asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they were satisfied with the judgment of the Police Complaints Board which last year recommended only 39 cases for discipline arising from 16,789 complaints, and whether they have plans to revise the complaints procedure.

The Police Complaints Board is an independent body and it would not be right for me to comment on its decisions in individual cases. However, I should point out that, in addition to the 39 complaints in respect of which the board recommended disciplinary charges in 1981, 190 complaints were submitted to the board where deputy chief constables had already decided to prefer charges, and a further 1,526 complaints (about 9 per cent. of the total) resulted in the officer concerned being given advice or a warning by a senior officer.My right honourable friend the Home Secretary said in response to the Scarman Report that he would bring forward proposals for reform of the complaints procedures in England and Wales. Before doing so he will wish to take into account the report of the inquiry into police complaints and related matters being conducted by the Select Committee on Home Affairs in another place.

asked Her Majesty's Goverment:What independent costings are available to them and to other Governments of the various options open to the intended diplomatic conference in 1984 which will revise the Conventions of 1969 on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution and of 1971 establishing the International Fund for Oil Pollution Damage, so as to close the gaps in the present system; and whether the Compensation Commission or the OECD Secretariat have been, or might be, asked to conduct such non-industry costing.

Several non-industry organisations, including the OECD and the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund Secretariat, attend the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation (IMCO) as observers, and the various papers and publications they produce are available. The discussions in IMCO on the subject under reference have not revealed a need for further costings.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have any statement to make on the outcome of the feasibility study into the future of the Public Record Office at Chancery Lane.

The Government intend to make a statement very shortly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress was made at the Vienna negotiations on the reduction of armed forces in Central Europe; what proposals were made by the East and the West; what were the objections in each case; and what are the prospects of an agreement.

The latest round of negotiations ended on 8th April. During this round careful examination confirmed the Alliance's initial view of the shortcomings of the Eastern draft agreement described in the Answer given to the noble Lord's Question on 17th March (Official Report, col. 746). Agreement on data and verification measures remain essential to a worthwhile agreement.House adjourned at three minutes before eight o'clock.