asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about grants for effluent disposal under the agriculture improvement scheme.

Because of excessive expenditure on these grants, which has arisen particularly in Northern Ireland, I have decided, in agreement with the Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland, for Scotland and for Wales, to introduce a payment limitation system in Northern Ireland under which, until further notice, grants will only be paid there on effluent disposal investments to which farmers have already committed themselves by midnight tonight. In addition, the facility under which claims for grant on effluent disposal can be made on a standard cost basis under the Agricultural Improvement Scheme 1985 and the Agriculture Improvement Regulations 1985 is being withdrawn from midnight tonight throughout the United Kingdom.This action will not affect the rate of grant available for eligible effluent disposal investments, which will remain at the level of 60 per cent. in the less-favoured areas and 30 per cent. elsewhere.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received from the British Veterinary Association concerning imported pigmeat products; and what response he has given.

I have just received a letter from the British Veterinary Association about imported pigmeat products and will be replying to that as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he intends to take in response to Professor Dunnet's recommendation that the current practice of releasing lactating female badgers taken in control operations should be discontinued; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I fully understand the reasons which led Professor Dunnet to make his recommendation. Having taken the views of the consultative panel, we know that it accepts that on disease control grounds there is a strong case for its adoption. However, many panel members have expressed overriding reservations on ethical and humanitarian grounds about any change to existing policy. We know too that there is widespread public concern on this issue.

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.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 July 1986]: Utilisation of milk for butter in England and Wales, as a percentage of total sales off farms, was as follows:

Marketing year (April-March)	Percentage
1981–82	25
1982–83	31
1983–84	30
1984–85	27
1985–86	28
1986–87	n/a

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.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 July 1986]: In May 1986, the last month for which prices have been finalised, the Milk Marketing Board received 19.894p per litre for milk sold for the liquid market, 13·513p per litre for milk sold to make Cheddar cheese and 13·793p per litre for milk sold to make butter and skimmed milk powder.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence there is of the effects, including those on vitamins A, B and C, of irradiation on the constituents of treated food.

I have been asked to reply.This and other questions about the nutritional, microbiological and toxicological aspects of food irradiation will be studied by Health and Agriculture Ministers when they formally consider the advice on these matters contained in the "Report on the Safety and Wholesomeness of Irradiated Foods" by the Advisory Committee on Irradiated and Novel Foods. As was announced on 10 April when the report was published, Ministers will also take into account written comments on the report from interested organisations and individuals, and these should be received by this Department by the end of this month.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, further to his answer of 13 May, Official Report, columns 433–34, if he will publish in the Official Report (i) the purchasing power parities used in converting foreign currencies to sterling, (ii) the comparable parities for 1976, 1979 and 1985, (iii) the actual rates of exchange in 1983 and (iv) the basis of his calculations in cases where the information is for years prior to 1983.

Consumer Price Indices (CPIs), Purchasing Power Parities (PPs) and Exchange Rates
	Year	Local currency	Unit cost in local currency		CPI change from year stated to 1983 per cent.	1983 Provisional PPPs used in earlier answer	Revised PPPs‡				Rate of exchange 1983
			1st level*	2nd level†			1976	1979	1983	1984
France	1980	Francs	6,124	10,919	39·0	11·71	12·64	11·48	11·79	12·09	11·56
Germany, Federal Republic of	1982	Deutsche Marks	4,068	║5,694	3·3	4·45	7·20	5·58	4·35	4·25	3·87
Japan ¶	1982	Yen	332,053	423,499	1·9	387	734	574	412	395	361
United States of America	1981	Dollars	2,658		9·5	1·82	2·64	2·24	1·99	1·96	1·52
* Equates broadly with primary (compulsory) education.
† Equates broadly with secondary school education and non-advanced further education.
‡ 1985 data not available.
║ Excludes students in part-time vocational education, some 1·8 million, although their associated expenditure is included.
¶ Excludes public subsidies to private sector and pupils in private sector elementary, lower secondary and upper secondary schools.

Includes capital expenditure, special and pre-compulsory school education.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the proportion of leavers from schools or colleges with two A-levels, three A-levels, no A-levels but five O-levels, one to four O-levels or CSE grade ones, and one or more graded results, in the relevant age bands at which the examinations are normally taken, in the years 1964–65, 1974–75 and 1984–85.

Data in respect of leavers from maintained and independent schools are as follows:

School Leavers, England
Percentages
	Academic Year
	1964–65	1974–75	1984–85
3+A levels	6·6	8·2	10·0
2 A levels	3·7	4·1	4·1
1 A level	2·6	3·2	3·0
No A levels but
5+O/CSE higher grades 1	37·9	8·5	11·0
1-4 O/CSE higher grades 1	315·2	25·6	26·8
No higher grades but 1+other grades 2	64·0	31·7	35·6
No graded results		18·9	9·4
Total leavers (000s)	606·66	651·71	736·21
1Higher grades are defined as O-level grades A-C and CSE grade 1
2Other grades are defined as O-level grades D-E and CSE grades 2-5.
3Prior to 1975 O-level candidates were awarded either a pass grade

The information on purchasing power parities and other data used in my revised answer of 12 June, at column 278, are given in the following table. The change in the consumer price index from the year stated in the table is used to inflate the unit costs quoted for that year to 1983 prices. The 1983 purchasing power parity is then applied to the revised unit costs to bring the various local currencies to a common basis, which allows for differences in national price levels. My reply of 2 July, at column 539, gives further details.or were deemed to have failed. Grades A-C—higher grades—are defined as equivalent to the former pass level.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what the position of students from Gibraltar studying in the United Kingdom from 1 September 1986 will be for the purposes of fees and for mandatory and discretionary student awards.

As I said in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway) on 1 July, at column 475, from 1 September 1986 students who are nationals of other European Community countries and are studying in the United Kingdom on courses designated for mandatory awards purposes will have their fees paid by the Government if they satisfy the same or equivalent conditions for eligibility for mandatory awards and home fee status as are applied to United Kingdom students. Gibraltar is part of the European Community and is therefore included in these new fees arrangements. The position of students from Gibraltar for the purposes of mandatory and discretionary student awards is unchanged.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide a figure indicating the percentage distribution of parents of children participating in the assisted places scheme according to the contributory scales used by his Department for each year since the scheme's introduction.

The information requested is as follows:

Relevant income bands (at 1985 prices)	Percentage distribution
	1982	1983	1984	1985
Up to £6,367	38·3	36·2	39·7	39·3
£6,377-£6,750	2·7	3·0	3·4	3·4

	Expenditure on assisted places Scheme (£ million financial year)		Percentage of Government spending on	Number of Assisted Pupils (academic year)	APS pupils as Percentage of maintained
	Constant Prices (84–85 base)	Outturn Prices	schools and NAFE		secondary school and NAFE population
1981–82	3·520	3·022	0·04	4,185	0·102
1982–83	9·463	8·691	0·11	8,616	0·211
1983–84	15·625	14·995	0·17	13,102	0·326
1984–85	22·152	22·152	0·24	17,386	0·444
1985–86	27·891	29·569	0·31	21,412	n/a

n/a = not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table showing the movement of the average of teachers' salaries against the retail prices index (a) from the implementation of the Houghton award to April 1979, (b) from the implementation of the Houghton award to April 1984, (c) from the implementation of the Houghton award to April 1986 or the most recent date for which information is available, including payments agreed by the Burnham committee since April 1985, (d) from April 1979 to April 1984 and (e) from April 1979 to April 1986 or the most recent date for which information is available including payments agreed by the Burnham committee since April 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the average income represented by fees paid by his Department under the assisted places scheme for those schools participating in the scheme for which the 60 per cent. requirement has been relaxed; if he will list in the Official Report the fee income to each participating school as a result of the scheme; and what percentage of each school's fee income this represents for 1985–86.

The information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is (a) the amount of Government expenditure on the assisted places scheme for each year since its introduction at constant and outturn prices, (b) the percentage it represents of Government spending on schools and non-advanced further education, (c) the number of people covered by the scheme and (d) the proportion they represent within the maintained school and NAFE population.

The information requested is as follows:

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, North-West (Dr. Hampson) on 17 July, at columns 576–77. The particular movements requested are:

		Percentage
(a) from the implementation of the Houghton award (24 May 1974) to April 1979	=	- 12
(b) from 24 May 1974 to 1 April 1984	=	- 4
(c) from 24 May 1974 to 1 April 1986	=	+1
(d) from 1 April 1979 to 1 April 1984	=	+10
(e) from 1 April 1979 to 1 April 1986	=	+15

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many appeals have been made to him under the provisions of sections 5 and 8, respectively, of the Education Act 1981, indicating how many of those appeals were allowed and, in the case of appeals under section 8, what action he took.

Since its implementation on 1 April 1983, 56 appeals have been made under section 5(6) of the Education Act 1981. In two instances the local education authority was directed to reconsider its decision, and in 10 instances the authorities agreed to reconsider their decisions following informal discussions between officials. A decision on 11 cases has yet to be made and three cases have been withdrawn.Sixty three appeals have been made to my right hon. Friend under the provision of section 8(6) of the Act. In 36 instances the statement of special educational need was confirmed; in 18 instances the Secretary of State amended the statement; eight cases are yet to be decided and one appeal was withdrawn.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has on university revenue accounts accumulated surpluses or deficits.

Universities' accounting practices vary. Information is derived from their published accounts for particular purposes, as necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science who was initially responsible for suggesting that the Royal Greenwich Observatory move from Herstmonceaux.

The Science and Engineering Research Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in the recent University Grants Committee's exercise in classifying departments on a basis of merit any consideration was given to the scope for rationalisation in the final classification.

The University Grants Committee has considered, and is continuing to consider, the scope for the rationalisation of university departments. Such considerations did not, however, affect the committee's judgments about the standard of departments' research.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Commonwealth countries are receiving aid loans from the United Kingdom in the current year; what is the value of aid or loans to each country; and how much they have received in each of the last five years.

The information is contained in:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what provision he is making to pay the subscriptions due to the International Finance Corporation which are due (a) before 31 July and (b) from 1 August.

Parliament approved these payments, totalling US$12·2 million, under the International Finance Corporation (1985 General Capital Increase) Order on 16 July. Financial provision will be sought in a Winter Supplementary Estimate for the Overseas Aid Vote. Pending that vote, urgent expenditure estimated at about £8·25 million will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the level of aid by Her Majesty's Government to Uganda in each of the past three years.

British gross bilateral aid to Uganda was £6·1 million in 1983; £7·1 million in 1984; and £9·2 million in 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide details of budgetary resources made available in constant terms for each division within the Overseas Development Administration for the years 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983 and 1985.

Information about administrative resources was not collected in the form requested before 1983 and has since been recorded by financial years. Administrative resources, in 1984–85 cash terms, available to divisions in 1983–84 and 1984–85 were:

Division	1983–84 £ million	1984–85 £ million
Africa	2·4	2·4
Asia and the Oceans	3·5	3·6
Functional	2·8	2·9
Scientific Units	10·8	10·8
International	1·3	1·3
Overseas Manpower	6·8	*5·9
Finance and Economic Services	3·6	3·8
Policy and Organisation	7·9	7·4
	39·1	38·1
* Underspend due to a strike by the staff who make payments of overseas service pensions.

The distribution of resources by region and function under the official aid programme is given in the annual publication "British Aid Statistics", a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government support a zero growth budget policy for the forestry, agriculture and environment/natural resources offices of those multilateral development agencies in which the United Kingdom has an active interest.

We favour zero real growth in the overall budgets of those United Nations specialised agencies which are financed by assessed contributions, and generally in the administrative budgets of other multilateral agencies. We expect the pattern of expenditure within these budgets to reflect current priorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what resources are made available through the Overseas Development Administration for environmental impact assessment of development aid projects.

The Overseas Development Administration assesses the environmental effects of all British aid activities through either the work of its own staff or use of outside consultants. The resources involved could be quantified only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the numbers, professional qualifications and positions of all staff employed, either as consultants or on a permanent basis, by the Overseas Development Administration to assess and advise on the environmental effects of proposed multilateral and bilateral development projects in the forestry, agriculture and natural resource sectors for the years 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983 and 1985.

It is the responsibility of all staff in the Overseas Development Administration to ensure that its aid activities are environmentally sound. In practice this is achieved by the administrative staff, assisted by the professional renewable natural resources and engineering advisers. Where necessary, specialist advice is sought either from the ODA scientific units, associated bodies, other academic and research institutions or private sector consultants. In the circumstances, it is not practicable to specify or list the ODA staff resources involved. Responsibility for the assessment of multilateral aid projects rests with the staff of the multilateral institutions concerned. As a member of these institutions we seek to ensure that such assessments are properly done and fully taken into account

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make available the World Bank's staff appraisal reports for all projects covered by the electric power sector loan requested by Brazil.

No. World Bank staff appraisal reports are provided to us on a restricted basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the United Kingdom executive director to the World Bank was instructed to support the electric power sector loan requested by Brazil on 19 June.

It is not our practice to disclose the instructions which we give to our executive director in the Bank.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will introduce legislation to require all bulk beer containers to be stamped with their empty weight; and if he will take steps to introduce statutory controls regarding minimum quantities included in those bulk beer containers;(2) if he will introduce legislation to require brewers to have the gross weight, to include the weight of the invoiced quantity of beer, and the net weight of the container, including spile, clearly stamped on all containers of draught beer.

I have no plans to introduce legislation. I believe that this is very much a practical problem to be resolved through voluntary arrangements within the trade which could provide a readier and more flexible means of resolving or avoiding disputes.I therefore welcome the Brewers Society initiative in seeking to reach agreement with the National Union of Licensed Victuallers on a proposed code of practice which would ensure that licensees receive detailed statements of the quantities of beer delivered.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what assessment his Department has made of the potential job losses among suppliers to the United Kingdom defence electronic equipment industry which could result from the proposed takeover of the Plessey company by GEC; and if he will make a statement;(2) what assessment he has made of the impact on the United Kingdom's technological base of the proposed takeover of the Plessey company by GEC;(3) what assessment he has made of the effects on small businesses of the proposed merger of Plessey and GEC;(4) what share of the market for private telephone exchanges and transmission equipment is currently held by the Plessey company and GEC.

My right hon. Friend is considering the report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on this merger. In assessing the impact on the public interest of the proposed merger between GEC and Plessey the Commission has a duty to take into account all matters which it considers to be relevant in the circumstances. My right hon. Friend will make an announcement about the report as soon as is practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to make a statement on the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's investigation of the proposed take-over of Plessey plc by General Electric Company plc before 25 July.

My right hon. Friend will announce the outcome of the MMC's investigation into the proposed merger of GEC and Plessey, and publish the MMC's report, as soon as practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will undertake an investigation under the provisions of the Companies Acts, into the affairs of Grosvenor Management Services (Scotland) Ltd.; and if he will make a statement.

I know of no reason for doing so, but shall consider any information the hon. Member may have about this company.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has regarding new aircraft and engine developments under consideration by various manufacturers which are expected to generate noise levels which meet the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, chapter 3, but do not match the noise levels of the majority of aircraft and engine types currently in production; and if he will make a statement.

Annex 16 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (ICAO Annex 16) applies to complete aircraft and not to engines in isolation. The majority of the subsonic jet types now in production comply with the standards of chapter 3 of annex 16. Any subsonic civil jet aeroplane or large propeller-driven aeroplane currently under development will have to meet these same standards. Until these have flown it is not possible to compare their noise levels with those of other aircraft.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will allocate part of the energy and research and development annual expenditure to conduct research into wind-powered shipping.

Over £200,000 has been provided to industry since 1983 under the Department of Trade and Industry's support for innovation scheme towards the cost of projects relating to the use of wind in ship propulsion. A United Kingdom device which has received such support has recently commenced sea trials on a vessel operated by Stephenson Clarke Shipping. Wind assistance is a promising approach to greater fuel efficiency. Support for further projects, as part of the efficient ship programme, will be considered if appropriate proposals are presented to the Department.

asked the Attorney-General if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of persons in Northern Ireland released after the retraction of alleged accomplice witness evidence, the numbers of persons acquitted in such trials where evidence was given in court by an accomplice witness and the number of persons whose convictions were quashed on appeal for the first six months of the current year.

During the period 1 January 1986 to 30 June 1986 there have been no trials in Northern Ireland in which evidence was given by an accomplice witness. During the same period the convictions of two persons tried in 1983 were quashed on appeal to the Court of Appeal. During the same period no cases were received in the Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland in which an alleged accomplice subsequently declined to give evidence for the Crown.

asked the Attorney-General if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of persons tried on indictment for scheduled offences and the total number of persons pleading guilty or convicted in such trials for the first six months of the current year in Northern Ireland.

The number of persons tried on indictment for scheduled offences in Northern Ireland during the period 1 January 1986 and 30 June 1986 is as follows:

	Number
Number of persons tried	331
Number of persons pleading guilty	295
Number of persons convicted on plea of not guilty	23

asked the Attorney-General if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing the number of trials in Northern Ireland involving evidence given in court by an accomplice witness, the number of persons tried in such trials, together with the number of persons pleading guilty to, or convicted of, scheduled offences where evidence was given in court by an accomplice witness and the number of persons found guilty of or pleading guilty to, scheduled offences on the basis of accomplice witness evidence, but where the accomplice witness may not have given evidence in court, for the first six months of the current year.

During the period 1 January 1986 and 30 June 1986 there have been no trials in Northern Ireland where evidence has been given by an accomplice witness. There is no comprehensive record of, and it is not now feasible to identify without disproportionate cost, the nature of the evidence which was before the court in relation to individuals. There is no record of any person found guilty of or pleading guilty to scheduled offences on the basis of accomplice witness evidence where the accomplice witness has not given evidence in court.

asked the Attorney-General how many cases in the first six months of the current year involving persons injured by plastic bullets in Northern Ireland have been considered by the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland; and what action was taken in each case.

Figures for cases considered between 1 January 1986 and 30 June 1986 by the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland involving persons killed or injured by the alleged use of baton rounds are as follows:

asked the Attorney-General how many cases concerning scheduled offences have been referred to the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal; and in how many of these referred cases the original conviction has been (a) quashed and (b) upheld, respectively, in the first six months of the current year.

During the first six months of 1986 there were 13 appeals to the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal dealt with in court against conviction for scheduled offences. The original conviction was quashed in two cases and upheld in 11 cases.

asked the Attorney-General, for the years from 1970 to date, how many applications were made for legal aid in order to bring proceedings in respect of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970; and in how many of those cases legal aid was granted.

This information is not available. Legal aid statistics do not normally record the legislation in respect of which individual applications for legal aid are made.

asked the Attorney-General what criteria he uses in determining in cases in which he or the Director of Public Prosecutions has decided not to bring a prosecution and where a private prosecution is subsequently brought, whether (a) to take that prosecution over and (b) to enter a nolle prosequi; and if he will make a statement.

The power to intervene and assume responsibility for the conduct of a prosecution instituted by a person in a private capacity is vested by section 4 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1979 (section 6 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 in those areas where it has been implemented) in the Director of Public Prosecutions. The criteria which he adopts in exercising that power were set out in the reply by my right hon. and learned Friend the Solicitor-General to the hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Campbell-Savours) on 28 October 1985, at column 297. His policy is the same irrespective of whether he has himself previously decided not to prosecute. In considering whether to intervene he will have regard to any fresh evidence which may have emerged or new factors which may have arisen since the original decision was taken.The power to direct the entry of a nolle prosequi is vested in me alone and not in the Director of Public Prosecutions. It is available only in relation to proceedings on indictment. I exercise the power sparingly in relation to cases where, having regard to all the circumstances, it appears that the public interest would best be served by discontinuing proceedings and there is no other suitable way of doing so. My approach is the same whether the application for a nolle prosequi relates to a private prosecution or one carried on by a public authority.

asked the Paymaster General what were the numbers of persons unemployed by age groups in the Wandsworth area for each year since 1979.

The following information is in the Library. The table shows the numbers of unemployed claimants by age groups in the London borough of Wandsworth for April of each year from 1984 to 1986. The comparison is affected by the change in the compilation of unemployment statistics in March 1986. Statistics of unemployment for London boroughs are derived from the new ward-based system and are available only from June 1983.

Unemployment by age analysis Wandsworth local authority area
Years	April 1984	April 1985	April 1986
Under 17	212	173	163
17	553	501	454
18	797	747	587
19	889	851	741
20–24	3,566	3,901	3,722
25–29	2,299	2,600	2,579
30–34	1,552	1,696	1,671
35–39	1,270	1,375	1,479
40–44	1,013	1,098	1,179
45–49	1,020	1,132	1,213
50–54	993	1,035	1,121
55–59	1,057	1,123	1,234
60 and over	401	431	449
Total	15,622	16,663	16,592

asked the Paymaster General if he will give, for each parliamentary constituency and local authority district, the level and rate of unemployment in June 1979 and in each December and June subsequently on a consistent basis.

The information requested is not available, since statistics of unemployment for parliamentary constituencies and local authority districts are derived from the new ward-based system and are available only from June 1983 and unemployment rates are not calculated for areas smaller than travel-to-work areas.The actual numbers of unemployed claimants in parliamentary constituencies and local authority districts in Great Britain for each month from 1983 are available in the Library, although comparisons over the period will be affected by the Budget provisions (which meant that certain older men, mainly aged 60 years or over, no longer need to sign on at unemployment benefit offices in order to obtain national insurance credits of the long-term rate of supplementary benefit) and also by the change in the compilation of the unemployment statistics in March 1986.

asked the Paymaster General what are the latest figures available for the number of self-employed people in the Burnley travel-to-work area; and what was the 1979 comparative figure.

Information of the type requested is available only from the decennial census of population. The 1981 census identified 3,521 self-employed persons resident in the Burnley travel-to-work area.

asked the Paymaster General (1) what are the latest figures available for the number of new businesses registered in Bristol, East constituency since 1979;(2) what has been the net change in the number of new businesses in Bristol, East between 1979 and 1983.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Paymaster General what level of funding is provided by his Department for the English Tourist Board; and what percentage this represents of its budget.

The ETB will receive £10·3 million by way of grant-in-aid to cover promotional and administrative expenses in 1986–87. Around £4·3 million is expected to be raised from other sources and grant-in-aid will therefore represent around 70 per cent. of its total budget. In addition, £9·4 million of Government funding will be made available in 1986–87 for the selective financial assistance scheme operated by the ETB under section 4 of the Development of Tourism Act 1969.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on the student-teacher ratio in the Polytechnic of Wales, Treforest, in each of the last five years.

The information, derived from the annual monitoring survey, is in the following table:

Student: staff ratios
	Ratios
1980–81	8·8
1981–82	10·5
1982–83	11·5
1983–84	12·0
1984–85	12·2

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will consider introducing legislation giving the Welsh Development Agency similar powers and responsibilities in the field of economic and social development as those at present enjoyed by Mid-Wales Development.

I have no plans to introduce legislation extending the range of the Welsh Development Agency's activities.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate of income for the Welsh Development Agency has been made by his Department arising out of the sale of assets during the current financial year; and what estimates have been made for such income for the next three years.

The target level of receipts from the sale of agency assets in the current financial year is £15 million. Sales targets for later years have yet to be determined.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what steps are being taken by the Welsh Office to meet the shortages of Welsh-speaking teachers highlighted in the report on the curriculum review recently published by his Department.

Paragraph 30 of the report "Local Authority Reviews of the School Curriculum in Wales" states:

"Particularly at a time when rolls are falling and substantial numbers of schools are undergoing organisational change the Government believes that positive action is needed by LEAs to redeploy teachers as appropriate and to allow for suitable in-service training".

Welsh language teaching is one of the national priority areas identified by the Welsh Office under its specific grant arrangements for in-service teacher training. Our officials are exploring with officers of each LEA how these grant arrangements could be used to help authorities make fuller use of the substantial number of Welsh-speaking teachers who are currently teaching only through the medium of English.Measures are also under consideration to encourage more recruits into initial teacher training and in Wales particular attention is being given to recruiting Welsh speakers. The consultative document recently published by my right hon. Friends "Action on Teacher Supply in Mathematics, Physics and Technology" contains much that is relevant to the Welsh medium situation and I anticipate receiving some helpful and constructive comments.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will write to every local housing authority in Wales to ask them to review all the existing unimplemented planning permissions in their areas and to discuss with representatives of elderly persons, disabled persons, single homeless persons, the house building industry, social service departments and land owners the content of this review with a view to planning the construction of new houses, sheltered houses and flats to meet the needs of these people and to report back to him by 31 December.

Local authorities have already been asked to submit housing strategy and investment programmes for the next financial year based on their assessments of housing need. Copies of the programmes will, as usual, be placed in the House of Commons Library as soon as possible after the recess.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to amend the restrictions on the movement of sheep and lambs in Gwynedd currently in force as a result of the high radiation levels detected earlier to permit their movement to the North Wales Show at Caernarfon on 31 July; whether, if the relevant radiation levels have not by then dropped sufficiently to permit a general lifting of the restrictions on the relevant animals, he will exempt from the restrictions movements of animals direct to the show and subsequently direct back to the original farms; and if' he will make a statement.

The part of Gwynedd from which I announced the removal of restrictions on 17 July included the site of the North Wales Show at Caernarfon. For those parts of north Wales where restrictions still apply, a consent to move sheep for show purposes subject to their return to the original farm may be obtained from the appropriate divisional office of my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how radiation contaminated lamb carcases have been disposed of in Wales.

The carcases of sheep slaughtered for sampling purposes in the designated areas of north Wales have in most cases been buried on the farm from which they were taken. However, during a period of intensive sampling in Clwyd a number of carcases were disposed of by turning them into fertiliser. I am satisfied that this was a safe means of disposal.

asked the Prime Minister (1) what was the total separately identifiable cost of maintaining and running Chequers from 1979 to 1985; and what is the estimated increase for 1986 and 1987;

	Cost of maintaining and running 10 Downing Street and additional costs at Chequers	Grant in Aid to Chequers Trust	Costs on a consistent basis	Column (c) at constant 1984–85 prices
	£,000 (a)	£,000 (b)	£,000 (c)	£,000 (d)
1979–80	1,299	110	2,071	3,151
1980–81	1,615	130	2,542	3,257
1981–82	2,303	112	2,937	3,421
1982–83	2,555	145	3,634	3,957
1983–84	2,885	141	2,644	2,755
1984–85	3,604	183	2,516	2,516
1985–86*	4,421	208	3,337	3,148
* Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average daily population of persons detained in prison department establishments under Immigration Act powers during 1985.

Since 1979 there have been a number of developments which have affected how the costs of Downing street are assessed, including:

• — Abolition of the CPRS in 1983, and the absorption of some of its staff within the No. 10 Policy Unit:
• — Introduction of charging for buildings and services by the PSA in 1983–84;
• — Introduction of charging for Service personnel at Chequers by the MOD in 1984–85;
• — Introduction of charging for aircraft by the Ministry of Defence in 1981–82;
• — and changes in the allocation of charges for the Government Car Service in 1984–85.

Column

In 1985 the average population of persons detained under the Immigration Act 1971 in prison department establishments in England and Wales was 104.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average length of time spent in prison department establishments for persons detained under Immigration Act powers during 1985.

The average period of detention in prison department establishments in England and Wales of persons initially received under the Immigration Act 1971 powers who were discharged in 1985 was about four weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give a breakdown by individual nationality of persons detained in prison department establishments under Immigration Act powers during 1985.

The readily available information is given in the following table; the collection of information on nationality is not yet completely satisfactory.

Receptions of persons detained under the Immigration Act 1971 into prison department establishments in England and Wales in 1985 by country of birth.
Country of birth	Number*
United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man	2
Eire	14
Other Europe	52
West Indies†	13
India	91
Pakistan	85
Bangladesh	117
Sri Lanka	86
Hong Kong	14
Other Commonwealth countries in Asia and Oceania	10
Ghana	141
Nigeria	119
Other Commonwealth countries in Africa	18
Cyprus	23
Other Commonwealth countries	4
Algeria	20
Iran	21
Turkey	62
United States of America	15
Other countries‡	152
Not recorded	7
All countries of birth	1,066
* The figures are those recorded centrally and are approximate: detailed checking of individual cases would involve disproportionate cost.
† Includes other Commonwealth countries in the Americas.
‡ Countries for which 10 or fewer receptions were recorded.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were received into prison department establishments under Immigration Act powers during 1985, by individual prison establishment.

The readily available information is given in the following table:

Receptions of persons detained under the Immigration Act 1971 into prison department establishments in England and Wales in 1985.
Establishment	Number*
Remand centres
Ashford	894
Brockhill	1
Cardiff	2
Exeter	2
Latchmere House	8
Low Newton	2
Manchester	5
Pucklechurch	4
Risley	21
Thorp Arch	3

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers have been murdered in the course of duty in each of the last five years.

In England and Wales, none in the years 1976 to 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons under 18 years of age were convicted of acts punishable under the Criminal Damage Act 1971 in the past three years.

The readily available information relates to persons aged under 17 found guilty of offences of criminal damage. These figures include a very small number of offences under Acts other than the Criminal Damage Act 1971. The figures are published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables, Volume 4" (for 1984 in table S4.1(A) under offence classifications 56–59 and table S4.1(B) under offence classification 149, and in the corresponding tables for earlier years). Corresponding information for 1985 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of (a) males and (b) females are sentenced to custody by the time they reach the ages of 18 and 21 years, respectively.

An estimate is available only for those born in 1953 and 1958 from the sample study of their convictions, results of which were published in Home Office statistical bulletin issue 7/85. Just over 2 per cent. of males and less than 0·1 per cent. of females had been sentenced to custody by the age of 18, and about 4 per cent. of males and 0·1 per cent. of females by the age of 21.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many criminal charges were brought against members of the police force in each of the past 10 years.

This information is not available. Statistics relating to the numbers of police officers

Offences currently recorded as homicide where the victim was a police officer on duty by the result of court proceedings or other outcome
England and Wales	Number of offences
		Decided by the court to be
Year initially recorded	Number of (victims)	Murder	Section 2 mans-laughter	Other mans-laughter	Other outcome
1976	—	—	—	—	—
1977	1	1	—	—	—
1978	1	1	—	—	—
1979	1	—	—	1	—
1980	1	1	—	—	—
1981	2	1	—	1	—
1982	6	3	—	1	2 (one suspect committed suicide)
1983	3	—	—	—	3 (no suspects)
1984	3	1	—	—	2 (no suspects)
1985*	2	—	—	—	1 (acquitted)
					1 (case pending)
* Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the nature of the operation on 20 June at the Intercontinental hotel, Hyde Park Corner, London W1; how many police officers and immigration officers were involved and of what ranks; how many people and of what nationalities were (a) interviewed and (b) detained in the operation; for how long and where; and with regard to what suspected or alleged breaches of immigration control these people were interviewed or charged.

This was a major joint operation specifically planned to investigate suspected offences under the immigration laws. The numbers and ranks of police and immigration officers who visited the hotel were:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in England and Wales have been murdered in the course of duty during each of the past 10 years.

In a case of homicide it is not possible in the absence of a court decision to distinguish between offences of murder and manslaughter. The available information is given in the following table.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, of those detected as illegal entrants in each of the last five quarters, how many are alleged to have entered (a) by avoiding immigration controls, (b) by concealment of material facts from an immigration officer, (c) by deceiving an immigration officer, (d) by concealment or deception by a third party and (e) on a false passport or not in their correct identity, by nationality.

Some of the information requested could be furnished only at disproportionate cost. The number of illegal entrants detected in the various periods are as below. Categories (b) and (c) cannot be separately distinguished.

	Category	Number
1st Quarter 1985	(a)	26
	(b) +(c)	186
	(d)	0
	(e)	44
2nd Quarter 1985	(a)	26
	(b) +(c)	141
	(d)	0
	(e)	54
3rd Quarter 1985	(a)	24
	(b) +(c)	121
	(d)	0
	(e)	35
4th Quarter 1985	(a)	32
	(b) +(c)	162
	(d)	1
	(e)	61
1st Quarter 1986	(a)	37
	(b) +(c)	298
	(d)	0
	(e)	54

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for British citizenship under section 4(5) of the British Nationality Act 1981 have been (a) granted, (b) refused and (c) not yet decided.

So far, one application has been granted, two have been refused and 479 are outstanding.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the outcome of requests made for supplementary grants to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board in each year from 1978–79 to 1985–86.

Under the terms of the scheme the board is solely responsible for deciding what compensation should be paid in individual cases. The board is financed by grant-in-aid which is paid periodically as necessary. The board notifies the Home Office at intervals what money is required to meet expenditure on the scheme. Estimates of the provision required to meet forthcoming expenditure are submitted annually to Parliament. In years when the board's expenditure has seemed likely to exceed the budget estimate, a supplementary estimate has always been sought.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether stocks of potassium iodide are kept at police stations in the vicinity of Bradwell nuclear power station in Essex and at police stations in other parts of the United Kingdom where there are nuclear power stations; and if he will make a statement.

Emergency plans for civil nuclear installations include the provision of potassium iodate tablets. Where these tablets are held depends on local circumstances. At Bradwell they are held at the site. In some other areas they are kept at police stations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Kent as to progress with inquiries into allegations of malpractice regarding the compilation of crime clear-up statistics for Kent.

No. The allegations are being investigated by a commander of the Metropolitan police under the supervision of the Police Complaints Authority.It will be open to the Police Complaints Authority to draw my attention to any matters of a general nature arising from the investigation into Constable Walker's allegations. On the separate, but related, point of the system for the write-off of crimes, in order to improve our understanding of how offences are cleared up the Home Office has recently introduced a return which separates offences cleared up as a result of interviews with convicted prisoners from other offences cleared up without proceedings or the administration of a caution.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what actions have been undertaken as a result of the recommendations put forth by the Women's National Commission regarding underreporting of rape;(2) What guidelines have been issued to chief constables concerning the creation of victim examination suites for victims of rape and sexual assault since December 1985; and what plans there are for further guidance;(3) if he will make it his policy to introduce a national programme for training of police in rape counselling techniques.

We are consulting the police about those recommendations of the report "Violence Against Women" issued by the Women's National Commission which concern police procedures and training. We hope to issue guidance on all these recommenations, including those on facilities for examining rape victims and on the reporting of allegations of rape, in the autumn. Copies will be placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the policy of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis towards bringing prosecutions against tourist bus operators whose vehicles have been parked in bus lanes on Westminster bridge.

The Commissioner informs me that tourist coaches stop on the west side of Westminster bridge to enable passengers to alight and photograph the Houses of Parliament. No bus lane operates here, and the waiting restrictions contain exemptions for coaches setting down or picking up passengers. The police take enforcement action where the waiting restrictions are contravened.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what expenditure levels he has determined in respect of 1987–88 for the joint police and fire and civil defence authorities in the metropolitan areas and the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority.

For these authorities, which under the Local Government Act 1985 are, for three years, deemed to have been designated under section 2 of the Rates Act 1984, I have determined expenditure levels as follows:

POLICE
	£ million
Greater Manchester	89·121
Merseyside	62·047
South Yorkshire	36·726
West Midlands	81·402
West Yorkshire	66·117
Northumbria	45·542

FIRE AND CIVIL DEFENCE
	Fire and civil defence	Fire	Civil defence
	£ million	£ million	£ million
Greater Manchester	43·312	43·226	0·086
Merseyside	29·284	29·201	0·083
South Yorkshire	20·681	20·606	0·075
Tyne and Wear	20·989	20·915	0·074
West Yorkshire	33·788	33·702	0·086
West Midlands	39·523	39·436	0·087
London	156·348	156·020	0·328

The above figures are net of receipts and pension contributions, and, for police and civil defence, of specific grant. For police, the figures assume that police grant in 1987–88 will remain at 51 per cent.Formal notice of their expenditure levels has today been sent to each of the authorities together with advice on the procedure for applying for redetermination of the expenditure levels.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of deaths which have occurred in Great Britain in the first six months of the current year connected with present civil unrest in Northern Ireland; and how many of those deaths were caused by action taken by the police and each of the known paramilitary groups.

Provisional information is that there were no such deaths in England and Wales in the first six months of 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons detained under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts in each of the police areas of Metropolitan London, Dumfries and Galloway and Merseyside have been charged with offences under the Acts or under other Acts, separately, for the first six months of the current year.

Information on detentions in the three police force areas specified is published quarterly in Home Office statistical bulletins (table 3 of issue 13/86 gives figures up to the first quarter of 1986; figures for the second quarter will be published shortly). In the first quarter of 1986, five persons detained in Dumfries and Galloway were charged with offences under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 1984 and one person detained in the Metropolitan police district was charged only with an offence under other legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were remanded in custody before trial for terrorist-type offences in the first six months of the current year.

The only information which is readily available relates to prisoners who are now in prison custody in category A, and does not cover prisoners who have been released or downgraded.Three such prisoners were first received in custody in the first six months of 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average number of days spent on remand by those remanded in custody for terrorist-type offences in the first six months of the current year with regard to cases now completed in England and Wales and the number of bail applications refused, respectively.

The only information which is readily available relates to prisoners who are now in prison custody in category A. It does not cover prisoners who have been released or downgraded.None of the cases of those first remanded during the first six months of 1986 have been completed. The average number of days spent on remand by prisoners whose cases were completed in the first six months of 1986 was 370. Ten applications for bail are recorded; all were refused.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in British jails give as their place of domicile (a) the Republic of Ireland and (b) Northern Ireland; and, in each case, how many of these prisoners are serving sentences for terrorist-type offences as at 30 June.

The information which is readily available centrally relates to prisoners' place of birth and to those terrorist-type prisoners who are held in category A. On 31 May 1986, 670 inmates of prison department establishments in England and Wales were recorded as born in the Republic of Ireland and about 330 in Northern Ireland. Of those, 13 born in the Republic of Ireland and 33 born in Northern Ireland had been convicted of terrorist-type offences and were held in category A.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were transferred from (a) England and Wales to Northern Ireland and (b) from Northern Ireland to England and Wales in the first six months of the current year; and under which section of the Criminal Justice Act 1961 such transfers were carried out.

Three prisoners were transferred from England and Wales to Northern Ireland during the first six months of 1986. Two of these transfers were under section 26 of the Criminal Justice Act 1961 (permanent transfer) and one under section 27 (temporary transfer). Two prisoners were transferred to England and Wales from Northern Ireland under section 27.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to improve hospital conditions in Wormwood Scrubs prison.

The Wormwood Scrubs hospital is at present located in temporary accommodation in B hall of the prison. The major cause of the present unsatisfactory conditions in the temporary hospital is a leaking steam main beneath the hall, and work is now in hand to remedy this.Subject to financial approval, we expect to start the preliminary phase of an overall redevelopment of the prison at about the turn of the year. As part of that work, priority will he given to carrying out further remedial and upgrading work to the temporary hospital at a cost of £315,000.Under a later phase of redevelopment it is planned to provide a permanent hospital and operating theatre within a new building linking the existing wings of the prison. It is hoped that work on this new building will start in 1988–89 and be completed in 1991–92.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria the Metropolitan police use in deciding what action to take regarding motor cycles which exceed the limits for noise emissions; and how many successful prosecutions there have been in each of the last five years.

The Commissioner has informed me that the Metropolitan police take enforcement action as and when breaches of the restrictions on noise are detected. Information on findings of guilt for noise offences by all motor vehicles, by police force area, is published annually in "Offences Relating to Motor Vehicles, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables" (Table 18 of Issue for 1984) copies of which are in the Library. The information available on proceedings does not distinguish offences involving motor cycles.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list in the Official Report the political refugees domiciled in the United Kingdom at the latest date and the countries from which they have come;(2) how many political refugees from Uganda are now resident in the United Kingdom.

Information is not available in the form requested. However, the numbers granted refugee status or exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom in the years 1979 to 1985 are given by nationality in tables 1 and 5A to 5F of Home Office statistical bulletin "Refugee Statistics, United Kingdom 1985" (issue 12/86).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines have been issued to chief constables regarding the circumstances in which belts, braces, ties and shoelaces should be removed from persons detained in police custody.

The circumstances in which a detained person may be deprived of articles of clothing while in police detention are set out in section 54 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, and code C of the codes of practice which were issued to police forces in January of this year. These lay down that a detained person may retain clothing and personal effects unless the custody officer at the police station considers that he may use them to cause harm to himself or others, interfere with evidence, damage property or effect an escape. If the custody officer so considers, he has the authority to withhold such articles as he thinks necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the working of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984; and if he will make a statement.

The main provisions of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 came into effect on 1 January this year. The wide-ranging new procedures introduced by the Act are being monitored closely but it is too early to make a full assessment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on public order in the light of the Gifford report into the Tottenham riots, a copy of which has been sent to him.

Our aim remains to encourage the police to establish and maintain the good working relationship with the community, which is an essential basis for preventing crime and disorder; to ensure that the police have the manpower and the equipment necessary to tackle disorder effectively if and when it occurs; and to ensure that the law gives the police sufficient powers to prevent and deal with disorder while preserving our traditional rights of peaceful protest and assembly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for reports from chief constables as to the extent to which drugs are being traded on licensed premises and as to steps taken to notify licensees of the more obvious indications of drug abuse.

Chief officers are aware that drugs may be traded on licensed premises although information about the scale of such misuse is not recorded separately. I welcome the initiatives which the Brewers Society has taken to produce training materials to ensure that licensees are well equipped to respond to any drug problem that may arise on their premises.