asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the total number of civil servants employed in all Government departments in each of the last five years.

The number of Civil servants at 1st January each year is set out in the table below:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they can now indicate when they intend to introduce the predicted regulation controlling the exhaust noise of motor-cycles.

Lower noise limits for new motorcycles in conformity with the current EC directive will be applied by our regulations from next October.The European Commission is now discussing with member states possible lower noise limits for all vehicles, although no specific proposals for motorcycles have yet been tabled. This review is taking into account the environmental needs, energy implications, cost and the technical feasibility of meeting lower noise limits.The Government have recently made proposals for clarifying the law so as to ease the enforcement of the rules against excessively noisy exhaust silencers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will consider requiring all local authorities to ensure that all dwellings in built-up areas display numbers clearly visible from the highway.

Local authorities are already empowered to cause houses and buildings in the streets in their areas to be marked with such numbers as they think fit, and it is an offence for any person to destroy or deface any such number, or to display a different number; the Department of Transport has issued advice on minimum standards for house numbering, and street name-plates. We have, however, no plans at present for legislation to require authorities to exercise these powers. All else apart, this would increase demand on their resources.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps will be taken to ensure that pupils in county schools are fully acquainted by their teachers with the many problems that will arise with the admission of pupils with special educational needs to these schools, as a result of the Education Act 1981, and how these problems are to be alleviated to the greatest possible degree.

The ways in which this may be achieved are primarily a matter for the individual schools and local education authorities concerned in the light of local circumstances. However, the Department of Education and Science has funded a research project by the National Foundation for Educational Research on the education of pupils with special needs in ordinary schools and a report was published in 1981. The report looked closely at a range of integration programmes, assessed the implications for the schools themselves and gave guidance on the practical constraints and problems which arose, including those of pupil reaction. I hope that schools which are planning integration programmes will study this report very carefully.

asked Her Majesty's Government:For what reason the British representative on the United Nations Human Rights Commission abstained on the resolution, carried by 25 to 5, calling on the Government of El Salvador to negotiate with the Opposition an end to the civil war.

The resolution was tabled following the presentation of the report of the Special Representative on Human Rights in El Salvador. The United Kingdom delegate abstained on the grounds that we were not prepared to pre-judge the report of the United Kingdom observers being sent to monitor the elections in El Salvador, but made clear that we supported the extension of the mandate of the Special Representative for a further year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the United Nations Human Rights Commission accepted a resolution calling on the Government of Guatemala to co-operate with a United Nations inquiry into human rights in that country; what were the votes; and whether the British representatives voted or accompanied the USA in abstaining.

The Commission adopted such a resolution on 11th March. It was adopted by 29 votes in favour with 2 votes against and with 12 abstensions. The British representative, together with other Western delegations, except the United States and Japan, voted for the resolution.

asked Her Majesty's Government:On what dates non-priority United Kingdom passport holders in India who were offered special quota vouchers in March first applied.

These persons had lodged their applications in February 1976.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why they voted to continue the assignment of the Cambodian seat in the United Nations to the Pol Pot régime having previously denounced the régime before the Commission on Human Rights.

I refer the noble Lord to my reply of 19th November 1981 (Official Report, column 570) to the noble Lord, Lord Brockway.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it is their intention to implement the recommendations of the Williams Report on Obscenity and Film Censorship (Cmnd. 7772).

The Government have no plans at present for any comprehensive legislation in this field.House adjourned at seven minutes before ten o'clock.