To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish figures for the number of British scientists leaving to work abroad.

There are no figures from official sources, but a recent sample of universities, research council institutes and Government and industrial research laboratories, carried out by the Royal Society and the Fellowship of Engineering, showed that in five major fields of science there were 931 emigrants from the United Kingdom over the period 1975–85. Over the same period there were 685 immigrants, including 183 returning Britons. For members of university research groups the emigration rate averaged about 2 per cent. annually. For staff from industry, Government and research establishments the rate was 0·5 per cent. or less.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give (a) the number of teachers' representatives to be included in the newly proposed teachers' negotiating group, (b) the number of representatives on the management side to be included in the teachers' negotiating group and (c) the number of management members who will be his representatives ; and if he will make a statement about who the other management representatives are likely to be.

The Green Paper "Teachers' Pay and Conditions: A Consultative Document", considers two main alternative types of arrangements which have been proposed in recent months and then sets out proposals for a teachers' negotiating group. It sets out the Government's view that the Secretary of State's representatives should have a majority of votes on the management side of the teachers' negotiating group. Paragraphs 7.25 to 7.52 identify various issues about the details of a teachers' negotiating group on which views are sought, which include issues raised by the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the memorandum of arrangements 1987–88 governing Government grants towards spending on trade union education and training by independent trade unions not affiliated to the Trades Union Congress will be issued.

The memorandum of arrangements for 1987–88 will be issued this month and will be circulated to all trade unions not affiliated to the Trades Union Congress.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make it his policy that the grant available for trade union education and training by independent trade unions not affiliated to the Trades Union Congress will rise at least in line with inflation, in the light of the fact that the grant for 1986–87 remained at the same level in cash terms as in 1985–86.

My right hon. Friend has recently determined that the grant available for education arid training by trades unions not affiliated to the Trades Union Congress should be continued for the financial year 1987–88 at a rate 3 per cent. higher than that agreed for 1986–87.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what special provision he has made for research in Antarctica within the additions to the science budget which he announced on 3 November; arid if he will make a statement.

Within the sums I announced for the science budget, the additions specifically for research in Antarctica are £8·6 million in 1988–89, £17·7 million in 1989–90 and £3·7 million in 1990–91. This additional funding will help to maintain and advance the high quality of United Kingdom research in Antarctica supported by the Natural Environment Research Council through the British Antarctic Survey. The greater part will be used to purchase a new research and supply ship. This will make important contributions to marine geology, geophysics and biology in the southern oceans and will support more scientists in Antarctica. Atmospheric research will continue from a new base at Halley, with further studies of the "ozone hole" discovered by BAS scientists. The additional funds will also support other research programmes of global relevance: on the continent's animal and mineral resources and on ice and climate, including the "greenhouse effect" caused by increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the Government intends to legislate against bogus degrees; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has today issued a consultation paper outlining the Government's legislative proposals. These are to define genuine United Kingdom degrees as being those awarded by bodies authorised by royal charter or Act of Parliament to award them, and to make it an offence for any other person or institution to award what purported to be such a degree. Subject to the outcome of consultation we intend to add the necessary provisions at Committee stage of the Education Bill to be introduced later this month. Copies of the consultation paper have been placed in the Vote Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why publication of the "Ulster Year Book" has ceased; and for what reasons.

[holding answer, 12 November 1987]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to a similar question from the right hon. Member for Strangford (Mr. Taylor) on 9 November 1987 at column 61.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will place in the Library a copy of his letter of 5 November to Conservative hon. Members concerning electricity prices; and if he will make a statement.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy that planning by local authorities for emergencies arising from accidents or incidents at nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom or abroad takes precedence over planning for war emergencies; and if he will make a statement.

No. The Civil Defence (General Local Authority Functions) Regulations 1983 impose a number of civil defence duties on local authorities, and under the Civil Protection in Peacetime Act 1986 civil defence planning may take into account the possibility of a peacetime emergency. No statutory requirements are imposed on local authorities in relation to planning for accidents at nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom, but in practice all local authorities recognise the need to make plans in consultation with the operators of sites in their areas, and with other agencies involved. As regards incidents arising from nuclear installations overseas, the position was explained by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 30 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the principal differences between current plans for civil nuclear emergencies on the one hand, and war emergencies on the other, with particular reference to the evacuation of the civilian population and the role and location of emergency services.

Planning for a wartime emergency requires consideration of a wide range of possible scenarios, from a period of international tension to a nuclear attack. Plans for dealing with an accident at a nuclear installation are based on coping with the worst accident considered to have a practicable chance of occurring. The operations of an installation are required to draw up emergency plans (approved by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive) in collaboration with local authorities and emergency services to deal with on-site and off-site aspects of an accident. Plans for each site cover all relevant factors, including questions of evacuation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the implications for casualty numbers of implementing current civil defence advice to the public to stay put in the event of a nuclear attack; and if he will make a statement.

Detailed assessments of this kind are not made. As the emergency planning guidance to local authorities makes clear, the effects of nuclear attack would be determined by such factors as the strategic intentions of the enemy and meteorological conditions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether authorities charged with a duty to plan for the protection of the public in war will receive guidance from his Department on planning for a wartime rescue service; and if he will make a statement.

A report by the joint local authority-Home Office working group is currently under consideration. Guidance to local authorities will be issued in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the progress of his inquiries into the possibility of involving the private sector in running prison industries.

The prison service industries and farms board of management includes two non-executive members from the private sector and private sector expertise has been engaged in several aspects of PSIF work such as marketing, computerising management information, and developing strategies for different areas of work. Further progress will be considered in the context of the management of the prison system as a whole, taking account of the need to implement and absorb the major changes associated with fresh start.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many representations he has received against or expressing concern about proposed changes in the licensing laws in England and Wales in response to the Government's document outlining those proposals ;(2) how many representations he has received in favour of changes to the licensing laws in England and Wales in response to the Government's document outlining those proposals.

A total of 545 representations have been received since we published our proposals for the reform of the licensing laws on 4 August. It is not possible to divide representations between those expressing support and those expressing concern about the published proposals. Many supported some proposals, but opposed others. While many opposed any relaxation of the licensing laws, there were others who opposed the proposals because they were not sufficiently radical.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has about the current crime detection rate in greater Manchester.

Information on offences cleared up is collected centrally for police force areas for different types of offence and is published in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1986" (Cm 233), tables 2.18 and 2.19. In 1986 the clear-up rate for notifiable offences in greater Manchester was 27 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of maintaining the Metropolitan police force's helicopters in 1985, 1986 and 1987.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the estimated cost of the Metropolitan police air support unit in 1985–86 and 1986–87 was £1,383,000 and £1,422,000 respectively. Estimated expenditure between 1 April and 31 October 1987 is £840,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on how many times Metropolitan police helicopters have been used during the last year over (a) London and (b) Southwark; how many times their use has been (i) as a specific response to an incident or (ii) for general surveillance purposes; and if he will make a statement.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that between 1 November 1986 and 31 October 1987 a total of 4,460 assignments were carried out, 119 of which were in the Southwark area. Of the total assignments, 3,980 responded to emergency and other direct calls for assistance; the remainder involved routine patrol duties.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he had at the Trevi conference on 14 and 15 October of permanent correspondents on football hooliganism on the problem of extreme right-wing hooligans who attach themselves to football and who travel to the continent for violent and racist activities; what action his Department is taking to stop such travel; and what actions are being taken within Britain to rid association football of such extreme Right-wing sympathisers.

The conference in London on 14 and 15 October was a meeting of officials to discuss the means by which EC member countries exchange information to prevent and deal with football hooliganism. They will report the outcome of their discussions to Trevi senior officials and Ministers in due course. Against

Date	Contractor	Purpose	Amount £
August 1986	Mott, Hay and Anderson International	Projection supervision	1,900,000
January 1987	British Steel Corporation	Rail	1,900,000
October 1987	Plessey	Telecommunications	1,500,000
March-April 1987	Pandrol	Track components	960,000
February 1987	Deugro	Shipping services	600,000
May 1987	Goodwin Barsby	Quarry plant	400,000
April 1987	Henry Boots	Rail equipment	360,000
September 1987	Dow Mac	Sleeper Moulds	245,000
July 1987	Aveling Barford	Specialised vehicles	216,000
August 1987	Somerset Wire	Wire	168,000
April 1987	Leyland Trucks	Vehicles	150,000
July 1987	Blackwood Hodge	Bulldozer	131,000

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many guinea pigs have been used in cyanide poisoning tests at Porton Down since 1980, by year ;(2) what other species apart from guinea pigs and dogs have been used in cyanide poisoning tests at Porton Down since 1980, by year.

I have been asked to reply.I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given on 22 July 1986 to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) at columns

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if will list the contracts that have been granted to British companies relating to the rehabilitation of the railway routes across Mozambique.

Aid-financed contracts awarded to British companies for work on the Limpopo line are shown in the table. For aid-financed work on the Beira line no contracts have yet been placed.

We have financed the rebuilding of two Mozambican locomotives for use on the Nacala line at a cost of £191,000. The work was undertaken by Malawi Railways in Malawi. Information is not readily available on the extent to which they placed orders with British suppliers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the contracts that have been granted to British companies relating to the northern route railway linking Malawi to Dar-es-Salaam.

This project is still at the planning stage and no contracts have yet been awarded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the contracts that have been granted to British companies relating to the upgrading of the rail link between Malawi and Mozambique.

In 1984 we financed a study of the management and operation of the Nacala line linking Malawi and Mozambique. The study was undertaken by Transmark in association with Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Company and Sir Alexander Gibb and Partners.We are now assisting the Mozambican authorities to improve railway operations in support of the rehabilitation of the line. The contract for consultancy services was awarded to Mott Hay and Anderson International in April. Requirements for telecommunications and re-railing equipment are being studied by the consultants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the contracts that have been granted to British companies relating to railway projects in Jordan.

There have been no aid-financed contracts for the railway sector in Jordan in recent years.

Date	Company	Purpose	Amount £
January 1986	Atlas Engineering Company	Universal multi-purpose armature machine	368,000
March 1984	British Steel Corporation Exports Ltd.	Steel for Krishna Bridge	332,000
March 1986		Rails	2,482,000
January 1985	British Steel Corporation Track Products Ltd.	Rails	8,901,000
March 1984	British Electrical Machines Ltd.	Commutator segments and traction motors	475,000
January 1987	Bronx Engineering Company Ltd.	Bar straightening machine	204,000
January 1985	Butler Machine Tool Company Ltd.	Universal milling and boring machines	803,000
January 1987	Delta Drawn Metals Ltd.	Commutator punched segments	114,000
December 1984	Fairbank Brearley Ltd.	Eye forming machine	645,000
January 1986	Field and Grant Ltd.	Miniature plug-in track relays	247,000
March 1986	GEC Traction Ltd.	Spares for traction motors	107,000
March 1985	Harvin Exports Ltd.	Piston rings	1,829,000
March 1986		Core after cooler	269,000

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the contracts that have been granted to British companies relating to the overhauling of railway locomotives in Kenya.

The information is as follows:

Date: 1983

Contractor: G.E.C.

Purpose: Rehabilitation of locomotives

Amount: £1·4 million

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the contracts that have been granted to British companies relating to management assistance to the Kenya Railways Corporation.

Since the inception of phase I of the Kenya railways sector aid project in 1983, the following consultancy contracts have been awarded:

	Consultant	Purpose
1983	Crown Agents	Supervision of locomotive rehabilitation
1984	Rendel, Palmer and Tritton	Organisation of railway workshops
1984	Henderson, Busby International in association with Coopers & Lybrand	Assessment of motive power requirements
1984	Coopers & Lybrand	Review of organisation of Kenya Railways Corporation
1984	Coopers & Lybrand	Review of training schemes
1984	Crown Agents	Study of administration of supplies
1985	Coopers & Lybrand	Preparation of donors action plan for railways
1986	Coopers & Lybrand	Preparation of Corporate Plan for Kenya railways

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the contracts that have been granted to British companies relating to the 1983 railway projects grant of £5·8 million to India.

Under the 1983 United Kingdom—India railway sector grant, which is for £30 million, the following contracts have been signed between United Kingdom firms and Indian Railways:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the contracts that have been granted to British companies relating to the Gezira railways project in the Sudan.

Date	Contractor	Purpose	Amount £
1985–87	Hunslet Holdings	Locomotive rehabilitation kits, spares and tools	1,570,000
1985	Wickham Gensol	High pressure washing kit	9,000
1985–86	SK.S (Plant and Equipment)	Micrometers and tools	14,000
1986	Atlas Engineering	Wheel lathe	300,000
1985	Newelco	Tyre heater	45,000
1986	Powell Duffryn	Oil and water tanker wagons	185,000
1985–86	Railway, mine and plantation equipment	Wheel and axle sets, rail and machinery	995,000
1985	British steel rail and ring rolled products	Steel tyres	74,000
1985–87	Wickham Trolleys	Hand and motor trolleys	235,000
1985	Wild Heerbrugg	Survey equipment	14,000
1985	Chaney and Ball	Fishbolts	7,000
1985	GSJ Engineering Supplies	Tirefords	80,000
1986	Grant Lyon Eagre	Point and crossings	57,000
1985	Unatrac	Motor graders	199,000
1984	Pye Telecom	VHF radio sets	45,000
1986	Pandrol	Pandrol fittings	8,000
	Various (each contract under £4,000 in value)	Miscellaneous	13,000

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to increase the level of aid to Sri Lanka, particularly for emergency housing and medical care; and if he will make a statement.

On 19 September, I approved an additional £1·5 million of relief assistance for Sri Lanka. I anticipate that a substantial proportion of this will be channelled through British voluntary agencies in support of a variety of relief activities, including those of a kind to which my hon. Friend refers. I also expect to approve a contribution to a medium-term programme of reconstruction to be discussed at a meeting of donors being held under World Bank auspices next month.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current level of aid to Sri Lanka.

The information is as follows:

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Tooting (Mr. Cox) on 9 November at column 18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the cost of maintaining the information department within the Overseas Development Administration in each year since 1979.

The cost of maintaining the information department of the Overseas Development Administration in each financial year from 1983–84 is as follows :

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list by grade the personnel currently employed in the information department within the Overseas Development Administration.

The number and grade of personnel currently employed in the information department of the Overseas Development Administration are:

• 1 Grade 5
• 1 Grade 7
• 3 Senior Information Officers
• 2 Information Officers
• 1 Higher Executive Officer (Development)
• 1 Executive Officer
• 1 Administrative Assistant.
• 1 Personal Secretary

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if his Department has yet completed its inquiries into the proposed takeover arrangements concerning AE and Turner and Newall; and if he will make a statement.

Inquiries concerning AE plc and Hill Samuel and Co. Limited to which the hon. Member presumably refers continue.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the current level of import and export trade between the United Kingdom and Hungary; and if he will make a statement.

For nine months to September 1987 United Kingdom trade with Hungary was: imports—£58·8 million ; exports—£79·4 million.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 29 October, at column 361, if he will specify the extent to which Lonrho's accounts currently contain the information which the company has assured him that they will contain fully in future.

[holding answer, 12 November 1987]: The accounts of Lonrho plc for the company's 1985–86 financial year contain information on the valuations of the company's fixed assets and investments, but do not contain all the detailed information referred to in my answer to my hon. Friend on 28 October at column 301.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will appoint the former Lord Chancellor, Lord Havers, as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary; and if she will make a statement.

Announcements on such matters will continue to be made at the appropriate time in the appropriate way.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on co-ordination between the Department of Health and Social Security and the Home Office of Government policy towards the possible closure of the Eastdale unit at Balderton hospital.

No decision has been taken to close this unit which was established to provide rehabilitation for patients in the special hospitals. Its future is currently being considered and the Central Nottinghamshire district health authority will shortly be issuing a consultation paper to interested organisations. The Department of Health and Social Security and the Home Office will be among those consulted, and remain in close touch on the matter.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the particular types of offence on which the Lord Chancellor, as president of the Magistrates' Association, has expressed his personal view on the approach to sentencing since 1979.

The types of offence on which the Lord Chancellor, as president of the Magistrates' Association, has expressed his personal views on the approach to sentencing since 1979 include hooliganism and violence to the disruption of the public peace, cruelty or violence to the person, offences against those who serve the public, for example, the police, postmasters, transport staff and licensees, profit-related offences, theft from shops, badger digging, public health, safety of employees or public, pollution, the overloading of commercial vehicles, driving with defective tyres, brakes or steering, and road traffic offences generally.

To ask the Attorney-General how many representations have been received (a) in favour and (b) against the White Paper "Legal Aid in England and Wales : A New Framework"; and if he will make a statement.

Representations have been received from 24 individuals and organisations commenting on various aspects of the White Paper. In almost all cases they have concentrated on specific proposals and it would not, therefore, be appropriate to classify them as "in favour" or "against" the White Paper as a whole. The centrepiece of the White Paper—the establishment of a legal aid board to assume responsibility for administration of the legal aid scheme—has been widely supported.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to the extract from the current issue of the British Airline Pilots' Association's magazine The Log concerning fatigue and its effects on pilots, a copy of which has been sent to him; if there is any action he will be taking; and if he will make a statement.

The Civil Aviation Authority is wholly responsible for aviation safety regulation. I will ask the chairman of the authority to respond to the hon. Member's inquiry about fatigue and its effect on pilots.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will refer the commercial activities of British Airways' London to Newcastle route to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission; if he has plans to allow more competition on the London to Newcastle air route; and if he will make a statement.

References to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission are for my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and for the Director General of Fair Trading, as the case may be. Neither has any plans to refer British Airways' activities on the London to Newcastle route to the commission. Both British Airways and Dan-Air provide services on the route, British Airways from Heathrow and Dan-Air from Gatwick. Any operator who considers that there is a demand for further flights may apply to the Civil Aviation Authority for a licence on that route. Under Heathrow rule 3 of the traffic distribution rules 1986 further services from Heathrow would be permitted only if the user benefits were expected to override the economic and efficient use of the airport as a major international airport.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if there are any proposals for European Economic Community regulations to limit the use of old-fashioned cars on British roads; and if he will make a statement.

There are no such proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the next British Army equipment exhibition will be held; and on which dates it will be open to (a) overseas customers, (b) the press and (c) the British public.

The next British Army equipment exhibition is from 27 June 1988 to 1 July 1988 and will be open each day to overseas customers and the defence-related technical press. On 26 June there is a press day which the national, provincial and technical press may attend. The exhibition is not open to the public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the list of names of countries to which invitations to the next British Army equipment exhibition have been extended.

In common with all my predecessors, I do not intend to publish a list of names of individuals or countries invited to the British Army equipment exhibition.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the size of the geographic areas for which weather forecasts are given.

Weather forecasts for the United Kingdom made as part of the free public service and not intended for specialised use are necessarily rather general in their application. The national forecasts supplied thrice daily to the Press Association, which cover the ensuing day and the outlook for a further 48 hours, refer to 29 areas of the country, although these are grouped according to the prevailing weather. The scripts provided for broadcast by radio or television deal with areas that depend upon the service area of the broadcasting station, those for local radio applying more precisely in geographical terms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total value of current British contracts arising out of the strategic defence initiative.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Ms. Ruddock) on 6 November at column 924.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what figure NATO has determined as the minimum number of nuclear weapons it requires in Europe in order to fulfil its strategy of flexible response; and whether that number is contingent on the number of nuclear weapons possessed by the USSR.

NATO's nuclear planning group Ministers agreed at Montebello in 1983 to reduce the Alliance's nuclear stockpile in Europe to 4,600 warheads. This has now been achieved. It is and will remain NATO's policy to maintain only the minimum number of nuclear weapons necessary for credible deterrence. The strategy of flexible response does not require us to match Warsaw Pact forces weapon for weapon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his statement, 27 October, column 211, what further moves he would like the USSR to make if he is to have confidence in its commitment to a chemicals weapons ban; and if he will make a statement.

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State told the House on 27 October at column 211, the recent visit by conference on disarmament participants to the Soviet chemical weapons facility at Shikhany, was a welcome, albeit limited, step. However, it was only in April this year that the Soviet Union, which has a very substantial chemical warfare capability, admitted publicly for the first time that it possessed chemical weapons. In order to have confidence in the Soviet Union's commitment to a chemical weapons ban, we shall need far greater openness on their part about their stockpiles of, and production facilities for, chemical weapons. I understand the United States and USSR have discussed the possibility of bilateral exchanges of information on chemical weapons. Such a development would help to give the USSR the opportunity to demonstrate the increased openness we are seeking on their part.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the statement of the Minister of State, the hon. and learned Member for Putney (Mr. Mellor), 22 October, column 1013, what is his precise assessment of the USSR's biological weapons threat; and upon what evidence he bases it.

My hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in his statement of 22 October at column 1013, was drawing attention to the tremendous Soviet advantage in chemical weapons. So far as the Soviet biological weapons threat is concerned, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Renton) to the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Mrs. Clwyd) on 28 November 1986 at column 382. However, the Soviet Union is known to possess a significant microbiological research capability, the potential military implications of which we have to take into account.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has as to the amount of rainfall in the catchment areas of the rivers most affected by the recent flooding; and how the amount of rainfall on this occasion compares with other widespread rainfalls in those same areas and falling in the same time scale in recent years.

[holding answer, 6 November 1987]: Data from the Northern Ireland raingauge network are still being received by the Meteorological Office and subjected to quality control. Early returns do, however, show that during the latter half of October the heaviest rainfalls occurred in south Armagh, over the Mountains of Mourne, over parts of County Antrim in and around Belfast and northwards to Glen Whirrey, over Ballypatrick forest and from north-east of Londonderry through County Tyrone down to County Fermanagh. In these areas the daily rainfall totals were very rare with estimated return periods of around 200 years or more.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what would be the length and nature of the warning to the population as a whole in the event of a Soviet ballistic missile attack on the United Kingdom.

[holding Answer 2 November]: I have been asked to reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many competitively placed contracts with his Department since 1979 have been subject to an upward revision of price after the original acceptance date.

[holding answer, 6 November 1987]: The information requested cannot be provided without disproportionate effort and cost. However, one objective of competition is to establish an agreed price or pricing arrangement at the outset. If the contractual requirement is varied by my Department we will consider whether an adjustment to the contract price is appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply of 22 October, Official Report, column 874 (1) if he will give the number of non-competitively placed contracts subjected to selective post-costing in each year since 1979; and what was the total number of non-competitively placed contracts in each of the same years;(2) how many non-competitively placed contracts since 1979 were

[holding answer, 6 November 1987]: The total number of non-competitive contracts and value amendments placed in each financial year since 1979–80 is:

Year	Number
1979–80	20,453
1980–81	21,082
1981–82	20,656
1982–83	20,988
1983–84	19,539
1984–85	17,385
1985–86	16,220
1986–87	15,612

(Statistics for new contracts only are not available for the whole of the period).These include those priced on the basis of cost plus percentage fee for profit (of which the proportion has reduced from 22 per cent. to 6 per cent. by value over this period); those priced on actual costs with incentives to minimise costs; those priced on estimates, but where the value is low and it would be inappropriate to include the right to post-cost; and those priced on estimates which include the right to post-cost. This latter category includes a very small proportion (on average some 1,200 contracts a year) of contracts placed non-competitively.The right to post-cost contracts selectively derived from the 1968 agreement between the Government and the CBI for the pricing of Government non-competitive stores contracts. It would not be consistent with the terms of that agreement for all eligible contracts to be post-costed. However about 50 per cent. by value of eligible work is post-costed and the selection ensures appropriate coverage of companies, values and types of work.The number of contracts post-costed in each year since 1979 is:

Year	Number
1979	84
1980	81
1981	80
1982	69
1983	96
1984	66
1985	78
1986	67

I will write to the hon. Member shortly about the number of contracts since 1979 where post-costing indicated a lack of equality of information at the time the price was fixed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the total number of (a) teachers, (b) full-time non-teaching staff and (c) part-time non-teaching staff employed by each local education authority in Wales.

The information for teachers in service in maintained schools and further education establishments, as at January 1987, is as follows:

	Full-time equivalent numbers
Clwyd	4,472
Dyfed	3,770
Gwent	4,910
Gwynedd	2,688
Mid Glamorgan	6,323
Powys	1,397
South Glamorgan	4,427
West Glamorgan	4,311

Comparable county figures for non-teaching staff are not centrally available. The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy publish such data in "Education Statistics 1986–87 Estimates", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information his Department has as to the average length of the school day in Wales in (a) maintained schools and (b) independent schools in 1957, 1967, 1977 and 1987.

This information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what would be the estimate charge, on the basis of current expenditure (a) per household and (b) per capita for each Welsh district if a system of local income tax were introduced.

The information cannot be provided in this form. However, I have today placed in the Library of the House a table showing the rate of local income tax in each district and the bill for a single person on national average earnings. The figures are based on 1987–88 spending levels and assume full equalisation of income per head between local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list (a) which schools in Wales are designated as social priority schools, and (b) the criteria used for social priority designation; if he will make a statement about whether there are any plans to increase the social priority allowance for teachers in these schools; and if he will make a statement about when social priority designations have been reviewed or revised since their inception and by whom.

Responsibility for this matter rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science and he will be writing to the hon. Member with a full reply as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the names of (a) all manufacturing companies together with their principal products, (b) all non-manufacturing companies together with their principal purpose which have been established in the Milford Haven enterprise zone since it was set up.

The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. My hon. Friend might wish to approach the zone authority direct.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the estimated number of new jobs created by the establishment of the Milford Haven enterprise zone in (a) manufacturing companies and (b) non-manufacturing companies since the zone's establishment.

The latest available information indicates that since designation in April 1984, zone employment in non-manufacturing firms has increased by about 600 whereas manufacturing employment has fallen by 180, a net gain in jobs of 420.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the future of the European Community sheepmeat regime and the anticipated effect of any proposed changes upon sheep farming in Wales.

Negotiations on the review of the sheepmeat regime are continuing and it is too early, at this stage, to anticipate the effects of any changes that may be eventually agreed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many persons in Wales were engaged directly in agriculture as (a) employees and (b) self-employed persons on 1 April 1985, 1986 and 1987, respectively; and if he will make a statement.

Information is not available for the dates requested. The annual censuses of agricultural holdings provide the following information on the numbers of people engaged directly in agriculture on the first Monday of June in each respective year.

	1985	1986	11987
Farmers, partners and directors	36,300	35,700	33,500
Spouses working on the holding	11,500	11,600	11,700
Total employees	20,700	20,300	20,200
of which
full-time	7,600	7,500	7,200
part-time	3,800	4,100	3,900
casual	9,200	8,800	9,100
Youth training scheme	700	600	900
1 Provisional.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will deposit in the Library the analysis of the responses to the proposed core curriculum and the inclusion of Welsh as a foundation subject.

Details of consultation exercise undertaken in Wales: Education Bill. Position at 12 November 1987
				Responses received from
	Date of publication	Closing date	Number issued	Individuals	Bodies/ Institutions	Total responses
National curriculum 5–16	24 July 1987	30 September 1987	525	247	143	390
Financial delegation to schools	20 July 1987	16 September 1987	172	1	27	28
Admission of pupils to maintained schools	13 July 1987	16 September 1987	179	0	25	25
Grant maintained schools	4 August 1987	30 September 1987	200	4	40	44
Charges for school activities	9 October 1987	4 December 1987	90	2	3	5
Maintained further and higher education in Wales: Financing, Governance and Law	13 August 1987	7 October 1987	168	3	33	36
Collective worship	8 July 1987	11 September 1987	120	13	38	51
			1,454	270	309	579

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were strip searched by customs officials in 1987, 1986 and 1985; whether individuals have any right of appeal when a strip search is proposed; and whether any code of practice exists in relation to these strip searches.

A policy statement on the implementation of the national curriculum in Wales will be published shortly, and this will take account of the responses we have received to the consultation document. No other formal analysis is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will arrange for copies of all responses to the proposed core curriculum and the inclusion of Welsh as a foundation subject to be deposited in the Library.

We are arranging for copies of the principal responses which have been received from organisations, institutions and other bodies in Wales to be placed in the Library of the House. The hon. Lady will understand that we are unable to publish responses from individuals without their express written permission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing each of the consultation documents published by him in respect of proposals regarding the reorganisation of education in Wales and in respect of each (a) the date of publication, (b) the closing date for receipt of responses, (c) the number issued of each document and (d) the closing date of responses from (i) individuals and (ii) bodies and institutions.

The information is as follows:

Local records of personal searches are kept at ports and airports, but Customs have only recently started to keep strip search data separately and in a way suitable for central collection. There is no record of the information sought for the periods in question. During 1986, 46,215 personal searches were made, but the major part of these involve at most removal of outer clothing only. This total figure represents about 0.1 per cent. of passengers arriving.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he intends to include a target for M3 in future editions of his medium-term financial strategy.

My right hon. Friend announced in the 1987 Budget that there would be no formal target for M3 or any other measure of broad money in 1987–88. My right hon. Friend will announce his decisions on updating the medium-term financial strategy at the time of the 1988 Budget.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the percentage growth in M3 for the financial year 1986–87; and whether that growth exceeded his Department's M3 target in his medium-term financial strategy.

M3 grew by 19 per cent. in 1986–87. The 1986 medium-term financial strategy set a range of 11–15 per cent.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what mechanisms exist for medium or long-term alteration of the exchange rate.

I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer's speech to the International Monetary Fund of 30 September (a copy of which I have had placed in the Library). In it my right hon. Friend describes the experience gained over the two years since the Plaza meeting in September 1985 and how this should be used to build a more permanent regime of managed floating, in order to maintain the maximum stability of key exchange rates, and to manage any change that may be necessary in an orderly way.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the proposed cash increase in public expenditure which he announced on Tuesday 3 November is available to fund new services or facilities, taking into account (a) inflation, (b) pay awards, (c) commitments entered into or spending already being undertaken, over and above the previous public expenditure predictions on which his announcement was based, (d) "overspend" already taking place, (e) demographic changes and (f) announcements of increases made previously by him or other Ministers.

[holding answer, 9 November 1987]: The plans published in the Autumn Statement represent increases of about 5 per cent. a year in cash terms in general Government expenditure (excluding privatisation proceeds) between 1986–87 and 1990–91. Excluding the expected effects of general inflation, as measured by the GDP deflator, the real increase is about 1¼per cent. a year. These plans will enable significant improvements in services and new initiatives in the Government's priority areas, including the NHS, inner cities, education and prison building, while at the same time reducing the proportion of national income devoted to public expenditure. The precise extent to which these cash plans fund new or improved services will depend on the extent to which public sector managers achieve moderate pay settlements or are able to generate additional resources by securing improvements in value for money.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of expenditure in the latest year for which figures are available on (a) food, (b) fuel, (c) children's clothes and shoes, (d) books, newspapers and periodicals, (e) bus fares, (f) new house building and (g) funerals.

[holding answer, 12 November 1987]: Some estimates of expenditure on the categories requested are compiled in the context of personal sector transactions recorded in national accounts, covering years up to 1986 and published in the 1987 edition of the United Kingdom national accounts, the `CSO Blue Book'. Total expenditure, which would include purchases by other sectors (for example, businesses) is not available.Current and constant price estimates for expenditure on food, fuel and power, clothing and footwear, books, newspapers and magazines and buses and coaches are available from tables 4.7 and 4.8 of the CSO Blue Book. Spending on children's clothes and shoes is not separately identified. Current price estimates up to 1986 for expenditure on dwellings (excluding existing dwellings and land) are available from tables 12.1 and 12.3 of the CSO Blue Book.The CSO Blue Book does not contain estimates of expenditure on funerals but available information suggests that undertakers' charges amounted to about £240 million at current prices in 1986.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance his Department issues on the criteria for decisions relating to planning permission for the siting of mobile homes.

Advice on the land-use planning criteria for the siting of mobile homes is contained in my Department's development control policy note 8, "Caravan sites". I will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the results of virological monitoring of bathing waters undertaken by four water authorities in 1986.

The results were placed in the Library by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning following his reply on 30 April 1986 to my hon. Friend the Member for Gillingham (Mr. Couchman) at column 186.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why his Department permits water authorities one bacteriological failure in 12 samples in a bathing season, whereas the EC directive 76/160/EEC allows only one failure in 20 ; whether the Department has notified the European Commission of this relaxation in interpretation of the directive; and if he will make a statement.

The bathing season in the United Kingdom runs from about mid-May until the end of September. If samples are taken at fortnightly intervals during this period, as the directive requires, about 12 will be obtained. Consequently, it is not possible to apply the 1 in 20 rule. We have therefore assessed compliance on the basis that where at least 12 samples have been taken and analysed, not more than one of them should fail. The Commission is aware of this interpretation. The monitoring of the quality of the bathing waters falling within the scope of the directive continued during 1987, on this basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the cost to the United Kingdom water industry of meeting the World Health Organisation guidelines for recreational water quality on all designated bathing beaches.

The basis for United Kingdom policy is the application of directive 76/160/EEC. Application of this directive is an obligation following from the Treaty of Rome, and we have not estimated the cost of applying other standards.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the likelihood of the European Community demanding tighter standards of bathing water quality that are currently required under directive 76/160/EEC; and what assessment he has made of the cost implications.

I am not aware of any proposal to change the requirements of directive 76/160/EEC.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will announce the appointment of the chairperson for the British Waterways Board.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment announced on 22 October the appointment of Mr. David Ingman as chairman of the British Waterways Board. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the press release.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice the Minister for Sport has given to football clubs regarding the precise legal authority which would enable stewards to require breathalyser tests from citizens attending football matches ; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer, 12 November 1987]: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to him on 3 November at column 660. I have given no advice about the use of breathalysers to football clubs. It is the responsibility of each club to decide the terms and conditions under which it will admit spectators to its premises and how its stewards should enforce them.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals have been made by the European Community Commission with regard to the establishment of a common sheep support scheme ; and if he will make a statement.

The Commission have made a number of proposals for reform of the Community's sheepmeat regime which was established in 1980. A copy of the proposals, in the Commission's document 8761/87/Add 3 was deposited before Parliament on 20 October. The Ministry's explanatory memorandum was considered by the Select Committee on European Legislation on 28 October when it was recommended for further consideration by this House.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals have been made by the European Community Commission with regard to the extension of the present milk quota system ; and if he will make a statement.

The Commission has proposed the extension of quotas at their effective level in 1988–89. The proposals are described in full in document 8761/87, which was deposited before Parliament on 20 October.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library details of (a) the precise location and (b) the geology of each of the sites for the monitoring of radioactivity conducted in Yorkshire during the weeks beginning 2 and 9 November.

Because it has not been practicable to monitor for radioactivity on all holdings in the relevant area of Yorkshire, it is not fair on occupiers to single out for publication those holdings that have been monitored. I will, therefore, identify sites to their general locality and I hope that this will be sufficient for the hon. Member. The details that the hon. Member requests for the last two weeks are still in the final stages of preparation, but I will place the detailed results in the Library of the House very shortly and let the hon. Member know when I have done so. In the meantime I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry) today which contains a general statement of results so far.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the results of his Department's further safety checks on lambs in the Skipton-Ilkley area.

Measurements of caesium levels in samples taken from the Skipton-Ilkley and Harrogate areas in November 1987
	Locations and numbers of samples	Range
	A. Vegetation
	1. Grass (including silage): Aldringham, Askwith (3), Bolton Abbey, Cracoe, Draughton, Harrogate, Silsden, Skipton, Skipton Moor (2), Thorlby (2) (14 samples in	Cs 134 <4–<14Bq/kg
	all)	Cs 137 <6–39 Bq/kg
	Total	Cs < 11–49 Bq/kg
	2. Heather: Barden Moor, Embsay Moor, Harrogate	Cs 134 < 15–120 Bq/kg
	(3), Ilkley Moor, Skipton, Threshfield (8 samples in all)	Cs 137 43–380 Bq/kg
	Total	Cs <58–599 Bq/kg
	3. Bilberries: Barden Moor, Harrogate (2 samples in	Cs 134 22–54 Bq/kg
	all)	Csl37 67–162 Bq/kg
	Total	Cs 89–216 Bq/kg
	B. Milk
	Askwith (2), Bolton Abbey, Embsay, Harrogate,	Cs 134 <3– <8 Bq/1
	Rylstone, Silsden (7 samples in all)	Cs 137 <4– <10Bq/1
	Total	Cs <7– <17Bq/1
	C. Lamb Meat
		Cs 134 <9–25
	Skipton (2) (2 samples in all)	Cs 137 <11–83
	Total	Cs <20–108
	D. Sheep (Live Monitoring)
	Addingham, Askwith (2), Clifton, Draughton, Farnley, Halton East, Malham Moor, Rylstone, Settle, Silsden (3), Skipton, Threshfield (2), (20 sheep or more from each of 16 flocks—363 animals in all)	0–442 Bq/kg

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what consideration he has given to the report entitled "Opening Doors" from the disablement advisory

[pursuant to his reply, 9 November 1987, c. 63]: Monitoring for radioactivity in the Skipton-Ilkley area is continuing. Given in the table are the results available so far. Further vegetation samples have been taken and results on those are awaited. Monitoring of live sheep is also continuing and there a re four teams currently operating in the area between Settle and Grassington, which includes the high ground of Penyghent, Fountains Fell and Darnbrook Fell. In addition to these results, the monitoring of a flock of breeding ewes grazing the moors above Grassington has shown a small number of sheep on which it would be desirable to seek confirmatory analysis of meat samples. This is in hand and the results will be announced as soon as possible.committee of the Banking Insurance and Finance Union, a copy of which has been sent to him; if there is any action he will be taking; and if he will make a statement.

We shall be considering the report in the context of our future plans for employment and training services to people with disabilities. Of particular relevance is our current initiative to promote more actively the employment of people with disabilities by large companies, including those in the finance industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any proposals for the ratification by the United Kingdom of International Labour Organisation convention No. 143 concerning migrations in abusive conditions and the promotion of equality of opportunity and treatment of migrant workers (1975).

There are no such proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what criteria are used to assess applications by YTS managing agents for approval as approved training organisations.

There are 10 criteria which managing agents must satisfy to achieve full approved training organization status:

• The ability to arrange a two-year training programme
• A good previous record in training
• Adequate resources
• Staff competent to undertake training
• Adequate premises and equipment
• Proper means of assessing trainees
• Effective means to review programmes
• A positive commitment to equal opportunities
• A positive commitment to health and safety
• Financial viability

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of applications by YTS managing agents for approval as approved training organisations has been given full approval in the current years (a) nationally, (b) in the Yorkshire and Humberside region and (c) in the south-east region ; and to what factors he attributes the different rates of approval in these areas.

During the period 1 November 1986–30 September 1987, the proportion of applications by YTS managing agents awarded fully approved training organisation status was: (a) 51 per cent. nationally, (b) 54 per cent. in the Yorkshire and Humberside region and (c) 42 per cent. in the south-east region.Decisions are made by the Manpower Services Commission regional directors. In reaching a decision they are required to take into account the evidence collected by the MSC about the ability of the applicant organisation to meet the criteria for approved training organisation status, comments on that evidence by the applicant organisation, and recommendations made by the appropriate area manager and area manpower board.Rates of approval by region are continually changing as new decisions are reached. The MSC intends that YTS managing agents in all regions shall have achieved fully approved status by April 1988.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people resident in Milford Haven are claiming unemployment benefit; and what percentage of the total labour force this represents.

I have been asked to reply. At 8 October 1987, there were 723 unemployed claimants in wards 6, 7 and 8 of the Preseli district (which have been used as an approximation for Milford Haven). Rates of unemployment are not calculated at this level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the youth training schemes provided at the latest available date, together with the number of places each is offering for Coventry, in the same form as the information provided in the answer of 14 May at column 317.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 November 1987]: I regret that there was an error in the original text. The correct version is as follows.A list of YTS providers at October 1987 in the Coventry Local Authority District and the number of places offered by each is shown in the table:

Provider	Places Offered
Alvis Ltd.	10
Atlas (Coventry and Warwickshire Awards Trust)1	33
Coventry Area Health Authority	33
Coventry Chamber of Commerce	320
Coventry City Council (clerical)	60
Coventry City Council (construction)	30
Coventry and District Co-operative Society	26
Coventry City Education Department	513
Coventry Rad Heat	14
Coventry Small Business Training Scheme	12
Courtaulds plc	26
Dunlop Ltd.	55
GEC Ltd.	90
Guy Associates	56
Hotel and Catering Training Board	52
Jaguar Cars Ltd.	28
JHP Training (Coventry)	72
Lloyds British Training Services Ltd.	98
Massey Ferguson Ltd.	24
MGTS Training Services Ltd.	268
Midland Link	126
National Association for the Care and Settlement of Offenders—Coventry	30
Rolls-Royce Ltd.	32
Peugeot Talbot pic	49
Tetra Incorporated	100
Wickman Bennet	6
Post Office	31
East Midlands Butchery	30
Total	2,224
1Some of these places will be provided in Warwickshire.

The following list shows providers whose schemes in Coventry and Warwickshire are administered by the Manpower Services Commission (MSC) large companies unit (LCU). It is not possible to separately identify schemes operating in Coventry.

Provider	Places Offered
Abbey National Building Society plc	1
Association of British Travel Agents	16
Association of Merchants in Trading	9
ARROW Training Associates	5
Austin Rover Group Ltd.	41
British Association of Profesional Hairdressing Employers	15
British Holiday Homes and Parks Association	3
British Home Stores plc	6