asked Her Majesty's Government:How much it has cost to administer the Family Policy Group; on which departmental budget this expense is charged; which Minister in the House of Lords is accountable for the work of this group; and whether the group will continue to meet.

It is not the practice to disclose the arrangements governing particular ministerial committees or groups such as the Family Policy Group. Since the Family Policy Group is no more than a group of Ministers meeting periodically to review the effect of Government policies upon the family, no question of separately identifiable administrative expense arises. The Government will continue to keep under review the effect of its policies on the family.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there is any purpose in the continued taxation of farmhouse cider.

Receipts from the taxation of alcoholic drinks are an important source of revenue, and it would be inequitable to exempt cider. However, small-scale cider makers can apply for exemption from registration and payment of duty if their annual production does not exceed 70 hectolitres. Also, there is provision for relief from duty for cider made from fruit grown in the United Kingdom by a registered manufacturer and used by him either for his own domestic consumption or supplied free of charge for consumption by his agricultural employees.

asked her Majesty's Government:Whether they have ruled out full British participation in the European Monetary System.

The question of sterling's participation in the European Monetary System's exchange rate mechanism continues to be kept under review.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will encourage visits to South Africa of racially mixed sporting teams to play against racially mixed teams of South African residents; and if not, whether they will state their reasons for not doing so.

No. As the noble Lord, Lord Wakefield, is aware, the Government are committed as a member of the Commonwealth to the Commonwealth Statement on Apartheid in Sport. This does not allow any distinction between teams on the basis of their racial composition. Changes in the statement and thus in Government policy can only be agreed within the Commonwealth, by Commonwealth Heads of Government.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many officers within the Nature Conservancy Council are working full-time upon the implementation of Section 36 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, and whether they will state what sum has been earmarked for this and related purposes from the Nature Conservancy Council's grant-in-aid.

No staff are engaged exclusively on this work, but many officers of the NCC, at national and regional level, are currently involved in developing a programme for the establishment of marine nature reserves. I understand that the NCC have allocated £125,000 for this and related work in the current financial year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What pensions are payable to widows of servicemen who die of natural causes while serving.

The following benefits are payable: If death is not attributable to service:

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the approximate number of probation officers who went on strike during the recent one-day strike called by the National Association of Probation Officers.

From information provided by chief probation officers it appears that 1,911 probation officers (about one-third of the total complement) went on strike on 27th April 1983.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What increases in police establishments were authorised in the financial year 1982–83; which police forces were involved; and what were the ranks of the officers.

In the last four years the Government have authorised over 2,900 additional posts in police establishments in England and Wales. The increases in the financial year 1982–83 were as follows: