asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the review of noise compensation policy in respect of military airfields is complete and whether they will make a statement.The Minister of State for Defence Support (Lord Trefgarne): The review of my department's policy for providing sound insulation grants and compensation for noise in the vicinity of military airfields has been completed. The Government recognise that unwelcome environmental noise is a problem which merits serious and special attention. Aircraft noise can be particularly intrusive, and military airfields pose special problems in this respect because of the type of engines used in modern combat aircraft. The review has highlighted areas where improvements can be made in the current arrangements for compensating people most affected by this noise and I have now approved the introduction of policy changes to give effect to these improvements. The main changes are as follows:(

The following information is in the Library. Table 1 shows the numbers of unemployed claimants in the 14 Inner London Boroughs as at 10th October 1985, together with the corresponding figures for October 1983 and 1984. However, it is not possible to give comparable figures for earlier years because of the change in the basis of the unemployment count in October 1982, the 1983 Budget provisions which mean that some men, mainly aged 60 or over, no longer need to sign on at unemployment benefit offices to receive benefit, and the change to ward-based system for allocating claimants to localities. The figures for October 1979 are therefore not comparable with the later information, but relate to the numbers of unemployed registrants at Jobcentres covering areas which closely correspond to the boroughs.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What extra resources will be necessary in the inner city areas to enable all those who wish to take advantage of the two-year Youth Training Scheme to do so.

Under the current Youth Training Scheme, there is a guarantee of an offer of a place by Christmas for all 16 year-olds who remain unemployed, and this guarantee will continue under the new two-year scheme. To ensure that this undertaking is met in areas where there is a shortage of employer-led provision like the inner cities, some places there under the new scheme will qualify for extra premium payments, in addition to the managing agent's fee and the basic grant.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it is proposed to exempt persons already in and those entering the Youth Training Scheme from any obligation to working in shops on Sundays.

No. However, young people on the Youth Training Scheme are not normally required to attend at weekends unless this is necessary to provide an essential element of their training.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What arrangements they propose to make for the discharge of their functions at Osborne House.

The Civil service Benevolent Fund now manage the Convalescent Home on behalf of my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. With the agreement of the Lord Chamberlain, my right honourable friend proposes to direct the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England under Section 34 of the National Heritage Act 1984 to exercise his remaining functions at Osborne House with effect from March 1986. The commission will not be empowered to make significant changes in, or additions to, the presentation of the house, its contents and ground to the public without my right honourable friend's prior approval.

I have today placed in the Library of the House a table which sets out broad percentage adjustments which are to be applied to the prices of the main commodities entering into drainage appraisals. These are for the use of all drainage authorities seeking grants in England and Wales from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food or from the Welsh Office.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to make any changes in the arrangements for carrying out fishery protection and whether they will make a statement.

Ministers have reviewed the arrangements for fishery protection in United Kingdom waters. They have concluded that the marine surveillance and enforcement service provided by the Royal Navy Fishery Protection Squadron, which complements other naval tasks, should remain with the Royal Navy. Aerial surveillance, where the role is more observation and collection of information rather than direct enforcement, can be carried out effectively and at lower cost by using civilian aircraft of a lighter type than the RAF Nimrods at present employed on this task. In consequence, the use of the Nimrods will be phased out as soon as arrangements can be made for the employment of suitable civilian aircraft.The rest of the fishery protection arrangements operated by the fisheries departments will remain as before, with inshore aerial surveillance provided by civilian aircarft under their control, port-based inspection and control provided by their sea fisheries inspectorates and the fleet operated by the Scottish Department of Agriculture and Fisheries remaining responsible for marine surveillance and enforcement in a large part of the waters around Scotland.