asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will give examples of the circumstances in which a data user who would otherwise preserve confidentiality of data in accordance with the data protection principles of Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Bill would be asked by a data user under control of the Home Office to provide data in accordance with the provisions of Clause 28(2) of the Bill for the purposes mentioned in Clause 28(1)(

In the exercise of his duties, an entry clearance officer or immigration officer must be satisfied that a person seeking to enter the United Kingdom qualifies to do so under the Immigration Rules. Similarly, those rules require that, in deciding whether a person's limited leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom should be varied, account is to be taken of all the relevant facts.It follows that it is sometimes necessary to make enquiries in the United Kingdom to establish whether an applicant qualifies for leave to enter or remain. It may, for example, be necessary to seek information about a student's attendance record at a place of education or whether a person here for medical treatment is meeting the costs of that treatment.For the effective enforcement of immigration control, it may be necessary for information to be disclosed on other occasions—for example, where a European Community national has become a charge on public funds or to locate a person against whom deportation proceedings are to be taken. On all these occasions, the information is being sought not for the purposes of the prevention or detection of crime but for the purposes of immigration control.Where the information being sought is held in the form of data on a computer, it will be unlikely that the immigration authorities will have been registered as a person to whom the data user intends to disclose data. The exemption from the non-disclosure provisions of the Bill for the purposes of immigration control will enable a data user who is asked to disclose information to the immigration authorities in these circumstances to do so if he so wishes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why additional discretionary visits, provided for in Rule 34(3) of the Prison Rules, have been restricted for many years at Wandsworth Prison; and at what other prisons in England and Wales these restrictions are in force.

There are no particular restrictions at HM Prison Wandsworth on the granting of extra visits under Prison Rule 34(3) where this is thought necessary for the welfare of an individual prisoner or his family. However, because of a shortage of accommodation for visits there it is only possible to provide more than one regular visit every 4 weeks for those prisoners who have already served 12 months or, in certain circumstances, for those who have been transferred from other establishments. The other information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many remand and sentenced prisoners have been kept in police custody since 1st February 1983, as a result of overcrowding in the prison system.

The estimated numbers of prisoners held overnight in police custody in London and the South-East up to and including the night of 28th March are as follows:

February		March
1	210	1	303
2	221	2	257
3	205	3	272
4–6	153	4–6	283
7	164	7	341
8	143	8	323
9	136	9	286
10	136	10	277
11–13	179	11–13	300
14	226	14	341
15	246	15	336
16	233	16	332
17	248	17	323
18–20	154	18–20	324
21	199	21	352
22	203	22	324
23	199	23	312
24	201	24	312
25–27	236	25–27	324
28	286	28	340

As a result of industrial action at Manchester Prison, 46 prisoners were held in police custody in the Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire police areas on the night of 23rd March, 103 on 24th March, 165 on 25th–27th March and 200 on 28th March.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What information there is in leaflet or pamphlet form, for use by advisory agencies, informing people from St. Kitts and Nevis of their citizenship status after independence; if there is no such material available, whether they will produce a leaflet immediately; and how any such literature is distributed.

St. Kitts and Nevis is due to become independent in September, and the government of that country will be able to give authoritative advice about its citizenship law. The Home Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be ready to give advice to anyone who wishes to know how his or her position under British nationality law is affected by the independence of St. Kitts and Nevis. There are no plans to produce leaflets or pamphlets.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How they encourage applicants from outside the Civil Service to apply for senior posts in the EC institutions; and to specify the organisations they consider appropriate for the purpose.

The institutions of the European Communities, when making senior appointments from outside their own services, normally look for qualifications or experience directly relevant to the post in question. The nature of the post thus determines where suitable people are likely to be found; Her Majesty's Government approach relevant organisations when this seems likely to bring forward suitable candidates, and supports those with a chance of success.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How, if they do not know how many British candidates from outside the Civil Service entered the institutions of the European Communities in each of the last five years, it is possible to tell whether there is sufficient British representation in the institutions of the European Community.

The European Commission, which is the largest employer of staff amongst the institutions, publishes tables of staff in post in the Commission according to grade and nationality. These tables illustrate that the United Kingdom is under-represented both overall and in particular grades. Observation suggests the position is broadly similar in the other institutions. None of the institutions, however, publishes details of recruitment.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the first "state of the nation" report on science and technology will be made by the Chairmen of ACARD and ABRC (Cmnd 8591, para 10) and whether it will be presented to Parliament.

The Government have asked the Chairmen of ACARD and ABRC to prepare their first joint report. Both have agreed to do so. The Government understand that it should be completed before the summer Recess. As I said in my reply to the right honourable and noble Lord on 16th July last, the Government would normally expect to publish these reports, but the form of publication of the first report has not yet been decided.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When an appointment will be made to fill the still vacant position of fourth medical consultant at the spinal unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury.

I understand that the appointment of a fourth medical consultant at the spinal injuries unit is to be reviewed in the autumn, after the new unit has been open for a few months.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why infection hepatitis A is increasing and what they are going to do about it.

Notifications of infective jaundice relate to all forms of viral hepatitis, notably hepatitis A and B. Following a high incidence between 1970–72, 1973 to 1979 saw a decline in the number of cases. Notifications did, however, increase in 1981, although only to half the extent experienced in the early 1970s. It seems likely that these fluctuations reflect the cyclical nature of hepatitis A, since laboratory reports of hepatitis B remain fairly constant. Hepatitis A is usually a mild disease and rarely has long-term consequences. Children between the ages of five and 14 years are those mainly affected. Good hygiene is an important factor in prevention, and there is a continuing programme of health education in schools.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Who is financially responsible for the Government warning of the possible danger to health from smoking which now has to be printed on all cigarette advertisements and whether any assessment has been made of the effect such warnings may have had upon the incidence of cigarette smoking.

The cost of including a health warning on cigarette advertisements is borne by the tobacco industry. Successive Governments have adopted a wide range of policies intended to reduce cigarette smoking and it is not possible to assess the effect of any of these policies in isolation. However, over the period 1972–1980 (the latest date for which figures are available) the prevalence of smoking fell from 52 per cent. to 42 per cent. among men and from 41 per cent. to 37 per cent. among women.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will state if ionisers are used in any National Health Service establishments, and if so, with what effect, given advertising claiming that they clear the air of smoke, pollen, dust and bacteria and the implication that ionisers are used beneficially in clinics and chest hospitals.

There have been some reports of ionisers being used for environmental purposes in NHS hospitals, but records of such equipment are not kept by the department. I understand that there is no definite evidence from studies undertaken so far that they are of therapeutic benefit.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What timetable they propose for implementing the Reservoirs Act 1975.

The phased implementation of the Reservoirs Act 1975 and the orderly transition from the provisions of the Reservoirs (Safety Provisions) Act 1930 require careful consideration in consultation with the main concerned parties; discussions are now being arranged. While it is too early to set out a detailed timetable, it is the Government's intention to give priority to those provisions which require the enforcement authorities to compile a register of reservoirs in their areas and other aspects that give an early contribution to safety.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will request the Commonwealth Development Corporation to reconsider plans to invest funds borrowed from the United Kingdom Government in an oil palm plantation in the Philippines in which Guthrie Overseas Holdings are partners, in view of the claim by the Catholic Institute for International Relations that the company employs a terrorist organisation as its security force.

No. The Minister for Overseas Development announced in January his approval of a loan of £6·4 million by the Commonwealth Development Corporation for this project. As was explained in another place on 19th January, the loan is subject to a number of contractual undertakings being given by the National Development Company of the Philippines and the borrower, which include the provision by the National Development Company of a new security force for the estate to replace the existing force. It is now being trained and is due to be available by the end of June 1983 at the latest. It will form part of a new security service which is being set up by the National Development Company to serve all its subsidiary companies, and it will be responsible for the protection of the estate's employees and its property and assets. CDC will have the right to withhold loan disbursements after 30th June 1983 if these provisions are not observed to its satisfaction and while any part of the loan remains undisbursed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:(

As far as we are aware the Soviet Union has not consulted other governments about the scheme. As the noble Lord is aware, we have discussed the matter in the past with the Soviet authorities. On a preliminary examination of the evidence available to us it does not appear that the influence on climate would be significant. We shall, however, continue to study the implications of any information available to us. And whenever a suitable opportunity occurs we shall encourage the Soviet authorities themselves to monitor the effects and pass on details to international scientific organisations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are their intentions for representing the interests of consumers in the areas of the water authorities under Clause 7 of the Water Bill.

Clause 7 of the Water Bill imposes on the water authorities a duty to prepare a report on the arrangements they propose to make to represent the interests of consumers in their area. This report has to be submitted to the Secretary of State for his approval. In preparing their reports the water authorities would be obliged by Clause 7 to have regard to any guidelines issued by the Secretary of State. A draft of the guidelines which it is proposed should be issued was circulated on 22nd November 1982, and copies are available in the Printed Paper Office. Comments on the draft were requested by 31st March 1983.The draft proposes the establishment of Consumer Consultative Committees at the divisional level, with a wide remit to consider any matter affecting the interests of the water authorities' and water companies' consumers.In the light of comments received, and a number of commitments which have already been made, it is proposed to revise the draft guidelines and to reissue them for a further short consultation period. While it will not be possible to publish the revised draft before the House completes the remaining stages of the Bill, copies will be made available to the House on publication. The main changes already decided upon are as follows:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have noted the recent report of the International Air Passengers' Association to the effect that British Airways is their members' least preferred carrier and Heathrow the airport they least like to use, and whether they have access to any other statistics which might reflect upon the reliability of this report.

British Airways and the British Airports Authority publish extensive information on their standards of performance in their respective annual reports, and both have been able to report a substantial improvement in consumer reaction to their services over the last few years.The International Air Passengers' Association is a private commercial organisation with no official standing. Despite the statement to which the noble Lord refers, the same survey, which was published over a year ago, shows that British Airways and Heathrow were also recorded as among the five most popular airlines and airports respectively of the association's members. More recent surveys have been more favourable towards them.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have determined a new financial target for British Airways.

Yes. In accordance with Section 13 of the British Airways Board Act 1977, I have decided that a reasonable financial duty for British Airways would be to achieve an average annual rate of return in current cost terms of 5¾ per cent. on net assets during the two financial years 1982–1983 and 1983–1984. The current cost profit as the basis for this target would be before taking account of interest and before profits or losses on asset disposals.I am reinforcing the target by urging the British Airways Board, in conjunction with the target, to use its best endeavours to make progress in eliminating the excess of liabilities over assets in the board's balance sheet as at 31st March 1982.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their response to the recommendations of the conference representing fifteen European countries held in Paris, on 18th–20th March, initiated by the International Political, Social and Economic Forum, to consider a European alternative to monetarist economic policies in order to limit the extent of unemployment.

The policies to stimulate demand through higher public spending recommended by the International Political, Social and Economic Forum have been tried before and have failed. This Government and the governments of other major industrial countries have agreed instead that prudent medium term monetary and fiscal policies are necessary to sustain the progress made against inflation and to create the conditions for a resumption of sustainable economic growth. These policies should lay the basis for a lasting reduction in unemployment.