asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware that cough linctuses which are potentially addictive have been included on the proposed list of drugs which will be available to patients under the National Health Service.

These drugs were included for completeness to acknowledge their use in serious illness. It is the doctors' professional responsibility to take account of the potential addictiveness of drugs when they prescribe them.We have been advised that diamorphine linctus and methadone linctus, which are controlled drugs, should remain available for the suppression of cough in terminal conditions. Doctors are well aware of their potential addictiveness and we are satisfied that, as now, they will not prescribe them unnecessarily.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it is correct that, with effect from 1st January 1988, under a new reciprocal agreement, American citizens will be able to retire in this country, and United Kingdom citizens will be able to retire in the United States on their own national pension rates, and whether any progress is being made in reaching agreement with the Canadian authorities concerning United Kingdom pensioners who have retired in Canada.

Since 25th September 1969, United Kingdom pensioners living in the United States of America have been entitled to receive increases of pensions as if they were living in the United Kingdom. Likewise the United States Government have paid their pensioners in the United Kingdom at full rates. The revised reciprocal convention made with the United States in 1984 does not alter that position.Concerning Canada, the noble Lord will be aware of the general position on this matter, which is contained in my reply to him on 14th November 1984, at column 317.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which areas of Scotland have been allocated as eligible for special supplementary benefit payments as a result of exceptionally severe weather; and on what criteria the decision was taken.

It is for the independent adjudication authorities to decide whether the conditions in the regulations governing entitlement to supplementary benefit have been satisfied or not. The criteria for deciding whether claimants are entitled to payments under Supplementary Benefit (Single Payments) Regulation 26—help with the fuel bills in periods of exceptionally severe weather—were referred to in the Answer I gave to the noble Baroness on 28th January, at cols. 554–556, and are set out in paragraphs 7426–7459 and appendix 19 to the S manual (a copy of which is in the Library). I understand that on the basis of these criteria the Chief Adjudication Officer has not so far this winter advised local adjudication officers that the "exceptionally severe weather" condition has been satisfied in any part of Scotland.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps they are taking to encourage people now living in hostels, bed-and-breakfast accommodation and furnished premises to move on into unfurnished property.

Various measures have been taken, for example in the Housing Act 1980, to encourage owner-occupation and the provision of private rented accommodation whether furnished or unfurnished, so that people wishing to move from hostels or bed-and-breakfast accommodation may find it easier to do so. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is now considering what further steps could be taken to meet the demand for private rented accommodation. In addition, local authorities have been encouraged to concentrate their resources on providing for people who are unable to meet their needs in the private sector. In certain circumstances special payments for furniture are available under the Supplementary Benefit scheme to assist people specifically to move into unfurnished accommodation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Secretary of State for the Environment can announce his decision on the application for consent to move the Temple Bar from St. Theobalds Park in Hertfordshire to St. Paul's Churchyard and whether he will make a statement.

This application was the subject of a public inquiry held between October 1983 and January 1984 and a resumed hearing in December 1984 to examine fresh evidence submitted by the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has accepted the advice of the Inquiry Inspector, who recommended in favour of granting consent. In reaching this decision my right honourable friend paid particular attention to the possibility of damage to the monument and to the setting of St. Paul's Churchyard, but concluded that these factors were outweighed by the advantages of returning this important monument to the City where it could be seen and enjoyed by many more people than if retained at Theobalds Park. The consent is subject to stringent conditions to ensure that the dismantling, repair and re-erection of the monument is carried out with every contractual and architectual care and to the satisfaction of the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will contribute to the $1 billion fund inaugurated by the World Bank to rescue Africa from growing famine and economic collapse; whether they will divert $20 million over three years promised last year to the International Development Association to this purpose; and which Governments have promised contributions to the World Bank fund and how much in each case.

The Government have undertaken to earmark, in close support of the purposes of the Facility, bilateral aid expenditure of £15 million a year in each of the five years during which it is expected that the Facility will disburse its funds.We have faced many other calls on the Aid Programme since Supplementary Financing for IDA 7 was discussed early in 1984. In particular, we have agreed to contribute to the European Development Fund a sum of about £740 million. This is substantially more than was envisaged at the time we were discussing IDA 7 Supplementary Financing; and probably 90 per cent. of it will go to sub-Saharan Africa.The following contributions have been pledged to the Special Facility:

Austria	$10 million
Canada	(committed to contribute: amount to be notified)
Denmark	£15 million
Finland	$12 million
France	$150 million
Ireland	$1·5 million
Italy	$153·5 million
Netherlands	$98 million
Norway	$28 million
Sweden	$49 million

In addition, the following countries are providing special joint financing which is expected to total about $500 million:Federal Republic of Germany, Japan, Switzerland, United Kingdom.

asked Her Majesty's Government:To state the amount of money available to the BBC External Services, at constant prices, for each year from 1978–79 to 1987–88.

The amount of the grant-in-aid of the BBC External Service for each year from 1978–79 to 1987–88 is as follows:

(£ million at 1985–86 prices)
	Current	Capital	Total
1978–79	63·8	5·4	69·2
1979–80	62·6	5·6	68·2
1980–81	66·9	6·8	73·7
1981–82	68·7	7·8	76·5
1982–83	69·8	11·2	81·0
1983–84	71·7	13·2	84·9
1984–85	73·4	11·4	84·8
1985–86	74·7	16·1	90·8
1986–87	74·2	19·9	94·1
1987–88	74·2	19·9	94·1

The levels of the grant-in-aid for 1986–87 and 1987–88 are estimates, subject to revision in the annual Public Expenditure Survey.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they expect to receive and publish the report by Professor Gareth Williams on crossborder co-operation in further and higher education in Northern Ireland.

Professor Williams's report on the "complementarity of third level education in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and the scope for mutually beneficial co-operation" was jointly commissioned in December 1983 by the Northern Ireland Economic Council and the Republic of Ireland's National Economic and Social Council. The report, which will be published jointly by these bodies, and not by Her Majesty's Government, is expected to be available in a few weeks.