asked Her Majesty's Government:How many grey seal pups of the 1,200 licensed to be taken in Orkney were harvested in the 1980 season, and whether they will make a statement on the claims that this quota was exceeded.

Of the quota of 1,200 moulted grey seal pups licensed by the Secretary of State to be taken in 1980, 1,195 were taken. On the basis of the returns from the licensed hunters and the checks made by my department, I have no evidence that the quota was exceeded.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why skinned corpses of grey seals were found on Muckle Greenholm in 1980, despite the fact that no licence was issued to kill grey seals on this island.

I confirm that no licence to take moulted grey seal pups was issued in respect of Muckle Greenholm in 1980. I am aware, however, that allegations have been made that grey seal pups were taken on the island and these have been reported to the police.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will confirm that no records were kept of specimens of species listed under Appendices I or II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) which were released from the Customs area of the port of entry either to proceed directly to another port for exit purposes or for keeping for a period of time at some other premises in the United Kingdom.

I confirm that no permanent records are kept from which statistics could be compiled. However, a temporary record is kept of each item in the course of transhipment to ensure that it is finally exported.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will make a statement on procedures followed in the case of specimens of species listed on Appendix I or II of CITES but which have no import licence, but which are released from the Customs area of the port of entry in order either to proceed directly to another port for exit purposes or to be retained for an indefinite period prior to re-export at some other premises in the United Kingdom; and whether they will make a further statement on what safeguards and supervision are carried out in order to ensure that the same specimen is exported and no international dealings occur within the period during which the animal is kept within the United Kingdom.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) specifically excludes specimens in transit and transhipment from its restrictive provisions. This is reflected in the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act 1976 which gives effect to the convention in the United Kingdom.Goods coming within the scope of that Act, which covers all the species listed in Appendices I and II of CITES, may pass in transit through the United Kingdom under the normal transit and transhipment controls operated by HM Customs and Excise. I am satisfied that the procedures in operation provide adequate safeguards against any abuse of either the CITES provisions or the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act 1976.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the latest number of junior attendance centres in England and Wales; and of these, how many are for boys and how many are mixed centres for boys and girls.

There are now 101 junior attendance centres in England and Wales for offenders aged 10 and under 17. Of these, 92 are for boys only, 6 are for girls only, and 3 are mixed centres for boys and girls.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their attitude to the statement of the United States Secretary of State that the Reagan Administration would very probably wish to use the neutron bomb; and whether they will oppose its use in discussions with the United States Government and within NATO.

The deployment in Europe of enhanced radiation weapons is clearly one of many possibilities that the new United States Administration may wish to consider, but we have not been asked to look at any new proposal. The United States Defense Secretary said at the press conference to which the noble Lord referred that the allies would be fully consulted before any decision. We should wish to look at all the factors, military and political, and discuss them with the United States and our other allies before taking a view on any specific proposals.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, bearing in mind that the deployment of the neutron atomic weapon is coming under discussion, they will confirm that for a given neutron yield its blast effect is still substantial; and how its fallout and radiation compares with existing atomic weapons.

All nuclear weapons produce energy in four forms—blast, prompt nuclear radiation, thermal radiation and fallout (delayed nuclear radiation). In an enhanced radiation weapon, the so-called "neutron bomb", the proportion of prompt nuclear radiation is increased, but a substantial amount of the total energy produced is still in the other three forms.

ask Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to publish the report by Mr. D. Caplan on the work of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts prepared in 1980 and what action they propose to take in pursuance of it.

The Civil Service Department invited Mr. Caplan to conduct a limited inquiry with the following terms of reference:

"To examine the work of the Royal Commission and to report and make recommendations with a view to establishing:—

(a) whether there is a case for its continued existence; and

(b) if so, whether any of its existing functions could more effectively and economically be undertaken by other bodies, e.g. the British Library".

I have accepted the principal recommendation of the report, namely that the work done by the commission should continue, but that it would be right to reconsider the role of the Royal Commission itself in the light of whatever decisions may be taken on the findings of the Committee on Public Records.I will wait until I have seen the report of that committee before taking things further.House adjourned at ten minutes before eleven o'clock.