asked Her Majesty's Government:How many prisoners in each of the other regions have next-of-kin in the South-East.

This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish a table showing the number of admissions to mental hospitals and units with diagnosis of alcoholic psychosis in Great Britain for each of the years from 1965 to 1981 inclusive, for men and women respectively.

The information for England and Wales which is readily available for each of the years 1965 to 1980 is shown in the table below.Admissions to mental illness hospitals and units with a primary diagnosis of alcholic psychosis.

ENGLAND AND WALES
	Males	Females		Males	Females
1965	346	111	1973	1,210	504
1966	342	119	1974	1,169	581
1967	317	79	1975	1,105	551
1968	263	90	1976	1,204	580
1969	273	87	1977	1,108	659
			1978	1,082	617
1970	686	231
1971	996	357	1979	391	177
1972	1,065	449	1980	452	184

In 1970 and 1979 there were changes in the coding procedure associated with changes in the International Classification of Diseases; the data are not comparable with earlier years after such changes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the present composition of the Farm Animal Welfare Council and what subjects it has under present consideration.

The Farm Animal Welfare Council has 21 members at present including the chairman, Professor R. J. Harrison, F.R.S., M.A., M.D., D.Sc., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., who has recently been reappointed by the Agriculture Ministers in Great Britain for a further three-year term of office. The members are:

• Mrs. M. A. S. Bates, B.Sc.(Agric.).
• Rev. A. L. Birbeck, M.A.
• Mr. P. L. Brown, B.Sc., M.R.C.V.S.
• Mr. S. Burgess, F.B.I.M.
• Mr. J. H. Cullimore, J.P.
• Professor J. M. M. Cunningham, C.B.E., B.Sc. (Agric.), Ph.D., F.R.S.E., F.I. Biol.
• Mr. R. Ewbank, M.V.Sc., M.R.C.V.S., F.I.Biol.
• Mrs. Ruth Harrison.
• Mr. D. L. Haxby, M.R.C.V.S.
• Mr. H. F. C. Hebeler, F.R.C.V.S.
• Mr. R. J. Hopkins.
• Mr. J. A. Inverarity.
• Professor J. O. L. King, Ph.D., M.V.Sc., M.Sc. (Agric.), F.R.C.V.S., F.I.Biol.
• Mrs. G. Knight.
• Mr. D. G. Llewellyn, B.V.Sc., M.R.C.V.S.
• Mr. M. Nicholson, M.B.E., M.A., Dip.Ag.(Cantab.).
• Mr. C. Platt, M.I.Biol.
• Dr. D. W. B. Sainsbury, M.A., B.Sc., M.R.C.V.S.
• Mr. J. G. Thomas, B.Sc.(Agric.)
• Professor A. J. F. Webster, M.A., Vet., M.B., Ph.D., M. R.C.V. S.

There are currently two vacancies on the council resulting from the resignation of Mr. I. A. Turner and the death of Mr. J. McCaskie.The council has recently completed its work on the revision of the codes of recommendations for the welfare of domestic fowls and turkeys and has submitted its draft revisions to Ministers. Work is progressing on draft codes for the welfare of farmed rabbits and ducks, and the council is now proceeding with a review of the welfare aspects of deer farming with a view to preparing a code.Recent statements have been issued by the council on the subjects of research and development and on the technique of electro-immobilisation/anaesthetisation. The council is currently engaged on a review of the welfare aspects of the slaughter of livestock including religious slaughter, and members are carrying out a comprehensive programme of visits to red meat slaughter premises.Consideration is also being given to Government proposals for a code of practice for the transport of livestock by air and for a poultry transit order. The council envisages progressing with its consideration of further regulations, which are based on the recommendations contained in the codes, and future work may also include a review of the welfare of farm animals at markets.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the present composition of the Advisory Committee on the destruction of badgers and what meetings have been held since January 1981.

The composition of the Advisory Panel on Badgers and Tuberculosis is as follows:

• Mr. J. Allcock, British Veterinary Association.
• Mr. R. J. Badcock, National Farmers' Union.
• Lady Bolitho, Country Landowners' Association.
• Mr. C. P. Booty, R.S.P.C.A.
• Mr. R. Burton, Fauna and Flora Preservation Society.
• Mr. M. Clerk, Mammal Society.
• Mr. R. Ewbank, Universities Federation for Animal Welfare.
• Dr. A. McDiarmid, Expert on diseases of wildlife.
• Dr. Ernest Neal, Eminent authority on badgers.
• Mr. R. Neville, T.G.W.U., Agricultural and Allied Workers National Trade Group.
• Dr. F. B. O'Connor, Nature Conservancy Council.
• Dr. R. J. Paget, General medical practitioner and expert on badgers.
• Mr. M. J. Penistan, Royal Society for Nature Conservation.
• Dr. J. L. Stanford, Microbiologist, Middlesex Hospital.

It has met on five occasions since January 1981 as follows:4th February 1981, 11th June 1981, 29th October 1981, 3rd March 1982, 1st July 1982.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will place in the Library of the House a map of suitable scale showing the precise areas at present within the programme of gassing badgers.

The Government will place a suitable map in the Library of the House as soon as possible.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they propose to take in response to the Sixth Report of the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments, Session 1981–82, published in December 1981.

The report of the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments, and the recommendations made by the committee, have been considered by Ministers. The Government's observations are being published today.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What representations they have made to the Government of Pakistan concerning political prisoners and if it is the case that there are 40,000 such prisoners in Pakistan and that some of these have been tortured.

Her Majesty's Government have made no representations to the Government of Pakistan about Pakistani prisoners. Our policy on human rights is well known and often stated. Her Majesty's Government have no independent means of establishing what prisoners are being held in Pakistan, or under what conditions they are being held.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What response has been made by the Israeli Government to the request unanimously endorsed by the United Nations Security Council that vital supplies, including water, food and medical provisions, should be admitted to blockaded West Beirut where 500,000 civilians, in addition to the 6,000 Palestinians, are in danger of hunger and medical neglect.

Her Majesty's Government voted for United Nations Security Council Resolution 513 which called for all parties to respect the civilian population. Following representations by ourselves, the Americans and others, the Israeli Government have partially restored water and electricity supplies to West Beirut. We believe that some medical supplies are entering West Beirut through the port crossing point which remains open to the International Committee of the Red Cross personnel. We continue to hope that the Israeli Government will do all they can to facilitate the access of relief supplies to West Beirut.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list the countries without giving classified details, with whom contracts for military equipment were signed during 1981, and which were notified to the Ministry of Defence.

I have listed below the countries with which contracts were signed during 1981 and which were notified to the Ministry of Defence. As such, the list, though substantially correct, may not be completely comprehensive, because not all private orders, particularly those of a minor nature, have to be notified to the Ministry of Defence. All exports of military equipment as defined in Group 1 of the Export of Goods Control Order 1981 are of course carefully controlled, and subject to the granting of an export licence by the Department of Trade. It has been the practice of successive Governments not to reveal details of individual defence sales.

Abu Dhabi	Jordon
Algeria	Kuwait
Angola	Lebanon
Argentina	Lesotho
Australia	Libya
Austria	Malaysia
Bahamas	Mozambique
Bangledesh	Netherlands
Botswana	New Zealand
Brunei	Nigeria
Cameroon	Oman
Canada	Pakistan
Chile	People's Republic of China
Cyprus	Portugal
Dubai	Qatar
Ecuador	Saudi Arabia
Egypt	Seychelles
Federal Republic of Germany	Singapore
Finland	Somalia
France	South Korea
Greece	Sudan
Grenada	Sirunam
India	Swaziland
Indonesia	Sweden
Iraq	Syria
Irish Republic	Trinidad and Tobago
Israel	Uganda
Italy	United States of America
Jamaica	Yugoslavia
Japan	Zimbabwe

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the value of military equipment supplied from the United Kingdom to Argentina in each year from 1970 to 1981.

The information is not readily available in the form requested, and could be ascertained only at the expense of disproportionate effort.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will confirm that contracts were signed in the United Kingdom since 1970 to supply Argentina with the following military equipment: an aircraft carrier, 6 coastal minesweepers, 2 Type 42 frigates (one built in Argentina under licence), Seacat ship-to-air missiles, 20 Tigercat and 12 Sea Dart surface-to-sea missiles, Shorland armoured cars, 9 Canberra B62 bomber aircraft, 10 Lynx helicopters, 100 sub-machine guns, Ferranti "Isis" sights, Ferranti "Seaspray" radar for helicopters, Decca "Clearscan" radar and Redifon HF and VHF radio systems for patrol boats, gear pumps for frigates, rediffusion radio systems and transmitters for naval stations, Rolls-Royce engines for jet trainer aircraft, "Morgrip" bolts for naval vessel propellors, Racal-Decca ESM for radio and radar eavesdropping, 250 Mach/airspeed indicators for counter-insurgency aircraft, pneumatic controls for patrol boats, man-portable anti-aircraft missiles, and Plessey Ferranti modifications for Type 42 frigates.

It has been the policy of successive Governments not to disclose details of individual defence sales. Information on arms sales to Argentina which has been released in recent weeks shows that a range of equipment has been supplied over a long period with the approval of successive Governments.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether Argentina was offered British Harrier jump jet aircraft.

It is not the policy of this Government nor that of previous Administrations to disclose particulars of defence sales business.House adjourned at thirteen minutes past ten o'clock.