To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he has received any communication from the French Government indicating whether French binary chemical weapons will be stored outside France;(2) if he has had any communication from the United States Government indicating whether the production of United States binary chemical weapons is due to commence;(3) if he has had any communication from the French Government indicating whether the production of French binary chemical weapons has begun.

We have received no communication from either the United States or French Governments about the production or storage of French binary chemical weapons.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact on the production of new chemical weapons by the United States of America and France of current negotiations at Geneva.

We and all our NATO allies remain committed to a comprehensive and verifiable global ban on chemical weapons. There has been encouraging progress this year in the chemical weapons negotiations at the conference on disarmament in Geneva.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the plight of the Baha'i community in Iran; if he will make representations to the Government of Iran on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

The continued persecution of the Baha'i community in Iran remains a cause of grave concern to us.For the last five years we have co-sponsored the resolution on human rights in Iran at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR). These resolutions urged the Iranian Government to respect the human rights standards set out in the instruments to which they are a party. We will continue to raise the issue of the persecution of the Baha'is and other religious minorities in Iran at every suitable opportunity — bilaterally, in concert with our European partners and at the United Nations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he has had any recent communication with the French Government over the alleged sale of plutonium and enriched uranium from facilities in the European Economic Community on the black market in Khartoum;(2) if he has had any recent communications with the Belgian Government over the alleged sale of plutonium and enriched uranium from facilities in the European Economic Community on the black market in Khartoum;(3) if he has had any recent communication with the West German Government over the alleged sale of plutonium and enriched uranium from nuclear facilities in the European Economic Community on the black market in Khartoum.

This has been discussed in the course of regular official contacts with the French, Belgian and German Governments. These discussions have confirmed our view that there is no evidence to support the allegations that weapons grade nuclear material has been on sale on the black market in Khartoum or elsewhere.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what communication he has had with the Government of the Sudan about civil nuclear materials from European Economic Community countries allegedly illegally sold on the black market in Khartoum.

We have had no direct contact with the Government of Sudan on this matter. However, we understand that there have been contacts between the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Government of Sudan and that the International Atomic Energy Authority has no evidence to confirm the allegation of a black market in weapons grade nuclear material in Khartoum.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will seek to meet Colonel Gaddafi to discuss an improvement in relations between the United Kingdom and Libya.

No.

To ask the Prime Minister when she last made an official visit to Scotland; who were the principal persons she met; and what subjects were discussed.

I last made an official visit to Scotland in September 1987. I visited a number of establishments, including housing schemes, colleges, research institutes and companies in Glasgow, Edinburgh and elsewhere.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Hazelbury Bryan.

I have at present no plans to do so.

:To ask the Prime Minister when she next intends to visit Hackney.

I have at present no plans to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Gwynedd.

I have at present no plans to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 November.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 November.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 November.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 November.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 November.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 November.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 November.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty The Queen.

To ask the Prime Minister if the book "Web of Deception", written by Mr. Chapman Pincher, was vetted before publication.

The manuscript was shown to the Government by the publishers. The Government sought and obtained agreement to certain deletions. The Government also reminded the author's solicitors of the terms of the injunction against certain newspapers restraining publication of material from Mr. Peter Wright. The Government made it clear that they in no way authorised or approved publication of the book or confirmed its contents as true or accurate.

To ask the Prime Minister when the 1987 "Annual Review of Government Funded Research and Development" will be published.

The 1987 "Annual Review of Government Funded Research and Development", the fifth in the series, will be published through Her Majesty's Stationery Office on Wednesday 25 November. I am arranging for copies to be placed in the House of Commons Library. The annual review, which was introduced to give an overview of Government funded research and development, will inform the work of the strengthened central machinery for establishing science and technology priorities announced in the White Paper, "Civil Research and Development" (Cmnd. 185) in July 1987.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicles were clamped in central London in the first 12 months of the scheme; and if he will make a statement.

The Metropolitan police began wheelclamping on 16 May 1983. On 1 December 1986 they contracted out the physical work associated with wheelclamping. The table below shows the number of vehicles wheelclamped by the Metropolitan police in each year up to contracting out, and the number clamped since contracting out was introduced:

Vehicles wheelclamped
Period	Number
1983 (from 16 May)	26,808
1984	44,101
1985	34,810
1986 (up to 30 November)	26,028
1 December 1986 to 8 November 1987	107,709

The City of London police began wheelclamping on 20 October 1986. Between that date and 31 October 1987, 3,202 vehicles were wheelclamped.

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 as to the reasons why journalists identified by either a membership and press card issued by the National Union of Journalists or credentials issued by the Metropolitan police are being denied access to the Central Criminal Court during the hearing of the appeal in connection with the Birmingham pub bombings, despite the court not being full; and if he will make a statement.

Arrangements for the admission of journalists to the Central Criminal Court are made by the Commissioner of Police for the City of London in consultation with the court administrator. I understand from the commissioner that journalists who possess either press passes validated by the police or letters of authority from their editors are able to gain access to the Central Criminal Court.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the crime detection rate for each year since 1979 in the Leeds metropolitan district council area.

The statistics which are collected centrally on notifiable offences recorded and cleared up relate to entire police force areas, and are published in "Criminal Statistics England and Wales" (tables 2.18 and 2.19 of the issue for 1986, Cm. 233) copies of which are in the Library. The clear-up rate in West Yorkshire was 38 per cent. in 1986.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has undertaken any research or commissioned an outside body to do research on the civil defence implications of an attack made on civil nuclear power plants or reprocessing plants in the United Kingdom by terrorists or in wartime.

Plans exist for the security of these installations in peace and war.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there have been changes in the patterns of cautioning and sentencing for soliciting since 1982; and if he will make a statement.

The Criminal Justice Act 1982 removed imprisonment as a penalty for soliciting. Between 1982 and 1986, the total number proceeded against or cautioned remained much the same. A fall in the number of cautions from 7,900 in 1982 to 4,900 in 1986, was offset by an increase in the number of prosecutions from 6,100 to 9,400. In 1982, 190 offenders were sentenced to immediate imprisonment and 80 committed in default of payment of a fine. In 1986, 210 offenders were committed for fine default. The use of probation or supervision orders has fallen by 74 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of anxiety over the spread of AIDS and the Government's pronouncements, he proposes to ensure there is an ample supply of condoms in Her Majesty's prisons.

We have no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Thames Valley as to what firearms the late Michael Ryan possessed prior to obtaining a firearms certificate;(2) if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Thames Valley on all firearms or traces of firearms that were found near the home of the late Michael Ryan at Hungerford, on or after 19 August.

[holding answer 20 November 1987]: will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Thames Valley as to (a) the time that the first report of an armed offender in Hungerford on 19 August was received by the police, (b) the time that armed officers were called to the scene, (c) the location and activity of each of the groups of armed police at the time of the call, (d) the places from which armed police drew firearms prior to attending the scene, (e) the time of arrival of each police officer at the scene and the places to which they were deployed, (f) the time at which armed police officers from other forces were offered for use, and their deployment, (g) the time at which the late Michael Ryan is known to have ceased shooting at members of the public and (h) the time of arrival and deployment of unarmed police and the effect they had in containing the situation.

[holding answer 20 November 1987]: I understand that the chief constable of the Thames Valley police will be submitting a full report on the incident to his police authority meeting on 27 November, that it will answer most if not all of the questions raised by the hon. Member and that it will be made publicly available. I will ensure that copies are placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Thames Valley as to details of inquiries made by or on his behalf before a firearms certificate was issued to the late Michael Ryan.

[holding answer 20 November 1987]: I understand from the chief constable of the Thames Valley police that the inquiries carried out prior to the issue of the certificate were in accordance with normal police practice.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take action against the publishers of an alleged historical journal called "Holocaust News" under the Race Relations Act; and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.The publication has been examined by the Director of Public Prosecutions, and he has concluded that it does not, in his view, contravene the law.

To ask the Attorney-General why the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case against David Baveghens, who was subsequently convicted in a private prosecution; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 3 November 1987, c. 621]: The Director of Public Prosecutions has today issued the following statement:

"It is plain that the CPS can only prosecute on the basis of the evidence supplied by the police.

On 27th October, Donald Baveghens was found guilty at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court and remanded on bail until today. On 28th October, certain remarks attributed to the Police Federation and to the Chairman of its Metropolitan Police Branch were reported in the Press. I have refrained from responding whilst the matter has remained sub judice. I would now like to draw attention to the following facts.

On 20th February 1987, Baveghens appeared before Wimbledon Magistrates' Court, charged with a number of offences including assault occasioning actual bodily harm on PC Prescott, committed on 12th February.

The papers that were subsequently submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service included a statement from PC Prescott, dated 14th March. The evidence contained in that statement was not sufficient to support the charge of assault that had been preferred. The senior representative of the CPS dealing with the matter spoke on a number of occasions to the Police, pointing out the defects in the evidence. Following an indication that Baveghens intended to contest the charge of assault, a written memorandum was sent to the Police on the 14th April, indicating the weaknesses in the evidence that was then available and stating in terms that if no further evidence was forthcoming, the charge would be withdrawn on 21st April when the defendant was next due to appear before the court.

The following day, 15th April, a senior police officer attended the CPS offices and discussed the matter in detail with the CPS representative. Again, the defects in the evidence were pointed out.

By the 21st April, no further evidence had been supplied to the CPS and the charge was accordingly withdrawn.

Thereafter, PC Prescott commenced a private prosecution, by a summons issued on 15th May. On 18th May the CPS was provided with a copy of a further fuller statement from PC Prescott. This statement was dated 21st April, the day on which the charge had been withdrawn.

The CPS utterly condemns any assault on a police officer particularly where injury is caused, and is determined to take the appropriate action in any such case. To suggest that the CPS pursues a policy of not prosecuting in such cases is wholly without foundation but this case illustrates vividly how vital it is that the CPS be furnished in proper time with the evidence that is required to support criminal proceedings."

I have considered the circumstances of this case carefully. I am satisfied that, despite repeated requests, the evidence made available by the police to the Crown Prosecution Service on 21 April was not sufficient to support the charge preferred, and that the decision to withdraw it was correct.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the total wage bill for the electricity supply industry for each year since 1975.

Total staff costs of the electricity supply industry in England and Wales in each year since 1975–76 were as follows:

	£ million
1975–76	670·4
1976–77	728·9
1977–78	777·7
1978–79	931·8
1979–80	1,125·0
1980–81	1,420·8
1981–82	1,616·4
1982–83	1,642·5
1983–84	1,726·2
1984–85	1,754·5
1985–86	1,842·5
1986–87	1,958·7

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what are the financial obligations of the Central Electricity Generating Board arising from the 1975 White Paper; and what additional non-statutory financial obligations have been placed on the board since that date.

The policy set out in the 1978 White Paper on nationalised industries was that industries should be set financial targets supplemented by a cash limit on external financing requirements for the current financial year and the publication of key performance indicators. In relation to future performance, industries should publish suitable performance aims. The current financial target set for the CEGB is an average return of 2·7 per cent. on average net assets (calculated on a current cost basis) for the three years ending 31 March 1988. The CEGB contributes to the performance aim and external financing repayment which are agreed with the ESI for the industry as a whole.No additional non-statutory financial obligations have been placed on the CEGB.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what discussions he has had about contingency plans in the event of an accident from a nuclear power station with elected representatives of local authority associations; when they took place; and if he will make a statement.

My officials have held extensive consultations with local authority officials and members of the emergency services, as part of the review of nuclear emergency planning announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 18 December, at columns 612–13 and 30 June, at columns 65–67. My right hon. Friend Lord Belstead met elected representatives of the local authority associations on 22 September to discuss the arrangements for the establishment of a national monitoring network to cater for the consequences of a nuclear accident occuring either overseas or within the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to reduce the detour for traffic using the M62 between south Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.

A study has just been completed into the feasibility of providing a new link road from the M1 south of Wakefield to the M62 east of Huddersfield. We are at present considering the results.It is too early to predict the outcome. If we can identify an economically viable scheme it will be considered for inclusion in the next review of the national roads programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will take steps to link garages licensed to administer the MOT test to the driver and vehicle licensing centre at Swansea;(2) if he will amend the conditions attached to MOT certificates so that they

MOT certificates already show mileage. A certificate must be produced to obtain a vehicle excise licence at each subsequent licensing after a test has first become due. Licences are displayed on vehicles. I shall consider my hon. Friend's suggestions in the context of my discussions next month with my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Corporate and Consumer Affairs, the Director General of Fair Trading and others.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to seek to reduce mileage clocking fraud.

Mileage clocking fraud is a long-standing problem. There is no easy solution. It is one of a number of problems in the motor trade which I will be discussing next month with my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Corporate and Consumer Affairs, The Director General of Fair Trading and others.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what sums have been paid in the last two years by his Department to the Commissioners for Irish Lights to assist them in meeting redundancy payments.

The commissioners' costs are met not by my Department, but by the General Lighthouse Fund, with my right hon. Friend's consent. No payments in respect of redundancy were made in 1985–86 or 1986–87, but IR £59,270 have been paid in the current financial year so far.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when an announcement can be expected as to whether Staffordshire county council's application for transport supplementary grant for the Uttoxeter bypass, due to start construction in the financial year 1990–91, has been successful.

We hope to announce details of the 1988–89 transport supplementary grant settlement shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether, following the publication of his decision on the proposed M1-A1 link, he now proposes to fund a study into the implications of the M1-A1 link for traffic in east and central Leeds; and if he will make a statement.

The Department's recent study of the traffic problems on the road network to the east of Leeds has provided us with the information that we need to formulate proposals for future truck road schemes in that area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library (a) the original

Dock labour scheme ports profit and loss—1970–85
	1970 £	1975 £	1980 £	1985 £
Port of London Authority	-1,994,000	-8,381,000	-12,508,000	-1,566,000
Port of Bristol Authority	-349,000	-114,000	-7,640,000	-4,030,000
Medway Ports Authority 3	+ 11,000	+ 264,000	+ 20,000	+ 2,457,000

No. this is a matter of commerical confidentiality between London Regional Transport and GEC/Mowlem.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much profit has been made on the operation of the docklands light railway to date; and on what it has been spent.

The docklands light railway is forecast to make a small operating loss in this its first year of operation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are his proposals for the strengthening of older bridges.

The comprehensive programme for the rehabilitation of bridges on motorways and all-purpose trunk roads will include the assessment and strengthening of older bridges to ensure that they can safely carry modern heavy lorries for the foreseeable future. We repeat the assurances previously given that unless Parliament so decides there will be no increase in the maximum weight of lorries allowed into this country. We could not do this in any case until our roads and bridges could carry the loads. We are proposing a 15-year programme and the most cost effective way of proceeding is to provide for strengthening to cope with lorries up to the EC weight limits of 40 tonnes overall weight and 11·5 tonne axle weights rather than the 38 tonne and 10·5 tonnes, our present limits, which should have no more than a marginal effect on the rehabilitation programme.We shall be holding discussions with owners of bridges off the national road system to follow up their comments on the results of the bridge census and sample survey which was published in the spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the profit or loss incurred by the dock labour scheme in each port where it is in operation for each year since its inception.

[holding answer 9 November 1987]: I have been asked to reply.Full information of the type requested is not available without a disproportionate use of time and effort. I have given figures for five of the major ports in the country for selected years since 1970. These are all statutory harbour authorities falling within the scope of the dock labour scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many maintained secondary schools in each local education authority area in Wales teach Latin;(2) how many maintained secondary schools in each local education authority area in Wales teach classical studies.

Figures are not available in the form requested. Information obtained from the 1984 secondary school staffing survey, however, indicates that the following numbers of maintained secondary schools taught a classical language and/or classical studies respectively:

	Classical languages	Classical studies
Clwyd	4	1
Dyfed	15	7
Gwent	21	9
Gwynedd	9	8
Mid Glamorgan	17	8
Powys	5	2
South Glamorgan	9	4
West Glamorgan	13	6

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if, pursuant to his reply of 2 November, at columns 521–3, regarding households gaining and losing with full replacement of domestic rates by the community charge, he will give figures of the estimated amount of money gained by gainers and lost by losers.

It is estimated that both gains and losses from the full introduction of the community charge would each amount to £42 million, net of rebates.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what level of community charge would need to be levied in each district of Wales to produce the equivalent revenue to that currently raised by rates.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the estimates of "Community charges including safety net" contained in my answer to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett) on 24 July at columns 643–44.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what was the capital allocation for expenditure on schools in 1987–88 made by his Department to each local education authority in Wales;(2) what was the bid made by each Welsh local education authority to his Department for a capital allocation for expenditure on schools for 1987–88.

Under the system introduced in 1985–86, local authorities receive a formula-based capital allocation covering most of their services, including education. They no longer make bids for these services, nor are individual service elements of the allocation identifiable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what guidance his Department has offered to local planning authorities on when they may consider the Welsh language as a factor in decisions relating to planning permission;(2) to what extent, in deciding on appeals against decisions of local planning authorities, he considers the Welsh language as a factor relating to his decisions.

No formal guidance has been given but local planning authorities are aware that it is a requirement on them when considering planning applications and on my right hon. Friend and his inspectors in considering planning appeals that they have regard to all material considerations. Policies which relate to the character and way of life of a community, including the needs and interests of the Welsh language, may properly be among those considerations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether any of the appeals which he has allowed against local planning authorities decisions to refuse planning permission involved decisions which had originally included the needs and interests of the Welsh language amongst the provisions of considerations material to the decision; and if he will make a statement.

This information could not be made available except at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will make it his policy to require local planning authorities to include the needs and interests of the Welsh language within the provisions of their development plans and local plans.

The protection of the character and way of life of communities is a proper aim of statutory planning, and language can be a component of that aim. My right hon. Friend has already advised local planning authorities that, in preparing both structure and local plans, authorities will wish to consider the relationship of planning policies and proposals to social needs and problems, including their likely impact on different groups in the population.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total expenditure on regional aid to industry in Wales, in each differing category of aid and in each financial year since 1978–79 both at current and outturn prices.

£ million
		Outturn Prices			Constant 1986–87 Prices
		RSA	RDG	Total	RSA	RDG	Total
	1978–79	30·3	71·5	101·8	59·0	139·1	198·1
	1979–80	18·8	50·7	69·5	31·3	84·4	115·7
	1980–81	10·7	103·5	114·2	15·0	145·3	160·3
	1981–82	9·2	122·2	131·4	11·8	156·3	168·1
	1982–83	15·5	121·5	137·0	18·5	144·9	163·4
	1983–84	18·2	72·1	90·3	20·7	82·2	102·9
	1984–85	25·1	92·7	117·8	27·4	101·2	128·6
	1985–86	28·0	84·4	112·4	28·8	86·9	115·7
	1986–87	35·6	88·7	124·3	35·6	88·7	124·3

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will arrange for copies of all responses to the consultation documents on grant maintained schools, admission of pupils to maintained schools and financial delegation to schools to be deposited in the Library.

I am arranging for copies of the responses from organisations to these consultation documents to be deposited in the Library of the House as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to visit the Welsh plant breeding farm at Gogerddan during the next six months; and if he will make a statement.

I hope to visit the Welsh plant breeding station at Gogerddan and the experimental husbandry farm at Trawsgoed in the near future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many companies have notified him of redundancies in Wales since June 1979; and what is the total number of jobs lost.

[holding answer 23 November 1987]: Information on the number of companies notifying redundancies is not collected centrally.There were 52,413 redundancies notified to the Manpower Services Commission between June 1979 and December 1980. Since the latter date, when the basis for collecting the figures changed, notifications have been as shown in the following table:

	Number
1981	36,432
1982	24,647
1983	16,041
1984	11,441
1985	15,027
1986	11,357
11987	3,259
Total	118,204
1 to September.

Expenditure on regional selective assistance, and regional development grants, for the financial years 1978–79 to 1986–87 at outturn and constant prices is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how the stockpile of coal donated to help those who suffered flood damage in Northern Ireland on 21 and 22 October will be distributed; to whom; and to what areas.

[holding answer 23 November 1987]: The stockpile of coal, so generously donated by British Coal, has now all been distributed to each household directly affected by the flooding within the Omagh urban and the Strabane district council areas. The coal was distributed by three voluntary organisations — the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Age Concern and the British Red Cross —and the work was co-ordinated jointly by the Western Health and Social Services Board and the Omagh and Strabane district councils.

To ask the Lord Privy Seal whether he will take steps to ensure that all research assistants employed by hon. Members register any research work or thesis preparation which they are pursuing alongside their duties to hon. Members, on behalf of or in pursuit of, their studies at an educational establishment or university.

My right hon. Friend will be aware that the resolution of the House of 17 December 1985 in respect of research assistants required the registration of only "any relevant gainful occupation". Any extension of this requirement would need to be considered by the Select Committee on Members' Interests and agreed to by the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the total number of children receiving free school meals in each year since 1983; and if he will estimate the number of children receiving free school meals after the Social Security Act is implemented.

The information requested on the take-up of free shcool meals in England since 1983 is available in the "Annual School Meals Census", reports on which are available in the Library. Information was not collected in 1985 because of the teachers' dispute.The estimated number of children in England expected to receive free meals on implementation of the Social Security Act 1986, when it comes into force in April 1988, is about 800,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many micro-computers are estimated to be in (a) schools and (b) prisons for prison education purposes; at what cost to his Deprtment; and if he will make a statement.

There are some 112,000 micro-computers in educational use in maintained primary, middle and secondary schools in England. These have been funded from a variety of sources; there have been no direct costs to this Department. In 1988–89 the Department will make grants in support of £8·5 million of expenditure by LEAs on micro-computer systems for use in schools.Education in prisons is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidelines his Department issues in regard to the making of statements under section 7 of the Education Act 1981.

Guidance on the making of statements of special educational need is contained in DES circular 1/83, which contains advice on aspects of the Education Act 1981 and on the Education (Special Educational Needs) Regulations 1983.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide local education authorities with a summary of the reasons why his Department has given £326,000 for research that will evaluate conductive education.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so. The Department is providing the grant in the hope that the research will provide a clear understanding of the effectiveness of conductive education, as well as monitoring how well it transposes from Hungary to the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many local education authorities have approached him for advice on the value of conductive education; and what was his response.

My right hon. Friend has no record of any such approach from a local education authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has given local education authorities about conductive education.

None. I shall keep in mind the need for guidance to be given to local education authorities, although it may be necessary to await the outcome of Birmingham university's research evaluation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he has gained from Her Majesty's inspectors of education regarding the value of conductive education; and what information he has as to whether any of the inspectors giving advice had invited the Peto Institute in Hungary.

It is not the practice to publish the advice given by Her Majesty's inspectorate to my right hon. Friend on particular issues; no member of the inspectorate has visited the Peto institute.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will request those external to his Department who have advised him on the value of conductive education to inform the Foundation for Conductive Education of their ideas;(2) which people or organisations, external to his Department, have provided him with advice about the value of conductive education; and if he will indicate in each case what information he has as to whether the source of the advice had visited the Peto institute in Budapest.

My right hon. Friend has not sought advice from any sources outside central Government. Several people have written to the Department in support of conductive education, including some who have visited the Peto institute.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to ensure that the Birmingham project providing conductive education on an experimental basis will have the resources which, in preparation to the number of children involved, will match those provided by the Hungarian Government for conductive education in Hungary, so that the success of the method in Britain relative to Hungary may be effectively researched.

My right hon. Friend is providing £326,000 to enable Birmingham university to carry out a research evaluation of the Birmingham project; it would not be appropriate for the Department to be involved both in the experimental project and in its evaluation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department will call a one-day conference for experts and interested observers, for the purpose of presenting research papers and discussing the value of conductive education.

Not at present. Such a conference might be of value when some conclusions are available from the National Foundation's conductive education project in Birmingham, and from the evaluation which the University of Birmingham is undertaking.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to amend the arrangements and criteria for the approval of courses of initial teacher training set out in his Department's circular 3/84.

Courses of initial teacher training are currently being reviewed against the published criteria by the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. With the agreement of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland and for Wales I have recently extended the term of appointment of the members of the council to the end of 1989. I am grateful to the chairman and members of the council for their work to date and for agreeing to continue to serve.I intend before the end of the lifetime of the present council to review the criteria for the approval of courses set out in circular 3/84 in the light of the council's experience and advice, and to consider also what should be the future arrangements for the review and approval of courses of initial teacher training. I shall initiate consultations for these purposes at the appropriate time.In the meantime, however, I am concerned that the criteria should present no barrier to the widest possible recruitment of suitable candidates to initial training. In this context, the requirement that at least 75 per cent. of the students entering any course of initial teacher training should possess the normal academic qualifications for entry to a degree course — defined in circular 3/84 in terms of A-levels or the equivalent — may not take sufficient account of the variety of routes to higher education that are now generally recognised, including in particular the greater use of vocational qualifications and the development of "access" courses, to which the White Paper "Higher Education: Meeting the Challenge" (Cm.114) drew attention earlier this year. I am, therefore, telling the council that pending the general review of the criteria referred to above I shall be prepared to consider recommendations from it for the approval of courses of initial teacher training that do not comply with the requirement described above, where the council is satisfied that the course in question is nevertheless of the high quality required. I shall then take account of the experience of such cases when I review the criteria.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state in relation to his Department's establishment at Burghfield, Berkshire (a) its purpose, (b) its Ordnance Survey map reference, (c) the number of people employed, and (d) the safety arrangements in operation for the protection of both workers and people living around it.

The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Burghfield is involved in the British nuclear weapons procurement programme. Its Ordnance Survey reference is SU675680. For reasons of national security, it is not our policy to disclose either the number of staff employed at the site or the safety arrangements in operation. I can, however, assure the hon. Gentleman that rigorous health and safety arrangements exist to protect both employees at the establishment and members of the public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he intends to institute changes in working practices at AWE Aldermaston and AWE Burghfield as a result of the National Radiological Protection Board report "Interim Guidance on the Implications of Recent Revisions of Risk Estimates"; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 23 October 1987]: Prudent management in the design of facilities and in the formulation of operating procedures at AWE Aldermaston and AWE Burghfield means that the National Radiological Protection Board interim guidance is met already.Consequently, although safety policy is the subject of continuous review, on this occasion no immediate changes in working practices are planned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defenee what is the average amount of time that submariners spend at sea each year.

[holding answer 20 October 1987]: When serving in an operational submarine a man spends on average five and a half months of the year at sea.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the Overseas Development Administration budget in 1986–87 was attributable to expenditure on the Falklands.

The proportion of the gross aid programme in 1986–87 attributable to expenditure to the Falkland Islands was 0·8 per cent. The gross aid programme includes aid to countries and national and international institutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of his aid budget is currently used to help Third world countries diversify their agriculture away from sugar production.

Aid statistics are not collated on a basis which would enable aid for diversification from sugar, in particular, to be identified. Bilateral project aid for the natural resources sector as a whole has increased by 75 per cent. over the last five years. This is designed to enhance production on the basis of developing countries' comparative advantage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to obtain the agreement of the other member states of the EEC to convert past aid loans from the European development fund to the poorest countries into grants.

Aid from the European development fund to the poorest countries has been provided almost wholly in the form of grants, not loans. Conversion into grants would not therefore be helpful to these countries. However, the EC Development Council agreed on 9 November 1987 that over the next two years receipts of interest and capital up to a level of 60 million ecu (about £42 million) on past EDF loans that would otherwise have been credited to the member states will instead be provided as grants to the poorest and most indebted countries in sub-Saharan Africa which are pursuing appropriate economic adjustment policies. The Council also agreed that other EDF funds should be provided for the same purpose.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he last met the chairman of the British Tourist Authority, and what subjects were discussed.

I last met the chairman of the British Tourist Authority on 22 July. My hon. Friend the Minister with responsibility for Tourism last me him in this capacity on 9 September. Similar topics were discussed on both occasions. I stressed the Government's commitment to the tourism industry and listened with interest to the views of both the chairman and the board of the authority on the problems and opportunities facing the industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many entrants to the community programme since 1 October have been (a) unemployed for 12 months or more, (b) unemployed for two years or more, (c) under 25 years, (d) aged 25 to 50 years and (e) over 50 years.

Information on the characteristics of entrants to the community programme since 1 October 1987 is not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information is available on the number and proportion of disabled workers employed by individual firms.

Information supplied by individual firms about the number and proportion of registered disabled

Annual totals, excluding school leavers1
Region	1983	1984	1985	1986
In flows
South East	634,546	635,853	674,570	692,317
East Anglia	125,588	127,015	141,939	145,911
London	550,735	541,299	574,091	609,798
South West	307,308	314,363	338,656	357,829
West Midlands	370,857	363,032	380,565	390,060
East Midlands	268,441	270,971	281,993	289,841
Yorkshire and Humberside	363,805	369,004	398,458	407,823
North West	525,833	512,717	530,897	544,677
Northern	266,560	269,562	277,660	282,390
Wales	212,473	214,059	229,187	234,531
Scotland	443,402	448,560	470,041	490,495
Great Britain	4,069,548	4,066,435	4,298,057	4,445,672

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how the proposed changes to the community programme will allow disabled people to gain maximum benefit from the opportunities which the community programme offers.

Project-based provision will be included within the new training programme for unemployed adults announced on 18 November. The Manpower Services Commission has been asked to provide detailed proposals for the programme's operation and this should include proposals for disabled people.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details of the average weekly net pay for workers employed in sheltered workshops, and the average weekly net pay for workers employed on the sheltered placement scheme.

Comprehensive statistical information is not available. A sample survey of wages paid in April 1986 suggested that the average net weekly pay of people with severe disabilities employed in sheltered workshops was £67, and £62 for those employed under the sheltered placement schemes.

To Employment how many registered as unemployed.

There were 21,429 unemployed registered Britain registered for employment at jobcentres on 2 October 1987. The number of registered disabled people who are unemployed claimants at unemployment benefit offices is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will set out the annual flows (a) on to and (b) off the unemployment register (excluding school leavers) in each calendar year since 1980; and if he will also give these figures for each standard region of Britain.

Following is the available information. The table shows for each region of Great Britain the annual flows in to and out of the unemployed count, excluding school leavers, for each year since 1983. This information is based on the count of unemployed claimants and is available only from October 1982.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will seek powers to instigate a programme of positive discrimination to increase the number of women holding the position of chief librarian.

No. Employers in the library service, as in other areas of employment, are bound by the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 to afford equal opportunities to women and men. If women take advantage of the opportunities available to them there is no reason why more should not progress to hold the post of chief librarian, when such posts fall vacant.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will establish guidelines to ensure equal opportunities for women as chief librarians.

No. The Sex Discrimination and Equal Pay Acts already provide a comprehensive legislative framework for the elimination of sex descrimination and the promotion of equal opportunities, including in the employment field. If any woman feels that she has been unlawfully discriminated against, she has the right to seek redress by making a complaint to an industrial tribunal.The Government commend to all employers, including those in the library service, the sensible practical advice contained in the Equal Opportunities Commission's code of practice on employment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to monitor the workings of the Equal Opportunities Act to ensure that there is a positive attempt to equate the sexes in the library services.

Sex discrimination in employment is unlawful under the Sex Discrimination and Equal Pay Acts. The Government already monitor the general working of these Acts. In addition, the Equal Opportunities Commission has a statutory responsibility for advising the Government on the working of the Acts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has on the number of hotel rooms which have been lost to the tourist industry by their use as housing for homeless persons; and if he will make a statement.

No statistics are available on the number of hotel rooms which have ceased to accommodate tourists. The London tourist board has, however, drawn my attention to the problems experienced by tourists in finding suitable accommodation in London in the budget price range. The board has also expressed concern about the number of hotel rooms being occupied by homeless families.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has on the revenue lost to the tourist industry as a result of hotel rooms being used to house homeless persons.

I have no information on what revenue could have been lost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details regarding the new benefit premium scheme to be introduced for community programme workers; and which benefits will be taken into consideration.

The community programme and other adult training programmes are being brought into a new training programme for long-term unemployed people. The Manpower Services Commission has been asked for detailed proposals for the programme's operation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to monitor how many unemployed people undergoing a restart interview thereby secure full-time employment.

[holding answer 23 November 1987]: The aim of the restart interview is to help unemployed people into employment by selecting the best way open to them from a wide range of employment, and job search opportunities available.It is not possible to say how many of those people interviewed ultimately find full-time jobs, since we do not follow up every participant.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to put before the House the order relating to limiting the ecclesiastical exemption from listed building controls.

Work is in hand on drafting an order following agreements reached with Church bodies last year during the passage of the Housing and Planning Act 1986. Some further consultation on the details may be necessary before the order can be laid.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any proposals for amending legislation on agricultural tenancies.

Our proposals on agricultural tenancies are contained in the Housing Bill which received its First Reading on 19 November. The Bill provides that future tenancies granted to agricultural workers would generally be assured agricultural occupancies on terms similar to other new-style assured tenancies, and with similar statutory protection. The grounds for possession from an assured agricultural occupant would be broadly the same as those for an assured tenant. In addition, where a farmer wished to regain possession of his property from an assured agricultural occupant to house an incoming worker, the services of the Agricultural Dwelling House Advisory Committee could be used. Existing tenants whose tenancies are governed by the Rent (Agriculture) Act 1976 will continue to enjoy the protection of that Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he has sent to the national campaign for the homeless in relation to its representations to him about rental purchase tenure in the north of England.

I have arranged for copies of the response to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many Sports Council facilities have been taken over by charitable trusts in the last 12 months.

One. The sale of the national sailing centre at Cowes to the Lister Charitable Trust was completed recently, following the Sports Councils review of the management of the national sports centres. The trust now operates a sailing school at the centre.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list those purposes for which rateable values of domestic property are used other than for raising revenue.

As part of the preparation for the forthcoming rate reform legislation, a large number of statutory references to rateable value have been identified which are not primarily related to local government finance. It is intended to provide for the amendment of those provisions either in the forthcoming legislation or other appropriate legislation. If my right hon. Friend has a particular concern, perhaps he would write to me.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce his decision on the rating of stud farms; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend hopes to announce his decision shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to appoint an inspector in respect of the East Deane local plan.

The Secretary of State for the Environment has now appointed an inspector to hold a public local inquiry into the East Deane local plan. The inquiry will open at 10 am on Wednesday 3 February 1988 at the principal committee room, Deane house, Belvedere road, Taunton.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has received any representations from the Exmoor Society, the Open Spaces Society, or any other bodies connected with the environment, planning or farming, regarding the planning laws on applications to cultivate areas of moorland within national park boundaries.

Conversion of moorland for agricultural purposes is not normally subject to planning control but various bodies have responded to the Governments consultative proposals for landscape conservation orders.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, as part of his Departments policy on the diversification of land uses, he has given or expects to give guidance to planning authorities regarding their response to applications to cultivate moorland within national park boundaries.

I shall write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to end the practice whereby councillors disbarred from holding public office as councillors are permitted to hold office as members of valuation panels and to hear rating appeals.

This is one of the issues that we shall be considering, in consultation with interested bodies, in framing the regulations governing the proposed valuation and community charge tribunals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the average poll tax bill in England and Wales that is likely to be faced by a young single person with an annual income of £2,500.

Without comprehensive knowledge of the person's circumstances which would govern their entitlement to rebate, it is not possible to say.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his reply of 12 November, Official Report, column 190, he will seek the permission of organisations which gave written support to the introduction of the poll tax to list their names and addresses.

No. The names of the organisations that responded to the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714) are listed in the summary placed in the Library on 15 December 1986, should the hon. Member wish to approach them directly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many persons were (a) in local authority funded bed-and-breakfast accommodation and (b) on local authority waiting lists for housing in each of the districts in Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, on 31 March 1983, 1985 and 1987.

Local authorities report the numbers of households that they have temporarily placed in bed-and-breakfast accommodation under the homeless provisions of the Housing Acts: most of these households will have at least part of their costs met either by the authorities or by the Department of Health and Social Security. Figures for the end of June 1983, March 1985 and March 1987 appear in table 9 in issues No. 68, 75 and 82, respectively, of "Local Housing Statistics", which are available in the Library.The numbers of households on the housing waiting list at 1 April were reported in local authorities' housing investment programme returns and the figures appear in column B51 of the "HIP 1 (1987) All items print": the figures for April 1985 can be derived from the numbers at April 1986 and the changes since 1985 which appear in columns B51 and B53 of the "HIP 1 (1986) All items print": both these documents are available in the Library. Information for earlier years was not collected centrally.