asked the Leader of the House:Whether she is aware that the practice of Ministers replying to a Question for Written Answer tabled by a noble Lord with the answer, "I shall write to my noble friend" (

My noble friend has in mind a Question for Written Answer tabled on 21st October by my noble friend Lord Orr-Ewing which was answered on 28th October by my noble friend Lord Trefgarne (Hansard, 28th October, col 607). Parliament was prorogued on 28th October and Questions not answered by that date would, in the usual way, have lapsed.I am not aware that this type of Answer is frequently resorted to, but I have asked my noble friends on the Front Bench to ensure that full answers to Questions for Written Answer are given except in special circumstances. If a noble Lord is told that the Minister will write to him, I will, where appropriate, ensure that copies of the letter are made available to other Members of the House. It is always open to a noble Lord to table further Questions for Written Answer to seek further information from the Government.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether three samples of wheat, numbers 0921080, 09255330 and 0927090 were rejected for bread making intervention in the United Kingdom and later accepted in France and, if so, why.

These three samples were rejected for bread making wheat intervention in the United Kingdom. I have seen reports that they were subsequently accepted in France but I cannot speculate on what the reasons might have been.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the average time between the date of offering grain into intervention and payment in;

The period in the United Kingdom varies from 6 to 12 weeks. Comparable information for France is not available. No interest is payable on claims awaiting payment.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the percentage rejection rates in the United Kingdom, France and Germany for the following cereals offered into intervention.

In the United Kingdom the rejection rates are about 5 per cent. for barley and feed wheat and about 40 per cent. for bread making wheat. No comparable data is readily available for France and Germany.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the standards for intervention grain are identical in the United Kingdom and France.

Grain is accepted into intervention if it has passed standards laid down in Community regulations which are applicable in all member states. The Government are aware of concern that in the United Kingdom a lower proportion of break-making wheat which has been offered for intervention has passed the prescribed machinability test than in some other member states. The reasons for this and the value of the machinability test are being discussed with the Commission.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will take specific steps to ensure that Lymeswold cheese is available in the restaurants of the institutions of the EEC and in British Embassies in the member states of the EEC.

Because of heavy home demand the Milk Marketing Board are not at present exporting Lymeswold cheese. In these circumstances it would not seem appropriate to promote the cheese in the European Community in the manner suggested.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will provide itemised accounts of monies spent by the Administration on the dependent territory of Pitcairn Island during the most recent convenient 12-month period.

Expenditure by the Pitcairn Administration in 1981–82 totalled New Zealand dollars 671,240. Details are as follows:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will specify the difficulties they see in discussing nuclear verification proposals with the USSR.

The Government supported the proposal that the Committee on Disarmament should examine verification and compliance issues in relation to a comprehensive test ban, and we welcome Russian participation in the committee's work. We believe that one of the principal difficulties to be resolved is the level of confidence which may be placed in techniques for detecting and identifying underground tests.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What the effect on Government revenue would be at current earnings levels if:

On the assumptions used in Cmnd. 8742—Report by the Government Actuary on the draft of the Social Security (Contributions, Re-rating) Order 1982, and on the bases that:

asked Her Majesty's Government:What proportion of appeals by developers against refusal of planning permission for a change of use to amusement arcade have been upheld by the Secretary of State for the Environment, and what proportion of appeals against refusals of change of use in general have been similarly allowed.

I regret that information in the form requested cannot readily be made available until the computerisation of appeals records has been completed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why authors seeking payment under the Public Lending Right scheme have to make a statutory declaration for which a large fee is payable and not a declaration before a Peer, Member of the House of Commons, or other public person, as is customary for a passport.

The Public Lending Right Act 1979 conferred a new right of personal property, established by registration, and required a scheme to be set up for making payments from public funds. It was considered desirable in the scheme to require a statutory declaration of authorship, residence and other details in order to reduce the risk of false declarations. The standard legal fee for witnessing the declaration form is £2, but no charge is made for witnessing by a justice of the peace.