asked Her Majesty's Government:How many applicants for special quota vouchers face prison sentences in their present countries of residence unless they are able to leave, as stated in a letter from the British Embassy in Pretoria dated 17th May 1977, reference 6428/77.

I am making inquiries of our Overseas Posts and I will write to the noble Lord when the information has been received.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many persons have been granted special quota vouchers on the grounds that they face expulsion from their countries of residence because they no longer have residence permits, or on the grounds that they are destitute, since 22nd November 1977 when the British Embassy in Pretoria stated that priority was given to such persons, in a letter reference 6428/77.

I am making inquiries of our Overseas Posts and I will write to the noble Lord when the information has been received.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many applications were made for special quota vouchers by United Kingdom passport holders in Rhodesia in 1977 and 1978 to the latest convenient date respectively; how many such applications are now outstanding; how many applications were determined in 1978 to the latest convenient date; and what was the decision in each case.

The Embassy in Pretoria have been asked for these details and I will write to the noble Lord as soon as the information is received.

asked Her Majesty's Government:On what dates the applications were made in respect of quota vouchers issued to United Kingdom passport holders resident in India in November 1978, and how this compares with the delay for vouchers issued in November 1977.

Applicants in India who received their quota vouchers in November 1977 had waited approximately three and a half years for them. Those now receiving their quota vouchers have waited approximately four years.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether any Departments or agencies of government are used to provide prostitutes for official visitors to this country from overseas.

I am not aware of any Department or agency of government being used to provide such services. If the noble Lord has any evidence to the contrary perhaps he would like to let me know.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there is any reason for the current situation under which a British driver's licence is accepted as authority to obtain a French driver's licence and a French driver's licence is not accepted in the United Kingdom as authority for granting a British driver's licence.

Qualifying standards for driving licences—and especially driving test standards—vary widely from country to country. Our standards are certainly among the highest and the holder of a foreign driving licence may be someone who would not enjoy the same full entitlement in this country. Our law therefore provides that to earn a particular United Kingdom entitlement everyone must satisfy our conditions and pass our driving test. Laws in some other countries, including France, do not have the same effect.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the delays in dealing with complaints made by British citizens in Zambia of difficulty in obtaining exchange for remitting abroad in accordance with contractual arrangements have now been rectified.

A number of people are still experiencing serious delays in transferring money from Zambia as a result of the critical lack of foreign exchange. As I explained in my statement of the 2nd day of November, we have recently agreed to purchase £20 million worth of Zambian copper. The Zambians have agreed that some of this money will be used to reduce the backlog of personal remittances. We hope that this will lead to an improvement in the situation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the area of the South Atlantic in respect of which they have authorised a seismic survey of hydrocarbon resources.

The seismic lines "shot" by Western Geophysical and Texas Instruments during their surveys of the Continental Shelf around the Falkland Islands centred on the Falkland Islands and covered an area of approximately 200,000 square miles.House adjourned at thirteen minutes before eleven o'clock.