asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in view of their demand for the release of Mr. Mandela, the leader of the African National Congress (ANC), and the proposal by the Government of the United States of America that the South African Government should negotiate with the ANC, they will invite Mr. Tambo, the acting leader of the ANC, for discussions at the Foreign Office when he visits London.

We believe that the release of Nelson Mandela would serve as an important gesture of national reconciliation. It would not be appropriate to invite Mr. Tambo for discussions in view of the fact that the ANC advocates the violent overthrow of a sovereign government with which we have full relations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Answer given to Lord Jenkins of Putney by the Baroness Young on 14th October means that they believe that nuclear weapons do not contravene the Hague and Geneva Conventions.

Yes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider the establishment of phased array radar systems other than on the perimeter of one of the signatory parties to be in accordance with the anti-ballistic missile treaty, and if so on what grounds.

The only references in the ABM treaty to phased array radars are contained in Article II I(b) and agreed statements (a) and (f) which deal with ABM radars. Separately, under Article Vl(b) the parties undertook,

"not to deploy in the future radars for early warning of strategic ballistic missile attack except at locations along the periphery of the national territory and orientated outward."

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that testing and development of ABM-related parts, etc., other than as described in the text of the ABM treaty, are permitted by that treaty, and if so on what grounds.

The ABM treaty precludes the development, testing or deployment of ABM systems or components which are sea-based, air-based, space-based or mobile land-based.

asked her Majesty's Government:Whether, given the apparent disagreement between the parties to the ABM treaty, before entering into an agreement with the US Administration on any SDI-related work they will obtain from the parties an agreed interpretation in respect of permitted research, testing, development, etc., of ballistic missile defences and of anti-ballistic missile systems "based on other physical principles.

The United States Administration has repeatedly made clear that the SDI research programme is being conducted in conformity with the ABM treaty. The noble Lord may wish also to refer to Annex B of the US Department of Defense's report to the Congress on the strategic defence initiative, copies of which I am placing in the Library of the House. This addressess the question of the SDI's compliance with the ABM treaty.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether in their view the ABM treaty permits the establishment of BMD-related equipment outside the territory of one of the two parties if the range of the equipment would enable it to destroy missiles of less than inter-continental range.

The ABM treaty prohibits the deployment of ABM systems or their components with the exceptions set out in Article III of the treaty. Article II of the treaty defines ABM systems and their components. Article IX of the treaty states:

"To assure the viability and effectiveness of this treaty each party undertakes not to transfer to other states, and not to deploy outside its national territory, ABM systems or their components limited by this treaty."

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether in their view the maintenance of the ABM treaty is in the interest of the United Kingdom, of NATO and of the international community.

Yes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it is their understanding that the aim of the talks being conducted in Geneva by representatives of the US and Soviet Union is to prevent an arms race in space and terminate it on earth, and whether the US has indicated an intention to exclude space weapons from the complex of questions being considered there.

The objective of the negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union, as set out in the joint communique issued following the meeting between the U.S. Secretary of State, Mr. Shultz, and the then Soviet Foreign Minister, Mr. Gromyko, in Geneva on 7th-8th January, is to work out effective agreements aimed at preventing an arms race in space and terminating it on earth, at limiting and reducing nuclear arms and at strengthening strategic stability.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider the interpretation of the 1972 ABM treaty between the Soviet Union and the United States and its subsidiary agreements, in particular that governing the testing, procurement and deployment of anti-ballistic missile systems "based on other physical principles", is a matter for the Joint Consultative Committee established by that treaty, or on the other hand for the "choice" of the President of the United States.

The United Kingdom is not a party to the ABM treaty. We believe it is for the parties to the treaty to resolve questions of the type the noble Lord has posed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the four points agreed between the Prime Minister and President Reagan at Camp David in December 1984 are still agreed between them.

Yes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, following the recent decision of an industrial tribunal in Sheffield that Mrs Judy Chandler had suffered unlawful discrimination, they will alter the criteria for eligibility for the community programme or alternatively whether they will appeal against the tribunal's decision.

An appeal against the industrial tribunal decision in this case has been lodged with the employment appeal tribunal. Once the result of the appeal is known, a decision will be taken on what, if any, further action is appropriate.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they have taken with regard to the ratification of International Labour Convention No. 23 (Repatriation of Seamen) and No. 126 (Accommodation of Crews (Fishermen)).

The Government's ratification of Convention No. 23 was registered with the Director General of the International Labour Office on 3rd June 1985, and that of Convention No. 126 on 13th August 1985.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the recent military exercise "Brave Defender" extended to offshore installations in British waters or only to the land of Britain.

Exercise "Brave Defender" was designed to practise plans for the ground defence of vital installations in the United Kingdom. It included activity at certain ports and anchorages but was not extended to offshore installations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many Christmas cards prisoners in dispersal prisons will be allowed to send this year, and, where establishments are planning to have charity cards on sale through their canteens, how the charities will be selected and by whom.

Prisoners in dispersal prisons will be allowed to send out up to 24 Christmas cards this year. In establishments where charity Christmas cards are on sale through the canteen, the choice of charities will be at the discretion of governors.

Her Majesty's Government:Why the Home Secretary gives reasons in writing when notifying a refusal to exercise his powers under Rule 56(1) of the Prison Rules, but not when he notifies a decision to exercise those powers.

When a decision is taken, in response to a prisoner's petition, to refuse to exercise the Secretary of State's power under Rule 56(1), written notification of this is handed to the prisoner concerned. Where the decision is to remit or mitigate a punishment by the exercise of Rule 56(1), the prisoner will normally be informed orally. In neither case is it at present the practice to inform the prisoner concerned of the reasons for the decision, although consideration is being given to changing our policy on written notification generally.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to renew the optional Articles 25 and 46 to the European Convention on Human Rights when they come due for renewal in January 1986.

The Government have decided to renew, for a period of five years from January 1986, their acceptance of the right of individual petition to the European Commission of Human Rights and the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights.

asked the Chairman of Committees:What is the cost of the new telephone system installed in the Houses of Parliament.

The total cost, including the provision of new handset equipment, is estimated at £2.037 million, of which 16.5 per cent. (£336,000) is to be borne by the House of Lords.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will state separately (a) for each year since the system was first introduced for which information is available, and (b) for each national park, the percentage of retrospective applications made to national park authorities under the farm grant notification system.

Information about the farm grants notification procedure in national parks is collected by the national park authorities and analysed by the Countryside Commission. The Countryside Commission's analyses relate to notifications cleared in consecutive six-monthly periods starting from 1st April 1983 and show, for each national park, the percentage of these where at least part of the work concerned was known to have been started before the authority could issue a clearance letter. These percentages for the period for which the information is available are set out below:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will state separately (a) for each year since the system was introduced for which information is available and (b) for each national park, the number and percentage of retrospective applications made to national park authorities under the farm grant notification system which have subsequently been refused grant-aid by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, or the Welsh Office.

The information requested was not recorded until 1983 since when grant has been refused in two cases in Wales and one in England. It must be borne in mind that not all retrospective notifications recorded by the park authorities result in claims for grant or are necessarily objected to on conservation grounds by the park authorities.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have any information about the number of agricultural operations which have been undertaken in national parks since the introduction of the farm grant notification system which would have qualified for grant-aid but where no grant aid has been applied for.

Many factors affect eligibility for grant and it is not possible to determine whether an agricultural operation would qualify unless an application is received. There is therefore no means whereby the information requested could be obtained.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will make a statement on the efficiency scrutiny into the service for the registration of births, deaths and marriages in England and Wales.

A scrutiny of the Registration Service has been carried out as part of the series which is being organised and co-ordinated by the Government Efficiency Unit. The local authorities, who at present fund a large proportion of the costs of the registration service, asked for such a review. The decision that it should be held was announced in another place by my honourable friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health on 12th July 1984. (Official Report vol. 63, col. 658).The report on the efficiency scrutiny is being published today and I am sending it for comments within the next three months to Government departments, local authority associations, proper officers for registration, registration officers, trade unions and others concerned. The report makes 47 recommendations, many of which would require new legislation. The Government are not committed to the recommendations and will consider the comments before making decisions.Copies of the report are being placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why the DHSS refuse to assist an applicant wishing to take up a position in the Falkland Islands, while they are prepared to assist anyone to travel anywhere in the EEC, and equally they are prepared to continue to pay him £2,498 per year in unemployment benefits.

Persons entitled to supplementary benefit may receive help with travelling expenses to enable them to take up a job but only in respect of travel within the United Kingdom. The supplementary benefit regulations do not allow help to be given for travelling expenses to those who are going abroad—including countries in the European Community—to take up employment except for fares to the port of embarkation or airport.It is not necessarily the case that there would always be a saving to public funds if help were generally extended to meet the cost of travelling to other countries since the person might have been able to find work in this country. We also take the view that employers who wish to attract workers from overseas should be prepared to meet their necessary travelling expenses and many employers already do this as a matter of course.TABLETeachers' salary rates at 1st April and 1st November 1985, and 1st April and 1st November 1986, on the basis of pay offers for 1985 made by the management panel of the Burnham Committee.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What has been the total cost to public funds of the building and operation of the Common Market Grain Store in Dibdines Warehouse in the Dudley Round Oak Enterprise Zone, including the grants and rates and tax concessions available because the warehouse is located in an enterprise zone, and the cost to public funds of the storage of grain in the warehouse, and whether they will state how many people have full-time jobs operating this warehouse.

Dibdines Warehouse is a privately-owned warehouse operating under the normal commercial arrangements available in an enterprise zone. There have been no special grants or tax or rate concessions. The Intervention Board rents space at Dibdines Warehouse on a commercial basis subject to usual terms of commercial confidentiality. The number of those in full time employment at the warehouse is not available from Government statistics.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What would be the salary, at 1st April 1985, 1st November 1985, 1st April 1986 and 1st November 1986, for teachers (a) entering the profession as new graduates; (b) at the top of scale 1; (c) at the midpoint on scale 2; (d) at the bottom of scale 3; (e) at the top of scale 2 and (f) at the top of scale 3; and for heads (g) of group 2 primary schools and (h) of group 12 secondary schools, if each of the formal offers made in the Burnham Committee since October 1984 or the informal offer made on 14th October 1985 had been implemented.

The attached table shows the salary rates, excluding allowances, that teachers who on 1st April 1985 were in the categories listed by the noble Baroness could expect to be receiving on the dates referred to, so far as this can be determined from the terms of the offers which have been made. The salary rates shown assume normal incremental progression but take no account of ther annual pay increase to be negotiated from 1 st April 1986. This has an important bearing on the figures given for 1 st April and 1st November 1986.