asked Her Majesty's Government:What proportion of 18-year-olds entered higher education in 1979, 1981, 1982 and what it is anticipated to be in 1983 and 1984 for home-based full-time students in Great Britain.

Information is not readily available in the form requested. However, it is estimated that home entrants under 21 to higher education in Great Britain expressed as a percentage of 18-year-olds (the age participation rate) was as follows:

1969–70	1979–80	1981–82	1982–83 (prov)
13·7	12·4	13·2	13·0

Projections for 1983–84 and 1984–85 cannot yet be provided because the implications of the Govern- ment's expenditure plans for student admissions in future years have to be discussed with the bodies concerned. Initial entrants up to 1979–80 included many entering initial teacher training courses in England and Wales without the two GCE 'A' level passes normally considered necessary for higher education.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will place a copy of the report of the Informal Working Group on Effective Prescribing in the Library of the House.

Yes, I have now done so. Copies are also available in the Printed Paper Office.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have taken note of the report in

I understand that the incident mentioned in The Times report of 24th January arose from the spraying during May and June 1971 of 4,000 to 5,000 gallons of waste oil on 3 horse arenas and a farm road near Times Beach, Missouri, as a dust control measure. The oil was contaminated with about 300 parts per million of dioxin and the contamination has been spread by the recent flooding there.In the United Kingdom waste oil is not used for dust control purposes. Also, since 1972 there has been specific legislation dealing with hazardous waste disposal, thus supplementing existing planning and public health controls.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they can confirm that an area of Street Heath SSSI in Somerset, has been damaged by rotovating; whether this site has yet been re-notified as an SSSI by the NCC; and whether the NCC has asked the Secretary of State to use his powers under Section 29 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to prevent further damage.

I am advised that no part of the Street Heath SSSI has been damaged by rotovating. The necessary preparations for re-notification of the site are in hand. The NCC have not asked the Secretary of State to make a Nature Conservation Order.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the total area of the Swale SSSI in Kent at 1st January 1981, what is its area likely to be after the site has been re-notified; and what are the reasons for any change in the area.

The area of the Swale SSSI at 1st January 1981 was 6,346 hectares; I am advised that the area of the SSSI upon re-notification under Section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 will be 5,979 hectares. The re-notified SSSI will exclude those areas of arable farmland which, in the NCC's opinion, are no longer of sufficient nature conservation interest.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the grounds on which, having previously determined that it would be in the British interest to extend territorial waters to 12 miles and having begun the necessary procedures to achieve this end, they are now reconsidering the issue (Lord Belstead's Written Answer to Lord Kennet of 6th December 1982, col. 108).

The Government have always made it clear that the possibility of introducing legislation to extend the United Kingdom's territorial sea would be viewed in the context of the results emerging from the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention. In keeping with this policy, we are now examining the results of UNLOSC.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What recommendations of the Royal Commission on Legal Services relating to the responsibilities of the Lord Chancellor's Department

The report contains over 300 recommendations covering a wide area of legal services, and it would not be practicable to deal with all these in the Answer to this Question. I will write to the noble Lord and arrange for a copy of my letter to be placed in the Library.