To ask the Attorney-General if he will provide for the latest available 12-month period (a) the number of Treasury counsel, (b) the amount of total public money received by the Treasury counsel, (c) the number of cases dealt with by the Treasury counsel and (d) the amount of public money received by Treasury counsel in respect of criminal matters; and if he will make a statement.

The information requested is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the annual expenditure by his Department on providing rehabilitation services for service men who are seriously injured and discharged from the services on medical grounds.

Information on the cost of service rehabilitation facilities is not available in the specific detail requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will institute counselling and other services of assistance for service men who are discharged as medically unfit from the services within three months of the date of the medical board recommendation to that effect.

A full range of counselling and other services of assistance are already available, as a matter of routine, for service men who are discharged as medically unfit from the services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are taken to ensure that adequate and proper soundproofed accommodation is provided for courts martial to be conducted at operational Royal Air Force bases.

Royal Air Force regulations require stations to provide a suitable room (of unspecified dimensions) to house the courts martial and additional rooms adjacent for robing facilities for the court officials.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to mount a recruitment campaign for the regular Army through the medium of television as a result of the MARILYN studies; and if he will make a statement.

We are planning a three-week television advertising campaign towards the end of this month promoting both the Regular Army and the TA, called "Today's Army".

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Taunton on 1 March, Official Report, column 220, he will state how the prohibition referred to therein affects aircraft using the practice bombing range in the Bristol channel in the vicinity of Hinkley Point.

The prohibition extends to military aircraft using the Lilstock practice bombing range.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will report progress on the proposal to establish the defence non-nuclear research establishment as an executive agency.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has accepted that change is needed in the way defence research is organised in order to obtain better value for money for our expenditure on defence research and project support. It is considered that this could be best achieved through a sharper relationship between the customers for and suppliers of defence research and by better focused and strengthened internal management in the establishments.It has therefore been decided to establish the four main non-nuclear research establishments: the Admiralty research establishment, the Royal aerospace establishment, the Royal armament research and development establishment and the Royal Signals and radar establishment as a single organisation with the intention that they should become an executive agency under the Government's next steps policy. Other parts of MOD may also be included following current studies.There will be full consultation with trades unions. In addition, steps are being taken to select and appoint, by open competition, a chief executive (designate), who will be responsible for day-to-day management of the organisation and for developing a comprehensive management plan for the proposed agency in response to MOD requirements. In parallel, an implementation team is being set up in MOD charged with overall co-ordination of the project. Final decisions to proceed and on the status of the agency within the public sector will be taken in the light of this further work, with the aim of establishing the agency in the spring of 1991.

To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to make an official visit to Flecknoe, near Rugby.

I have at present no plans to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister what action the Government are taking to reduce the debt burden on poor countries.

Following my right hon. Friend the Chancellor's initiative, agreement was reached at the Toronto summit for concessional rescheduling through the Paris club for the poorest and most heavily indebted countries which are following approved adjustment programmes. The United Kingdom and others will reduce interest rates to prevent debt compounding. The United Kingdom has also written off £1 billion of old aid loans, of which nearly £300 million were for sub-Saharan Africa. We have also agreed to subsidise loans to the poorest countries of up to about £750 million through a special IMF facility, the enhanced structural adjustment facility, of £4·5 billion. This makes us the largest single contributor to the interest subsidy account.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will make it her policy that each Government Department will undertake to accept and implement any safety recommendation of the Piper Alpha inquiry relevant to their responsibilities.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy has already told Parliament that if the Piper Alpha public inquiry can recommend improvements to the present offshore safety regime these will be accepted.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 16 March.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 16 March.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 16 March.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 16 March.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 16 March.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, including one with the Hungarian Foreign Minister. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which company was awarded the contract for Welsh Office management information service system; what is the value of the contract awarded in August 1986; how much has so far been paid to the contractors; when the contract will be concluded; and what are the reasons for the delay in completion.

A contract for the supply of computer hardware and software together with computerised statistical, financial and management systems was awarded to IBM (UK) Ltd. in August 1986. The value of the contract, over 10 years, is £1·6 million. Approximately £1 million has been paid to the contractor in accordance with the terms of the contract for goods and services which have been delivered to and accepted by my Department. The contractor was unable to deliver all the components specified in the contract to the original timetable because of technical difficulties, but it is now expected that the contract will be completely fulfilled by the end of September 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the latest figure for the estimated spending in 1988–89 by the Welsh Office on (a) TV advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material; and what is the 1989–90 budget for each of these categories of spending.

[holding answer 13 March 1989]: Spending in 1988–89 is expected to be (a) TV advertising £42,307, (b) radio advertising nil, (c) newspaper advertising £71,000 and (d) other promotional material £870,000.Detailed decisions on the 1989–90 budget by media have not yet been taken but the expected overall expenditure on publicity will be in the region of £1·75 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the housing capital allocations for each Welsh district council since 1979 and at constant prices.

[holding answer 13 March 1989]: The information requested is shown in the tables. Allocations for 1988–89 are provisional. The allocations for 1979–80 and 1980–81 are not strictly comparable with subsequent years as a new system for local authority finance was introduced in 1981–82.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish a table, taking 1979 as 100, of investment in real terms in manufacturing (a) in the north-east and (b) for the United Kingdom as a whole.

No regional breakdown of manufacturing investment for 1987 and 1988 is yet available. The required information for the period 1979 to 1986 is shown in the following table:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if his Department treats the EEC directive to make illegal the inclusion of items of synthetic food in dolls' houses as falling to be considered by majority vote under the Single European Act; and what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on this issue;(2) when the directive was submitted by the EEC Commission to make illegal the inclusion of items of synthetic food in dolls' houses; if the proposal is part of the measures to complete the internal market; and in what form Parliament will be asked to consider the proposals.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 14 March at column 128 to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Burton (Mr. Lawrence), in which I said that I was proposing to exempt from the proposed Food Imitations (Safety) Regulations imitation food supplied for use in dolls' houses or model scenes or settings.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the reports of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on restrictions on advertising in the supply of the services of medical practitioners, professionally regulated osteopaths and civil engineering consultants are to be published; and if he will make a statement.

The three reports on advertising restrictions in the professions are published today. The findings of the commission with regard to each one are as follows:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has for Plymouth to benefit from the Renaval programme for grants to shipbuilding and shiprepair areas.

I am sending to the Commission before Easter an application for support for Plymouth amounting to £13·25 million over three years under the Renaval programme, which is financed from the European regional development fund and is intended to mitigate the effects of closures and reductions in employment in shipbuilding/repair areas. Subject to the Commission's approval, the funding will be used in particular to introduce my Department's regional enterprise grants to the area and to support infrastructure projects to develop industrial sites and tourism.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether any further progress has been made on the disposal of the subsidiaries of British Shipbuilders, and if he will make a statement.

I have agreed with British Shipbuilders that it may dispose of the assets and goodwill of its subsidiary British Shipbuilders Training Ltd to a management team. This will retain a valuable training resource at Govan on the Clyde which is already closely involved with the youth training scheme and will be increasingly involved with the employment training programme.I have also agreed with British Shipbuilders that it may open negotiations with William Steward (Holdings) Ltd as preferred bidder for the disposal of its pipework and electrical supply subsidiary Sunderland Forge Services Ltd. Finally, British Shipbuilders' preferred bidder for its design and computing subsidiary Marine Design Consultants Ltd based at Sunderland and Dundee has withdrawn. I have agreed with the corporation's chairman that he should invite further bids no later than Friday 14 April.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which European Economic Community Commissioners are responsible for aspects of consumer affairs in addition to the Commissioner for Consumer Protection; and which Commissioner is responsible for consumer price matters.

I have placed in the Library of the House a background note produced by the Commission, which lists the new Commissioners and their portfolios. While lead responsibility rests with Mr. Van Miert, the Commissioner for Consumer Protection, others with responsibility for areas of policy affecting consumers include Sir Leon Brittan, Dr. Bangemann and Mr. MacSharry. In line with the Council resolution adopted in October 1986, the consumer interest needs to be taken into account in all proposals which affect those interests.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, in the light of the current levels of overtime payments being made in the coastguard service, he will review his decision to reduce the operational complement of the service by 28.

The amount of overtime worked by Her Majesty's coastguard over recent years has declined to a stable level. The reduction in the overall watchkeeping complement is commensurate with the merging of the area responsibilities of coastguard stations, and it is not anticipated that the total level of overtime payments will be unduly affected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that employees of the coastguard service are not required to monitor and work with visual display units for excessively prolonged periods; and what is the maximum continuous period of work with display units allowed.

Watchkeeping coastguards work 12-hour shifts, including a one and a half hour meal break, which may be taken in one or more parts. Whilst the use of visual display units has increased, it is unusual for any individual to spend more than 5–10 per cent. of the watch using one. This percentage may be exceeded during busy periods. Although there is no laid down maximum continuous period of work, there are regular breaks, and duties within the watch are varied.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce controls to separate hobby parachutists' landing areas and those of aircraft landing or taking off.

The air accidents investigation branch, assisted by the British Parachute Association, is investigating the recent accident in which a parachutist fell onto a taxiing aircraft and was killed. The investigation will determine whether the current controls were applied and whether they are adequate. The introduction of any further controls will depend on the recommendation arising from the accident investigation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions there have been concerning the support from public funds of the Thamesline river services in central London; what decisions have been made; and what sums have been allocated to this service in the year 1989–90.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Battersea (Mr. Bowis) on 23 February at column 729. The estimated support from public funds in the year 1989–90 is £400,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what would be the cost of doubling the number of bus miles travelled in London.

The cost of doubling bus miles in London cannot realistically be assessed. In addition to substantial investment in vehicles' premises, facilities and staff, unknown factors include the routing and type of services provided, the demand for them and the revenues generated. Decisions about the appropriate level of bus services for London are matters for London Regional Transport.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are to be taken by the marine directorate to monitor the performance of the newly developed voyage data recorder; and if he will make a statement.

The Department has jointly funded, with Lloyd's Register of Shipping, the development of this voyage data recorder. Consideration is now being given to additional funding to carry out further research and to monitor the performance and reliability of the recorder in service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received concerning reductions of crew manning levels in relation to ship safety; and if he will make a statement.

Many ships carry voluntary minimum safe manning certificates issued by the Department. In addition, the larger passenger ships are required to carry approved crew muster lists. The Department has received a number of representations from Members of this House, the seafarers' union and others concerning the reduction of crew manning levels in relation to ship safety. If necessary, marine surveyors inspect the vessel to ensure that it can be operated in a safe manner.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received in relation to safe flight deck crewing; and if he will make a statement.

Safe flight deck crewing is a matter for the Civil Aviation Authority, which has the statutory responsibility for the safety regulation of civil aviation. I understand that the Civil Aviation Authority's requirements comply with internationally recognised criteria.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received in response to proposals to increase marine examination fees; and if he will make a statement.

Two representations were received, which did not oppose the proposed average increase of 12 per cent. in marine examination fees, which is to be implemented on 1 April and which is broadly in line with inflation since the last changes in these fees. A third representation proposed that these and certain other fees should be abolished. We believe, however, that the costs of such services should be borne by those who use them and not by the taxpayer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies have been undertaken to ensure that the move of frequency for aeronautical radar can be effected without prejudice to aircraft safety; and if he will make a statement.

I suggest that the hon. Gentleman puts his question to the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority which, together with the Ministry of Defence, is responsible for the national air traffic services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the number of junctions between double track railway routes where the former double junction has been replaced by a single track line switch and associated crossover, together with the number of such layouts where the short single line section is protected by a safety neck; and whether he has asked the railways inspectorate to carry out an assessment of the safety implications of such junctions.

Information regarding the precise number of single line junctions, and those protected by a safety neck, is not readily available. These junctions have been used extensively throughout the British Rail network for many years. Whether or not this type of layout was in any way a contributory factor to the recent accident in Glasgow is a matter for the public inquiry, a starting date for which will be announced shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to respond to the proposals put to him by the Director General of Fair Trading to combat the practice of clocking vehicle mileages.

I have today written to Sir Gordon Borrie. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library.While deploring this criminal practice the Government do not believe that the expensive system proposed for collecting and storing data in order to deter clocking would be sufficiently reliable to warrant the cost arid bureaucracy involved. The mileage information would not carry conviction with the public. We believe it may be possible to devise a voluntary alternative scheme that is more accurately targeted against vehicles more susceptible to clocking, for instance relatively new, high-mileage vehicles. It has been suggested to the Office of Fair Trading's used car working group that further work should be done on the circumstances and vehicles most likely to lead to clocking, and the true scale of the problem.Services are already provided by private sector companies to investigate mileages where prudent purchasers wish to double-check on condition and value before buying. These could meet the public's needs better than the blanket system proposed by the group. We believe that the industry can do more to develop an odometer which cannot be covertly tampered with or replaced.It would be better to make clocking much more difficult at the outset than create a burdensome system that still cannot guarantee to detect the offence. There is much that the industry can so more cost-effectively do than Government to combat clocking.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures have been undertaken to ensure protection from unauthorised penetration into any parts of the rail network that are currently computerised

[holding answer 15 March 1989]: I understand that British Rail's physical and electronic protection of its computerisecl systems is such that any unauthorised penetration would be extremely unlikely to have any effect on safety. It would not be appropriate to give details. Protection of information held on computers is wholly a matter for British Rail. If my hon. Friend has any particular problems in mind perhaps she would approach British Rail.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the numbers of personnel and vessels that will be made available by his Department for enforcement of annex V of the marine pollution convention within British territorial waters.

[holding reply 13 March 1989]: Department of Transport marine surveyors who already visit ships to carry out surveys for the issue of safety and pollution certificates and who inspect ships for port state control will ascertain that arrangements for complying with Annex V of MARPOL 73/78 have been made. Additionally, surveyors will verify that port reception facilities for garbage are adequate.The use of vessels to ensure compliance is not envisaged.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the future of financial resources for the Agriculture and Food Research Council.

My right hon. Friend recently announced an allocation from the science budget of £74·57 million to the Agricultural and Food Research Council for 1989–90. The planning figures for the years 1990–91 and 1991–92 are £78·25 million and £81·74 million respectively. The allocation for 1989–90 is 22 per cent. higher than provision in the current financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what arrangements there are for consulting consumers on the work and decisions of his Department.

The Education Reform Act has created new opportunities for parents, employers and others in the community to be directly involved in education. In schools and colleges of further education governing bodies, which include employers and elected parents, will have responsibility for directing the policies of the institutions and managing the budgets delegated by local education authorities. We have also given parents the opportunity to seek grant-maintained status for the schools attended by their children. Over 3 million copies of a booklet designed for parents "Our Changing Schools" have been distributed: this booklet encourages parents to take a practical interest in their children's education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list (a) those local education authorities which include and (b) those which do not include head teachers in their calculation of pupil to teacher ratios in primary schools.

The pupil/teacher ratios published by the Department for each local education authority in England include all qualified teachers including head teachers. The number of pupils and teachers is derived from returns made to the Department by schools in January of each year. A statistical bulletin giving the pupil/teacher ratio for each local education authority in England in January 1988 will be published shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, in paying grant monies under the city technology college programme for improving facilities at a school whose governors have given notice under section 14 of the Education Act 1944 to discontinue voluntary status, he will make it his policy to ensure that the governors retain the discretion to withdraw that notice.

My right hon. Friend has made clear the factors on which he will need to satisfy himself before reaching a decision on any proposals from the governors of a voluntary school to discontinue that school in order to make the premises available for the establishment of a CTC. These include agreement in principle on a funding agreement, including grant towards capital costs, which would be recoverable in the event of the CTC failing to open for any reason.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the membership of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils; and if he will make a statement.

The present members of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils are:

• Professor Sir David Phillips KBE FRS (Chairman)—Professor of Molecular Biophysics, University of Oxford.
• Professor E. Ash CBE FRS FEng—Rector, Imperial College, University of London.
• Professor R. L. Bell CB—Director-General of ADAS, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
• Professor Margaret Boden FBA—Professor of Philosophy and Psychology, University of Sussex.
• Dr. R. F. Coleman—Chief Engineer and Scientist, Department of Trade and Industry.
• Sir Roger Elliott FRS—Secretary to the Delegates and Chief Executive, Oxford University Press.
• Mr. J. Fairclough FEng—Chief Scientific Adviser, Cabinet Office.
• Dr. D. J. Fisk—Chief Scientist, Department of the Environment.
• Mr. J. S. Flemming—Executive Director, Bank of England.
• Professor J. L. Knill—Chairman, Natural Environment Research Council.
• Professor June Lloyd FRCP—Professor, Institute of Child Health, University of London.
• Professor E. W. J. Mitchell CBE FRS—Chairman, Science and Engineering Research Council.
• Mr. J. R. S. Morris CBE FEng (Deputy Chairman)—Chairman, Brown and Root (UK) Ltd.
• Professor H. Newby—Chairman, Economic and Social Research Council.
• Professor Sir Richard Norman FRS—Scientific Adviser, Department of Energy.
• Professor E. R. Oxburgh, FRS—Chief Scientific Adviser, Ministry of Defence.
• Profesor R. W. O'Grady, CBE—Chief Scientist, Department of Health.
• Sir Charles Reece—formerly Research and Technology Director, ICI.
• Dr. D. A. Rees, FRS—Secretary, Medical Research Council.
• Dr. N. J. Shackleton, FRS—Director of Quaternary Research, University of Cambridge.
• Sir David Smith, FRS—Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of Edinburgh.
• Professor W. D. P. Stewart, DSc, FRSE, FRS—Secretary, Agricultural and Food Research Council.
• Sir Peter Swinnerton-Dyer, KBE, FRS—Chairman, University Grants Committee.
• Sir Francis Tombs, FEng—Chairman, Rolls-Royce Ltd.; Chairman, ACOST.
• Mr. J. M. M. Vereker—Department of Education and Science (Assessor).
• Mr. D. A. Wilkinson—Department of Education and Science (Assessor).

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the remit of the committee of the advisory board for the research councils investigating the funding of the biological sciences in Britain has been extended to include a review of the research councils themselves; and if he will make a statement.

The Advisory Board for the Research Councils announced the following terms of reference for its review of research councils' responsibilities for biological sciences, on 22 June 1988:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to seek powers to privatise the national stud; and if he will make a statement.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been sentenced to be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure in each year since 1959; and if he will state in each case (i) whether they are still detained and (ii) how many years of imprisonment they served before they were released.

[holding answer 9 March 1989]: The information requested on those sentenced to be detained during Her Majesty's pleasure is published annually in "Criminal statistics England and Wales", (table S2.1 (A) of the latest issue, for 1987 Cm. 498) copies of which are in the Library. Information about the length of time detained in institutions other than prison service establishments is not readily available. The average time spent under sentence in prison service establishments by persons detained during Her Majesty's pleasure was between six and a half and seven years for those first released on licence in the years 1978 to 1987.Including those recalled following an earlier release on licence, the population of such detainees held in prison service establishments in England and Wales on 31 December 1988 was about 200. Provision of further information would incur disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of the Thames Valley police as to what were the security arrangements in operation prior to the granting and variations of the firearms certificate issued to the late Michael Ryan for the safekeeping of the rubber stamp of the signature of the appropriate chief officer of police of the Thames Valley police and as to what additional security precautions have been taken concerning such rubber stamps since the Hungerford tragedy.

No. Arrangements for the safekeeping of office equipment are a matter entirely for individual chief officers of police.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the number of hours of broadcast programmes which (a) are subtitled and (b) have a sign language interpreter on (i) BBC1, (ii) BBC2, (iii) ITV and (iv) Channel 4 in the last year.

I understand that the BBC and IBA broadcast respectively approximately 1,650 and 1,560 hours of subtitled programmes last year for reception on teletext sets. No precise information is available on open-caption sub-titling or on signing.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the number of hours of broadcast programmes on (a) BBC1, (b) BBC2, (c) ITV, (d) Channel 4, (e) BBC Radio and (f) independent local radio, which are specifically directed at people with disabilities, during the last year.

I understand that the number of hours of such programmes broadcast last year on BBC television, ITV and Channel 4, and on BBC radio were approximately 40, 35 and 53 respectively. In addition, many other programmes featured items directed both at people with disabilities and at the general audience. No precise information is available for independent local radio.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the names of the chief constables of Leicestershire since 1959 and the years they served in that capacity.

The information requested by the hon. Member is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to the frequency of subject access requests to police forces from drivers in connection with applications for taxi driving licences.

None. Applicants for subject access under the Data Protection Act are not required to state the reasons for their application.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to release data subjects from the obligation to apply to police forces for subject access under the terms of the Data Protection Act to procure information for transmission to a third party; and if he will make a statement.

No. There is no such obligation under the Data Protection Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his most recent estimate of the number of people benefiting from £5 concessionary television licences.

The concessionary licence fee is now payable per household, rather than per individual. It is estimated that on 31 January 1989 about 808,500 people in 634,110 households were covered by the concessionary licence.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the change in the number of people who would qualify for a concessionary television licence as a result of changes in the qualifying regulations effective from May 1988.

It is not possible to estimate the change in the number of people who may be able to qualify for the concessionary licence. No one who had the concession before May 1988 lost it as a result of the change in the regulations. Since May 1988 the number of people covered by the licence has increased by about 44,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how local authority sheltered housing provided from conversion of tower blocks into vertical warden schemes with a flat dedicated for communal use will be treated in respect of the concessionary television licence scheme.

Tower blocks are treated in the same way as any other sheltered housing schemes, and can qualify for the concessionary licence provided they satisfy the conditions set out in the regulations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, pursuant to his answer of 23 February, Official Report, column 765, he will update the 1985–86 review of the arrangements to sell the electoral register to include consideration of (a) the ability of the electoral registrar being able to access copies of the information held by the community charge officer and (b) the restriction placed on the sale of the extract of the community charge register; if he will publish the 1985–86 review; and if he will make a statement.

To the first part of the question the answer is no, for the reasons given in my previous answer. Copies of the consultation paper which instituted the 1985–86 review were deposited in the Library in December 1984; subsequently, regulations authorising the supply of the register in computer-compatible form were debated in the Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments on 21 January 1986.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been brought against police forces for non-compliance with the Sex Discrimination Act 1975; and if he will make a statement.

Complaints alleging non-compliance with the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 are dealt with under the civil law by applications to industrial tribunals. I understand from the Equal Opportunities Commission that it is not possible to identify applications made against police forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the implications for community programming of proposals outlined in the White Paper, "Broadcasting in the '90s: Competition, Choice and Quality".

We have now had over 2,700 responses to the broadcasting White Paper, including a number from charities, voluntary organisations and other organisations with a particular interest in community programming. We are considering very carefully all the responses we have received.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of time police officers are suspended from duty awaiting the results of investigations into alleged disciplinary offences in (a) Cheshire police, (b) Greater Manchester police and (c) Merseyside police; how many police officers are currently suspended from duty for this reason in each of the three forces; and, over the past five years, how many of those suspended have subsequently had no charges or disciplinary action taken against them.

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has authorised the setting up of an isolation area in the hospital wing at Her Majesty's prison, Winson Green, for prisoners known to be HIV positive.

Birmingham is one of a number of prison service establishments with medical facilities which the director of prison medical services considers to be suitable for the care, support and (when necessary for their own protection) isolation of prisoners with AIDS-related illness or other infectious conditions.