asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will extend the present system of judicial studies into the civil and family jurisdic-tions.

Hitherto, the Judicial Studies Board has concerned itself only with training in the criminal jurisdiction. However, with the agreement of the Home Secretary and the Lord Chief Justice, I have now decided to expand the role of the board, from 1st October 1985, to cover the provision of training in the civil and family jurisdictions. The board will also supervise the training of magistrates and judicial chairmen and members of tribunals and, consequently, the Advisory Committee on the Training of Magistrates, under the chairmanship of Mr Justice Boreham, will be dissolved. I have appointed Lord Justice Mustill as chairman of the expanded board. The remainder of the board's enlarged membership will be announced later.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What has happened to the endowment funds of the South London Hospital for Women; and what sum has been released by the sale of the site and buildings.

A major indenture was created in 1913 to purchase the land and erect a building to be known as the South London Hospital for Women. Under the terms of this indenture the South London Hospital for Women Corporation was permitted to lease the hospital for a period of 999 years for the annual rent of one peppercorn. Under the terms of the 1946 Health Act the leasehold and the freehold interest in the property vested in the Secretary of State. The South London Hospital for Women has received no income from the fund for many years, as it is long since exhausted.There are, however, still in existence a number of other current trusts and endowments of which the South London Hospital is a beneficiary to the tune of some £100,000 per annum. South West Thames Regional Health Authority is currently engaged in negotiations with the Charities Commissioners to prepare a new trust deed in respect of these monies which will ensure that they continue to be used for the benefit of and to promote services for women and girls who will in future be treated at St. George's and St. James' Hospitals, Wandsworth and to explore the possibilities of creating a bursary for the training of women doctors in the district.The South West Thames Regional Health Authority intends to dispose of the property on the open market and realise its full market value as soon as Her Majesty's Land Registry has formally approved an application to have the title deeds registered in the name of the Secretary of State.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What discussions have taken place with the Royal National Institute for the Blind, the British Refugee Council and the Church of Scotland regarding the Supplementary Benefit (Requirements and Resources) Miscellaneous Provisions Regulations 1985; and what amelioration is proposed of the anticipated hardship arising from the regulations.

My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State will be meeting representatives from the British Refugee Council today and it is hoped to arrange a ministerial meeting with representatives of the Royal National Institute for the Blind. Correspondence has been received from the Church of Scotland and a reply will be sent shortly. No changes are proposed to the Supplementary Benefit (Requirements and Resources) Miscellaneous Provisions Regulations 1985 at this stage, but we shall continue to give careful consideration to all representations received.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the grades of the officers employed by the Social Services Inspectorate of the Department of Health and Social Security, and how many of them are based outside Greater London.

There are four grades in the Social Services Inspectorate; namely, Chief Inspector, Deputy Chief Inspector, Assistant Chief Inspector and Inspector. Thirty-nine full-time officers and one part-time officer are based outside Greater London, but some London based officers cover areas outside London.

asked Her Majesty's Government.How many vessels flying the British flag are capable of engaging in trade between the United Kingdom and Soviet ports serving the areas of Siberia now being developed, and in prospect of development.

This information is not available. However, there are 271 United Kingdom-registered merchant ships which have been strengthened for navigation in ice, and some of these may be capable of trading in the limited season available in Soviet ports serving Siberia.

asked Her Majestys' Government:Whether they will say when they intend to invite tenders for further Type 23 frigates.

Tenders will be sought in the late summer for the third and fourth Type 23 frigates. All United Kingdom shipyards capable of constructing frigates will be invited to bid.As my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence said in the other place on 28th January, Swan Hunter Shipbuilders Limited will at the same time also be invited to tender for the second Type 23 frigate.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps they have taken to implement EEC Directive 79/409, and whether they are satisfied it is being fully implemented in other members states.

EC Directive 79/409, on the conservation of wild birds, has been fully implemented in England, Scotland and Wales by the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; and in Northern Ireland by the provision of the Nature Conservation and Amenity Lands (Northern Ireland) Order and the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. The responsibility for ensuring that the domestic legislation of other member states fully implements the directive lies with the European Commission.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the current level of minestone stocks held by the National Coal Board.

This is a management matter for the hoard.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Department of Energy intends to consult closely with the newly-appointed Minister for Waste concerning the greater use of minestone in road and railway construction.

The Department of Energy is already in consultation with the Department of the Environment, which retains responsibility for the disposal of mineral wastes, and has been represented on an inter-departmental committee concerning use of waste material, including minestone, for road fill.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it is now the policy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to grant licences to destroy badgers under Schedule 7 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in order to protect golf courses; and how many licences similar to the one granted to Selsdon Park Hotel Golf Course have been granted to other golf courses since 1981.

The Ministry is empowered by the Badgers Act 1973, as amended by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, to issue licences in England to kill or take badgers causing serious damage to land, crops, poultry, or any other form of property. Detailed arrangements for the issue of licences have been agreed with the Nature Conservancy Council, and are reviewed regularly.Each application for a licence is considered on its merits, and the NCC are consulted in every case. A licence will only be issued if all reasonable deterrent measures have first been tried, or are impracticable, and there is no other way of preventing serious damage. Two licences were issued to Selsdon Park Hotel Golf Course for the prevention of serious damage to greens and fairways covering the periods 1st June 1983 to 31st January 1984 and 17th January 1985 to 31st January 1985, but no badgers were taken as a result.Selsdon Park Hotel Golf Course is the only golf course to have received a licence from the Ministry.