asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their response to the proposal of "Justice" that an imprisonment compensation board should be established to assess the amount of compensation to be granted to those found to have been wrongfully imprisoned; and whether they will extend its function to compensate those imprisoned on remand in cases when they are subsequently found not guilty.

We have studied the proposals contained in this report, including the proposals that an imprisonment compensation board should be established and that its functions should extend to cases in which a person has been remanded in custody and subsequently acquitted, with interest. However, we have not yet decided how to respond to them. As the noble Lord will be aware, the Select Committee on Home Affairs in another place are conducting an inquiry into procedures for the investigation of possible miscarriages of justice. This includes the way in which claims for compensation are dealt with, and we do not wish to anticipate their report.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in the light of the decision by Westminister County Court on 28th July 1982 to award £2,000 damages to Henryk Podlewski for assault, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution by the Metropolitan police on 12th March 1978, the disciplinary authority responsible for the police officers involved in the case has initiated further inquiries, and when the outcome of these will be submitted to the Police Complaints Board.

As I explained in reply to the noble Lord's Question of 12th October, disciplinary reviews and civil proceedings are conducted on a different basis and for different purposes: unless fresh material points arise in civil proceedings, it would not be appropriate for the relevant chief officer to reopen disciplinary ones. In this instance. I understand that solicitors representing the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis attended the civil proceedings and advised that no fresh allegations arose during them. Accordingly, the Metropolitan police do not propose to initiate further inquiries into the conduct of the police officers involved.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which voluntary organisations have received allocations from the European Social Fund in each year from 1979 to the latest date available showing the amounts received.

The following voluntary organisations in the United Kingdom have secured allocations from the European Social Fund since 1979:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why Britain alone among members of the EEC has been trying to block aid to Nicaragua.

I would refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave on the 25th October to the Question from the noble Lord, Lord Brockway.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they agree with the report of the Minority Rights Group that this country violated Articles 9 and 13 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights in deporting some 2,000 British subjects from Diego Garcia in "an act of mass kidnapping" and will they compare this with their actions over the Falklands and extend to the Diego Garcians (the Ilois) some of the consideration given to the Falklanders.

The answer to the first point raised is, no. On the second, the noble Lord will be aware, from the report to which he refers, that successive British Governments in agreement with the Government of Mauritius have made payments to that Government for the settlement in Mauritius of the Ilois. The agreement signed on 7th July 1982 enjoyed the full support of the Ilois community. It will be brought into effect within the next few days.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to retain the rule stated in the Industrial Injuries Compensation document reprinted in March 1980 (page 53) that widow's benefit ceases on remarriage, but that a woman widowed as a result of an industrial accident qualifies for a gratuity of a year's pension (then £1,240): and how many women have qualified for this gratuity since 1979.

I refer the noble Lord to the White Paper entitled Reform of the Industrial Injuries Scheme^* published last November in which Her Majesty's Government announced the proposal to abolish industrial death benefit as part of a reconstruction of the scheme. In 1980. 273 widows qualified for such a gratuity and provisionally the number of widows who received a gratuity in 1981 was 200.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why the White Paper

The White Paper on Standards, Quality and International Competitiveness makes a number of references to the importance of ensuring that British Standards reflect requirements of world markets. These apply equally to all sectors, including those using advanced technologies. The White Paper also recognises that a larger number of British Standards may need to be derived from foreign or international standards and reaffirms the Government's commitment to harmonising standards within the European Community in support of the programme for the elimination of technical barriers to trade under Article 100 of the Treaty of Rome.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will intervene to prevent proposed cuts which will severely damage the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and so prevent an irreversible decline.

No; universities themselves decide how to distribute between their various activities the resources allocated to them by the University Grants Committee. The school in question is a part of the University of London.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will consult with the education department of the London Borough of Ealing in an endeavour to ease the cuts which could damage the fabric of education in Ealing.

The responsibility for determining a local authority's budget for each service rests with the local authority itself. However, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science intends to meet representatives of the local authority associations shortly to discuss the Government's plans for education expenditure in England as a whole in 1983–84.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they agree that any review of the staffing and organisation of the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) is bound to divert NCC staff from the essential task of implementing the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

No. I do not expect that the review will make significant demands on the NCC regional staff.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why they were unable to prevent the recent destruction of part of the Salta Moss Site of Special Scientific Interest on the Solway estuary.

The Nature Conservancy Council were unable to conclude a management agreement in this case. As the damage occurred prior to the introduction of Section 29 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act there was no question of a nature conservation order being considered. The first such order affording protection over part of Baddesley Common SSSI in Hampshire was made on 21st October.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware of the proposal to build an ice skating rink on Borstal Marsh near Rochester in Kent, and whether they will ensure that the public inquiry into this proposal takes into account the loss of wildlife habitat and land used for informal recreation that the proposal involves, and the availability of a suitable alternative site.

Yes. This proposal has been called in and will be determined by the Secretary of State for the Environment. The public local inquiry has been arranged for 30th November and will consider all planning aspects of the proposed development including its effects on the wildlife habitat of the immediate area and the loss of public open space.It is open to any party at the inquiry to raise for the Inspector's consideration the availability of a suitable alternative site.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware of the proposal to convert over 25 acres of countryside at Marsh Lane, Angarrack, in Cornwall, to industrial development; whether they approve of this further loss of agricultural land to industrial development; and whether they will confirm that the site of the Hayle Power Station is shortly to be disposed of, and that this land would be suitable for industrial development.

The proposal to reserve 24 acres at Marsh Lane, Angarrack for industrial and commercial development is contained in the Hayle Local Plan which was placed on deposit by Penwith District Council on 15th April 1982. In accordance with the statutory procedures, copies of the local plan were sent to my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment who, following consultation with my right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, decided not to object to any of the policies or proposals on the plan.I am informed that objections to the proposal relating to the Marsh Lane site were among those heard at the recent public local inquiry into objections to the plan.Regarding the disposal of land at Hayle Power Station, I understand that the Central Electricity Generating Board have announced that they no longer require the site of the station except for a parcel of land on which certain buildings used for the distribution of electricity and a sub-station are sited. I cannot, however, anticipate any recommendations concerning the suitability or otherwise of particular areas of land for development which may be made in the report of the Inspector who conducted the above public local inquiry into the local plan and which will, in due course, be sent to the distrcit council.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it is true, as reported in

It is true that the Department of the Environment has commissioned the Joint Unit for Research on the Urban Environment at Aston University to identify a handful of sites which might be suitable for receiving oiled beach material following a major pollution incident off the South Coast of England. It is not true that the outcome of the exercise will be kept secret. The information collected by the unit will be sent to the appropriate county councils and the Nature Conservancy Council for consideration in due course.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action has been taken to develop or acquire air-launched weapons more effective than those used against Port Stanley and less dangerous to the aircraft releasing them.

The targets attacked at Port Stanley with air-launched weapons were military installations and equipment and the airport runway, and no aircraft were lost in the process. The attacks on military installations and equipment proved very effective and no special action is being taken to procure new weapons for this purpose. The runway itself was attacked with 1000 lb. bombs, which had limited effectiveness, and when available the new JP 233 cratering weapon will be used for this type of target. So far as danger to the aircraft is concerned, JP 233 has been designed to avoid this. We are also taking a number of measures to enhance the survivability of our aircraft in the face of enemy defences.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made in decontaminating Gruinard Island from the Second World War germ warfare tests which left the ground infected with lethal spores of anthrax.Viscount Trenchard: Following laboratory tests of a number of potential decontaminants, field trials on Gruinard Island took place in July and August. No worthwhile results will be immediately available as the analytical process has to be a prolonged one in order to be effective.