asked Her Majesty's Government:What would be the approximate saving in the cost of the Inland Revenue Department if corporation tax were to be abolished.

On a broad attribution to corporation tax of the Inland Revenue's costs of administering the taxes on income, profits and capital gains, the estimated saving would be of the order of £18 million.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have prepared to ensure the survival of farmhouse cider production.

I have no evidence that any special measures are needed to ensure the survival of farmhouse cider production beyond those introduced in 1976 by my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he exempted small farmhouse cider producers from payment of duty.

asked Her Majesty's Government:To list all loans received from the European Investment Bank; to state the rate of interest in each case; and to show, for each year since accession, the amount lent to private and public undertakings.

Between 1st January 1973 and 31st December 1977 the European Investment Bank granted loans in the United Kingdom totalling £879 million.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What proportion of the total yield of corporate taxation is paid:

The available information analysed by size of profit relates to the amount charged, after allowances and various reliefs, to corporation tax and not by size of company. In very broad terms there are roughly 150 companies in the largest size group identified in this analysis and these companies account for some 40 per cent. of the total yield of corporation tax.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

The value of expropriated British-owned assets, as registered by claimants with the British Embassy in Maputo, is approximately £6,042,000.Shortly after Decree Law 5/76 was passed in February 1976, under which some United Kingdom assets were expropriated, Her Majesty's Ambassador in Maputo informed the Government of Mozambique of the right of the British to claim prompt, adequate and effective compensation. In February 1977 the Mozambican Government was asked to "declare its intentions with regard to compensation for British property expropriated under the terms of the Decree Law". Our Embassy have raised the matter on a number of occasions.Development assistance has been disbursed progressively since the agreement for the initial £5 million programme loan was signed in August 1976. However, we regard compensation for expropriated property as a separate issue from the provision of development assistance.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are in touch with the USA and USSR concerning negotiations for the control of international trade in conventional weapons.

We remain in constant touch with many Governments, including the USA and USSR, about disarmament questions, including as appropriate the control of conventional arms transfers. We have been pressing for some time for international discussions aimed at halting the build up of conventional weapons throughout the world. We have included proposals on this subject in the draft we put forward in New York on 1st February for the Programme of Action to be adopted by the forthcoming United Nations Special Session on Disarmament, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have yet prepared instructions for the United Kingdom representatives to the United Nations Special Session on Disarmament in the spring of 1978; and when the British position will be made public.

We have drawn up a plan setting out both the most urgent measures needed in disarmament and the steps required for further progress thereafter. Our plan, which we have tried to make comprehensive yet specific and practical, includes new suggestions, notably for the adoption in other parts of the world of confidence building measures of the type that exist in Europe. We have also called for important studies by the United Nations, including one on the strengthening of the peace-keeping capability of the organisation. With other Western States as co-sponsors, we put forward this plan in the United Nations on 1st February in the form of a draft for the Programme of Action which is likely to be the most important document adopted by the Special Session. A copy is in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How their attitude at the United Nations Special Session on Disarmament is to be reconciled with their sponsorship of the second British Army Equipment Exhibition at Aldershot in June 1978.

The Government believe that the only satisfactory way of limiting the worldwide build-up of conventional arms is by multilateral agreement between suppliers and customers. Proposals on this are included in the draft for the Programme of Action to be adopted by the Special Session on Disarmament which we and other Western States put forward in the United Nations on 1st February. A copy is in the Library of the House. Pending multilateral agreements on conventional arms limitations, we think it right to continue to export limited quantitites of defence equipment to friendly countries under strict controls. The British Army Equipment Exhibition will play a small role in this process, by demonstrating the types of equipment available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware that an international arms exhibition planned for Miami, Florida, in May 1978 has already been cancelled because of opposition from local citizens.

I am advised that such an exhibition has been postponed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What decision has been finally reached concerning the sale of armoured personnel carriers to the Government of E1 Salvador, and what effect such a sale might have on the situation between Guatemala and Belize.

As announced on 19th January, Her Majesty's Government have cancelled contracts signed in 1977 for the supply of armoured vehicles to E1 Salvador. In view of the cancellation the question of the effect of a sale on the situation between Guatemala and Belize does not arise.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

(a) No decision on closure has yet been taken. The Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth Area Health Authority (Teaching) propose to issue a consultative document in the near future.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the parents of the 13-year old girl and her 16-year old brother, both wrongfully prosecuted in September 1977 under Section 58 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, have now received an apology direct from the Director of Public Prosecutions and have been officially notified of the free pardon recommended by the Home Office.

I understand that the Director of Public Prosecutions has had no correspondence with the parents of the young people concerned but the Assistant Director, in reply to a letter from Mrs. Diane Munday of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, acknowledged and regretted that the advice given by his Department was wrong. The contents of that letter were released to the Press and received national publicity.A letter was sent to the parents of the young people by the Home Office on 11th November 1977 telling them that the Home Secretary had decided to recommend the grant of free pardons to their son and daughter and that these would expunge the finding of guilt from the court and police records.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps are being taken to repeal the first part of Section 58 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861; namely:"Every Woman, being with Child, who, with Intent to procure her own Miscarriage, shall unlawfully administer to herself any Poison or other noxious Thing, or shall unlawfully use any Instrument or other Means whatsoever with the like Intent … shall be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be kept in Penal Servitude for Life or for any Term not less than Three Years, or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Two years, with or without Hard Labour, and with or without Solitary Confinement."

We have no present plans to seek the repeal of this provision.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What non-tariff barriers against British exports to other Member States of the EEC are still in force; and what actions Her Majesty's Government are taking to remove them.

Non-tariff barriers to trade are contrary to the Rome Treaty. They can take many forms such as standards regulations and public procurement practices and it would be impracticable to draw up a list of those which might affect British exports to other Member States of the EEC. The Community has an extensive programme for the elimination of technical barriers to trade in which Her Majesty's Government are playing a full role. In addition, where a British exporter has evidence which suggests that our exports may be suffering because of the operation of a non-tariff barrier, the Government stand ready to pursue the matter with the appropriate authorities in the Member State concerned or with the Commission. The latter currently have under consideration several cases which we have brought to their attention.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish a list of all institutions and organisations to which the United Kingdom accords privileges and immunities.

The diplomatic missions and international organisations with offices in the United Kingdom to which privileges and immunities are accorded in varying degrees are set out in the London Diplomatic List, a quarterly publication which is in your Lordships' Library. In addition, certain limited privileges and immunities are accorded to 488 consular and quasi-consular missions of foreign and Commonwealth countries in the United Kingdom.The following international organisations which do not have offices in the United Kingdom are also accorded privileges and immunities in varying degrees:

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Mr. J. A. L. Barber, Dr. D. A. Bassett, Lord Chorley, Professor J. T. Coppock, Mr. J. R. Hollwey, Mr. K. J. O'Shaughnessy and Mr. A. J. Perry have accepted appointment as members of the Ordnance Review Committee, under the chairmanship of Sir David Serpell, as announced on the 17th January.House adjourned at twenty-two minutes past eight o'clock.