To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many special places are available for autistic children at (i) primary and (ii) secondary level, by region;(2) what is the total number of autistic children in maintained schools in England.

The information is not available. Since 1983 neither special schools nor the pupils in them have been classified in accordance with categories of handicap.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what provision in (i) spend, and (ii) additional places, was made for schools for the autistic in the capital allowances for local education authorities for 1988–89.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave on 18 December 1987 to my hon. Friend the Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry) setting out the allocations in respect of prescribed expenditure made to local education authorities for 1988–89. Allocations are unhypothecated and it is up to each authority to decide how to use the resources available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will increase Government grants to research councils to allow them to upgrade grants paid to postgraduate students sufficiently to compensate for liability for the community c harge when this is introduced in 1989 and 1990.

This is one of the factors that will be considered when the science budget is reviewed during the course of the 1988 public expenditure survey.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent discussions his Department has had with the Natural Environment Research Council regarding the survey of common seals on the west coast of Scotland and the islands of Scotland in relation to the growth of numbers of salmonid fish farms; and if he will make a statement.

None. The Natural Environment Research Council, through its responsibilities under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, provides my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Home Department and Scotland with estimates of seal populations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many students from England to whom covenants are made and who are also entitled, after means testing, to a full university or further education award, currently have a deduction made from their awards relative to the amount of the covenant;(2) how many students from Wales to whom covenants are made and who are also entitled, after means testing, to a full university or further education award, currently have a deduction made from their awards relative to the amount of the covenant.

The information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what funding is given to the study of the psychology of the interface between computers and human operators with a view to redesigning computers; and what representations he has received from the Science and Engineering Research Council and Natural Environmental Research Council on this topic.

[pursuant to his reply,18 January 1988, c. 461]: I regret that an error was included in my answer. The £11·5 million spent on collaborative research into studies of the interface between computers and human operators referred to the total under the Alvey programme, and not solely to expenditure by the Science and Engineering Research Council as my answer implied.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to ensure that no change which discriminates against those mountain sheep which do not normally bring lambs until they are two years old is made in the definition of those sheep which are eligible for premium payments under the proposals of the European Community for a single market by 1992; and if he will make a statement.

The redefinition of an eligible ewe for the sheep annual premium scheme is one of a number of proposals which the Commission has put forward in its review of the sheepmeat regime. However, details of administrative and control procedures, which are important considerations in assessing whether a new definition would be beneficial or workable, are still awaited. Accordingly, no detailed assessment can yet be made of the Commission's proposal.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the relative ranking of Hinkley Point A as a polluter of the aquatic environment by the standards of European nuclear power stations; what proposals he has substantially to reduce this pollution; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the ninth annual report on the activities of the Paris Commission from June 1986 to June 1987. I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will widen the remit of the Countryside Commission in disbursing grant for replanting trees following the October 1987 hurricane to include the clearance of fallen trees, remedial survey to damaged standing trees, assistance with timber marketing and surveys of overall damage to trees; and if he will make a statement;(2) what representations he has received about the desirability of dedicating a substantial proportion of the grant, to be administered by the Countryside Commission, towards the cost of a tree-planting programme following the October 1987 hurricane, to remedial tree surgery, a damage survey, public information and future planting; and if he will make a statement;(3) what representations he has received about the necessity for grants towards the cost of clearance and disposal of fallen timber prior to tree planting following the October 1987 hurricane; and if he will make a statement.

We are carefully considering the need for a programme of assistance in the long term, and we shall take into account various representations which have been received about the scope and nature of the assistance required.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate his Department made of the cost per acre of clearing and disposing of fallen timber prior to allocating a grant of £2·7 million to be administered by the Countryside Commission towards the cost of a tree-planting programme following the October 1987 hurricane.

The purpose in making assistance immediately available through the Countryside Commission for tree planting was to assist in replacing the maximum practicable number of trees during the current planting season. The general principle is that clearance is the responsibility of the individual owner and the costs of clearing and disposing of fallen timber were not therefore directly relevant.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much the Countryside Commission has provided for tree planting in each county since the October 1987 hurricane; and if he will make a statement.

The Countryside Commission has allocated the following sums for tree planting to the counties affected by the storm of 16 October:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the London Docklands development corporation has any plans for affordable rented accommodation to attract teachers to docklands.

LDDC is currently considering whether certain categories of employee, including teachers, should receive priority in the allocation of rented homes built on corporation sites.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much the London Docklands development corporation has spent on advertising in each year of its existence.

Details of the corporation's expenditure on promotion and publicity are given in its annual reports and accounts, copies of which are placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the cost of housing homeless families in (a) Vale Royal and (b) Chester in each of the last five years.

Information on the cost to individual authorities of accommodating homeless households other than in council dwellings is included in the series of annual publications by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy "Homelessness Statistics, Actuals". Copies are in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average weekly cost to local authorities of keeping a person in bed-and-breakfast accommodation.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 21 January, at column 826.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with the leader of Wandsworth council on the number of empty council properties in the borough, in the light of the numbers on the housing waiting list or living in bed-and-breakfast accommodation.

Neither my right hon. Friend nor I have had any such discussions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people were in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in each of the 32 London boroughs on 31 October 1987.

Information is available in the publication "Local authorities' action under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act: England. Results for third quarter 1987. Supplementary tables", which is in the Library. It contains for each authority responding the number of households in bed-and-breakfast accommodation at the end of September 1987. The information is available only for the last day of each quarter.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many miles of hedgerow have been lost in Staffordshire through changing agricultural practices; and whether he has any plans to enable local authorities to introduce statutory controls to be applied to the removal of hedgerows.

The surveys so far completed have not provided information at the county level. On the national position, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Ceredigion and Pembroke, North (Mr. Howells) on 13 January, at column 271.It would be inappropriate to impose statutory controls on the removal of hedgerows. They need regular management, so the emphasis on conserving them must be on enlisting the voluntary co-operation of farmers and landowners. Grants are available from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Countryside Commission or the Nature Conservancy Council, depending on the circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with Football League clubs about their membership schemes.

Most league clubs have now either achieved the initial target of 50 per cent. coverage for their membership schemes agreed between the Government and the football authorities or have been advised by their local police that the present configuration of their grounds would make it dangerous for them to go beyond the level they have already reached. The president of the Football League and I will be holding meetings with the six clubs which have not done so on 4 February and 21 March. They are Wimbledon, Fulham, Southampton, Barnsley, Wrexham and Darlington.Since my last meeting with the Football League on this subject, three further clubs, Chelsea, Scarborough and Tranmere, have received clear advice from their local police forces against extending their membership schemes. The league and the Association of Chief Police Officers have agreed with me that these clubs should not be invited to our meetings.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to lay before Parliament the 1986–87 annual report and statement of accounts of the London Residuary Body; and if he will make a statement.

The 1986–87 "Annual Report and Statement of Accounts of the London Residuary Body" were laid before Parliament today. A copy of the Secretary of State's direction under section 78(2) of the Local Government Act 1985 as to the content and structure of the accounts has been placed in the Library of the House.The LRB's report shows good progress by the board members and staff in discharging the functions inherited from the Greater London council at abolition. It complements the equally encouraging 1986–87 annual report and accounts of the six metropolitan residuary bodies which were published on 25 November 1987.During the first year after abolition the LRB reduced its staff numbers by 468. These totals will continue to fall as the LRB's functions are discharged or transferred to successor bodies.LRB's progress in identifying and disposing of a mass of surplus land and property accumulated by the GLC has already been substantial. Of the total £90 million capital receipts generated in 1986–87, over £69 million was attributable to property disposal. These significant receipts enabled LRB to distribute to the London boroughs £32 million of capital money in addition to £89 million of revenue balances left by the GLC. Taken together these cash refunds represent good news for the ratepayers of London who had previously financed the GLC.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to prevent toxic waste originating from outside the European Community being reshipped for disposal to the United Kingdom.

Toxic waste originating outside the Community which is reshipped by another member state for disposal in the United Kingdom will be subject to the EC directive on transfrontier shipment of hazardous waste, which we expect to implement later this year. Shipments will need to be notified in advance to the disposal authority for the area containing the prospective disposal facility. There will be a power to object to shipments whose disposal would be contrary to United Kingdom law for the protection of the environment and human health.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what control is exercised to ensure that imported toxic waste is not dumped in Essex and other counties because of their close proximity to continental ports; and whether he will order a review of waste disposal practices to ensure protection of the environment.

Imported waste, which is subject to the same control as indigenous waste, is disposed of at facilities in various parts of the country. All such facilities must be licensed by waste disposal authorities to ensure that disposal does not damage public health, water supplies or is detrimental to local amenities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria his Department will recommend using for the purposes of interpreting section 13(7)(6) of the Local Government Finance Bill, for the purpose of establishing if an unmarried couple are living together as husband and wife.

My right hon. Friend will consider the need for guidance on these matters in due course. Many such couples can be expected to acknowledge that they are living together as husband and wife; some will be receiving rebates on that basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many (a) local authority councillors and (b) accountants served on each water authority in each year from 1979 to date.

Information about board members appointed since October 1983 is contained in the authorities' annual reports and accounts which are laid before Parliament each year. The reports for the period from 1979 to 1983 list members appointed by local authorities. Information is not readily available about the occupations or qualifications of members in office between 1979 and 1983.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what application he has received for urban development grant in respect of the redevelopment of a former industrial site at 1A Eynsham drive, London SE2; how much is involved; and when a decision is likely to be forthcoming.

No application has been received for urban development grant, but the Department's UDG appraiser for the London borough of Greenwich has had a recent informal discussion with a developer who is interested in purchasing the site for redevelopment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the proposed locations for the 35 stations which will complete the radioactive incident monitoring network.

I refer the hon. Member to the booklet "The National Response Plan and Radioactive Incident Monitoring Network (Rimnet). A Statement of Proposals" the publication of which by Her Majesty's Stationery Office was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment on 21 January. This booklet outlines the initial proposals for the monitoring sites although their exact locations have yet to be confirmed. Copies of the booklet have been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has replied to the letter to him of 11 January from the chief executive of Leicestershire county council regarding a reduction of £2·968 million in rate support grant to Leicestershire in 1988–89; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for this reduction.

[holding answer 26 January 1988]: The council's letter of 11 January was a representation in response to the Department's consultation proposals for forthcoming supplementary reports for 1983–84, 1984–85 and 1986–87. It has been acknowledged and will be considered by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State before he makes final decisions on the supplementary reports. Under the consultation proposals, Leicestershire's rate support grant entitlements for the three years would not be reduced, but rather increased by about £600,000 in total. I shall write to my hon. Friend to explain why the council is wrong to assert that its grant is being reduced.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if following the end of control of Spandau prison by the Allies of the Second World War, he will give the total cost to the United Kingdom taxpayers of the detention there of the late Rudolph Hess.

The costs of Hess's detention were not a charge to the United Kingdom taxpayer. All the costs of the three Western powers (UK, US, France) were borne by the German authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from the British Minister in west Berlin on the progress of police investigations into the bomb outrage at the La Belle Discotheque.

It is not our practice to publish details of reporting from our posts overseas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council held on 25 and 26 January.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary and I attended the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 25 January.The Council discussed the financial situation in the European Community. My right hon. and learned Friend and I made it clear that there could be no overall agreement in the current negotiations without effective control on agricultural production and spending. We drew attention to the dangers in any approach which did not build on the package of measures which Heads of Government had discussed at Copenhagen. These issues will be discussed again at a special meeting of EC Foreign Ministers on 1 and 2 February.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the total annual generation of electricity by standard measure in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) West Germany, (c) France, and (d) Japan, in 1958, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975 and each year from 1979 to 1987.

The total annual generation of electricity in the following countries in the years indicated was:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will seek to obtain and place in the Library a copy of the transcript of his interview on the "This Week Next Week" programme, broadcast on BBC television on 17 January; and if he will make a statement.

No. I understand that the Library does obtain transcripts from the broadcasters on behalf of hon. Members.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he intends to seek any changes in the fees charged in bankruptcy and winding-up proceedings as set out in the Insolvency Fees Order 1986; and if he will make a statement.

A substantial contribution towards paying the costs of running the insolvency service in my Department is derived from various fees prescribed by the Insolvency Fees Order 1986. These are either of fixed amounts or on a percentage scale.Although some of the fixed fees were increased by that order, the product this year has not come up to expectations because there has been a drop in the number of winding-up orders made and a rise in the number of insolvency cases closed where the assets are insufficient to meet the fixed fees charged. The scales of percentage fees which, by their nature, are only chargeable where assets exist, have, in the main, net been increased since 1980.In order to provide the necessary funds to finance the work of the insolvency service, the Government intend to increase certain of the percentage fees relating to the performance by the Secretary of State of his general duties under the insolvency legislation and to the purchase of Government securities at the request of liquidators. These fees are identified by numbers 10, 11 and 12 in part 1 of the fees order and fee 13 in part II.Fees 10 and 13 are calculated on moneys paid into the insolvency services account in each case where a company is wound up by the court or an individual is made bankrupt, charged on a sliding scale ranging from 10 per cent. on the first £50,000 down to 1 per cent. on any amount in excess of £5 million; these will be increased on a scale from 15 per cent. down to 1·5 per cent.Fee 11 is charged, on moneys paid into the account in respect of companies wound up voluntarily, on two scale points of 1·25 per cent. and 0·75 per cent.; these wilt be increased to 1·75 per cent. and 1·25 per cent. The case limit on the total amount payable under this fee will he increased from £7,500 to £12,500. Fee 12 is charged at the rate of 0·375 per cent. on the amount expended at the request of a liquidator on any purchase of Government securities; it will be increased to 0·625 per cent. These fee increases are to be contained in a fees order which will be laid before Parliament shortly. The increases will take effect in February 1988 and are estimated to produce £500,000 in the year to 31 March next and £4 million in a full year.The order will also include an increase of £1·15 in fees numbered 7 in part I and numbered 10 in part 11 of the 1986 fees order. These fees are made in respect of the insertion in the

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what were United Kingdom unit labour costs per unit of output in the manufacturing sector, divided by a weighted average of competitors' unit labour costs, both expressed in pound sterling, for 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987.

The index of United Kingdom relative unit labour costs in manufacturing is published in tables F3 and F6 of the "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics", a copy of which is in the Library. The data are expressed in common currency.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the unit volume index of United Kingdom exports of manufactures divided by a weighted average of overseas wholesale prices, both expressed in pound sterling, for 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987.

The available information is in the following table.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many applications for tender to contract and forward exchange cover have been received in each thrice-monthly quarter since the scheme was established.

The following table shows the number of applications received each quarter since the introduction of tender to contract and forward exchange cover in August 1977.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish the latest figures for capital investment on both a per capita basis and as a percentage of gross national product; and what comparable figures he has for capital investment relating to the other members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The latest figures for the United Kingdom show that gross domestic fixed capital formation amounted to around £1,130 per head of the population in 1986. This is equivalent to 17 per cent. of GDP.Comparisons for OECD countries are readily available only for 1985. The table summarises:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to prevent the continued importation of toys with excessive lead content in their paintwork.

At present all toys placed on the market in the United Kingdom must comply with the Toys (Safety) Regulations 1974 which include requirements on the maximum level of lead and other substances permitted in paint used in toys. The Consumer Protection Act 1987 empowers Customs officers to detain goods at the port of entry for up to two working days to allow enforcement authorities time to make initial inquiries about the safety of goods detained. Trading standards authorities, which enforce the legislation, have the necessary powers to prosecute suppliers in cases of non-compliance.The proposed European directive on toy safety will also specify levels for toxic metals which must not be exceeded.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many representations he has received during the past 12 months on the subject of wine-glass measures.

Since the beginning of 1987 the Department has received 12 representations about sales of wine by the glass; 10 in respect of enforcement authority surveys, one from the Consumers Association and one from the Restaurateurs Association.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he has any plans to seek to amend the Copyright, Designs and Patents Bill to limit or control the amounts paid in royalties by radio broadcasters to record companies or others.

The Government are considering representations on this issue from independent radio and from the record industry. No decision has yet been taken.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Hillhead (Mr. Galloway) on Thursday 21 January, Official Report, column 769, he will take urgent steps to collect the information on Scottish exports to and imports from South Africa not available referred to therein.

No. Scottish trade with South Africa which passes through ports in the rest of the United Kingdom is not separately identified; to collect this information would impose an undue burden on companies.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to publish the annual report of

The final report of the National Metrological Co-ordinating Unit, covering the period 1 April 1986 to 31 March 1987, has been published today. I have arranged for copies of the report, which includes the audited statement of accounts, to be placed in the Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if a decision has been reached on whether to give leave for the recognition under the Financial Services Act of the Investment Management Regulatory Organisation.

In accordance with the procedures laid down in the Financial Services Act, the Director General of Fair Trading has submitted to my right hon. and noble Friend a report on the rules and guidance submitted by IMRO to the SIB. Having considered the director general's report, my right hon. and noble Friend has concluded that, on the basis of the information presently available to him, he does not consider the IMRO rules and guidance have, or are intended or likely to have, to any significant extent the effect of restricting, distorting or preventing competition. He has therefore today given his leave to the SIB for the recognition of IMRO.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1958 and the latest available date the terms of trade for finished manufacturing/manufactures for the United Kingdom, the United States of America, West Germany and Japan, together with imports and exports of such manufacturers in terms of dollars.

[holding answer 22 January 1988]: The available information is in the following table. Data on the terms of trade in finished manufactures are not available for the FRG and Japan. For these two countries information on the terms of trade in machinery and transport equipment (which accounted for 76 per cent. and 85 per cent. respectively of their total trade in finished manufactures) is provided instead.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements are being made to establish the special fund for Mozambique, agreed by Commonwealth Heads of Government at their meeting in Vancouver.

The Commonwealth Secretary-General has written to all Commonwealth Governments requesting contributions to the fund. It will have a target of £10 million and will be administered by the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation. I have informed the secretary-general that Britain is prepared to contribute 30 per cent. of the total pledged to the fund, up to a maximum of £3 million. Payment of our contribution will be subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Estimates provision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any change has been agreed in voted provision for the Overseas Development Administration in 1987–88.

Subject to parliamentary approval of the spring Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for the overseas aid vote (class II, vote 5) will be increased to £1,096,875,000. The change allows for an agreed carryover of aid programme underspending in 1986–87, for part of the cost of the United Kingdom subscription to the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency and for other minor adjustments. Subject to parliamentary approval, the cash limit on the overseas aid administration vote (class II, vote 6) will also be increased to £28,191,000 to meet additional capital expenditure for the development and introduction of computer systems and other costs. The increases do not add to the planned total of public expenditure in 1987–88.

To ask the Prime Minister under whose command it is envisaged that (a) Ministry of Defence police, (b) members of the armed forces on escort and (c) police officers should operate in the event of an accident or other serious incident affecting a nuclear weapons or materials convoy.

I am not prepared to discuss details of the movement of defence nuclear materials. In the event of an accident or other incident involving such materials any members of Her Majesty's Forces or the Ministry of Defence police assisting at the scene would act in support of the civil police.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps have been taken to implement the recommendation of the committee chaired by the director of prison medical services that arrangements should be made for patients in prison to be assessed by National Health Service medical staff prior to planning continuing care and support on release; and if he will make a statement;(2) what steps have been taken to improve administrative procedures within his Department and the prison service following the report of the working group chaired by the director of prison medical services on the problems presented by mentally disordered offenders in the prison system in England and Wales;(3) what measures are being taken following the report of the director of prison medical services on mentally disordered offenders in the prison system in England and Wales to ensure that the courts are fully aware of non-custodial options open to them and of the facilities available in the health system;(4) what representations he has received on the report of the director of prison medical services on mentally disordered offenders in the prison system in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

The Government welcomed this report of the inter-departmental working group of officials chaired by the director of prison medical services. As my right hon. Friend announced in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Mr. Thompson) on 30 November 1987 at column 349 the Government accept all 16 recommendations made. The administrative procedures referred to in that answer relate mainly to transfers from prison to hospital. In sending copies of the report to managing medical officers in prison service establishments the director of prison medical services has drawn attention to the recommendation in which they are able to make a contribution, particularly the need for transfer procedures to be initiated promptly when that course is clinically indicated.The recommendations aimed at increasing the extent to which mentally disordered offenders are detained other than in prison custody, and advance planning where that is indicated for the release of those who receive prison sentences are to be taken forward in further discussion between Home Office and DHSS officials.Copies of the report have also been sent to regional health authorities, chief probation officers and, on request, to a number of other organisations and individuals. We have received no representations on the report. The initial impression gained by officials is that it is recognised as a useful move forward in a difficult area.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the terms of reference of the registrar for data protection; how many complaints the registrar has dealt with for each year since his appointment; and if he will categorise the nature of such complaints.

The general duties of the Data Protection Registrar are specified in Section 36 of the Data Protection Act 1984.In his last report to Parliament dated June 1987, the registrar reported that he had received 225 complaints in the year under review and 60 complaints prior to that. Since the Act came fully into force in November 1987 I am informed by the registrar that the rate at which complaints are being received has increased fourfold. From the end of November 1987 until mid-January 1988, 202 complaints have been received. The registrar broadly described the nature of complaints in his last report, and later complaints are I understand, following a similar pattern.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report details of the process he adopts to monitor the Data Protection Act 1984.

The Data Protection Registrar, who is independent of the Executive, monitors the Data Protection Act 1984 and as required by section 36(5) of the Act, reports directly to Parliament. He holds regular meetings with officials to keep them informed, but my right hon. Friend is also ready to consider any representations put to him on the operation of the Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase education facilities for inmates at Wandsworth prison; and if he will make a statement.

There are no plans to provide additional educational facilities for inmates at Wandsworth prison. Daytime and evening classes are provided in a range of subjects and provision is made for correspondence courses and other types of education which can be pursued individually. Local management will continue to keep education provision under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of (a) men and (b) women who were serving a prison sentence of one month or less in prisons in England and Wales on 31 October 1987.

From the records held centrally, it is estimated that about 770 males and 40 females were serving sentences of one month or less in prison department establishments in England and Wales on 31 October 1987. These figures include fine defaulters.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why Mr. M. Naylor of Oadby, an officer at Glen Parva young offenders centre, South Wigston, despite completing an application form and paying a cheque for £1,200 on 29 October 1987 in relation to the free standing additional voluntary contribution pension scheme, has to date received no response from his Department.

The application form for a free standing additional voluntary contribution pension scheme completed by Mr. Naylor on 29 October 1987 was forwarded to the Home Department under cover of a letter from his insurance brokers dated 3 November 1987. Detailed information from Her Majesty's Treasury on how Departments should deal with applications for FSAVCs has only recently been received. A reply to Mr. Naylor's brokers will be sent shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the figures for the pay of police officers, at each rank, both at the basic rate, and at the level of average overtime worked, at 1 June 1979, and at the latest available date showing percentage increases.

Following is the information on basic salaries:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish a White Paper on the future of radio broadcasting before introducing legislation.

We are considering this possibility.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will detail the regulations under which the new Radio Authority will supervise the ownership of radio stations;(2) how many

Conditions regulating the award, renewal or transfer of radio licences by reasons of the status of prospective applicants or their accumulation of media interests will be included in the legislative proposals which my right hon. Friend will bring before Parliament. We have in mind, for example, provisions disallowing the control of licensed stations by companies registered outside the EC; limiting an individual or company to a financial interest in one national or six other licensed stations; and disallowing any such interest by political parties and their affiliates and public bodies (while allowing the latter to contribute to projects intended to further a specific purpose of benefit to the community concerned). Subject to such conditions and to the continuing observance of the promise of performance on the basis of which licences were awarded in the first place there will be provision for their reassignment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will detail the regulations under which (a) national commercial radio, (b) independent local radio and (c) community radio will operate with regard to (i) advertising time per hour, (ii) weekly films and (iii) royalty and copyright payments;(2) whether he proposes that under the regulations which will apply to radio stations, it will be permissible to run such stations by computer, without staffing;(3) whether the regulations which will apply to

Under the legislative proposals my right hon. Friend will bring before Parliament it will be for licensed radio stations themselves to determine their own business and programming arrangements consistent with the general law and their licence conditions including those reflecting their promise of performance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will detail the regulations under which (a) national commercial radio, (b) independent local radio and (c) community radio will operate, with regard to (i) programme balance, (ii) news and current affairs time, (iii) obscenity and (iv) incitement to racial violence or religious intolerance;

The legislative proposals which my right hon. Friend will bring before Parliament will reflect paragraph 7.7 of our Green Paper "Radio: Choices and Opportunities" (Cm. 92).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what period of time the radio licences granted by the new Radio Authority will run for (a) national commercial radio, (b) independent local radio and (c) community radio.

The legislative proposals which my right hon. Friend will bring before Parliament will include provision for the radio authority to award licences for up to eight years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the relationship between the new Radio Authority and the Broadcasting Complaints Commission will be.

In the light of responses to our Green Paper we have concluded that radio should continue to fall within the jurisdiction of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what powers and staff will be available to the new Radio Authority to monitor the programmes of new radio stations;(2) further to his written reply of 19 January,

Provisions relating both to powers and to resources will be included in the legislative proposals which my right hon. Friend will bring before Parliament with a view to enabling the radio authority to enforce the conditions on which it issues licences, thus reflecting paragraphs 7.18–7.19 of our Green Paper.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what limits on transmission power will be imposed by the new Radio Authority on community radio stations.

Under the legislative proposals my right hon. Friend will bring before Parliament it will be for the radio authority to determine limits on the transmission power of stations it licenses, having regard amongst other things to the size of the area which the station is intended to serve and possible interference to other users of the radio spectrum.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many of the 500 responses he received to the Green Paper "Radio: Choices and Opportunities" recommended that radio licences should be assigned by competitive tender;(2) further to his written answer of 19 January,

The legislative proposals which my right hon. Friend will bring before Parliament will include provision for the Radio Authority to award licences for national radio services by competitive tender, for the procedure to be followed and for the criteria which the Radio Authority will be expected to apply in deciding which applications to entertain for the purposes of tender. No responses to the Green Paper recommended this proposal, and only a small number commented on it.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) further to his written answer of 19 January, Official Report, columns 647–9, what is his definition of community radio;(2) further to his written answer of 19 January, Official Report, columns

Under the legislative proposals my right hon. Friend will bring before Parliamemt it will be for the radio authority and not the Home Secretary to consider applications for licences to provide radio services to localities or communities. We do not envisage that under the new scheme there will be any formal distinction between different kinds of radio at the local level.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his written answer of 19 January, Official Report, columns 647–9, whether he will require the Independent Broadcasting Authority to sell the transmitters that it currently owns.

We do not intend to require the IBA to sell the radio transmission sites and equipment that it now owns.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his written answer of 19 January, Official Report, columns 647–9, by what date the BBC will have to (a) determine and (b) reassign two frequencies to independent radio.

We shall not withdraw frequencies currently assigned to the BBC until after the enactment of the legislative proposals based on the Green Paper which my right hon. Friend will bring before Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his written answer of 19 January, Official Report, columns 647–9, whether he will list all those areas which have no radio service other than those provided by the BBC, and how many (a) people and (b) households live in these areas.

This information is not readily available in the form sought. Those areas which have no radio service other than those provided by the BBC are those which do not receive radio services provided by the IBA since they lie outside the service areas of the ILR programme companies listed in appendix VIII to the annual report of the IBA 1986–87.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Greater Manchester on the command and liaison arrangements in force with (a) armed forces escorts and (b) Ministry of Defence police in relation to the passage through Greater Manchester of nuclear weapons or other radioactive materials.

No. It has been the policy of successive Governments not to give details of the movements of defence nuclear materials, but I am satisfied that adequate command and liaison arrangements have been made wherever they may be necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report a table to show his estimate of the number of persons living

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicle examiners were employed by his Department in the south Wales traffic area for 1986–87; and what was the number of public service vehicles and goods vehicles for which they were responsible.

The figures for the vehicle inspectorate districts that cover approximately the south Wales traffic area are as follows:

[holding answer 18 January 1988]: Information on the estimated numbers of nationals of other European Community countries usually resident in the t sited Kingdom is given in the table. Nationals of EC countries other than the Republic of Ireland do not have the right to vote in parliamentary or local elections. It is estimated that some 95 per cent. of citizens of the Republic of Ireland who are resident in the United Kingdom are aged 18 or over, and therefore are entitled to register to vote in parliamentary elections and, if resident in Great Britain, in local government elections; those resident in Northern Ireland have the right to vote in local government elections provided they were included in the electoral register published in 1962 and meet the residence qualifications required. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, has indicated the Government's intention to introduce legislation to amend the qualifications for local government elections in Northern Ireland in order to align them with those in Great Britain.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the numbers of vehicle examiners in post at May 1987, by traffic area.

The vehicle inspectorate is organised into 53 districts, grouped into four regions. Statistics are not kept by traffic area. The information by regions is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many public service vehicles failed their annual test, by operator group, for the south Wales traffic area for 1986–87;(2) what was the number and percentage of annual tests which resulted in immediate prohibition of public service vehicles in

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the latest available official estimate of the number of billion passenger car miles travelled in Greater London, together with the source; and what means he has available for maintaining subsequent measurements of that figure.

About 25 billion passenger car miles were travelled in London in 1986. This estimate, which will be updated periodically, is derived as follows:

14 billion car miles (source: On-going National Traffic census)

× 1·77 passenger per car (source: 1985–86 National Travel Survey)

= 25 billion passenger miles.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will print in the Official Report the

Following the reorganisation of the bus industry, it is no longer possible to split the statistics into the former operator groups. Separate information is not kept for Wales as such. The following are the statistics on failure rates for Great Britain and for vehicle inspectorate districts covering approximately the south Wales traffic area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the results of spot checking of public service vehicles and the immediate prohibition rates for (a) Britain and (b) Wales for 1986–87.

Separate information on spot checks is not available for Wales as a whole. The information for Great Britain is:"Statement of Strategy" he set out for London Regional Transport in 1985, his reasons for planning a revised statement to be published in June, and a list of the persons and bodies he and London Regional Transport are consulting concerning its contents.

LRT has a duty to publish statements setting out its policies under section 7 of the London Regional Transport Act 1984. The June 1985 "Statement of Strategy" referred to was the last (and only) statement published in discharge of this duty. A copy is in the Library of the House. Under section 7(8) of the 1984 Act statements of policies must be published at least every three years. A new statement is therefore due by June 1988. Those to be consulted are specified in section 7(4) of the Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals there are for further motorway service stations on the M62, M63, M66 or M67.

None. The existing MSA network in the general Manchester-Liverpool-Stoke-on-TrentPreston area is generally adequate to meet travellers' needs and there have been no complaints about their adequacy. However, a new site is planned at Hapsford on the M56 to cater for traffic to and from the Wirral and north Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has about any improvements which are planned for the rail network in Angus, Scotland.

I understand from British Rail that it is planning to introduce Sprinter trains on the Dundee to Arbroath local services in May 1989 and Sprinter express trains on the Aberdeen to Glasgow services in October 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, in the course of the interdepartmental road traffic law review, he will consider the current position which disallows the use of blood tests taken from an unconscious suspect following a road traffic accident; and if he will make a statement.

We expect shortly to receive the report of the independent road traffic law review under the chairmanship of Dr. Peter North. We shall consider carefully any recommendations which the review may make on this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the ports through which spent nuclear fuel was imported in 1985, 1986 and 1987 and the number of flasks imported through each port.

The ports through which flasks containing irradiated fuel were imported, and the total number of flasks for each of the three years in question, are as follows: