the Lord Chancellor when he decides not to renew recorderships.

Under section 21 of the Courts Act 1971 recordership is a part-time judicial office which is held for a specified term (usually about three years) and is renewable by the Lord Chancellor until the age of 72. Until then, the Lord Chancellor will normally renew the appointment provided that he is satisfied as to the recorder's continuing fitness for it, particularly with reference to his judicial performance and behaviour, and whether or not he has complied with the terms of his appointment. In making these decisions, the Lord Chancellor always acts after receiving advice in writing from officials and relevant presiding judges. This advice is based on consultations with the judiciary and the profession. The Lord Chancellor has in fact never decided not to renew a recordership except in accordance with such advice from officials and presiding judges. His overriding consideration, as with all judicial appointments, is always the maintenance of public confidence in the competence and independence of the judiciary, and in the integrity and impartiality of the administration of justice.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether there are any new Commonwealth initiatives for the relief of famine in Africa.

I am not aware of any specifically Commonwealth initiatives.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans for increasing educational provision for refugees from South Africa.

We have put proposals to the Commonwealth Secretariat, which, if accepted by other Commonwealth Governments, would result in a new Commonwealth financed fellowship programme, which could include assistance for refugees.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to receive the annual report of the Health Service Commissioner for 1985–86.

The Health Service Commissioner has, as in previous years, made a single report on the performance of his functions in England, Scotland and Wales. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Social Services and for Wales, and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland have laid the report before the House today. It will be published tomorrow (HC 481) and copies will be available from the Vote Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what studies have been carried out on the effects of hospital run-down on patients and staff and in the build-up of alternative services.

For some years many of the studies commissioned by the Department in the fields of mental illness and mental handicap have been concerned with the effectiveness of community oriented services. They have compared the new forms of care for patients with more traditional services and looked at ways in which problems can be overcome.Amongst other studies on services in these areas, these have included:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table, taking his Department's budget for research in 1981–82 as an index of 100, showing what has been the relative change in the index for each subsequent year.

The Department funds a programme of research which includes social security, health and personal social services, computers, building and equipment for the National Health Service. National Health Service authorities also carry out research and we look to the much larger programme arranged by the Medical Research Council for bio-medical research.The table requested is as follows:

	1981–82 = 100
1981–82	100
1982–83	95
1983–84	88
1984–85	77
1985–86	*78
* Estimated figure.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services for how many years he proposes to continue the resource allocation working party process.

The Government remain fully committed to the principle of securing equal opportunity of access to health care for people in equal need. The current review of the resource allocation working party formula is examining the scope for improving the measurement of need, to ensure that as regions approach their resource allocation working party targets these targets represent relative need as fairly as possible.The long-term resource assumptions issued to health authorities in 1983 were aimed at achieving broad equity between regions by 1993–94. (There are wider disparities between districts, which will take longer to redress). Even when broad equity between health authorities is reached, there will remain a need for some continuing redistribution of resources to take account of population movements and changes in population needs.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will extend invalidity allowance to include men aged 65 years and women aged 60 years and under in receipt of unemployability supplement or invalidity benefit; if he will estimate the cost of such a change; and if he will make a statement.

I have no plans to extend invalidity allowance in the way outlined in the question. The estimated cost of such an extension is about £3 million in 1986–87.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what reply is being sent to the director of the Association of Crossroads Care Attendant Schemes in reply to her letter of 20 June; if he will publish the correspondence between his Department and the director since 14 April in the Official Report; and if he will make a statement.

I have today replied to the letter of 20 June from the director of the Association of Crossroads Care Attendant Schemes Ltd. and hope to meet her shortly. A number of letters have been exchanged since 14 April between the director and the Department on various subjects, and I do not believe it would be appropriate to publish such correspondence in the Official Report.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases he has before him for investigation as to whether a local authority is in breach of section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act; how many cases there have been investigated since May 1979; and what is the shortest, median and longest period of time taken by his Department to conclude investigations of such cases since May 1979.

At present six complaints of alleged failure by a local authority to comply with section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 are under consideration.Forty-one previous such complaints have been considered since May 1979. The shortest time taken to complete the necessary investigations was four weeks; the longest two years and four months; and the median is five months.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the number of applications for parallel product licences for pharmaceuticals he has (a) granted and (b) received since March 1986; and if he will make a statement.

Since the product licences (parallel importing) scheme was first introduced in May 1984, 2,940 licence applications have been received, 1,264 licences have been granted and altogether 2,302 applications (that is 78 per cent.) have been cleared. The working of the scheme itself is kept under continuous review.During the period 1 March 1986 to 27 June 1986, 439 applications for product licences (parallel importing) were received and 360* licences were granted. Some 50 new applications are currently being submitted each week.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to increase the capability of the Medicines Inspectorate to inspect overseas production facilities.

Twenty-five per cent. of the Medicines Inspectorate on-site time is spent in overseas production facilities. There are no proposals in the 1986–87 annual programme for increasing this figure.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether it is the policy of his Department to provide accommodation where necessary to geriatric-type patients of less than 65 years of age.

It is not clear whether my hon. Friend had primarily in mind younger physically disabled people or people suffering prematurely from dementia. In either case our policy is that a full range of services should be available in every health district or local authority area, including special accommodation, whether in hospital or elsewhere, where this is appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has on the number of

Mentions of boxing, rugby, football and motor racing on death certificates, 1976–85
	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985
Boxing	—	—	1	—	—	1	—	—	—	—
Rugby	2	3	4	3	5	2	6	2	1	1
Football	6	3	4	*4	7	*4	5	5	1	†61
Horse Racing	2	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Motor Sports	24	18	17	14	19	8	8	15	20	15
Motor car racing	3	2	—	4	3	—	—	2	—	2
Karting	1	1	2	—	—	1	1	1	1	1
Motor car rally	4	4	—	—	2	—	—	—	1	1
Stock car racing	1	—	—	—	—	—	1	1	2	—
Drag car racing	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—
Motor cycle racing	10	7	7	6	10	5	3	4	12	5
Speedway	2	2	3	1	—	—	2	2	—	—
Motocross	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	2	—	—
Scrambling	3	—	2	—	—	1	—	—	3	3
Motor cycle events, stunts	—	—	2	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Marshalls at motor sport	—	1	1	—	2	—	—	—	—	1
Spectators at motor sport	—	1	—	—	2	—	1	—	—	—
Unspecified motor sport	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	3	—	2
* Includes 1 spectator.
† Includes 56 spectators.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the United Kingdom working group on breast cancer screening will make its final report.

I expect to receive its final report this autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when his Department will expedite the payment to Captain Balnave of 23 Malvern road, Southsea, Portsmouth, awarded to him on appeal.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his Department's Manchester offices are currently able to process applications for assistance within 14 days; what representations he has received relating to delays in processing applications; if he has any plans to seek to change the obligation to process applications within 14 days; and if he will make a statement.

Generally the Department's Manchester offices process claims for benefit within 14 days of their being referred to an adjudication officer. The exception at the moment is claims for single payments, which can be subject to delays. The offices have received a substantial rise in the number of such claims as a result of recent "take up" campaigns in the area.

The table shows the number of occasions in the last 10 years when, on a death certificate, the stated categories of sporting activity have been mentioned. The figures prior to 1982 are not strictly comparable with later years. It is regretted that no information is available centrally about non-fatal serious injuries.I shall be replying in detail, in the next few days, to the five specific cases raised with my by the right hon. Member. No other specific representations have been made to me.Current regulations provide that, so far as practicable, claims should be decided within 14 days of their reference to an adjudication officer. There are no plans to change this.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the outcome of the talks on hospital medical staffing which the Minister for Health has been holding with representatives of the Joint Consultants Committee, chairmen of regional health authorities and others.

I am today publishing a consultative document on hospital medical staffing which has been agreed, as a basis for consultation, between the three parties to the talks. I believe that these proposals will lay the foundation for resolving the long-standing problems of the medical staffing of hospitals. This will be in the interests of both patients and doctors alike. Copies of the consultative document are being placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, following his statement on 23 June that invalid care allowance will in future be paid to married women, whether he is now able to announce his decision on the arrears that will be payable.

On 23 June I told the House that invalid care allowance would in future be payable to married women, but that we would look at the question of arrears in the light of the impending judgment by the European Court in the case of Mrs. Jacqueline Drake. The judgment delivered on 24 June held that the exclusion of married women from invalid care allowance is contrary to the European Community's equal treatment directive, but said nothing about arrears. We have, however, decided in the interests of fairness that, provided the qualifying conditions are met, arrears should be payable back to December 1984, the date of implementation of the directive, on claims received before the end of 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans for a comprehensive revision of forestry planting.

The policy on forestry planting remains as set out in the statement made to the House by my right hon. Friend the Member for Ayr (Mr. Younger) on 10 December 1980, at columns 927–28. There are no plans at present for a revision of that policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the availability and take-up of discretionary awards for 16 to 18-year-olds in full-time education in Scotland, with special reference to the proportion of students in receipt of an award and the average value of awards granted, for each of the last three years.

Education authorities in Scotland may at their discretion make awards to young people aged 16 and over to enable them to undertake courses of full-time education. In general, assistance is given in respect of courses other than those at first degree or postgraduate level, which attract awards from the Scottish Education Department.In determining the amount payable in any particular case, education authorities must apply the rates and scales prescribed in the Education Authority Bursaries (Scotland) Regulations 1985.A higher school bursary may be awarded to young persons aged 16 and over who stay on at school. Those who leave school and undertake full-time courses at further education establishments may be awarded a category A bursary (if aged 16 or 17) or a category B bursary (if aged 18 or over).The following table sets out for each type of bursary the number and percentage of young people assisted and the average awards granted in each of the last three years for which the information is available.

Year	Number of awards	Total number at school aged 16 and over	Percentage of column 3 assisted	Average value of awards granted
				£
I Higher school bursaries
1982–83	7,669	73,700	10·4	377
1983–84	8,241	72,317	11·4	386
1984–85	8,261	70,876	11·7	412

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the new closing date for submissions on the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" in Scotland.

The Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714) asked for comments in Scotland to be sent in by 31 July 1986. This general closing date remains unchanged.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all directives issued in respect of Chapelcross nuclear power station since 1979.

[pursuant to his reply, 26 June 1986, c. 314]: No directives have been issued in respect of the Chapelcross licence.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what reports he has received since 1979 from the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate in respect of Chapelcross power station; which of these have been published; and what action has been taken to implement any recommendations in these reports.

[pursuant to his reply, 26 June 1986, c. 314]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 26 June, at columns 313–14. The implementation of recommendations made in the published quarterly reports is pursued by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate and recorded as appropriate in subsequent reports.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the annual production of titanium and plutonium at Chapelcross in each year since 1979; and what has been the destination of this production in each case.

[pursuant to his reply, 26 June 1986, c. 314]: The hon. Member is aware that the nuclear reactors at Chapelcross are available to meet defence requirements for nuclear materials. It would not, therefore, be in the national interest to reveal details of their production.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish, in tabular form, for each year since 1979 the number of mature students in higher education, the proportion they formed of total student numbers, and the total amount of mandatory or discretionary grant awards made at constant 1985–86 and at cash prices, for those students.

The number of home full-time and sandwich initial entrants aged 21 or more are given in the following table. Information in respect of maintenance expenditure for such students is not collected.

Higher education in Great Britain
Academic year beginning	Mature entrants (000's)	Mature entrants per cent.
1979	34·0	23·9
1980	33·2	22·7
1981	36·0	23·1

Full-lime teachers	All teachers teaching named subject*		Teachers for whom named subject was most important teaching subject†
	Numbers on Scale 2 and above (000s)	Percentage on Scale 2 and above per cent.	Numbers on Scale 2 and above (000s)	Percentage on Scale 2 and above per cent.
Mathematics	28·5	70	19·5	72
Remedial mathematics	6·7	66	1·2	69
Computer studies	7·1	76	1·1	85
Biology	9·4	66	6·3	70
Chemistry	8·2	70	5·4	79
Physics	9·3	73	5·9	80
Other individual sciences‡	5·6	74	1·2	86
General/integrated/combined sciences	18·9	67	4·0	56
Subjects other than mathematics and science	||272·4	71	111·0	72
TOTAL: teachers with timetabled teaching duties	¶	¶	155·7	72
* Teachers counted once for each subject being taught.
† Included in figures in the previous columns.
‡ Figures for the components were not separately recorded in the survey.
|| Because teachers are counted once in this column for each subject being taught this figure will include any teachers who were teaching both mathematics and/or science and other subjects.
¶ Not applicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish information available to him as to which local education authorities have tertiary colleges, indicating the names of these colleges within each local education authority.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many mathematics and science teachers are on scale 2 posts and above; and what are the comparable figures for teachers of other subjects.

Information derived from a survey of a sample of maintained secondary schools in England carried out by the Department in 1984 is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science which education authorities have submitted plans for reorganisation which include tertiary colleges.

Proposals for secondary reorganisation including tertiary colleges from Gateshead, Sheffield, South Tyneside, Sunderland, Essex and Oxfordshire local education authorities are currently before my right hon. Friend. In addition, proposals from Bury and Manchester have been approved and are awaiting implementation.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are his target staff: student ratios for (a) university higher education, (b) public sector higher education, and (c) non-advanced further education in the public sector.

My right hon. Friend does not have a target for SSRs in the university sector, but has been pleased to note the improvements achieved in the last few years—to 1: 10: 3 in 1984.The overall target SSR for the public sector of higher education recommended by the National Advisory Body for Public Sector Higher Education is 1: 12. Good progress is being made towards this: by 1984 the SSR had reached 1 : 10.8, compared with 1 : 8.4 in 1979.The derivation of a national SSR target for non-advanced further education (NAFE), and the pace of achieving it, are among the subjects under consideration by a joint group of DES, Welsh Office Education Department and local authority representatives, which is conducting a study of efficiency in NAFE.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the criteria used for planning the allocation of funding in both sectors of higher education; and if he will make a statement on the educational objectives served by the two systems of allocation of funds.

My right hon. Friend is advised on the planning and funding of higher education by the University Grants Committee and the National Advisory Body for Public Sector Higher Education. The UGC described the criteria used in its present planning exercise in letters to universities on 9 May 1985, 19 November 1985 and 20 May 1986. The approach adopted by the NAB was described in a note sent to local education authorities and colleges in December 1985. My right hon. Friend's predecessor wrote to the UGC on 30 January 1985 and to the NAB on 20 December 1985, offering guidance to inform their respective planning exercises. Copies of all these letters are in the Library.On broader objectives, I refer the hon. Member to the Green Paper "The Development of Higher Education into the 1990s" published in May 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will set out the national and local priorities, the subject priorities, the categories of training priorities, and the balance of funding between them under the terms of the proposed in-service training arrangement outlined in the draft circular of 12 June;(2) what funds will be available for in-service training under the new arrangements proposed in the draft circular issued on 12 June for the year 1986–87;(3) if he will express the funds available to finance the new proposed in-service training arrangements outlined in the draft circular of 12 June as a percentage of the estimated salary bill per teacher.

As my right hon. Friend told the House on 10 June, at column 190, funds to be made available through the intended new scheme will be decided as part of the overall settlement of local authority expenditure for the coming year. He will then decide which areas should qualify as national priorities under the scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will arrange for an exhibition relating to the work of the Natural Environment Research Council to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Services Committee, arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from 28 July to 1 August 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he plans to make any financial cuts in the Welsh plant breeding station at Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, in the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Paymaster General (1) if he will provide an estimate for every year since 1978 of the number of people identified in statistics for the United Kingdom employed labour force as full-time employees and self-employed people who also have at least one part-time job;(2) if he will provide estimates for every year since 1978 of the number of people in the United Kingdom with more than one part-time job.

Information is not available in the exact form requested.The regularly published employed labour force series does not identify persons with more than one job.The labour force survey provides information on a different basis but allows the above analysis. Available estimates arc presented in the following tables.

Table 1
Estimates*of full-time† employees and self employed in the United Kingdom who also have a part-time† jop
000 's
Year	Full-time employees	Self employed
1979	238	30
1981	279	60
1983	305	70
1984	337	109
1985‡	391	121

Table 2
Estimates*of persons in part-time† employment in the United Kingdom with a second a part-time†jop
000 's
Year
1979	91
1981	127
1983	160
1984	253
1985‡	281
Notes:
* Estimates relate to the spring of each year. Figures for 1984 and 1985 exclude those on Government schemes, whereas earlier years include those on schemes if reported as in employment.
† The definition of full and part-time is based on the respondent's own assessment, not on the number of hours worked.
‡ Preliminary estimates.

asked the Paymaster General if he will provide estimates for every year since 1978 of a list of the number of people in the United Kingdom who have at least one part-time or full-time job.

The only consistent time series for the United Kingdom is the quarterly estimates of the employed labour force published in Employment Gazette. However, some people who have a second job as an employee are counted twice and their numbers are not separately identifiable. The estimates since 1978 are as follows:

Employed Labour Force in the United Kingdom in June each year
Year	000's
1978	24,999
1979	25,375
1980	25,306
1981	24,323
1982	23,894
1983	23,602
1984	24,065
1985	24,396

The labour force survey provides information on a different basis but is able to identify those who have a second job. Available estimates of persons in employment are presented in the following table.

asked the Paymaster General what further funds will be made available specifically for technical and vocational education initiative related in-service training as a result of the expansion of technical and vocational education initiative into a national programme announced in Cmnd. 9823.

TRIST will not receive further funding as a result of TVEI expansion. It will be replaced in 1987 (subject to enabling legislation) by a new scheme of specific grants to local authorities administered by the Education Departments. As pointed out in paragraph 3.14 of the White Paper, the resources available under the new in-service training scheme are to be spent on training to meet needs of the greatest national and local priority, including the extension of TVEI.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will publish the annual figures earnings and labour costs per unit of output since 1979.

I have been asked to reply.Annual figures since 1979 for average earnings and for unit labour costs are given in tables 5.6 and 5.7 respectively of the July 1986 edition of

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the number of persons aged under 18 years and of no fixed abode who were arrested in Greater London in each year since 1979.

The information requested is not collected centrally an could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many babies were received into prison accompanying their mothers in the last year for which figures are available.

Eighteen in the year ending 30 June 1986. Twenty four babies joined their mothers in prison at a later stage and 59 babies returned with their mothers to prison after being born in an outside hospital. One baby was born in Holloway.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evaluation his Department has carried out on the Amac One water cannon vehicle; and what involvement his Department's officials had in design discussions with, and assistance to, the manufacturers.

Our officials have not evaluated any AMAC vehicle nore have they given any advice or assistance on design to the manufacturers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what safeguards exist to stop possible abuse of the reward system by (i) members of the public, and (ii) police officers; and if he will make a statement.

It is an offence for any person in any way to counsel, incite or procure the commission of a crime. It is open to a person who believes that a reward has been improperly offered or paid to bring that matter to attention.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about his meeting on 30 June with the Joint Committee Against Racialism on the matter of racial attacks; and whether any of its recommendations are to be implemented.

I had a constructive and helpful meeting with the Joint Committee Against Racialism. I share its view that racial attacks require particular attention from the police. We discussed the ways in which the police are giving increased attention to this problem, and ways of further improving the effectiveness of that response. I am considering a number of specific suggestions put forward by the committee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will describe the audit and logging procedures currently used with the police national computer; and whether, in cases of abuse, these procedures would identify the officer who performed the check and the number of requests made by that officer.

All police national computer transactions have always been recorded centrally on magnetic tape by the computer. These records indicate the time of the transaction as well as the terminal from which it originated. It has recently become possible to record centrally also the identity of the originator of any inquiry and the reasons for the inquiry.

Index	Number of Accesses	Maximum Number of Entries	Minimum Number of Entries	Current Number of Entries
1. Stolen and Suspected Vehicles	19,489,664	390,692	349,916	380,925
2. Vehicle Owners		38,146,538	35,646,695	38,146,538
3. Chassis (Engine Numbers)	948,899	644,411	534,633	644,411
4. Fingerprints	210,253	3,655,730	3,516,722	3,655,730

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those constabularies that have, or intend to have, an interface with the police national computer; and if he will indicate whether the linkage is to a computer used for command and control or criminal information or both.

The following police forces in England and Wales have a direct link to the police national computer through their own force computer system(s):

Force	Command and control	Criminal information systems
Avon and Somerset	Yes	—
Bedfordshire	Yes	—
Cambridgeshire	Yes	—
Cleveland	Yes	—
Cumbria	Yes	—
Durham	—	Yes
Essex	Yes	—
Humberside	—	Yes
Kent	—	Yes
Lincolnshire	—	Yes
Merseyside	Yes	—
Metropolitan	Yes	—
North Yorkshire	—	—
Northamptonshire	—	—
Nottinghamshire	—	—
South Wales	Yes	—
South Yorkshire	Yes	Yes
Staffordshire	Yes	Yes
Suffolk	Yes	Yes
Sussex	Yes	—
Warwickshire	Yes	Yes
West Mercia	Yes	—
West Midlands	Yes	—
Wiltshire	Yes	—

The following forces have indicated that they intend to implement a direct link to the PNC in due course, but have not yet informed the Department as to the nature of the force system(s) to which the PNC is to be linked.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the number of accesses in, and the maximum and minimum number of entries, in the last year to current number of entries, for each index of the police national computer over the last year.

The total number of accesses and the maximum and minimum number of entries in the year to June 1986 and the current number of entries for each substantive index of the police national computer are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the current number, the maximum number and minimum number of entries for each of the sub-categories of the stolen and suspect vehicle index of the police national computer over the last year.

The number of entries in each of the sub-categories of the stolen and suspect vehicle index of the police national computer as of 21 June, together with the maximum and minimum number of entries for the previous 12 months, is as follows:

Sub Category	21 June 1986	Maximum in last 12 months	Minimum in last 12 months
Lost or stolen	289,705	289,705	259,120
Obtained by deception	575	595	533
Found or apparently abandoned	24,435	25,873	21,554
Removed into police custody	11,997	12,225	10,233
Removed by police from one street to another	344	563	183
Repossessed by finance company	93	112	76
Suspected of being involved in a particular incident, for example: crime	3,341	3,520	3,299
Owned or used by police	6,102	6,220	6,102
Of interest to the police, for example: owned by known criminals or by missing persons	30,827	35,391	30,827
Seen or checked by the police in noteworthy circumstances: for example at night in an area where a series of crime is under investigation	10,824	13,666	10,813
Details not to be passed over open radio for example: police vehicles used in observation duties	4,283	4,369	3,845

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the current number, the maximum number and minimum number of entries for each of the sub-categories of the wanted and missing persons index of the police national computer over the last year.

The current, maximum and minimum number of entries for each of the sub-categories of the wanted and missing persons index of the police national computer for the 12-month period ending June 1986 are as follows:

Sub-category	June 1986	Maximum	Minimum
Wanted persons	30,838	30,838	27,762
Failed to appear in court	20,079	20,228	19,468
Suspected of offence	4,132	4,132	3,798
Impending prosecution	49	106	39
Deserter from Armed Forces	4,519	10,398	4,519
Location desired: eg: for services of summons	37,006	39,986	36,889
Missing	2,220	2,324	1,936
Found	20	20	8
Absconded from Local Authority care	587	695	564
Absconded from hospital	47	65	36
Absconded from youth custody	86	98	77
Absconded from prison	439	439	359
Absconded from remand	16	38	16
Absconded from school	60	126	60
Absconded from detention	8	8	4
Recalled to youth custody	1	3	1
Recalled to prison	243	249	229
Recalled to detention	0	2	0
Notify if in custody	2	141	2

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimates he has made of the trend in the street price of illegal drugs, including cannabis, heroin and cocaine over the last three years; and if he will seek to monitor such changes as an indication of the extent to which importation and distribution of illegal drugs are being prevented by the work of the Government Departments concerned.

The information collated by the national drugs intelligence unit suggests that since the beginning of 1984 there has been little change in the mean prices of illicit heroin and cannabis resin, whereas that of cocaine appears to have risen slightly. Street prices are one of a number of indicators which we monitor as part of our continuing assessment of the drug misuse situation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the cost of rectifying the faults in the building of new kitchens at Wormwood Scrubs;(2) what was the nature of the problems encountered in the construction of new kitchens at Wormwood Scrubs.

A proposed new kitchen was built as part of a redevelopment programme started in 1982. Subsequently the decision to retain the chapel, the demolition of which was envisaged under the original redevelopment plan, together with population pressures restricting the amount of accommodation at the prison that could be taken out of use at one time, led to the abandonment of the scheme and the formulation of an alternative. Under the new plan the kitchen, which has never been used for its intended purpose, will be used instead as a laundry and for prison industries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the cable based community radio stations now operating under the experimental arrangements begun in 1978; what arrangements exist to ensure that they observe acceptable standards of objectivity and decency; and when the results of this experiment are to be reviewed.

Since part I of the Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984 came into force on 1 January 1985 all licensable cable programme services, including those established under the arrangements in 1978, have been subject to regulation by the Cable Authority and have ceased to be regarded as experimental. We understand from the authority that of those cable radio services established under the 1978 arrangements Milton Keynes and Thamesmead are still operating. In common with all licensed services the authority is required by section 10 of the Act to do all that it can to secure that these services include nothing which offends against good taste or decency and that all news given (in whatever form) in programmes which originate in the United Kingdom is presented with due accuracy and impartiality.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria were used in granting Radio Thamesmead a special events licence; and how the use of that licence will be supervised.

Radio Thamesmead applied for an experimental special event licence to broadcast to the site of the Thamesmead town show from 24–26 August. The application satisfied the criteria set out in the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Thanet, North (Mr. Gale) on 28 January 1986, at column 486, relating as it did to a recognised event of not more than two weeks' duration at a single site. Equipment used under any special event licence may be inspected, and transmissions monitored, with a view to ensuring that the conditions included in the licence are followed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why no reply has been received by Ashford, Sparkes and Harward, solicitors in Tiverton, acting for Roy Percy Steptiford, to their letter, dated 30 April to his Department's Prison Department; and why neither reply nor acknowledgement has been received to the follow-up letter, dated 10 June, asking why no reply had been received to the earlier letter; and what action he proposes to take in this matter, and when.

Inquiries into the matter raised by Messrs Ashford, Sparkes and Harward in their letter of 30 April 1986 took longer than foreseen, but a full reply has now been sent. We regret the failure to acknowledge the solicitors' letters in this case and will examine carefully the implications for our procedures for handling such correspondence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the review by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales of county electoral divisions in Clwyd to be completed; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales had hoped to submit final proposals on new county electoral divisions in Clwyd to me in June 1987. However, it has not yet received draft proposals from Clwyd county council and therefore cannot say whether it will be possible to adhere to this timetable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the effect of privatisation of water authorities on drinking water.

The Government's proposals for privatising the water authorities in England and Wales were set out in the White Paper (Cmnd. 9734) published in February. This dealt, amongst other things, with the quality of drinking water. My Department has to date received 337 representations on the White Paper, which include comments on this aspect as on others.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek powers to direct the sale of land by public bodies and statutory authorities other than local authorities, once that land has been included on the land register for a year.

My right hon. Friend has powers under part X of the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980 to direct public bodies, as defined in schedule 16 to that Act, to take steps to dispose of their interest in any land which is entered on the land register. Disposal of land surplus to the requirements of Government Departments is the responsibility of the relevant Minister.For last year's public expenditure survey Departments drew up plans with the general aim of disposing, wherever possible, of land then declared to be surplus by 1 April 1988. These plans are being revised in the course of this year's survey. Nationalised industries have a commercial incentive to dispose of surplus assets, including land.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to make orders under section 48(5) of the Local Government Act 1985 to set limits for expenditure in any year by the London boroughs grant scheme and similar schemes elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

No. My right hon. Friend has decided that orders are not necessary for 1986–87. Where collective schemes have been established they are already operating on the basis of agreed budgets. My right hon. Friend would, however, reconsider this decision should any scheme propose to increase its budget significantly in the course of this financial year. For the moment, my right hon. Friend has come to no conclusion on whether orders will be needed for 1987–88.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement as to the cost of and the results gained from the two pilot comprehensive community programmes in Bradford and Gateshead funded under the urban programme.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him on 30 June, at column 367.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details by year for total European regional development fund moneys for the borough of Trafford.

The amount of grant-aid awarded to local and public authorities carrying out infrastructure works under the European regional development funds is as follows:

	£
1975	—
1976	—
1977	—
1978	—
1979	27,600
1980	159,600
1981	—
1982	78,000
1983	—
1984	—
1985	237,500
1986	—

The figures exclude ERDF grant-aid committed to the Mersey basin programme, which is expected to benefit the Trafford area. They also exclude grant awarded to schemes under the fund's industry section, which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state the Government's policy towards the privately rented housing sector and the Rent Act.

Our policy continues to be to encourage a healthy and responsible private rented sector which can play a greater role in meeting housing needs. We want to improve the quality of accommodation available to those seeking rented homes, while allowing landlords reasonable returns on their investments. As my right hon. Friend, the Member for Wanstead and Woodford told the House on 12 June 1985, at column 890, when he was Secretary of State for the Environment, we hope to introduce legislation to encourage the supply of more homes for renting in the private sector, but probably not during the lifetime of this Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now allow local authorities to spend in excess of 20 per cent. of their capital receipts.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the replies given to my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham East (Mr. Moynihan) on 20 November, at column 246, and to the hon. Member for Burnley (Mr. Pike) on 18 April, at column 508. Only housing receipts are subject to a prescribed proportion of 20 per cent.; the proportion for other receipts is generally 30 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the number of public sector housing starts in England and Wales during the current year; what is the likely estimate of the total number of such starts for the year; and if he will give the comparable figures for 1984 and 1985, respectively.

The provisional number of public sector housing starts in England in January to May 1986 and the corresponding figure for 1985, together with the annual figures for 1984 and 1985, were published in table 2 of my Department's press notice No. 363 issued on 3 July; a copy is in the Library. In January to May 1984 there were 17,700 public sector starts in England. It is not the practice to make forecasts of housebuilding.For information on housebuilding in Wales, I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place a paper in the Library setting out details of Anglo-South African trade and of the British jobs dependent on that trade.

The published trade statistics are already in the Library and show that South Africa remains a major trading partner of the United Kingdom. Furthermore, my hon. Friend will have noted from my recent answers to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 23 June 1986, at column 41, and to my hon. Friend the Member for Southend East (Mr. Taylor) on 24 June, at column 142, that a large number of jobs are involved in that trade, with certain sectors particularly vulnerable to any disruption.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what initiatives Her Majesty's Government will be taking in the Presidency of the Council of the European Community towards an improved internal market.

It will he a major priority of the United Kingdom Presidency to tackle barriers to trade within the Community. In particular we will be seeking to make maximum progress in implementing the new Presidency acion programme, 1 July 1986 to 1 July 1987. The programme includes some 149 individual proposals for consideration by the Council during this period, details of which I gave in my reply to the hon. Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing) on 25 June, at columns 174–78. Priority areas for action include the creation of a free market in financial services and the transport sector; the liberalisation of capital movements; freedom of establishment for the professions; the removal of technical barriers to trade, for example, in the field of product standards; and the removal of physical barriers to the free movement of goods through simplification of frontier formalities.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his policy towards the provision of micro-computers for schools.

My Department continues to take a close interest in the development of the use of micro-computers in schools. I wish to see the United Kingdom maintain and extend its excellent record in this area.We are therefore willing to provide support for further development on a selective basis, though the direct responsibility for computer provision rests with the local education authorities and individual schools. At present, we are providing £3·million over three years to enable LEAs and schools to purchase more educational software and a further £1 million over the same period to investigate the use of interactive video technology, building in such cases on the successful example of the micros in schools schemes. We have also recently provided each middle and secondary school in the United Kingdom with a free modem, enabling them to explore the use of databases through a microcomputer. We will consider further support as opportunities and needs arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations he has received regarding competition policy.

My right hon. Friend and I receive regular representations on many aspects of competition policy. On 5 June my right hon. Friend announced a review of law and policy on mergers and restrictive trade practices and invited interested parties to contribute their views in the first instance by the end of July.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how he accounts for the decline in both clothing and textile production in the first quarter of 1986; and what steps he is taking to seek to reverse this.

According to the latest provisional figures, clothing production in Q1 1986 was 8 per cent. below Q4 1985 and under 1 per cent. below Q1 1985. For textiles, production was less than 1 per cent. below Q4 1985 but 2 per cent. above Q1 1985. It is therefore too early to treat the fall in the first quarter of 1986 as a genuine decline in either industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, in view of rising imports, falling exports and an increased trading deficit in the textile and clothing industry for the quarter ended 31 March, he will launch a new financial initiative to seek to stimulate the industry and preserve employment by large-scale investment in the latest generation of British-made textile and clothing machinery.

Schemes of investment assistance aimed specifically at the present clothing and textile industry are not permitted under present European Community policy. However, companies in the industry can apply for assistance under the Department's national schemes of support and also through its regional schemes aimed at projects safeguarding and creating new jobs. In April this year my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced a scheme to assist universities, polytechnics and colleges with the purchase of advanced clothing and textile machinery with a view to improving the facilities for training entrants to the industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the financial results for British Steel for each of the last six years; and if he will make a statement.

The British Steel Corporation's annual accounts, published yesterday, show a profit — loss on ordinary activities after interest but before exceptional items as follows:

	£ million
1980–81	-660
1981–82	-327
1982–83	-383
1983–84	-174
1984–85	-114
1985–86	+

The figure for 1984–85 reflects the cost of the miners' strike, estimated to be £180 million.This run of results demonstrates extremely encouraging progress and reflects great credit on the chairmen, Board and work force of the corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce his decision as to the future of the United Kingdom's amphibious forces.

I refer my hon. Friend to what was said by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence Procurement on 1 July during the debate on the defence Estimates at column 859.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of Britain's amphibious vessel force, including assault ships HMS Intrepid and HMS Fearless.

I refer the hon. Member to what was said on this matter in the debate on the defence Estimates on 1 July by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence Procurement at column 859 and by myself at column 916.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many nuclear warheads are currently deployed in Europe by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; and what has been the trend in numbers deployed since 1945.

In 1979, NATO Defence Ministers agreed to reduce by 1,000 the number of NATO nuclear warheads stockpiled in Europe and, additionally, to withdraw one warhead for every cruise and Pershing II warhead introduced into Europe as a result of their decision to modernise NATO's long range intermediate nuclear forces (LRINF). In 1983, at their meeting in Montebello, the Ministers decided to reduce the stockpile by a further 1,400 warheads. These two actions together, when fully implemented, will bring the NATO nuclear stockpile in Europe to its lowest level for over 20 years. The number of NATO nuclear warheads deployed in Europe is classified, but the number of NATO LRINF and SRI N F systems with nuclear or nuclear capable variants is set out in figures 14 and 15 of annex A to Volume 1 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1986" (Cmnd. 9763–1).

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the arrangements for meeting the expenses of the sale of Royal Ordnance plc.

Parliamentary approval for preliminary expenses in 1985–86 was given in a winter Supplementary estimate for class I, vote 6 (HC 9). It was intended that expenses in 1986–87 would be met by receipts from the sale and parliamentary approval for expenditure in the current year has been sought in Supply Estimates for class I, vote 6 (HC 284–1). A Supplementary Estimate will, if necessary, be presented later in the year to seek substantive provision for such expenses as may be incurred. Pending approval of these Estimates, urgent expenditure will be met by repayable advances from the contingencies fund.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he plans to publish the feasibility study of the Severn Tidal Power Group.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 May 1986, c. 333]: The Severn Tidal Power Group is publishing its report today, and I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.I am determined that we shall fully explore the possibilities of any energy resource which has the potential to extend the diversity of our energy supplies. No Government have done more to support research into renewable sources, including record spending on wind, geothermal hot dry rocks, and the tidal resource.Tidal energy is one of our most promising renewble energy resources. The Severn barrage could theoretically provide 5 per cent. of the United Kingdom's current electricity requirement. We must quickly discover the extent to which it is technically viable and could make an economic and significant contribution to electricity supply.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list those countries against which the United Kingdom maintains an oil embargo.

Her Majesty's Government's guidance to companies exporting North sea crude oil is that they should do so only in the markets of our partners in the European Community and the International Energy Agency, or where there is an existing pattern of trade outside these areas (in practice, Finland and certain Caribbean destinations only). Exports to all destinations outside these three groups are precluded by this policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the numbers, type and date of cases under the Fair Employment Act (Northern Ireland) 1976 in which a section 42 certificate has been issued since 1976; and if he will state the religion of the complainant and name of the respondent in each case.

The recorded number of section 42 certificates signed by Northern Ireland Office Ministers in each year since 1976 is as follows:

	Number
1976	0
1977	1
1978	3
1979	0
1980	1
1981	3
1982	0
1983	2
1984*	3
1985	1
1986†	1
* These three certificates proved to be defective and three fresh certificates were issued in July 1985.
† To 25 June.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the action for jobs campaign in the Province.

The aim of the action for jobs campaign in Northern Ireland, which was launched on 24 June, is to provide comprehensive information about the wide range of employment training and enterprise programmes which are available in the Province. Between them, these programmes are providing more than 15,000 jobs and 34,000 training places this year. Full details of all the measures are provided in the new booklet, "Action for Jobs in Northern Ireland" which is being distributed widely throughout the Province and publicised in a major advertising campaign. A copy of this booklet has been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many companies were (a) registered and (b) wound up in the Province during the last year for which figures are available; what were the equivalent figures for each of the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

The figures for 1986 and 1985 are for the 12 months ending 31 March; the other figures are for calendar years.

Year	New Companies registered	Companies wound up	Companies no longer in registered operation struck off the Register
1986	990	117	698
1985	953	109	430
1984	906	120	323
1983	820	123	267
1982	907	69	189
1981	629	67	256
1980	608	58	87
1979	735	50	451
1978	812	58	—
1977	752	58	187
1976	616	62	343
1975	568	41	174

The increasing number of new companies being registered demonstrates that a strong spirit of enterprise exists in Northern Ireland. Government action is focused on encouraging this spirit and on strengthening the small business sector and promoting its expansion and development.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the ad hoc group on the internal market will report to the European Economic Community Council.

The report of the ad hoc group on removal of fiscal barriers was presented to the council of Economic and Finance Ministers on 16 June. The outcome of the Council's discussion of the group's report is recorded in the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to my hon. Friend the Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Mr. Forman) on 20 June at column 646.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if any special arrangements have been made for the taxation of the profits arising from the operation of the Channel fixed link.

Agreement has been reached at official level between the two Governments that the United Kingdom and French concessionaires should each be liable to tax on its share of the profits only in the country in which it is resident. This means that the United Kingdom concessionaire will be exempt from French tax on the profits arising to it from the operation of the link, in much the same way as United Kingdom shipping companies and airlines are exempt from French tax under the United Kingdom/France double taxation convention. A provision to this effect will be included in a protocol to the convention, subject to parliamentary approval in the two countries.Among other provisions to be included in this protocol are two which may he relevant to the link. Interest, which is ordinarily subject to a maximum withholding rate of 10 per cent. under the existing convention, will in general be exempted from tax in the country from which it is paid; and approved pension funds will become entitled to relief under the convention on their investment income.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer, 11 June, Official Report, column 198, if he will now authorise the undertaking of an analysis of the relative impact on the least well-off in the United Kingdom of a £1 billion increase in expenditure on (a) measures to reduce unemployment, (b) child benefit, (c) introduction of a reduced tax rate band, (d) personal allowances and (e) a cut in the standard rate of income tax by 1 pence to 29 pence.

No.