asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they have taken following the comments of the trial judge at Aylesbury Crown Court when he sentenced Wendy Porter to life imprisonment for arson.

I understand that consideration of Miss Porter's appeal against sentence is pending. In the light of this, as the noble Lord will appreciate, it would not be appropriate to comment on the case. I shall be happy to discuss the issues affecting my department with the noble Lord once Miss Porter's case has been settled.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many people hold the office of both councillor and chairman of a regional or district health authority.

As far as we are aware, 46 chairmen of regional and district health authorities are also local councillors.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will state, in respect of the 13,647 company liquidations recorded in 1984 the number of:

The figure of 13,647 company liquidations in 1984 is from a non-official source. It relates to companies registered in England and Wales which were reported in the London Gazette during 1984 as going into liquidation because they were insolvent. These figures exclude members' voluntary liquidations because these do not involve insolvency.Provisional official figures for 1984 which cover compulsory liquidations which actually took place during the year and other liquidations recorded by the Companies Registration Office, are now available and, for England and Wales, are as follows:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether their attention has been drawn to the decision of Wiltshire County Council to demolish 10 houses, valued at over £200,000 in order to provide additional car-parking facilities at county hall, Trowbridge, and whether in their opinion this is a proper use of ratepayers' money.

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is aware of Wiltshire County Council's proposal to demolish these houses. They were purchased by the county council in the 1970s, at the request of the former owners, when blighted by a proposed access to the long-planned Trowbridge inner relief road. A proposed car-park extension is also involved. My right honourable friend understands that the county council are now considering the future of these properties, in consultation with the local housing authority, West Wiltshire District Coucil. Whether or not the houses should indeed he demolished is entirely a matter for the county council.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will make a statement on the outcome of the Council of Agriculture Ministers' meeting held in Brussels on 14th–15th January 1985.

My right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. together with my honourable friend the Minister of State in my department, represented the United Kingdom at this meeting.The Commission proposed changes to the rules for milk quotas including one intended to meet my request for a provision allowing producers to exchange their direct sale and wholesale quotas. They also proposed, for 1984–85 only, that unused quota could be reallocated within a member state to producers, dairies or regions where deliveries exceed quotas. While reaffirming our commitment to an effective supplementary levy system, we gave a cautious welcome to these proposals which will now be examined in detail at official level.On structures the Italian Presidency said that they would put forward a compromise covering all proposals on the table with a view to a decision being taken at the next meeting of the Council; we emphasised that any compromise must include satisfactory provisions on conservation.Four measures were adopted providing for the same quantities of cattle and beef to be imported into the Community in 1985 on specially favourable terms, as was permitted in 1984. This was a satisfactory outcome which will allow our processors and traders to secure beef of the qualities they need.With three other colleagues we complained about the slow progress made by the Commission in dealing with the Dutch national aid on gas prices. The Commission undertook to expedite the matter.The Council had a first discussion of the proposals designed to implement the agreement on wine reached at the European Council in December. It will return to this subject at its next meeting.The next meeting of the Council is scheduled for 25th–26th February.