asked Her Majesty's Government:What response they have made to the criticism in the annual report of the Commission for Racial Equality that action following the Scarman Report and the reports of the Commons Home Affairs Committee has been too little and too slow when radical reform is needed.

We share the commission's view of the importance of both Lord Scarman's Report and the Report of the Home Affairs Committee on Racial Disadvantage. The Government have, however, responded positively to both reports and will continue to do so.

asked Her Majesty's Government:(1) What is their best estimate of the total number of persons at present disqualified from jury service by virtue of the provisions of Part II of the Juries Act 1974, and(2) what is their best estimate of the additional number of persons who would be disqualified from jury service if Part II were amended so as to include persons who have been convicted on two or more separate occasions within the last 10 years of an offence triable, in the case of an adult, on indictment.

A reliable estimate is not readily available but the number at present disqualified by the provisions of Part II of the Juries Act 1974 is probably of the order of a quarter of a million. We are not able to provide an estimate of the additional number who would be disqualified by the extension of the provisions to include also those who have been convicted of an indictable offence on two or more separate occasions within the last 10 years.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will provide details of the proposals and the work programme for the completion of the transportation link between the York Street Railway Station, Belfast, and the Central Station.

The Government are not yet ready to announce when work on the rail link between York Street and the Central Stations in Belfast will begin. The proposals were set out in the report of the inspector at the public inquiry on the Belfast Transportation Strategy (HMSO Belfast 1978) and the Government's statement thereon.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many accidents there have been between interchanges 10 and 17 on the M.1 motorway during each of the months January to July 1982.

The following personal injury accidents occurred on the M.1 between Junctions 10 and 17 during the months of January to June and up to 15 July 1982 (inclusive):

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the systematic extermination of the badger is the only policy they have for eliminating bovine tuberculosis.

At the farm level, the Government's policy for eradicating bovine tuberculosis rests on the removal and the slaughter of cattle which react to the tuberculin test and of their immediate contacts, together with investigation of the source of infection. Additionally, carcase meat is also subject to inspection in the slaughterhouse. Cattle, which are imported on the hoof, must have passed the tuberculin test in the country of origin. It is only in cases where thorough investigation reveals that there has been a clear threat to cattle from tuberculosis infection in badgers that a badger control operation has been undertaken. Theextent of such operations since 1975 has been limited to the South West region (of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) where it has been confined to less than 4 per cent. of the land area, and to small areas in Staffordshire and Wales.House adjourned at fourteen minutes past ten o'clock.