asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further progress has been made in securing United Kingdom budget refunds from the European Economic Community.

The Commission has today announced further decisions on payments of budget refunds to the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is to receive in the next few days:

i. a first payment of some £211 million under the financial mechanism, and

ii. a further instalment of some £60 million under the "supplementary measures" scheme.

The financial mechanism, negotiated originally in 1975, but amended following the Council agreement of 30 May 1980, provides for refunds of our gross contribution to the Community budget when the ratio of our contribution to total contributions exceeds by more than 10 per cent. the ratio of our GDNP to Community GDNP. In accordance with the 30 May agreement, provision for refunds in respect of one year's budget is made in the next year's budget, and the 1981 budget includes provision for refunds under the financial mechanism to the United Kingdom in respect of the 1980 budget of £281 million. The payment now agreed represents 75 per cent. of that figure. We expect to receive in the autumn of this year the remainder of our estimated financial mechanism entitlement in respect of the 1980 budget.The "supplementary measures" scheme provides for contributions by the Community in respect of public sector investment programmes in the United Kingdom, principally in the regions. As announced on 18 December, the Commission has decided to make contributions totalling £177·3 million in respect of certain investment programmes of the central Government and public corporations in Wales and North West England, as a first instalment of £97·6 million was paid to us at the end of December. The supplementary measures regulation provides that a down payment of 90 per cent. of agreed contributions may be made before certification that the expenditure in question has been carried out, and the further instalment now to be paid represents the balance of the 90 per cent. down payment on the Wales and North West England programmes. The remaining 10 per cent. of the Community contributions in respect of these two programmes will be payable when the public authorities concerned have certified that the expenditure in question has been carried out.The Commission is expected to decide in March on the amounts of Community contributions in respect of central Government and public corporations' investment programmes in other areas of the United Kingdom, in particular Scotland, Northern Ireland, the North Yorkshire and Humberside and the South West. We expect to receive a first instalment of Community contributions in respect of these programmes before the end of March. The sum involved is likely to be around £270 million. This will bring our cumulative receipts under the supplementary measures scheme to some 80 per cent. of our total estimated entitlement in respect of the 1980 budget. We expect to receive the balance of our entitlement in the summer and autumn of this year.The Community budget refunds are enabling public expenditure programmes generally in the United Kingdom to be sustained at levels higher than the country could otherwise have afforded. Expenditure programmes throughout the country are benefiting accordingly. The refunds do not, however, open the way to increases in domestic expenditure programmes beyond the levels already planned. These planned levels were set out on the assumption that substantial refunds would be received from the Community budget.Details of the public investment programmes in Wales and North West England now attracting Community support under the supplementary measures scheme were given in the answer which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Knutsford (Mr. Bruce-Gardyne) on 18 December—[Vol. 996, c. 390–92].

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will give the figures of the amount of waste paper exported from Great Britain each month for the last two years.

The information is as follows:

United Kingdom Exports of Waste Paper
	(tonnes)
	1979	1980
January	3,079	21,744
February	3,925	22,349
March	5,430	25,284
April	5,348	20,396
May	7,172	12,816
June	5,980	12,425
July	9,036	17,032
August	8,042	11,194
September	9,971	12,606
October	13,239	24,101
November	23,705	14,816
December	21,742	15,732

(Source: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom, SITC (R2) 251.1.).

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what obligations for which his Department is responsible are incurred by the United Kingdom by virtue of membership of the International Monetary Fund.

The obligations of membership are set out in the articles of agreement of the IMF. None of these directly affect my Departmental responsibilities; instead, they bear on currency exchange arrangements and on the holding and use of reserve assets.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he is satisfied with the price of the latest Simplification of International Trade Procedures Board report on the future of export documentation.

This is a matter for the SITPRO board. I have asked the chairman to write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if, pursuant to his reply of 20 January on trade figures, he will initiate a departmental inquiry to establish the reasons why the United Kingdom had a deficit in trade in manufactures with the EEC of £1,884 million in 1980 by comparison with the surplus of £5,556 million in its trade with the rest of the world.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list the exports, imports and balance of trade in manufactures, excluding precious stones and metals, between the United Kingdom and each European Economic Community country and with the European Economic Community overall, for each of the last 10 years, treating Denmark and the Republic of Ireland as if they were member States throughout that period.

I shall reply to my hon. Friends as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what was the total level of imports of steel castings in tonnes and value in the years 1970 to 1980;(2) what was the total level of imports of steel bottom plates and ingot moulds in tonnes and value for the years 1970 to 1980.

I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were murdered by firearms in England and Wales during each of the last two years, or financial years if more convenient, to the latest available date; and, of these murders, how many were committed during armed robberies and what were the weapons used in each case.

In a case of homicide it is not possible in the absence of a court decision to distinguish between offences of murder, manslaughter and infanticide. The number of offences currently recorded as homicide by shooting in 1978 and 1979 is published in table 10.5 of "Criminal Statistics England and Wales 1979" (Cmnd. 8098); a separate offence is recorded for each victim of homicide. The number committed in the course or furtherance of theft and the types of weapons involved in such cases is given in the following table; information for 1980 is not yet available.Offences currently recorded as homicide by shooting in the course or furtherance of theft, by type of weapon:

England and Wales	Number of offences
Type of weapon	1978	1979
Pistol	1	—
Shotgun:
long barrelled	4	3
sawn-off	4	1
Total	9	4

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many robberies were committed in England and Wales in each of the last two years, or financial years if more convenient, to the latest available date, by persons armed with (a) handguns, (b) shotguns and (c) other firearms; and, of the persons apprehended for these crimes, how many held firearms certificates for (i) the weapons concerned and (ii) any other firearm.

The information requested on firearms reported to have been used in robberies is published annually in "Criminal Statistics England and Wales" (table 3.4 of the volumes for 1979, Cmnd. 8089 and 1978, Cmnd. 7670). Information relating to 1980 is not yet available. The information requested on firearms certificates held by persons apprehended for these offences is not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why Lord Kagan, a convicted criminal, is serving his sentence in Rudgate open prison at Wetherby, Yorkshire, whilst many unconvicted persons are incarcerated in closed prisons awaiting trial; whether he will arrange for Lord Kagan to change places with one of these unconvicted prisoners now in closed prisons; and, in particular, if he will consider exchanging him with one individual who has been on remand awaiting trial for 17 months, details of whom have been supplied to him.

The allocation of a convicted prisoner is based on an assessment of the security category in which he should be held. Unconvicted prisoners are generally in custody because the courts judge it necessary to make sure that they appear in court for trial. It follows that they are kept in closed prisons. The question of exchanging a convicted prisoner in an open prison with an unconvicted prisoner in a closed prison does not, therefore, arise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions for obstruction involving newspaper sellers there have been so far this year compared with last year.

Information collected centrally on offences of obstructions under the Highways Act 1959 does not show separately offences involving newspaper sellers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to amend the law relating to obstruction, so as to clarify the position of sellers of newspapers.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why Charles Richardson was allowed to occupy an open prison whilst hundreds of unconvicted persons are incarcerated in closed prisons awaiting trial on remand for less serious charges; and whether he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question by him today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reconsider the decision made on 23 July 1979 and make a favourable recommendation to Her Majesty the Queen that Her Majesty should grant a lord mayoralty to the city of Southampton.

I have carefully considered the representations made to me but regret that I do not feel justified in recommending to Her Majesty that she should grant a lord mayoralty to Southampton.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions and convictions there were under the Vagrancy Act 1824 in 1979.

The information requested is published annually in the Criminal Statistics England and Wales (offences 182–188 in table 1(a), of the volume for 1979—Cmnd. 8098).Included in the figures for 1979 for offence 188 (other vagrancy offences) are 27 persons prosecuted and 15 found guilty for the offence of exposing in any public place, shop window, etc, any indecent print or other indecent exhibition.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prosecutions and how many convictions there were under the Indecent Advertisements Act 1889 in 1979.

In England and Wales in 1979, eight persons were proceeded against for offences under the Indecent Advertisements Act 1889 and seven were found guilty.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the provisional figures are for prosecutions and convictions under the Indecent Advertisements Act 1889 in 1980;(2) what the provisional figures are for prosecution and conviction under the Vagrancy Act 1824 in 1980.

I regret that provisional figures are not available. It is hoped that official statistics on court prosecutions in 1980 will be available in the summer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in the medical examination of immigrants, he proposes to include any test to establish consanguinity; and what this will consist of.

My right hon. Friend does not propose to introduce such tests.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that Government contractors comply with race relations law in the employment field and with good employment practice.

Government contractors, like other employers, are required to comply with the provisions of race relations legislation. In addition, a standard clause to this effect forms part of standard conditions of Government contracts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a visa will be granted to José Miguel Benado Medvinsky so that he and his fiancée, Claire Wilson, can seek refuge in the United Kingdom.

The application is under consideration. I shall write to the hon. Member when a decision has been taken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to enable section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 to be extended to include capital expenditure for areas such as Bradford; and if he will make a statement.

As my right hon. Friend indicated in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Woolwich, West (Mr. Bottomley) on 5 December 1980, we are examining the future arrangements for grants paid under section 11.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will give directions to Her Majesty's Stationery Office to reprint the report of an inquiry by the hon. Sir Henry Fisher into the circumstances leading to the trial of three persons on charges arising out of the death of Maxwell Confait and the fire at 27 Doggett Road, London SE6 (House of Commons Paper No. 90 of Session 1977–78), in the light of its relevance to the report of the Royal Commission on criminal procedure.

Only 1,088 copies of this report have been sold since it was published three years ago. There are still a few copies left in Her Majesty's Stationery Office Bookshop in London and I do not consider that a reprint is justified at present. I have no doubt that Her Majesty's Stationery Office would be very ready to review the matter if demand increased significantly.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether it is the practice of the nationalised energy industries to relate prices charged to various categories of customer directly to the associated cost of supply, or whether cross-subsidisation between categories of consumer occurs to any significant extent.

Economic prices must take account of both cost and market factors. Detailed pricing matters are the responsibility of the industries themelves, but I am not aware of any significant cross-subsidisation.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are the latest figures available for annual coal production; how these compare with the corresponding figures five and 10 years previously; what projections are available for future coal outputs; and what plans he has for stimulating additional investment in the coal industry.

In 1980, 130·1 mt. of coal were produced in the United Kingdom. Five years ago, in 1975, the comparable figure was 128·7 mt, and 10 years ago, in 1970, coal output in the United Kingdom was 147·1 mt.Latest available published projections of future coal output are contained in my Department's 1979 energy projections, and the NCB's projected capital investment levels are published annually in the public expenditure White Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how the energy consumed per unit of output in each of the major United Kingdom energy-intensive industries compares with that of their main European competitors.

It is not possible to make meaningful comparisons because few, if any, industries have simple homogeneous outputs measurable in physical terms. Recent data on energy consumption for the major energy intensive industries which are consistent between different countries is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he satisfied with progress on matters relating to energy conservation.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what was the actual volume of coal consumption in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; and if he will give his estimate of the expected volume of consumption in 1981.

Information on coal consumption in the United Kingdom is published on my Department's monthly statistical bulletin "Energy Trends", copies of which are available in the Library of the House. For convenience, the latest information is as follows:

Inland coal consumption	(million tonnes)
1976	123·6
1977	124·0
1978	120·5
1979	129·4
1980
(provisional)	123·5

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East on 12 November 1980, Official Report, column 231, if he is yet able to update the information contained in his reply of 15 May relating to the numbers of staff employed in school kitchens.

The number of kitchen and canteen staff employed in maintained schools in England and taking a free meal in October 1980 was 142,439. Information about the number on the local authority payroll is not available within the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, based on the most recently published survey, what are the numbers claiming free school meals; and if he will divide this total according to whether the children's parents (a) received supplementary benefit, (b) received family income supplement, (c) were on incomes below the supplementary benefit level and (d) were on incomes above the supplementary benefit level but below the prescribed income limits for eligibility.

In October 1979, 899,000 pupils attending schools in England received free school meals; information is not available centrally on how this total would be divided among the four categories listed in the question.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if the Services Committee will re-appraise the provision of facilities for disabled persons within the precincts of the House as a contribution to the International Year of Disabled People.

Yes. It would be useful if in the first instance the all-party disablement group would carry out its own review and bring forward its proposals for consideration by the Services Committee.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he is satisfied with the standard of Government publicity during the Christmas Recess.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he has appointed a new chairman of the National Enterprise Board; and whether he will make a statement.

Sir Frederick Wood has accepted my invitation to take over as chairman of the NEB from 1 February 1981, when Sir John King resigns to become chairman of British Airways. Sir Frederick Wood will retain his other public appointment as chairman of the NRDC and—as was Sir Arthur Knight—will be part-time chairman of the NEB.In making this appointment I am asking Sir Frederick to explore the scope for bringing the two organisations closer together. It is not my intention that there should be any immediate change in the existing functions which the two organisations currently perform. There are some activities which are quite separate and could not readily be combined, but the two organisations do have a number of overlapping activities.I should like to express my thanks to Sir John King for having acted as part-time chairman since Sir Arthur Knight's resignation and for the contribution he has made to the NEB as deputy chairman since his appointment in November 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, in each of the past five years, what was the total capital investment in the textile industry and in the clothing industry, what was the number of employees in each; and what was the investment per employee.

The information is given below for 1975–79. The capital expenditure figures exclude assets obtained on lease rather than bought. Leasing is becoming increasingly important but estimates of its effect on individual industries are not available.

Textiles Industry (Order XIII of the SIC 1968)
	Capital Expenditure*	Employment†	Capital Expenditure per head
	£ million current prices	thousand	£
1975	185·4	533·1	348
1976	171·0	517·9	330
1977	180·8	503·0	359
1978	223·8	479·0	467
1979‡	275·5	457·1	603
* New building work plus acquisitions less disposals of plant and machinery, and vehicles.

Additional NEB Shareholdings since 31 December 1980
Company	Number and description of shares held by NEB	Percentage of nominal value of total equity	Cost £'000
INMOS	525,000 £20 convertible preference	not equity	10,500
NEXOS	2,300,000 £1 convertible preference	not equity	2,300

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will estimate how much of the refund due to the United Kingdom from the European Economic Community budget will be spent on public spending projects in the Northern region.

The European Commission has still to reach a decision on the amount of the Community contribution under the Supplementary Measures Regulation to be made towards public investment programmes in the Northern region.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish in the Official Report a complete list, rather than a list of amendments to lists already given, of all the shareholdings of the National Enterprise Board, the number and type of shares held, the percentage of total equity this represents, the total cost of the shares and, where appropriate, the market value of the shares as at 26 January 1981

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 25 November. The NEB's latest monthly list, copies of which are available in the Library of the House, indicated the board's shareholding on 31 December 1980. As at 26 January there have been the following changes:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, following the communiqué signed by the right hon. Member for Chesterfield (Mr. Varley) and the Polish Vice Minister for Foreign Trade and Shipping on 21 November 1977, if he will give details of the current trading position of the Anglo-Polish Shipping Venture Co. Ltd.

The trading position of the Anglo-Polish Shipping Venture Co. Ltd., a company registered in Poland in which British Shipbuilders has a 50 per cent. stake, is a matter for British Shipbuilders.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on the future of the national anti-waste programme.

The Government remain committed to waste management, reclamation and recycling. Units with responsibility for these aspects of Government policy will be retained in the Department of Industry, and the Department of the Environment and will continue to work closely together on this important subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will take steps to improve and extend the reclamation and recycling of waste.

The Department will continue to take a close interest in the reclamation and recycling of waste. It is however for the industry to take the necessary steps to ensure that where it is economic to do so, waste materials are recycled rather than disposed of.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will consult Courtaulds Ltd. with a view to reaching an agreement with it as to the extent of the assistance it would need from the Government to end the sale and export of Sulzer weaving machines and other machinery generally.

No. Such assistance, which in equity could not be confined to Courtaulds, would not be the best use of the limited public funds available for industry. For example, it would conflict with firms' commercial judgments that certain machinery no longer offered the prospect of continuing competitive efficiency.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what have been the results of his contacts with Courtaulds Ltd. over the assets disposed of by it which were covered by Government financial assistance; if he will list all such assets in the Official Report; if he will publish any correspondence he has had with the company on this matter; and what sums he expects to recover from the company in respect of these assets.

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies which I gave on 15 January 1981 and 21 January 1981 to the hon. Member for Carlisle (Mr. Lewis) and the hon. Member for Ormskirk (Mr. Kilroy-Silk). Discussions are still continuing with Courtaulds on whether regional development grants may be repayable following the closure of various Courtaulds premises in the North of England. It is not the practice to publish confidential correspondence between the Department and the company. Publishing lists of all the assets concerned would involve excessive costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what support from public funds has been provided for the purchase of A300 aircraft by Laker Airways.

The Government are continuing to give full support to the sales financing arrangements for the Airbus programme and further to the reply given to my hon. Friend on 12 December 1980, the Government intend, subject to the approval of Parliament at the appropriate time, to provide assistance under the Civil Aviation Act 1949 to support the terms for the sale of three Airbus aircraft to Laker Airways. The assistance will commence during the next financial year and continue during the 1980s; its amount will depend on the market rates of interest at the relevant time. The European Commission has been informed.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will publish figures showing the rise in unit labour costs, adjusted for inflation, in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Germany, (c) France, (d) the United States of America and (e) Japan for each year from 1974.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 January 1981, c. 134.]: The table below shows for each country changes on a year earlier in unit labour costs in manufacturing industry and, alongside these, changes in the level of prices. The appropriate measure of prices depends on the particular purpose for which the figures are required. The index of wholesale prices of output of manufactured goods has been used.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will study the effects upon British-based companies of imported products that are subsidised by parent companies abroad and therefore substantially cheaper than can be produced in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.I have no doubt that subsidies given to foreign companies that export to the United Kingdom could cause injury to the interests of companies here making similar products. My Department is very ready to look into properly documented cases of export subsidisation to see what can be done through international agreements to mitigate any such injury.

asked the Prime Minister if she will publish in the Official Report the title and date of each Act of Parliament enacted since 1955 which had manpower implications for the Civil Service, indicating against each Act the original estimate of staff levels and the actual number of staff currently employed as a result of each item of legislation.

I am afraid that this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Prime Minister when she will publish the Scott Report on civil and public service pension arrangements.

Shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how much was paid out by each Welsh social services department under section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1963 during each of the last five years for which figures are available; and, in each case, how much was for help with fuel bills.

Details of expenditure by individual authorities under section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1963 are not collected centrally, but since 1977–78 "Personal Social Services Statistics", published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, has included the information. Copies of these publications are in the Library. Expenditure on help with fuel bills is not separately recorded.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, in the light of recent outbreaks and following veterinary advice, if he will consider the reintroduction of compulsory sheep dipping to exclude sheep scab.

It is too early yet to say whether compulsory area dipping, with the imposition of related controls, will be necessary anywhere in the country in 1981. The position is kept under continuous review and we shall be guided, as in 1980, by the incidence of disease and the cost to public funds and resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide details as to the diagnostic criteria, including bacteriological confirmation, of the epidemics that occurred in West Glamorgan with reference to the disease Rubella, when apparently there was an unusually high incidence of the disease and a low immunity against it, to such an extent that his Department is using these examples as part of a campaign to encourage the greater uptake of this form of preventive immunisation.

The information is not available centrally. Diagnostic criteria including the need for laboratory confirmation of Rubella in individual cases are matters for the clinical judgment of the doctor concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of the joint Welsh Office professional working group similar to the one set up in England in 1980 to deal with National Health Service planning and management in the context of health management units displacing the district based structure in Wales; what the medical representation will be on these new units; and who will be responsible for the appointment of medical members.

I assume the hon. Member is referring to the Working Party on Medical Professional Advisory Machinery in Wales established by the chief medical officers; it comprised nominees of the Welsh General Medical Services Committee, the Welsh Committee for Hospital Medical Services, the Welsh Committee for Community Medical Services and the Welsh National School of Medicine under the chairmanship of a principal medical officer in the Welsh Office, Dr. W. C. D. Lovett. The working party has recently reported and its report is being circulated for comment. Decisions on its recommendations will be taken in the light of these consultations.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what study he has given to the qualifications of the three researchers nominated by the Welsh Trades Union Congress to examine co-operatives at a remuneration of £27·50 per hour; and if he will publish in the Official Report the full schedule of travel to be undertaken in connection with this study at a cost of £9,800 to public funds.

I have accepted the Wales TUC's proposal on the basis that the study will be carried out by staff of a consultancy firm with experience of research into co-operatives assisted by a staff member of Ruskin college, Oxford, at present attached to the Wales TUC. The estimates for travel and other related expenses referred to relate mainly to travel within the United Kingdom, but allow for a contribution of about £2,400 towards costs of a study trip to Mondragon in Spain.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much it cost the Government, directly or indirectly, to administer the Crofters Commission for the last year for which figures are available.

The costs of administering the Crofters Commission in 1979–80, the last year for which complete figures are available, was £382,212.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what funds the Crofters Commission has distributed to the crofting community in excess of grants paid by the Department of Agriculture.

The only funds the commission distributes are from private donations made to it for the benefit of crofters and from a forestry development fund financed in past years from amounts accruing from the sale of common grazings for afforestation. The disbursement of these moneys is a matter for the commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total of grants made available by the Department of Agriculture to the Crofters Commission.

The Crofters Commission, acting as my agent, is responsible for the administration of the Crofting Counties Agricultural Grants (Scotland) Scheme 1972, but the crofters are paid directly from my Department. Expenditure in 1979–80 on claims approved by the commission was £721,933.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will seek to amend the law relating to obstruction so as to clarify the position of sellers of newspapers.

No. I am not aware of any need for such amendment.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prosecutions for obstruction involving newspaper sellers there have been so far this year compared with last year.

I have been asked to reply.There are no records of any such prosecutions this year or last year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of Scottish households receive rate rebates; what percentage of those receiving rate rebates are public sector tenants, private sector tenants and owner occupiers; and if he will provide similar information for the Dundee district.

The information, for 1979–80, is as follows:

	Scotland	Dundee District
	per cent.	per cent.
Proportion of households who receive rate rebates	19·6	17·8
Rate rebate recipients:
public sector tenants	65·6	65·6
private sector tenants*	9·1	11·6
owner occupiers	25·3	22·8
* Includes Development Corporation and SSHA tenants.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many tenants in Scotland receive rent rebates; and what percentage of tenants they represent.

According to provisional figures, as at 30 September 1980, 244,633 public sector tenants were in receipt of rent rebates. These figures, which do not include householders receiving support towards housing costs through supplementary benefit, represent 23·5 per cent. of public sector dwellings in Scotland.This information will be included in "Scottish Housing Statistics" No. 12, which will be published in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of tenants receiving rent rebates receive the following percentage rebates of their rents (a) up to 10 per cent., (b) 11 to 20 per cent., (c) 21 to 30 per cent., (d) 31 to 40 per cent., (e) 41 to 50 per cent., (f) 51 to 60 per cent., (g) 61 to 70 per cent., (h) 71 to 80 per cent., (i) 81 to 90 per cent. and (j) 91 to 100 per cent.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many independent and grant-aided schools qualify for rate relief by virtue of having charitable status; if he will name them; what percentage of relief from rates they receive; and if he will list the amount of rate relief given to each such school in the latest available year.

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any evidence that the present valuation for the rating system in Scotland is a deterrent to capital investment in Scotland.

Industry has represented that the system of valuing outdoor plant in Scotland for rating purposes constitutes a deterrent to particular kinds of capital investment in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the progress made to date by the review body set up in April 1979 under the control of the Scottish Office finance division to consider amendments to Scottish valuation law.

Possible amendments to Scottish valuation law, together with other local government finance matters, are the subject of continuing discussions at official level between the Scottish Office and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and reports on the outcome of these discussions are made from time to time at meetings between myself and the convention's elected representatives. The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Bill proposes a number of changes to valuation law which have arisen from such discussions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has had any discussions with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities regarding the possibility of a change being made in Scottish valuation law so as to exclude plant and machinery including pipelines built in the open.

The valuation of external plant and machinery has been discussed at official level with the convention's representatives.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any proposals to change the present Scottish valuation law with particular reference to industrial plant outside buildings.

I am considering representations made to me on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if any undertaking has been given to the Confederation of British Industry (Scotland) and British Petroleum, Grangemouth, that he intends to amend the present Scottish valuation law to exclude from rates plant and machinery, including pipework.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if his finance working party has made any estimate of the financial effects of a change in the Scottish valuation law designed to exclude from rates plant and machinery, including pipelines built outside.

The working party on local government finance has made no such estimate, though it has considered one put to it in evidence.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to announce the name of the new chairman for the Highlands and Islands Development Board.

I hope to make an announcement shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the expenditure guideline figures for each local authority in Scotland as issued by him for 1981–82, together with the comparable figures at comparable prices for 1980–81; and if he will give the basis on which the 1981–82 figures have been prepared.

As explained in Scottish Office finance circular No. 1/1981, sent to all local authorities on 15 January, the guideline figures for 1981–82 take account of the assessment of expenditure needs implicit in the demographic formula used to distribute the needs (general) element of rate support grant, modified by the level of previous guidelines in order to avoid undue variations from one year to another.The information is given in the following table.

£ million at November 1980 prices
	Guideline
	1980–81	1981–82
REGIONAL COUNCILS
Borders	35·40	35·00
Central	87·56	86·00
Dumfries and Galloway	47·50	47·50
Fife	105·33	105·00
Grampian	153·71	151·00
Highland	73·20	74·00
Lothian	263·32	256·00
Strathclyde	915·95	893·00
Tayside	136·07	130·50
ISLANDS AREA COUNCILS
Orkney	8·86	8·50
Shetland	10·88	11·00
Western Isles	16·17	15·50
DISTRICT COUNCILS
Borders Region
Berwickshire	0·60	0·57
Ettrick & Lauderdale	0·98	0·97
Roxburgh	1·24	1·15
Tweeddale	0·47	0·47

	Guideline
	1980–81	1981–82
Central Region
Clackmannan	2·28	2·24
Falkirk	7·92	7·28
Stirling	3·80	3·48
Dunfries & Galloway Region
Annandale & Eskdale	0·92	0·91
Nithsdale	1·67	1·65
Stewartry	0·66	0·65
Wigtown	0·77	0·76
Fife Region
Dunfermline	4·39	4·35
Kirkcaldy	5·96	5·90
North East Fife	3·15	2·89
Grampian Region
Aberdeen City	8·64	8·55
Banff & Buchan	2·50	2·47
Gordon	2·31	2·28
Kincardine & Deeside	1·13	1·12
Moray	2·86	2·83
Highland Region
Badenoch & Strathspey	0·30	0·30
Caithness	0·89	0·81
Inverness	2·10	1·93
Lochaber	0·66	0·60
Nairn	0·34	0·32
Ross & Cromarty	1·42	1·33
Skye & Lochalsh	0·27	0·27
Sutherland	0·57	0·53
Lothian Region
East Lothian	3·69	3·39
Edinburgh City	24·14	22·17
Midlothian	3·75	3·53
West Lothian	4·20	4·16
Strathclyde Region
Argyll & Bute	4·76	4·37
Bearsden & Milngavie	1·92	1·80
Clydebank	3·08	2·83
Clydesdale	2·61	2·57
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth	2·49	2·47
Cumnock and Doon Valley	1·68	1·66
Cunninghame	7·12	6·62
Dumbarton	4·19	3·85
East Kilbride	3·92	3·88
Eastwood	2·29	2·27
Glasgow City	59·75	54·88
Hamilton	4·78	4·44
Inverclyde	5·43	4·99
Kilmarnock & Loudoun	4·13	3·79
Kyle & Carrick	6·95	6·39
Monklands	4·97	4·82
Motherwell	7·37	7·03
Renfrew	12·25	11·66
Strathkelvin	4·20	4·12
Tayside Region
Angus	3·78	3·74
Dundee City	8·61	7·91
Perth & Kinross	4·49	4·45

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of rent registrations in Scotland for unfurnished tenancies and housing association tenancies, respectively, for the latest 12—month period for which figures are available; and if he will give the numbers broken down into rents of less than £100, £100 to £200, £200 to £300, £300 to £400, £400 to £500, £500 to £600 and over £600, respectively.

In the period from 1 October 1979 to 30 September 1980 there were in Scotland 12,556 rent registrations for unfurnished tenancies and 4,342 registrations for housing association tenancies. The breakdown of these figures in the form requested is as follows:

	Unfurnished tenancies	H.A. tenancies
Less than £100	43	80
£100-£200	1,757	555
£200-£300	3,884	792
£300-£400	3,770	1,123
£400-£500	1,592	400
£500-£600	839	225
Over £600	671	1,167
	12,556	4,342

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were on hospital waiting lists at 31 December 1980; and how this compares with the numbers on the same date in each of the previous five years.

My Department collects national waiting list data biannually at 31 March and 30 September. The provisional figure for 30 September 1980 and the actual figures at the same date on each of the previous five years are set out below:

30 September 1980	*67,394
30 September 1979	70,970
30 September 1977	62,239
30 September 1976	53,381
30 September 1975	54,499
* Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when it is now proposed to start building the new maternity unit at Falkirk Royal infirmary.

The Forth Valley health board expects to start work on site in late 1982 or early 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the names of health boards in Scotland who have expressed dissatisfaction with their allocation of resources.

Although the chairman of health boards discussed with my right hon. Friend and myself last July their general concern about the financial situation in the current year, and some boards have made comments about certain effects of the SHARE report, only the Lothian health board has formally expressed dissatisfaction with its allocation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the names of hospitals that presently have beds out of use because they do not have the financial resources to allow their use; and if he will give the number of beds in each hospital concerned.

This information is not available centrally. When I have obtained it, I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report a list of new hospitals presently under construction, the date on which building started, and when they are likely to be completed.

The information is as follows:

New hospitals currently under construction	Date on which building started	Estimated completion date
North Ayrshire
District General
Hospital	August 1972	Autumn 1982
Inverness Central
Hospital Phase 2	March 1978	1986
Paisley District
Gerneral Hospital	August 1978	Winter 1984
Glenrothes Hospital	November 1978	March 1981

Other major hospital building schemes involving additions to or partial redevelopment of existing hospitals are also under way.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to announce a programme of new hospitals and health centre building.

A capital steering group, formed of representatives from health boards and my Department, was set up last year with the following terms of reference:

"To guide the consideration of the health capital building programme in Scotland in the light of the existing stock, the needs of Health Boards, and the likely availability of finance; and to report."

This group hopes to make its report in time to enable decisions to be taken and an announcement to be made in the course of 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report a list of new health centres presently under construction, the date on which building started, and when they are likely to be completed.

The information is as follows:

New health centres currently under construction	Date on which building started	Estimated completion date
Ayrshire and Arran health Board
Dalry	April 1980	June 1981
Borders Health Board
Kelso	July 1980	October 1981
Forth Valley Health Board
Bo'ness	March 1980	September 1981
Killearn	September 1980	September 1981
Grampian Health Board
Cuminestown	November 1980	October 1981
Greater Glasgow Health Board
Bridgeton	March 1980	June 1982
Glasgow Royal Infirmary*	October 1973	November 1981
Springburn	October 1979	January 1982

New health centres currently under construction	Date on which building started	Estimated completion date
Lanarkshire Health Board
Motherwell	May 1980	November 1981
Lothian Health Board
Fauldhouse	May 1980	May 1981
Tayside Health Board
Alyth	December 1979	Februbary 1981
Perth	August 1978	April 1981
* This health center is being built as part of the major redevelopment at Glasgow Royal infirmary.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many nurses were employed in hospitals in Scotland at 31 December 1980; and how this compares with the numbers on the same date in each of the previous five years.

Figures for 31 December are not available. The statistics are gathered for 30 September each year; those for 30 September 1980 are provisional. The figures—whole-time equivalent—for the years in question are:

Year	Number
1980	53,272
1979	50,801
1978	49,449
1977	48,586
1976	48,838
1975	48,152

Part of the increase from 1979 to 1980 will be only an apparent one: because of the reduction in the working week from 40 to 37½ hours some part-timers working the same hours will be shown as having a larger whole-time equivalent.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many nurses were recruited in Scotland during 1980; and how this compares with the intake figures in each of the previous five years;(2) what is his proposed intake figure for nurses for 1981; and how this compares with each of the previous five years.

The numbers recruited to student and pupil nurse training for the years in question are:

	Students	Pupils	Total
1980	3,165	1,894	5,059
1979	3,284	1,883	5,117
1978	3,173	1,648	4,821
1977	2,594	1,503	5,097
1976	3,068	2,084	5,152
1975	2,815	2,071	4,886

Information is not available centrally on the numbers of trained nurses entering the service as new recruits.The number of training places available for nurse learners in colleges of nursing and midwifery in 1981 will in general be sufficient to maintain intakes at the levels of recent years. It is for each health board, however, to determine its intake of nurse learners in the light of its priorities and the resources available—including the availability of clinical placements.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, using 1979 prices, what is the percentage increase or decrease in the amount of money spent on the Health Service in Scotland in the present financial year.

On a constant price basis, estimated outturn expenditure on the health service in 1980–81 is 2·5 per cent. greater than the comparable figure for 1979–80.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many consultants were contracted to the Health Service in Scotland at 31 December 1980; and how this compares with the numbers on the same date in each of the previous five years.

Central information on medical staffing is obtained at 30 September each year. On this basis the information requested is as follows:

Number of Medical Consultants Contracted to the NHS in Scotland
Year	Number
1975	1,708
1976	1,759
1977	1,781
1978	1,837
1979	1,865
*1980	1,885
* Provisional

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many ancillary staff were employed in hospitals in Scotland at 31 December 1980; and how this compares with the numbers employed on the same date in each of the previous five years.

The following table gives the number of ancillary staff as at 30 September for each year from 1975 to 1980. End-year figures are not produced.

Ancillary Staff Scotland 1975–80 (Whole time equivalent at 30 September)
1975	25,980
1976	26,759
1977	26,567
1978	26,861
1979	27,223
1980	*27,035
* Provisional

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many clerical and administrative staff were employed in hospitals in Scotland at 31 December 1980; and how this compares with the numbers on the same date in each of the previous five years.

Figures for 31 December 1980 are not available. The statistics are gathered for 30 September each year; those for 1980 are provisional. The figures—whole-time equivalent—for the years in question are:

	Clerical	Administrative	Total
1975	5,190	631	5,821
1976	5,674	578	6,252
1977	5,495	637	6,132
1978	5,381	644	6,025
1979	5,470	671	6,141
1980	5,509	706	6,215

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many doctors applied for pre-registration posts in hospitals in Scotland during 1980; how many were successful; and how many were refused.

No records of applications for pre-registration posts are maintained centrally, but in 1980 there were 561 such posts available against a medical school output in Scotland of 524.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many pre-registration posts he expects to be available in hospitals in Scotland in the present year.

The target figure agreed for 1981, following consultations with the universities and health boards in Scotland, is 568.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total annual amount now being paid to consultants in hospitals in Scotland under the merit award scheme.

£4,316,540.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many consultants in hospitals in Scotland are currently in receipt of a merit award.

716.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing how many consultants in each health board area are in receipt of a merit award; and what is the amount of each award.