asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of the houses and flats built on land owned by the London Docklands Development Corporation which were sold between July and December 1986 were sold to persons on the housing waiting list of the London boroughs of Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Newham.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 1 April 1987, at column 553.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to lay the order regarding the revaluation of commercial and industrial premises in England.

My right hon. Friend today laid the two orders needed to provide for a revaluation of non-domestic properties in England and Wales, to take effect in 1990. This will be the first such revaluation since 1973. It will generally assist businesses in those areas and sectors of the economy which have been most affected by the recession. They have been carrying an unfair share of the rates burden in recent years.The revaluation is timed to coincide with the introduction of the proposed uniform non-domestic rate poundage. This will remove the present distortions in non-domestic rates. The uniform rate will then increase no faster than the rate of inflation, giving businesses the benefit of stable and predictable rate burdens.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's planned expenditure on research and development for 1987–88; and what are the main areas of research selected by his Department under the Rothschild principles of the customer-contractor relationship.

My Department plans to spend £51·4 million on research and development for 1987–88. All the Department's research and development is selected in accordance with the customer-contractor principle, as defined by Lord Rothschild in his report to the Government in 1971, with the exception of the "discretionary" programme of the director of the Building Research Establishment.The areas of research covered by the Department's research programme are; environmental protection, water, countryside, planning, local government, housing and building and construction.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of council houses (a) sold and (b) built in Fenland district council and East Cambridgeshire district council in the last five years.

The reported sales of dwellings by the authorities and completions of dwellings for the authorities appear in the following issues of -Local Housing Statistics", which are available in the Library.

Sales of Council Dwellings
Financial years	issue number
1981–82	63
1982–83	67
1983–84	75
1984–85 and 1985–86	79

Completions of New Dwellings
Calendar years	issue number
1981, 1982, 1983	73
1984	77
1985	78

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list his official visits throughout the United Kingdom during the month of March.

The information is as follows:

• Friday 13 March—Swindon
• Wednesday 18 March—Cleveland
• Friday 20 March—Newton Abbot

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what reply he has made to the request by the National Association of Local Councils to grant an extension of time for the consideration of his Department's circular on development involving agricultural land.

I shall send my hon. Friend a copy of my reply to the National Association of Local Councils' request. There has been very lull public discussion of the matter since the draft circular was published on 9 February and I see no reason to extend the usual two-month consultation period.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy for the future use of redundant hospital sites in the green belt.

In the next few years many older hospitals, especially those for the mentally ill or mentally handicapped, will no longer be needed. A number of these hospitals are located in the green belts. The Government have been considering how planning for the future of these redundant hospitals can best be handled having regard to green belt policy as set out in DOE circular 14/84.Local planning authorities are responsible for considering the future of individual sites. When it is known that particular sites are likely to become redundant, it will often be appropriate to bring forward policies or proposals for the future use of those sites when considering alterations to structure or local plans. Some planning authorities are already doing this. Because there are a number of sites in several areas my Department has prepared guidelines to assist local planning authorities in preparing policies for the sites and in dealing with any planning applications relating to them. I and my inspectors will have regard to the guidelines when dealing with any planning appeals or structure plan alterations which come to me for decision.Many of the sites share common characteristics. The original hospitals are often large groups of buildings and were typically built between 50 and 150 years ago. Many ancillary buildings for different purposes have been added since. The hospitals are often on the edges of built-up areas and stand in large open grounds.In planning for the future of these buildings and their sites the aim should be to use them for purposes compatible with the green belt as set out in circular 14/84, which can include institutional uses. The size, layout and form of the buildings may, however, make them unsuitable for such purposes. In such cases it will be necessary to consider whether, in the terms of the green belt circular, "very special circumstances" exist that would warrant the change of use of the buildings or the construction of new buildings.In some cases it may be possible to convert the existing buildings for housing or other uses, perhaps with some demolition of ancillary buildings. But if that is not a practical solution the future of the buildings and the site, and the possibility of redevelopment, will need to be carefully considered. Putting the sites to beneficial use will be preferable to allowing the buildings to remain empty and the site to become derelict. Those are special circumstances that may warrant a change of use or new development. Planning permission will be required if there is to be a change of use of the existing buildings or if new buildings are to be put up.Whatever the future use of the site it should be planned with careful regard to its contribution to the green belt and to the amenity of the area—for example, landscaped grounds and mature trees should be preserved and maintained and opportunities should be sought to open up parts of the site to public access.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any changes to announce to his Department's 1986–87 cash limits.

The cash limit for local authorities' capital expenditure (DOE/LA1) has been increased by £0·5 million from £2,368·12 million to £2,368·62 million. This increase follows a transfer from the Department of Energy towards additional costs of the homes insulation scheme and a corresponding reduction in the cash limit for Class VI, Vote 2.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what alterations to the November 1985 building regulations have been made following the recommendations contained in paragraph 3.90 of the final report of Mr. Justice Popplewell into safety at sports grounds;(2) what guidance has been issued to local authorities, sporting bodies and other interested organisations regarding the criteria applied by the November 1985 building regulations to the construction of sports stands, including the materials which may be used; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 3 April 1987, c. 635]: The Building Regulations 1985 require buildings (which include covered sports stands) to be built so that the structure adequately resists the spread of fire and maintains its stability in fire for a reasonable period.The approved documents supporting the regulations give guidance on the measures that should be taken to achieve adequate fire resistance. Additional guidance is being incorporated into the approved documents as part of the current review of the technical requirements of the regulations, particularly to improve precautions in new single storey stands.Also the "Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds" (the green guide) issued by the Home Office in October 1986 advises that new stands should incorporate from the start comprehensive measures for safety including adequate structural resistance to fire, fire resisting separation from any spaces below or communicating with the stand, escape routes which are planned to keep people well clear of the smokey gases produced by a fire, a roof geometry which should restrict smoke and flame travel along the underside of the roof and internal finishes which have low flammability. In particular, the guide gives advice on the fire risk associated with the existence of voids under the seating in stands which should be excluded if practicable, or completely sealed off to stop litter accumulating in them.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the numbers of people killed in motor car accidents in each of the last five years; and if he will divide these figures according to whether the person killed was (a) a driver, (b) a passenger or (c) a pedestrian.

Information for the years 1975 to 1985 is given in table 5 of "Road Accidents Great Britain (the Casualty Report) 1985." A copy is in the Library. Results for 1986 will not he available before May 1987.

Fatalities in car accidents
	Car drivers	Car passengers	Pedestrians
1985	1,253	808	1,258
1984	1,237	942	1,310
1983	1,198	821	1,362
1982	1,472	971	1,217
1981	1,346	941	1,265
1980	1,339	939	1,272
1979	1,479	950	1,374
1978	1,525	1,044	1,600
1977	1,429	1,012	1,492
1976	1,441	1,079	1,561
1975	1,417	1,027	1,550

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what study he has given to plans for a new vehicular crossing of the Thames in London between Chelsea and Putney.

I have no such plans. Consultants carrying out the west London assessment study will be considering a wide range of possible options for dealing with problems in the area, which could include a new crossing, when they move on to stage 2 of the study later this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he proposes to announce the result of the public inquiry completed in 1985 on the proposed widening of the north circular road between Popes Lane and the A40.

My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Transport are still considering the inspector's report. I cannot yet say when a decision will be announced.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has had any proposal from Northamptonshire county council for the construction of a bypass to Roade.

A proposed bypass to Roade is included in Northamptonshire's 1987–88 transport policies and programme submission to the Department for construction after 1992.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total revenue received from light dues on shipping in the United Kingdom, and the cost to his Department of collection, in the latest year for which figures are available.

The revenue in 1985–86 was £41,749,852. The costs of collection are not met by my Department but by the general lighthouse fund : in 1985–86 these costs were £203,874.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is his Department's planned expenditure on research and development for 1987–88; and what are the main areas of research selected by his Department under the Rothschild principles of the customer-contractor relationship.

My Department plans to spend £29·803 million gross (£27·537 million net) on research and development in 1987–88. The main areas of research are highways, road and marine safety, land transport, prevention of marine pollution, and work on repayment for the Overseas Development Administration of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. All research undertaken by my Department is commissioned under the Rothschild principles of the customer-contractor relationship.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list his official visits throughout the United Kingdom during the month of March.

I made the following official visits in the United Kingdom during March 1987:

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Westminster, North (Mr. Wheeler) 17 November, Official Report, columns 20–21, if he will make a further statement about the future of London coach terminals.

On 17 November I announced that I was considering what could be an appropriate form of inquiry to enable the arguments for a single hub terminal compared with the merits of a number of smaller terminals to be properly aired in public. I understand that London Regional Transport is proposing to submit a planning application for a new coach terminal, to be developed at Paddington, in accordance with the report of its own transportation consultants.I have consulted my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, who is satisfied that the planning aspects of any proposed coach terminal development will involve issues of more than local importance, and that he should himself deal with any application made in this respect by LRT. He will therefore shortly issue a direction under section 35 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 to the Westminster city council, requiring the council to refer any such application to him. A public local inquiry will be held with appropriately wide terms of reference, which will allow the consideration of both single and multi-site solutions, at which interested persons may attend and give their views.The Government would wish to see the maximum possible private setor involvement in the financing and operation of any new coach terminal, or terminals, in London. No decision has yet been taken on the provision of public sector finance.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a table showing those black and Asian civil servants who hold the rank of executive officer and above (a) in the immigration services and (b) in the remainder of his Department.

The information available relates to those members of the staff of the Department who responded to the recent surveys of ethnic origins. Of those respondents, in the immigration service grades (all of which are equivalent to executive officer or above) six were black and 15 were of Asian origin. Outiside the immigration service grades, the equivalent figures from these voluntary responses for staff at the rank of executive officer or above were 26 black and 42 Asian.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the location of manned police stations (a) closed down and (b) opened, on Merseyside, since 1970.

I understand from the chief constable that, since 1974 when the Merseyside police was formed, one new manned police station, at Copy lane, Bootle, has been opened. No police stations have been closed except for the purpose of replacement by a new station.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report how many establishments are registered for the purposes of experiments of a non-medical nature using animals.

There are some 450 establishments at which licensed experimentation involving animals is carried out. Our records do not distinguish between extablishments on the basis of the nature of the experimental work they carry out.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) pursuant to the written answer of 10 March, Official Report, columns 122–23, if he will list the titles and grades of the Home Office representatives on the working group considering guidance on rescue services;(2) if he will list the titles and employing authorities of the local authority representatives on the working group considering guidance on rescue services;(3) if he will make a statement on the basis for choosing representatives to the working group considering guidance on rescue services from both the Home Office and local authorities.

Membership of the working group comprises : the Co-ordinator of Volunteer Effort in Civil Defence (grade 5) (Chairman); the Home Office Civil Defence Adviser (grade 7); representatives at grade 7 and senior executive officer level from the Fire and Emergency Planning Department, a Regional Fire Adviser; a grade I Inspector of Fire Services; and local authority representatives comprising one nominee each from the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives, the County Emergency Planning Officers' Society and the Association of Civil Defence and Emergency Planning Officers. Members of the working group represent Home Office policy interests, and operational interests concerned with emergency planning.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's planned expenditure on research and development for 1987–88; and what are the main areas of research selected by his Department under the Rothschild principles of the customer-contractor relationship.

It is estimated that £16·4 million will be spent on research and development in 1987–88. The main areas of research to which the Rothschild principles apply are police services, fire prevention, civil defence, prisons, forensic science, telecommunications, criminal justice, community services, immigration and nationality, race relations and equal opportunities. Further details are given in the "Annual Review of Government Funded R & D", copies of which are in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to introduce a concessionary rate for those people above retirement age who are seeking to register for British citizenship; and if he will make a statement.

No: such a concession would lead to the cost of the service being spread over fewer applicants and so to an increase in the fee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the effect on his Department of' the financial management initiative.

The financial management initiative forms part of the Government's continuing effort to improve the management of resources and obtain value for public money, and its effects are increasingly indistinguishable within those wider improvements. While much remains to be done, I believe that there has been a significant change of attitude and managements style within the Home Office, with much greater attention being paid to the costing of policies and functions and the setting of clear objectives and targets.Among the developments designed to strengthen accountable management in the Home Office in recent years have been : the establishment of the annual performance review, in which line managers and senior officials assess performance against previously declared objectives, and identify fresh objectives for the year ahead; the establishment of cost and responsibility centres around the office, to improve accountability in resource allocation; the provision of increased training in financial management; improved information about costs and output to provide a better basis for management and control; progress towards the introduction of clearer objectives and performance indicators in relation to local authority services and the greater use of accountants and other specialists.The head of the immigration and nationality department, and all prison regional directors and governors, have been allocated individual budgetary responsibility, and work is in hand to extend this principle to other parts of the Home Office. Some of these improvements are reflected in the targets and performance measures in the public expenditure White Paper (Cm. 56) and the evidence which the permanent secretary gave to the Public Expenditure Committee on 17 December 1986. Examples of better value for money in 1986–87 have been : the targets which were set and met for containing, and slightly reducing, in real terms the cost per inmate of operating prisons, and for reducing prison industry losses by over 20 per cent.; the targets for improvement in the procurement field which are forecast to result in savings of the order of £10 million; and the civilianisation of over 680 posts in police forces, permitting more effective deployment of police officers.

Brown asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list his official visits throughout the United Kingdom during the month of March.

I made the following official visits during March :

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the original 64 Tamil refugees are currently in detention; if he will list the locations of the detainees and the number per centre, giving a breakdown by sex; and if he will list the dates and numbers of those given temporary admission.

On 6 April, 32 of the 64 Sri Lankans who sought entry on arrival on 13 February were still detained in the following places:

Location	Male	Female
Harmondsworth (10)	1	9
Foston Hall (12)	12	—
Latchmere House (10)	10	—

Temporary admission was authorised for 32 on the following dates:

Date	Number
13 February 1987	6
13 March 1987	7
20 March 1987	16
24 March 1987	1
31 March 1987	2

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Cumbria as to, in the event of a civil nuclear disaster at Chapel cross (a) what evacuation time estimates have been prepared for the evacuation of the most populated 22½ deg sector from the power station out to (i) five miles, and (ii) 10 miles, (b) what time estimates have been prepared for the evacuation of the population within (i) five miles, and (ii) 10 miles of the power station, (c) what time estimates have been made for the evacuation of the population of Carlisle, (d) what time estimates have been made for the evacuation of high risk groups from Carlisle, (e) what time estimates have been made for the evacuation of low mobility groups from Carlisle, and (f) what time estimates have been made for the distribution of potassium iodate tablets to the population of Carlisle; and if he will arrange for the basis and calculation of any such time estimates to be placed in the Library.

I shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the Metropolitan police 1986 force strategic appraisal.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the force appraisal is one of a number of internal management documents prepared as the basis for discussion of future force strategy. It is not intended for publication.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to the conclusions of the internal Scotland Yard inquiry instigated last March by the present Commissioner designate of the Metropolitan police, Mr. Peter Imbert, into the Maguire case; and what part Mr. Imbert himself played in interrogations of those subsequently convicted for the Guildford and Woolwich pub bombings.

I understand that there has been no formal internal inquiry by the Metropolitan police into the Maguire case. Following a meeting with Mr. Robert Kee in March last year,>Mr. Imbert asked one of his officers to examine case papers in advance of the publication of Mr. Kee's book. The Metropolitan police subsequently assisted our review of the case by responding to specific questions which we put to them : their responses are full reflected in the memorandum on the case which was placed in the Library on 20 January.Mr. Imbert, who was then a superintendent serving in the bomb squad, assisted in 1974 in the questioning of Carol Richardson, Paul Hill, Garard Conlon and Patrick Armstrong about the Woolwich pub bombing.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the pilot scheme to test the effectiveness of the byelaws relating to the removal of canine faeces.

On 2 September 1985 new byelaws came into force in four local authority areas which made it an offence for a person in charge of a dog to fail to remove any faeces it might deposit in designated parks, recreation grounds and open spaces. The authorities were the London borough of Barking and Dagenham, Gosport borough council, North-West Leicestershire district council and Rochester-upon-Medway city council. Gosport and Rochester-upon-Medway also adopted similar new byelaws for footways and grass verges adjacent to the carriageways of highways. The four local authorities conducted a pilot scheme to test the effect of the new byelaws.We have placed in the Library a copy of a report prepared by a steering committee of officers from these authorities and Home Office officials which has been monitoring the scheme. The report concludes that, because the parks and other controlled areas are now much cleaner than before the scheme began, similar byelaws should now be offered as models for adoption by other local authorities in England and Wales. It is also clear from the report that the success of the scheme has depended on the willingness of the local authorities concerned to allocate the resources necessary for publicity, waste disposal and enforcement, and above all on the hard work they have all put into making the byelaws work.Taking account of the results of the pilot scheme we have now considered in greater depth whether to offer the new byelaws as models for adoption by other local authorities. In reaching our decision we have applied the tests of whether it is both reasonable and necessary to subject dog owners to these byelaws, whether such an obligation is capable of enforcement and whether if enforced it is likely to be unreasonably oppressive in its operation.Applying these tests we have concluded that the proposed new byelaws for parks, recreation grounds and open spaces should be made available to local authorities as model byelaws, provided there is somewhere else people can exercise their dogs without having to clear up after them. There is s strong case for allowing local authorities to apply these controls to such areas if they wish to do so. The alternative could, in rural areas, be local areas of countryside. We hope that before deciding which areas should be controlled local authorities will ensure that their proposals are well publicised in their localities and will where appropriate consult local organisations of dog owners and other residents. We would not approve the new byelaws for areas such as heaths and woodlands and areas used by horses and grazing animals, because it would be unreasonable to expect people to clear up after their dogs there. We are willing to allow the new byelaws for the whole of parks which are completely, or almost completely, used as children's play areas and sports grounds, even if they are not enclosed, and even though alternative areas do not exist.Different considerations however apply to the proposed new model byelaws for footways and grass verges. It would be an unreasonable burden on a dog owner to expect him on pain of prosecution to comply with the new byelaws whenever he took his dog out for a walk. We have also concluded that there would be grave difficulties associated with the enforcement of these new byelaws. We can also foresee the risk of serious disputes between dog owners and other users of footways and grass verges. We have therefore decided that we are not prepared to confirm further the new byelaws as in the pilot scheme in so far as they relate to footways and grass verges, but district and borough councils will continue to be able to adopt and enforce the existing model byelaws which make it an offence for a person in charge of a dog to permit it to foul such areas.Local authorities can do much by enforcing the revised byelaws for footpaths and applying the new byelaws to some parks and recreation areas. They can also promote campaigns to encourage dog owners to comply with the law. A number of local authorities have done so, and in the longer term public education of this kind is more effective than recourse to the criminal law. We are therefore issuing a circular to local authorities to draw their attention to the valuable experience gained from the pilot scheme and the criteria which will be applied in considering applications for the new and revised byelaws. We hope that this will assist councils to deal effectively with the fouling of public areas by dogs. We are also inviting the local authority associations to submit comments and suggestions relating to the details of the operation of the byelaws.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce selective immigration controls on embarkation; and if he will make a statement.

In the context of our membership of the European Communities I have decided that we can introduce simpler and more rapid procedures for the control by immigration officers of passengers leaving the country without impairing the overall effectiveness of immigration control. Arrangements will shortly be introduced for the selective control on the embarkation of British and other EC nationals. Arrangements will be made to ensure that immigration officers continue to assist in the identification of wards of court and others whom the police and other agencies wish to identify. I have no plans to introduce selective embarkation controls for other nationals or to introduce selective immigration controls for any passengers seeking to enter this country.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list his official visits throughout the United Kingdom during the month of March.

My sole official visit in March, excluding my constituency engagements and engagements as chairman of the Conservative party, was to address the annual lunch of the Central and West Lancashire chamber of commerce on 10 March in Blackpool.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is his Department's planned expenditure on research and development for 1987–88; and what are the main areas of research selected by his Department under the Rothschild principles of the customer-contractor relationship.

The Department plans to spend £217 million on R and D and related work in 1987–88. Details are set out in the Supply Estimates (Class VI, Vote 2, sections C1 and D1).The Department has no in-house R and D facilities. It operates on a customer-contractor basis as far as that is possible on all the work that it funds.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will make a statement on the effect on his Department of the financial management initiative.

My Department has implemented a range of measures to improve management and value for money.Budgets for programme expenditure on research and development and industrial support, totalling some £250 million in 1987–88, have been fully devolved to managers in divisions, and line managers have also been given devolved responsibility for elements of administrative expenditure.The Department's management information systems have been developed and refined to assist the top management in its annual review of divisions' objectives, priorities and resources.Targets and output measures are being progressively developed, wherever possible; for example the Department has achieved a target of securing a 50 per cent. contribution by non-Government participants in funding offshore safety R and D; and the Energy Efficiency Office has a target to achieve energy savings of 3 million tonnes of coal equivalent by June 1988 through the energy efficiency demonstration scheme.Initiatives taken in the Department to improve management and efficiency has resulted in important savings; for example, accommodation costs have been reduced by nearly £1 million since 1984–85, and savings amounting to over £0·5 million were secured in the first nine months of 1986–87 on the Department's purchasing of goods and services. Departmental manpower has been reduced by some 20 per cent. since April 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects the investigations by the Central Electricity Generating Board, into the geological fault discovered near Dungeness A power station, to be complete.

The CEGB has advised me that at present there is no evidence of any threat to the continued operation of either the A or B stations as a result of the geological fault. Further investigations of the site are being undertaken, and the CEGB hopes to complete the work this summer. I am advised that it is likely to take up to six months to complete the analysis.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list his official visits throughout the United Kingdom during the month of March.

I made no official visits outside London in March.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if the Oil and Pipelines Agency has published its first year's accounts; and if he will make a statement.

The agency submitted its first report and accounts to me today. These cover the 13 months ended 31 December 1986. I have laid copies before both Houses.The accounts show that the agency had a successful first 13 months operations, in which it made an operating profit of just over £6 million. The agency also substantially completed its duty under the Oil and Pipelines Act 1985 to realise the surplus net assets which it inherited from the British National Oil Corporation. Details are given in the notes to the accounts. As shown there, I have determined, with the approval of the Treasury. that the agency should retain an amount of £2,380,000 as its initial capital. This is £380,000 more than the figure shown in the public expenditure White Paper published in January (Cm. 56-II, page 407). This increase was agreed following discussions with the agency during preparation of its accounts, and reflects the need to treat as a capital item the costs which the agency incurred in establishing itself in smaller offices.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total amount of public money devoted to medical research since 1979.

The information is as follows:

Financial year	£ million
1979–80	91·8
1980–81	108·1
1981–82	143·7
1982–83	151·6
1983–84	159·3
1984–85	162·6
1985–86	169·2
1986–87	176·4

The figures shown for the years 1979–80 and 1980–81 are on a different basis from those shown for later years. Before 1981–82 figures exclude the Health Department's commissioning funds for biomedical research because these figures cannot be identified separately. In 1981–82 these funds were transferred to the Medical Research Council and are included in that year and the subsequent years shown.The figures include the Medical Research Council's grant-in-aid and expenditure on medical research by the DHSS and the Scottish Home and Health Department.Expenditure on medical research in universities and medical schools is excluded. Information about such expenditure is not collected.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from the NAS/UWT on the GCSE examination; if he has any plans to alter the funding that has been made available by the Government to local education authorities for this examination; and if he will make a statement.

Discussions were held with NAS/UWT in March as part of the Government's early monitoring of GCSE resourcing. The NAS/UWT's representations were based on a sample survey conducted in the early weeks of GCSE courses. For 1987–88 the Government have made further substantial provision for the GCSE, as detailed in my right hon. Friend's reply of 31 March, at column 447 to my hon. Friend the Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Evennett). We will continue to monitor the needs of the GCSE and to make appropriate provision.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from local education authorities about late arrival of materials necessary for the teaching of GCSE in schools.

A small number of local education authorities earlier reported difficulties in taking up their 1986–87 education support grant allocations for GCSE books and equipment, but current indications are that these allocations have been fully taken up before the close of the financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of schools in England have now received all necessary materials for the teaching of the GCSE.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate has reported that, on average, the material resources available in schools are sufficient at this stage. There is concern, however, about the disparity of resources between individual schools. The Government's planned provision for £115 million expenditure on GCSE in 1987–88 will enable local education authorities to meet in full their assessment of further GCSE needs of schools in that year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his Department's estimate of the number of qualified teachers in (a) all subjects and (b) science and technology subjects who are presently not employed but are of employable age.

Information is held by the Department on qualified teachers in England and Wales who are not in teaching posts. However, it does not distinguish those who are not employed from those who are in non-teaching employment. The latest date for which information is readily available in 1984. There were then some 400,000 qualified teachers aged under 60 who were recorded as being out of teaching service: 150,000 graduates and 250,000 non-graduates. Information on subjects of teachers' qualifications is not recorded for non-graduates. The majority of out-of-service teachers with qualifications in craft, design and technology of engineering would be likely to come into this category. Among the 150,000 graduates were 87,000 whose last service had been in secondary schools or establishments of further education and 18,000 of those had a science of technology subject recorded as the main specialism in their degree.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what financial help is available to women science and technology graduates wishing to return to work.

Graduates who wish to train as teachers will be eligible for mandatory awards for study leading to the post-graduate certificate of education from local education authorities. If they study to become secondary mathematics, physics or technology teachers, they will attract a £1,250 tax-free national bursary in addition to the award.Discretionary and postgraduate training awards for other courses may be available from LEA's or research councils respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what courses sponsored by his Department are provided to re-equip women science and technology graduates to return to work after leaving to start a family.

The Government have made available £6·4 million to higher education for specially designed courses to increase the supply of teachers in shortage subjects, including physics and craft, design and technology.These courses are open equally to men and women graduates. Some have been specially designed to include part-time study and distance learning with women graduates returning to teaching after starting a family in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to attract women science and technology graduates back into teaching after they have left the profession to start a family.

We are trying hard to attract women science and technology graduates back to teaching. Expenditure on updating courses will qualify for grant under the new in-service training scheme. New forms of training are being designed which will allow part-time and distance learning study which should be especially helpful for women. Discussions with local authorities about more flexible employment practices are taking place.The Government are involved in a number of publicity initiatives, and the new teaching as a career unit will encourage women teachers to return to the profession.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give his reasons for agreeing to the closure of St. Mary's parish church school, Stockport.

My right hon. Friend agreed with the educational and financial case for the school's closure put forward by Stockport education authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his Department's planned expenditure on research and development for 1987–88; and what are the main areas of research selected by his Department under the Rothschild principles of the customer-contractor relationship.

The Department's expenditure through the science budget, which funds the research councils, is planned to be £675 million in 1987–88. It is estimated that a further £710 million will be spent in 1987–88 on research in universities from UGC grants and tuition fee income. In addition, the Department has a small budget — £13 million in 1987–88—from which it commissions research into educational matters.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list his official visits throughout the United Kingdom during the month of March.

My principal official visits during March were :

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information is available to his Department on the numbers of teachers in each local education authority with special qualifications relevant to the teaching of pupils with statements under the Education Act 1981, other than teachers employed full-time in special schools; if he will publish what information is available for the last year; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 2 April 1987, c. 579–82]: The printed table gave incorrect figures for Somerset and omitted the authorities of Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex and Wiltshire.Pursuant to my reply of 23 March, column

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many farmers on Anglesey have applied for reconsideration of marginal land status; how many decisions have now been made; how many decisions have allowed an increase in marginal land; on what grounds applications have been refused; and if he will make a statement.

The position on representations and decisions concerning farmers on Anglesey is as follows:

	Number
Number of representations against exclusion from the less favoured area	314
Number of decisions made and conveyed to the farmer	119
Number of representations accepted for inclusion in United Kingdom case to European Commission provided that economic and demographic tests are satisfactory:	10
Number of representations rejected on:
(a) non contiguity grounds	46
(b) land quality grounds	48
(c) lack of defensible boundary grounds	15

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out the various extra grants and advantages available to farmers who have marginal land; and how many of these involve funding by (a) his Department and (b) the European Commission.

Hill livestock compensatory allowances (HLCAs) are payable to specialist beef and sheep farmers within the less favoured area. LFA sheep farmers eligible for the sheep annual premium (SAP) also benefit from advance part-payments of that premium. The European Commission funds approximately 25 per cent. of HLCA expenditure and 100 per cent. of SAP expenditure.LFA farmers are eligible for higher rates of grant on certain capital investments. Such grants have been provided under the agriculture and horticulture grant scheme and two European schemes (the farm and horticulture development scheme and the agriculture and horticulture development scheme). The European schemes attract 25 per cent. funding from the European Commission. The agriculture improvement scheme has now replaced the earlier schemes. With some exceptions, it also offers higher rates of grant in the LFA. LFA farmers are also able to benefit from grant assistance towards the provision and development of on-farm tourism and craft facilities. The European element of this scheme is funded by the European Commission at the rate of 25 per cent., except for the young farmer supplement where the rate is 50 per cent.The agriculture and horticultural co-operation scheme 1985 offers forage co-operatives in the LFA grant of 25 per cent. towards the cost of forage machinery and 15 per cent. towards the cost of tractors. This scheme is totally funded by the United Kingdom Government.Dairy farmers in the LFA receive a concession on the co-responsibility levy on milk. In 1986, non-LFA producers paid 2 per cent. of the target price, 0·364p per litre, whilst LFA producers paid 1·5 per cent. of the target price, 0·273p per litre, on the first 60,000 kg of milk.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales by whom the requirements as to boundaries of marginal land have been laid down; what representations he has made to the European Commission about such boundaries; whether grants presently available to farmers are payable on the basis of (a) farm boundaries or (b) any other features of delineation; and if he will make a statement.

For land to be granted less favoured area status it must meet physical, economic and demographic criteria laid down by the European Commission. Each member state has discretion to set its own requirements in the determination of the boundary of land meeting these criteria. In the United Kingdom Ministers have decided that to facilitate administration, the LFA boundary shall normally be defined by hard natural or man-made physical features in the landscape. Thus the LFA boundary may encompass whole farms or part farms. In the latter case, the extra financial assistance associated with LFA status is payable on that part of the farm falling within the boundary.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if all farms in respect of which applications have been made for redesignation of marginal land have been or will be visited by his officials.

Following the enlargement of the less favoured area in 1984, it was announced that farmers could make representations against exclusion but only with regard to land immediately adjacent to the existing LFA boundary or pockets of non-adjacent land extending to at least 1,200 hectares in size. All land subject to representations and falling within either category has been or will be inspected by my officials.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales by what amount marginal land may be increased in Wales, as a percentage of the total, under European Community directives; if he will identify the European Community directives; what representations he has made to the European Commission about any increase in this percentage; what are the financial implications for his Department; and if he will make a statement.

There are no restrictions under EC directives concerning a limit by which the LFA in Wales may he extended, and, consequently, no representations to the European Commission on this subject have been necessary. The financial implications of any extension to the LFA cannot be assessed until the current representations exercise is completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what specific undertakings he has received from the Court of Governors and Council that adequate manpower resources and operating funds will in future be provided by those bodies to ensure that the Welsh national art collections are curated and conserved to the professional standards observed by other national museums funded by British taxpayers; and whether he will place a set of the relevant documents in the Library.

In the context of the proposals for the extension and upgrading of the Cathays park building announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State last December, discussions are taking place between the museum authorities and the Welsh Office about the staffing and other needs of the art department to establish what provision is needed for the care and display of the art collection. In the meantime action has already been taken to improve the management of the art department and conservation facilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of the £200,000 fee payable for the exhibition of masterpieces from the national museum of Wales at present touring Japan is intended to meet the museum's costs in preparing for the exhibition and undertaking the necessary research and work in preparation of photographs and catalogue material; and if he will place a set of detailed accounts in the Library.

About half the receipts represent a contribution towards the costs incurred by the museum, including estimated apportioned costs of the time of museum staff for which detailed accounts are not kept. The museum's annual accounts are placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is now in a position to report on the findings of the Health Service manpower steering group; what manpower supply problems have been brought to the group's attention; and what recommendations and results have ensued.

The manpower steering group (MSG) was set up last year as a sub-committee of the executive committee of the Health Policy Board. Its establishment and terms of reference were announced in circular WHC(86)8, a copy of which I have placed in the Library of the House. MSG has given early attention to the development of a comprehensive manpower strategy for the NHS in Wales. This will be published shortly. The group is also giving consideration to issues of manpower supply in a variety of staff, groups including medical, nursing, finance and the therapies. This work has only just begun, and it is too early to say when recommendations will be made to the executive committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with the state of the potato industry in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. If market prices are depressed, I believe that support arrangements will provide growers with a reasonable level of fall-back support.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give details of the costs of the Export Credits Guarantee Department's computerisation programme and anticipated future developments.

The costs of the Export Credits Guarantee Department's computerisation operations and developments were £4,952,000 in 1986–87 and are estimated to be £6,628,000 in 1987–88. These figures include staff, operation and full capital costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, in view of Japan's trading practices, the Government will give their support to the European Community Commission proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No. 217684 on protection against dumped or subsidised imports from countries not members of the European Economic Community.

I have nothing to add to my reply on this subject to the hon. Member on 17 February 1987 at column 523.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if the Director General of Fair Trading now has sufficient evidence to seek an assurance under Part III of the Fair Trading Act 1973 from the national directors of Homelocators (UK) Ltd., Mr. Dank and Mr. Jones, and from their associate franchise holders; and if he will make a statement.

This is a matter for the Director General of Fair Trading, and I will ask him to write to the hon. Member direct.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his Department's planned expenditure on research and development for 1987–88; and what are the main areas of research selected by his Department under the Rothschild principles of the customer-contractor relationship.

My Department plans to spend £415 million in support of research and development in 1987–88.Of this total, £44 million is for the running of the Department's four research establishments, the National Physical Laboratory, the National Engineering Laboratory, the Laboratory of the Government Chemist and the Warren Spring Laboratory, where the customer-contractor principle helps to direct work undertaken on a number of industrially relevant subjects.The remainder of the Department's expenditure will support R and D across a range of industrial sectors with the largest shares being accounted for by information technology and advanced electronics and aerospace.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make a statement on the effect on his Department of the financial management initiative.

The Department has introduced a large number of reforms aimed at increasing efficiency and achieving better value for money since the FMI was launched in 1982. In the early stages the reforms could be clearly attributed to the FMI, but with the passage of time, and consistent with the main thrust of the FMI, its effects have become increasingly indistinguishable from the Department's improvements in management and value for money generally.The Department has achieved a more structured approach to decision taking through the annual activity and resource management review, greater attention to evaluation and the widespread adoption of work programmes, objectives and targets which are approved by DTI Ministers. Greater and better management awareness of costs has been secured by the establishment of responsibility cost centres, deputy secretary running cost budgets, the provision of management information systems, more comprehensive training, and the introduction of performance measures where practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to his reply of 30 March, Official Report column 358, what guidance was given by his Department between December 1985 and February 1986 to Austin Rover about exchanging information with the Ford Motor Company.

As I informed the hon. Member in my answer on 30 March, at column 358, Ford and the Rover Group Board agreed to open exploratory talks in December 1985. My Department was kept informed in broad terms of progress in these talks, but the specific information exchanged was a matter for the judgment of the commercial parties.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what further disposals from the strategic mineral stockpile will be effected during 1987–88; and on what basis the sales will take place.

Plans are being made for the disposal in 1987–88 of about one quarter of the present contents of the strategic mineral stockpile.The material will be offered for sale on a competitive tender basis, in the first instance to those companies for which the material was purchased. No price preference will be given. Disposals will continue to take place in a manner which seeks to avoid undue disruption of the market.

Brown asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list his official visits throughout the United Kingdom during the month of March.

On Saturday, 14 March I visited Worcester. On Monday, 16 March I visited Brough, Hull and Scunthorpe.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give his estimate of the numbers of Soviet Jews who were allowed to emigrate from the Soviet Union during the month of March.

Four hundred and seventy. This is the highest monthly total for some years. We hope this encouraging trend will continue.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list his official visits throughout the United Kingdom during the month of March.

I had no official engagements outside London during March, apart from official visits overseas.Other Foreign and Commonwealth Ministers had the following engagements outside London during March:

asked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to alter the existing ministerial responsibilities for the Crown Estate Commissioners; and if she will make a statement.

No.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her offical engagements for Tuesday 7 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her offical engagements for Tuesday 7 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her offical engagements for Tuesday 7 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her offical engagements for Tuesday 7 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her offical engagements for Tuesday 7 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her offical engagements for Tuesday 7 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her offical engagements for Tuesday 7 April.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I am attending a dinner to mark the 30th anniversay of the Institute of Economic Affairs.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her offical visits throughout the United Kingdom during the month of March.

I visited north Wales on Friday 13 March.

asked the Prime Minister what is her policy towards the modernisation of British nuclear weapons in the light of the study by the Bradford School of Peace Studies, a copy of which has been sent to her.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Newport, East (Mr. Hughes) on 24 March, at column 162

asked the Paymaster General if he will list the numbers (a) entering apprenticeships (b) in apprenticeships and (c) completing apprenticeships in each of the industries for which industrial training boards have operated in each year since 1964.

I regret that the information requested is not available.

asked the Paymaster General what was the level of Exchequer support for apprenticeships at current and constant prices in each of the years from 1964 to 1985.

Information is not available for the financial years 1964–65 to 1974–75. Between 1975–76 and 1982–83, support was provided in the form of premium grants for first year apprentices and grants for award holders, as well as support for redundant apprentices and unplaced award holders, as follows:

Year	At cash price	At constant price (1985–86 base)1
	£ million	£ million
1975–76	18·9	51·0
1976–77	36·0	85·7
1977–78	38·9	81·4
1978–79	37·8	71·5
1979–80	24·0	38·8
1980–81	33·2	45·3
1981–82	36·0	44·7
1982–832	38·7	44·8
1 Prices adjusted by the GDP Deflator
2 For financial years 1983–84 and 1984–85, expenditure covering residual payments for apprentice training under these schemes which commenced prior to September 1983, and continued support for redundant apprentices, was as follows:

Year	At cash price	At constant price (1985–86 base)
	£ million	£ million
1983–84	20·3	22·5
1984–85	3·2	3·4

Since September 1983 substantial support for long duration training including apprenticeships has been provided through the youth training scheme. It is not possible to identify the direct level of Exchequer support on a comparable basis with the table.