asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will make a further statement on the progress of the Lear Fan enterprise, and on their current intentions towards it.

As is common to most aircraft development and certification programmes involving new technology, setbacks have been experienced with the project from time to time. The correction of these defects has resulted in a significant degree of slippage in the certification programme, but an important milestone was passed in October 1984 when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted a type inspection authorisation to a Lear Fan 2100 aircraft. However, before flight testing by FAA personnel can commence, a number of key tests have still to be completed. It is understood from the company that one of these tests has revealed the need for modification to the propulsion unit, and that it will take some 10 weeks for this to be completed and the test re-run. In spite of this delay, the company's current forecast is that basic type certification for an unpressurised aircraft should be achieved later this year, with full type certification in 1986.The Government's current intentions remain as in the reply given to my noble friend on 19th December 1984. [House of Lords

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will issue guidance to prisoners on ways to avoiding AIDS, and giving general information to staff and inmates on what is known about the ways in which the disease can be transmitted.

Some information has already been given to staff: further guidance for both staff and inmates has now been issued. Copies of this advice have been placed in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Minister for Information Technology was correctly reported in the 4th February issue of

The article to which the noble Lord refers arose from a press conference given by my honourable friend the Minister of State for Industry and Information Technology on 29th January at which he announced the Government's decision to establish a British National Space Centre. A copy of the relevant press notice has been placed in the Library of the House. The aim of the centre is to improve the development of space technology in the United Kingdom and to strengthen the co-ordination of space policy.Detailed arrangements are being worked out and will be announced in due course. But it is likely that the technology centre will be located at RAE, Farnborough, where there is already a successful joint technology programme funded by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Defence.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What arrangements they propose to make for the future of the Greater London Record Office in the event of the Local Government Bill becoming law.

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has today written to the Lord Mayor of the Corporation of the City of London setting out arrangements for the City on behalf of Londoners as a whole to take over and run the Greater London Record Office, subject to parliamentary approval for the Local Government Bill. The Lord Mayor has agreed with the proposal. The arrangement follows discussions between the Department of the Environment and the corporation. It means that the GLRO collection can be maintained intact in the hands of local government and in the charge of the corporation which has considerable expertise and experience on archive matters. I am placing a copy of the exhange of letters between the Secretary of State and the Lord Mayor in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many psychiatric patients are at present in hospital subject to closure plans and what provision is being made for these patients; andWhat provision is being made, and by whom, for residential and day care for psychiatric patients at present in hospitals subject to closure plans.

Work is in progress in each health region to identify places where psychiatric services should be relocated during the next 10 years, allowing the closure of an existing hospital. I shall not be in a position to list such hospitals until we receive regional health authorities' 10-year plans later this year. A closure usually requires ministerial approval and such approval will only be given if the health authority has made satisfactory plans for the provision of a comprehensive range of psychiatric services for the area formerly served by the hospital that is to be closed. These plans must cover the needs of the long-stay patients now being cared for in the hospital.Health authorities and social service authorities are generally still considering these plans. Those which we have seen in connection with the "Care in the Community" initiative suggest that authorities appreciate the need to offer a range of provision to meet a range of individual needs. Plans may include transfer of patients who still need long-stay in-patient care to another hospital; transfer of less disabled people to a local authority home for those recovering from mental illness, or to a local authority home for elerly people; care in a suitable voluntary or private residential home or nursing home; or independent accommodation in sheltered housing, a group home, or a family home or lodgings; together with appropriate day care and support by community psychiatric nurses and social workers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there are any negotiations pending or any plans being considered which might result in a change either of ownership or of mangement of:

I understand that Paddington and North Kensington Health Authority have given preliminary consideration to the basis on which the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital is operated, but this is at a very early stage. Bloomsbury Health Authority have been approached by private sector interests about the Woolavington Wing at the Middlesex Hospital and the Private Patients' Wing at University College Hospital. No negotiations have taken place as the authority indicated that there were no plans to change the status of their paybed facilities. Lewisham and North Southwark Health Authority invited three companies to submit ouline proposals for the redevelopment of Nuffield House at Guy's Hospital but have decided not to proceed for the time being.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What arrangements are in hand to implement the Reservoirs Act 1975.

The Reservoirs Act 1975 is being implemented in stages. Under stage one, essential enabling regulations and regulations covering the appointment of new panels of engineers to carry out the various functions prescribed for qualified civil engineers under the Act came into force throughout England, Wales and Scotland on 8th November 1983, and 20th December 1984, respectively.Under stage two, further regulations were made on 13th February bringing into effect on 1st April 1985 everywhere in England, Wales and Scotland, except in Greater London and English metropolitan counties, those provisions in the 1975 Act: