asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress on measures to combat violence in sport.

The Government hav concentrated their efforts on the need to reduce spectator violence associated with soccer, since this properly attracts particular public concern.Since 1979 the Government have introduced a number of measures aimed at containing and controlling "football hooliganism" at home and abroad. These include strengthening the powers and penalties available to the courts; introducing a "liaison group" to oversee and coordinate the precautions taken by the authorites concerned; drawing the attention of League clubs to the precautions which they should take; and promoting within the Council of Europe a recommendation on the reduction of spectator violence at sporting events, which sets out the precautions which the various counties and authorities should take.We are now reviewing the current policies and measures with the football authorities. We published for consultation last August the report of an interdepartmental working group; with Ministerial colleagues from the other Departments concerned, I have beem holding a series of meetings with interested representative organisations to discuss the report's conclusions and recommendations. The organisations concerned and the dates of meetings, are:

1984–85 budgets: Current expenditure by service, percentages*
	(a) Planning and transport	(b) Social services	(c) Public protection (police and fire)	(d) Other Home Office services	(e) Recreation and environment	(f) Central services†
Avon	7·8	12·7	15·8	1·7	1·8	0·2
Bedfordshire	7·7	10·6	14·1	1·7	0·8	0·1
Berkshire	6·5	11·7	13·8	1·6	2·4	-0·7
Buckinghamshire	7·7	10·3	12·6	1·4	1·2	-0·2
Cambridgeshire	8·0	10·1	14·6	1·5	0·3	0·1
Cheshire	8·7	10·6	13·7	1·5	1·4	0·0
Cleveland	9·9	10·5	15·1	1·6	1·0	0·8
Cornwall	11·2	9·4	15·9	1·6	0·6	-0·2
Cumbria	10·4	10·4	15·5	1·6	1·8	-0·4
Derbyshire	7·6	12·3	14·4	1·3	1·6	-0·3
Devon	10·7	10·0	16·8	1·6	2·0	0·1
Dorset	9·4	11·4	17·5	1·9	1·6	0·0
Durham	9·0	10·1	15·5	1·7	1·2	0·7
East Sussex	8·0	14·5	17·0	2·1	2·2	-0·4
Essex	7·7	9·4	14·1	1·4	2·1	0·2
Gloucestershire	8·1	9·2	15·6	1·7	1·0	0·5
Hampshire	7·3	9·5	15·5	1·7	1·4	-0·2
Hereford and Worcester	8·1	10–3	15–2	1·8	1·5	0·0
Hertfordshire	8·3	9·5	12·8	1·5	1·7	-0·4
Humberside	8·3	10·5	15·5	1·4	1·6	0·0

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will show for each of the shire counties in England, the amount spent under the following budget heads, expressed as a percentage of the total budget for the last year for which figures are available: (a) planning and transportation, (b) social services, (c) public protection, (d) Home Office services, (e) recreational and environmental services, and (f) central services.

Following is the information relating to net current expenditure of shire counties in England, based on their 1984–85 budgets. The remaining percentage of expenditure not identified by the categories below relates to other services provided by shire counties, mainly education.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has taken any recent steps to install emergency electricity generators in any Government administrative buildings.

No such steps have been taken recently. Standby generators are already installed in all those Government establishments on the Civil estate that are unable to withstand even minimal interruption of the electricity supply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the representations received from Welwyn Hatfield district council regarding rate support grant 1985–86 and of the Government's response to the points raised.

When I met members of the council in July they sought three changes to the block grant system: a discount for areas with high rateable values per head, an allowance in GRE for the special needs of new towns, and a different treatment of the Metropolitan police precept outside Greater London. They opposed any change in the arrangement whereby potential surpluses on housing revenue account are disregarded. The rate support grant report which the House approved on 16 January meets their concern on the third and fourth points.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the representations received from Hertfordshire county council regarding rate support grant settlement 1985–86 and of the Government's response to the points made.

I shall write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ensure that allocations made under the European regional development fund non-quota textile measures are additional resources to the recipient authorities.

In setting public expenditure programmes, the Government take account of anticipated receipts from the European Community and the programmes are consequently higher than they would be otherwise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what increase has been made in the provision for home insulation grants in England contained in the total local authority housing capital allocations for 1985–86, to take account of the first full year of the operation of the topping-up grants for loft insulation under the homes insulation grant scheme.

Local authorities housing investment programme allocations in England for 1985–86 includes £31 million for the homes insulation scheme.For 1984–85 the allocation is £35 million. Latest estimates suggest an expenditure of some £31 million for 1984–85, which includes the first 9 months of operation of the scheme since it was extended to the topping-up of existing insulation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department has now concluded its discussions with the National House Building Council to establish agreed standards of repairs to the various types of pre-fabricated reinforced concrete dwellings designated under the Housing Defects Act 1984.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Chope) on 9 January 1985 at column 474.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the orders he has made requiring local authorities to dispose of vacant, derelict or under-used land, including the authorities and the acreage involved in each order; when each order takes effect; what the consequences will be; and if he will make a statement.

Four directions were made on 19 November 1984, under section 98 of the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980, in respect of the following:

Location	Approx. acreage	Landowner
Barmpton Land West, Darlington	3	Darlington borough council
Barton Lane, Clifton Nottingham	17	Nottingham city council
Oozewood Road, Roy ton	6	Oldham borough council
Doxford Park Way, Silksworth Sunderland	6	Sunderland borough council

The directions, which took effect when they were issued, instructed the landowners to take steps to dispose of the land by tender within a specified period. I am monitoring progress in each case.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of urban aid is designated for new sporting projects; and what offers he has made to local authorities of the pound for pound scheme in the inner cities.

Urban programme funds are not allocated for specific purposes: Sports projects have to compete with others for the funds available. In 1983–84, applications valued at £20 million were supported, out of an Urban Programme allocation of £257 million.The aim of the £-for-£ scheme is to encourage private sector — not local authority — investment in sporting projects and facilities. Following the success of £-for-£ schemes in Merseyside and Bristol, we have made money available to the Sports Council for further schemes in London and the west midlands this year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends further to encourage companies to offer the community shared use of sports facilities.

Yes, with the Sports Council and other interested organisations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what sports fields and other former recreational lands are currently classified as derelict land on the Land Register.

Land registers record details of unused or underused land owned by public bodies; not all such land is derelict. The current or previous use of 215 sites comprising 5,500 acres of registered land is shown as "leisure or recreations". The computerised information we maintain on all registers does not classify sports fields separately.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he has received from the 100 businesses he contacted in 1983 asking them to review the use of their sporting facilities; and if he will make a statement.

The increasing demand for sport and recreation opportunities needs to be met if possible through expanding the use of existing facilities, as well as through new provision. My initiative in writing to the chairmen of the 100 top companies was designed to assess the potential for greater community use of company sports facilities. The response from chairmen was generally positive. We ascertained that most company sports grounds and clubs are already open to the local community, and I am very grateful to the companies concerned for their important contribution to meeting local needs. I asked the sports council to follow up many responses at the local level. They established that in about 20 cases there could be some scope for development. The council continues to pursue these possibilities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in the new system for monitoring land use changes that commenced in January, he will include sports fields owned by local authorities and others.

Sports fields are included under outdoor recreation in the new system for monitoring land use changes and cannot therefore be separately identified. As that system was only introduced on 1 January, it would be premature to consider further subdividing the present 24 categories of land uses.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will bring forward legislation to empower a local authority to secure the satisfactory internal layout of a proposed private sector housing development.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the first allocations under the European regional development fund non-quota textile measures to be given to the recipient authorities.

We shall be inviting applications from local authorities soon and expect to take decisions on the allocation of non-quota aid for infrastructure works once their proposals are received, probably in March or April. Authorities were given guidance some months ago about the schemes which would be eligible for assistance and this should enable them to respond quickly and effectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has decided the breakdown of the Housing Corporation's approved development programme for 1985–86.

My right hon. Friend announced on 18 December that the gross provision for the Housing Corporation in 1985–86 was £685 million, comprising an allocation of £605 million plus an estimated £80 million of capital receipts. Of the gross provision of £685 million, £500 million will be needed to meet existing commitments on fair rent and hostel projects, and £85 million to meet commitments on low cost home ownership projects.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements are to be made for the future of Survey of London once the Greater London council has been abolished.

Responsibility for the Survey of London will pass to the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments. This decision, originally announced in the White paper "Streamlining the Cities" (Cmnd 9063), reflects the long and close relationship between the Royal Commission and the Survey of London which will now continue without disruption.

asked the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will give the current total estimated cost for the House during 1984–85, including salaries, allowances, printing and production of Parliamentary Debates, buildings and security.

Total expenditure, including the salaries and allowances of Members of Parliament but excluding tenants of charitable housing associations, for which the latest estimate made of the likely cost in 1985–86 is £17 million.The detailed breakdown of the corporation's approved development programme is as follows:building costs, is currently estimated at £62,576,000, of which £17,533,000 is on the House of Commons Administration Vote for which the House of Commons Commission is directly responsible. The Property Services Agency's parliamentary works programme for 1984–85, which covers both Houses of Parliament, is estimated at £11·333 million.

asked the Attorney-General what action is being taken to investigate reports that Johnson Matthey Bankers was, amongst other City institutions, the victim of a major currency fraud and to prosecute those responsible; and if he will make a statement.

No complaint of this nature has been received by the Director of Public Prosecutions from Johnson Matthey Bankers or any other City institution.

asked the Prime Minister if, having regard to Her Majesty's Government's final decision on the commemoration of Victory in Europe Day, they will give careful consideration, in good time, to the commemoration of Victory over Japan Day; and if she will take steps to ascertain the intentions in this matter of the other Commonwealth and allied Governments concerned.

As I said in the House on 17 January at column 504, we shall remember both occasions in the commemorations. We shall be in touch with other interested Governments about their intentions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints have been made against police officers in the United Kingdom in the past 11 months; how many have been upheld; how many such complaints have been associated with the miners' strike; and what number of these have been upheld.

My right hon. and learned Friend's responsibility covers police forces in England and Wales. The latest general information available relates to 1983. In that year 19,012 complaints cases (which might relate to a number of separate matters of complaint from one or more complainants) from members of the public were recorded against police officers. Of individual complaints disposed of in the same period, 1,448 were sub stantiated, 14,353 were unsubstantiated (including those in respect of which the Police Complaints Board granted a dispensation under the Police (Withdrawn, Anonymous Etc. Complaints) Regulations), and 14,880 were withdrawn or otherwise not proceeded with.I understand that in the period from 13 March 1984 to 8 January 1985, 530 complaints were made against police officers relating to actions arising during the course of the miners' dispute and 100 of these have been withdrawn. Most of the complaints are still under investigation and the number so far substantiated could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the ethnic origin of those (a) men, (b) women and (c) juveniles received into prison department establishments in 1983 and 1984;(2) if he now has an ethnic breakdown of prisoners serving custodial sentences.

Following the introduction on 1 June 1984 of revised procedures for collecting information on the ethnic origin of persons received into prison department establishments, the quality of the data has improved and it is expected that information about receptions will become available later this year. My right hon. and learned Friend will then arrange for its publication. Information about the whole of the sentenced population including those received before 1 June 1984 will not become available until some time later.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department is carrying out into nuclear, biological and chemical protection of the civilian population; and what priority such research has.

We are continually engaged in a programme of research into protective measures against the effect of modern weapons as determined by the Government's assumptions about the nature of the threat. These are contained in Home Office circular No. ES 1/1984 (a copy of which is in the Library of the House). The work is given a high priority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he gives advice to local authorities on how to protect their civil defence radio networks against the effects of nuclear electro-magnetic pulse.

Yes, and consideration is being given to how this guidance might be extended. I will Keep the House informed of progress.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress the working party on local authority communications is making; and when he hopes to have the final report.

The working party on civil defence communications is considering its final report which it hopes to make later this year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assumption was made for the report on standardisation of training of civil defence volunteers on the numbers that would need to be trained.

The working party made no assumption on numbers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of court actions (a) started in the last year and (b) current against the prison department for the non-payment of dental charges.

Seven sets of proceedings have been issued in 1984 against the Home Office or its officers relating to the non-payment of dental charges. One of these actions was struck out, the rest are being defended. Three additional High Court actions which relate to proceedings commenced in 1983 are also current: one of these is a consolidated action relating to non-payment of dental charges: the other two, one of which is at present dormant, relate to compensation for cancelled dental clinics. All these proceedings have been issued by the same person.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners committed suicide in penal establishments in 1984.

Twenty verdicts of suicide have been recorded at inquests on prisoners who died in prison department custody during 1984. Inquests on three further prisoners have yet to be held.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the criteria he uses in deciding whether or not to make publicly available information about experiments on living animals.

Apart from the information published in the statistical returns which are presented to Parliament each year, we consider each request for information on its merits, bearing in mind the need to protect confidentiality and physical security.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the review conducted by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis into the use within the force of privately-owned computers has been completed; and what decision has been reached.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that he has prohibited the use of privately-owned computers for police purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to ensure that the disclosure requirements relating to computers used by the police are the same, regardless of who owns the computers; and if he will make a statement.

There is no need for such legislation as the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1984 apply regardless of who owns the computer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons under the age of 20 years have been deported from addresses in the city of London and the boroughs of Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Wandsworth, Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Islington, and Camden, respectively, in each of the years from 1979 to date.

I regret that this information is not available, but the figures for the United Kingdom as a whole do not suggest that there has been any substantial increase in such deportations since 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue to all magistrates a circular drawing attention to the cost saving between custodial and community service sentences for non-serious offenders as set out in the answer to the hon. Member for Billericay of 16 January; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans to issue a circular specifically drawing attention to these figures. Magistrates will, however, be aware of the importance we attach to the use of non-custodial penalties where appropriate; and their substantial and increasing use of the community service order in recent years indicates their confidence in it as an alternative disposal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of imitation firearms being used in the course of crime have been reported during each of the past five years for which figures are available in (a) England and Wales and (b) the Metropolitan police district.

The information requested is given in the following table. Figures for England and Wales are published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales" (table 3.3 of the issue for 1983, Cmnd. 9349) copies of which are in the Library of the House.

Notifiable offences recorded by the police in which imitation firearms were reported to have been used
Number of offences
	England and Wales	Metropolitan police district
1979	144	65
1980	161	64
1981	206	88
1982	183	71
1983	167	57

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received advocating the strengthening of legislation governing the use of replica firearms; and what reply he has given.

We have received a few such representations, generally as part of representations about a range of firearms issues, often in terms suggesting that the writer does not know of the existing controls on replicas.In reply, we have referred to the present controls and how they apply to the different categories of imitation firearms. It is already an offence to use any imitation firearms to resist arrest or to commit a crime. Heavy penalties apply in such cases. Those which can be readily converted to fire live ammunition are subject to the firearm certificate procedures. We have pointed out, however, that it is not practicable to restrict the sale or use of toy guns since there are already millions in circulation, and such a control would be ineffective because life-like imitations can easily be constructed by those set on a criminal act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions under the Firearms Act 1982 relating to imitation firearms have been brought since it came into force; and how many such prosecutions have led to convictions.

Prosecutions relating to imitation firearms would be brought under the Firearms Acts 1968 and 1982. The information collected centrally on court proceedings (unlike that on notifiable offences recorded by the police) does not distinguish offences involving imitation firearms and such information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any examples have been drawn to his attention of imitation weapons which fall outside the scope of the Firearms Act 1982 being used for criminal purposes.

There have been cases where toy guns, and imitation firearms which were not readily convertible to fire live ammunition, have been used in crime. Such articles are outside the scope of the Firearms Act 1982, but the possession of any imitation firearm while committing an offence is punishable with heavy penalties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to review the scope and effectiveness of the Firearms Act 1982.

We have no plans to do so at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received any inquiries since 19 December 1984, whether oral or written, that Yasser Arafat should be granted a visa to enter the United Kingdom in the near future; and if he will make a statement.

We have received no such inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total revenue derived from hotel television licences in 1984; and what is the estimated amount for 1985 under the new arrangements for hotel television licensing.

Television licence fee revenue paid by hotels in 1984 is not separately recorded, but we estimate that it was about £1 million. We estimate that under the new licensing requirements for hotels revenue from this source in 1985 will be some £3 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will indicate the number of people held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act between 1 January 1983 and the present; and, of these, how many were detained (a) whilst Parliament was in recess and (b) while Parliament was sitting;(2) if he will indicate the number of people held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act from 1983 onwards together with

I will reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information is available to him from the daily reports provided to him through the National Reporting Centre about the average number of pickets employed by the National Union of Mineworkers for each week of the strike.

The reports do not contain this information.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison ministers have been appointed at Winson Green prison in Birmingham.

There are two full-time chaplains—one Church of England, one Roman Catholic—and one part-time Methodist chaplain. There is also a full-time Church Army captain. In addition, there are 8 other Ministers accredited to visit inmates of particular religious faiths.

asked the Secretary of Stale for the Home Department how many people received assistance with the cost of visits to prisoners under the assisted prison scheme during the financial year 1983–84.

The Department of Health and Social Security administer the scheme on behalf of the Home Office. I am advised that the number of giro transactions and travel warrants issued is recorded, but not the number of persons involved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many civil servants were employed in P5 division in December 1984.

On 31 December 1984 there were 33 civil servants in post in P5 division out of a complement of 34.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in what circumstances a stateless person, married to a British citizen, working and resident indefinitely abroad, may acquire British citizenship.

[pursuant to his reply, 17 January 1985, c. 177].A person, whether stateless or not, who is married to a British citizen may apply for naturalisation if he or she can meet the requirements set out in schedule 1 to the British Nationality Act 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many face workers have returned to work at National Coal Board pits since the start of the current dispute; and what is the current output of coal.

Figures are not collected in the form requested. Since the dispute began there have been over 28,000 new faces reporting for work making a total of more than 75,000. The latest published figures for coal production are in the December edition of Energy Trends.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many coal mines have received less than £10 million of investment since May 1979; and of these how many have received less than £5 million and £1 million respectively.

The National Coal Board informs me that since the beginning of the 1979–80 financial year 89 operational collieries have received investment, including an estimate of plant pool equipment allocated to individual collieries, of more than £10 million. 43 have received investment of between £5 million and £10 million and 37 investment of between £1 million and £5 million. No operational colliery has received less than £1 million. This represents a remarkable record compared with other European countries or with investment under previous Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) whether the Government are taking steps to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions from power stations by encouraging energy conservation or electricity conservation; and if he will make a statement;(2) what sum, as a proportion of expenditure and in total, his Department has spent in the last two years for which figures are available, and what sum it is planned to spend in the next two years, in order to investigate electricity or energy conservation as a means of reducing sulphur dioxide emissions from power stations.

Expenditure on means of reducing sulphur dioxide emissions from power stations is primarily the responsibility of the CEGB. My Department has supported work on promising advanced technologies that could reduce power station emissions. As announced on 24 January 1984, we are contributing, together with the BGC, CEGB and the NCB to two engineering design studies of commercial scale coal fired power stations using the slagging gasifier and a pressurised fluidised bed combustor. The Department's contribution totals £626,000 most of which will be spent in the next two years.My Department has also contributed some £17 million over the past eight years to the construction and operation of the experimental pressurised fluidised bed facility at Grimethorpe under the auspices of the International Energy Agency. £6·5 million of this expenditure was incurred over the past two years. The NCB and CEGB announced last May that they will jointly finance continuation of this work over the next two years at a cost of £25 million. The energy efficiency campaign my right hon. Friend launched on taking up his present responsibilities would also make an important contribution to controlling emissions from power stations and from industry. This is aimed at persuading consumers to realise cost-effective energy savings equivalent to some 20 per cent. of present energy consumption.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what proportion of electricity he estimates will be generated by nuclear power in 1990; and what proportion of electricity is currently generated by nuclear power.

In 1983 nuclear electricity contributed 17·8 per cent. of all electricity available from the United Kingdom public supply system. A comparable figure for 1984 is not yet available. The future nuclear share will depend on a number of factors, including the level of electricity demand. When the three AGRs currently being commissioned at Dungeness B, Heysham 1 and Hartlepool are fully operational, the proportion of the expected demand met by nuclear electricity could rise to about 21 per cent. With the completion and full commissioning around the end of this decade of the two further AGRs under construction, the contribution could reach about 25 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy to what extent the Government have used information in, "Energy in a Finite World", produced by the International Institute for Applied System Analysis, as the basis for the Government's policy on nuclear energy and, in particular, on fast breeder reactors.

My Department has not used this study as a basis for its work.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) whether the Central Electricity Generating Board's contract for uranium oxide from the Rossing mine in Namibia has now been fulfilled;(2) what were the reasons for delays in supplies which led to the completion date for the Central Electricity Generating Board's contract for uranium oxide from the Rossing mine in Namibia being put back.

Deliveries under the contract were completed in December 1984. Supplies due to be delivered between 1976 and 1982 were rescheduled in the late 1970s because of early operational difficulties at the mine.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if, before the meeting of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries ministers on 28 January, he will instruct the British National Oil Corporation to set an official price for North sea oil more closely related to spot market prices.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has concerning the recent decision of the Norwegian Government to bring the official price of Norwegian oil more into line with spot market prices.

There is no official price for Norwegian oil. The Norwegian Government sets a norm price at which Norwegian production is valued for tax purposes but it is set retrospectively. I understand that Statoil has been discussing with its customers the price of its oil for December and January.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the United Kingdom's balance of trade in information technology; and how many were employed in this field in each year since 1979.

Using a definition of information technology, which covers office machinery, data processing equipment, telecommunications equipment, electrical instruments and control systems, radio and electronic capital goods, electronic components (including microelectronics and semi-conductors) and consumer electronics but excluding tapes, records, software and computer services, the figures for balance of trade are:

	Deficit £ million
1979	443
1980	356
1981	1,061
1982	1,480
1983	2,100

Average employment in the sector, but including the manufacture of tapes and records, is as follows:

	Numbers
1979	448,000
1980	436,000
1981	407,000
1982	399,000
1983	402,000
1984	*411,000
* Mid-year count.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of total financial support from his Department was spent on (a) established industries and technologies and (b) new industries and technologies in 1979 and at the latest available date, respectively.

The objective of the Department's support in this area is not to distinguish between new and established industries but to stimulate innovation and the use of the latest appropriate technology, in all industries. As a percentage of the total, but declining, expenditure of the Department of Trade and Industry, scientific and technological assistance offered has risen from 6·3 per cent. in 1979–80 to 21·4 per cent. in 1983–84. That is from £142 million to £342 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the share of the largest 100 United Kingdom manufacturing companies in (a) gross/net manufacturing value added, (b) total manufacturing employment and (c) total manufacturing assets in 1979 and 1983.

Figures provided in the following table relate to the manufacturing activity of the top 100 enterprises in the private sector, defined in terms of their employment in manufacturing. No comparable estimates are available for the stock of manufacturing assets, but figures are shown for net capital expenditure incurred in each year. Estimates relating to 1983 are not yet available.

Share of total manufacturing activity accounted for by top 100 private sector enterprises (per cent.)
	Gross value added	Employment	Net capital expenditure
1979	37	35	40
1982	38	35	37

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many firms represented the upper half of retail sales in the United Kingdom in 1982.

In 1982 the largest 138 individual companies accounted for one half of retail sales in Great Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the Government's policy objectives concerning the use and exploitation of space and the development of the British space industry.

The Government's primary objectives in space are to assist the development and maintenance of competitive industrial and commercial organisations able to produce and exploit space hardware, software and services, particularly in the fields of communications and remote sensing; and to make use of space techniques. in its own activities, to maximum national benefit, for example by undertaking a balanced programme of research at the frontiers of knowledge in the major areas of space science. The Government pursue these objectives through a suitable combination of national and international programmes.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place a copy of British Leyland's 1985 corporate plan in the Library.

A review of BL performance in 1984 and the BL 1985 corporate plan will be placed in the Library in accordance with customary procedure when the Government's decisions on it are announced.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will indicate the current level of civil research and development expenditure, expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product; and if he will make a statement.

Civil research and development expenditure performed in the United Kingdom by all sectors of the economy was 1.8 per cent. of the gross domestic product in 1981, the latest available year. The information is obtained from an annual article on research and development expenditure published in Economic Trends, the latest was in August 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what position he proposes to adopt in respect of the next European Space Agency Council meeting regarding the British Aerospace space freighter.

British Aerospace has proposed an attractive concept for a versatile space platform — a "space freighter". Whether this should now be pursued as a planned European contribution to the international space station is one of the issues my hon. Friend the Minister for Industry and Information Technology will be taking up at the forthcoming ESA Ministerial Council meeting.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his policy regarding the concept of a non-policy making administrative body as an alternative to a space agency in Europe.

The Government believes that the European Space Agency has proved a successful and valuable organisation as presently constituted.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the United Kingdom contribution to the European Space Agency since 1975; and what the level of this contribution is expected to be for 1985.

United Kingdom contributions to the European Space Agency since 1975 have been as follows:

				£ million
	DTI	SERC*	Met. Office	Total
1975–76	22·8	6·3	—	29·1
1976–77	31·5	6·8	—	38·3
1977–78	31·2	8·4	—	39·6
1978–79	30·6	8·6	0·6	39·8
1979–80	33·3	8·0	1·1	42·4
1980–81	40·2	8·4	0·7	49·3
1981–82	53·2	8·3	0·8	62·3
1982–83	54·6	8·4	1·3	64·3
1983–84	51·2	10·3	3·6	65·1
1984–85†	53·3	11·3	5·9	70·5
* Science and Engineering Research Council
† Estimated

The United Kingdom contribution to ESA for 1985–86 has not been finalised and may be affected by the outcome of the ESA Ministerial Council meeting next week. It is however likely that the total contribution will be slightly increased in 1985–86.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, prior to the European Space Agency Council meeting in Rome on 30 January, he will make a statement on his policy regarding an independent space agency for Britain.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance in the form of subsidy and investment his Department is prepared to give to the state-owned merchant shipbuilding industry and to the associated construction of slow-speed marine diesel engines.

£137 million of the external finance which the Department is providing to British Shipbuilders in 1984–85 is primarily to support merchant shipbuilding and engine building. For 1985–86 the Government have announced an EFL for the whole of British Shipbuilders of £36 million, after taking account of the expected proceeds of sale of the warship yards. A detailed breakdown of support specifically for slow-speed marine diesel engine building is not available.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what replies have been received by the central transfer unit from employees at Cheltenham regarding transfers of staff.

The staff transfer unit does not enter into direct correspondence with individual employees regarding transfers. All negotiations on transfers from Cheltenham take place with the local deployment staff.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many store cattle were exported from Northern Ireland to other regions of the United Kingdom in each of the last three years.

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

asked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts if he will list the conditions attached to money for funding the arts given to the regions under the proposals contained in "The Glory of the Garden".

The Arts Council has not yet finalised its grants to the regions under the "Glory of the Garden" proposals. Any conditions will vary from case to case.

asked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts why the annual purchase grant for the National Gallery has been reduced from £3·33 million for 1984–85 to £2·75 million for 1985–86; and what is the real reduction in the purchasing power of the grant, given the anticipated level of inflation and the higher rate of increase in saleroom prices for major works of art

In allocating the arts budget for 1985–86, my right hon. and noble Friend decided to give greater emphasis to the conservation and housing of collections than to new acquisitions. The National Gallery's net running costs provision will be increased by 5·3 per cent. above the current year; and it should benefit from the 15 per cent. rise in the overall museum and gallery building and maintenance programme. The real value of its purchasing grant will depend on future price levels of relevant works of art, which cannot be predicted.

asked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts if he will arrange for an exhibition relating to the Yorkshire Water Colour Society to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

I understand that arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall on 18 March 1985.

asked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts whether he will publish in the Official Report the attendance figures for 1984 reported by the national museums and galleries in England, broken down to the individual institutions but comprising their outstations, with figures in each case of the percentage increase or decrease on the attendance figures for 1983.

[pursuant to his reply, 9 January 1985. c. 426]: The information requested is as follows:

	Estimated attendance in 1984	Percentage change from 1983
British Museum	3,467,044	+12·6
Imperial War Museum	1,365,888	+8·8
National Gallery	2,936,926	+1·4
National Maritime Museum	600,000	*
National Portrait Gallery	581,395	+24·2
Science Museum	4,510,103	-5·7
Tate Gallery	1,265,605	-0·3
Victoria & Albert Museum	2,079,204	-6·4
Wallace Collection	177,613	+0·2
* No quantifiable change.

The estimated figure for attendance at the Imperial War Museum includes visitors to the Cabinet war rooms in Whitehall which were opened to the public on 6 April 1984. Admission charges were introduced at the National Maritime Museum in April 1984, and the figure quoted is an approximate estimate based partly on the number of admission tickets sold, some of which cover more than one entrant or visit. Other museums record visitors manually, and in most cases the figures are regarded as being accurate to within about 5 per cent. This limits the interpretation of apparent annual changes in attendance, which may also be affected by other factors at individual museums and galleries.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the four places in the United Kingdom where methyl isocyanate is stored for research purposes; how much is stored at each location; in how many containers; what are the research purposes; and what precise controls are imposed by the Health and Safety Executive.

I will write to the hon. Member about the location and use of methyl isocyanate, as there are statutory restrictions on the public disclosure of such information. With regard to controls, work with methyl isocyanate is covered by the general duties of employers under sections 2 and 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The substance is subject to the Classification, Packaging and Labelling of Dangerous Substances Regulations 1984 and the Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazard Regulations 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest available figures of fatal accidents to children aged 16 years and under while at work, of major accidents among that age group at work, and of all reported accidents at work to children aged 16 years and under.

There were six fatal injuries in 1983 to children aged 16 years and under, at work or on Government training schemes, reported to inspectors of the Health and Safety Executive.There were 510 major accidents and 3604 reported accidents in 1982, the latest year for which figures are readily available. These figures may exclude some accidents on government training schemes. Figures for cases reported to local authorities could not be gathered without disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many employers were prosecuted by the Health and Safety Inspectorate for the illegal employment of children; and how many cases and convictions were involved for each year since 1979.

The table shows details of prosecutions for illegal employment of children taken by the Health and Safety Executive's inspectors. Prosecutions taken by other authorities for the illegal employment of children are not reported to the Health and Safety Executive.

	Employers prosecuted	*Informations laid	Convictions
1979	9	14	13
1980	8	18	18
1981	4	5	5
1982	3	10	10
1983†	3	8	8
* One case can cover several informations.
† Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how his Department monitors compliance with Recommendation 924 of the Council of Europe on discrimination against homosexuals.

The Government have no obligation to comply with this recommendation.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislation to render unlawful discrimination in employment on grounds of homosexuality.

No. This is a subject upon which widely differing views are held, and we do not consider that such legislation would command a sufficient degree of public support for it to be effective.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many working days were lost through strikes in 1984; if he will state the comparable figures for 1982 and 1983; and if he will make a statement.

Figures for 1984, together with the comparable figures for 1982 and 1983, will be published on 31 January in table 4.2 of the labour market data section of the January 1985 issue of the Employment Gazette, a copy of which will be placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, (1) pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Cambridgeshire, North-East of 14 January, Official Report, columns 35–36, about youth training scheme mode A schemes, whether he will list the proportion of payments made for vacated places in 1983–84 for which the maximum of £12 was adjudged payable;(2) pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Cambridgeshire, North-East of 14 January,

The precise information requested is not available centrally, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people were in training on the youth training scheme at the end of each month from April 1983 to August 1984, by mode; and how many young people were in training (a) on current year schemes and (b) on previous year schemes at the end of each month from September 1984 to the latest available month, also by mode.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has concerning the number of employees covered by union dues check-off systems in (a) the public sector and (b) the private sector.

Information on the number of employees covered by check-off arrangements is not available. However according to the 1980 workplace industrial relations survey 65 per cent. of all public sector and 35 per cent. of all private sector establishments employing manual workers operated check-off arrangements. The corresponding figures for non-manual workers were 62 per cent. in the public sector and 18 per cent. in the private sector. A TUC survey in 1979 suggested that some 50 per cent. of union members were covered by check-off arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) whether he has any plans to introduce legislation on the subject of the union dues check-off system;(2) what steps he intends to take to deal with abuses of the union dues check-off system;

The Trade Union Act 1984 has already dealt with a serious abuse of the check-off system by making it unlawful for employers to deduct the political levy from the pay of trade union members who have notified them that they have contracted out. My right hon. Friend and I will be considering the whole question of deductions from pay as part of our current consultations on protection of wages.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what representations he has received recently concerning the union dues check-off system;(2) what information he has concerning the number of reported abuses of the union dues check-off system; and how many of these cases resulted in criminal prosecutions.

We have recently received several representations from the director of the Construction Plant Hire Association about the collection of trade unions subscriptions by check-off, some of which have been passed on to us by the hon. Member for Macclesfield. We are not aware of any abuses of this system which have led to criminal prosecutions but there are problems associated with, for example, the deduction of compulsory, special union levies which have given cause for concern.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will request the Manpower Services Commission to re-examine the availability of resources for mode B schemes serving rural areas in Leicestershire and to sustain the provision at current levels.

The Manpower Services Commission is currently finalising its plans for youth training scheme provision in Leicestershire for 1985–86. Mode B provision in the county in 1984–85 exceeded the demand from young people and in the light of that, and the availability of employer-based provision in mode A, some reduction in the number of mode B may be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will request the Manpower Services Commission to maintain funding for the Melton Would workers scheme at a sufficient level to maintain 35 places for young people.

I understand that plans for youth training scheme provision in Melton in 1985–86 have not yet been completed, but I would expect the Manpower Services Commission to seek as far as possible to meet the demand for places through employer-based programmes under mode A. This is likely to entail some reduction in mode B1 provision in the district but it is not yet clear where the reductions will fall.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will publish for each Manpower Services Commission area office in the south western region, and for (a) 16-year-olds, (b) 17-year-olds, and (c) 18-year-olds, the latest careers service estimates of the number and proportion expected to leave school and further education college, and the number and proportion expected to find work outside the youth training scheme by 31 December;(2) if he will publish for each Manpower Services Commission area office in the south eastern region, and for