asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will arrange for the flag of Northern Ireland to be flown alongside the flags of Wales, Scotland and England on public buildings in Whitehall for future state visits to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and on other suitable state occasions.

The St. Patrick's flag is flown along side those of St. Andrew, St. George and the Red Dragon of Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if there have been any occasions in the last five years on which water authorities have been prosecuted for pollution offences; and if he will make a statement.

My Department has not prosecuted any water authority in the last five years for pollution offences.The comprehensive controls over discharges contained in part II of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 were brought into force only two years ago. The major review of consents undertaken as part of the implementation of the 1974 Act led to certain consents being granted subject to review after a specified period and to the water authority undertaking capital investment to improve effluent quality.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the detailed criteria used to determine (a) grant-related expenditure assessments, (b) targets and (c) rate limits, for the London borough of Islington for each of the past four years.

I refer the hon. Member to the rate support grant reports and supplementary reports approved by the House for those years; and to the Department's annual publications "Grant-Related Expenditure, how the expenditure needs of local authorities are assessed for block grant" and "The Technical Handbook of Grant-Related Expenditure"—respectively the "Blue Book" and the "Green Book".The criteria used to determine expenditure guidance (targets) are set out in annex E to the Rate Support Grant Report 1983–84 and in annex D to the Rate Support Grant Reports of 1984–85 and 1985–86 expenditure guidance was not issued for 1986–87.Rate limitation first operated in 1985–86. Rate limits are determined in accordance with section 4 of the Rates Act 1984.Copies of all these documents are in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he proposes to make any changes in the factors used in assessing grant-related expenditure allocation.

My right hon. Friend is considering a number of options for change arising from the grants working group's report to the Consultative Council on Local Government Finance on the grant-related expenditure development programme for 1987–88. His final decisions will take account of his consultations with local government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will bring up to date the information concerning the Exchequer contribution to local government expenditure published in the Official Report on 1 March 1984, Official Report, columns 330–31, in reply to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby.

The information is as follows:

Aggregate Exchequer grant as a percentage of relevant expenditure
	(a)	(b)
England	At settlement*	At outturn†
1981–82	59·1	54·9
1982–83	56·1	51·7
1983–84	52·8	49·8
1984–85	51·9	49·6
1985–86	48·7	46·8
1986–87	46·4	44·1
* Percentages as given in the rate support grant settlement report.
† Aggregate Exchequer grant from latest supplementary report, or, in the case of 1986–87, as given in the rate support grant settlement report. Relevant expenditure from outturn forms returned to the Department, except 1985–86 (local authorities' revised estimates) and 1986–87 (budgets). Outturn percentages between 1981–82 and 1985–86 are affected by holdback of block grant.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he now proposes to accept the recommendation in the Widdicombe report for an immediate increase in the financial limit on spending under section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972 for metropolitan district and London borough councils; and if he will make a statement.

I have decided to study whether special provision for local authorities to spend on economic development is desirable or necessary. The proper level of spending authority under section 137 is obviously dependant on decisions taken about economic development. I hope to be able to come to conclusions about this by early in the new year. Meanwhile, I have no plans for interim measures.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what discretion a local planning authority has to introduce alternative proposals to those contained in its deposited local plan.

A local planning authority has discretion to introduce alternative proposals to those contained in its deposited local plan before, during or after any public local inquiry. The code of practice says that if this is done before the inquiry and time allows, the planning authority may advertise the changes and its reasons for them and allow a reasonable period for objections and representations. If there is insufficient time to advertise potential changes, the planning authority should still try to give objectors and any third parties a chance to comment on them in the inquiry context. All proposed modifications to a deposited local plan need to be advertised following the planning authority's consideration of the inspector's report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether local planning authorities are required to make provision for the public to have access to objections to a deposited local plan.

The code of practice makes it clear that copies of objections sent to the planning authority should be placed on deposit along with the plan, so that others may know of them. Copies of the plan will have been deposited for inspection at the planning authority's office and other suitable places. The provisions in the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 would also have to be complied with in so far as they are relevant.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what discretion the inspector at a local plan public inquiry has to restrict those appearing and giving evidence solely to those who have lodged objections and whose objections have been deemed valid by the programme officer.

Procedures for public local inquiries into local plans are set out in a booklet, "Local Plans: Public local inquiries—a guide to procedure 1984" published by this Department and the Welsh Office. Anyone whose objections are made in writing and submitted by the specified date has the right to appear at the inquiry. People whose objections are not duly made, for example because they are late, do not have a right to appear, but the planning authority may agree to ask the inspector to hear such objections. The inspector may decide whether to hear late objections, whether or not he has been asked to do so by the planning authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was his role in setting the date for the Cartmel and Furness local plan public inquiry.

The normal practice is for the local planning authority to ask the Planning Inspectorate to provide an inspector to hold an inquiry at a time requested by the authority. Subject to the availability of inspectors, the inspectorate try to meet this request. I understand that in this case the local authority asked for an inquiry in early August and that the date agreed for the inquiry to start is 11 August.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what discretion a local planning authority has to negotiate with objectors to a deposited local plan to meet their concerns and to seek withdrawal of their objections.

A local planning authority has discretion to negotiate with objectors to a local plan. The code of practice provides that a planning authority may undertake informal discussions with an objector to consider ways in which the plan might be changed to meet his concerns. The code advises

"Any objector who would be satisfied by the changes proposed by the planning authority may be content to submit a statement saying so and not take part in discussion of the objection at the inquiry. However, the objection should not normally be withdrawn at this stage, since it may well still be of assistance to the Inspector."

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what remedies exist under his Department's code of practice for local plan inquiries for an aggrieved person to challenge the procedures followed by a local planning authority in preparing for and holding a local public inquiry.

In most cases, a pre-inquiry meeting is arranged at which the inspector will discuss the proposed timetable and any queries about the way in which the inquiry is to be conducted. An aggrieved person could make representations then, or at the start of the inquiry. Any aggrieved person who questions the validity of a local plan can apply, on certain grounds, to the High Court to have the plan quashed. This must be within six weeks of the advertisement of the notice to adopt the plan. Any person who considers that he or she has suffered injustice because of maladministration by a local authority in connection with a local plan can ask for the matter to be investigated by the local ombudsman.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice his Department gives to local authorities on the treatment and disposal of polychlorinated biphenyl waste.

The main source of advice my Department gives to local authorities on the treatment and disposal of PCB waste is Waste Management Paper No. 6, which is due to be extended and updated.In September 1985 my Department provided local authorities with more up-to-date and definitive guidelines in respect of landfill disposal of PCB-contaminated wastes. This advice is set out in some detail on pages 13 and 14 in the second report of the Hazardous Waste Inspectorate published yesterday. Copies of this report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many inquiries he has had concerning the disposal problems of polychlorinated biphenyls in the last five years.

Over the last five years my Department has received inquiries concerning only some half a dozen incidents which involved the disposal of PCBs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what sums were allocated to the English homes insulation grant scheme reserve fund for 1985–86; what proportion of these funds were spent; and what sums have been allocated for the reserve fund for 1986–87.

The homes insulation scheme reserve in 1985–86 was £7 million; the proportion spent is not yet know. The reserve in 1986–87 is £2·5 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will continue to make available additional moneys to the reserve fund allocated for the English homes insulation grant scheme during the first quarter of 1987.

The homes insulation scheme reserve for the financial year 1986–87 is £2·5 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will communicate to each local authority his commitment to make available additional moneys to the reserve fund allocated for the English homes insulation grant scheme for 1986–87 Energy Efficiency Year.

Local authorities have been informed there is a homes insulation scheme reserve of £2·.5 million for 1986–87.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has received the seventh annual report of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee.

Yes. The report is being published today, and copies have been placed in the Library of the House. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I are grateful to the chairman, Professor Paul Matthews, CBE, FRS, and to the committee for their valuable work on this vital subject. We will consider their advice carefully.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the total urban programme for the financial years 1978–79 to 1986–87 (estimated); and if he will list the outturn urban programme grants paid to each partnership, programme and designated authority and the estimated figure for 1986–87, comparing for each authority the level of funding in each year with (a) housing subsidy receivable and (b) block grant.

[pursuant to his reply, 16 July 1986, c. 545]: I have placed a copy of the information in the Library.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he intends to restrict the use of cling film as a food wrapping material in view of the recent publicity about its safety.

A working group in my Department is studying plasticisers in all forms of plastic packaging materials. It is due to report on its evaluations next year, but it has noted that some of the plasticiser di-2-ethyhexyladipate (DEHA) used to soften plasticised polyvinyl chloride film (commonly called cling film) will migrate into closely wrapped foodstuffs. None of the levels of DEHA so far found in food give any cause for concern on health grounds, but the work of the group is continuing. There is therefore no reason for me to restrict the use of the film as a food wrapping material. Nevertheless, the results so far do show a markedly higher level of migration when the film is used in cooking in microwave ovens or conventional ovens. I am advised that even this does not indicate the existence of any hazard to human health, but that it does seem to be prudent to avoid such usage if possible. I am therefore proposing to ask manufacturers of this film to ensure that a statement is made on the packaging of the film that it is not suitable for use in cooking. I am also approaching oven manufacturers to advise them to make similar adjustments in their publicity literature.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether there have been any developments in the case of Bourgoin S A and Others v. the Minister.

A negotiated settlement of this case has been reached. Parliamentary approval for the relevant payment will be sought in a Supplementary Supply Estimate for class IV, vote 5. Pending that approval, this urgent payment of about £3·.5 million to cover damages, interest and costs will be met by a repayable advance from the Contingencies Fund.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many dairy herds or parts thereof have been purchased by his Department following outbreaks of cornebacterium pyogenes mastitis within the last 12 months; and where these were located.

Part of one dairy herd has been purchased in the last 12 months to try to establish the cause of disease problems on a holding in Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the number of occasions and the quantities involved in cases of the mixing of high radioactivity milk with unaffected milk since April.

The results of monitoring since the Chernobyl accident have indicated that radioactivity in milk has always been well below the levels at which the Government would need to consider taking action. I am not aware of any cases involving the mixing of milk containing high levels of radioactivity.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if all food supplies with a higher level of radiation than 350 becquerels have now been withdrawn; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of the milk held by the Milk Marketing Board was allocated to the production of butter in each of the last five years; and what is the estimate for 1986.

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

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what price the Milk Marketing Board receives for supplying milk to dairies and for allocation to butter production, respectively, on a comparative basis.

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

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is Her Majesty's Government's policy regarding claims for compensation to United Kingdom farmers from the Government of the polluting country in the case of pollution from a foreign source; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 July 1986, c. 1]: The Government believe in the "polluter pays" principle. However, we recognise that individual circumstances will need to be considered in the light of a full assessment of the nature and extent of any damage caused.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with other European Community member states on the question of agricultural compensation arising from the income losses associated with the Chernobyl incident; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 July 1986, c. 1]: None to date.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he proposes to take, in his capacity as President of the European Community Council of Ministers, to co-ordinate claims on behalf of European Community agriculture against the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for income loss associated with the Chernobyl incident; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 July 1986, c. 2]: I understand that one member state has plans to make assistance available to some farmers whose produce had to be destroyed through radioactive contamination.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has as to steps taken by other European Community member states to aid financially the agricultural sectors in those respective states for income losses associated with the Chernobyl incident; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 July 1986, c. 2]: I have no plans to co-ordinate any such claims. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has, however, reserved the rights of Her Majesty's Government with the Government of the USSR.

asked the Prime Minister on what grounds Sir Peter Marychurch, director of Government Communications Headquarters, Cheltenham has had his tenure of office extended; and if she will make a statement.

Sir Peter Marychurch was invited to extend his tenure of office as director of the Government Communications Headquarters in order to provide continuity at a time when a number of retirements are due among senior GCHQ management.

asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government have had any recent discussions with other countries over implementation of the International Whaling Commission's declarations on commercial whaling.

At the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) annual meeting, held in Malmo, Sweden from 9 to 13 June this year, the United Kingdom commissioner participated in discussion of matters associated with the implementation of the IWC's decision, taken in 1982, for a moratorium on commercial whaling with effect from the 1985–86 seasons. Three countries, Japan, Norway and the USSR, currently maintain formal objection to this decision under the terms of the convention which governs the IWC, but each has now indicated that it will move towards a cessation of commercial whaling. Japan has formally notified the IWC that it will conditionally withdraw its objection so that all its commercial whaling will cease by April 1988; Norway has announced its intentions to phase out commercial operations by 1988 and the USSR stated last year that it plans to cease Antarctic whaling in 1987.

asked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to make an official visit to Granborough, near Rugby.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her engagements for 22 and 23 July.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockport (Mr. Favell). Tomorrow I shall be attending the wedding of His Royal Highness Prince Andrew to Miss Sarah Ferguson. I shall also be having meetings with ministerial colleagues and others.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 22 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 22 July.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty The Queen. Tonight I shall be attending a dinner at the United States embassy in honour of Mrs. Reagan.

asked the Prime Minister what representations she has had concerning the report of the Warnock committee on human fertilisation and embryology, Cmnd. 9314; and if she will make a statement.

I have received a number of representations, mostly about research involving human embryos. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Epping Forest (Sir J. Biggs-Davison) on 5 June 1986, at column 1082.

asked the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the question of the procedure which will require to be adopted to implement section 1.4 of the Fontainebleu European Council conclusions following the agreement on the revised European Economic Community budget; and if she will make a statement.

I see no need for this question to be raised at the next meeting of the European Council.

asked the Prime Minister why Her Majesty's Government agreed to a revised European Economic Community budget for 1986 which did not conform to the provisions of the 4 December 1984 agreement negotiated in the European Council; and if she will make a statement.

The Government took the view that the abnormally large depreciation of the dollar was an exceptional circumstance which justified some excess over the budget discipline guideline figure for agricultural guarantee expenditure. The Government made clear their profound concern about the increases in non-obligatory expenditure, which in our view could only partly be justified by the enlargement of the Community. The new budget will, however, reduce the United Kingdom's net contribution by some £250 million compared with the Council's Second Reading draft budget, and the United Kingdom's VAT rate will be reduced to 0·68 per cent.

asked the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the policy of the Council on the making of intergovernmental agreements to balance European Economic Community budgets under article 199 of the treaty in light of the determination by the Court of Auditors in its annual report for 1984; and if she will make a statement.

The Government, in common with the Governments of the other member states, do not accept the Court of Auditors comments about the 1984 intergovernmental agreement. Article 4 of the 1970 own resources decision provided that the Community might finance expenditure from "other revenue" as well as from "own resources" revenue. The same provision has been repeated in article 1 of the own resources decision of 7 May 1985. It would seem therefore the reimbursable advances paid under the 1984 IGA could properly be regarded as "other revenue".

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on her recent discussions with President Mubarak of Egypt indicating the subjects which were discussed.

I had a useful talk with President Mubarak about the Egyptian economy and regional issues.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking in regard to the greater Manchester passenger transport authority's request to him to amend the asset transfer scheme, under the Transport Act 1985, so as to provide for the retention of the Northenden bus garage and those other bus garages scheduled for closure in areas of high unemployment.

My right hon. Friend will be discussing the terms of the transfer scheme with the passenger transport authority and the passenger transport executive. It will be his objective, when approving the scheme, to ensure that the new company has the right asset base to enable it to trade successfully and efficiently.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department last consulted senior police officers or magistrates on the problem of drinking and driving.

We are in regular contact with the traffic committee of the Association of Chief Police Officers and the road traffic committee of the Magistrates Association to discuss matters of mutual interest, including drinking and driving.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to respond to the Transport Committee's report on tolled estuarial crossings; and if he will make a statement.

I have sent to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Bagier) the Chairman of the Committee, the Government's response to its report.I regret that the Government have been unable to accept the Select Committee's recommendations that tolls should be abolished on crossings linked to motorways and trunk roads, that we should write off the debts of tolled crossings that are owed to the Exchequer, and that we should discharge over a fixed period the debts owed to private sources. The Government take the view that the debts on the tolled crossings were freely incurred by the authorities concerned. These cannot be written off without financial penalty.The Government recognise the special financial problems of the Humber bridge: my predecessor acknowledged them in his oral evidence to the Select Committee. My officials are discussing with the Humber Bridge board possible measures to resolve the financial problems of the bridge. In addition, our response to the Select Committee states that where other crossing authorities consider that they face similar problems, the Government would be willing to consider their financial projections and related proposals for alleviating those problems, provided the authorities have exhausted the possibilities of their own enabling legislation.Publication of the Government's response is a matter for the Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has determined expenditure levels for the passenger transport authorities for 1987–88.

I have today notified the authorities of my determinations as follows:

	£ million
Greater Manchester	74·1
Merseyside	67·7
South Yorkshire	45·7
Tyne and Wear	56·6
West Midlands	55·1
West Yorkshire	57·9

Under section 3(4) of the Rates Act 1984 any authority may apply for a redetermination of its expenditure level at a greater amount. I have invited such applications to be submitted by 15 October, and before reaching decisions on them will carefully consider any representations made or information provided.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what are the valuation criteria used by his Department for the disposal of redundant land and property in United Kingdom ports, docks and transport undertakings for inner city and urban renewal purposes in cases where the cost of reinstating the land is very high in relation to its likely developed value.

The valuation of any land or property disposed of by any port or other transport undertaking is a matter for that undertaking and the purchaser.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what arrangements he is making for the award of further onshore exploration licences.

I have today placed in the Libraries of both Houses copies of the text announcing the invitation to apply for landward petroleum licences. The invitation is directed only to those with exploration licences awarded under the previous regulations and I have specified that applications may be made on 30 September 1986 and 7 May 1987. These are the transitional arrangements necessary to give the opportunity to such licensees who wish to apply for the new style exploration licences needed to proceed to the drilling stage. Any wells to be drilled on the new licences will need both the agreement of the landowner and occupier and planning permission.

asked the Attorney-General if he is able to give any figures for the amount of money spent hitherto by Crown prosecutors on the employment of solicitors as agents in the magistrates courts; and if he will make a statement.

The Crown Prosecution Service was introduced into the six former metropolitan counties of Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, West Midlands and West Yorkshire, and in the counties of Durham and Northumberland, on 1 April 1986. Payments by the Crown Prosecution Service in respect of the engagement of solicitors as agents in the magistrates courts in those areas during the period 1 April to the 11 July was £225,824. This figure does not include outstanding accounts for solicitors engaged during the period quoted which have either not yet been submitted or await payment.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) on what date (a) Clyde Buildings and (b) Clydeside Holdings were struck off the companies register at Companies house; for what reason; who were the directors of those companies at that time; and if he will make a statement;(2) on what date

Elmrace Group Ltd. was struck off the Register of Companies on 27 September 1984, Elmrace Motors Ltd. on 28 September 1984, Gordons Fashions Ltd. on 29 November 1984 and Clydeside Holdings Ltd. on 8 April 1986. The Registrar expects to strike off Clyde Buildings Ltd. on 25 July 1986 and, subject to satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures, he will strike off D. Broadhead Ltd. during August 1986. The latter company has not previously been struck off the register.Strike off action was initiated for all the companies named because the Registrar had reasons to believe, on the basis of information supplied by the companies themselves, that they were not in business or operating.The directors of all companies are, or were at the time of strike-off, Mr. A. B. Kiley and K. T. Secretaries Ltd. Additionally, Mrs. S. Miller was a director of Gordons Fashions Ltd. when it was struck off.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he is satisfied that the accounts of Grosvenor Management Services (Scotland) Ltd. have been lodged in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Acts; and if he will make a statement.

The accounts of Grosvenor Management Services (Scotland) Ltd. have been filed with the Registrar of Companies for Scotland in accordance with the Companies Act 1985 and are available for inspection at the Companies Registration Office, Edinburgh.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will ensure that there is parity of consideration and support for redundant steelworkers whether these are supported under the arrangements covered by the treaty of Rome or the treaty of Paris.

No. The Government operate a statutory scheme, partly funded by the European Community, for redundant workers who come under the special provisions of the treaty of Pars. The coverage and terms of this scheme have been agreed with the European Commission and are prescribed in regulations.The British Steel Corporation operates a broadly similar scheme for its redundant workers who do not qualify for benefits under the statutory scheme. The terms of this scheme are a matter for the corporation.As a rule, private sector steel companies do not operate any schemes for redundant workers who do not qualify for the statutory scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish in the Official Report the criteria used in deciding whether to permit the export of military and para-military equipment under the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1985.

In considering applications to export military and paramilitary equipment all relevant factors are taken into account, including the type of equipment, its proposed destination and the use to which it might be put.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the countries to which military and paramilitary equipment has been exported under the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1985 to the latest available date.

It has been the practice of successive Governments not to supply details of exports of military and paramilitary equipment. However, total values of exports of defence equipment are contained in table 2.8 of volume II of The Defence Estimates 1986, a copy of which is available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the total value of military and paramilitary equipment which has been exported under the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1985 to the latest available date.

An answer could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is satisfied with the working of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1985; and if he will make a statement.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much his Department charges inquirers by post or telephone for providing the name and address of the owner of a trade name in a given class of trade marks.

No charge is made for this simple information.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will carry out any investigations to find (a) the form in which trade name information would be most widely acceptable to inquirers throughout the UK; and (b) to evaulate the cost of each of the possible alternative forms of providing access to trade name information held at the Trade Marks Registry, with a view to keeping down the costs to industry and the public; and if he has carried out any similar evaluation in the past.

I do not propose to commission any investigations. The Patent Office is to be hived off from the Civil Service and is charged to conduct its operations in an entrepreneurial fashion and with the needs of its users in mind. It will be for the office to keep under review how best to provide access to its various stores of information, including trade mark information.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in his consideration of the proposal for a design of modular exchange equipment suitable for hearing-impaired people emanating from the Advisory Committee for Telecommunications for Disabled and Elderly People; and if he will make a statement.

The proposals submitted through the advisory committee are in outline only. The Royal National Institute for the Deaf is being invited to discuss them in more detail with officials in the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has any plans to seek to amend the law relating to offer documents and their role in hostile takeover bids; whether he has examined the nature and extent of the undertakings given in the original offer documents by Guinness plc for DCL; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer my hon. Friend in particular to parts IV and V of the Financial Services Bill. I am considering the case to which my hon. Friend refers.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what payments Her Majesty's Government have made to the International Tin Council in each of the last three financial years and the current financial year to date; and what are Her Majesty's Government's commitments in respect of the remainder of the financial year.

The following payments were made by the United Kingdom during the last three financial years to the International Tin Council:

	£
1983–84	40,036
1984–85	41,030
1985–86	55,701

All the above payments were in respect of the administrative budget. The United Kingdom's share of the 1986–87 administrative budget is £76,117.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff were employed by the International Tin Council in each of the last three financial years and the current financial year to date; and what are the prospective levels of employment for the remainder of the financial year.

I am advised by the International Tin Council that the number of staff employed were:

	Number
1983–84	37
1984–85	39
1985–86	39

Current employment is 19.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date his Department was notified of the official notice 85/C18/05 of the European Community Commission regarding its intention to investigate state funding by the French Government to a major manufacturer of textile, packaging and personal hygiene products; what representations his Department has made in response to that notice, and on what date; and what information he has now received from the Commission on its findings.

The Government were formally notified by the European Commission on 4 January 1985 of the opening of an article 93(2) procedure on the state aid in question. The Government made representations to the Commission on 11 March 1985. The Commission has recently told officials that its investigations are complete and that a decision should be issued in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations he has received from the British Textile Confederation regarding specific state aids to the textile industry in France and Greece; and what response he has made.

The British Textile Confederation wrote to officials in June about state aids granted to textile manufacturers in France and Greece. In response, officials have made inquiries of the Commission and reported back to the confederation.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give details of the representations which his Department has made to the European Community Commission regarding the allegation that the Greek Government have given subsidies to the textile company Piraiki Patraiki, in breach of European Community rules; and whether he has pressed for a formal notice to be issued under article 93(2) of the treaty to investigate these allegations.

Officials have made inquiries of the Commission regarding allegations that subsidies have been granted. The Commission is seeking information from the Greek Government in order to assess the case for opening an article 93(2) procedure.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish in the Official Report the official reasons given by the European Community Commission for the rejection of his Department's proposed CLOFT scheme to encourage investment in new manufacturing technology by small firms in the textile, clothing and footwear industries.

The European Commission set out the reasons for its decision on the CLOFT scheme in document C(85) 319 final of 13 February 1985. A copy is available in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department has circulated companies with new guidelines on the interpretation and application of the EEC code of conduct for companies with interests in South Africa; and if he will make a statement.

The Government have today published a White Paper which commends the revised EC code of conduct to British companies with interests in South Africa. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.The White Paper includes explanatory guidance in confirmation of the informal guidelines which were sent to companies on 20 June as stated by the Prime Minister in her reply for 7 July, at column 7, to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field).It is now intended for the first time that all EC companies should observe identical procedures and reporting requirements, many of which will already be familiar to United Kingdom companies.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to announce the action he intends to take on the recommendations of the Eden committee on the metrological control of weighing and measuring equipment for use for trade.

The Government's response to the Eden committee's recommendations has been published today (Cmnd. 9850). The response sets out the actions the Government propose to take, having carefully considered the committee's report and the many comments received since its publication. Copies of the document have been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give details of the University Grants Committee's additional allocation of funds for Birkbeck college for 1986–87 and the likely reduction in grant for the years up to 1990.

The University Grants Committee has allocated an additional £600,000 to the University of London for 1986–87 in respect of students of Birkbeck college. Provisional decisions about grants to all universities for 1987–88, 1988–89 and 1989–90 will be determined in the autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many representations from Birkbeck college he has received over the last four weeks; and if he has any meetings planned to discuss the future of the college.

My right hon. Friend has received over 500 representations about the funding of Birkbeck college. Neither he nor I have any meetings about the college planned at present.

Academic year 1984–85
Scottish universities	Full-time and sandwich students	Part-time students	Full-time equivalent student load	Full-time staff paid wholly from university funds	Student/staff ratio*
			(provisional)	(provisional)	(provisional)
Aberdeen	5,496	353	5,611	583	9·6
Dundee	3,185	128	3,211	333	9·6
Edinburgh	9,798	946	10,406	1,040	10·0
Glasgow	10,084	2,279	10,724	1,017	10·5
Heriot-Watt	3,166	431	2,902	263	11·0
St. Andrews	3,473	135	3,525	333	10·6
Stirling	2,569	340	2,698	241	11·2
Strathclyde	7,502	821	7,631	671	11·4
Total Scottish universities	45,273	5,433	46,708	4,481	10·4
* The staff-student ratio for universities is defined as the full-time equivalent of undergraduate and postgraduate students divided by full-time academic staff funded wholly from university funds.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children in the county of Buckinghamshire (a) received school meals, (b) took sandwiches and (c) ate out, for each year since 1982.

The annual school meals census for 1982, 1983 and 1984, reports of which are in the Library, show for each local education authority the number of pupils present on the day of the census, the number taking a school meal and the number bringing their own food. It was not possible to collect this information in 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is (a) the cost per meal and (b) the price charged for school meals in Buckinghamshire for each year since 1979.

The price charged for a school meal in each local education authority is shown in the annual census of

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of the Medical Research Council's budget, including administration, was spent in Scotland in 1983–84, 1984–85 and 1985–86.

The information requested is as follows:

Financial year	Percentage of the MRC's total expenditure spent in Scotland
1983–84	10·6
1984–85	11·3
1985–86	10·7

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total number of students attending each Scottish university in the academic year 1984–85; what were the numbers of full-time staff at each university; and what were the staff-student ratios in each case.

Information is provided in the following table:school meals for the years in question, copies of which are in the Library. Information on the cost per meal in each local education authority is not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is (a) the average cost of providing a school meal and (b) the average staff numbers per 100 meals served for (i) England and (ii) Buckinghamshire.

The Department does not collect the information from which to calculate the average cost of providing a school meal. In the October 1984 school meals census, the only occasion when this information has been collected centrally, 13 LEAs, including Buckinghamshire, did not provide figures for the number of staff per 100 meals served.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will introduce legislation to require local education authorities to provide a school meal service; and if he will make a statement.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many representations have been received by his Department concerning the future of the school meals service in Buckinghamshire.

To date, the Department has received 10 letters from members of the public.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received calling for more resources to be provided for the Dovecot community comprehensive school in Liverpool; what his response was; and if he will make a statement.

Neither I nor my right hon. Friend have received any representations about this particular school. The matter is in any case one for Liverpool LEA.

1985–86
	Grants to universities and colleges etc.
	For Recurrent Grants
	General Purposes	Overseas Research Student Awards Scheme	Restructuring*	Total Subhead A1	Computers Subhead B2
	£ thousand	£ thousand	£ thousand	£ thousand	£ thousand
Aston University	15,746	22	—	15,768	152
Bath University	13,623	69	—	13,692	1,450
Birmingham University	39,501	56	—	39,557	344
Bradford University ¶	15,315	18	—	15,333	158
Bristol University	31,346	35	—	31,381	246
Brunel University	13,613	24	—	13,637	137
Cambridge University	44,407	722	—	45,129	465
City University ¶	13,026	24	—	13,050	124
Durham University	18,414	32	—	18,446	108
East Anglia University	15,480	20	—	15,500	186
Essex University	9,064	61	—	9,125	182
Exeter University	16,091	17	—	16,108	95
Hull University	15,236	9	—	15,245	161
Keele University	9,345	5	—	9,350	136
Kent University	11,005	16	12	11,033	211
Lancaster University	14,163	23	—	14,186	208
Leeds University ¶	44,028	154	—	44,182	382
Leicester University	19,131	13	—	19,144	180
Liverpool University ¶	40,047	76	13	40,136	286
London Business School	2,215	3	—	2,218	—
London University, including its Colleges and Schools ¶	250,631	1,018	46	251,695	5,232
Loughborough University of Technology	19,253	20	—	19,273	241
Manchester Business School	1,236	—	—	1,236	22
Manchester University	49,555	122	—	49,677	2,838
Manchester University Institute of Science and Technology	17,525	174	—	17,699
Newcastle upon Tyne University	34,762	65	—	34,827	325
Nottingham University	28,971	22	—	28,993	417
Oxford University ¶	45,241	428	—	45,669	575
Reading University	19,754	37	—	19,791	174
Salford University	13,765	19	—	13,784	294
Sheffield University	34,058	65	—	34,123	228
Southampton University	26,670	79	—	26,749	315
Surrey University	13,873	32	—	13,905	186
Sussex University ¶	14,706	65	—	14,771	124
Warwick University	19,525	20	—	19,545	270
York University	11,899	15	—	11,914	111
University of Wales, including University Colleges and Institute of Science and Technology ¶	74,310	99	1	74,410	791

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if the current review of student grants includes the special needs of medical students in their clinical years.

The review will cover all aspects of financial support for students studying at first degree or equivalent level.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will list grants made available to universities in Great Britain in the financial year 1985–86 on the advice of the University Grants Committee and of the computer board.

The information requested is as follows: