asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in view of the long duration and heavy cost of appeals in cases where the Charity Commissioners decline an application for charity status, particularly when the intention on both sides is to resolve an acknowledged doubt, they will consider some new process of determining the legitimacy of such applications.

The Government do not believe that it would be practicable to devise alternative arrangements.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list all raids conducted since 1st January 1980 by officers of the Metropolitan Police and immigration officers other than those mentioned in the Question of 28th October 1980 (col. 392) giving the number of persons taken into custody, and within the totals, the number of United Kingdom citizens, the number charged with offences under the immigration laws, the number detained as illegal entrants under the powers of the Immigration Act 1971, the number found guilty of offences against the immigration laws, the number deported without being charged with any offence, the number whose cases have still to be dealt with, and the total number of police and immigration man-hours involved respectively.

Information is available only for the period up to 31st December 1980. The operations mentioned in reply to the Question of 28th October 1980 (col. 392) were the only major operations conducted by the police and the immigration service jointly during 1980. 891 illegal entrants were detected within the Metropolitan Police District during 1980. This figure includes those apprehended in the three operations referred to previously but is largely the result of individual inquiries conducted by the police and the immigration service. Statistics are not maintained in respect of individual police forces of persons charged with offences under the immigration laws, including overstaying or of those deported administratively under Section 3(5) of the Immigration Act 1971. It is not possible to calculate the number of man-hours involved in these various inquiries by either the police or the immigration service.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will give an assurance that the right to fair comment on matters of public interest will always be upheld for the religious leaders of all Churches and denominations particularly when they come under attack from minority pressure groups with commercial interests in curtailing moral counselling which emphasises the right to live of the disabled, the fragile, the elderly, and healthy unborn babies.

The Government fully uphold everybody's right to fair comment on these matters.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many prosecutions have been brought in the magistrates' courts in respect of alleged breaches of Section 55 (control of works for demolition, alteration or extension of listed buildings) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 in each of the years 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980; how many of these prosecutions were successful; and what were the total fines imposed; andHow many prosecutions have been brought in the Crown Courts in respect of alleged breaches of Section 55 (control of works for demolition, alteration or extension of listed buildings) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 in each of the years 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980; how many of these prosecutions were successful; and what were the total fines imposed.

Central records available to me on proceedings at magistrates' courts do not separately identify such prosecutions. Those on proceedings at the Crown Court show no defendants tried for this offence in the period 1976–79. However, since such prosecutions may be brought other than by the police, these records may be incomplete.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will include in their further review of industrial relations and trade union practices in the European Communities a study of the technique and effectiveness of the recently reported "strike in reverse" (

We are always ready to learn from overseas experience bearing in mind that it is not always possible to transplant industrial relations practices from one country to another.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What funds are allocated in 1981–82 to help train young people under the age of 25 for jobs.

Of the total grant-in-aid allocated by the Manpower Services Commission for the 1981–82 financial year (£889·7 million) £383 million is expected to be devoted directly to the training of young people under the age of 25 for jobs.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish in the

The information for which the noble Lord asks is to be found in Table 4.11 of the 1981 Public Expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 8175) and Table 13 of the 1981 Financial Statement and Budget Report.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What sums have been paid out in the last three years by the Export Credits Guarantee Department in respect of cancelled contracts, defaults and other losses arising from the export of arms and military equipment.

Details of transactions under guarantees given by ECGD in respect of arms sales are included in the Trading Accounts of the Export Credits Guarantee Department. Over the three financial years to 31st March 1980, claims payments under guarantees totalled £26,678,000. In those same years, recoveries of payments under guarantees were £6,791,000. Further recoveries on claims paid will be made. Figures for the financial year to 31st March 1981 are not yet available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the net increase in the number of households in England and Wales in each year from 1975 to 1980 and what estimates are available of likely annual increases during the years 1981 to 1985.

The information is not available exactly in the form requested. Estimates of the numbers of households in England and Wales for the nearest available years are:

asked Her Majesty's Government:What proportion of the 230,000 "difficult-to-let" council houses and flats they consider to be suitable for occupation by single people, whether individually or sharing, and whether they will issue guidance to local authorities on the best uses of this major asset.

Local authorities have reported that the number of difficult-to-let dwellings on 1st April 1980 was 263,000, most of which were occupied. How many are suitable for renting to single people is for each authority to assess as part of the management of its stock. No central estimates are available.The Government are concerned that the best use is made of council housing and have already issued a paper (

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether their attention has been drawn to the statement in a leaflet published by the Nationwide Festival of Light which lists the Health Education Council among other bodies and alleges that "None of these bodies is favourable to the Christian way of life"; and what action they propose to take.

Ministers had not previously been shown the statement to which the noble Lord draws attention because it was regarded as being too absurd to warrant the expenditure of ministerial time.House adjourned at six o'clock.