asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will make a statement on the future of the Public Trustee.

A review of the financial prospects of the Public Trustee has now been completed. Until now, taking one year with another, the Public Trustee has been able to discharge his statutory obligation to cover his costs from revenue. This, however, is likely to become increasingly difficult as, for various financial and social reasons, the overall volume of business declines, since inherited commitments will remain, including a continuing legal obligation to accept minor and unprofitable trusts.The review has identified a number of measures to improve the economy and efficiency of the office. These will be put in hand forthwith, and should help the Public Trustee to continue to meet his statutory financial objective in the period immediately ahead. They include the acquisition of a computer to deal with accounting arrangements, greater use of unitised investment, particularly for small trusts, and a restructuring of fee scales.Looking further into the future, however, while it is considered that there will always be a need for a "trustee of last resort", it is clear that the business of the Public Trustee is contracting to a point at which it will eventually be impossible to justify an office with an independent existence of its own. At that stage, the most promising possibility would appear to be to combine the office with that of the Official Solicitor, who already undertakes certain trustee work when appointed by the court. Instructions have been given that work be put in hand to consider how and when such an amalgamation could be achieved.The amalgamation would not affect the statutory functions of the Public Trustee, and would not affect the position of any of the trusts or estates for which the Public Trustee now acts or may act in the future.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What evidence exists which bears directly upon the number of persons dismissed from employment to which a union membership agreement applied between 16th September 1974 and 15th August 1980 (who did not bring or, if they brought, did not succeed in proceedings before an industrial tribunal for unfair dismissal) who would have succeeded in such proceedings if the provisions of the Employment Act 1980 had been in effect.

Evidence which bears directly upon the number of such persons will he forthcoming once the provisions of the Employment Bill, which enable certain such persons to apply for compensation, are in effect and applications for compensation can be made. Evidence, which hears indirectly on this question, exists in the work of two researchers, Professor John Gennard and Miss Helen Jackson.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the work of Professor John Gennard and of Miss Helen Jackson referred to in the Answer of the Earl Ferrers of Wednesday, 14th April 1982 (col. 375–6); whether that work is published and available; if so, what is its title and reference; and, in so far as it is not, whether that work will be either published or made available in the Library of the House.

The work referred to of Professor John Gennard is work commissioned by the Department of Employment on the closed shop in British industry. The research is not yet complete but the Government expect that, once completed, it will be published under the name of Professor Gennard and his team. The work of Miss Helen Jackson referred to, comprises six years' investigation into the closed shop to which Miss Jackson made reference in an article in The Times of 29th August 1981. The Government have no firm information on whether, and if so when, this work will be published.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the estimated cost of constructing the bunker at Naphill, near High Wycombe, and whether this estimate provides for the increase of inflation and of the wage claims of the workers employed; and what rent the Ministry of Defence will be paying to the National Trust for the lease of the site for 99 years.

It is estimated that the total cost of the new underground operations and communications centre at RAF High Wycombe will be about £40 million at current prices, of which about half will be paid by NATO. This does not contain an allowance for future inflation. Wage claims are a matter for the contractors concerned. It is not our practice to reveal the payments made for leases and licences for the use of land by the Ministry of Defence.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there have been cases of leases of land by the National Trust to Government departments other than the lease for the bunker at Naphill, and, if so, (1) with which departments (including the Ministry of Defence), (2) in each case for what purpose, (3) in each case what is the length of the lease, and (4) in each case what is the rent paid.

The Government do not centrally hold a record of each and every lease taken in the names of the Secretaries of State for various departments.It is most unlikely that the information could be gathered in less than one month bearing in mind the wide distribution of National Trust interests and it is considered that the resource costs of undertaking the inquiry are likely to be disproportionately high by comparison with the amount of information obtained.The noble Lord might consider it useful to contact the National Trust.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware that printed notices have been erected in some sheep farming areas stating that the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it illegal for a person to have a dog in a field or enclosure in which there are sheep unless the dog is on a lead; whether they will confirm that these notices are wrong and that the law is that (subject to specified exceptions) a dog in such a field or enclosure must be either "on a lead or otherwise under close control"; and whether they will draw the attention of the Countryside Commission, the national park authorities, the National Farmers' Union and other interested organisations to the importance of not including inaccurate statements in any notices purporting to set out the provisons of paragraph 3 of Schedule 7 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

I can confirm that the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, as amended by paragraph 3 of Schedule 7 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, makes it an offence, subject to certain specified exceptions, for a dog to be in a field or enclosure in which there are sheep unless it is on a lead or otherwise under close control. Preliminary inquiries have not established evidence of notices having been erected which do not accurately reflect this provision. If the noble Lord would send me relevant details, I will arrange for these to be drawn to the attention of the responsible organisation or individual by local staff of the Ministry.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware of the strong opposition from nature conservation and local interests to the Central Electricity Generating Board's proposal to consider Winfrith Heath in Dorset as a possible site for a new nuclear power station, and whether they will state:—

The Government are aware of the views expressed on use of Winfrith Heath as a possible site for a new nuclear power station. No proposals have been put before the Government, but if and when they are they will be given careful consideration. The further information requested is as follows: