asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will initiate constitutional discussions between all parties concerning a Bill of Rights for the United Kingdom, in accordance with undertakings given during the discussion of Lord Wade's Bill.

The Government support the principles of the European Convention on Human Rights, to which they are a party. The question of incorporating such principles into United Kingdom law raises important constitutional issues which would need to be fully explored between the political parties. The Government do not judge that the present time is ripe for further initiatives on their part additional to those taken during the passage of the Bill to which the noble Lord refers: but they keep, and will continue to keep, closely in touch with public debate on this matter.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will investigate allegations of fraudulent claims, made on form GOS.2(B) by some opticians, for payment by the Family Practitioner Committees and the DHSS for services not actually provided; and what procedures exist for checking such claims.

A number of anonymous letters alleging fraud, apparently all from the same person, have come to the attention of this department recently but without specific information about the practitioners alleged to be involved it is not possible to take further action on these letters.However, one of the checks carried out by Family Practitioner Committees is a statistical examination of opticians' claims in order to identify any unusual patterns which warrant investigation. Such checks will alert committees to any significant abuse by opticians.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What were the reasons for the closure of the Department of Employment's Resettlement Units at Fazackerly in Merseyside and Walkden in Greater Manchester, and what arrangements are being made to meet the needs of those previously dependent on these units.

It is our intention to review, on a regional basis, future provision for people without a settled way of life who until now have been accommodated in resettlement units run by this department. Particular account has been taken of the fact that some of the units, including Fazakerley and Walkden, are in a state which would require significant capital expenditure if their present role were to continue, and of the evidence that, despite the caring and conscientious work of the staff, the units have proved less successful in their stated role than smaller voluntary hostels directed to the same end.In the light of these considerations we have now decided to work towards the gradual closure of resettlement units, in association with measures to promote the development of better alternative arrangements to meet the needs of people without a settled way of life.Outside London, a process of regional consultation with voluntary organisations and local authorities is to be launched to identify alternative arrangements for resettling people. The aim will be the closure of the most dilapidated units over the next three years or so to avoid wasteful expenditure on them. The future of the other units outside London will be considered further in the light of proposals coming forward from the voluntary sector. The resources saved will be used to finance alternative schemes.No action will be taken on the seven London resettlement units until the replacement scheme for the Camberwell unit is further advanced and their future will be reviewed later.There will be full consultation with the trade unions about the effect of these changes on the staff of the resettlement units.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the number of awards of industrial death benefit which have been made for the years 1982, 1983 and 1984, for:

The table shows the number of awards of industrial death benefit for (a) asbestosis as at 31st December 1984 and (b) diffuse mesothelioma as at 31st March 1984, relating to deaths in 1982, 1983 and 1984. The figures are the latest available. (Further awards for deaths from diffuse mesothelioma in 1982 and 1983 may have been made in 1984.)

	1982	1983	1984
Death Benefit Awards
(a) Asbestosis	70	76	63
(b) Diffuse Mesothelioma	179	99	—
*(c) Lung cancer when accompanied by asbestosis.
† (d) Lung cancer without asbestosis is not prescribed for asbestos workers under the Industrial Injuries Provisions of the 1975 Social Security Act.
*Figures for pneumoconiosis (asbestosis) where lung cancer is also present are not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
†Lung cancer when accompanied by bilateral diffuse pleural thickening will he added to the list of prescribed diseases under the industrial injuries provisions of the Social Security Act 1975 with effect from 1st April 1985.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are:—

(a) The following table shows the number of cases of pneumoconiosis (asbestosis) newly diagnosed by each of the Medical Boarding Centres (Respiratory Diseases), formerly the Pneumoconiosis Medical Panels, for each year from 1981 to 1983.

	1981	1982	1983
Cardiff	14	17	12
Glasgow	22	26	45
London	18	23	31
Manchester	29	35	36
Newcastle	23	26	31
Sheffield	27	41	26
Stoke	6	3	12
Swansea	1	1	6
These figures are the latest available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list those nationalised industry consumer councils in receipt of the draft guidelines affecting their future; whether any consumer council has been omitted and, if so, when those guidelines will be issued to them.

The following nationalised industry consumer councils (NICCs) are in receipt of draft guidelines:

National Gas Consumers' Council/Regional Gas Consumer Councils.Electricity Consumers' Council/Area Consultative Councils in England and Wales.Electricity Consultative Council for South of Scotland.Electricity Consultative Council for North of Scotland.Central Transport Consultative Committee/Area Transport Users' Consultative Committee.London Regional Passengers' Committee.Post Office Users' National Council/Country Post Office User Councils.Domestic Coal Consumers' Council.None of the councils covered by

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in elaboration of their reply to Baroness Burton of Coventry's starred Question on 6th March, they will inform the House of the contents of the statement made by the European Commission on 18th December last concerning the development of the European Community's consumer protection policy over the last few years.

Commissioner Narjes' statement, on the eve of his handing over the consumer protection portfolio to Mr. Clinton Davis, was a personal reflection on both the work carried out by the previous Commission and how the new Commission might continue this work.His statement recalled that the Community's consumer policy drew its inspiration from a concern to protect the consumer and to contribute to the working of the internal market through the elimination of barriers to trade. It also recalled the impetus given to consumer policy through the several discussions of matters of consumer interest at Council meetings and the adoption of measures such as the Directive on Misleading Advertising, the decision to introduce a system for the rapid exchange of information about dangerous consumer products and the pilot scheme for information on accidents.Herr Narjes also looked to the future development of consumer policy in the context of both a "people's Europe" and an improved integration of consumer matters with other Community policies.In view of the interest shown in this document, I am arranging for a copy of it to be deposited in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish the names and qualifications of those people appointed to serve on the Widdicombe Inquiry.

I am glad to inform the House that the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales and the Secretary of State for the Environment propose to appoint the following members of the committee of inquiry, under the chairmanship of Mr. David Widdicombe, QC:

• Sir Lawrence Boyle, JP, formerly Chief Executive of Strathclyde Regional Council.
• Mr. Peter Newsam, Chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality.
• Mr. George Russell, Managing Director of British Alcan Aluminium Limited.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they expect to receive the report of the Widdicombe Inquiry on local government practices.

The Committee of Inquiry into the Conduct of Local Authority Business has been asked to aim to report within a year. In view of the growing public concern about the use made by some local authorities of their discretionary powers to engage in overt political campaigning at public expense, the committee has been requested to submit an interim report on this question by the end of July.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there have been further developments since the drafts of the new constitutions for the Falkland Islands and Falkland Islands Dependencies were placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 24th January.

When they approved the draft constitutions on 15th-16th January, the Falkland Islands Councillors made a number of comments on the texts. These have been the subject of further consultation. Revised drafts, reflecting the outcome of that consultation, were placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 11th March. The most significant amendments reflect the Government's decision, taken in the light of strong views expressed by the councillors, to revert to the normal title of "Governor" of the Falkland Islands, in place of "Civil Commissioner".

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will publish the consultation paper on land drainage and coast protection; what matters will be covered therein; and what further action the Government propose to take.

A Green Paper, entitled The Financing and Administration of Land Drainage, Prevention of Flooding and Coast Protection in England and Wales, was published yesterday for public comment. The paper examines the current arrangements for financing and administering land drainage, flood prevention and coast protection, and in particular current and future financing arrangements, the structure of water authorities' land drainage committees, and the administration of internal drainage districts.My right honourable friend the Prime Minister has considered the question of departmental responsibility for coast protection; responsibility for the Storm Tide Warning Service; payment of grant aid on land drainage schemes straddling the border between England and Wales; and the calling of public inquiries into land drainage matters. She has decided to transfer responsibility for coast protection in England from the Department of the Environment to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Wales already exercises responsibility for both land drainage and coast protection for Wales. Other changes in responsibilities, proposals for which are set out in the Green Paper, would be made at a later date.The Government will consider, in the light of reactions to the Green Paper, what changes in the law relating to the financing and administration of land drainage and coast protection should be proposed. In this connection, they will take account of the examination of the possibilities of privatisation in the water industry announced by my honourable friend the Minister for Housing and Construction during the debate on the Water Authority (Return on Assets) Orders on 7th February. Whatever the outcome of that examination, the financial and administrative issues raised in the Green Paper require consideration.The Green Paper does not apply to Scotland, where different arrangements exist.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When it became the invariable practice to insert in Acts of Parliament the formula "with the consent of the Treasury", or words to like effect, when giving a power to, or imposing a duty upon, a Minister of the Crown which might require public expenditure.

The formula has appeared in Acts of Parliament since the first half of the last century, but it is not possible to fix a point in time by which the practice of inserting these words could be said to have become invariable. Certainly, the formula has appeared more frequently during the past 40 years. Since 1945, Parliament has bestowed to an increasing extent on departmental Ministers the power to make grants and loans, to settle the terms of appointments and to take decisions which may at one time have been regarded as reserved to the Treasury. However, the Treasury still has particular responsibilities, especially for public expenditure, and the formula reflects this.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will specify the tax increases imposed on alcohlic drinks in successive budgets since 1979 and the increases imposed by the breweries over the same period.

Duty increases for the principal types of alcoholic drinks have been as follows:—

	Duty rate as at June 1979 Budget	1980	1981	1982	1983	(£) 1984
Beer at 1037 degrees original gravity (per hectolitre)	13.14	+2.96	+6.11	+2.96	+1.48	+2.96
Cider and perry (per hectolitre)	5.32	+0.73	+1.15	+0.96	+1.53	+4.59
Table wine—less than 15 per cent alcohol (per (hectolitre)	71.49	+9.93	+13.78	+11.60	+6.20	-22.50
Fortified wine—15–18 per cent alcohol (per hectoliter)	82.48	+11.45	+28.97	+15.00	+8.00	+11.60
Spirits (per litre of alcohol)	10.44	+1.43	+1.73	+0.87	+0.72	+0.29

Alcoholic drinks are also chargeable with VAT at the standard rate. This has remained unchanged at 15 per cent. since 18th June 1979. I regret that detailed information about price increases imposed by breweries is not available centrally.