asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will take the necessary steps to enable the Vietnamese refugees accommodated in Ministry of Defence premises on Thorney Island to make active and productive use of Ministry of Defence buildings on the island which are at present unused and empty.

In October 1979 the site of Thorney Island was transferred on loan to the Home Office for two years for use as a reception centre for Vietnamese refugees. The Home Office has already brought into use all the buildings required for that purpose. During the coining months the refugees temporarily resident at Thorney Island will be reduced from about 700 to none. On 18th October the site will revert to the Ministry of Defence, who intend it for use by the Army.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many persons were compulsorily detained in psychiatric hospitals or units on the advice of port medical inspectors at Heathrow in the calendar years 1979 and 1980 respectively.

In 1979, 47 and in 1980, 43 persons were compulsorily detained in psychiatric hospitals following arrival at Heathrow Airport. The procedure requires a recommendation from a doctor approved under Section 28 of the Mental Health Act 1959 together with a supporting medical recommendation, which in these cases was usually given by a medical inspector of immigrants.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What would be the approximate net cost to the Exchequer of lowering the retirement age for men from 65 to 64, taking into account any consequential savings in unemployment benefit.

If the pension age for men were reduced to 64, it is estimated that the net cost to Government funds for a full year, at November 1980 rates, would be in the order of £300 million. This estimate takes account of the savings resulting from consequential vacancies expected to be filled by people on the unemployment register.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have any information to suggest that the provisions of the Congenital Disabilities (Civil Liability) Act 1976 have been invoked since this Act was passed into law; and, if so, how often, and with what result.

No.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the medical referee in Dacca who conducts age estimations by the use of X-rays uses the Greulich-Pyle method or Tanner Whitehouse I or Tanner Whitehouse II or some other method; and if the latter, whether they will state the name of the method used.

The medical adviser concerned (who is Professor of Special Radiology and Vice-President of Dacca Medical College) uses tables drawn up by Dr. Basu and Dr. Gallstone. These are based on research in Calcutta and are included in Modi's Medical Jurisprudence, published in India.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many cases prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions in the last three calendar years were cases in which he might have asked the Attorney-General to authorise a jury check under the terms of the latter's Guidelines dated 31st July, 1980, in how many such cases was an application made and in how many was it granted?

It is not possible to give entirely accurate figures as the Director of Public Prosecutions does not keep a separate record of cases in which an application for a jury check might have been made under the terms of the Attorney's Guidelines. Those which are available are given in the table below. These figures are for offences under Sections 1 and 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911 and offences involving national security under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976 and Sections 2 and 3 of the Explosive Substances Act 1883. Where offences were charged under more than one of these Acts the case has been counted once only. Figures are not available for terrorist murders or attempted murders allegedly committed otherwise than by the use of explosive substances, for the unlawful possession of explosives (Section 4) or for offences under the Firearms Act. It is believed that there cannot be more than one or two cases involving such offences in which applications could have been made but which are not incorporated in the table. All cases in which applications have been made have been included.