asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Home Secretary will publish the recommendations of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis in his report on his problems and priorities.

On 1st October 1982, as Police Authority for the Metropolitan Police, my right honourable friend the Home Secretary invited the commissioner on taking up his office to give him within three months a preliminary report, outlining his plans and priorities. He asked the commissioner, in determining his objectives and priorities, to give particular attention to the present high level of crime, including street crime and burglary; the problems of maintenance of public order in the capital; community involvement; and the organisation and structure of the force. The commissioner was fully aware that my right honourable friend wished his assessment to take place against the objective of improving police effectiveness in the metropolis, and of ensuring that the resources now allocated to the Metropolitan Police were thoroughly reviewed and properly utilised.The commissioner has presented his report to the Home Secretary, who has given it careful study, and fully discussed his proposals with him. The Home Secretary has thought it right to place in the Library the commissioner's summary of the recommendations and of the arguments which give rise to them.My right honourable friend believes that the commissioner's proposals, and the action that will follow, will respond to the primary concerns of the majority of the people who live and work in the metropolis through focusing more directly both on persistent crime problems and on improving co-operation between police and public.The commissioner has emphasised to the Home Secretary that his report is preliminary, and that it is not comprehensive. His proposals represent a programme of selective action for the next twelve months, and in implementing them he and my right honourable friend look forward to taking account of the views of noble Lords and honourable Members in another place, especially those with constituencies in the metropolis. From my right honourable friend's discussions with a number of honourable Members in another place, already he is confident that the commissioner's present proposals are attuned very much to their constituents' practical concerns. The same message came from the majority of local authority representatives in the Home Secretary's recent discussions with the London Boroughs Association and the Outer Districts Consultative Association.The commissioner intends to present to the range of consultative groups which have been, and which are being, set up in response to the guidelines the Home Secretary issued on 16th June, specific proposals for action in their areas. He and my right honourable friend look forward to the engagement of these and other local groups in practical proposals for joint action on the ground.The Home Secretary has indicated to the commissioner that he will be able to count on building up Metropolitan Police manpower by the end of the financial year 1983–84 to a total establishment figure of nearly 27,000. With the department there will be, during the course of this year, a thorough review of manpower and expenditure. This work will be done against the essential policy requirement that resources should only be increased where both the need for them, and their value in use, is proven.My right honourable friend accepts the commissioner's decision to tackle the managerial and organisational arrangements of the Metropolitan Police very deliberately. Again, in conjunction with the department, the force's rank structure and the relationship of headquarters and districts will be thoroughly re-examined in the light of the operational policies that the commissioner proposes to adopt. In discussing his report with the commissioner, the Home Secretary has emphasised the need for the closest possible co-operation between the Metropolitan Police Inspectorate and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary.The commissioner, and the Home Secretary are both determined to ensure that whatever criticisms may be levelled at particular aspects of metropolitan policing, London is provided with a programme of effective law enforcement, springing from close community involvement and consultation. My right honourable friend has asked the commissioner to review annually the objectives and priorities of the force in the light of his assessment of the needs of the people who live and work in London, the views of Parliament, of the boroughs and districts who pay the precept, and against the background of general Government policy. He will report to my right honourable friend annually with any proposals for change, and his recommendations will be made public in future.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In how many countries of the Common Market and other European countries are limitations for the use of dioxin in force.

The term dioxin encompasses a wide range of compounds, but is commonly used to refer to the most toxic of these—2, 3, 7, 8—tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). This may be formed as a contaminant during the manufacture of a range of industrial chemicals.I regret that information is not available for all European countries on the steps taken to limit contamination by dioxin. However, a communication of 17th June 1982 from the Commission of the European Communities to the Council records that all member states of the Community have taken steps to limit the maximum permitted level of TCDD in 2, 4, 5–T which is one of the products in which contamination may occur. This communication also records that the limit is 0.01 mg/kg in Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom and this is the limit which the Commission recommend in present circumstances.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will confirm that, as the Avro Vulcans have now been retired, at least one of these machines will be preserved at the Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon.

A Vulcan B Mk 2, tail number XR 318, lately of 617 Squadron RAF Scampton, is already at RAF Hendon and will be exhibited in the Bomber Command Wing of the Royal Air Force Museum when it opens to the public in spring 1983.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What financial allocations have been made to regional health authorities for 1983/84.

The Government have once more been able to provide the means to expand services for patients. The additional 1.2 per cent. growth represents nearly £100 million more over the year. It is subject to each region increasing efficiency by at least half per cent. as announced in the circular we issued last July. As well as allowing for inflation we have been able to make sure that there can be continued development throughout the NHS—with most resources going to the worst off regions.Under the allocation for 1983/84 there will be increases of 2.9 per cent. extra (or £8.7 million) for the East Anglia Regional Health Authority, 2.4 per cent. extra (or £16.9 million) for the Trent Regional Health Authority and 2.1 per cent. more (about £9 million) for Wessex Region. Detailed tables of the increased allocations to the fourteen regional health authorities are attached. The figures are of course provisional pending approval of the department's estimates for 1983/84. They follow the formula laid down by the Resource Allocation Working Party—RAWP—based on relative health care needs of different regions. For the first time the census figures for 1981 have been used.It has been possible to continue the Government's policy of putting more resources into the health services as a result of the increased expenditure announced by my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 8th November 1982, the settlement of the NHS pay dispute, the fall in inflation and increased efficiency in the health service. The growth figures for each region are now significantly higher than the assumptions shown in the July circular.Next year's increase means that we will have increased the resources available to health authorities steadily since 1979. The additional growth of 1.2 per cent. is on top of 5.5 per cent. over the last three years.A circular has been sent to health authorities today giving them guidance on the use of the growth money. This emphasises the need to give particular consideration during the coming financial year to the improvement of buildings and the maintenance of the estate—something which has generally been neglected in the health service while priority was being given to other matters. By devoting more resources to upgrading existing buildings, authorities can improve the quality of patient care—for example, by brightening up wards—and by bringing into good shape buildings that have a long working life ahead of them, they can help make better use of their total resources. Authorities should consider using both minor capital as well as revenue for this purpose. The circular also asks authorities to use the remainder to improve the quantity and quality of services. It places a particular responsibility on regional health authorities to ensure that the right priority is given to those services which provide for a wider population than the district in which they are located—for example, renal dialysis and coronary artery surgery.The cash provision for the hospital and community health service capital programme is based on the Government's spending plans set out in the last Public Expenditure White Paper, Cmnd. 8494. The cash provision will allow a capital programme some 12 per cent. larger in real terms than in 1978/79.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will seek the advice of the Army Veterinary Corps as to whether it would be advisable to secure a number of mules for the Falkland Islands in view of their outstanding reputation as a means of transport in country very similar to that of those islands.

The Ministry of Defence is considering whether mules might profitably be employed by the Falkland Islands garrison.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will recognise that civil defence is not credible in this country with its crowded urban areas while their defence strategy is based on nuclear weapons; and whether they will therefore abandon their attempt to compel local authorities to take part in what many councillors and local government workers regard as a dangerous and heartless fraud.

No. Civil defence would reduce the effect of any foreseeable attack on this country, whether with conventional or nuclear weapons and could save millions of lives.