asked Her Majesty's Government:When they expect to approve loan arrangements so that Portugal can buy three frigates built in British yards, thereby adding to job prospects and to the strength of NATO.

The possibility of providing assistance for Portugal in connection with her frigate programme is still under consideration.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will explain the discrepancy in the figures of the Licensing Compensation Fund, which the Erroll Committee quoted in December 1972 as £4·2 million, but Her Majesty's Government stated on 20th July 1978 as £3·8 million.

The figure of £3·8 million which my noble friend Lord Wells-Pestell mentioned on 20th July was based on the annual returns received from compensation authorities, which show a total of £,796,861·54 held in the funds on 31st December 1976, the latest date for which information is at present available. Returns received in 1972 showed a total of £3,384,630·68 held on 31st December 1971. I am inquiring into the basis of the larger figure quoted by the Erroll Committee, and I will write to the noble Earl when I am able to let him have some information on that point.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the traffic separation schemes, established by the Soviet Union, and listed in Notice 17 in the

The scheme at the Southern Approaches to the Kerch-Yenikale strait was approved by IMCO on 15th May 1978. The other schemes have not been submitted to IMCO hut, as they are either wholly or largely in Soviet territorial waters, they do not require IMCO's approval. The latter schemes are recommended for use by all ships and are not mandatory. It would be for the Soviet Government to say why they have not been made so.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will indicate the progress made to date in implementing paragraph 4 of Section 11

The noble Lord no doubt has in mind the communique issued after the conference of Ministers of the Interior of the European Economic Community on 29th June 1976 at which it was agreed among other things to promote exchanges of police personnel among Member States to ensure greater familiarity with the organisation and working methods of police forces in different countries and also that there should be a greater exchange of information on police training.Chief officers were informed by Home Office circular of the outcome of this conference and there is no doubt that they are becoming increasingly aware of the value of exchange visits with police forces in the EEC. However as central records of exchange visits are not maintained the total number of United Kingdom police officers who have paid visits to forces in other member countries is not known. In a more limited context more than 100 police officers attending the most senior command course at the Police College, Bramshill, have made study visits to police forces in other EEC countries since 1973 and steps arc being taken to encourage officers from EEC countries to attend this course.With regard to exchange of information on training, heads of police academies in the EEC met at Bramshill in November 1977 to discuss the content and techniques of command training. A further conference is to be convened in Paris in November 1978 to examine the task of the police in the social community and its implications for personnel training. Member States have also agreed to establish a working group of officials and serving police officers which will be charged with organising training conferences and with promoting the exchange of specialist personnel and training information. The United Kingdom will be represented on this working group which is expected to meet for the first time in September 1978.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the report of the Inquiry made into the proposal to set up a Community Council in the districts of the City of Edinburgh will be made known.

The decision on the report of the Inquiry was conveyed to the City of Edinburgh District Council on 19th July and published in the Press on 20th July.My right honourable friend decided to modify the scheme submitted by the District Council, so that it now provides for 55 community councils within the whole area of the District.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the result of the consideration given to the quota of Indo-Chinese refugees admissible to this country as referred to on 12th December 1977 by Lord Goronwy-Roberts (

Following an international appeal by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Her Majesty's Government agreed to accept for permanent settlement in the United Kingdom 116 Indo-Chinese small boat refugees. However, before that quota had been fully taken up, there was evidence that several South-East Asian countries were refusing permission to disembark to small boat refugees rescued on the high seas by passing ships; they would only do so if the country of registration of the rescuing vessel gave an undertaking to accept for permanent settlement any such refugees who had not been settled elsewhere within an agreed period. My right honourable friend recently decided the where the rescuing vessel was registered at a port in the United Kingdom such an undertaking would be given where it was required. It is not intended that this commitment should be numerically limited by way of a quota. To date 258 small boat refugees, all Vietnamese, have been accepted for permanent settlement in the United Kingdom.A total of 153 Cambodians have been accepted as refugees in the United Kingdom; this includes those who were already here at the time of the Communist takeover of Cambodia and those accepted as refugees on the basis of some tie or connection with this country. Such applications will continue to receive sympathetic consideration without regard to numerical limitations. Another form of assistance has been provided by the Government's recently announced contribution of £1 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for his special operations in Thailand and other countries of South East Asia.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress Lord Shackleton is making in his review of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) legislation.

My right honourable friend the Home Secretary has now received the report from my noble friend Lord Shackleton and has made arrangements for it to be printed and published as soon as possible.House adjourned for the Summer Recess at four minutes before one o'clock until Tuesday, 24th October 1978.