asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many houses were being bought on mortgage in 1986 and in each of the past seven years.

The proportion of households buying their homes with a mortgage loan is estimated from information collected in the annual general household survey: the latest results available are for 1984. The figures are derived from those proportions and from my Department's estimates of total households.

Local authority dwellings vacant more than a year at 1 April
	England			East Midlands			Leicester
	Total stock(000)	Long term vacant1		Total stock(000)	Long term vacant1		Total stock(000)	Long term vacant1
		Number	per cent. of stock		Number	per cent. of stock		Number	per cent. of stock
1980	24,764	223,200	0·5	400	1,560	0·4	36,688	255	0·7
1981	4,912	24,100	0·5	399	1,540	0·4	37,339	133	0·4
1982	4,819	19,800	0·4	386	1,250	0·3	37,132	136	0·4
1983	4,660	22,700	0·5	370	1,120	0·3	35,491	72	0·2
1984	4,561	25,300	0·6	362	1,750	0·5	34,655	76	0·2
1985	4,511	26,100	0·6	361	700	0·2	34,401	138	0·4
1986	4,439	27,100	0·6	356	740	0·2	34,032	77	0·2
1 From 1983 including dwellings closed for slum clearance.
2 Excluding GLC housing for which no return received.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many units of accommodation will be available for sale or rent within the dockland area of the Merseyside Development Corporation.

Over the next five years about 430 houses and approximately 210 flats will be built in Merseyside Development Corporation's designated area. Of these, 130 houses will be available for rent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the luxury apartments in the Albert dock complex on Merseyside will be available for sale or rent.

Arrowcroft Ltd. is engaged in discussions with Merseyside Development Corporation on the design of flat units within the Albert dock complex. It is intended to provide over 100 units for sale. No time scale for their construction has yet been decided.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the content of the telephone call

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council houses were empty for more than a year (a) nationally, (b) in the east midlands and (c) in Leicester in each of the past seven years, giving the same areas, the total numbers of council housing stock and the relevant percentages; and if he will make a statement.

The figures are derived from local authorities' annual housing investment programme returns.between his Department and an officer of Portsmouth city council concerning the Portsdown Park housing estate on 3 March;(2) if he will make available copies of all the correspondence and details of any other contacts between his Department and Portsmouth city council with regard to the city's plan to refurbish the Portsdown Park estate which took place between the original submission of the Barratt's bid and the final decision; and if he will make a statement.

I shall answer these questions shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will rank in descending order, using their 1986–87 budgets, all English local authorities on the basis of the percentage above or below their grant-related expenditure assessments for 1986–87.

I have today placed the information in the House of Commons Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the shares of total grant related expenditure given to (a) London, (b) the metropolitan areas and (c) non-metropolitan areas in each year from 1981–82 to 1987–88 (provisional), taking account of all changes in definition and service transfers from year to year.

Following are the figures requested:

	London	Metropolitan Areas	Non-Metropolitan Areas
1981–821	18·7	25·2	56·1
1982–831	19·0	25·0	56·0
1983–841	19·0	25·1	56·0
1984–851	18·7	25·0	56·3
1985–86	18·6	25·3	56·1
1986–87	18·9	25·5	55·6
1987–882	19·0	25·5	55·5
1 Prior to 1985–86 GLC received GRE in respect of public passenger transport: in later years responsibility for public passenger transport has resided with London Regional Transport. The GLC GRE for public passenger transport represented no more than about 0–1 per cent. of total GRE in any year.
2 Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will arrange for the publication of the technical handbook on grant-related expenditure for 1987–88.

We aim to publish the technical handbook on grant-related expenditure for 1987–88 within two months of laying the 1987–88 RSG settlement report before the House. This will be some two to three months earlier than in previous years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, how properties have been selected for inclusion in the current house condition survey being undertaken by his Department.

The 1986 English house condition survey, which is currently in progress, consists of a sample of 30,700 dwellings distributed across England. The sample was chosen to include all 8,200 addresses surveyed in the 1981 EHCS. Subject to certain technical adjustments to take account of regional differences in dwelling age and tenure, the remaining addresses were selected at random from the Post Code Address File.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress of UK 2000, listing the membership of the board and those businesses which have agreed to sponsor schemes.

Since the launch of UK 2000 on 14 July the board has concentrated on helping the voluntary organisations to develop projects, on seeking sponsorship, and on setting up detailed administrative arrangements. Criteria for UK 2000 projects have been defined and steps have been taken to encourage projects from other organisations not represented on the board. The target for the board to fill 5,000 Manpower Services Commission community programme places by April 1987 remains unchanged.The names of the members of the UK 2000 board are listed in the table.I understand that several voluntary organisations have themselves attracted sponsorship for projects; details of these agreements will be available soon. The UK 2000 central unit is separately negotiating with some 35 organisations which have expressed interest in sponsoring aspects of UK 2000, but these discussions are not yet complete.UK 2000 Board Members

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is able to give details of savings that have arisen from the abolition of the Greater London council and the six metropolitan county councils.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Member for Surbiton (Mr. Tracey) on 22 May 1986, at columns 295–96. I cannot yet add substantively to that reply. Further information on manpower levels and redundancies is currently being received and analysed. I hope to make a further statement in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the average unrebated domestic rate bill paid in each year since 1966 by householders in England.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply to him on 14 April, at column 307.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the amount of rate support grant paid to each local authority in each of the years from 1978–79 to 1986–87 expressed in constant 1986–87 prices.

Tables of rate support grant paid to local authorities since 1974–75 were placed in the House of Commons Library on 6 March. These figures can be converted into real terms at 1986–87 prices by multiplying the figure for each year by a factor which takes account of inflation based on the GDP deflator as in the following table:

Factors for converting rate support grant in cash terms to real terms at 1986–87 prices
Year	Factor
1978–79	1·957
1979–80	1·675
1980–81	1·412
1981–82	1·285
1982–83	1·198

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he hopes to announce his decision relating to the application by the Caradon district council for a derelict land clearance grant in respect of the site formerly occupied by HMS Fisgard, Torpoint; and if he will make a statement.

The Caradon district council's application for derelict land grant is under consideration by my Department along with many such applications from other authorities, both in the south-west region and nationally. A decision on whether funds can be made available in 1987–88 for the proposal will be made early in 1987.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average gross weekly rent for all local authority tenants in England in April 1979 and each subsequent year to 1986; and what proportion of average weekly earnings these gross weekly rent payments represent in each of those years.

The estimated figures are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish figures showing (a) the percentage increase in domestic water rates for each year since 1978–79 for each English regional water authority and the overall average, (b) the cumulative percentage increase since 1978–79 on the same basis and (c) the average domestic water rates bill per household for each year since 1978–79 for each water authority and the overall average.

The information requested is shown in the table. The average household bills are taken from charges returns made annually to DOE.

Average Weekly Unrebated Rents Local Authority Tenants England
	Rent £ per week	As per cent. of average male adult earnings1
April
1979	6·41	6·3
1980	7·70	6·2
1981	11·42	8·1
1982	13·48	8·7
1983	13·97	8·5
1984	14·66	8·2
1985	15·54	8·1
1986	16·36	n/a
1 Men aged 21 and over working full time in all occupations

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish for each authority selected for rate limitation in 1986–87 the percentage increase or decrease in its 1986–87 budgeted total expenditure compared with its original 1985–86 budget.

The information is as follows:

	Per cent.
Basildon	+24·1
Camden1	+25·2
Greenwich1	+63·9
Hackney1	+40·5
Haringey1	+22·9
Islington1	+23·8
Lambeth1	+34·8
Lewisham1	+39·5
Liverpool1	+12·7
Newcastle1	+21·3
Southwark1	+25·6
Thamesdown	+4·6
1 Figures for these authorities for 1985–86 and 1986–87 are not directly comparable, because of the effects of costs included in 1986–87 budgets in respect of services inherited on abolition of the Greater London council or the metropolitan county councils.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the housing subsidy paid to each London borough, metropolitan district and non-metropolitan district in each of the years from 1978–79 to 1986–87, expressed in constant 1986–87 prices.

I shall answer this question shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the housing investment programme allocations made to each London borough, metropolitan district and non-metropolitan district in each of the years from 1978–79 to 1986–87, expressed in constant 1986–87 prices.

Lists of the housing investment programme allocations for all housing authorities in England are placed in the House of Commons Library each year. A list of these allocations for the years 1978–79 to 1986–87, adjusted to 1986–87 prices, will be placed in the Library as soon as possible. It should of course be noted that the level of allocations to authorities does not correspond to the level of housing capital expenditure by those authorities in those years, because of the growth of expenditure financed by other means, principally from capital receipts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library details of accumulated capital receipts for 1985–86 in a similar manner to those given for 1984–85 on 16 July, Official Report, columns 544–45.

Returns from local authorities are currently being received and analysed. As soon as the information is reasonably complete, I will place details in the Library on the same basis as before.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the present condition of the domestic cement industry.

The United Kingdom industry can meet domestic demand both in quantity and quality. Capacity in 1985 was 15·8 million tons, with usage running at 84 per cent. The quality of the ordinary Portland cement produced is higher than BS12. It is well able to compete with unsubsidised imports from the European Community.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the turnover of the domestic cement industry and its total profits or losses in each year since 1980.

The information for the United Kingdom is given in the following table. The profit figures are pre-tax and interest deductions.

£ million
	Turnover	Profit
	£	£
1980	537	55
1981	526	41
1982	590	55
1983	616	55
1984	632	37
1985	639	23

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the quantity and value of cement used in Britain annually and the respective percentages supplied by the domestic cement industry.

The figures are as follows:

	Total Consumption		Domestic Share per cent.
	Volume Metric tones	Value	Volume Metric tones	Value
		£ million		£million
1980	14·2	537	99	99
1981	12·3	540	98	99
1982	13·0	604	98	98
1983	13·5	631	97	98
1984	13·8	643	96	97
1985	13·8	662	96	96

asked the Prime Minister if she will dismiss Mr. Bernard Ingham, in the light of the fourth report from the Defence Committee on Westlands.

No.

asked the Prime Minister, pursuant to her reply of 26 March, Official Report, column 493, if it remains Her Majesty's Government's policy to oppose the inclusion in EEC budgets of special extra provisions for the cost of the past problems; and if she will make a statement.

Yes. The Government will continue to argue against special extra provision in the EC budget for the so-called cost of the past problem. The Government voted in favour of the Council's draft budget for 1987, which respects the budget discipline limits.

asked the Prime Minister if she will now make a further statement on progress being made with the investigation of Ministry of Defence records regarding the alleged involvement of Dr. Kurt Waldheim of German Army Group E in the interrogation and subsequent deaths of British prisoners of war during world war 2.

In May hon. Members sent to me and to the Leader of the House the names of eight service men believed to have been taken prisoner in Greece by German Army Group E during world war 2. On 9 June the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, West (Mr. Janner) sent four further names to the Secretary of State for Defence. The Ministry of Defence has undertaken a thorough and painstaking search of military records for information relevant to Dr. Waldheim's involvement in the fate of these men. The search relating to the first group of eight service men has been completed. Of these, two are known to have survived the war; one died of wounds; and the fate of the rest cannot be precisely established. The search relating to the second group of four service men is continuing. The search of records so far completed has revealed no evidence of criminal activity on the part of Dr. Waldheim.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 23 October.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 23 October.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 23 October.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 23 October.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 23 October.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House I shall he having further meetings later today. Following Questions in the House I shall be going to sign the book of condolence opened for President Machel of Mozambique.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on the procurement activities of the Post Office will be published.

The report is published today.The Commission was asked to investigate the efficiency and cost of the way goods and services are purchased by and distributed within the Post Office, whether the efficiency of these procurement activities, costing some £380 million in 1985, could be improved and whether they had improved since the telecommunications business was separated from the Post Office in 1981. In its report the commission has taken account of the effect on the arrangements for procurement of a major structural reorganisation, announced by the Post Office during the commission's inquiry, which establishes separate letters, parcels and counters businesses.The commission found that since 1981 purchasing standards in the Post Office had been improved substantially and in general had secured value for money, but it recommends a number of ways in which purchasing, stock management and distribution and staffing practices should be further improved.The commission found that the Post Office largely shared its views on actions to be taken to improve the efficiency of procurement activities and is already putting in hand many of the necessary changes, although progress has in some cases been relatively slow. It did not find that the Post Office was pursuing a course of conduct which operates against the public interest.The commission considers it essential that goods purchased centrally should be offered to users in the separate businesses at prices which take account of all the costs of procurement (including distribution) so that they may be compared with the cost of direct purchasing by the businesses. It considers that where the businesses' own choice would be direct procurement this should be refused only when there is a clear advantage to the Post Office as a whole.Among its more detailed findings the commission sees the development of management information arid accounting systems as important, in particular, in determining the charges to users for goods and services and in the improvement of demand forecasting and stock management. It recommends careful control of current computer systems development to assure achievement of these objectives.The commission makes several recommendations aimed at correcting shortcomings found in stock management. It recommends a reduction in stocks (excluding strategic stocks) to an average by value level of three months by not later than August 1987 and that consideration be given to whether there is scope for further reduction to two months. It recommends a review to determine whether any of the goods stocked would be better supplied directly from the manufacturers to the users under centrally negotiated contracts.The commission recommends specific measures to improve procurement in particular areas of goods and services which it had considered in detail, including stamps, vehicles, uniforms, advertising and building and engineering maintenance.The commission was concerned to discover that in the regions the Post Office had, until very recently, no method of assessing the effectiveness of expenditure of £80 million per annum on goods and services and maintained no central record of regional stocks, the number of stores or the number of staff employed in them. The commission considers that the recent appointment of regional purchasing and supply officers should improve purchasing in the regions. It recommends closer control of local stores by the new businesses, and that each should he obliged to account for its stocks and review stockholdings.The commission makes recommendations relating to the staffing of procurement activities, including the measurement and monitoring of work loads, regular external reviews of staff levels, local productivity schemes, closer budgeting and reduction of overtime. It found that the pay rates of storekeepers, which were under review when the commission completed its work, are much higher in the Post Office than elsewhere and recommends that they should be brought into line with remuneration for comparable work in other organisations.The Post Office will he producing written responses to the commission's findings and I shall report on those statements at the appropriate time.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what agreements are currently in force relating to South African commodities entering (a) the United Kingdom and (b) the EEC; what quotas are currently in operation on those commodities; and of which of these commodities there is a surplus within the Community.

There are no agreements relating to imports of South African commodities into the United Kingdom and the EEC; no quotas are in operation; and there are no imports of commodities known to be in surplus in the Community.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the recent visit to Liverpool by the Minister for Information Technology, the hon. Member for Chertsey and Walton (Mr. Pattie).

I visited Liverpool on 14 October 1986.In the morning I opened new premises of a design and management company in Cheshire and on arrival in Liverpool I visited the Wavertree technology park, where I met representatives of two companies sited on the park. I addressed a lunchtime meeting of the University of Liverpool Conservative Association and in the afternoon visited a computer service company in Liverpool.In the evening I attended a dinner with representatives from local industry and commerce.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the assumptions regarding employment and related prospects for the regions in the United Kingdom contained in his Department's report to the European Commission of Government assumptions about employment and industry up to 1990.

In the opinion of the Government it is not sensible or practicable to make forecasts of national unemployment for several years ahead. However, in order to comply with the rules of the European regional development fund, it was necessary to submit a report on the United Kingdom's regional development programme 1986–90. This has been submitted but not yet considered by the European Community Regional Policy Committee or the Commission. As part of the requirement the report contains assumptions about the number of unemployed claimants in each region of the United Kingdom in 1990. These used the national unemployment assumption from the 1986 public expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 9207), covering the period 1986–87 to 1988–89. The 1990 figure was derived by repeating the assumption for 1988–89 a further year. The national assumption was allocated to regions in proportion to 1985 regional unemployment, to reach regional assumptions. No specific assumption about industry was made, but in some cases the document refers to possible trends.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the quantities of cement imported into Britain from each European Economic country in 1985 and to date in 1986.

The information is as follows:

United Kingdom imports of cement from EC member states
Quantity: thousand metric tonnes
	1985	1986 January to August
Federal Republic of Germany	72·5	38·6
France	40·0	45·3
Italy	—	0·2
Netherlands	110·5	63·9
Belgium/Luxembourg	4·4	4·3
Irish Republic	211·3	79·6
Denmark	1·9	4·3
Greece	—	18·0
Spain	44·2	32·5
Portugal	0·0	—

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received concerning the dumping of Greek cement in Britain; and if he will make a statement.

I have received numerous representations from the British cement industry and from consumer interests about the possible imports of cement from Greece. I have taken up these representations and refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Beverley (Sir P. Wall) on 21 October 1986, at column 780.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list for each year from 1979 to 1983 the percentage of businesses established in each year by young people aged 16 to 25 years which have gone into liquidation within a three-year period.

The information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the progress made at the recent European Community Council of Industry Ministers.

The Industry Council met under my chairmanship on 20 October. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Industry represented the United Kingdom.The Council adopted a resolution approving the broad strategy of the Commission's action programme for small and medium-sized enterprises, and also a statement on deregulation which welcomed the Commission's new procedure — involving its task force on SMEs — for assessing the compliance costs that Commission proposals will have on business.I secured the unanimous support of the Council for a resolution welcoming the Commission's determination to apply strictly the code on state aids to the steel industry and to ensure that none of its provisions are undermined. The Council had initial discussion of the Commission's proposals to free certain steel products from the production quota system, during which there was general agreement that the process of liberalisation should continue. I noted that majorities appeared to exist for the liberalisation of category Ic (galvanised sheet) from quota, and for the removal of Commission powers in connection with divergences from traditional intra-Community trade flows in steel products on the understanding that Commission surveillance would continue. I postponed final decisions on these and the other detailed Commission proposals until the next Industry Council on 18 November, for which the Commission had agreed to prepare a preliminary analysis of Eurofer's important recent initiative on steel restructuring.The Council discussed the Commission's proposal for a sixth Council directive on aid to shipbuilding to replace the existing directive, which expires on 31 December 1986. There was broad agreement on the Commission's approach that a common ceiling should be set on direct and indirect aids benefiting ship production and that there should be separate provision for aids for restructuring. I concluded that the necessary preparations should be made to enable the Council to have decisive negotiations on the directive at the next Industry Council.The Council also noted the Commission's intentions to bring forward proposals to help restructure Portuguese industry.

asked the Paymaster General what percentage of businesses using the enterprise allowance scheme in the Northern region have ceased to trade (a) within one year of the commencement of their business and (b) between one and two years from the commencement of their business.

The percentages are:

(a) 13·4 per cent. of those people who joined the scheme in August 1985 had ceased their trading in their EAS business before the end of their year on the allowance (August 1986);

(b) information is not available for the period requested. Completed surveys are on a national basis but a current survey will provide a regional breakdown and results will be available in spring 1987. However, the latest survey results show that of 44 people surveyed in the Northern region who joined the scheme between I March and 30 April 1984 and completed a year in the scheme six had ceased to trade six months after the allowance had stopped. The survey report will be published in November and a copy will be placed in the Library.

asked the Paymaster General what percentage of businesses nationally which used the enterprise allowance scheme in its first year of operation. August 1983–84, were still trading in August 1985.

Information is not available for the period requested. However, the latest survey evidence shows that 76 per cent. of participants who joined the schemes between 1 March and 30 April 1984 and completed a year on the scheme were still trading six months after the allowance had stopped. The survey report will be published in November and a copy will be placed in the Library.

asked the Paymaster General what percentage of businesses in the Northern region, set up by the 18 to 25 years age group, and which used the enterprise allowance scheme during its first year of operation. August 1983–84, were still trading in August 1986.

This information is not available. Existing survey results are based on a sample of only six people in this age group in the Northern region and no valid conclusion can be based on such a small sample. A survey presently being conducted on those who set up in business 18 months ago will he based on a larger sample. The results of this survey will be available by March 1987.

asked the Paymaster General what percentage of businesses in the Northern region which used the enterprise allowance scheme during its first year of operation, August 1983–84, were still trading in August 1986.

Information is not available for the period requested. Completed surveys provide evidence of survival rates nationally; a current survey will provide a regional breakdown and results will be published in spring 1987. However, the latest survey reports show that of the 44 people surveyed in the Northern region who joined the scheme between 1 March and 30 April 1984 and completed a year on the scheme 30 were still trading six months after the allowance had stopped. A copy of the report to be published in November will be placed in the Library.

asked the Paymaster General what percentage of businesses using the enterprise allowance scheme nationally have ceased to trade (a) within one year of the commencement of their business and (b) between one and two years from the commencement of their business.

The percentages are:

(a) 11·5 per cent. of those people who joined the scheme in August 1985 had ceased trading in their EAS business before the end of their year on the allowance (August 1986).

(b) Information is not available for the period requested. However, the latest survey results show that of the 781 people surveyed who joined the scheme between 1 March and 30 April 1984 and completed a year on the scheme 188 (24 per cent.) had ceased to trade six months after the allowance had stopped.

asked the Paymaster General what percentage of businesses nationally which were established by the 18 to 25 years age group, and which used the enterprise allowance scheme during its first year of operation, August 1983–84, were still trading in August 1986.

Information is not available for the period requested. However, the latest survey results show that of the 86 people between the ages of 18 arid 24 surveyed who joined the scheme between 1 March and 30 April 1984 and completed a year on the scheme 59 were still trading six months after the allowance had stopped. The survey report will be published in November and will be placed in the Library.

asked the Paymaster General if a person refusing to attend an interview for a place on the proposed six-month training course for the long-term unemployed under 25 years of age will be liable for benefit sanctions.

The purpose of the new job training scheme is to help participants to acquire skills to compete on equal terms for the increasing number of job vacancies. Participation in the scheme will be voluntary and no benefit sanctions will be applied to people not wishing to take part.This training scheme is only one of the range of opportunities which may be offered in the pilot areas at an interview under the restart scheme. People who fail to respond to a request to attend an interview at a jobcentre without good reason are under social security legislation liable to benefit sanctions.

asked the Paymaster General (1) how many persons are presently eligible for the proposed six-month training course for the long-term unemployed under 25 years;(2) in the case of the proposed six-month training course for the long-term unemployed under 25 years

Job training scheme pilot programmes will be open to adults unemployed for six months or more in the pilot areas. Some 50,000 people were in this category at the latest count.The Manpower Services Commission is currently discussing the scale and nature of provision within the pilots with potential managing agents and I shall write to the hon. Member with further details when these are available. The costs of the pilots will be met from within the adult training budget.

asked the Paymaster General if he will provide an update of the statistics published in July in the Official Report concerning the destinations of the long-term unemployed interviewed to date under the national restart programme.

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

asked the Paymaster General how many persons have ceased to claim benefits as a result of being interviewed or after being called to interview under the national restart scheme.

The information is not available in the precise form asked for, but as at 11 September 1986 the number of people who had left the unemployed count (most of whom would have been receiving benefit) following invitation to a restart counselling interview or attendance at such an interview was 54,367.

asked the Paymaster General if a person completing a course relating to the restart programme and failing to find full-time employment will remain classified as long-term unemployed for statistical and benefit purposes.

People attending a restart course continue during their participation to claim and receive unemployment benefits to which they are entitled. Consequently there is no change to their classification statistically or for benefit purposes.

asked the Paymaster General what was the number of long-term unemployed 12 months ago, six months ago and at the latest available date.

The following information is in the Library. The table shows the number of claimants who had been unemployed for over a year in Great Britain (excluding Northern Ireland) 12 months ago, six months ago, and at 10 July 1986, the latest date for which an analysis of unemployment by duration is available.

Unemployed claimants
	Number
10 October 1985	1,292,777
10 April 1986	1.295,641
10 July 1986	1,285,366

This comparison is affected by the change in the timing of the compilation of the unemployment count in February 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government have any plans to increase their programme of overseas aid for the financial year 1987–88; and if he will make a statement.

The planned aid budget for 1987–88, contained in the 1986 public expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 9702), is £1,230 million, an increase of £43 million or 3·6 per cent. over the aid budget for 1986–87. The outcome of this year's public expenditure survey will be published in the Government's 1987 public expenditure White Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding out of the Overseas Development Agency budget, and for what projects, has been given to Bophuthatswana.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing the value of the student grant inside and outside London at outturn and at constant prices together with its real value, indexed using 100 as a base, when compared with the rise in retail prices, average earnings, rents and books for (a) each year since 1962 and (b) each year since 1979; and if he will show the total value of students' grants expressed as a proportion of the gross domestic product for each year.

The information is as follows:

	"Elsewhere" rate of grant £	Real value in percentage terms (September 1962 and 1979=100 respectively)deflated by increases in —								London rate of grant (£)	Real value in percentage terms (September 1962 and 1979=100 respectively) of the gram deflated by increases in —								Total cost maintenance as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GOP)
		(a) Retail prices		(b) Average earnings		(c) Rents		(d) Book prices3			(a) Retail prices		(b) Average earnings		(c) Rents		(d) Book prices3
1962–63	320	100		100		100		100		330	100		100		100		100		0·08
1963–64	320	98		93		95		96		330	98		93		95		96		0·09
1964–65	320	94		86		91		92		330	94		86		91		92		0·10
1965–66	340	95		86		91		92		370	101		90		96		97		0·12
1966–67	340	92		80		86		89		370	97		85		91		94		0·12
1967–68	340	91		78		79		82		370	96		82		84		87		0·13
1968–69	360	91		76		81		82		395	97		81		86		87		0·14
1969–70	360	86		71		76		77		395	92		75		80		82		0·17
1970–71	380	85		66		74		75		420	91		71		79		80		0·17
1971–72	430	88		67		77		74		465	92		71		81		77		0·17
1972–73	445	85		62		71		71		480	88		65		74		75		0·15
1973–74	485	85		59		71		71		520	88		61		73		74		0·14
1974–75	605	90		62		83		69		665	96		66		89		74		0·15
1975–76	740	87		60		89		71		810	92		63		95		75		0·16
1976–77	875	90		62		91		72		955	95		65		97		77		0·17
1977–78	1,010	90		66		95		69		1,145	99		73		104		76		0·18
1978–79	1,100	91		63		94		69		1,315	105		73		109		80		0·18
1979–80	1,245	88	100	62	100	92	100	67	00	1,485	102	100	71	100	106	100	78	100	0·18
1980–81	1,430	88	99	58	94	81	88	65	97	1,695	101	99	67	93	93	87	75	96	0·19
1981–82	1,535	84	96	56	91	69	75	62	92	1,825	97	95	64	90	80	75	71	92	0·19
1982–83	1,595	82	93	53	87	66	72	55	82	1,900	94	92	62	87	77	72	64	82	0·19
1983–84	1,660	81	92	51	83	65	71	48	72	1,975	93	91	59	83	75	71	56	72	0·19
1984–85	1,775	83	94	52	84	65	71	47	70	2,100	95	93	60	84	75	71	53	69	0·17
1985–86	1,830	80	91	52	83	63	69	43	65	2,165	92	90	59	83	72	68	50	64	not yet available
1986–87	1,901	81	92	not yet available		64	69	43	65	2,246	93	91	not yet available		74	69	50	64	not yet available
Adjusted2
1984–85		80	90	50	81	63	69	45	66		92	90	58	81	73	68	52	67
1985–86		77	88	50	80	61	66	42	62		89	88	57	80	70	66	48	62
1986–87		78	89	not yet available		61	67	42	62		90	88	not yet available		71	66	48	62
1Cost of maintenance on teacher training is included from 1969–70 onwards.
2The indices include adjustments to allow for change in the provision of students' travel costs.
3Revised estimates

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the Medical Research Council is supporting research into Reyes syndrome or has any plans to do so.

I refer the right hon. Member to my reply to him of 13 June, at column 318. The MRC is always willing to consider soundly based research proposals for support through its grants schemes in competition with other applications.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the normal period of time between an inspection by Her Majesty's inspectors of a primary school and their published report; and if he is now able to publish Her Majesty's inspector's report on Callington primary school following the inspection visit in July 1985.

I am pleased to tell my hon. Friend that the report by Her Majesty's inspectors on Callington primary school was issued on 8 October 1986 and was published on 22 October 1986.As to the wider issues he raises, since 1 January 1983 there have been a total of 700 reports published on schools and colleges on the basis of full inspections, of which 294 related to primary schools. The average time between inspection and publication is nine months. It remains the aim of Her Majesty's Inspectorate that reports should be issued to individual institutions within six months of an inspection. It is working to achieve that time scale.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how the extra £40 million resources for education authorities for books for the general certificate of secondary education has been allocated; and if he will make a statement.

The Government are supporting £40 million expenditure on books and equipment for the GCSE over three years. £20 million is being made available this year: £15 million is being supported through education support grant and the other £5 million is a grant for the provision of scientific and technological equipment made available by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment in conjunction with the Manpower Services Commission. A further £20 million at least is being set aside for books and equipment through education support grant over the next two financial years.To secure an equitable distribution of the amount available through ESG for books and equipment a ceiling on the amount of expenditure has been set for each authority. These allocations have been calculated on the basis of 75 per cent. according to the relevant school population and 25 per cent. according to the number of maintained secondary schools. The £5 million available through the MSC for equipment has been allocated on the basis of 50 per cent. according to relevant school population and 50 per cent. according to the number of maintained secondary schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance he has issued to health boards in Scotland about the employment of nursing staff as unit managers in the re-structuring of health board administration; and if he will make a statement.

Guidance on the implementation of general management in units of the Scottish Health Service was issued by the Scottish Home and Health Department on 25 August 1986 in NHS Circular 1986 (GEN) 20, copies of which are in the Library.Unit general manager posts will be widely advertised by health boards. Competition will be open. There will be no presumption for or against applicants from any particular background. The principal criterion for selection will be management skill and aptitude. The circular contains guidance on appropriate involvement of nursing and other professional staff in support of unit general managers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will request from all local authorities in Scotland a detailed report of the number of persons on their council's housing list, showing age groups of applicants, length of time on waiting lists; and their plans for reducing such lists.

Housing plans which the local authorities submit to the Scottish Development Department at regular intervals already include proposals for reducing waiting lists. I do not think that the benefit of requesting further information from local authorities on housing lists would justify the extra burden it would impose on them.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, pursuant to his written reply to the hon. Member for Falkirk, West on 24 October 1985, Official Report, column 230, he will now publish the results of the toxicological assessment and the membership of the expert committees and other individual experts consulted on these matters.

The expert committees concerned have not yet completed their work. I shall send the hon. Member a list of the members of these committees, and am placing a copy of the list in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) whether he will make available additional funding to local authorities to enable them to carry out the adequate sampling and testing of milk;(2) whether he will ascertain from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities whether Scottish local authorities require additional finance to carry out their environmental duties.

Provision has been made for local authority current expenditure for 1987–88 at 3·75 per cent. over budgets for the present year, and guidelines have been increased by an average of 9·2 per cent. over their previous level. Local authorities should therefore have adequate resources to carry out all their duties. If the hon. Member has a particular problem in mind he may care to write to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will express the housing support grant awarded to Dundee district council at constant prices in each year since 1980.

The information is given in the table below:

Housing support grant paid
Year	At outturn prices	At 1985–86 average prices1
	£	£
1980–81	8,602,017	11,704,380
1981–82	5,285,879	6,546,629
1982–83	1,820,168	2,102,272
1983–84	—	—
1984–85	—	—
1985–86	—	—
1 Using GDP deflators.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the total expenditure of Tayside region on education at constant prices in each year since 1982.

The total gross expenditure of Tayside region on education in each year since 1981–82, expressed in constant prices, is as follows:

Year	Expenditure1£ million
1981–82	105·387
1982–83	104·842
1983–84	106·167
1984–85	106·530
1 At November 1984 prices.

Information on 1985–86 actual expenditure is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his discussions with the convenor of Tayside regional council, Mr. John McAllion, during his visit to Dundee and Tayside on 17 October.

I had a most useful meeting with Convenor McAllion during my visit to Tayside regional council on 17 October. Our discussion ranged over a number of items of local and national interest including textile imports, North sea oil, the region's capital expenditure plans and the Dundee waterfront project.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average waiting time for a hip replacement operation for the elderly in Dundee, Tayside health board and Scotland overall; and what were the corresponding figures two years previously.

The latest information centrally available on patients admitted, treated and discharged relates to 1984. The industrial action in 1982 make 1981 figures the most appropriate comparison.

Mean waiting times (in days) for total hip replacements
	Males 65+	Females 65+	Both Sexes 65+
1984
Dundee	186	286	246
Tayside	172	220	203
Scotland	204	199	201
1981
Dundee	144	228	207
Tayside	231	286	265
Scotland	215	213	214

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what study he has made of the annual report of Dundee local health council, with particular reference to the renal unit at Dundee royal infirmary, orthopaedic waiting lists and the knock-on effect of geriatric bed provision; and if he will provide Tayside health board with additional funds to assist with these problems.

The matters raised in the annual report of the Dundee local health council are primarily the responsibility of Tayside health board. The board is the second best funded in Scotland in relation to the needs of its area, and it would be unfair to other boards to increase the proportion of available resources allocated to Tayside.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received about alleged over-charging by landlords for rooms rented by young persons; and if he will discuss this matter with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities as soon as possible.

My right hon. and learned Friend has received no representations specifically about alleged overcharging by landlords for rooms rented by young persons. Some representations have, however, been received from local authorities and other bodies about the alleged excessive levels of rent charged by some private sector landlards for poor quality accommodation. If the convention has relevant evidence on any aspect of these matters, my right hon. and learned Friend is prepared to consider it at any time.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now bring in legislation for the appointment of rent officers in Scotland whose duties would be similar to those operating in England at present.

It is not evident that such legislation is required since for all practical purposes the duties of a rent officer in Scotland and in England and Wales are identical, that is, to determine and register fair rents.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of urban aid projects reaching the expiry of their funding during the current financial year 1986–87; and if he will permit, without ratecapping penalties, the inclusion of selected projects within the mainstream expenditure of local authorities.

The funding of about 180 projects assisted under the urban programme expires during 1986–87. Decisions on the future of these projects are for local authorities to take within the resources available to them.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the average unrebated domestic rate bill paid in each year since 1966 by householders in Scotland.

Estimated average domestic rate bills for Scotland (including water rates) are shown in the table below:

Local authority financial year	£
1966–671	42
1967–68	41
1968–69	43
1969–70	46
1970–71	51
1971–72	63
1972–73	66
1973–74	71
1974–75	83
1975–762	108
1976–773	123
1977–78	139
1978–79	132
1979–80	149
1980–81	199
1981–82	272
1982–83	310
1983–84	310
1984–85	328
1985–86	392
1986–87	417
1 May to May.
2 May to March; 10½ months.
3 April to March.

Since 1976 these figures have been contained in "Rating Review", regularly issued by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Copies are available in the Library.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will in future seek to require the EEC Commission to make estimates of the effects of EMS realignments on EEC budget costs and an own resources revenue; and if he will make a statement.

I agree that the Commission should be asked to make such estimates, even though they must be very uncertain.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what have been the United Kingdom's total net payments to the EEC in each year from 1983.Mr. Brooke The information required is contained in table 3 of the statement on the 1986 Community budget (Cmnd 9907) published in early October. A copy is available in the House of Commons Library.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the principle that the maximum level of EEC expenditure will be determined at the beginning of the budgetary year is subject to any qualifications about exceptional circumstances; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the Council's conclusions on budgetary discipline of December 1984, a copy of which is available in the Library. Article 2 of the conclusions includes provision for the Council to take account of exceptional circumstances when calculating the financial guideline for agriculture.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the correction formula for United Kingdom budgetary contribution to the EEC, agreed at Fontainebleau, will continue unchanged if the value added tax ceiling is raised to 1·6 per cent.; and if he will make a statement.

This question is hypothetical. Disregarding that, however, neither the VAT ceiling nor the correction formula for the United Kingdom can be changed without the consent of the Governments and Parliaments of all member states, including the United Kingdom.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which financial institution advised Her Majesty's Government about the level of the offer price for shares in British Telecom and the Trustee Savings Bank, respectively; and which financial institutions are advising Her Majesty's Government about the level of the offer price for shares in British Gas.

The Government's advisers on the British Telecom offer for sale were Kleinwort Benson Ltd. and Hoare Govett Ltd. Advice about share pricing was also provided by Philips and Drew. N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. and Cazenove and Co. are acting as the Government's advisers on the forthcoming Offer for Sale of shares in British Gas. The arrangements for the TSB flotation were entirely a matter for the TSB and its own financial advisers.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether Mr. Colin Sampson has yet completed his inquiry into matters connected with the Royal Ulster Constabulary; and if he will make a statement.