to ask Her Majesty's Government:How many of the 3,000 applications by dependants overseas seeking settlement in the United Kingdom which were referred to adjudicators in 1979 were successful, and how many were referred and are still not resolved respectively.

The figure of 3,000 quoted in paragraph 4 of the discussion document on the Review of Appeals under the Immigration Act 1971 related to cases (where one case may involve several appellants) and was an estimate only. The table below shows, for 1979 and successive years, the total number of appeals referred to an adjudicator against a decision to refuse an entry clearance for settlement, the total number of such appeals disposed of in each year, and of these, the number where the appellant was successful. It is not possible to say how many of the successful appeals in each year were referred to an adjudicator in 1979, nor how many such appeals are still not resolved, although it is thought that the number in the latter category is low.

to ask Her Majesty's Government:What is the average cost of maintaining a prisoner in England and Wales and in Northern Ireland.

The average weekly cost of maintaining a person in custody in England and Wales and in Northern Ireland in 1979–80, the latest year for which information is available, was £136 and £255 respectively.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the cause of the delay in honouring the terms of the commercial co-operation agreement entered into by the EEC and Yugoslavia last year, and whether they will seek its early implementation.

There is no delay in implementing the commercial provisions of the agreement; they took effect on 1st July 1980, under the terms of an interim agreement which did not require ratification.Implementation of the full provisions of the co-operation agreement must however await its ratification by all the Community member states and by Yugoslavia. Ratification by several parties is still outstanding; in the United Kingdom the Government hope that it will be completed shortly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the instructions to medical officers in the Yellowlees Report are still current and, if not, whether they will publish the latest version.

Re-drafting of the written instructions and advice to medical inspectors and referees must await completion of the consideration currently being given to the Yellowlees Report.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps they are taking to ensure that poultry producers in the United Kingdom are not subjected to unfair competition from Brittany.

We are concerned to ensure that the industry in the United Kingdom can compete on reasonable terms. We are pressing in Brussels for the harmonisation of hygiene inspection arrangements in the poultry sector and action by the Commission in relation to French national aids. The Government are also considering what action might be appropriate pending the reaching of satisfactory long-term solutions to these problems in Brussels.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will make representations to the Commission of the EEC so that smaller vessels are eligible for grants.

The latest European Community grants for the construction and modernisation of fishing vessels have already provided eligibility for vessels down to 20 feet in length.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps are being taken to make it worthwhile to export sheepmeat from Britain to the rest of the EEC.

We have made it clear to the Commission that we are looking to them to find, and to implement urgently, satisfactory means of fulfilling their obligation to solve the problems raised by the clawback arrangements which are adversely affecting our export trade in sheepmeat.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they expect to be able to complete the work necessary to assess the feasibility of introducing different close seasons for individual scallop fisheries.

Government scientists are considering various measures which could help to conserve scallop stocks including the establishment of closed seasons for individual fisheries. However this work has not yet been completed and I am therefore not in a position to make a statement. Any national measures would need to be consistent with EEC rules on fish conservation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will make available the report by Mr. D. Caplan on the work of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts.

Copies of the report have today been placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament, together with the comments of the Royal Commission. Copies may be obtained, on request, from the Library of the Civil Service Department.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the increase of 3 per cent. per annum in defence expenditure to which the Minister of State for Defence referred in answer to questions on 2nd June 1981 (col. 1109) is additional to the annual increase agreed for all members of NATO in 1977; and whether they will state the percentage of GNP devoted to defence by each member of NATO.

The NATO agreement, first reached in 1977, is to aim for real increases in defence spending in the region of 3 per cent. a year. Real increases so far since this government came into office and our plans for the future are consistent with this aim and not additional to it. On the second part of the Question, NATO has for some years collected information only in relation to GDP. The percentage of GDP devoted to defence by each member of NATO (except Luxembourg and Iceland) is shown in Figure 19 of Volume 1 of the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1981. (Cmnd. 8212-I.)House adjourned at two minutes before ten o'clock.