asked the Attorney-General, pursuant to his answer of 6 April, Official Report, column 1, what information the Director of Public Prosecutions has as to the reasons for the length of the police inquiries concerning the possible prosecution of Lord Rothschild under section 2 of the Official Secrets Act; if the police have given the Director of Public Prosecutions any indication as to when those inquiries are likely to be completed; and if he will make a statement.

The police inquiries have necessarily been lengthy and complicated. Unfortunately, these had not been completed when the officer in charge of the case had to undertake an entirely separate task. However, the Director of Public Prosecutions now expects to receive an interim report from the Metropolitan police by the end of next week.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if Her Majesty's Customs and Excise review of the free ports procedures has been completed; and if he will make a statement.

The main work of the review has been completed and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise will submit its report to me shortly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the European Commission's latest cash position and the implications for the United Kingdom.

The European Commission estimates that its spending obligations this month will again exceed available revenues under the budget for 1987.The Commission therefore requested member states to advance from May into April the payment of own resources other than VAT in accordance with article 10(2) of Council regulation 2891/77: a similar advance was made last month. The Government are satisfied that this request is within the vires of article 10(2) and accordingly made an advance payment on 21 April of £150 million from the Consolidated Fund under section 2(3) of the European Communities Act 1972. The payment of levies and duties on 20 May will be reduced by the amount of the advance.The Commission has also informed us that it has had to overdraw its accounts with members states in April in accordance with article 12(2) of Council regulation 2891/77. The amount involved for the United Kingdom is expected to be of the order of £155 million. The Government are meeting this obligation from the Consolidated Fund in accordance with section 2(3) of the European Communities Act 1972. Repayment of drawings made under this facility will be made by deduction from our May own resources payments.Neither of these facilities involves increasing the total amounts which the Community is authorised to spend during 1987. There is therefore no net addition to public expenditure.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for East Berkshire, Official Report, 8 April, column 261, he will place a draft of the Value Added Tax (Cash Accounting) Regulations in the Library.

A copy has been placed in the Library today.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions Her Majesty's Government are having about the extent to which the Channel tunnel international passenger train service operated from 1993 should conform to European Economic Community customs and immigration formalities and about how this is to be achieved.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 April 1987, c. 576]: None. Her Majesty's Government fully recognise that all customs and immigration formalities, including those for the Channel tunnel international train services to be operated from 1993, should conform to the requirements of relevant EC legislation in force al that time. In discussing any proposal for such legislation Her Majesty's Government will take full account of the special characteristics of the Channel tunnel services.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what consideration his Department is giving to European Economic Community directives and proposals relevant to possible changes in customs and immigration formalities by the beginning of 1993; and what assessment he has made of their implications;(2) what changes the European Commission has proposed for customs and immigration formalities for general passenger travel between European Economic Community member states, and between European Economic Community member states and other countries, by the beginning of 1993; and what changes at railway crossing points are implied in these proposals.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 April 1987, c. 576]: There is a draft frontier controls directive under discussion which, if adopted, would provide for selective rather than comprehensive checks on Community nationals at land frontiers including at railway crossing points. It would expire in 1990. There are further proposals, also under discussion, for the introduction of common border posts for customs purposes at internal Community frontiers.More generally the Commission has indicated in its document "completing the internal market" that it wishes to arrive at a stage whereby checks on entry are abolished for Community citizens arriving from another Community country by 1992. Any proposal to that effect would be adopted only by unanimity.It is not yet possible to make any realistic assessment of the implication of the above proposals which, for example, may be subject to changes arising from the discussions and negotiations.No proposals for changes for passengers travelling between EC member states and other countries have been made.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if any customs and immigration checks for railway passengers travelling between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Eire are carried out on board moving trains; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 April 1987, c. 576]: No customs or immigration checks on railway passengers are carried out on board moving trains between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what information he has as to which railway crossing points within the European Economic Community require customs or immigration formalities;(2) what information he has as to which crossing points within the European Economic Community require customs or immigration formalities and, of these, which offer such formalities on board moving trains or trains on board ferries, and which offer such formalities on board long-distance passenger trains where customs or immigration staff undertake their work beyond stations adjacent to the member states border.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 April 1987, c. 576]: This information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to publish the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1987.

I intend to publish this year's "Statement on the Defence Estimates" on Wednesday, 6 May.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement about security arrangements for the new British embassy in Moscow.

No. It is not our practice to comment about security arrangements at diplomatic missions overseas.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to apply the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 to Northern Ireland.

I understand that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has similar legislation under consideration and the consultative procedures have begun.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he has any plans to improve the present arrangements for the receipt of facsimile messages by right hon. and hon. Members at the Palace of Westminster.

I have no plans to improve the present arrangements. In May 1986 the Accommodation and Administration Sub-Committee of the Services Committee examined the payments policy for the facsimile service and recommended that no changes be made. If my hon. Friend has a particular point in mind, perhaps he will write to me.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for visas have been (a) made, (b) approved or (c) refused since the new arrangements were introduced in (i) Pakistan, (ii) India and (iii) Bangladesh.

The information available centrally is given in the following table.

Applications in the Indian sub-continent for visas to the United Kingdom1
Number of persons
	Applications
	Newly received2	Granted3	Refused initially
Bangladesh
1986 October4 to December	3,820	2,920	870
1987 January, February	1,830	1,520	400
India
1986 October4 to December	21,590	20,130	720
1987 January, February	10,730	9,400	660
Pakistan
1986 0ctober4 to December	13,650	11,540	1,050
1987 January, February	7,250	5,970	860
1 For settlement or temporary purposes.
2 Including applications subsequently withdrawn.
3 Including applications granted on appeal.
4 Including applications for entry clearance in the period 1 to 14 October 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report the most recent figure for the size of the electorate and the number of people in each category of persons unable to vote.

The total number of parliamentary electors on the 1987 United Kingdom electoral register, details of which were published on 22 April in OPCS Monitor EL 87/1, is nearly 43,700,000. This figure includes about 700,000 persons who will attain the age of 18 during the currency of the register who are entitled to vote at an election only on or after their 18th birthday. It also includes persons temporarily ineligible to vote for part or all of the currency of the register, that is persons serving sentences of imprisonment, non-voluntary mental patients and persons found guilty of corrupt or illegal election practices during the past five years—estimates of their numbers are not available. The main groups of people resident in the United Kingdom who are ineligible to vote and who should not be on the electoral register, with estimates of their numbers, are:

British and Commonwealth citizens and citizens of the Irish Republic aged under 18—12,600,000, excluding the 700,000 attainers on the register.

Foreign nationals, excluding citizens of the Irish Republic—700,000, 100,000 of whom are aged under 18.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the letter from the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East, dated 24 February, regarding Mr. John Cummishey, took seven weeks to answer.

The hon. Member's letter inquiring why his constituent had been transferred from Long Lartin prison to Gloucester prison was received by us on 3 March. Inquiries were necessary to establish the reasons for the transfer, but it should have been possible to reply by the end of March and I regret the additional delay.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to be able to announce the conclusions of the current review of the present legal provisions preventing dog excrement fouling public places.

Consultation on this and other issues arising from a review of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 will commence as soon as possible. I cannot at this stage say when conclusions will be reached.

	January 1985			January 1986
LEA	Average Class Size Primary Schools	Average Class Size for Pupils under 14 in Secondary Schools	Average Class Size for Pupils 14 and over in Secondary Schools	Average Class Size Primary Schools	Average Class Size for Pupils under 14 in Secondary Schools	Average Class Size for Pupils 14 and over in Secondary Schools
England	24·9	23·6	17·5	25·5	23·5	17·6
Conservative
Barnet	22·6	24·5	14·8	23·4	23·3	15·2
Berkshire	25·8	23·5	17·0	26·6	23·2	17·2
Bexley	25·9	23·9	17·8	26·3	24·7	17·0
Bromley	26·2	24·7	16·2	26·3	24·8	16·6
Buckinghamshire	26·7	23·7	17·9	27·6	23·4	17·9
Bury	24·7	23·9	16·4	25·7	24·1	17·1
Croydon	24·3	24·4	17·5	25·6	24·2	16·5
Dorset	26·5	24·7	17·6	26·6	24·1	17·9
Ealing	22·9	22·2	17·6	23·7	22·1	16·7
East Sussex	25·8	24·5	17·7	26·3	24·7	18·0
Enfield	25·5	24·6	15·4	26·8	24·4	16·3
Harrow	24·1	22·5	17·7	24·8	24·8	17·0

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to publish Her Majesty's Inspectorate's report on education in the London borough of Brent.

The report is being published today and copies have been placed in the Library. It shows that there are serious and deep-seated problems affecting education in Brent: the borough's education service has been gravely impaired by basic weaknesses of management and performance. I have asked the authority to take urgent and immediate action and to let me know by the end of June its action programme and timetable for dealing with the matters raised in the report so that those who live in Brent receive the sort of educational provision they are entitled to expect. I shall continue to monitor the position closely.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report a table grouping local education authorities into those controlled on 1 January 1986 by the Conservative party, those controlled by the Labour party, those controlled by the alliance parties and those with no overall control, showing for each authority, the average for each group and the overall average (a) the average primary school class size for January 1985 and January 1986, (b) the average secondary school class size for pupils under 14 in January 1985 and January 1986 and (c) the average secondary school class size for pupils over 14 in January 1985 and January 1986.

[pursuant to his reply, 10 April 1987, c. 427]: The information requested for each local education authority in England for the years 1985 and 1986 is given in the following table. Authorities are grouped by the political control as at 1 January 1986. The analyses relate to classes taught by one teacher on a selected period within the day of the census count in January of each year and may not be representative of pattern of classes over the academic year as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce the results of his review of the national trunk road construction programme.

On 28 April 1987.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on the current volume of imports of perfumes from the United States of America; and what are the customs duties imposed thereon.

For the first two months of 1987, 3,055 litres of perfumes and scents were imported from the United States under United Kingdom tariff heading 3306–2100. The rate of common customs tariff duty chargeable on that heading is 6·6 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has received any recent representations from employees or management at British Aerospace in Hatfield relating to future development projects proposed by Airbus Industrie; and if he will make a statement.

The Government have received representations from British Aerospace senior management, and from British Aerospace employees and union representatives at a number of sites, including Hatfield, about the company's application for launch aid in. respect of the Airbus A330 and A340 projects. Discussions with the company are continuing, and the Government aim to reach a decision as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list those United Kingdom companies which have been awarded contracts as part of current airbus programmes; and if he will state in each case the value and general nature of the contract concerned.

On the information currently available to the Department, 98 United Kingdom companies, in the following list, have been awarded contracts as part of current programmes. These contracts relate to the supply of materials, components and parts for airframes and aeroengines, avionics and equipment. In addition, United Kingdom companies are involved in the supply of furnishings and fittings to airlines purchasing Airbus aircraft. It is not possible to give the values of these contracts, as orders are placed in batches and the total values cannot be determined until the production programme, and in some cases, spares demand, has ended.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department has considered any estimate for the number of jobs which will be created by the airbus project in each of the next 10 years and; if he will make a statement.

Estimates currently available to the Department indicate that the numbers of jobs which could be directly generated in the United Kingdom by the Airbus A330/A340 programme in each of the next ten years are as follows:

	Number
1987	750
1988	1,350
1989	2,600
1990	1,550
1991	550
1992	1,200
1993	1,000
1994	1,000
1995	—
1996	—
	10,000

These estimates relate to jobs which would be either maintained or created within British Aerospace and companies supplying equipment and materials to the Airbus A330/A340 programme. British Aerospace have further estimated that, taking account of jobs which would be maintained or created within the wider community, the total number of A330/A340 related jobs could amount to 20,000.The significance of the potential employment benefits to the United Kingdom of participation in the Airbus A330/A340 programme is fully recognised by the Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will state the value and percentage of product cost which was represented by Government funding for British Aerospace's (a) design and development costs and (b) production costs for each of the following projects (a) 125–800, (b) Jetstream 31, (c) ATP, (d) 146–100, (e) 146–200, (f) 146–300, (g) A300 B2/B4, (h) A300–600, (i) A310–200, (j) A310–300 and (k) A320–200.

The Government are not funding British Aerospace's production costs on any current civil aircraft programme. The Government have agreed to provide launch aid of up to £250 million, representing 54 per cent. of British Aerospace's estimated development costs on the A320. The Government also provided financial assistance of £7·8 million to Hawker Siddeley Aviation for development work on the 146 project, before that company was incorporated into British Aerospace.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has concerning total British Aerospace investment in current civil aircraft programmes; and how much this works out at (a) per British Aerospace employee and (b) per employee in the United Kingdom aerospace industry.

On the information currently available to the Department, the cumulative investment in civil aircraft programmes, comprising launch costs and production work in progress, by British Aerospace out of its own funds since 1979 is of the order of £1,300 million. This represents some £17,300 per British Aerospace employee and some £6,500 per employee in the United Kingdom aerospace industry. In addition, £196 million has been spent on launch costs, which was financed by Government launch aid.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the total amount of funds made available by the Government to British Aerospace for current civil aircraft programmes in the form of (a) interest-free loan, (b) grant and (c) interest-bearing loan.

The Government have agreed to provide British Aerospace with repayable launch aid of up to £250 million in respect of one civil aircraft programme. Since January 1981, the Government have offered British Aerospace regional development grants and regional selective assistance under section 7 of the Industrial Development Act amounting to approximately £18 million, from which current civil aircraft programmes have derived benefit. In addition, the Government's investments in British Aerospace between 1977 and 1985 included public dividend capital from 1977 to 1980, a holding of ordinary shares from 1981 to 1985, and interest-bearing, repayable National Loans Fund advances. These investments were not directly related to individual civil aircraft programmes.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate his Department has made of the revenue to be generated to the United Kingdom by (a) Airbus Industrie's forecast sales of 1,000 aircraft and (b) only 60 per cent. of their projected sales; and if he will make a statement.

On Airbus Industrie's current forecast of 1,000 sales of A330 and A340 aircraft to the year 2005, it is estimated that the revenues, expressed in outturn values, generated to the United Kingdom in respect of airframes would be in order of £16·5 billion. The corresponding figure for 600 aircraft sales would be in the order of £10 billion. In addition, it is expected that further substantial revenues would accrue from the supply of equipment and aero-engine components, but no estimate of the value can be given until the supplier selection procedures by Airbus Industrie and the engine manufacturers have been completed.The Airbus A330/A340 programme would, in common with other civil aerospace programmes, contribute substantially to the United Kingdom's export earnings.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about trade relations with Japan.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 April 1987, c. 552]: During his recent visit to Japan, my hon. and learned Friend, the Under-Secretary of State, the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard), underlined the importance that this Government attach to the introduction of real and effective market opening measures by the Japanese authorities.At present, we are specifically concerned with two important objectives. First, in the financial services sector, we have laid down a timetable to secure access for British firms to the Tokyo stock exchange; second, in telecommunications, we have made it clear that we attach the highest importance to the equitable treatment of Cable and Wireless and the IDC consortium bidding to supply alternative international telecommunications services in Japan.We are also looking at Community safeguard measures which may prove necessary in the event of substantial diversion of Japanese exports following the implementation of recent United States protectionist measures.