asked Her Majesty's Government:When the report on the Scottish experience of flexible licensing will be published.

We expect to publish in February 1986 the report on the survey by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys into the present attitudes to drinking in Scotland.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are yet able to give details of the operation of the job start scheme, including the pilot areas in which the schemes will operate.

The pilot areas for the new schemes to help the long term unemployed will be the following nine areas:

• Billingham,
• Preston,
• Stoke-on-Trent,
• Huddersfield,
• Ealing,
• Plymouth,
• Crawley and Horsham,
• Dundee,
• Port Talbot and Neath.

The pilot schemes will run for six months from January 1986. They will consist of in-depth counselling interviews in jobcentres, a new short course designed specifically to meet the needs of the long-term unemployed and the job start allowance of £20 a week payable for six months to anyone who has been unemployed for twelve months and who takes a job with gross earnings of less than £80 a week.The job start allowance will be paid direct to the employee and will be free of national insurance contributions for both employees and employers. As income arising from employment, it will be taxable, but it will not be taken into account in calculating entitlement to family income supplement and housing benefit. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Social Services will be carrying out the appropriate consultations before laying regulations before the House to exempt the job start allowance from consideration for family income supplement and housing benefit purposes. The job start allowance will provide a financial incentive for the long-term unemployed to take some of the increasing number of unfilled vacancies.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether carriage of freight for United States bases in the United Kingdom and in United Kingdom possessions and dependencies is restricted to United States carriers.

This is a matter for the United States Government, but I understand that, like our own forces, the United States forces make use of the most convenient arrangements, which include carriage by local, as well as United States, carriers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the overall cost to Britain of providing host nation support to the United States bases and forces in the United Kingdom and in British dependencies and possessions.

The United Kingdom's host nation support to United States forces takes a variety of forms, some provided on full or partial repayment and others, such as the provision of surplus defence land for operational facilities, free of charge. I regret that the information requested is not readily available; nor would it be easy to assess, for example, the commercial value of a large number of military airfields.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it is their view that the development of any materials or systems under the strategic defence initiative is precluded by the ABM Treaty (

The ABM Treaty places severe limits on the development of ABM systems, including a prohibition on the development of ABM systems which are sea-based, air-based, space-based or mobile land-based. The treaty does not place any specific limits on the development of materials. The strategic defence initiative is a research programme, which the US has stated will be conducted within existing US treaty constraints.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What United States aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons use bases in the United Kingdom, (

It is long-standing policy, endorsed by successive administrations, not to comment on nuclear capabilities or deployments. I can however say that USAF aircraft using United Kingdom controlled airspace are required to comply fully with air traffic control procedures.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to adjust the ewe premium paid to United Kingdom producers so that they are put on an equal financial return with the remainder of the European Communities' producers, or failing that, what steps they intend to take "to ensure that these effects are as far as possible minimised" as stated in their written reply to the Lord Stanley of Alderley of 30th October 1985; andWhether they will state the reasons why they conceded in principle to the ending of the Special Export Certification for ewes when:—

With permission, I will answer these two questions together. In his reference to a concession, my noble friend misunderstands the position. The EC Commission is committed to bringing the SEC arrangements as such to an end but has undertaken to make every effort to secure agreement between the member states concerned on the arrangements to apply thereafter. However, the Commission has not yet agreed on revised arrangements to govern the export of ewes. In the meantime, my right honourable friend received a communication from the Agriculture Commissioner inviting him to suspend the arrangements that have operated since 1980 on the grounds that the Commission no longer accepts their validity, but my right honourable friend refused to accept the Commission's approach.In the circumstances, it is inappropriate for me to comment on the detailed questions raised by my noble friend.