asked Her Majesty's Government:(i) whether they will provide the names of the prisoners who were in cells on either side of Mr. Terence Patrick Smerdon when he died in Wands worth Prison on 26th January 1982 to representatives of his family, and grant facilities to those representatives to interview those prisoners in connection with the death; and(ii) what quantities of valium, largactil and chlorpromazine were administered to Mr. Terence Patrick Smerdon on each of the seven days before he died, and on the day of his death respectively; and in the latter case, what were the times at which he was given each dose.

It is for the prisoners concerned to decide if they wish their identity and whereabouts to be disclosed and to be interviewed. We would be prepared to forward letters from Mr. Smerdon's family's legal advisers to the two prisoners who were in the cells near Mr. Smerdon when he died. One of these prisoners is, however, at present awaiting sentence and it is not therefore known how long he will be in custody.Mr. Smerdon was given a 150 mg dose of chlorpromazine three times on each of the seven days before he died except 25th January when he declined this medication. Largactil is another name for chlorpromazine and Mr. Smerdon did not receive any valium on these days. The only other medication Mr. Smerdon received during this period was a 2g dose of chloral each night. On the day he died Mr. Smerdon received 150 mg of chlorpromazine at approximately 0700 hours, 1100 hours and 1600 hours.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether Stewart Granger, a prisoner at Cornhill prison, Shepton Mallet, charged with assaulting another prisoner (which he denies) was refused permission at a High Court hearing to call witnesses for the defence, including the alleged victim of it; whether his appeal was refused on the technical grounds that the application was outside the legal time limit; and whether they will initiate an inquiry in order to decide the validity of the case.

I will write to the noble Lord.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What legal offence is committed by a motorist who halts on a "yellow box junction".

It is an offence to stop on the area of a junction duly marked with a yellow box, except when the vehicle concerned is turning right and is only prevented from completing the turn by oncoming traffic or other stationary right turning vehicles. The offence is non-compliance with a prohibition imposed by a Traffic Regulation Order made under Section 1 (or in Greater London, Section 6) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1967.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in order to assist developers and the different planning authorities involved, they will set up an independent London Thameside Advisory Committee, which, after consulting interested bodies and considering opinions submitted to it, will recommend broad guidelines regarding the general character, scale and functions of new development in the areas bordering the Thames in central London.

As I indicated to my noble friend during the recent debate on the Vauxhall Cross Special Development Order, I have ensured that his proposal is being carefully considered.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will provide details of the investigations, studies and surveys that were undertaken for the public consultation exercise on the line of the A.1/M.1 link past Naseby and which enabled the Minister of Transport to decide in favour of the "southern line" in August 1975.

The M.1-A.1 Link Road was one of the first schemes on which the Department of Transport went to public consultation and it did so at a very early stage in the scheme development. The investigation carried out prior to public consultation was essentially a transportation study. It involved an examination of existing traffic conditions, predicted urban development and proposed major improvements to the road network in a general area between the M.1 and the A.1 embracing Leicester, Peterborough, Huntingdon and including Milton Keynes. This led to a broad comparison of possible strategies and corridors which could be used, taking into account factors such as areas of high landscape value and top quality agriculture land, major engineering constraints arising from existing structures (e.g., motorways and their junctions), general planning and environmental restraints, and areas of special usage (e.g., mineral workings).These studies, together with further traffic and economic analyses, identified the four possible corridors, incorporating north/south options at Naseby, which were put to public consultation in 1974.It is not the department's practice to carry out a detailed geo-technical survey of possible routes prior to public consultation. It would not normally be cost effective to do so. At that stage, investigations are confined to a general study of the area through which the routes would run.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they can confirm that EEC regulations require fishermen to dump fish at sea, rather than give them to local hospitals or charitable institutions, if they are to be eligible for compensation from EEC funds, and whether they are satisfied that this waste should be encouraged.

There is no European Community regulation which requires fish to be dumped at sea in order to qualify for compensation under the arrangements for supporting minimum prices for fishermen. Fish which is withdrawn from the human consumption market under these arrangements is usually reduced to fishmeal but it may also be given away to local hospitals or other charitable institutions. Disposal of the fish by dumping at sea is authorised only as a last resort and provided that it can be shown that there is no practicable alternative.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What species of fish and how many tonnes of each species have been dumped at sea by United Kingdom fishing boats in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and how many tonnes have been dumped so far this year.

No records are kept which would enable Her Majesty's Government to provide figures in the form requested. Information is, however, available for the years shown below in respect of quantities which have been authorised to be returned to the sea because of failure to meet the minimum price levels for which provision is made under European Community marketing regulations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their attitude to the decisions of the International Whaling Commission to ban commercial whaling from 1986 and to reduce next year's quota by 25 per cent., and whether they will co-operate in reinforcement of this decision.

The Government greatly welcome the decision of the International Whaling Commission to suspend all commercial whaling, even though the suspension will not become operative until the 1985–86 pelagic season and the 1986 coastal season. The decision, which was supported by the United Kingdom delegation, should lift the threat of extinction from some important stocks of whales. The catch limits, which are set for the coming seasons, also show a significant reduction from those which were set last year. This should help to facilitate the orderly run-down of the whaling industries in the countries concerned.The Government hope that the decision on the suspension of commercial whaling will now be implemented in the normal way.

asked Her Majesty's Government:If they are ready to announce the results of their consultation on the revision of controls over imported waste.

On 17th December 1981 we announced that consultation would take place on three sets of measures to tighten controls over waste imported into the United Kingdom for disposal. The views of a wide range of organisations including industry, the local authority associations, the waste disposal contractors' organisations and environmental groups have been carefully considered and we are now able to announce decisions.First, the Control of Pollution (Licensing of Waste Disposal) Regulations will be amended to limit the quantity of solid waste which may be stored temporarily without a licence in proper receptacles up to 45 cubic metres in total at any site. Liquid waste, including that imported into storage in large industrial tanks, will now require licensing. In particular the regulations will clarify the position with regard to poisonous, noxious or polluting waste to ensure that it may not be stored on unlicensed premises except where the producer is assembling consignments of his own waste with proper precautions in the normal way, and provided that it is to be disposed of elsewhere within a month. The regulations will also clarify the position of waste transfer activities to bring them clearly within the control of licensing or the equivalent local authority power of resolution.Second, we will seek to introduce legislation to provide local waste disposal authorities with a new discretionary power to bring material not admitted to be waste under the controls which are applicable to waste. Its introduction would be dependent on the availability of parliamentary time.There will be further consultation with the major interests in England and Wales on both of those topics and my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Scotland will be conducting similar consultations in Scotland.Third, the Commission of the European Communities has produced a preliminary draft directive on the trans-frontier shipment of waste. Consultations within the United Kingdom on its text have begun, and the Commission hopes to be ready to submit the directive to the Council of Ministers next year. The Government consider that the existing legitimate international trade in waste for disposal is responsibly operated in the United Kingdom but all firms and their associations are reminded of the importance the Government attach to the need for proper controls and consultation with the waste disposal authorities. The authorities concerned are also discussing arrangements for strengthening liaison at the ports. For these reasons, and in the light of the foregoing proposals, a standard model licence condition for pre-notification for waste imported from outside the United Kingdom is no longer necessary.None of these proposals is intended to affect the large legitimate trade in by-products intended for recovery.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will approve the Countryside Commission's proposal for the Peddars Way and North Norfolk Coast Long Distance Path.

It has been necessary to seek further information and clarification from the Countryside Commission on some aspects of their proposals for the designation of this long distance route. When the outstanding information is received a decision will be made very quickly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they accept that attempts by the Forestry Commission to plant new forests in the Pennines have failed in part because of the effects of sulphur pollution.

While the trial plantations established by the Forestry Commission in the Pennines during the 1950s and early 1960s were badly affected by sulphur pollution, subsequent plantings have been much more successful. There has been an improvement in the older plantations coinciding with a reduction in the levels of air pollution.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How the figures were arrived at in the statement in Appendix II of the paper on the

These figures were derived from departmental guidance issued in 1971 which suggested that, in the circumstances prevailing at that time and within an overall guideline of 10 beds per 1,000 population aged 65 and over, five beds (50 per cent.) was a desirable level for acute geriatric and active rehabilitation provision in the district general hospital. The interim target of 30 per cent. of geriatric beds in the district general hospital was proposed in the 1976 consultation paper, Priorities for Health and Personal Social Services in England. In the document to which the noble Lord refers we have set out the implications for these and other guidelines of our proposals for reducing the previously planned concentration of services in district general hospitals. The possibility of revised guidance to health authorities is being considered in the light of responses to that document.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many patients were on the waiting lists for operations in National Health Service hospitals in July 1979, 1980, 1981 and to the nearest available date in July 1982.

Waiting list statistics are collected for 31st March, 30th September and 31st December in each year. Available figures for the numbers of patients waiting for admission to hospital for treatment in the surgical specialties in Great Britain are:—

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they expect to publish their detailed proposals for raising the status of standards in the United Kingdom.

A White Paper setting out the Government's proposals for making standards and quality assurance a more effective tool for strengthening the international competitiveness of British industry has been published today. Copies have been placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What conclusions they have reached as a result of the review of air security charges and related matters conducted by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade.

I refer the noble Baroness to the oral Answer I gave her earlier today.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will consider the representations of the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights and be prepared to receive other views before deciding the precise terms of reference and composition of the independent review of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act; what w ill be the latest date for submissions and when they expect to announce the terms of reference.

Various considerations will shape the precise terms of reference of this review. In particular, it will take full account of the security situation in Northern Ireland, the continued need for legislation to deal with terrorism and the conclusions of Lord Jellicoe's inquiry into the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976, so far as they affect Northern Ireland. The Government are, of course, aware of the views recently expressed by the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights and will naturally he willing to consider views on terms of reference from any other interested party. I expect that an announcement will be made about the constitution and precise terms of reference for the review in the early Autumn.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will provide details of the proposals they have to deal with the serious problems of pollution and the unsightly conditions of the lower reaches of the River Lagan, and whether they will indicate the work programme, if any, for the improvement of the river, including banks and adjacent land, between Stranmillis Lock and Queen's Bridge and the time-scale for the completion of the work programme.

Some £11 million has been spent since 1973 on sewerage schemes which have helped to improve the operation of the storm overflow system on the River Lagan. A further £9 million is being spent on other schemes. Some environmental improvement schemes have been carried out; others are being considered.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will request the United Nations Security Council to consider the danger to peace in Central America arising from the civil war in El Salvador with intervention by other nations, the situation within Guatemala where a similar conflict with international repercussions is developing together with the threat of Guatemala to the independence and territorial integrity of Belize, and the fear of hostilities between Honduras and Nicaragua.

We continue to be concerned at developments in Central America, and discuss them regularly with our European Community partners and the United States Administration, but we see no advantage at present in raising the subject at the United Nations Security Council.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made in the implementation by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Eastern European countries of the provisions of the Helsinki Final Act during the last six months.

During the last six-month period up to 30th June 1982 there has been no improvement in the record of implementation by the Soviet Union and the Eastern European countries of their commitments under the Helsinki Final Act, and in Poland there has been a marked deterioration. There have been clear violations by the Polish and Soviet authorities of the Final Act, particularly in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will empower British Telecom to provide dentists with "priority users' status" for their telephones.

The provision of telephone services is an operational matter for which British Telecom already has responsibility. I understand that British Telecom take the view that too wide an extension of the priority line service would reduce its effectiveness.House adjourned at five minutes before nine o'clock.