asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they accept any, and which, of the recommendations under the heading "Services to Prisoners" contained in the Report

The Government accept in principle all the recommendations in the section "Services to Prisoners". Governors and the public library authorities which provide services to Prison Service establishments were so notified in October 1978.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will estimate the loss of revenue resulting from the exemption from capital gains tax of the sale of owner occupied housing.

The figure of £1.5 billion contained in Table 16 on page 25 of the Public Expenditure White Paper (Cmnd 7439) is the best estimate of the cost of this exemption. But I would emphasise that this figure is subject to a wide margin of error.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What per cent. of the gross national product was spent by public authorities nationally and locally in the United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, Canada and Japan at the latest convenient period.

The percentage of the gross national product spent by public authorities nationally and locally in the United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, Canada and Japan in 1976 was as follows:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the report on the survey of horse auction sales has now been completed, and whether it will be published as part of their policy for more open Government.

I am glad to be able to tell the noble Lord that the survey has been completed and to assure him that its results are to be made public in due course.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will update the information they gave to him on 28th June 1978 on the numbers of children taking school dinners and the numbers receiving free school dinners.

In October 1978, 5·1 million pupils in maintained schools in England, 65·9 per cent. of those present, took school dinners. Of these, 1·1 million, representing 13·9 per cent. of those present, received dinners free of charge.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many of the Probation and After-Care Service are at present employed in prison department establishments in England and Wales; and how far this total falls short of the approved complement.

On 31st December 1978 there were 398 probation officers seconded to Prison Service establishments against an authorised complement of 440. About a quarter of the vacancies are in establishments temporarily out of commission or not yet commissioned. The other main reason for vacancies is that probation officers are seconded to these duties for limited periods and intervals may occur when there is an exchange of staff.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it is their aim to bring farmhouse cider production to an end; what grants are available for the plantation and cultivation of cider orchards; and to what extent official statistics show that farmhouse cider making has declined over the last 10 years.

Her Majesty's Government believe that farmhouse cider production has its part to play in the cider industry. To this end small farm-house cider producers were exempted from payment of excise duty in 1976 by my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. As regards grants, cider apple growers are eligible for the same wide range of capital items as any other horticulturalists under the Farm and Horticulture Development Scheme and the Horticulture Capital Grant Scheme, provided that the rules of eligibility of the schemes are met. As the noble Lord is already aware, official statistics do not distinguish between farmhouse cider makers and others.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many of the Central Policy Review Staff have qualifications in the languages of the EEC; have served in the institutions of the EEC; have visited the institutions of the EEC while working in the CPRS; have, as their main task, the responsibility of studying developments in the EEC.

All current members of the CPRS possess a working knowledge of at least one of the languages of the EEC besides English, and hold a basic qualification; some have considerable fluency in a language but without formal advanced qualification.No current member of the CPRS has served in an institution of the EEC, but visits to them have been made by members whose work has required it, both before and during their CPRS service.Appropriate developments within EEC are taken into account when they affect areas under study by the CPRS.House adjourned at five minutes past ten o'clock.