asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many farmers in Wales are owner occupiers; and how many tenant farmers there are farming over 3 hectares.

As at June 1985 there were 19,758 wholly owned main holdings in Wales; and 4,476 wholly rented main holdings of over 3 hectares.These figures exclude partially owned or rented holdings.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy towards the role of local housing authorities in providing new accommodation for categories other than special needs; and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.The main priority for local authorities must be the renovation and repair of their existing housing. For new accommodation to rent, our main aim is to diversify the supply and increase the choice available to tenants by creating opportunities for private sector organisations to become involved in meeting a wider range of housing needs. Local authorities are ideally placed to co-ordinate and encourage participation in this task by a variety of agencies, including building societies, other financial institutions, private developers, and housing associations.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has come to a conclusion as to whether to exercise his powers under the Education Act in the case of Miss Maureen McGoldrick; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend yesterday used his powers under section 68 of the Education Act 1944 to direct the authority not to proceed with any further disciplinary hearing or action against Miss McGoldrick in respect of the allegations against her.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what design guidance and requirements his Department is issuing to local authorities and housing associations for new housing and housing renovation work to encourage them to use passive solar housing techniques and technology.

I refer to the answer that I gave the right hon. Member on 15 December, at column 381. The Department of the Environment's Building Research Establishment is actively involved in our programme. I very much welcome the important contribution that it is making.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Brigg and Cleethorpes (Mr. Brown) on 8 December, Official Report, column 6, whether any investment approval given to the Central Electricity Generating Board since 1979 has included provision for payments of compensation or for the purchase of residential property beyond that required for operational purposes; and if he will make it his policy to require separate identification of any such costs in considering whether to give investment approval for a new development; and if he will make a statement.

Such payments would be a matter for the Central Electricity Generating Board and I would not expect them to be separately identified in any investment approval.

asked the Prime Minister what factors Her Majesty's Government take into account in deciding the timing of the release of information of commercial sensitivity, having regard to relevant market factors; and how these factors were applied in relation to the disclosure of parts of the Solicitor-General's letter to the then Secretary of State for Defence relating to Westland.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 17 November, at columns 49–50.

asked the Prime Minister what was the ratio for (a) the United Kingdom and (b) Scotland, of average family income for the richest quarter of households compared with the poorest quarter of households in 1979; and what was the ratio in 1985.

It is estimated from the family expenditure survey that the ratios of the household incomes for those households in the top quarter of the income range compared with those in the bottom quarter, are as follows measuring income in gross terms:

	United Kingdom	Scotland
1979	6·2:1	6·4:1
1985	7·9:1	8·1:1

Income as measured by the FES is not an indicator of wealth. Households with the largest incomes tend to be those with the largest number of members. The lowest quartile of households has a predominance of lone adult households including pensioners while the upper quartile has the highest average number of members contributing to the income.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will specify the number of standing Cabinet committees and sub-committees and their titles and functions; and if she will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Gentleman of 14 November 1984, at columns 243–44.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce his proposals for the levy on Londons' ratepayers in support of his grants to London Regional Transport for 1987–88.

Section 13 of the London Regional Transport Act 1984 empowers me to make a levy on London ratepayers to recover up to two thirds of the cost of my total grants to London Regional Transport. I have today laid before Parliament a draft levy order which is subject to affirmative resolution. This provides for a levy in 1987–88 of 7·77p in the pound, which is estimated to raise £156·9 million. This is equivalent to 65·6 per cent. of my estimated expenditure in 1987–88 on grants to LRT, which amount to £239 million; the balance of 82·1 million will be found from the Exchequer.By comparison with 1986–87 these proposals represent a reduction in grant of £56 million and a reduction in the call on ratepayers of £36·7 million. The burden on ratepayers falls by slightly more than 2p in the pound, while the proportion of expenditure they fund has been held constant.My proposals reflect London Regional Transport's achievements in cutting costs while providing a more efficient and attractive public transport service in the capital. LRT has proposed for 1987–88 a further cut in the revenue deficit to £58 million, and within that sum I have been able to increase to £6 million the provision for funding Dial-a-Ride services for disabled people. Investment will continue at a high level and will include expenditure on new Underground trains which I approved in September and crime prevention measures which were announced on 28 November.Further details of LRT's proposals for next year are given in its annual business plan, which will be published shortly. Copies will be placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make a statement on the outcome of the European Community Transport Council on 15 and 16 December.

I am glad to say that the Council agreed yesterday a package of four important shipping measures which lay the foundation of a common shipping policy. This represents a historic step forward in the development of the European Community and will create conditions for the British fleet to compete on more equal terms in world trade. In particular it will liberalise Community international trades, enable the Community to take concerted action to combat protectionism for third countries, counter unfair pricing practices particularly from state trading lines, and establish a competition regime for shipping.The regulation on a freedom to provide shipping services in international trades to, from and between member states is the key instrument in the package. It provides for a progressive phasing out of unilateral cargo reservation and discriminatory cargo-sharing arrangements in bilateral agreements with third countries over the period leading up to the completion of the internal market which the Community has already decided shall be achieved by the end of 1992.The Council was not able to reach agreement on the liberalisation of Community cabotage trades and I expect to make an announcement early in the new year of how we propose to pursue this in the United Kingdom's interests.This package of regulations, while being of major importance to our shipping industry, is the first stage of the development of a common shipping policy. It was agreed that the Community should move straight to the further development of policy aimed both at the harmonisation of aids given by Community Governments to their merchant fleets and at ways of strengthening the position of the Community shipping industry in today's highly competitive international shipping market.On the inland transport side, the Council agreed to increase each member state's quota of Community wide road haulage permits by 15 per cent. in 1987. A further increase up to 40 per cent. for 1987 could not be adopted owing to the lack of an opinion from the European Parliament and a reserve by one member state, but adoption should be possible early in the new year. The Council also agreed in principle to a regulation allocating 90 million ecu for transport infrastructure projects in individual member states, including two projects in the United Kingdom. This regulation is still subject to a United Kingdom reserve pending parliamentary scrutiny. A directive was adopted to streamline procedures for goods traffic at community frontiers, and the Council agreed a framework for further work to improve railway finances. Finally, the Council called on the Commission to do a report on port finances with a view to ensuring greater transparency of port accounts in the future.On air transport, the Council again concentrated on a three-year first step towards the 1992 target date for full liberalisation. We were able to secure unanimous support for our proposals on capacity and a substantial majority for our ideas on market access. There was also usefulprogress on fares, where seven member states clearly support our efforts to allow cheaper travel, and only two are still totally opposed.This means that at last there is solid progress in an area where the Community has failed to act for far too long. It puts the incoming Belgian presidency in a commanding position to complete a worthwhile first stage package.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to introduce a standard procedure throughout the United Kingdom on the operation of traffic lights at crossroads in respect of giving priority at the first change of lights to the traffic turning right.

There are a number of techniques described in the Department's advice note TA 16/81 for dealing with this type of problem. It is for the appropriate highway authority to determine which technique is best suited in the light of local conditions. A copy of the advice note is in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Cartwright) on 21 November, Official Report, column 361, what steps he is taking to minimise the period between the making of the regulations on speed limiters for coaches and their operative date.

When we consult interested parties on the draft regulations early next year, we shall seek their views on the earliest dates that seem practically possible, bearing in mind the need to spread the work of installing speed limiters over a reasonable period.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his reply of 24 November, Official Report, column 71, why the design flow figure given of 91,000 vehicles per day for dual three-lane motorways differs from the figure of 85,000 vehicles per day given on 24 February, Official Report, column 501; and if he will make a statement.

The design flows for dual three-lane motorways are specified in Department of Transport standards, which are revised from time to time. During the period when most of the M25 was being planned 85,000 vehicles was specified as the maximum design flow for 16 hours on an August day. The figure of 91,000 is the corresponding flow for a 24-hour August day. In the current Departmental standard, issued in November 1985, the flow is expressed as an annual average daily flow (24 hours) of 79,000. Allowing for seasonal variations in traffic volume this corresponds to the peak month figures mentioned above.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many representations he has received since the implementation of bus deregulation.

I have received many such representations, on various aspects of deregulation.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the consideration given to the potential for road accident casualty reduction when he approves road schemes.

When assessing new road schemes the benefits for savings in road casualty costs are considered along with other economic and wider environmental effects. On average about 14 per cent. of the total economic benefits of schemes are attributed to reductions in accidents.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will rank the road schemes approved during the past year in terms of anticipated casualty reductions for £100,000 spent.

Casualty savings account for part of the total estimated benefit of new road schemes. It would be misleading to compare the total costs of road schemes with a partial measure of their benefits or to rank schemes on this basis. The information asked for could only be assembled with disproportionate expenditure of time and cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he intends to introduce any further measures for accident reduction during the remainder of European Road Safety Year.

We have just published a revised edition of the accident investigation and prevention manual. I have written to the chairman of each local authority highway committee drawing his attention to the manual and emphasising that local AIP work represents the single most cost-effective means of reducing road casualties yet identified.I am today announcing new criteria for the installation of crash barriers on dual carriageways. New regulations on pelican crossings will be also laid very shortly.European Road Safety Year has provided a useful focus for effort by central and local government and by voluntary and private sector organisations. However, the task of reducing road casualties will not end on 31 December. Continued progress will depend on the ability of central Government, local authorities and others to deploy their resources on strategies that are of demonstrable cost-effectiveness in casualty reducing terms, thus saving the maximum number of lives and reducing avoidable injuries.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the agreement on motor cycle noise reached at the European Community environment council on 24 November; and if he will make a statement.

The scope of the Commission's original proposals was set out in a Department of Transport memorandum in November 1984 (9148/84). Despite the two-year delay in reaching agreement, the Council has agreed a number of significant improvements to the Commission's original proposals. The table compares the Council agreement with the current limits and the Commission's proposals. The agreement also provides for a Community standard to be prepared on replacement silencers.The agreement reflects a Community policy to make motor cycle manufacturers improve their product so as to keep in step with the progress being made by car and lorry manufacturers to reduce noise at source, whilst improving no threat whatsoever to the traditional air-cooled machine.It is our intention, as soon as the directive is formally adopted by the Council, to prepare draft amendments to the construction and use regulations so as to make the new limits applicable at the due dates to new machines registered in Britain. We will consult representative organisations on the draft amending regulations in the usual way.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has decided to amend the criteria governing the erection of safety fencing in the central reserves of dual carriageway roads.

Yes. In future safety fencing will be provided on all dual carriageway trunk roads where it can be shown that this is justified by the traffic using the road. It will be provided both as part of new road schemes and in the course of renewing existing roads.In addition, there will be a programme to provide fencing on other lengths of existing trunk roads. The net effect will be that most roads with dual carriageways will have such fencing. All existing safety fencing will be inspected and repaired as part of normal maintenance work.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in the light of the further consultation over the rate support grant report announced by Her Majesty's Government on 3 December, he is able to offer any guidance on the distribution of transport supplementary grant to local highway authorities.

I am proposing acceptance of 70 new schemes for support with a view to giving further impetus to improvement of more important local authority roads. I also propose to maintain my commitment to support around 270 schemes accepted in previous settlements, many of which which are already under construction.Officials have today informed each highway authority of their expenditure I propose to accept for TSG, at the proposed 50 per cent. rate of grant. In total, I propose to accept £360 million expenditure and give £180 million grant—almost a 10 per cent. increase over 1986–87.A copy of the press notice I am issuing today giving total proposed accepted expenditure for each authority has been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he plans to offer further aid to Jordan following the launching of its new five-year plan and its programme for the occupied territories.

We have offered a new loan of £10 million, on concessionary terms and tied to the provision of British goods and services, as a contribution to the new Jordan five-year plan. The finance will be spent on capital projects to be agreed between our two Governments.In support of the Jordanian Government's objectives to assist the economic and social development of the occupied territories we propose to increase our aid to the West Bank and Gaza to £5 million on grant terms over the next five years. Half of this will be channelled through Jordanian institutions. The finance would be available for technical co-operation, training, British equipment and some elements of local costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what type of ship will be built to replace the RMS St. Helena.

The Government have given careful consideration to a variety of options and have decided, with the agreement of the St. Helena Government, that the new ship will be a 125-berth mixed passenger-cargo vessel, built in a United Kingdom yard. We expect the ship to meet all St. Helena's estimated passenger and cargo needs for the foreseeable future, except for petrol, which cannot be carried on a passenger ship and which will be supplied under separate arrangements.The Overseas Development Administration is now setting in motion the competitive tendering arrangements for design and construction of the vessel.

asked the Paymaster General which local authorities in England have published tourism strategies; and if he will make a statement.

This information is not comprehensively available centrally. However, there has been a substantial increase in the number of local authorities which have published tourist strategies. The English Tourist Board and the non-statutory regional tourist boards are actively encouraging all local authorities to produce their own strategies for tourism development based on local needs and priorities of each area.

asked the Paymaster General whether he intends to introduce any further new method of calculation for the unemployment figures; and if he will make a statement.

As a result of the ending of compulsory "signing-on" at jobcentres, the method of calculating the unemployment figures was changed in October 1982 from a count of registrants at jobcentres to a count of claimants of unemployment benefit. Since then there have been two changes in the calculations to remove mistakes over counting, one very minor. We have made no other changes to the method of calculations and I have no present plans to make any further changes.

asked the Paymaster General how many young people are now unemployed; and how many are engaged in officially supported employment schemes within the Rotherham travel-to-work area.

On 9 October 1986 the number of unemployed claimants aged under 18 in the Rotherham and Mexborough travel-to-work area was 1,891. The number of people aged under 18 in employment schemes in this area is not available. However, the new workers scheme, which helps people under 21 who are ineligible for YTS into full-time permanent jobs, currently supports over 600 people in Sheffield and Rotherham, a proportion of whom will be under 18. Also at the community industry unit at Rotherham there are 62 young people aged under 18 participating in community industry. In addition, in the Rotherham travel-to-work area on 5 December 1986 there were 2,473 young people in training on YTS. The vast majority of claimant school leavers aged under 18 on 9 October were eligible for YTS; and some will have taken up YTS places since the count was made.

asked the Paymaster General (1) if he will publish a table showing the numbers and percentages of jobs lost, or gained, in Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom as a whole between June 1979 and June 1986, or the latest month for which figures are available in (a) all industries, (b) all manufacturing industries, (c) all service industries, (d) shipbuilding and repairing, (e) metal goods engineering and vehicles, (f) mechanical engineering, (g) electrical electronic engineering and instrument engineering, (h) health, education and personal social services, (i) retail distribution and (j) banking, insurance and financial;(2) if he will publish a table showing for Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom as a whole the number

of persons at work who are

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

asked the Paymaster General whether persons on Manpower Services Commission training schemes can transfer from one scheme which they have commenced to another without a loss of benefit for any intervening period; and if he will make a statement.

A person can transfer from one MSC scheme to another, subject to the individual's circumstances and the conditions applying to particular schemes. Should the individual claim benefit in the intervening period, he is subject to the normal rules of entitlement. I am not aware of any particular problems in the administration of such claims by my Department.

asked the Paymaster General how many unfilled vacancies exist in the printing industry in the London area.

The following information is in the library. On 8 August 1986, the latest date for which an analysis of vacancies by industry is available, the number of unfilled vacancies at jobcentres in the Greater London area in the paper, printing and publishing industries was 444. A more detailed industrial analysis is not available.

asked the Paymaster General whether his Department will conduct an investigation to estimate how many of the long-term unemployed leave the register as a result of the normal inflow and outflow compared with those leaving as a direct result of the restart interviews over a controlled period of six months; and if he will make a statement.

I doubt whether it is possible to carry out a controlled experiment to monitor the precise effects of restart. There are significant variations in the normal flow into and out of unemployment because of changing labour market conditions and variable seasonal influences. These make it very difficult to provide a reliable estimate of what the position could have been without restart. We are considering ways of assessing the impact of the scheme, but we are not yet sure that a reasonably accurate assessment of its direct employment effect can be made.

asked the Paymaster General how many unemployed people have been offered jobs as a result of restart training schemes in the (a) Liverpool travel-to-work area and (b) Broadgreen constituency area; how many people have had benefit suspended having failed to attend restart interviews in (i) Liverpool travel-to-work area and (ii) Broadgreen constituency area; and how many people have had benefit suspended for not meeting the requirements of the new availability for work test in (1) Liverpool travel-to-work area and (2) Broadgreen constituency area.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 December 1986, c. 258]: We have no means of knowing how many people are offered or obtain jobs as a result of their participation in the restart programme, which is designed to improve their prospects of employment.No one can lose his benefit entitlement solely as a result of the restart programme. Under long-standing legal rules, people can lose their entitlement to benefit if they fail to attend an interview, are not available for work or refuse an offer of suitable employment.We cannot provide information about loss of benefit in the exact form requested as it is not possible to equate precisely unemployment benefit office areas within the locations quoted. Failure to attend an interview has always resulted in disallowance of benefit, not suspension, but up to 13 November 1986 the number of people in what is broadly the Liverpool travel-to-work area who failed to attend a restart interview and as a result had benefit disallowed by independent adjudication officers was 666. Of these, 196 were in the unemployment benefit office areas that largely covered the Broadgreen constituency. Subsequently, 469 and 157 claimants respectively had benefit reinstated after attending a restart interview.The improved procedures for testing the availability for work of new claimants in accordance with long-standing legal rules, which I announced on 28 October, at columns 175–87, are a separate arrangement from the restart programme, which is for long-term unemployment people. Up to 5 December 1986, in the areas of Liverpool and Broadgreen respectively, 155 and 28 people who were making a fresh claim had their benefit suspended after completing the availability questionnaire, pending a decision on their entitlement by the independent adjudication officer.

asked the Paymaster General what information is made available to employees of the Department of Health and Social Security and claimants on the availability of full-time child-care and day-care facilities for dependent adults within the area, when the new availability for work test is applied.

The provision of information about child-care and day-care facilities is a matter for the local authorities and other bodies which run them. Such information may be made available to staff and claimants at local offices of the Department of Health and Social Security or of the Department of Employment by local arrangement. We have no plans to make any changes.We have not introduced any new test for benefit, but merely introduced a new form to help with the application of long-established rules followed by successive Governments.A person who claims that he or she is actively seeking work and so is available for work and eligible for benefit as an unemployed person must also accept some personal responsibility for making arrangements for dependants to enable that person to take up a job. If a claimant says that he or she is not able to contemplate taking work, the law and the legal rules have always provided that the claimant is not entitled to benefit as unemployed.

asked the Paymaster General how many people (a) are at present and (b) have been on the YTS in the constituency of Teignbridge since 1983.

At present there are 296 young people in training on YTS schemes in Teignbridge. Since April 1986, when two year YTS began, there have been 329 entering the schemes. I regret the Manpower Services Commission's management information system is unable to give historical data prior to that date.

asked the Paymaster General what trends he forecasts in the number of people employed in manufacturing industries in the north-west.

We do not make such forecasts of employment.

asked the Paymaster General what steps he is taking through his inner cities initiative to combat crime and the alienation of young people in inner city areas.

The aim of our inner cities initiative is to tackle the general problems of employment and disadvantage faced by inner city residents and young people in particular. We are undertaking a wide variety of relevant projects and I have now decided to provide the necessary finance to support two new schemes to combat crime and the alienation of some young people.First, I have agreed to support the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders in establishing an inner cities crime prevention development unit. The five full-time staff of this unit will work alongside the Government's task force leaders in the eight areas where they are based in devising and implementing a programme designed to reduce crime and the fear of crime.I have also agreed to support a consortium comprising the Apex Trust, the National Youth Bureau and the Intermediate Treatment Fund. The consortium will combine the central and local expertise of the participant organisations and will provide task forces with help and advice on tackling the problems, including the employment problems of alienated young people in the eight areas. In addition, the Apex Trust and the National Youth Bureau will each provide a member of staff to work alongside the Government's task force leaders in Handsworth and North Peckham.Both NACRO and the consortium will be making the necessary appointments and secondments very shortly. The budget of our inner cities task force initiative is being used to provide funds of £214,194 to NACRO and of £99,450 to the consortium.

asked the Paymaster General what was the total number of industrial strikes recorded for each year since 1975.

The available information on the number of stoppages through industrial disputes is given in table 4.2 of Employment Gazette (December 1986 issue).

asked the Paymaster General (1) how many production days were lost due to industrial strike action in each year since 1975;(2) how many man-hours were lost due to industrial strike action in each year since 1975.

The available information on working days lost through industrial disputes is given in table 4.2 of Employment Gazette (December 1986 issue). Information on man hours lost is not available.

asked the Paymaster General if he will list the premises which have handled or stored smallpox virus in the United Kingdom since 1975.

The following premises are known to the Health and Safety Executive to have handled or stored smallpox virus since 1975:

• Birmingham University
• Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research, Porton
• St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington
• Stocks are no longer held at any of the above.

asked the Paymaster General when smallpox SP22, 16.12.52 was discovered at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicines; and how it was labelled.

Seven ampoules, contained in a cardboard box bearing the legend "smallpox SP22" and dated 16.12.52 were discovered at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine on 3 December 1985.

asked the Paymaster General whether all establishments known to have stored smallpox have been visited by the Health and Safety Executive since the discovery of smallpox SP22, 16.12.52 at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; if he will list all such visits since 1981 to date; and what were the findings of the inspectors.

All establishments known to the Health and Safety Executive to have stored smallpox have been visited during 1986.These establishments were also visited on several occasions between 1981 and 1985. However, to distinguish visits which may have been made in connection with smallpox from those made for other purposes could be done only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Paymaster General (1) if the Health and Safety Executive is satisfied that all establishments handling and storing pathogenic materials in ACDP categories 3 and 4 have satisfactory arrangements for keeping inventories of such materials;(2) if establishments handling and storing pathogenic materials in ACDP categories 3 and 4 have satisfactory systems for rendering potentially infective material safe before disposal.

Establishments handling or storing hazard group 4 pathogens scheduled under the Health and Safety (Dangerous Pathogens) Regulations 1981, must notify the Health and Safety Executive. All establishments visited following such notifications had satisfactory arrangements for keeping inventories of such material and satisfactory systems for rendering potentially infective materials safe before disposal. Premises which handle hazard group 3 pathogens are not notifiable and it is not possible to retrieve information about the standards at these premises without disproportionate costs.

asked the Paymaster General how many improvement or prohibition notices the Health and Safety Executive has issued in the current year in relation to an establishment's failure to maintain complete records of all human pathogens stored.

Between 1 January and 31 March 1986 no notices relating to failure to maintain complete records of stocks of human pathogens were issued by the Health and Safety Executive. Statistics from April 1986 are not yet available centrally.

asked the Paymaster General if the Health and Safety Executive has taken any prosecutions against establishments which fail to maintain records of the storage of human pathogens.

No.

asked the Paymaster General what is his policy with regard to requiring officers of local authorities entering into agreements with the Manpower Services Commission to sign a declaration under the Official Secrets Acts; and whether he will make a statement.

The Manpower Services Commission rarely requires officers of local authorities to sign such a declaration. The Official Secrets Act is a consideration only when local authorities, or other contractors, need access to Manpower Services Commission information to fulfill an agreement. Such access is normally restricted to research and development or premises work, very little involves local authorities.

asked the Paymaster General what courses are currently offered at the Deptford skillcentre; how many places are available on each; and how many of these places are currently filled.

[pursuant to his reply, 15 December 1986, c. 369]: There are 70 courses currently offered at the Deptford skillcentre. The type of course, the number of places available and the number of places filled on each course are shown in the following table.

Courses available at Deptford skillcentre—9 December 1986
Courses	Places available	Places filled
Bricklaying	14	11
Carpentry and joinery	28	23
Engineering production	14	7
Heating and ventilation	12	12
Industrial electronics	12	8

asked the Paymaster General how many places for (a) bricklayers and (b) carpenters and joiners have been available at the Deptford skillcentre each year of its operation.

[pursuant to his reply, 15 December 1986, c. 369]. The number of places for (a) bricklayers and (b) carpenters and joiners available at the Deptford skillcentre for each year of its operation is shown in the following table.

Year and Course	Places Available
1982–83
Bricklaying	28
Carpentry and Joinery	28
1983–84
Bricklaying	28
Carpentry and Joinery	28
1984–85
Bricklaying	14
Carpentry and Joinery	14
1985–86
Bricklaying	14
Carpentry and Joinery	28
1986–87
Bricklaying	14
Carpentry and Joinery	28

asked the Paymaster General what is the total capacity of the Deptford skillcentre; and how much of it is currently in use.

[pursuant to his reply, 15 December 1986, c. 369]. The Deptford skillcentre has a current capacity of up to 282 training places spread over a variety of trade groups. At present 225 of these training places are filled.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will report on the recent visit to Uganda by the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Wallasey (Mrs. Chalker); what is the current situation concerning the outstanding claims for compensation by Ugandan and Commonwealth refugees; and if he will give details of representations made by Her Majesty's Government.

I was warmly received by the Ugandan Government during my visit on 5 and 6 December and had substantive talks with President Museveni and other Ugandan Ministers and officials about ways in which we might further assist the Ugandan Government to restore peace and prosperity.I raised for the third time this year the question of outstanding claims for compensation with President Museveni. The President has undertaken to look into the matter, particularly the process by which such claims are examined and verified by the Ugandan authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list those initiatives of his Department which have been of benefit to women, since 1979, the cost or estimated cost of these initiatives, and the proportion of the total budget of his Department this represents.

I am concerned about the under-representation of women in certain areas of industry, including management, information technology and engineering. My Department has therefore taken a number of initiatives including:

(a) Women into Science and Engineering Year 1984. My Department provided £27,000 to help fund an Equal Opportunities Commission-run double decker bus which toured the country providing teachers, parents and schoolgirls with an opportunity to gain knowledge of current technology and what is involved in an engineering career. It also contributed £8,000 to producing and distributing WISE literature;

(b) Women's Training Roadshows. The Women's National Commission has, with the help of £31,000 from my Department, run roadshows around the country to encourge women of all ages into a wider range of jobs;

(c) Challenge of Management. With the help of £5,000 from my Department, the Industrial Society has run courses to give sixth form schoolgirls an insight into industrial management;

(d) Executive Shadows Pilot Project. My Department has contributed £5,000 to a project encouraging able girls to consider a career in industry. Sixth form students "shadow" business executives, mainly on a one-to-one basis, at work for a week in 1986;

(e) Information Technology. My Department has sponsored, to the tune of £31,000, projects in Croydon, Sheffield and Cambridge to develop a strategy and materials for teaching girls and women about (and through) information technology;

(f) National Electronic Council Project. The Council has received a grant for £143,000 from my Department to promote a range of activities including, principally, a series of conferences aimed at teachers, with a view to influencing the subject choices of girls aged 13 and 14 and encouraging them to consider a career in electronics;

(g) Engineering and Technology programme. My Department has contributed to the programme which includes courses aimed at helping women gain qualifications making them better fitted for careers in areas of industry traditionally dominated my men;

(h) The Department's industry-education unit makes available to schools a series of videos on women and engineering, information technology and related issues;

(i) As one of the sponsors of Industry Year, the Department has participated in the women's working group, which was formed to ensure that women take a full and active part in the initiative;

(j) The Department contributed £9,000 to the Sheffield local education authority information technology project to produce computer software to appeal equally to boys and girls;

(k) The Cambridge Women's Resource Centre has received £22,000 towards the purchase of computer software;

(l) My right hon. Friend has encouraged the invitation of more women to undertake public appointments for which he is responsible. Just over 23 per cent. of these appointments are now held by women.

The aggregate cost of all the Department's initiatives concerning women cannot be estimated precisely, since some costs are not individually recorded, but it is unlikely to exceed 1 per cent. of the Department's total budget. The Department follows a policy of equal opportunity for its own staff.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people are employed in the manufacture, distribution and sale of spare parts for both imported and domestically produced goods of all types; and if he will make a statement.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any information on the level of imports of Vauxhall badged cars into the United Kingdom and the level of exports of Vauxhall badged cars from the United Kingdom.

What information is available is given in the table:

	New registrations in the United Kingdom of Vauxhall passenger cars built abroad	Vauxhall United Kingdom production for export
1985 Year	160,597	257
1985 January-November	155,137	n.a.
1986 January-November	1120,955	n.a.
n.a. Not available.
1 Includes Opel registrations [1985 = 8,102]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the cost of production lost due to industrial strike action in each year since 1975.

Figures for the overall cost of production lost due to industrial strike action are not available, but some indication may be obtained from the figures for working days lost.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is ready to make a final decision on the recommendations of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on the early release of films.

No. I have not yet received the Director General of Fair Trading's assessment of the result of the pilot experiment on the early release of films which has been conducted in response to the recommendation of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission in their 1973 report on the supply of films for exhibition in cinemas.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish his latest figures for the amount of regional development grant and regional selective assistance paid out for Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom as a whole for 1984–85, 1985–86 and so far in 1986–87.

Northern Ireland has its own forms of regional assistance which are the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Payments of regional development grant¹ and regional selective assistance² in Great Britain in 1984–85, 1985–86 and 1986–87 to date are:

£ million
	1984–85	1985–86	31986–87
Regional Development Grants	411·0	358·5	346·9
Regional Selective Assistance	97·8	119·8	68·4
1 Consists of old and new style RDGs; the new RDG scheme was introduced on 29 November 1984.
2 Industrial and training grants only.
3 April to November.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his budgeted figure for payments for Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom as a whole in (a) regional development grant and (b) regional selective assistance; and what is his best estimates of the amounts due.

Northern Ireland has its own forms of regional incentives which are the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. For Great Britain, combined Supply Estimate and Winter Supplementary Estimate provisions for payments of regional development grant and regional selective assistance in 1986–87 are £504·8 million and £160·6 million respectively. As I said in my reply to the hon. Member on 8 December 1986, at column 25, I am not yet in a position to give a clear estimate of the amounts due.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list information available to him on the consignments of food products exported from Britain since 1 January that have been rejected by the importing country; and what were the reasons for rejection.

I have been asked to reply.

	1970		1980		1985
Forest workers employed on forest management activities	4,168	(1,600)	2,528	(1,084)	1,964	(816)
Forest workers employed on harvesting activities	1,734	(666)	2,090	(896)	1,256	(522)
	5,902	(2,266)	4,618	(1,980)	3,220	(1,338)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the ways in which members of Her Majesty's inspectorate are accountable for their work, with particular reference to inspection of, and reporting on, schools and colleges; and what remedies are available to those who consider that they have been or may have been, unfairly treated in the course of Her Majesty's inspectorate's activities.

Her Majesty's inspectorate is part of the Scottish Education Department and is thus formally accountable to my right hon. and learned Friend. However, in practice it enjoys independence of professional judgment in the exercise of its functions, the conduct of its inspections and the content of its reports, although my right hon. and learned Friend is accountable for any decision to publish its advice. It is open to anyone who believes he has been unfairly treated in the course of Her Majesty's inspectors discharge of their duties to make representations to my right hon. and learned Friend or, in the last resort, to pursue complaints through the courts.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for each of the separate district areas of the Greater Glasgow health board, the number of beds provided for geriatric care in each of the general hospitals.

Those general hospitals in Greater Glasgow with beds for geriatric patients are as follows together with respective number of beds and the area of the former districts of the Greater Glasgow health board in which they are situated:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will indicate the work force levels for the Forestry Commission for forest planting, conservation, felling and clearing in 1970, 1980 and 1985.

The numbers of forest workers employed by the Forestry Commission in each of these years were as follows:

Hospital	Number of beds	District
Stobhill General	236	Northern
Victoria Infirmary	256	South-Eastern
Southern General	190	South-Western
Gartnavel District General	50	Western

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total area of land belonging to Greater Glasgow health board at Belvidere hospital; how much is built upon at present; and how much of the remainder is suitable for building.

The Belvidere hospital site comprises 13·9 hectares of land, of which 2·8 hectares are built upon at present. Most of the remaining land is taken up by access roads and land between individual blocks or is affected by a geological fault. About 0·6 hectares appear to be suitable for building.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many people are on the waiting list for an eventide bed in the eastern district of Greater Glasgow health board;(2) what is the average wait for admission to an eventide bed in the eastern district of the Greater Glasgow health board;(3) what is the shortfall in the number of eventide beds in the eastern district of the Greater Glasgow health board as recommended by the SHAPE report; and what plans are in hand to remedy this situation.

I assume the hon. Member's question refers to residential rather than hospital accommodation.Statistics collected centrally on services and accommodation provided by local authorities and voluntary bodies in the social work field are related to local authority rather than health board areas. Waiting lists are not required to be maintained by local authorities on a uniform basis and the information collected on residential accommodation for the elderly and other client groups does not extend to any lists of this kind.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many hospitals and which ones, within the eastern district area of the Greater Glasgow health board, have been visited within the last 12 months by (a) the general manager of health boards, (b) the chairman of the health board and (c) the Minister for health.

Although my noble Friend the Minister of State has visited hospitals elsewhere in Glasgow, neither he nor I have visited any hospitals in the former eastern district of the Greater Glasgow health board's area within the last 12 months. I am asking the chairman of the health board to write to the hon. Member about visits he has made.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimated cost, including alterations, of bringing Lightburn hospital up to the standards laid down by his Department; and when the necessary work will be completed.

This is a matter for the Greater Glasgow health board in the first instance and I shall ask the chairman of the board to write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the arrangements for monitoring private practice carried out in National Health Service hospitals and health centres in Scotland; how many instances of monitoring have been carried out in the past two years; how many cases of abuse have come to light; and if he will make a statement.

Routine information is not held centrally. The monitoring of private practice in National Health Service premises is a matter for the appropriate health board in the first instance. The Scottish Home and Health Department has, however, issued to health boards for comment a draft document revising previous guidance on the management of private practice in National Health Service hospitals. This will be issued in final form early next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many general practitioners in Scotland have declared that they have earned over 10 per cent. of the gross receipts of their practice by doing private practice within the past two years; and if he will break down these figures by health board areas.

One; in the Greater Glasgow health board areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will outline his proposed timetable on the Rover plans for the Leyland site at Bathgate.

I understand that a planning application was lodged with West Lothian district council on 15 December. It is a matter, in the first instance, for that council, but in view of the scale of the proposal my right hon. and learned Friend will be considering urgently whether to call it in for his own determination. He hopes to announce his decision next month.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends to seek to amend the planning laws in respect of agricultural buildings and works.

Yes. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Dumfries (Sir H. Monro) on 13 November, at columns 5–6.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial assistance he proposes for shipping services to the Scottish islands in 1987–88; and if he will make a statement.

I propose to give a deficit grant of £6·9 million to Caledonian MacBrayne. For the second year running the company has performed well and made significant cost savings, particularly on fuel, which it expects to continue next year. Its funding requirement is therefore lower than this year. For P and O services to the Northern Isles, I propose to make available grant of £4·0 million and for the bulk shippers with whom I have undertakings I will make provision for grant of £1·35 million.Total revenue support next year will be £12·25 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the annual hill farming review.

[pursuant to his reply, 16 December 1986]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Devon North (Mr. Speller) by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prosecutions have been instituted by the Director of Public Prosecutions or the police in the past five years in respect of industrial or commercial counterfeiting;(2) how many defendants have been convicted in the past five years for industrial or commercial counterfeiting offences; and what was the average sentence they received.

The available information which may be incomplete, covers prosecutions under section 1 of the Trade Descriptions Act, 1968, and is given in the following table. The fine was the most common penalty for those convicted. Prosecutions for offences involving industrial or commercial counterfeiting may be brought under other legislation, but such cases cannot be separately identified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the number of women police officers and the ranks they hold in the Metropolitan police force as of 1 December.

The total number of women police officers serving in the Metropolitan police on 30 November 1986 was 2,634. The breakdown by ranks is as shown in the tables below.

	Number
Uniformed
Commanders	2
Chief Superintendent	2
Superintendent	3
Chief Inspector	5
Inspector	18
Sergeants	206
Police Constable	2,197
Total	2,433
CID
Superintendent	3
Chief Inspector	4
Inspector	4
Detective Sergeant	29
Detective Constable	161
Total	201

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the therapeutic unit at Holloway prison was closed on 13 November; and what he is intending to do with the prisoners who were in the unit.

The Holloway project committee noted (paragraph 6.11 of its report) that the pressure for remand places in recent years had made it impossible for the A5 therapeutic unit for drug dependents to continue as originally intended. It recommended (paragraph 6.21(ii)) that the unit should be discontinued until more sentenced women could be held in Holloway and that in the meantime individual and group psychotherapy should continue to be provided for a selected number of inmates. This recommendation was immediately accepted, and the unit was formally discontinued on 13 November. At that time, no prisoners on the unit were receiving group therapy; individual treatment is available for all prisoners at Holloway who are identified as having drug and other dependency problems.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for the treatment of the increasing number of female drug addicts who are sentenced to terms of imprisonment by the courts.

The prison and probation services are jointly exploring how opportunities for the continuing support of both female and male drug misusers sent to prison can be developed and better co-ordinated to help them resist a return to drugs after release.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he intends to publish the model byelaws on dog fouling in public open spaces recommended by the recent working party on this subject; and if he will make a statement;(2) whether he will make a statement on the recent experiment involving four district councils which tested the suitability of draft model byelaws on dog fouling in public open spaces.

We are considering whether the results of the pilot scheme provide a sufficient basis on which to make the byelaws available for adoption by other local authorities, but expect to announce the conclusions we have reached shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what representation he has recently received concerning the publication of model byelaws on dog fouling of public open spaces;(2) which local councils have contacted his Department requesting model byelaws on dog fouling of public open spaces.

Since the pilot scheme ended on 1 September we have received representations from 12 hon. Members, 29 local authorities, and four other correspondents.Since the pilot scheme began, the following local authorities have expressed interest in adopting the model byelaws:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department's manual for guidance on the movement of nuclear weapons convoys has been issued to chief fire officers.

The Department does not produce such a manual. However, guidance on the role of the fire service at incidents involving radioactivity was given to the service in June 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what training policemen receive in the use of personal dosimeters, radiac survey meters, decontamination meters, breathing equipment and protective clothing;(2) how many persons are employed by the police to train policemen in dealing with accidents involving radioactivity; and if he will list the areas of expertise covered;(3) what facilities are available for the training of policemen in dealing with accidents involving radioactivity;(4) how many days are allocated in the training of a police sergeant to dealing with accidents involving radioactive contamination; and what is the current amount of money allocated to the training of a police sergeant in dealing with such accidents;(5) how many days are allocated in the training of a police constable to dealing with accidents involving radioactive contamination; and what is the current amount of money allocated for the training of a police constable in dealing with such accidents.

Training of this type is not organised centrally and is a matter for individual police forces. The advice and assistance available to the police on accidents involving radioactivity is described in the emergency planning guidance to local authorities. A copy is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether organisations representing the police have been asked to make any submissions to the review of arrangements for nuclear accidents being undertaken by Her Majesty's Government.

No, but there will be appropriate consultation on matters relevant to the police raised in the review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what response he has had from chief constables to the Government's Christmas drink-drive campaign;(2) if he will call for reports from chief constables about what extra police manpower will be devoted to Her Majesty's Government's drink-drive campaign this Christmas for each of the different police authority districts.

The Association of Chief Police Officers has welcomed the theme of the Department of Transport's Christmas publicity campaign against drinking and driving. Decisions on the deployment of resources are a matter for individual chief officers of police, and the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, but the police service is committed to enforcing the law on drinking and driving all the year round.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Deaprtment what consideration has been given to the general adoption in the interest of security of a standard identification card for all representatives of public authorities in regular contact with members of the public.

While it is most important that officials who may enter people's homes should carry proper identity cards and that the public should ask to see them before granting access, I am not convinced that their standardisation offers substantial advantages.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which Martin Robert Rogers, a constituent of the hon. Member for Hackney, South and Shoreditch, collapsed in a coma at Brixton prison on 27 November;(2) if the authorities at Brixton prison passed on all the personal and medical information needed by Kings College hospital on 27 November when Martin Robert Rogers was taken there in a coma; and if he will make a statement;(3) if he is satisfied with the treatment, medical and otherwise, received by Martin Robert Rogers whilst on remand at Brixton prison prior to his removal to Kings College hospital on 27 November.

We have no reason to doubt the adequacy of the treatment and medical attention Mr. Rogers received at Brixton prison where he was seen by a medical officer on reception on 26 November. He was given suitable medication for his immediate condition in the light of his account of his medical history. I understand that later on 26 November he had a fit from which he appeared to recover and sleep. He was observed at intervals during the night. Next morning he was examined by the medical officer and found to be comatose. The medical officer therefore arranged that he should be transferred to Kings College hospital accompanied by a letter giving details of his medical condition and history so far as it was known.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the conclusions regarding police/motorist relations in "Road Users and the Police".

The research study by Mr. Dix and Mr. Layzell on "Road Users and the Police", carried out on behalf of the Police Foundation, was a small scale exploratory study of the impact of road traffic law enforcement on police public relations. The study suggested that contacts between the police and the public in this context could have a favourable effect on public perceptions of the police, and emphasised the importance of the use of discretion by police officers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Boundary Commission for England intends to conduct any further interim reviews of parliamentary constituencies; and if he will make a statement.

The Commission has informed me that, in addition to the interim review of 42 constituencies which it is presently undertaking, it intends to conduct interim reviews of 55 further constituencies under the powers provided in section 2(3) of the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949. The constituencies to be included in this further review are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will announce the name of the next deputy chairman of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England.

The Lord Chancellor has appointed Sir John Knox, QC, to be deputy chairman of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England. The appointment is for a four-year period with effect from 1 January 1987.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the provisions of the Representation of the People Act 1985 will come into force.

The relevant provisions of the Act come into force on 1 January for the purpose of elections held on or after 16 February 1987. From 1 January anyone who cannot reasonably be expected to vote in person at a particular election will be able to apply to the electoral registration officer to vote by post or proxy. This means that holidaymakers and people away on business trips who previously were unable to vote will now be able to do so. Application forms and leaflets explaining the new provisions will be available from electoral registration officers. Application forms will have to be completed and returned to the electoral registration officer not later than noon on the 13th working day before polling day. But it will be possible for people taken ill shortly before polling day to apply no later than noon on the sixth working day before the poll.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 will come into operation.

The main provisions of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 will be brought into force on 1 January 1987. The new Act was the result of painstaking work and close collaboration between Government, the scientific community and the moderate animal welfare movement. The new controls which it introduces will, when fully implemented, represent a real advance in the welfare of animals used in research, providing for effective and rigorous control of all experimentation on animals whilst at the same time allowing essential research and safety testing to be continued.All of the new Act with the exception of the controls on the sources of the most commonly used laboratory animals will come into force on 1 January 1987. The introduction of the new controls and the conversion of existing work is a major task involving sustained detailed effort. The major innovation of the new Act—the project licence—will be established in a planned programme of work which will be completed by the end of 1988. Once this task is completed work will start on the inspection of establishments for designation as breeding or supplying establishments under the Act, so that the controls on the source of laboratory animals may be introduced as soon as possible.The coming into force of this new Act is a notable landmark in the history of animal welfare. When in full operation it will be seen to provide for a rigorous and effective system of control over experiments on living animals. We have increased the size of the Inspectorate and provided additional administrative resources to ensure this. I am sure that the confidence of the many groups which supported this legislation during its passage will be fully vindicated.