asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will confirm that the Department of Manpower Services in Northern Ireland pay 90 per cent. of the salaries of those employed under the Aid to Community Enterprise (ACE) scheme and a maximum of £240 per person per year towards overhead costs; whether they will state how this compares to funds available from the Manpower Services Commission under the Community Enterprise Programme and any other schemes which encourage the employment of otherwise unemployed adults in the United Kingdom; and whether they agree that the requirement to fund 10 per cent. of the salary bill under the ACE scheme makes it impossible for many potential employers to provide places under it.

Under the Action for Community Employment (ACE) Scheme in Northern Ireland, the Department of Manpower Services contribute 90 per cent. of the gross wage cost (including employers' national insurance contributions) up to a maximum grant of £83 per week for each employee plus a fixed allowance of £240 per annum for each employee as a contribution toward the cost of materials and administration. In Great Britain the Manpower Services Commission provide 100 per cent. funding of wages under the Community Enterprise Programme (up to the same maximum grant of £83 per week) plus an annual grant of up to a maximum of £400 per employee.The differences between the schemes are the result of deliberate decisions taken in Northern Ireland which allow the advantages of ensuring a genuine commitment by sponsors, maintaining administrative simplicity and providing as many jobs as possible within the resources available. Since the scheme was introduced on 1st April 1981 the Department of Manpower Services have approved 377 places and are currently considering a further 128 places. In addition, 24 potential sponsors have indicated their intention to submit applications covering a further 130 places. This response clearly demonstrates the attraction and value of the scheme in its present form, indicating that the target of 500 places in the current year will be achieved.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress was made in the implementation by the USSR and Eastern European countries of the provisions of the Helsinki Final Act during the last six months.

During the last six month period there have been no significant changes in the record of Eastern European and Soviet implementation of the commitments made under the Helsinki Final Act, although there has been a deterioration on the part of some countries. In Poland, developments set in motion in August 1980 have continued, but it is premature to assess their effect on Poland's implementation record.Basket I—"Security in Europe: Principles guiding relations between participating states: confidence building measures and certain aspects of security and disarmament". Principles: The Soviet Union has continued to maintain its forces in Afghanistan in breach of most if not all of the Principles of the Final Act. In addition, Soviet and German Democratic Republic (GDR) efforts to influence developments in Poland by stressing the 'Brezhnev doctrine' and by continuing hostile criticism in their press and media of events in Poland have been seen as a violation of Principle VI in particular—i.e., non-intervention in internal affairs (by armed intervention, or the threat of such intervention, or any other act of military or political, economic or other coercion) and of Principle VIII—self-determination.In the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms, repression of dissidents continued undiminished in the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia. Several members of the Soviet Helsinki Monitoring Groups have been arrested in recent months. Several others have been put on trial and received sentences of from three to five years plus internal exile (reportedly 10 years in one Ukrainian case followed by a period of internal exile, but details are lacking). Active membership of the Moscow Helsinki Group is now reduced to four by the arrest and sentencing of Tatyana Osipova who was given five years' imprisonment followed by five years' internal exile. Religious and non-Russian minority activists suffered from increased harassment. There is mounting evidence that the Soviet authorities are engaged in a further campaign of persecution and discrimination aimed at Soviet Jewish activists: the recent sentences imposed on Dr. Victor Brailovsky (five years' internal exile), Vladimir Kislik (three years in labour camp) and Kim Friedman (12 months in labour camp) are examples. A specialised group which documented psychiatric abuse was completely suppressed.In Czechoslovakia the Government increased its efforts to suppress the Charter 77 movement by harassment and arrests. In Romania the internal security regulations were tightened and there is accumulating evidence of substantial interception of mail between Romania and Western countries. The authorities seem to be looking particularly for letters expressing dissatisfaction with the current internal situation. In other East European countries there were no significant changes.Confidence Building Measures: In the context of the negotiations on a possible Conference on Disarmament in Europe at Madrid, President Brezhnev, speaking at the 26th Soviet Party Congress in February and in Tbilisi in May, said that the Soviet Union would be willing to accept the extension of the zone of application of Confidence Building Measures to include the whole of the European part of Soviet territory as far as the Urals. He said however that this was "provided the Western states also extend the confidence zone accordingly".During the period under review no military manoeuvres were notified nor observers exchanged. Although the Warsaw Pact exercise Soyuz 81 gave rise to a certain amount of military activity there is no evidence that it exceeded the notification threshold in the Final Act (major military manoeuvres exceeding a total of 25,000 troops.)Basket II—"Co-operation in the field of economics, of science and technology and of the environment". The most noticeable development over the past six months is a growing reluctance on the part of some of the Eastern countries, which were formerly in the forefront of promoting East/West trade, to enter into further commitments, apparently owing to internal economic constraints. On 1st January 1981 the GDR reorganised its foreign trade organisations. The change may benefit foreign business interests by facilitating more direct on-site contacts.In accordance with the Government's belief that normal United Kingdom/Soviet trade should continue, a meeting of the Anglo/Soviet Joint Commission was held in London in May.Basket III—"Co-operation in humanitarian and other fields". Human Contacts: In the area of family reunifications and visits the performance of Hungary and Poland remain rather liberal. Czechoslovakia's performance in both areas showed improvement, although Czechoslovak citizens of working age encounter difficulties and are seldom permitted to travel to the West in the company of immediate members of their family. Bulgarian and Romanian performance in these areas remain unchanged, although there was some improvement in the ease with which British nationals obtained permission to marry Romanian citizens. The performance of the GDR and the Soviet Union deteriorated markedly.Travel: Following the increase, in October 1980, of the minimum hard currency exchange requirement for visitors to the GDR from non-communist countries, the number of visitors from the Federal Republic of Germany and West Berlin has continued to decline. The number of permissions granted for foreign tourist travel by Soviet and East European citizens generally has also decreased, although there is some evidence that visits by Soviet citizens to sports events in noncommunist countries have increased. On 15th June the Bulgarian authorities withdrew permission for Polish citizens to travel to, or even transit, Bulgaria. A development in Poland has been the announcement of new regulations for issuing passports for trips abroad. Forms have been simplified, processing time reduced and passports generally made valid for all countries of the world for periods of three years.Information: The general picture of implementation in the field of information remains unchanged. Governments as a rule continue to exercise strict control. There has been a general relaxation in Poland, with more freedom for journalists and the media generally. Official approval has now been given for a weekly newspaper issued by

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they can estimate the number of man-hours per week spent by prison officers at various levels on censorship of prisoners' correspondence at Prison Department establishments in England and Wales; and whether they will agree to facilitate research on this matter by an academic institution if proposals are put to them.

Inquiries of each institution to establish the staff time given, full and part time, to censorship work would not be justified. It would not be appropriate to commission academic research on this matter.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Prison Department recognises Rastafarianism as a religion for the purposes of description be religious denomination, access to ministers of religion, access to facilities for worship, respect for dietary wishes and respect for the right to adopt certain forms of hair-style.

In the mid-1970s the Prison Department undertook extensive consultation, including reference to the High Commission for Jamaica, to determine whether Rastafarianism should be treated as a religion for the purposes of the Prison Act, in relation to the statutory provision for the appointment of ministers, facilities for worship, religious books and exemption from work for approved religious festivals. The conclusion eventually reached, in the absence of any church or central religious authority from whom information about beliefs or dress could be obtained or of any recognised religious leaders, was that the movement could not be recognised as a religion under the Prison Act and for related purposes. Further consideration is now being given to Rastafarianism as a religion by the Commission for Racial Equality. Meanwhile, prison catering officers are encouraged to be as responsive to dietary preferences as resources will allow. As to haircuts, a governor has the right (with only a very few exceptions) to require the hair of any inmate to be cut for the sake of hygiene or neatness. Governors generally have a tolerant approach to long hair, including Rastafarian styles.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which Ministers have been designated to leave London in the event of nuclear war to become regional and sub-regional controllers and whether their wives and families have been informed.

Regional and sub-regional commissioners have not been designated.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether Home Office exercises on the post-nuclear situation envisage mass starvation.

The Government's plans aim to prevent mass starvation following nuclear attack. They provide for emergency feeding where necessary, and they also take account of the need for adequate stocks of food in all regions in order to cover periods in which the movement of food supplies may be disrupted.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they agree with the statement made by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in an article published on the 8th April that: "the growth of Farming and Wildlife Advisory Groups …are indications that farmers and landowners are sympathetic towards conservation", and whether the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's decision not to provide any funds for the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group indicates a lack of sympathy towards conservation on the Government's behalf.

There has been a remarkable increase in the number of branches of the Farming and Wildlife Group. The first group was formed in 1970 and there are in England today no fewer than 33 county groups covering 34 counties. There are two main reasons for this increase. First, the support and the encouragement which has been given to the group by the officers and members of the National Farmers' Union, the Country Landowners' Association, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Royal Society for Nature Conservation, the Nature Conservancy Council and the Countryside Commission.Secondly, the commitment, support and assistance which has been given to the Headquarters and County Groups by officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in particular those of the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service, many of whom are chairmen or secretaries of county groups. The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has made it clear, in a recent letter to the presidents of these six bodies, that this contribution in kind by his department is the most effective means of providing support to the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group at this time.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it is the case that, if a National Park Authority made a grant to a farmer to enable him to improve the siting or design of a new farm building in a national park, the grant payable to the farmer from the Ministry of Agriculture would be reduced as a result of the National Park Authority's payment, and whether they think that this is in the best interests of either the national parks or those who farm in them.

Under the present capital grant schemes grant may be paid on all of the capital expenditure which is incurred for an eligible agricultural purpose, including, for example, expenditure to improve the siting and design of a new farm building in order to take account of conservation considerations. If a National Park Authority offers a contribution towards such expenditure it is open to a farmer to choose either to claim grant under the capital grant scheme on the total cost of the project or, alternatively, to take the grant offered by the National Park Authority on the conservation element of the project together with grant under the capital grant scheme on the balance of the expenditure. This arrangement is necessary to avoid duplicating the use of different public funds.House adjourned at eighteen minutes past four o'clock.