asked Her Majesty's Government:Why and under what powers the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food can reduce agricultural grants to farmers in a national park by the amount of grant payable by a National Park Authority under Section 44 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

In exercising my discretion to pay grants on expenditure which is incurred for agricultural purposes I have to have regard to the need to avoid duplicating the use of different public funds. This is not confined to grants which may be paid by a National Park Authority, but it applies in any case where expenditure, on which capital grant is claimed, is being assisted by other public funds.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many grants, and of what value, the United Kingdom has received in each of the last five years for:—

Such payments are made by the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund as reimbursement of a proportion of expenditure by the United Kingdom Government. The rate of reimbursement under Regulation 1035/72, which provides for launching aid for new agricultural co-operatives in the fruit and vegetable sector, is 50 per cent. Under Directives 72/159 and 75/268, which deal inter alia with production groups and fodder production respectively, it is 25 per cent. Numbers of projects and total reimbursement for the last five calendar years are shown in the following table.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many agricultural co-operatives in the United Kingdom have received aid from the EEC towards the capital cost of marketing or processing projects in each of the last five years; and for what value.

; Awards made towards capital investment in marketing and processing by co-operatives are given under EEC Regulation 355/77. The value of these grants in the last five years, and the number of co-operatives receiving them, are as follows:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether Canthaxanthin is to be prohibited from use in fish food in future.

Canthaxanthin is a permitted feed additive under United Kingdom law, but the present Community provisions governing its use are contradictory. Her Majesty's Government are pressing for an amendment to Community law in order to make it clear that its use in fish foods many continue.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they agree with Bloomsbury District Management Team that an early discharge of patients from their Spinal Injuries Unit at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital ("RNOH"), Stanmore, will be of psychological advantage to patients, and what the DHSS considers to be a suitable period for readjustment of paralysed patients.

Such questions are matters for the professional team caring for the patients concerned, but the Department is naturally following these developments with interest.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How the revenue funding of the Spinal Unit at the RNOH at Stanmore compares with the Spinal Units at Hexham General Hospital and the Promenade Hospital at Southport.

The revenue funding which will be required when the new unit at Stanmore opens is under consideration at present. It is not therefore possible to make comparisons with the cost of other units.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will consider a more suitable name for the proposed 16-plus examination if children under the age of 16 years will be eligible to sit the examination.

The titles of the examinations which are normally taken by young people at the age of 16-plus are the General Certificate of Education (GCE), O-level and the Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE). The Government have not yet decided whether to replace these examinations by a system leading to a single certificate.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps they propose to take to deal with the growing traffic congestion in Central London to which the number of empty or partially occupied buses in convoy may be a contributory factor.

The primary responsibility for traffic in London is vested in the Greater London Council and for London Transport Executive within the general policy and financial framework provided by the GLC.The operation of London's buses is a matter for the London Transport Executive. It is an objective of the Transport Bill, now before Parliament, to encourage authorities and executives to assess carefully the services provided and to seek increased efficiency in their management and operation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:On what dates applicants for special quota vouchers who have been invited for interview in April and May 1983 respectively first lodged their applications.

Special voucher applicants in India invited for interview in April 1983 had lodged their applications in mid-May 1976 in the non-priority categories and between September 1980 and February 1981 in the priority categories. Those invited for interview in May 1983 applied in mid to late May 1976 in the non-priority categories and between March 1981 and April 1982 in the priority categories.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action has been taken to improve Government forms following the publication of the White Paper

A report summarising the progress which has been made has been submitted to the Prime Minister and to me. This report will be published next Wednesday, 23rd March, and a copy will be placed in the Library. It shows that 14,000 forms in national use have been reviewed so far; 3,600 have been abolished and 2,700 improved. Priority is being given to the more important forms that go to the general public or to industry and businesses.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What proposals are being put forward on unified grading in the Civil Service.

The Council of Civil Service Unions have been informed that the Government wish to pursue an extension of unified grading in the senior levels of the service. Detailed proposals initially covering the grading levels down to Senior Principal and equivalents are being prepared. These will be put to the unions shortly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether following the case of

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Employment and the Manpower Services Commission are considering carefully the implications of the judgment in the case of Daley v Allied Suppliers Ltd.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it is possible for cruise missiles to be launched from bases within the United Kingdom without being deployed outside those bases.

The normal concept of operations for the cruise missiles involves their deployment to suitable dispersed locations; they can however be operated from virtually any site with suitable geographical characteristics. Use of the cruise missiles will at all times be governed by the understanding on joint decision-making between the Government of the United Kingdom and the United States.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the possible launching of cruise missiles requires the specific and immediate agreement of the Prime Minister, or whether the "use" of the bases already agreed covers that possible eventuality.

The use of nuclear weapons systems operating from United States bases in the United Kingdom is governed by the understanding on joint decision-making between the Governments of the United Kingdom and the United States summarised in the joint communiqué issued in January 1952.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What British forces are to be deployed within the bases where cruise missiles are to be stationed.

A Royal Air Force commanding officer and members of the Royal Air Force Regiment and Royal Air Force police will be deployed at each base.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the conditions under which the United States is allowed to "use" bases in the United Kingdom and whether the "use" permitted includes the launching of cruise missiles.

United States forces are stationed in the United Kingdom under the general provisions of the North Atlantic Treaty, the Agreement regarding the Status of Forces of Parties to the North Atlantic (1951) and the Visiting Forces Act 1952. The use of nuclear weapons systems operating from United States bases in the United Kingdom is governed by the understanding on joint decision-making between the Governments of the United Kingdom and the United States summarised in the joint communiqué issued in January 1952.