To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what urgent action is now proposed to reduce the waiting lists in Gwent following the meeting with the chairman of Gwent area health authority on 13 May.

As I announced yesterday, £1 million has been made available to Welsh health authorities under the hospital waiting times initiative in the current financial year. Of this, Gwent health authority has been offered £225,000 to help tackle waiting list problems in trauma and orthopaedic. In addition, Gwent has recently submitted its revised waiting list action plan and in conjunction with Welsh Office officials, it is actively working on its waiting list problems.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people were classified as homeless in 1979; and what is the most recent figure.

[holding answer 16 May 1988]: The numbers of persons accepted as homeless during 1979 and 1987 were 12,698 and 13,345 respectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people were classified as homeless in 1979; and what is the most recent figure, excluding the area covered in the valleys initiative.

[holding answer 20 May 19881]: The number of persons accepted as homeless in districts other than those which are in the valleys initiative area, during 1979 and 1987 were 8,755 and 9,817 respectively. The valley initiative programme launched during 1986 includes the following districts: Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil, Cynon Valley, Rhondda, Ogwr, Lliw Valley, Torfaen and Islwyn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many housing starts there were in 1979; and what is the most recent figure;(2) how many housing completions there were in 1979; and what is the most recent figure.

[holding answer 16 May 1988]: A total of 11,426 dwellings were started during 1979 compared with 10,665 during 1987. A total of 11,265 dwellings were completed during 1979 compared with 9,254 during 1987.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many houses in Wales were built before 1919.

[holding answer 18 May 1988]: There were 440,000 dwellings in Wales at 31 December 1987 which were built before 1919.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Welsh pensioners are living in houses classified as unfit to live in.

[holding answer 16 May 19881]: In 1986 there were 46,800 persons of pensionable age in Wales living in dwellings classified as unfit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Welsh pensioners are living in houses classified as unfit to live in, excluding the area covered in the valleys initiative.

[holding answer 20 May 1988]: In 1986 there were 32,800 persons of pensionable age in Wales excluding the local authorities covered by the valleys initiative, living in dwellings classified as unfit. The valleys initiative programme launched during 1986 includes the following districts: Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil, Cynon Valley, Rhondda, Ogwr, Lliw Valley, Torfaen, Islwyn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many houses in Wales, excluding the area covered in the valleys initiative, lack (a) one or more basic amenity, (b) an inside toilet and (c) a fixed bath;(2) how many houses in Wales are classified as unfit to live in excluding the area covered in the valleys initiative.

[holding answer 20 May 1988]: In 1986 in Wales, excluding the local authorities covered by the valleys initiative, there were 31,700 dwellings lacking one or more basic amenity, 12,500 dwellings lacking a WC inside the dwelling, 11,000 dwellings lacking a fixed bath or shower and 57,100 dwellings classified as unfit. The valleys initiative launched during 1986 includes all of the following districts: Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil, Cynon Valley, Rhondda, Ogwr, Lliw Valley, Torfaen and Islwyn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many houses in Wales are classified as being seriously in need of repair, excluding the area covered in the valleys initiative.

[holding answer 20 May 1988]: In 1986 there were 90,300 dwellings in Wales classified as being in serious disrepair (that is, with repair costs of £3,000 or more), excluding the local authorities covered by the valleys initiative. The valleys initiative programme launched during 1986 includes the following districts: Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil, Cynon Valley, Rhondda, Ogwr, Lliw Valley, Torfaen and Islwyn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many housing starts there were in 1979; and what is the most recent figure, excluding the area covered in the valleys initiative;(2) how many housing completions there were in 1979; and what is the most recent figure, excluding the area covered in the valleys initiative.

[holding answer 20 May 1988]: The number of dwellings started in the districts other than those which are covered by the valleys initiative area, during 1979 and 1987 were 9,614 and 9,183 respectively. The number of dwellings completed for the same districts and years were 9,496 and 7,848. The valleys initiative launched during 1986 includes all of the following districts: Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil, Cynon Valley, Rhondda, Ogwr, Lliw Valley, Torfaen and Islwyn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how the synthetic index which ranks the regions of Europe in order of the intensity of their problems is calculated with regard to Wales.

[holding anwer 23 May 1988]: The method of calculation of the synthetic index which forms part of the 3rd periodic report published by the European Commission (COM(87)230 final) is described at annex 2.3.1-D of the report. It is applied to level II regions; statistical information is made available by the United Kingdom Government, but the calculation of the index is entirely the responsibility of the Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what amount has been provisionally committed for publicity and advertising purposes in the forthcoming privatisation of the electricity industry.

At present no provisional commitments have been made for these purposes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has any plans to seek to tighten the criteria presently applied for the use of oil-based muds in the North sea.

The Government are at present seeking to reduce pollution in the North sea by limiting the quantities of oil discharged into the sea associated with cuttings from wells drilled using oil-based muds. On the United Kingdom continental shelf steps are already being taken by the oil industry to reduce the extent of pollution from this source.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on his recent visit to Liverpool.

I visited the Merseyside Council for Voluntary Services on 12 February to show my support for the community insulation project which it sponsors under the community programme. This project, known as "Keep Warm", has now draughtproofed over 2,500 homes of pensioners and low-income households in Liverpool. I was impressed by the enthusiasm of the sponsors of the project, and the success that they have achieved. I have since been in correspondence with the Merseyside Council for Voluntary Services about the points it raised with me during this visit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has on the extent to which certain operators in the North sea oblige employees to bear the financial cost of health, safety and survival training for working offshore.

I am aware of only one instance where a contractor in the North sea obliged his employees to bear the financial cost of survival and fire-fighting training courses for working offshore. I understand that the contractor ceased this practice in 1986.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has on the extent to which certain employees working on North sea oil platforms are not being paid two weeks' leave pay in accordance with the work practice of two weeks off and two weeks on.

I understand that it is not uncommon in the offshore contracting industry for employees to be paid only for the weeks in which they work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Central of 11 May, Official Report, column 110, he will list the agencies other than the police which are to be involved directly or indirectly, in the physical protection of plutonium transported from Sellafield to Japan.

For security reasons it would not be prudent to add to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member on 11 May 1988 at column 110.

To ask the Prime Minister when she last paid an official visit to Basingstoke.

I have not recently visited Basingstoke.

To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to pay an official visit to Denmark.

I have at present no plans to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will ensure that all Government Departments publish details of vacant, dormant, derelict and underutilised land in their possession.

Details of unused and underused land in the ownership of Government Departments in England and Wales are currently entered on the registers of such land maintained by my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Secretary of State for Wales. These registers are available for inspection by the public.Following the announcement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Enviroment on 7 March that public bodies would themselves publish information about unused and underused land they own, similar publication of information by Government Departments is under consideration.

To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to pay an official visit to the northern region.

I have at present no plans to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister when she next intends to pay an official visit to Avon.

I have at present no plans to do so.

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

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

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

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 Lord President of the Council which reports of the Procedure Committee in the 1983–87 Parliament have yet to be debated.

I refer the hon. Member to the replies given to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 25 April at columns 17–18 and to my hon. Friend, the Member for Basildon (Mr. Amess) on 30 March at columns 521–24.

To ask the Lord President of the Council when the TSRB report on parliamentary pensions is to be published; and if he will make a statement.

During the passage of the Parliamentary and other Pensions Act 1987 there was a feeling among some Members of the House that the time had come for a review of certain features of the parliamentary pension scheme. In my written answer of 24 July at column 502, I explained that I had, therefore, invited the TSRB to review aspects of the scheme, the pensions of the Prime Minister, the Speaker and the Lord Chancellor, and ministerial severance pay. The report was published today and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House. I would like to thank the review body for the time and effort it has devoted to these issues.The TSRB recommends revised early retirement arrangements under which a full accrued pension would be payable from a "pensionable age" of between 60 and 65, depending on length of service at the date of leaving the House. When the pension is brought into payment before the pensionable age it would be subject to an abatement, to be calculated on a broadly actuarial basis. The TSRB also recommends that the death in service gratuity should be two years' salary. We will be consulting the trustees of the parliamentary pension scheme on these and the other recommendations affecting the scheme itself, including the suggestion that the holders of the office of Prime Minister and Speaker be allowed to participate in it. Depending on the outcome of those consultations, the Government would expect to lay before the House regulations under the Parliamentary and other Pensions Act 1987.The remaining recommendations, and that proposing that the Speaker and Prime Minister be allowed to participate in the parliamentary scheme, will require legislation to amend the Parliamentary and other Pensions Acts. We will bring this forward in due course.We accept the TSRB's recommendations that the holders of the offices of Prime Minister, Speaker and Lord Chancellor should be entitled to pensions of half final salary, that the cap on pensions increases payable to former office holders should be removed and the recommendations on ministerial severance pay. We propose that these arrangements should apply after the necessary Bill has received Royal Assent.

To ask the Lord President of the Council if his review of the scheme for financial assistance to Opposition parties has been completed; and if he will make a statement.

A comprehensive review of the scheme for financial assistance to Opposition parties, or "Short" money, the first since it was introduced in 1975, has now been completed, and I intend to table shortly the necessary motions, embodying a number of proposed changes to the present resolution.In particular, it is proposed that the existing separate arrangements, which pre-date the introduction of "Short" money, whereby certain office equipment, postal facilities and stationery, are provided for the official Opposition out of departmental Votes shall be brought to an end. The current arrangements for the employment of four officially paid staff in the official Opposition Whips' Office would however, remain unaltered.It is also proposed, following discussion with the Opposition parties, that certain detailed changes should be made in the accounting procedures for these funds; in particular, that an independently certified statement should in future be made annually on behalf of the entitled parties that the amounts claimed have been expended on purposes in accordance with the resolution of the House.The review has also taken account of the recommendation made by the Top Salaries Review Body (report No. 24) for a similar "Short-type" scheme to be introduced in the House of Lords. The Government agree, in principle, that such assistance should be provided. Whilst, therefore, it is not proposed to establish a separate scheme for the House of Lords, it will be recommended that the amounts made available under this scheme to Opposition parties should in future be on the understanding that a substantial part of that assistance will be allocated to their work in that House.In the light of these proposed changes in the scope of the scheme, and the rises in relevant costs since the formula for calculating the amounts payable to entitled parties was last approved by the House, it is proposed that the new annual amounts payable under this scheme shall he based on £2,550 for each seat won by the qualifying party at the last general election plus £5·10 for every 200 votes. This new formula represents a rise of 70 per cent. in the formula approved for the existing scheme in 1985, but is not, of course on a comparable basis. The new arrangement would be backdated to the date of the last general election, and is on the basis that there will be no further rise during this Parliament. It is further proposed that, in so far as the eligibility for assistance under the terms of the existing resolution is related to parties as they stood at the last general election, exceptional provision shall be made for the allocation of financial assistance to the Social and Liberal Democratic party and the present Social Democrat party, relating to their existing parliamentary membership.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 31 March, Official Report, column 599, whether the Coopers and Lybrand/Sir William Halcrow and Partners value-for-money check contains figures other than Biwaters own published specifications.

The value for money study provided a detailed review of costings supplied by the Biwater group and was based on the group's own costings and those of its prospective suppliers and sub-contractors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Overseas Development Administration, when considering grant/aid for Biwaters' Malaysia project, took into account the findings of the contemporaneous Nigerian inquiry into similar equipment under Mr. Justice Awoniyi.

I refer the hon. Lady to the answer my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave her on 26 April at columns 95–96. The Nigerian Government did not accept the recommendations of the commission of inquiry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the cost comparisons with other plant of similar purpose and capacity contained in the Coopers and Lybrand/Sir William Halcrow and Partners value-for-money check on Biwaters' Malaysia project.

No. The report contains commercially confidential information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the gross public expenditure on overseas aid in 1987.

In 1987 gross public expenditure on overseas aid totalled £1,283 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the European Commission's proposal for a directive on the control of the acquisition and possession of weapons (COM (87) 383 FINAL).

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor) on 14 January at column 352.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to strengthen the rights of people who because of conscientious objection do not wish to take part in jury service; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State and the Lord Chancellor have received a number of representations on this issue and are considering them.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will request the Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis to consider whether the parking of coaches opposite Parliament and the consequential congestion is consistent with the Sessional Order requiring the passage through the streets to be kept free and open.

I am advised by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the parking restrictions prohibit coaches from parking in the area referred to by my hon. Friend, but that they do allow coaches to stop to set down and pick up passengers. Traffic wardens are deployed to prevent coaches from parking and to limit the number of coaches stopping at any one time. The police prevent coaches stopping when this causes difficulties; for example, during lobbies of Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Merseyside as to the purpose and functions of the tactical aid unit and for the reason for the uniform it adopts while in action; and if he will make a statement.

The Merseyside police tactical aid unit comprises police firearms instructors and other officers with experience and expertise in the use of firearms and firearms tactics. The unit provides a small specialist firearms team to deal with operations such as entry and search of premises where the subject is known or believed to be armed; siege situations; armed surveillance in support of the CID; and the destruction of dangerous animals. Members of the unit are routinely engaged on other police duties and are called upon as and when their specialist skills are required. The unit is not limited to a uniformed role but is able to respond in a manner appropriate to the circumstances of a particular operation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the current delay in inquiries being made into entry clearance applications being referred to the United Kingdom for further inquiry; what proposals he has to increase staff who are undertaking such inquiries; and what proposals he has to expedite inquiry reports being submitted to overseas post.

The time taken to make inquiries into entry clearance applications referred by overseas posts to the Home Office depends on the individual nature of the case, in particular whether an interview is needed. Entry clearance inquiries are an integral part of the work of the immigration department and are taken into account in determining staffing levels. Further, the recent immigration rules changes were designed to reduce the burden of routine work and thus to release resources to enable staff to deal more speedily with the other aspects of their work, including entry clearance referrals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many entry clearance applications have been referred to him for inquiries to be made in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; how many such refusals have been made in 1988 to the latest available date; how many immigration officers are involved full-time with such inquiry work; what is the minimum and maximum delay in arranging interviews currently; and what is the current minimum and maximum time taken between a case being referred to his Department and reports being received by the appropriate overseas post.

The information is not available in the form requested. The available information is as follows:

Entry clearance applications referred to immigration service headquarters for inquiries to be made through local immigration offices:
Year	Number
1983	2,336
1984	2,351
1985	2,258
1986	2,109
1987	2,084
11988	1,169
11 January to 13 May.

These inquiries represent only part of the duties of immigration officers at the ports involved and no officers are currently employed full-time on entry clearance interviews.Arrangements for interviews are made immediately on receipt of the file at most ports although the maximum time at others before these arrangements can be made is up to a month.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigrants have been admitted for settlement in the 10 years 1978 to 1987; what is his best estimate of the number likely to be admitted over the years 1988 to 1997; what estimate has been made of the cost to public funds of providing housing, school and hospital places to meet this influx; and what budgetary provision has been made to meet it.

The numbers persons subject to immigration control who were accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years is as follows:

	Number
1978	72,330
1979	69,670
1980	69,750
1981	59,060

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of producing the Home Office research unit's study of neighbourhood watch schemes by Professor Rosenbaum published on 16 May.

[holding answer 23 May 1988]: Professor Rosenbaum contributed a chapter to a book entitled "Communities and Crime Reduction." This followed his contribution at an open conference in 1986 on crime prevention. This book was produced by the Home Office research and planning unit and published by HMSO on 16 May. A copy has been placed in the Library. He was not paid a fee and the cost to the Home Office was nil.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from Durham county council and other interested parties about its inability to meet its obligations through Government spending restrictions.

My right hon. Friend has received representations from the Durham local education authority about the level of its education prescribed expenditure allocations for 1987–88 and 1988–89. The criteria used for determining those allocations are designed to ensure that all LEAs receive fair and equitable treatment and that none should find itself unable to fulfil its statutory obligations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report the names and status of those University Grants Committee members who visited the veterinary colleges of Glasgow and Edinburgh universities during the week beginning 16 May.

In its review of veterinary education, the UGC is being advised by a committee of six experts chaired by Sir Ralph Riley, DSc, FRS, former secretary and deputy chairman of the Agricultural and Food Research Council. Only Professor T. A. Douglas, PhD, MRCVS (department of veterinary clinical biochemistry, Glasgow university) is also a member of the UGC. Because of a clash of interests, Professor Douglas did not visit the Glasgow veterinary college. Otherwise, all members of the review group visited both establishments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what sums in total his Department has allocated for spending on capital, current and other costs of city technology colleges for the current financial year and for 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92.

Overall planned expenditure on the city technology colleges programme is £19 million for the current financial year, £33 million for 1989–90 and £34 million for 1990–91. Future plans will be the subject of review during the year since 1991–92 falls outside the current public expenditure planning period. It is not possible at this stage to provide a breakdown showing capital and recurrent costs separately as this depends on a number of factors including the nature and condition of premises acquired, and the speed at which sponsors' plans are implemented.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any proposals to amend the arrangements for granting qualified teacher status in England and Wales.

After consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales I am today issuing a consultation document proposing new arrangements for granting qualified teacher status in England and Wales.I propose to simplify the arrangements governing the employment in England and Wales of teachers from other parts of the United Kingdom and from overseas and to introduce clearer and better arrangements for the entry to teaching of persons with relevant experience and other qualifications who have not completed courses of pre-service training.My objectives are to:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make it his policy to ensure that there is full reciprocity in connection with bids for British companies from companies located overseas which protect themselves by devices such as the weighting of voting rights in order to enable minority shareholders to retain control; if he will investigate the wide variety of such obstacles permitted in the state of Delaware in the United States of America; and if he will make a statement.

It is the responsibility of the Director General of Fair Trading to consider all aspects of a proposed merger when preparing his advice to the Secretary of State on the question of reference to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission under the provisions of the Fair Trading Act 1973. With regard to inward investment, one consideration that may be relevant in some cases is the extent to which United Kingdom companies have reciprocal freedom to acquire companies based in the home country of the prospective acquirer.I am aware of Delaware state takeover law.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what consideration he has given to the economic and social implications of business decisions affecting the future of British companies, their shareholders and employees, being transferred to centres offshore and outside the European Community; and if he will make a statement.

As stated in the DTI Blue Paper on mergers policy, issued March 1988, the Government's general attitude towards inward investment is to welcome it, whether it be by acquisition or by direct inward investment.Nevertheless, there are instances in which foreign ownership of the United Kingdom company may raise particular concerns, and in such cases the power to make a reference if the proposed merger to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission is available. Each case is considered individually on its merits in accordance with the provisions of the Fair Trading Act 1973.The main consideration in deciding whether to make a reference to the MMC is the effect on competition but other relevant aspects of a case are also taken into account, including wider public interest issues.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what, for each year since 1975, was the

Total visible trade
Percentage changes on previous year (in United States dollar terms)
Exports	Belgium/Luxembourg	Denmark	France	Netherlands	United Kingdom	United States of America	Federal Republic of Germany	Japan
1975	2	13	14	6	14	9	1	0
1976	14	5	7	12	5	7	3	21
1977	14	11	14	13	22	4	16	20
1978	20	18	20	15	22	20	20	21
1979	25	23	28	27	27	27	21	5
1980	15	15	14	16	28	21	12	26
1981	-14	-5	-9	-7	-7	6	-9	17
1982	-6	-4	-9	-3	-5	-9	0	-9
1983	-1	4	-1	-1	-5	-6	4	6
1984	0	-1	2	0	2	9	1	16
1985	4	7	4	4	8	-2	7	4
1986	28	24	23	18	5	2	32	19
1987	21	119	20	15	22	16	21	10
Imports
1975	3	5	3	6	-1	-4	8	-7
1976	15	20	19	13	5	26	18	12
1977	14	7	9	15	13	21	15	9
1978	20	11	16	16	20	17	20	12
1979	25	25	31	27	31	20	31	39
1980	19	5	26	14	16	16	18	28
1981	-14	-9	-11	-14	-10	8	-12	1
1982	-7	-4	-4	-5	-4	-7	-5	-8
1983	-6	-4	-9	-2	1	6	-1	-4
1984	2	2	-1	1	5	26	0	8
1985	1	10	4	6	4	6	4	-4
1986	22	25	20	15	15	7	20	-3
1987	21	19	22	21	22	10	20	18
1 Estimate

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has on the present number of trading standards officers in England and Wales on 30 April and for the same period in 1987 and 1986.

The information is not available for 1988 or in the form requested for the previous years. However, the following table provides figures for the years ending 31 March 1986 and 1987.

Number of qualified trading standards officers in post with local weights and measures authorities
	Year ending 31 March
	1986	1987
England	1,277	1,196·6
Wales	95	97
Total England and Wales	1,372	1,293·6

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he intends to take to deal with the increase in pirate radio broadcasting in Birmingham.

The information is in the following table:

During 1987, my Department's radio investigation service (RIS) carried out 19 raids on three unlicensed stations in Birmingham. So far this year, the RIS has raided four Birmingham stations eight times, and interviewed eight people for possible prosecution under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949. The RIS will continue to act to remove unlicensed transmitters causing interference to authorised radio services, and we shall be seeking to strengthen the terms of the law concerning the unlicensed use of radio as soon as possible.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many British officials (a) testified to and (b) submitted written evidence to the Awoniyi commission of inquiry into the Biwater project.

No British officials testified to the Awoniyi commission of inquiry. Her Majesty's Government submitted written responses to questions put to it by the commission.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what action his Department is taking to stop the illegal broadcasting by Radio Britannia in south London.

A recently established unlicensed broadcaster calling itself Radio Britannia on a frequency of 95·3 MHz was raided by radio investigation service officers on 18 May. One person was interviewed for possible prosecution under the Wireless Telegraphy Act, and the station's equipment was seized.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will give the figures for trade between the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union for each year between 1975 and 1987.

The information is as follows:

United Kingdom Trade with the Soviet Union 1975–1987
Value in £ millions
	Imports	Exports
1975	235·8	211·4
1976	460·1	241·5
1977	545·1	347·1
1978	488·8	422·9
1979	491·6	416·2
1980	422·0	449·2
1981	426·7	408·3
1982	645·4	3561
1983	729·9	445·4
1984	855·3	734·8
1985	726·5	536·5
1986	702·1	542·5
1987	875·4	491·6

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which companies have made representations to him about trading difficulties caused by Turkish yarns imports in the last two years.

The following United Kingdom producer companies have made representations to the Department about problems resulting from the import of Turkish acrylic hosiery yarn:

• Benson, Turner Ltd.
• Courtaulds plc (on behalf of Courtaulds Spinning)
• Listers & Co. plc.
• Mossley Wool Combing & Spinning Co. Ltd.
• Thomas Burnley and Sons Ltd.

In addition, representations have been made on behalf of this sector by the British Textile Confederation and the Confederation of British Wool Textiles.Representations have also been made by hon. Members on behalf of United Kingdom producers and of United Kingdom users writing in their support.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what action he is taking and what representations he is making to reduce the volume of Turkish yarn imports into the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

Following the renewal, from 1 January 1988, of the informal voluntary restraint arrangement between the European Community and Turkish textile export associations which covers cotton yarn and acrylic hand knitting yarn and was extended to cover acrylic hosiery yarn for the first time, the Department is monitoring the situation closely. In fact the volume of acrylic yarn imports from Turkey has fallen off sharply in the first three months of 1988, compared with the same period last year. The Department's unfair trade unit is assisting the United Kingdom industry in preparing an anti-dumping complaint on Turkish acrylic hosiery yarn.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received from Courtaulds Spinning about the effect of Turkish textile imports on production at the factory at Broad lane, Bramley, Leeds; and if he will make a statement.

The Department has received a number of representations from representatives of Courtaulds plc, on behalf of Courtaulds Spinning, about the effect of imports of Turkish acrylic hosiery yarn on their business over the past year. Most recently Courtaulds provided detailed information on 4 May concerning the impact of these imports on its activities at Bramley, and at Worksop, in support of an anti-dumping complaint being prepared by the industry.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations listed by date and reference, he has received from Courtaulds plc about the impact of Turkish textile imports in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

My Department has received a number of representations from Courtaulds plc about the impact of Turkish textile imports over the last 12 months. These have either been made direct to the Department or as part of representations made by the sector as a whole. It is not possible to list them in the form requested.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many civil servants in his Department are also directors or consultants in (a) public liability companies, (b) companies limited by guarantee, (c) building societies, (d) other friendly societies and (e) commercial undertakings other than the above; and what rules or instructions govern these activities with particular reference to remuneration.

[holding answer 23 May 1988]: Members of staff of the Department of Trade and Industry are not permitted in their private capacity to hold directorships (other than in small, private, "family-type" companies); or to engage in consultancy work which has a connection with official duties or is on behalf of a firm or concern which is in a contractual or other special relationship with the Department. Currently no member of staff has permission to hold a directorship or act as consultant in a private capacity. Permission is granted only if the directorship or consultancy does not require attendance during office hours; would not impair the officer's usefulness as a civil servant; and does not conflict with the interests of the Department. If permission is granted no restriction as to remuneration is attached.As part of the Department's policy of encouraging and maintaining close links with industry and commerce, seven members of staff have been appointed in their official capacity as directors of public liability companies on a part-time basis. No central record is kept of consultancies undertaken by members of staff as part of official duties. Officials are not separately remunerated for directorships or consultancies, but expenses incurred on the business of the private organisations may be reimbursed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has plans to apply restrictions on the applications of sewage sludges with high nitrogen and phosphorus content to arable land; and if he will make a statement.

No. The Department and the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service have already published advice to water authorities and farmers respectively about the disposal of sewage sludge to land.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the qualifications and criteria by which barter deals between local authorities and the private sector will be judged to be bona fide transactions.

My right hon. Friend announced on 25 April, at columns 103–104, the criteria against which he would consider applications for additional capital allocations for schemes affected by the measures he announced on 9 March. Guidance on how to apply for such allocations will be issued to local authorities shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which office buildings, whether leasehold or freehold, in central London within the Property Services Agency control in both the civil and military estates are going to be surplus to requirements in the next four years; and what is their floor area.

It is the aim of the Property Services Agency to dispose of accommodation, whether freehold or leasehold, when it becomes surplus to Government requirements. A number of leases in central London are due to terminate during the next four years and the landlords may wish to recover possession of the buildings for refurbishment or redevelopment. The PSA will take the opportunities as and when they may arise to rationalise its holdings with the aim of minimising overall costs of accommodation to the Exchequer. Negotiations with landlords are always conducted on a commercial and therefore confidential basis. The future of office buildings in central London on the military estate is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the reason for the delay in the acknowledgement by Southwark LBC of the right-to-buy application of Mrs. E. Stevens of 138A Copleston Road, Peckham SE15.

According to Southwark council, shortage of staff and high volume of work. The application was accepted on 19 May.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the total rate support grant paid to local authorities in (a) the south-east region, (b) Greater London, (c) outer London and (d) inner London, in total, in each year from 1979·80 to 1988·89, estimate.

The information is as follows:

	South east region	Greater London	Outer London1	Inner London2
	£ million	£ million	£ million	£ million
1979–80	2,473	1,285	772	513
1980–81	2,856	1,470	894	576
1981–82	2,798	1,363	777	358
1982–83	2,844	1,452	840	375
1983–84	2,749	1,343	825	382
1984–85	2,711	1,316	836	342
1985–86	2,740	1,506	830	396
1986–87	2,841	1,613	3850	3595
1987–88	2,859	1,700	912	622
1988–89	2,835	1,789	976	647
1 Outer London boroughs only.
2 Inner London boroughs (including City of London) only.
3 London boroughs' grant entitlements changed in 1986–87, following the abolition of the GLC.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the housing investment programme allocations, and what was the total spending power out of capital receipts of the London borough of Ealing in each of the last five years and for the current year; and if he will make a statement.

HIP allocations (in £ million) have been made as follows:

	£ million
1983–84	16·283
1984–85	15·140
1985–86	12·553
1986–87	11·812
1987–88	10·653
1988–89	110·864
1 Initial allocation only.

The total spending power out of capital receipts, from figures supplied by Ealing council, was £13·8 million for 1985–86 and £18·2 million for 1986–87. Information for other years is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will reconsider reducing the age of entry into the local government superannuation scheme from 18 to 16 years; and if he will make a statement:(2) if he will abolish the 12-month waiting period for manual workers to enter the local government superannuation scheme; and if he will make a statement.

No. The rules which debar admission to the scheme to employees under the age of 18 and to manual workers during their first year of service were made many years ago with the agreement of the local government employers and the unions. There is nothing in the recent social security legislation which requires an occupational pension scheme to admit classes of employees who have previously been excluded.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimates have been made of workers nearing the end of their service who have opted out of the local government superannuation scheme and, because of the diminished advantage of a personal pension, joined the state earnings-related pension scheme; and how this will affect the Government's plan to reduce the cost of the state earnings-related pension scheme.

The regulations under which employees may elect to leave the local government scheme only came into force on 6 April, and it is too early to estimate the numbers and ages of those who will take advantage of the new provisions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish his reply to the letter he has received from the Ramblers Association dated 13 May on the subject of planning precedents and opencast mining.

An official reply was sent to the Ramblers' Association on 19 May: publication is a matter for the association. I have no objection to its doing so.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he proposes to issue a consultation document on local government finance with reference to the use of capital receipts.

My right hon. Friend hopes shortly to put forward proposals for a new legislative framework for all aspects of local authority capital expenditure and finance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he plans to take against those local authorities which invested pension funds in News on Sunday; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon, South (Mr. Marshall) on 3 December 1987 at column 642.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the last two occasions when the wall tiles in the ladies' toilets of the Committee Room Corridor were fully cleaned; when the floor was cleaned; and if he will give the same information for each of the ladies' toilets in the Palace of Westminster.

[holding answer 23 May 1988]: The wall tiles and floors were cleaned in accordance with the terms of the contract today and yesterday.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any information on progress being made on verification procedures in the INF and START talks.

Mr. Shultz and Mr. Shevardnadze announced that they had resolved the outstanding United States-Soviet problems on the INF treaty verification procedures in Geneva on 11–12 May. They also reviewed the progress made in the START negotiations which of course include detailed verification provisions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the New Zealand Government, the National Maori Council, Survival International, and any other organisations or individuals about the proposed sale of a Maori warrior's head at a London auction house on Friday 20 May; what response he has made and if he will make a statement.

We have received representations from Survival International and the Maori Council of New Zealand. These are being studied in the light of the litigation at present under way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when and how he intends to make representations to the Government of China in relation to the Basic Law of Hong Kong.

The drafting of the Basic Law is the responsibility of the Chinese Government. However, as my right hon. and learned Friend stated in Parliament on 20 January, we will wish to satisfy ourselves that the Basic Law accurately reflects the provisions of the joint declaration. The draft Basic Law has already featured in a number of our exchanges with the Chinese authorities. If there are points which we consider are inconsistent with the joint declaration, we will make our views known to the Chinese authorities clearly and firmly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in the light of the release of Japanese diplomatic intercepts to the national archives in the United States of America and the availability of the same material in Japan, he will authorise the transfer to the Public Records Office of the 1,800 decrypts of signals sent by the wartime Japanese naval attaché in Berlin presently retained by his Department.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make representations to the Government of Lesotho stressing the historical importance and significance of St. John's church Maseru, and the war memorial which it contains; and if he will seek assurances that the church will not be demolished;(2) if he will seek clarification from the High Commissioner in Lesotho about reported proposals that the historic British church of St. John, Maseru, and the war memorial which it contains, are to be demolished; and if he will make a statement.

This is a matter for the Anglican Church in Lesotho. I understand that the diocesan and church councillors are considering ways of developing the site, but that they are concerned to preserve the church and its war memorial.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received concerning delays in decisions being taken on entry clearance applications made on the Indian sub-continent because of the need for inquiries to be made in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

We receive a number of representations from hon. and right hon. Members concerning individual cases. Specific statistics about such letters are not kept separately.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Gibraltar coroner about the postponement of the inquest into the deaths of three IRA personnel from June until August.

The date of the inquest is a matter for the coroner. He announced in Gibraltar on 23 May that the inquest would not now be held in June, and a further statement giving the new date would be made as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he proposes to make any changes to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office cash limits.

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary revised and Supplementary Estimates, the cash limit for Class II Vote 1 (overseas representation) will be reduced by £2,861,000 from £434,883,000 to £432,022,000 and the cash limit for Vote 3 (BBC external broadcasting and monitoring) will be increased by the corresponding amount of £2,861,000 from £114,621,000 to £117,482,000. This reflects the rationalisation of the operation of the three FCO broadcast relay stations at Orfordness, Masirah and Cyprus whereby the BBC external services will take over financial responsibility from the FCO for certain United Kingdom-based BBC support staff, technical maintenance and utilities costs. The transfer does not represent increased funding for additional broadcasting activity; nor does it add to the planning total of public expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) by what authority permission was granted to representatives of Sinn Fein to make representations in Irish before the public inquiry into the Belfast urban area plan;(2) what was the cost of providing a translator when representatives of Sinn Fein made representations in Irish before the public inquiry into the Belfast urban area plan on 5 May.

[holding answer 19 May 1988]: All arrangements for the public inquiry are the responsibility of the independent Planning Appeals Commission. I understand, however, that the cost of providing a translator was in the region of £25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the number of staff employed in the private offices of his Parliamentary Under-Secretaries in July 1987 and April 1988.

There were 2·25 whole-time equivalent staff in each of the private offices of the two Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State on 1 July 1987 and 1 April 1988.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average increase in weekly pay for nurses in Scotland following the increase approved in April.

The Government's acceptance of the recommendations made by the Nurses' Pay Review Body this year will result in a wide range of pay increases from 4·2 per cent. to 33·6 per cent. with the largest percentage increases going to staff covered by the new clinical grading structure. For individuals with posts in the new clinical grading structure the outcome will be dependent on their placing within it but the total cost of this year's award has been estimated as 14·5 per cent. excluding the cost of London supplements. Examples of annual salaries for nursing staff in direct patient care areas from 1 April 1988 are shown in the table in terms of scale minima and maxima. The salaries payable from 1 April 1987 are shown for comparison, as are the equivalent gross increases in weekly pay.

Grade	1987 £ year	1988 £ year	Approximate gross increase £/week
Student Nurse
Minimum	4,540	4,825	5·48
Maximum	5,170	5,575	7·79
Nursing Auxiliary
Minimum	4,565	5,000	8·37
Maximum	5,855	6,300	8·56
Enrolled Nurse
Minimum	6,250	6,975	13·94
Maximum	7,750	8,300	10·58
Staff Nurse

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in full, the names of all organisations and individuals who are on the Scottish Information Office's distribution list for news releases.

I shall arrange for a list to be placed in the House of Commons Library as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to alter the national planning guidelines on skiing to allow a road to be built into the northern corries area of the Cairngorms.

My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department treats the Cairngorms as qualifying for designation under the World Heritage convention; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend has received a recommendation from the Nature Conservancy Council, supported by the Countryside Commission for Scotland, that the Cairngorms should be inscribed on the World Heritage list. The recommendation is being considered in the light of the criteria for natural sites set by the World Heritage convention. My right hon. and learned Friend will announce his decision in due course. The status of the Cairngorms as a national scenic area, and of large parts of it as national nature reserve or as sites of special scientific interest, already provide protection for the special qualities of the area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Cairngorms will be notified as a special protection area under the European Community directive on the conservation of wild birds (EC 79/409); and whether the area notified will include the northern corries site of special scientific interest.

I understand that it is the Nature Conservancy Council's intention to put forward detailed advice to the Secretary of State later this year on the classification of the Cairngorms as a special protection area under EC directive 79/409, and that the council may recommend inclusion of the northern corries site of special scientific interest within the area to be classified. I cannot say when the Secretary of State will thereafter reach a decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has as to the number of days that the main Cairngorm chairlift was operating each month during the period April to October, inclusive, for each of the past five years; and if he will list the number of chairlift tickets sold in each month during the last five years.

These are operational and commercial matters concerning the Cairngorm Chairlift Company which is a private enterprise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has as to what guidance is given to visitors using the Cairngorm chairlifts in order to reduce damage inflicted upon sensitive plants and wild animals in the Cairngorms.

The chairlifts are operated by the Cairngorm Chairlift company which is a private enterprise. The hon. Member may wish to note, however, that the Highlands and Islands Development Board as owner of the Cairngorm Estate has recently published a management plan, which sets out its policies for managing the estate. A copy has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of what steps have been taken, or are planned, by the chairlift operators as landowners of the Cairngorm skiing grounds to reduce damage by visitors to sensitive plants and wild animals found on the Cairngorm plateau; and if he will specify how much has been spent in these matters in each of the past five years.

The skiing area is leased to the Cairngorm Chairlift Co. Ltd. by the Highlands and Islands Development Board. The board and the company have no direct responsibility for conservation of the Cairngorm plateau. This is owned privately and, as a national nature reserve, is the subject of a management agreement with the Nature Conservancy Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations have taken place between officials of the East Kilbride development corporation and the private sector on the sale of all or any part of the public sector housing stock under the management of the development corporation; and if he will make a statement.

No such consultations have taken place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a further statement on the application of the poll tax to monastic communities.

My right hon. and learned Friend has given careful consideration to the position of members of religious orders under the community charge system and has decided that there should be an exemption from the personal community charge for members of religious communities the principal occupation of which is prayer, contemplation, the relief of suffering, education or such other activities as may be prescribed. The exemption will be limited to monks and nuns who are dependent on the community for their material needs and who have no income or capital of their own. Income from a pension in respect of a former employment will however be disregarded. Appropriate amendments to the Local Government Finance Bill will be brought forward in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the discussions taking place between officials of Glenrothes development corporation and Quality Street housing association.

The Scottish new town development corporations regularly meet representatives of private sector companies to discuss proposals for the further development of the towns. The present discussions between Quality Street and Glenrothes development corporation represent but one example of that continuing dialogue. The present discussions are at a very preliminary stage. Should definite proposals be agreed between the parties it will then be a matter for the development corporation to approach my Department in the usual manner to seek the Secretary of State's consent. Meantime, I welcome the prospective participation of Quality Street in Glenrothes and hope that satisfactory proposals can be developed which will add to the housing options available to residents in the town.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will detail the regulations or advice given to new town development corporations on the timing and disclosure of information to board members or meetings of development corporations or sub-committee.

These matters are determined by the boards of the development corporations on the advice of the appropriate chief executive—managing director.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of regulations or advice given to new town development corporations on the disclosure of information to press and public.

It is for each development corporation to determine whether or not to open board meetings to the press and public. Glenrothes development corporation held its first open board meeting in November 1986, and Livingston development corporation in summer 1987.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the regulations or advice given to new town development corporations on the disclosure of information to his Department.

New town development corporations disclose information to my Department on request.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the present members of new town development corporation boards, the nominating organisation and the date of appointment and the date of termination of appointment of each member.

This information is available in the annual report of each of the Scottish new town development corporations, copies of which are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the official guidance available to new town development corporations involved in disposing of public sector housing or development land.

The terms on which new town development corporations may dispose of land are detailed in section 18(5) of the New Towns (Scotland) Act 1968. That section provides that, except with the consent of the Secretary of State, development corporations shall not dispose of land otherwise than on the best terms that can reasonably be obtained. The same statutory prescription of the terms governing disposal also applies to public sector housing, since "land" in Scots law includes buildings situated upon that land.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the total amount of housing land available and owned by development corporations in each of Scotland's new towns.

As part of the review announced by the Secretary of State for Scotland on 13 May 1988, Official Report, column 280, an exercise is presently under way to establish precisely the information sought. Once that exercise is concluded, I shall write to the hon. Member with the information he requests.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make financial provisions to assist the operators of roll-on/roll-off ferries which serve the Scottish islands to either replace or adapt those vessels which do not comply with new IMO stability standards.

International Maritime Organisation stability standards for new vessels will not be considered for adoption until later this year. Until that time it will not be possible to assess the implications for ferry operators.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if any discussions have taken place between Ministers or officials and representatives of Glenrothes development corporation on the sale of housing assets in the new town.