asked Her Majesty's Government:How long Mr. N. J. B. Evans spent at each of the posts he visited on the Indian sub-continent in connection with the Yellowlees inquiry into the medical examination of immigrants, and why no reports of his visit were included in the Yellowlees Report.

In connection with his report to Sir Henry Yellowlees, Dr. N. J. B. Evans spent seven days in Bangladesh (of which one day was spent in Sylhet and the remainder in Dacca), seven days in India (of which two days were in Bombay and the remainder in Delhi) and four days in Pakistan (of which one day was spent visiting Mirpur and the remainder in Islamabad). The report incorporates the outcome of the visit overseas—for example, in the review of current examination procedures (paragraphs 3.1 to 3.6), and the discussion of the use of x-rays for estimating age (Appendix 1)—and also of the inquiries Sir Henry and Dr. Evans made in this country.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What new information they hope to discover by means of the "New Smoking Survey" currently being carried out by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, and what will be the total cost to public funds of this exercise.

The aims of the "New Smoking Survey" are to gauge the extent to which attitudes to smoking have changed since a similar national survey was carried out in 1964; to assess the determinants, nature and relative importance of the various beliefs which influence smoking behaviour; to provide information about the effects of price, advertising and health education in shaping attitudes and behaviour; and to explore the factors which bring a smoker to the point of giving up the habit. The estimated cost to public funds of the survey is £245,000.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the amount of Nigeria's outstanding debt:

Current payments due to Her Majesty's Government include:—1. (

asked Her Majesty's Government:With regard to the reported 200,000 strength of Nigeria's standing Army, what is the percentage ratio of its defence expenditure to its gross national product; and what is the similar ratio for the United Kingdom.

The latest figures available from the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency refer to 1977 and show that Nigerian defence expenditure was 4·2 per cent. of GNP; while in the same year the figure for the United Kingdom was 4·8 per cent.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will take the initiative to secure financial and technical aid from the EEC and the United Nations to enable the distribution of the surpluses of maize in Zimbabwe to the neighbouring countries of Zambia and Tanzania, which are in danger of famine.

We have raised the matter within the Community, and the Commission will consider the possibility of buying maize in Zimbabwe in response to the needs of other African countries under the 1981 food aid programme. We ourselves mean to buy 7,000 tonnes of maize in Zimbabwe as food aid for Zambia under our bilateral share of the Community's programme.We understand that the World Food Programme of the United Nations and other international agencies are also in touch with the Government of Zimbabwe about possible uses for its maize surpluses.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will confirm that they will press for the exclusion of all cider with an alcoholic strength of less than 6½ per cent. from the proposed EEC regulations on harmonization of excise duty.

The existing excise duty provides for a single rate of duty on all cider of an alcoholic strength of up to 8·7 per cent. It is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to maintain this structure unchanged or virtually unchanged.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware that the recently created centralised computer centres are the latest focal point of disruptive strike action in the public services, and what safeguards will be introduced against this growing threat to public administration and the machinery of government in future plans for highly concentrated and vulnerable centres of new technology.

The Government are fully aware of the potential of some existing computer installations as focal points of disruptive action. Responsibility for devising safeguards against such threats rests with each individual department. The Civil Service Department will continue to advise and to draw attention to the need to plan new systems in the light of foreseeable contingencies, and to strike a balance between the risks involved and the long-term cost-effectiveness of such systems.House adjourned at eighteen minutes past eight o'clock.